Saturday, July 20, 2013

email and pics 7-8-13 from Sister Adams



Me at the Susquehanna River
email from July 8th
HI DAD!
HAPPY 4TH ( or 8TH) OF JULY!
So you know whats funny? I talk about you a lot. I share lots of stories with my companion and random people about you, and its just weird. I can feel our relationship growing, even though I'm all the way across the country. Its pretty cool and it gets me emotional (in a good way). I love you dad :)  
So I'm sitting here in the library and I really need to go pee, but I cant because our computers are timed and my companion is writing too so I'm going to wait... but the letter might be a little scatter-brained, so bear with me :)
Me and Sister Carringon


So the one girl that lives with the Cain family is named Alisha. She is 1/2 black and 1/2 white. She has freckles and a brown fro. She is a little taller than me (shocker) and kind of chubby and has braces.  She moved out of her dads house and lives with her friend Reinell ("Rain-ell") Cain. When I first met her she couldn't believe that I was the same age as her. She calls me her "best friend," its really cute :)  She asks a lot of questions about our church, and one night we were there for dinner.  We had gravy, biscuits, and fried chicken... it didn't do too well with my stomach a day later, but in the moment it was delicious...
For our lesson we talked about the Book of Mormon. In our ward, the Bishop has asked us to invite people to give out a Book of Mormon with 12 witnesses (they put their testimony in the front cover) and give it to someone.  So that's what we asked them to do.  They accepted, and Alisha was sitting next to me, and she asked what the Book of Mormon was. I told her about it and she asked if she could have one before I could ask her to even read it. She wanted to give one to her dad. I invited her to read the 1st chapter for the next time we saw her (we're over there a lot) and she accepted.  Its about a week later and she has yet to read it, but she went to church.  She came and sat next to me pretty much the whole time and it was really nice :)  She kept on asking us questions in gospel essentials, the teacher felt prompted to talk about the Gadianton robbers. I was like oh man, where is this going..?  Alisha leaned over and asked Sister Carrigan if THAT story was in the book of Mormon, and she said it was. Alisha then said that she wanted to read it even more, that she would go home, shower and then read.  We're going to ask her soon if she's read it.  I can tell that she has such a desire to know if God really is there and if He really knows her personally.  I have come to know of the converting power of the Book of Mormon. I am really hoping that she reads it.  I have a lot of love for her already and just want her to be happy because she's gone through a lot in her life.  At church she saw my ring and asked what CTR meant.  I told her and she said "Oh, I like that," and smiled.  so I was thinking of getting her a CTR ring, except now i just have find out how. :)
Our apartment
The rainy summer weather
 
The balcony at our apartment

Our 4th of July was really fun!  We had 2 parties planned to go to, and the first one was the Ward party.  It was really fun and we met a lot of members and Sister Carrigan said that there is no dieting on holidays so I ate like a pig.  There was homemade cobbler and it was delicious :)  Sister Carrigan and I color coordinated out clothes. I was the stars and she was the stripes, we are the cutest Sister Missionaries in our ward ;)  We later had a party with an investigator named Jeanine ( i think she might have emailed you already, but she said she was going to send you guys pictures) and her family. She has 2 adopted daughters from China and 2 dogs and 2 cats. I cuddled with a boxer, it was wonderful :)  We stayed there for way too long, but we got a ride with the Elders so we couldn't leave.  It felt really weird because we're supposed to be urgent missionaries, but I literally couldn't.  I know I was sent to this area to learn how to relax, while still being urgent, but have fun.  I feel a lot more comfortable here :) but anywhooooo, the party was really fun.  They wouldn't let us help, so we were forced to relax.  It was weird. (ok, I only have 15 minutes left  ) so that was out 4th.  We didn't get to see fireworks until the 6th. The Fletchers were driving us home (the guy that called you) and he saw the fireworks over in Baltimore/Havre de Grace and decided to take us to the VA (Veterans Association) and we watched the fireworks. It felt so nice and it made me miss home, but I was just so happy. It was a perfect ending to a boring day :) The Fletchers have been such a blessing in this area. They have given us so much love, words cant even explain.
Oh, Sister Carrigan chipped her tooth trying to open a honey stick with her teeth. her name is now Sister Snaggletooth :P
love you, hope you're doing alright :) LOVEEEEEEEEEE YYYYYOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!! 
Sister Bell Adams :)