familia,
we just got back from Bogota at like 1 in the morning, after a 12 hour bus ride. fun stuff! Because all of the missionaries from bucaramanga went, we rented a charter bus and filled it with 40 missionaries. It was a fun trip. And the conference with elder walter f. gonzalez was great. That man is super inspired, it was basically just a question and answer session. I did like one thing he said a lot. He told us how many times we think that if someone doesn't accept the gospel in this life they are going to have that oportunity in the spirit world to accept it. He said the doctrine of the secound chance doesn't exisit. Meaning that some might just have once chance at recieving the gospel, and if they reject it, they aren't guranteed another oportunity. This made me realize how important it to be direct in telling the people how absolutely important this message is. And how it will completely change the course of their eternity, that the their time to repent is always now.
The whole trip hit me pretty hard in realizing that my time is running up. Because the whole mission got together, I took a picture with every companion
I have had that is still in the mission. Saying goodbye knowing that I won't see almost all of them ever again. I heard my self repeatly saying ''welp, see you in ... chile / peru / ecuador / paraguay / argentina'', notcing in the same moment that might not be true. I really developed love for everyone of my companion's no matter how hard or how different we seemed.
But it was also comforting to know when they talked about not wasiting your time in the mission so you don't have to look back with regrets. In my heart i know that I haven't wasted this last two years of the Lord's time, and a conformting feeling told me that the Lord is pleased with my work.
Last week I was able to have a great experience in a baptismal interview a of a 24 year old girl that had gotten to know the church in the past couple months. And she told me about her conversion. She said a little bit over six months ago she didn't believe in God, but one day she started talking with a class mate about religion, and the at first she just started to listen. Little by little he started to explain to her more, and one day he started reading to her in Galatians about the works of the flesh ''which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.''
And when he read these verses she felt a complete emptiness and guilt and felt that Paul was describing her, and for a while she felt that pain in her chest, and then she started to ask for forgiviness through prayer, and started to feel light and forgiveness. With out going into any religion she started to talk with God, and let his spirit work in her telling her the things she had to change. and as she explained her conversion, i could now see the fruits of the Spirit in her, which are ''love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law''. And I know she was repentented and I understood more clearly what repentence is. In greek, the work repentence means, change, or more specifailly a change of heart and mind. And that is exaclty what happend. The works of the flesh had gave way to the fruits of the Spirit. That is what true repentence is.
Haha, mom i laughed when you told me that were washing me clothes. hahaha. soo cute.
Great to hear about clay!
Thanks for all you do for me. I love you all.
Love,
jake, formaly known as elder adams
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Don't be scared of the truth!
Familia,
Super great to hear that Elder Josh is helping his friends learn about the gospel. I hope you know Josh how important your actions are in helping your friend learn about the church and later take decision to change their life such as through baptism. It might not have a instant effect, but they will alway remember you when they hear anything about the church. And remember that people are x 8 to goin the church if they have an active member friend. I remember when the nervous and shaky conversation that i would have about the church with non member friends, and then later feeling like a blew it. But you wont ever mess up if you just tell people what you know, how much the Gospel has blessed our family, and how it has helped you understand more about God. I remember especially one of those shaky conversation that i had before the mission in the car with one friend, she later told me it was one of the powerful convincing moments she had before she got baptized. Lesson learned --- don't ever be scared to talk about the truth.
And speaking of Josh, were teaching a nine year old boy right now that reminds me of Josh when he a little boy. Super awesome kid. Ha we had an activity last week and he got up and sung ranchera(mexican music), with the big deep voice and everything. best ever!
Next week were all going to bogota for a two day conference with Elder Walter F. Gonzalez y Elder marcos B. Nash. Elder Scott couldn't come, it's a big bummer, but it's still going to be great, so i'll probably write thursday next week. so heads up!
Welp that's about it... Love you guys so much!
e. adams
Super great to hear that Elder Josh is helping his friends learn about the gospel. I hope you know Josh how important your actions are in helping your friend learn about the church and later take decision to change their life such as through baptism. It might not have a instant effect, but they will alway remember you when they hear anything about the church. And remember that people are x 8 to goin the church if they have an active member friend. I remember when the nervous and shaky conversation that i would have about the church with non member friends, and then later feeling like a blew it. But you wont ever mess up if you just tell people what you know, how much the Gospel has blessed our family, and how it has helped you understand more about God. I remember especially one of those shaky conversation that i had before the mission in the car with one friend, she later told me it was one of the powerful convincing moments she had before she got baptized. Lesson learned --- don't ever be scared to talk about the truth.
And speaking of Josh, were teaching a nine year old boy right now that reminds me of Josh when he a little boy. Super awesome kid. Ha we had an activity last week and he got up and sung ranchera(mexican music), with the big deep voice and everything. best ever!
