December 23, 2013

I only have one picture this week that my companion took of me!  Look what we found haha!!! 

this week I will take lots of pictures and be sure to send them next time!!!  I will be better!

Love you all and Merry Christmas!!

December, 30, 2013    2nd week in Colorado

I never know how to start these letters.  So much happens throughout the week but when I sit down at a keyboard I can't seem to remember anything! I guess I can start with Tuesday, Christmas Eve....

Because we are whitewashing the work here is completely hard.  And especially now because it is the Christmas season.  We set appointments but people cancel or are never home, which is understandable I guess.  We knock on doors for hours and hours, but people never have time to talk to us and always say come back later (which is something at least.)  So on Christmas Eve we really were not able to talk to very many people, so we tried to make it a day of service; which is what our mission prez. told us to do all day for Christmas anyways.  Earlier in the day we went back over to Cecilia and Myrna's house and helped them make tamales for Christmas! (Cecilia is the woman getting baptized and Myrna is her daughter.  They are like our family here and love taking care of us.  Even though Cecilia doesn't speak english, I feel so comfortable there and just love their whole family so much! And they have the cutest little toddler, Domitrio, who is absolutley adorable!  I will have to get pictures of him.) 

   Anyway, back to tamales.  They were so fun to make!  At first I couldn't do it all and they all just laughed at me! haha but then the dad, Juan was super patient and helped me out.  By the end of the hour I was Awesome!  The best tamale maker you have ever seen.  Then we went out caroling with the English sister missionaries in our area, Sister Peacock and Sister Nielson.  It was a lot of fun and truly invited the spirit.  And the hispanic families always invite us in and try to load us with food haha.  They make a traditional bread with tons of cinnamon and sugar on it, I can't remember the name though.  So I had quite a bit of that and also a lot of sugary guava juice haha.  The hispanics love their sugar.

  Then that night the other sisters spent the night at our house.  Sister Lister is in Holland for 2 weeks visiting her son so it was nice to have some company.  I love those sisters!  They are fun to be around.  Christmas morning we still kept to our schedule and did all or our studies, pretty boring.  But language study was a lot more fun because the other sisters sat in and just laughed at me trying to sound hispanic.  Man, this language is a killer.  I cannot, for the life of me, sound good!  But I am learning!  To make up for my lack of rolling R's I just have to put a "D" in pretty much every word, which helps a lot. 

   Anyway, after studies we baked!  We thought it would be a great service to bring people treats and let them know that we care.  So we had a lot of fun just messing around in the kitchen and listening to some new church music that Hna. Noffz got for christmas.  Then we each took turns opening presents!  I have to say, every single present I got was from divine revelation.  Serious.  I needed everything the fam gave me and it made me so happy!  Now I wont have to buy new perfume(mine broke in Mexico), new bodywash, or new mascara! So thank you so much guys!

  The rest of the day we delivered treats, then went over to Brother Wait's house to skype the fam.  Brother wait is one of our ward mission leaders, he is over the spanish because he can actually speak spanish.  And he is one of the coolest people ever!  Both Hna. Noffz and I just love him!  I feel very lucky to get to know him.  Skyping the family was great.  But they didn't even set up a correct account beforehand haha.  But eventually they figured it out (sorry, I just had to point that out guys)  But it was great!  It didn't make me sad or anything, just happy.  While I do miss everyone back home I love it here, and the Lord has blessed me so I only focus on the work.  But it was a little hard for Hna Noffz.  She hasn't talked to her family in 10 months and her sister just got married on Saturday.  Her and her sister are so close and it was really hard for her not to be there for the wedding.  But she is great and knows she needs to be here. 

  Then we ate the tamales for dinner that we helped make!  They tasted amazing!  I loved it.

The rest of the week was pretty much like normal.  We try and try to find people to teach and work so hard and honestly get a little frustrated at times.  But we know that this is where we are supposed to be.  It is supposed to be us who cleans up this mess here and meet all of the people.  This area has so much potential and is about to explode!  It is time!  We want to get a spanish sacrament started in our ward, it would help the hispanics so much.  Can you imagine going to church faithfully every week but not really being able to understand what is being taught?  That is why so many people here are less active or just don't want to be baptized.  A spanish sacrament could change everything and get so many new people coming and into the gospel.  We have already talked to President Murdock about it and are just waiting for his reply. 

