Q'hubo!
So yeah, we had two almost-all-day zone conferences monday and tuesday, and today, prepration day. Ha, we went to that theme park, salitre magico, again! so i'd send you pictures but i think i'd bore myself. just imagine going to a lame carnaval three times in 6 months and you know exactly what it feels like.
Yes, we have changes this coming week, and i have reason to believe that im headin' on out. If i had my druthers (yes i learned that phrase from grandpa) I'd like to go some where a little bit warmer. I hear cucuta is red like arizona, and hot like arizona, that'd be sweet. So you'll just have to wait till monday to here the startling news.
As of recently i've had the ocassional feeling that I repeat things that I've said in previous letters. Am I running out of material? uh oh. I bet my letters will just get shorter as my time dwindles by in the mission, so by my last letter home, i'll have NOTHING to say. just kidding. I'll try to keep it comin' strong.
In the training the assistants talk for a bit about conversion in the mission, they said it worried them why so many returned missionaries go in active. They based their training on the fact that missionaries often have their roots in the wrong place, or focused on the wrong things, such as numbers, position, etc, but said roots should be Jesus Christ and his atonement, The Book of Mormon, and Joseph Smith.
I really liked what they were saying, and took note of it. President Hacking has said that 25% of missionaries go inactive within a year. But i feel as though, after pondering, and talking with my companion that it's more than that. It reminded me of something that I read Elder Nelson mention about the childern's song "I Am a Child of God".
He mention that, "when lyricist Naomi W. Randall first composed the words to this hymn, they read, "Teach me all that I must know, to live with him some day." Before he became President of the Church, President Spencer W. Kimball suggested that the word "know" be changed to "do." President Kimball, explaining why he wanted the change, and said, "To know isn't enough. The devils know and tremble; the devils know everything. We have to do something".
It made me think, even if we have good roots, that doesn't mean they are going to stay that way if we don't do something to keep them rich. It made me think about how Alma talked about that seed of faith that we have to nuture until it gives fruit, and then we have to keep nuturing it so it doesn't dry up. Well I don't really remember the words in english, but you get what I'm saying. We all have to keep nuturing our roots, by doing things, like reading the scriptures daily, going to church, praying, and serving others, or just living the Gospel. I thought how even if a redwood never recieved rain or sun, that even in its emenseness, its roots would dry up and it'd fall.
I believe it applies to everyone, if we don't nuture our tree, no matter how big or small, when the storms of life come, it just won't have the strong roots that it needs. So I invite you, my family, to nuture your roots, and make sure that they are in a sure place.
I love you all. I hope you know we have the best family in the world!
e. adams
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Monday, September 20, 2010
Wonderful Counselor
Elder Hathaway was blastin' one of Amy Grant's Christmas albums, and her rockin 80's synth version of 'Emmanuel' came on. My first thought: MOM!
Emmanuel, Emmanuel
Wonderful, Counselor!
He's the Prince of Peace, Mighty God, Holy One!
I believe if we put all of Mom's Christmas on the computer it'd fill an 80 gig ipod. Mom, two more months and you will be whole once again, in ''the most wonderful time, of the year'' so says Amy Grant.
Right now were working on getting two family's married and baptized. Following the norm, the families are in what is called a Union Libre, or Free Union, which means they are not living the Law of Chastity. I'm pretty sure I'm going to come back to Colombia after the mission to be a Family Lawyer, because after helping six families get married, I've become more familiar with the in's and out's of the horribly organized system than any foreigner should ever know. Ha, the first miracle was when a birth certificate which was supposedly burnt, arrived here in Faca. The next challenge is of one our investigators who has no idea where he was registered, or his mom, and no one wants to tell us either... Welp, just gotta confide in the promise in matthew 19:26
'with God, all things are possible.'
