Alabama!!

I don't have any cool experiences this week to share, but I want to tell y'all how excited I am for General Conference!!! We watched the Women's Session in spanish, and I am anxiously awaiting the Ensign because I didn't get much out of it :) I could feel the spirit, but the Spanish speaker was moving too fast for my 4-month Spanish brain. It's rough. But!! I'm so excited for next week. I challenge all of you to have a question in mind, and then email me about your experiences you get next week ;) I know that when we ask, we will receive!!! 

We visited the Vulcan today.

Spring is so beautiful here! There's flowers everywhere, and the air feels like summer. 

I love all of you!! Have a fantastic week!! 

Love, 

Hermana Adams

Jesus' Parables

Hello all!! This week was pretty great. Well, it was FREEZING (ha, sorry Utah. "mildy chilly") and then today I think I got a sunburn. What the?? 

This week I just felt like sharing something I learned in institute a while ago, and it has been on my mind for a few days. 

So in the Bible, Jesus taught in parables! I want to talk about 3 specifically. I don't have my scriptures right now, so I'll just paraphrase. The first one is where a sheep wanders from the flock, and the shepherd goes and brings it back and everyone rejoices. The next is where the widow loses one of her coins, and when she finds it she brings everyone over to party because she found it! The third is about the Prodigal Son. The son chooses a different path of life than his father, and goes and does his thing, realizes that life at home wasn't so bad, goes back and his dad throws a party because he came back!! 

These 3 stories have something in common. I would like to interpret it as each item; the sheep, coin, and son are different ways that people wander from the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. The Sheep simply wanders astray, the coin is neglected. 

The prodigal son is the one I want to talk about though! He chooses his path. He chooses to leave. I think this is the most heartbreaking one of all of them. When we experience this heartbreak when a loved one chooses a different path, I think it is important to make sure that they feel love. Make sure that they can feel how important they are to you. Our purpose in this life is to become as much as Christ as we possibly can (it's super hard, but possible!!) and if we didn't love them, we wouldn't be fulfilling our purpose. 

I love this gospel. I love my God and my Savior. I cannot imagine what my life would be like without them. I know that when we get a little lost or life gets a little gloomy, there is ALWAYS someone there. And He knows exactly what we're going through. 

I love all of you so so so much!! 

Hermana Adams

(Hermana H, Hermana W, Hermana M,and Hermana Adams at Railroad Park in Birmingham Alabama)

We gave three people heart attacks....

You know, the kind where you stick paper hearts all over the door? It was so much fun!! We went to some less active peoples homes and the ward mission leader, and wrote them little notes :) It is fun knowing you brighten someones day!

Our investigator P.  :) he fed is this amazing dominican food.

                                   

I don't have much to write about this week, but I want to let you all know that even when people try to tell me what I believe, I always defend my beliefs with courtesy and compassion :) It's hard when people's forehead veins start popping out because I don't agree with them, and I always want to run away. But today we met a lady who said "If you crossed the street right now and got hit by an 18-wheeler, where would you go?" That was really scary because I thought she was going to start bashing us, so I started looking around for an escape route, but then she started sharing her faith and what she believed too, and we had a really good conversation. I love moments like those :) I love all the challenges I face here, even though they're hard!! I love Alabama and every soul in it, even the ones who cross to the other side of the street when they see us coming!!! The gospel is true!! Jesus Christ loves each and every one of you!! 

Love,

Hermana Adams

Another Week in Alabama

The weeks go by so fast!! We're already in the middle of the second transfer. Good thing I still have a long way to go!! I love it here in Alabama and I can't wait to get up everyday and meet new people to share the gospel with!!!

This week's message will be kind of short, but we had some cool experiences!! We had family home evening at a members house, and we taught them the importance of making your home as much as a temple as possible. We shared with them the Mormon Message "Moments that Matter Most". (Y'all should check it out ;)) We ate delicious chili and biscuits, and we got to take home a bunch of cookies :) They're a really awesome family.

We had dinner with the branch president's wife, and she's really awesome. She made us Chickpea teriyaki and it was soooo good. She also offered to help us with language study, she used to be a teacher in the Provo MTC. She's so awesome!!

The last thing I want to share is that we had dinner last night with a really awesome lady who has been inactive for the last 10 years because of her health. I mean, she has had a rough life. But we got to come and make sushi and cheer her up :) She used to be a dancer so she showed us all of her costumes. Some she even made herself!! She says she used to be really crafty, but doesn't have the energy anymore. I love going over there and sharing scriptures with her and helping strengthen her faith.

It's starting to warm up a little, so more and more flowers are blooming :) Alabama is turning green!! It's so beautiful!! I didn't realize how not-green Utah is. There are so many trees here. Thank you all for your support!! I love you all!!
Hermana Adams