   But even with no one to teach, we have truly been blessed for our efforts.  Cecilia is doing great and is getting more and more excited about her baptism!  Her spirit is truly amazing!  And we had another miracle this week!  Her grandson, Alex, who is 14 wants to get baptized now!  At first he was hesitant because of pressures from his other family not to get baptized.  But he wants a better life for himself in the future and really wants the gift of the holy ghost.  He has such a sweet spirit and I knnow that this step of faith will help him for the rest of his life.  So, I guess Hna. Noffz and I are on a roll!  We have had only 2 investigators and both of them are getting baptized!  Yay haha. 

  But we are hoping for the rest of the area to start getting better now that the holidays are over.

Funny story for the week.  So you know how I live with 2 giant poodles?  Yeah well they are like dogs from hell.  Wait I'm a missionary and shouldn't say that.  Replace that word with Heck.  They seem all nice and friendly at first but they are truly monsters.  They get into anything and everything.  EArlier this week they got into Hna. Noffz bag and we found dozens of opened tampons all of the snow in the back yard!  And I think they stashed some because they keep popping up again at random times.  Then this morning, while I was in the shower, they got into my bag.  And basically destroyed everything.  for real.  My pamphlets were gone, my mascara(don't worry my old one) was bitten in half, chapstick was ruined, pens eaten, literally everything.  But the worst was that they got to my bible.  Yes, they destroyed the word of God.  The cover was completely ripped off and chewed!  Good thing I am a missionary and have been blessed with love and patience, or those dogs would not be here anymore.  And to top it off, they have had so many accidents in sis. Listers bedroom, where they sleep.  It is completely disgusting.  But we don't have time to clean it up until our pday.  Lets just say, this is why we are not allowed to have pets on the mission. 

   Well, I love it here and love the people.  The language is coming, slow and steady wins the race right?  Every day my testimony grows so much stronger!  There are too many miracles to ever ydeny the presence of God in our lives!  I love everyone so much and am so thankful for the support that I have! 

   Love,

   Hermana Adair

Dec 23, 2013

 MY First Week in Denver!!!!

I will first start with the last bit of the CCM.

The last sunday there was kind of sad, (Sundays were always my favorite day) It was the last time to be around everyone, and you also know this is the last time you will probably see them ever.  Which is super sad.  I absolutly love my District, the Hermanas, and especially the Elders.  We are all brothers and sisters and act like it always haha.  But that night, the entire CCM sang "God be with you till we meet again", it's the tradition here.  And it was super weird that it was our turn to be sang to.  The time has just flown by, and now I can't believe that I am actually back in the states!

Anyway, back to the story.  Sunday night we each got blessings from our Elders, just to prepare us for the field and have comfort and peace.  I love the boys so much, and feel so blessed to have known them.  It was so sad to say goodbye, but I know that are all going to be amazing missionaries.  Then that night we finished packing, got about an hour of sleep, and had to get up at 1 in the morning!  McRae and I said goodbye to Hermana Moser, who I truly do love to death and it was a little sad, but we were all too tired to be really sad.  I was just so glad that Hermana McRae and I were going together, I never wanted to say goodbye to her!  We were at reception at 230 to load all of our luggage on a bus, ate breakfast then head out.  I will always miss the CCM.  It was so beautiful and I wish everyone could visit and see everything.  Some of the best experiences of my life happened there, and it was truly sad to leave.  The whole bus ride to the airport Hermana McRae and I were finally able to unload all of our stress about our trio.  I truly love Hermana Moser, but things were always stressfull around her.  A lot of drama.  We just laughed and laughed the whole bus ride, it was great to spend some of our last time together like that. 

  The airport was fun.  Just kidding.  It is always a hassle to go through immigration and baggage check.  Then we had to wait for Elder Summerhays and Elder Hettinger, who were also flying with us (which is awesome because they are hilarious) and finally, hours later, we boarded our plane.  McRae and I had a whole row of 3 seats to ourself!  So we sprawled out completely with our giant coats as pillows, and slept on top of each other for the whole 2 hours!  It felt so amazing!  Then we landed in Dallas!  We were so excited to see regular food!  But alas, we forgot about the time change and had less then an hour to get to our plane, which we also had to ride a bus to get to the other terminal.  So that is why I didn't get to call.  I was really sad about it but also knew I would see the family in a few days anyway.

