Adventure's with Sister Adams

#BecauseofHim April 21, 2014

Happy Easter! Sounds like y'all had a great Easter! I really missed being home for Easter. I've realized that every holiday since being on my mission, I have not enjoyed the food. Namely, because everyone has HAM for every holiday. It's the worst. So I'm looking forward to having good food when I get home, so that I can actually get the full enjoyment out of a holiday. That being said, I'm very grateful for the people that do have us over for holidays! This past week was so much fun, seriously. I loved it. We found new people to teach, and had lots of laughs along the way.

Last Monday we were going to teach a less active family, and low and behold they had invited one of their friends over that isn't a member. So we were able to teach Jasmine the restoration and we'll be teaching them all again tonight! Oh happy day! It's so relieving to see the work start moving forward in an area. I love going to an area that is pretty much dead, and seeing it come to life with all the prepared people that you just have to work really hard, for a few months, to find.

Tuesday we did some service, which involved organizing someones tupperware drawer. We do the strangest things. It makes me laugh to think about it, but service is service. There was also an Extended Zone Conference for missionaries and members. So President Nattress and the assistants trained everyone, well it's mainly for the members. And motivate them to do missionary work, and teach them easy ways to get involved. So that was a spiritually uplifting experience, even though NOBODY from our ward came. Ughhhh. The wards in Gilbert everyone and their dog comes, but here it's just not as involved.

Wednesday we went to the temple, and it took FOREVER! The cute older couple that took us just moves so slow, and kept stopping at places. But they meant well, and didn't realize that a couple of our proselyting hours were wasted.ha. We did more service...weeding and moving rocks around? I just do what I'm told. And that night we went to the Easter Pageant. An investigator family came, so we went early to save seats for them. We were biting out nails that they would show up. Luckily they did, and only a couple minutes late! Whoo! The Easter Pageant is AMAZING! The cast walks around beforehand taking pictures with people, and some even hand out copies of The Book of Mormon to people! They rock! And if they know you are with a non-member they make sure to come and talk to them to ensure that they have a great experience! I wanna come back and see it again next year. It's awesome!

Thursday we did more service!ha. This time we cleaned some grout. Not even kidding. Like on our hands and knees with brushes scrubbing. There are pictures attached, I might have gotten a little dirty. Sister Collins came on exchanges with us. She just travels around and trains sisters on planning and area books. She goes home in like a week! Crazy! I love her! She came out with us for a couple hours too. And we went to visit some people, and nobody was answering. I realized we were near a part member family and felt like we should stop by. They let us in and we taught them...and taught them again on Friday. And they went to the Easter Pageant...and we're teaching them tomorrow! Score! I love how the Lord will lead you to those that our ready, and sometimes that means by having nobody else answer the door. We went to the Easter Pageant again Thursday with an investigator, Tiffany. Her mom is a member and lives a few hours away. So she got to the pageant at 1:40 in order to save seats....when the pageant doesn't start until 8.ha. We had really good seats though!

Friday we were able to teach a few people, eat some food. We also had planning, which seems to take up most of the day. It's rather unfortunate! It was cool when we were teaching Barbara. As we quoted the first vision, she had tears feel her eyes. She will be baptized soon! Yay! The work is finally moving forward in this area!

Saturday, we were able to go contact for a couple hours, before going to work at the Easter Pageant, once again. We visited this old less active couple. And Bud always hugs us and calls us "Honey" and such. As we were leaving, his grandson yelled old, "Grandpa, are you flirting?"hahaha. He is the cutest old man. Working the Easter Pageant was the best. We truly saw miracles. We're assigned a certain area and have to try and talk to everyone in that area and invite them into the visitor center. Lots of the people we talk to are members, but we heard some amazing stories from some recent converts on how they joined the church. One guy was covered in tattoos and his hat said, "Tattoo'd Mormon." He is awesome! We got a few families to go into the visitor center, and one spoke Spanish so I was pretty proud about that.haha. There was this one lady we talked to who had just gone into the visitor center and had an amazing experience. We gave her a Book of Mormon and after a brief testimony about it, she was nearly in tears. She is amazing! And will have missionaries going to her house to teach her. It's cool to see how many people come to the Easter Pageant. They set up around 9,000 chairs, and lots more sit on the grass. And it is PACKED every night! Truly amazing. I even met a guy that is moving to Winder in just a couple weeks! Crazy!haha.

Sunday was Easter. So that was good. We went to church, go figure. And had a couple meetings. The family we ate with, had their Jewish friend over as well, so it felt a little odd as we were sharing our Easter message. We showed pretty much everyone we could this week this AMAZING video. Every time I watch it the spirit is SO STRONG! I know that Christ lives! And Because of Him I...

have hope.

can be made clean.

know that my Heavenly Father loves me.

feel peace and joy.

can draw stength from Him.

am never alone.

can be with my family forever.

can start over again and again.

find happiness.

will live again.

That's just a few things out of what could be an endless list of what I owe to my Savior. "I know that my Redeemer lives, what comfort this sweet sentence gives. He lives! He lives who once was dead!" I'm so grateful for the sacrifice that He made for ME! I love being able to serve Him, and help people realize what is possible #BecauseOfHim. So please show this video to everyone and their neighbor. But really.

http://easter.mormon.org/

Love,

Sister Adams