Happy Valentine’s Day!

Hola!

We got the new Nashville Tribute Redeemer CD – it is the best! We have been jamming out to it all week and we would highly recommend it. Love it!

Liberal, KS is the only town in the United States that celebrates Pancake Day. The official day is February 17th and it is so big here that they don't even go to school. Crazy, huh? The celebration lasts a couple of days and they have pancake eating contests, races, parades, and the whole nine yards. The day has something to do with England. We missed out on the majority of the events because we were doing other things (like missionary work) but it sounded like it was a lot of fun!

Hesta got baptized by the Elders this week! She has 3 of the cutest little girls and a husband. She is from Africa and she is so talented. She is the one who put cornrows in the Elder’s hair for P-Day. Her baptism was amazing and she was so excited! We would get calls or texts from her really early in the morning about something that she had read in The Book of Mormon. It was so neat to be able to help her at her baptism. I had the opportunity to give a talk on baptism and then help her with the baptismal clothes and all that Jazz. As soon as she was baptized and was getting ready in the bathroom, she looked at me and said, “I am now officially a Mormon” and she had the biggest smile on her face. It was so awesome! Words can't describe how happy I was for her. That night she came over and ate at the Bishop’s house and she was still just beaming (gotta love the Spirit). Her daughter is planning on being baptized in a couple of weeks. Hesta is an amazing missionary and she has already introduced the gospel to so many people.

Transfers! Sister Delos Santos (current companion) and Sister Valdivia (former companion) are both going to be Sister Training Leaders (STL’s) now and I am so proud of them. I am staying here in Liberal – yay! My new companion is going to be Sister Webb – straight from the Mexico MTC. All I know about her is that she is from Bluffdale, UT. I can’t wait to meet her and I am so excited for this transfer! The Lord has a lot in store for Liberal!

“Our Savior Jesus Christ was not kept on the cross by nails, he was kept there because of you and me!”

“Sacrifice is made sweet to us when we treasure the joy it brings to another heart.” – President Henry B. Eyring

Misionera Amor!
Siempre Una Aventura
Hermana Adams

Gotta Love Spanglish!

My Zone!

Hola!

I actually use a lot more Spanish here than I did in Lamar so it has been awesome! The best part is that a lot of the people know a little bit of English – so most of it is Spanglish – but I love it! It feels so good to speak Spanglish and to see the “Gift of Tongues” at work!

Last week, we had a multi-zone P-Day in Garden City and it was so much fun! Not going to lie – our district dominated in all of the sports! We played soccer, volleyball, steal the flag, and other random games. The Liberal District is the best!

The Elders in our district had to go to Wichita for a meeting and that same day Sister Delos Santos got really sick. She really wanted a blessing but all of the Elders in our area were gone. When the Elders got back, she received a blessing and her sickness was gone instantly! So, we got to work the rest of the day – the Priesthood is wonderful!

We had Zone Conference this week and I had to give my first Zone Conference training – ahh! I still feel like a brand new missionary – it is all flying by so fast. The training was “Building faith in Jesus Christ by expecting and seeing miracles.”

So, another miracle of the Priesthood! April had a mass in her body and was needing surgery to get it removed. The Elders gave her a Priesthood blessing and it was gone in a week! Who needs surgery when there is the Priesthood!? April's faith is remarkable. She came to church yesterday with 4 of her grandchildren and all of them absolutely loved it. That night, she came over to the Bishop's house for dinner. Sister Willis (bishop's wife) answered a lot of motherly questions that April had. April was just beaming after dinner and you could tell that she definitely felt the Spirit in their home. Her baptism is February 28th!

Last night – we knew there was another family that we could find – but we only had 30 minutes until curfew. So, we said a quick prayer, and decided to visit Isabel and Paije (investigators). We went over to their place and they were having a birthday party for their mom so their whole family was there! They were so welcoming! We instantly felt like we were a part of their family. They fed us cake and dished up a plate of food (second dinner) – gotta love it! They all gathered around and we shared our testimonies about The Book of Mormon and they loved it! We are meeting with them again this week. Gotta love the last minute miracles! Endure to the End!