Nevertheless, this man who doesn't know where he was registered is the best. His name is Jose Enrique. The bishop a couple weeks ago gave us a number and said 'hey, this guy wants to get baptized. here's his number and direction.' GOLDEN! Turns out about two weeks before he was release from prison. He was convicted to serve 11 years for raping his daughter. The Police doing what police do, they got him to plead guilty for something he didn't do. But three years into the sentence he was found innocent and was released. But 8 months before we found him, he got to know the church though an excommunicated prison mate, who's brother sends him materials from the church, such as triple combinations, bibles, liahonas, seminary manuals, hymnals, and so forth. And so every Sunday in the prison they would have their make shift sacrament meetings, even fast and testimony meetings. When we asked him if he had a book of mormon, he pulled out his triple combination, lds bible, and hymnal---best part---he had made covers for them all out of the prison uniform.
So we learn of the perfectness of God's plan, and how sometimes we have to suffer injustice, to fulfill the grand purposes of God. Maybe that would have been the only place that Jose Enrique would have accepted the gospel. And now he's on fire. He's willing to do anything to be baptized.
Congrats Dad on the big deal. I love the lesson on planning from that, 200 hours. my district has been pretty lazy when it comes to planning, but after we've done everything we can, when our backs are up against the wall, that's when the divine help comes. President Lee said to President Erying some time ago ''If you want revelation, do your homework.''
I love you all sooo much.
e. adams
Emmanuel, Emmanuel
Wonderful, Counselor!
He's the Prince of Peace, Mighty God, Holy One!
I believe if we put all of Mom's Christmas on the computer it'd fill an 80 gig ipod. Mom, two more months and you will be whole once again, in ''the most wonderful time, of the year'' so says Amy Grant.
Right now were working on getting two family's married and baptized. Following the norm, the families are in what is called a Union Libre, or Free Union, which means they are not living the Law of Chastity. I'm pretty sure I'm going to come back to Colombia after the mission to be a Family Lawyer, because after helping six families get married, I've become more familiar with the in's and out's of the horribly organized system than any foreigner should ever know. Ha, the first miracle was when a birth certificate which was supposedly burnt, arrived here in Faca. The next challenge is of one our investigators who has no idea where he was registered, or his mom, and no one wants to tell us either... Welp, just gotta confide in the promise in matthew 19:26
'with God, all things are possible.'
Nevertheless, this man who doesn't know where he was registered is the best. His name is Jose Enrique. The bishop a couple weeks ago gave us a number and said 'hey, this guy wants to get baptized. here's his number and direction.' GOLDEN! Turns out about two weeks before he was release from prison. He was convicted to serve 11 years for raping his daughter. The Police doing what police do, they got him to plead guilty for something he didn't do. But three years into the sentence he was found innocent and was released. But 8 months before we found him, he got to know the church though an excommunicated prison mate, who's brother sends him materials from the church, such as triple combinations, bibles, liahonas, seminary manuals, hymnals, and so forth. And so every Sunday in the prison they would have their make shift sacrament meetings, even fast and testimony meetings. When we asked him if he had a book of mormon, he pulled out his triple combination, lds bible, and hymnal---best part---he had made covers for them all out of the prison uniform.
So we learn of the perfectness of God's plan, and how sometimes we have to suffer injustice, to fulfill the grand purposes of God. Maybe that would have been the only place that Jose Enrique would have accepted the gospel. And now he's on fire. He's willing to do anything to be baptized.
Congrats Dad on the big deal. I love the lesson on planning from that, 200 hours. my district has been pretty lazy when it comes to planning, but after we've done everything we can, when our backs are up against the wall, that's when the divine help comes. President Lee said to President Erying some time ago ''If you want revelation, do your homework.''
I love you all sooo much.
e. adams
Monday, September 13, 2010
Pictures are worth a 1000 or less words
You'll have to forgive me, i used all my time writing the essays. But hey! they say a picture's worth a thousand words!! so i'll send a couple! perdon perdon!!
Today i made new friends on my adventure into the wilderness with E. Ramirez in the back of our house.
pull over! no it's a cardigan but thanks for noticing!