Then we said goodbye to the Elders(sniff sniff) boarded our last plane ride to Denver, and took off.   This time, we didn't sit by each other, but it was still fine.  I slept a little but not a ton, mostly wrote letters and just sat there squished between 2 people.  This was my first time wearing my missionary tag in public, outside the CCM at least, and it was so hilarious!  People were so scared of us and I loved making them all so uncomfortable haha!  But it was cool, a lot of people approached us and started talking.  They already knew who we were and started asking lots of questions.  It was cool to see.

  In Denver it was just Hermana McRae and I.  We got our bags, walked out the door, and there was Sister Murdock!  She is the cutest lady and so kind.  Actually, I really love her and President Murdock.  They are the coolest people and I am so glad they are my Mission Presidents.  She drove us the the Mission office, where we automatically started an orientation and learning.  We were all so tired it was hard to focus.  But we did some fun activites to break it up.  It was cool to meet some of the new sisters in my mission, but McRae and I are the only new spanish speaking missionaries.  It felt kind of segregated haha, but we had fun with other spanish sisters who are only here until they get their visas and go to argentina.

  Then we went to the President's house for dinner and a short devotional to learn more about them.  The food was so good!  The best food I had had in over 6 weeks!  And all of their christmas decorations reminded me of home!  That night we were all supposed to stay at their house but there were too many people.  So Hermana McRae and I volunteered to go to a members house and stay with her.  We thought it would be fun to take some of our christmas packages and have our own christmas party, and it would be a good way to spend time together before we parted ways.  so sad.

  Oh, and thanks for the tree!  Everyone at the mission office has been laughing about it and wondering who the sister was who got sent a tree.  So I have already been talked about a lot haha.  It was a funny surprise and I was not expecting it.  So that night, we set up my little tree, and her and I each opened up a few presents.  Her family had sent her the Onesie pajamas from a christmas story, and she automatically put it on, IT WAS HILARIOUS!! oh my gosh, we had so much fun that night, I have never laughed to hard!  IT was one of the best (unofficial) christmas I have ever had.  I love her like a sister and we get along so good!  All we do is laugh and joke, our humor is exactly the same!  We can just look at each other and know what we are thinking.  I am going to miss her so much, but we have lots of plans for the future together.

Anyway, I opened Grandma's present.  Oh my goodness, it was amazing!  I did not expect any of that and completely loved it.  Grandma, that picture is breathtaking and means so much to me.  Thank you!  I have already put it right in front of my desk where I study, and I love to look at it everyday.  And thank you for the oils, They will help so much during this winter season!  I love you guys so much!  But it was a perfect night to start off my time in Denver.

  Next morning we returned to the mission office bright and early and got to meet our new companions and where we will be serving.  My companion is Hermana Noffz.  She is amazing!  She has been our almost 10 months and has already helped me so much.  I was worried about having a trainer who was not good and I wouldn't be able to learn how to serve the right way, but she is incredible and knows what she is doing.  Her first transfer she helped her trainer open up a new area.  And just like with Hna. McRae, we are so similiar in a lot of ways.  I know that we will have a blast together and I am excited to work with her.  Plus, just like me, when she first came to the field, spanish was really hard for her.  So she has a lot of patience and just really tries to help me as much as she can.

   Drum roll please!  So I am serving in the little town of Eagle Valley.  Which is close to Aspen and Glenwood Springs!  So it is amazingly beautiful and surrounded by cute, little ski towns.  Actually our area covers Eagle, Gypsum, and Dotsero, which are all tiny towns and we can drive through them in about 3 minutes haha.  Cool fact, the stake I am serving in, is the largest stake in the whole country, according to square miles.  It goes up to steamboad and craig, and all the way to Grand Junction, it is huge and members always have to drive hours to attend stake events.  It is called to Meeker stake.  Actually, Hna. Noffz and I are White washing this area.  Which is basically like opening.  They have never had spanish sisters and the work here has completely stopped because the last few sets of Elders before us were so sick and couldn't get anything done.  So we have no idea who anyone is and have just started over almost.  It is a lot of hard work, and I didn't know I could be so exhauseted!

    We are actually staying with a member, her name is sister Lister and lives alone.  Her husband died at the beginning of the year and this is where the elders stayed before us.  We take to whole basement and it is nice to have a lot of room.  But you will never  believe what I live with.  Two giant poodles who are constantly all over us needing attention haha.  For the most part they are good, but both Hna. Noffz and I are not poodle people.  They just do the weirdest things.  Sometimes when we are praying we here them suddenly run down the stairs and we know to brace ourselfs and cover our faces haha.  And sis. Lister also has a parrot named Lorri.  Who barks.  Constantly and never stops.  It is hilarious but I am sure I will be sick of it pretty soon.  But Sister Lister is really sweet and so nice. 