Fun Fact…
Jared Nieman (country artist) grew up here in Liberal, KS. He is coming back to do a concert next month. Whoot, whoot! Goal for the Liberal District: Find his house and teach his parents (if they still live here) or whoever lives there now. They do have his picture at the local high school. Great people grow up in Kansas!

“If you're going to be this personally responsive, personally prepared, deeply endowed, deeply en-viewed, powerful teacher, you're going to have to work at that. And that means study.” – Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

“Christ could change us with a wave of his hand, but he knows that strength too easily achieved is not valued of enduring.” – Brad Wilcox

D&C 82:3 – “For of him unto whom much is given much is required.”

Misionera Amor!
Siempre Una Aventura
Hermana Adams

Mudding!

Zuriko (from Lamar, CO) is baptized now!

Hola!

We went mudding in our car this week! We had service out in the country – and it rained so it was very muddy – so we had a little fun!

Last week we went on splits and we found an awesome investigator named Kasie. She is a 22 year old elementary teacher and she has her own house, dogs, and is very independent. She is awesome! She is actually Atheist but she is very interested in learning about The Book of Mormon. We left her a little bit to read and she read about 5 chapters! She found it really interesting but she is struggling with her relationship with God. She told us that she prayed for the first time in years – and during her prayer – she broke down into tears. She is such an amazing gal and we are so excited to help her build her faith.

I got to try African food and it was so good! It was like a potato stew that you ate with rolls (no utensils). It was made by our investigator from Africa. She was going to put cornrows in our hair for P-day but she slept in. While we were visiting her this week – two of her friends came over – so we started talking to them about the Book of Mormon and they loved it!

Miracles in Liberal – I love it!

Our senior couple here in Liberal left this morning to go back to California. We are definitely going to miss the Starkeys! They are pretty excited to go see their grandchildren and be away from the wind. They lived in a motor home that we called “The Palace” and they are excited to live in an actual house now. Elder and Sister Starkey are so awesome and they definitely made an impact here in Liberal!

“The foundation of all happiness is thinking rightly.” – Benjamin Franklin

Proverbs 29:18 – “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.”

Misionera Amor!
Siempre Una Aventura
Hermana Adams

Puppies!

Hola!

We are teaching a 16 year old named Tiffany who is living with her grandma. Her grandma is not very interested but she is supportive of Tiffany and her decision. Tiffany used to live with her boyfriend but now has moved back in to live with her grandma. She was having a really hard time with school and other teenager stress so the Elders came over and gave her a blessing. She was a totally different person after the blessing and she is determined to be baptized in February. We had a dinner appointment set up for her at a member’s house and she walked all the way across town to come to it. She could feel the Spirit in their house and she is working hard to be ready for her baptism.

April (our investigator) has been super sick lately and she has been bedridden for days. On Saturday, she received a Priesthood blessing and she instantly felt a lot better. With all of the stress going on in her life and being sick, she said that she smoked two puffs of a cigarette and it was so nasty that she didn't even finish it. Whoo! The Lord works in mysterious ways sometimes. She was so sad to have her baptismal date pushed back but she knows that it will be worth it. Also, her son has been trying to get into rehab for his traumatic brain injury (TBI) and we found out last night that he got in! She sent us the sweetest text telling us the news and bearing her testimony of how much the Lord has helped her in her life.

We may or may not have had a dog for a day – I’ll never tell! April's mom June brought home some of the cutest puppies – they were mutts and they had some Rottweiler, Blue Heeler, and other dog breeds in them. They were adorable! We have a member in our ward that was just telling us how much she wanted a puppy so we took one of these puppies for her. He was so cute so we took him with us all day to our appointments and gave him a bath. Sister Brown (member) was so happy when we surprised her with him – she has never looked so happy! The good news is that we will be able to see our little puppy every time we go over to her house and we'll get to watch him grow up.