BTW there's two more elders here in Faca = double the fun.
My next letter will be a giant.
I love you all.
e. adams
p.s. if you could send me collar stays that'd rock. As you can tell by the pictures there a bit floppy. i bet you could send them in a envelope??
Today i made new friends on my adventure into the wilderness with E. Ramirez in the back of our house.
pull over! no it's a cardigan but thanks for noticing!
BTW there's two more elders here in Faca = double the fun.
My next letter will be a giant.
I love you all.
e. adams
p.s. if you could send me collar stays that'd rock. As you can tell by the pictures there a bit floppy. i bet you could send them in a envelope??
Monday, September 6, 2010
Factativa is now a Ward
Still keepin it real here with my favorite paraguyan companion.
The Facatativa branch is now offically The Facatativa ward. Movin' on up. It was super cool to be here for it. I wanted to stay long enough to be able to see the magic. From the normal 85 persons that attend, this sunday bumped up to a big 168. What's up! There's talk about looking for land this week here in faca, and a possible two more missionaries to share the work. Right now our area is on fire! we went from a zero baptismal dates to 7. Were finding people like nuts. This sunday we recieved three references of people that want to get baptized. sooo goood!
The transition to a ward was filled with the Spirit. this change has been really important here. They made invitations, worked all week passing them out to the less actives. I love this branch, i mean ward.
The relief society went saturday to deep clean the chapelhouse we use. and our investigator Sandra was there on time at 930 ready to work. I've never seen a investigator sooo pumped and excited to be part of the Church. She in little less then a month feels as though the Church is already hers. She reffers to the Relief society in US and WE. she's the best. She tells everyone that everything we've taughter her ´seems perfect`. And that to her, the idea of baptism is the ´best thing` that could happen. With the little she has learned, tries to get all her family to live the gospel. Her daughter says shes nuts because she reads the book of mormon everyday for at least an hour. She tells us she knows its true because when she starts to read it she can't stop. And her husband is a maricle in his self. He's a former paramilitar (anti government forces). He gave him self in and now is sported by the goverment. When we first got there, he didn't even want to leave to talk with us, and now with the help of the Lord and a softened heart by the power of his wife, he know has a baptismal date for the 25 with his whole family. The last time we came he invited his neighbors to listen.
I love this work.
i love you all.
e. adams
The Facatativa branch is now offically The Facatativa ward. Movin' on up. It was super cool to be here for it. I wanted to stay long enough to be able to see the magic. From the normal 85 persons that attend, this sunday bumped up to a big 168. What's up! There's talk about looking for land this week here in faca, and a possible two more missionaries to share the work. Right now our area is on fire! we went from a zero baptismal dates to 7. Were finding people like nuts. This sunday we recieved three references of people that want to get baptized. sooo goood!
The transition to a ward was filled with the Spirit. this change has been really important here. They made invitations, worked all week passing them out to the less actives. I love this branch, i mean ward.
The relief society went saturday to deep clean the chapelhouse we use. and our investigator Sandra was there on time at 930 ready to work. I've never seen a investigator sooo pumped and excited to be part of the Church. She in little less then a month feels as though the Church is already hers. She reffers to the Relief society in US and WE. she's the best. She tells everyone that everything we've taughter her ´seems perfect`. And that to her, the idea of baptism is the ´best thing` that could happen. With the little she has learned, tries to get all her family to live the gospel. Her daughter says shes nuts because she reads the book of mormon everyday for at least an hour. She tells us she knows its true because when she starts to read it she can't stop. And her husband is a maricle in his self. He's a former paramilitar (anti government forces). He gave him self in and now is sported by the goverment. When we first got there, he didn't even want to leave to talk with us, and now with the help of the Lord and a softened heart by the power of his wife, he know has a baptismal date for the 25 with his whole family. The last time we came he invited his neighbors to listen.
I love this work.
i love you all.
e. adams
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