Next week were all going to bogota for a two day conference with Elder Walter F. Gonzalez y Elder marcos B. Nash. Elder Scott couldn't come, it's a big bummer, but it's still going to be great, so i'll probably write thursday next week. so heads up!
Welp that's about it... Love you guys so much!
e. adams
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Family of 7 all over age 8!!!
Familia mia,
It was great talking to you guys this last Sunday for mother's day! You all look great! the only down side is I now don't know what to write! Shoot! Nevertheless I'm so glad that Mom had a great mother's day. Fun fact: A dozen roses cost like 3 dollars here!
I forgot to tell you about a family we are teaching and helping get married to be baptised, The Moreno Family. They're a family of 7 all of which are older than 8, and the best part is the Dad is the best investigator of all of them! They have some struggles but they have seen the changes in their home thanks to the restored gospel and are excited to keep progressing.
I've been running into my old investigators here all over the place. I guess we'll see how it goes. I have a friend that went back to his first area here in the mission, and through looking for his old investigators baptised 15 people. Nuts!
It's also been funny to see how much tolerable i am to walking now. What once seem liked an eternity walk when i was firsted here, the same distance now is facilismo! Haha I use to tell elder's that this was the biggest area in the mission, but that's just because I got so tired walking then.
The elder's name is Elder Melendez, just gotta send it to the office and they'll send it to him. I don't think he's ever gotten a package in the mission so it should be great!
Welp I'm dried up news! I love you guys x a billion!
can't stop won't stop.
e. adams
p.s the picture is of when i was in Socorro that I wrote about like 3 weeks ago.
It was great talking to you guys this last Sunday for mother's day! You all look great! the only down side is I now don't know what to write! Shoot! Nevertheless I'm so glad that Mom had a great mother's day. Fun fact: A dozen roses cost like 3 dollars here!
I forgot to tell you about a family we are teaching and helping get married to be baptised, The Moreno Family. They're a family of 7 all of which are older than 8, and the best part is the Dad is the best investigator of all of them! They have some struggles but they have seen the changes in their home thanks to the restored gospel and are excited to keep progressing.
I've been running into my old investigators here all over the place. I guess we'll see how it goes. I have a friend that went back to his first area here in the mission, and through looking for his old investigators baptised 15 people. Nuts!
It's also been funny to see how much tolerable i am to walking now. What once seem liked an eternity walk when i was firsted here, the same distance now is facilismo! Haha I use to tell elder's that this was the biggest area in the mission, but that's just because I got so tired walking then.
The elder's name is Elder Melendez, just gotta send it to the office and they'll send it to him. I don't think he's ever gotten a package in the mission so it should be great!
Welp I'm dried up news! I love you guys x a billion!
can't stop won't stop.
e. adams
p.s the picture is of when i was in Socorro that I wrote about like 3 weeks ago.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Last transfer of the mission
Welp! last mission transfer of my life. We thought transfers were going to be next week but they pulled out the curve ball Monday night telling us that we were going to have transfers today (Wednesday). It was pretty surprised for the change, after talking with president i thought i was going to finish in cañaveral, but i guess the Lord had different plans for me, and sent me back to the area where I started the mission, here in Bucaramanga --- Central.
It was pretty weird knowing the area more than my companion who was already here, and the old faces. When we walked in to lunch and I started talking with the same sister that gave us lunch every other week i was blown away by how fast everything has happened. el tiempo voló.
Anyways, my new companion here is Elder Ariza, he's got like 3 months in the mission. smart kid. like the way he teaches. were going to learn a lot together. He's from Barranquilla, it's one of the biggest cities in Colombia that is on the Mexican gulf coast. good kid.
As for the important question --- i don't know! haha, i assume I'll get on at like 4 in the afternoon Domingo, and I'll call Saturday to verify around the same time. I noted down your cell phone number's, mom and dad. let me know if you wanted me to call a different one.
Sorry for the short letter, but i gotta go!
I love you all so much!
til' mother`s day!
e. adams
It was pretty weird knowing the area more than my companion who was already here, and the old faces. When we walked in to lunch and I started talking with the same sister that gave us lunch every other week i was blown away by how fast everything has happened. el tiempo voló.
Anyways, my new companion here is Elder Ariza, he's got like 3 months in the mission. smart kid. like the way he teaches. were going to learn a lot together. He's from Barranquilla, it's one of the biggest cities in Colombia that is on the Mexican gulf coast. good kid.
As for the important question --- i don't know! haha, i assume I'll get on at like 4 in the afternoon Domingo, and I'll call Saturday to verify around the same time. I noted down your cell phone number's, mom and dad. let me know if you wanted me to call a different one.
Sorry for the short letter, but i gotta go!
I love you all so much!
til' mother`s day!
e. adams
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