A visit from the Prophet!

Mi familia,

buenas tardes. I loved loved loved seeing the pictures of the kids (as they are referred to). Seeing Aliana blew my mind. She's huge! Liz = Jess. identical. Out of all my years in my persuits for the best costume, I never was a gorilla. This Preston guy always has me beat.

And yes. They do celebrate halloween here in colombia. It's not as big And they don't give away near as much candy, nevertheless it was cool to see the little kid's costumes. One of the biggest reasons why it's less celebrated here is because latin america is very, umm, I forgot the word, ( you know when someone believes you can't open an umbella indoors, or walk under a ladder, or break a window because its bad luck, feel free to implement said word. oh gosh my english. horrible.) Anyways, so they believe alot in witchcraft and bad spirits. I've heard more about witches in the past three months then I had in my whole life. So for fear of that they focus more on that conatation of halloween than kids going crazy for candy. I've had to battle to protect my beloved holidays reputation here.

Today we went and played some more football. Then after the sisters complaining that we don't ever do anything as a district, i decided i was going to put that spegetti sauce to good use that mom sent us and make some good ol´ spegetti. It went well. super good. THANKS MOM! As you will see from attached pictures, i'm trying to keep my culinary skills thriving. Here they've started calling me Elder ´´Wolfgang Puck´´ Adams. Not really, just wish.

This sunday was the best---They had a stake (country) conference for all of colombia. They sent out flyers saying that an apostle was probably going to be in the broadcast. Turned out 4 general authorities were there, one of which was elder Richard g. Scott, and Pres. Monson!!! Elder Scott speaks spanish perfectly, impressive (fun fact--- elder Scott was the mission president of elder Cristofferson). As for Pres. Monson he had a translater. elder Scott talked to the youth, using the best examples. One that he applied to missionaries is that those that decide not to serve missions are like birds that never decided to leave the nest and fly, never being able to reach their given potential. Revelation was truly manifested through the prophet of the Lord as he basically addressed all the problems in OUR ward here. He talked a lot about the duty of home and visiting teachers, of the need to visit the less active members of the church, mixed with what I worte about last week, being the power to save souls through the power of charity. he quoted Spencer W. Kimball ´´If we do not do our duty ..., then I am convinced that God will hold us responsible for the people we might have saved had we done our duty.” He was very clear. He talked about a letter he had recieved from a member less active. This memeber had written that he wanted to come back, but he just didn't have the courage to do it alone. That he just needed someone to extend a hand to pull him back in.

Speaking of which, Grandma and Grandpa sent me this today. About a success story of a soul they tried to bring back to the fold...


´´ Don (Burhham, the mission president of grandma, and grandpa)
Hello from the Northwest! I was down in Utah several weeks ago and had plans to call you, but with various family pulls, I ran out of time to contact several people I had in my plans. Someday.
I just thought you might like to hear, and perhaps pass along to the Snows, a story that has just popped up in our Stake.
Several years ago the Snows contacted a less active sister named Jewell Delatore. After a few visits from the Snows and after giving her a Book of Mormon, because she did not have one and had not been to Church for many years, she told them she wanted nothing more to do with the Church. She had her name removed.
A few weeks ago, after feeling down and even suicidal for quite some time, she began to pray. As she did this, she felt prompted to find the Book of Mormon she had been given. When she did, she read the testimony the Snows had placed in the book at the beginning. She immediately felt the Spirit, felt like she needed to come back, and she has come to Church (Rose Hill Ward) the past two Sundays. Last night the Bishop met with her to begin the process of getting her re-baptized and re-instated.
We can count the seeds in a one apple, but cannot count the apples from a single seed. Please convey our thanks to the Snows for the fruits of their labors, which continue to occur long after their visible service.
Jeff ´´

I loved it. There are people just waiting to be rescued. After returning to the house sunday night I started looking at the lyrics to priesthood songs... I started to read ´Brightly Beams our Father's Mercy'. I don't remember singing it at home. But I basically found the essence of Pres. Monson's talk in the third verse...


''Trim your feeble lamp, my brother, some poor sailor tempest tossed,
Trying now to make the harbor, in the darkness may be lost.
Let the lower lights be burning! Send a gleam across the wave!
Trying now to make the harbor, some poor sailor may be lost.
or Some poor struggling, sinking sailor you may rescue, you may save.''

We're working on this here in Sogamoso, Colombia. I plead you, my family, that you be true friends of your assigned families, brothers and sisters, to visit.

I love you all so much.

e. adams

mom and dad,

I would like to know how it goes in the numbers that attend church now that you have changed to 8 o clock, if it lowers a little or a lot. Here it's the excuse the members use to not go to church.

Ha, dad i do like subaru´s..... haha, especially when theyre hatchback!!
Mom, pre happy birthday!!!! I hope it's the best one yet. just remember that in my picture that I show people, almost never people distinguish you as my mom, they say ´´que joven!!! (how young!)´´. I love you !