Sister Delos Santos (my companion) Quotes…

• “Never end up on a missionary’s whiteboard.”
• “Obedience is perfected by repentance.”
• “Repentance is the element of success.”
• “It’s the little things in life that makes life big.”

Misionera Amor!
Siempre Una Aventura
Hermana Adams

Charity and Love

Hola!

Guess what? I just found out that Zuriko (investigator in Lamar) is getting baptized this week and I might be able to go back for her baptism! I am super excited! I just have to talk with the President to make sure it is okay with him.

Last P-day we went to the craziest thrift store I have ever seen – there were piles of stuff everywhere! It was like a maze and you could easily get lost in there. Of course, this was like Heaven to the missionaries, so we were there for 2 hours looking at all of the crazy things! The only way to really describe it was a hoarder at her best. Gotta love the stores here in Liberal.

Our investigator, April, has so much faith! Her kids are going through a really rough time. We had April come over to the Hartley's house (members) for a lesson and the Spirit was so strong. We talked to April about the Atonement and really focused on how she can rely on Jesus Christ to help her with this hard time. She bore her testimony about how she knows that being baptized is what she needs to do and that she knows that her kids will one day follow her example. She told us that Satan has been working really hard on her and is working through other people to try and bring her down. She is such a strong woman! She has given up coffee and just barely quit smoking. Whoo! I have seen a tremendous change in her and she is still growing every day. I love this gospel!

Bobby, another investigator, is also really struggling with smoking. He is surrounded by others who smoke so it is especially hard for him. This past week, he texted us a little before curfew and asked if we could go over and pray for strength with him. We went over and he said that he had a really hard day at work and he was worried about his “boys” (he is in charge of a bunch of guys on different oil rigs). We prayed with him for his boys and for him to receive strength to quit smoking. We talked to him last night and he didn't smoke a cigarette the whole day! This is huge and he will continue to keep progressing as well. He will be a pioneer for his family.

Bishop Willis is so awesome! He is the greatest example of charity and love. He will do anything for anyone – no matter what they have done to him. This past week, we had a Guatemalan marriage at the church. The missionaries were there to help direct the ceremony and help the Bishop understand because none of them spoke English. While all of the family was eating their dinner, he gave us some advice about marriage and love. This is his definition for love: “Looking back, not looking forward.” This man is amazing! Every word that comes out of his mouth is motivating and uplifting. Just a side note – the food at the wedding was fantastic – especially the tres leche cake!

“The New Testament is the centerpiece of scriptural history, just as the Savior Himself should be the centerpiece of our lives. We must commit ourselves to study it and treasure it.” – Elder L. Tom Perry

Misionera Amor!
Siempre Una Aventura
Hermana Adams

Life in Liberal!

Hola!

Saying bye to the Hicks was not fun but we made the most out of it. David was scheduled to work but he worked it out with his manager so he could go in later so that he could be there to say bye before I left. Sister Valdivia and I bought pizzas and we all had dinner together. The Hicks gave me a beautiful angel statue and that of course made me cry. This was such a tender time to spend with them and I love them with all my heart and I am truly going to miss them. Although the night was filled with food, fun, and tears – I know that I will definitely see them again. Road trip!

This is our little cottage house!

I love Liberal! Gotta love all of those “L” places – Layton, Logan, Lamar, and now Liberal. We have a house here so let’s just say that we are definitely spoiled even though the tree in the front yard and all of the trees in the back are gone now and we definitely do not have any grass or tulips. It looks more ghetto now! Also, we are now driving a Chevy Cruze – how ironic – but I love our car and I still love my Chevy Cobalt. The bishop here is AMAZING! He bought us gym passes which we are definitely going to need because we get fed a TON! Some days we have more than one dinner because all of the members love feeding the missionaries. Gotta love it!

