The Week of the Spiritual Slaps in the Face

This story has a happy ending.

So to be brutally honest, I haven't been feeling like I'm getting the most out of my mission. I have been having some struggles and problems that have been weighing me down. I have kind of been floating in lukewarm water and not really getting anywhere.

First slap:

So yesterday we were tracting apartments, and I had the attitude that it was a Sunday evening and no one wanted to listen to us. So every time someone answered the door, I just smiled and looked nice while Hermana C did all the talking. We were about 4 doors in, and while we were talking to a lady I suddenly remembered part of a scripture. "Out of the mouth of 2 or 3 witnesses". I did a mental facepalm and hopped into the conversation. It went significantly better than the other doors we knocked at. That first slap helped me see that I need to work together with my companion in order to see success :)

Still feeling a little stressed, I got into the car later and MoTab was playing. They were singing Come, come ye saints.

Second Slap:

Why should we mourn, or think our lot is hard? Tis not so, all is right. Why should we think to earn a great reward, if we now shun the fight?

That line got me. If I want all the blessings promised me, I need to start swimming!(metaphorically, missionaries aren't allowed to swim). So my second slap encouraged me to not shun the fight anymore.

Third and final slap:

How Firm a Foundation played on the list next. This is my absolute favorite hymn, especially sung by MoTab. I love all of the verses, but when they sang the 7th verse came the third spiritual slap. That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake, I'll never, no never forsake.

I know that my God wants me to succeed. I know that through His help I can. I know that it will take a lot more work on my part, but it is possible. I love this gospel, and I love sharing with with people. I love Alabama, and I love all of you :) Thank you for your support.

Until next week!!

Hermana Adams

Hermana Adams and Hermana C and the Birmingham Temple

P-day hike

The weeks go by so fast!! One minute it's the start of the week and the next it's Sunday again. So crazy how time goes!! I hope my brothers are helping you with the yard work. I have realized that my work ethic isn't too great because I spent my youth slacking off ;) I am trying to work on that now. 

Easter was great!! We had 2 families invite us over. There was plenty of Ham at one, and then a bunch of tacos at the other :) you can guess what ethnicity they are ;) It was really awesome. There was a woman at church on Sunday who only spoke French, Creole, and SPANISH! She's from Haiti. We got to translate a little for her during sunday school and relief society. My spanish is blasted but it was fun to get to know her :) We were tracting before the dinner we went to and we met this really nice guy named Mark who I thought we were going to get bashed by but we steered the conversation another way and had a good conversation. He's baptist. He respects what we believe, but thinks that "John Smith was just a pastor the elevated himself for his own gain." I soooo wanted to tell him why he was wrong, but the people out here you just can't argue with. We did correct him on his name though, and he thought we were Jehovahs Witnesses and so we corrected him on that too. 

We are in rural Alabama :) We biked once and it was super sketchy because I hadn't ridden a bike in 5 months, but it was alright! We have the car most of the week (same model as the one in my last area (2013 Toyota Corolla) but this one is RED) but we share with the Elders and when they have it we walk or ride bikes or get rides from others. We planted a lady's garden last Friday(no car day) and then she took us out to Legghorns and I had a chicken breast as big as my face and fried okra and baked beans. They have some real good baked beans down here :) And fried okra isn't too shabby.

So when we don't have the car, we also don't have the GPS!! It's really tough, but we try our best with our maps we have and stuff :) Also, the cars don't come with GPS- the one we use belongs to an Elder we share a car with. So if he gets transferred and his replacement doesn't have a GPS, we're blasted :) 

Love, Hermana Adams

Transfers are crazy. We spent the last few days getting to know the ward and I love it here!! I'm actually in an English ward, and it's pretty large.

Albertville!!

 I offered to play the piano for relief society whenever they needed me, and the pianist was actually teaching the lesson next week so I am playing next week :) It's so different from Bham. There are no buildings over 3 stories, unless you count the mansions that come out of nowhere when we're driving through the country. We're nowhere near a big city, so we get a lot of trailer parks and fields and trees.  

We have met a lot of people and we are sharing the new Easter video and it is AWESOME!!  Y'all should watch it now. Just go to lds.org and find the video called Prince of Peace. I'll wait :)

Oh good you came back. How cool was that?? It's awesome to share with people because it is so simple and touches their hearts. I love the message, our Savior is known by many names and this one is a perfect one for what is happening in the world. I encourage you all to think of someone who needs an uplift-ment in their lives and share that video with them. 

It is so different here. There aren't quite as many hispanics, but we haven't had a lot of time to go find them. We're going to work on that this week :) I really love all the things we've seen and I'm excited to spend 6 weeks or more here!!  This area is significantly cooler in the summer months, so I am blessed. 

Have a blessed week :)

Hermana Adams

At transfers, Hna. M, Hna. C, Hna. Adams, Elder S, Elder C.

  

Transfers!

Hey y'all!! I'm getting transferred! I'll be spending the next few weeks in an area up north (Albertville). I'm so sad to be leaving the branch here but I know they're in good hands! 

I am so grateful for General Conference! I I LOVED all the messages!!! I wish I had my notebook with me because I think I wrote down 15 pages worth of stuff. So good!! 

I have so little time to write this week but I want you all to know that I love this gospel!! I love the way it changes peoples hearts. I love the miracles I've seen here and I love all the people. I know that this is Jesus Christs' church restored once again to the earth. I know that God has an eternal plan of happiness and that only through Him can we experience complete and eternal joy. I love everything here in Alabama!! I love all of you!!!! I promise I'll have a longer email next week. 

Hasta luego!

Hermana Adams