We have an investigator named Bobby – he is awesome! He reminds me so much of my brother Chaz because he is a really skinny guy with a little kid personality. But Bobby has changed dramatically. The missionaries have been working with him for about 3 months. He HATED missionaries and now he invites us over almost every day. He did everything – I mean everything against the Word of Wisdom and now he is just trying to quit smoking. The other day he sent us a text message and said, “It is two degrees with a wind chill and I have not had any coffee – this better be worth it!” His text messages always make us laugh. He even used to have a long beard but he shaved it all off and actually wore a suit to church. His whole image has definitely changed – gotta love the gospel! Bobby has a wife and a cute little boy named Roger. His family also includes many other animals – one being a dog named Bear (ironic) and a snake. Yesterday, I held his snake! I came to realize that snakes are definitely not my favorite animals but I did hold it!

There are so many awesome members here! The Hartleys are definitely one of my favorites. I just barely met them and they are already like family. The water here made Sister Delos Santos really sick so the Hartleys gave us some special magic water that works miracles. It has something to do with pH values (whatever that means). There are many other awesome people here and they are so pumped up for missionary work.

I love my new companion! Sister Delos Santos is awesome – she is so close to the Spirit – and she knows how to have fun. She is from Syracuse, UT and went to Layton High School (LHS). She played soccer for LHS so we have played against each other and didn’t even know it. She is Samoan and Hawaiian – so she is beautiful – and she has some sweet Hawaiian things (including a ukulele).

NEWS FLASH – They are switching Liberal, KS to a Spanish speaking area only! They white-washed all of the English speaking Elders here and left Sister Delos Santos with me to try and help the new Spanish speaking missionaries get to know the area. So, that is why I have an English companion for now. I think it is pretty cool that I get to help open up a new Spanish speaking area – GAME ON!

“I won't give up, shut up, or let up, until I have stayed up, stored up, and paid up for the cause of Christ.” – President Henry B. Eyring

Misionera Amor!
Siempre Una Aventura
Hermana Adams

Happy New Years!

Hola!

It has been snowing! The ground is actually white – yay! We were on our way home from a member’s house and the Elders were following us. They slid off the dirt road into a little ditch. It was so funny! There wasn't much that we could do – but Elder Blaylock somehow got the front end out – and the rest of us sat on the front of the car and it somehow got out. Sister Valdivia and I were dying of laughter – and luckily – everyone and the cars were okay. Mama, it is a good thing to keep a little shovel in the back of the car if you know what I mean!?

We have been visiting with a less-active named Angie who just recently moved here from Las Vegas. She has been having many problems at home so we met her at the church for a lesson. We were in the chapel and had a very spiritual lesson on the Plan of Salvation. Then, she came to all 3 hours of church! This was the first time that she stayed for all 3 hours. Later on Sunday night – we got a call from her and she told us how she had Googled things about The Book of Mormon and You-Tubed some videos (this is never good). We rushed over to her house and we were able to testify of the Holy Ghost and how she can know if The Book of Mormon is true. She told us that she will continue to fast and pray about it. We love her and know that the Spirit will testify to her of the truthfulness of the gospel.

Transfers! I am going to Liberal, KS with Sister Delos Santos. Yay! She is a bomb missionary and I am going to learn so much from her. Sister Delos Santos is an English missionary and the ward in Liberal is English as well but I truly know that the Lord is placing me where I need to be right now. I would love to be in a Spanish area but I guess I am needed elsewhere. Liberal is where Dorothy's house is on the Wizard of Oz and I can't think of a better first place to serve in Kansas. I have LOVED Lamar – and I am so sad to leave – but I know that many adventures are waiting for me in Liberal.

“Always an Adventure!”

“At the advent of a new year, I challenge Latter-day Saints everywhere to undertake a personal, diligent, significant quest for what I call the abundant life – a life filled with an abundance of success, goodness, and blessings.” – President Thomas S. Monson

Misionera Amor!
Siempre Una Aventura
Hermana Adams