 But I do love it here, and I love the people I have already met.

  Coolest story ever.  Our second night we were tracting a bit in Eagle Villas,(you will hear a lot about this place, a lot of hispanics live here and it is like our second home) and I kept getting the feeling to visit a name I had saw earlier in the area book.  So we went over to that apartment and immedietly they let us in.  There is an older woman there, Cecilla, and her daughter Myrna with her kids.  We started talking, and asked if they were members.  Myrna said she was, and all of a sudden Cecilla said"I want to be"  Myrna was shocked.  This was the first time her mother has ever said this before.  She has always laughed at the church and was never interested.  They both started crying.  Cecilla said as soon as we walked in that she felt so much peace and comfort and knew that she had to be baptized.  She has been having health problems and family problems and has wanted to change her life but didn't know what to do.  The Lord truly does prepare the people for us and it is amazing to see his hand in everything we do. 

   So I already have a baptism date set!  whoo hoo!  We have visited Cecilla every day and have been preparing her for baptism.  She is so ready, and I am so excited for her.  I don't understand everything that she says, but she knows that I love her, and I know that she has a lot of love for me as well.  I love their whole family, and feel really comfortable there.  Myrna and her kids speak english good so I am not completely lost there.  We will be spending Christmas day with them and will be using their computers to skype. 

    We have done a lot of street contacting and have met a lot of people.  But it is hard, we have no one to teach actual lessons to, only a few.  But we have a lot of good feelings about certain people and really want to work with them a lot.  I have faith that we are here for them specifically and am excited. 

   But is is so hard here, harder then I ever thought it would be.  I get so discouraged everyday with the language and feel like I can't speak a word of spanish.  I already love these people so much but feel like I can't connect with them good because I can't speak to them too much.  It has also been really hard to find a balance when teaching lessons.  Hna. Noffz talks a lot and it is hard for her to know how much I can do and how comfortable I am when speaking.  So we are figuring that out still, but am sure we will get s system down soon, it is only the first week.

   Church was good, the ward is super nice and very welcoming.  It is an English ward with only a few hispanic members, but Hna. Noffz still had to translate during the meetings, and she has to teach Gospel Doctrine with only 2 minutes to prepare.  Lets just say we have a lot of work to do here.  Which is good, because after a few weeks in this area, I will know more about missionary work and how everything is organized then most.  Which is the blessings of white washing an area I guess.  But the ward loves to feed us and I am excited to meet everyone.  There are some adairs here and they say I am already practically like family. 

   Before I wasn't too excited about Christmas, but now we have plans to have a sleepover with the English speaking sisters in this area, Sister Peacock and Sister Nielson, who are awesome.  We are going to be together at a members house Christmas Ever for a party(people truly do love the missionaries!) and then come to our house for a fun sleepover.  Christmas morning we will make a big breakfast, make cookies, and deliver them to a lot of people.  On Christmas our president wants us to do a lot of service, so that will be fun.  I am excited, and I amexcited to talk with the fam! 

   Well, I am so excited to serve here and love it already, especially the people.  It is so hard, and I have prayed harder then I ever have before.  But with help from the Lord and my awesome companion, things will get a lot easier.  I truly have a testimony of this work and how important it is.  I know that the message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ is true, and it can bring so much happiness to the lives of everyone.  I know that Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God, and that because of him we have the book of mormon.  Which is the words of God and another testament of Jesus christ.  Being out on my mission has blessed my life so much and God has so much blessings in store for all of his children.  I truly do love this gospel. 

   Thanks for everyones support and love, I love you all!  Have a great Christmas! 

Love,

   Hermana Adair

  (sorry this letter is GIANT!  There was a lot to say)

These are the last pictures from Mexico!!!

The trio

Casa at the CCM

My favorite Hermanas

These are the Elders in out district. I love them!

This is out whole distract.

The trio muscle picture

Here are some more random pictures of us and our district.

This is me doing the dishes inside the Mexico Temple Visitors Center.  They had like a whole room set up really cool.  Then Hermana McRae and I drinking our of a fountain.  We thought it might be Holy Water.

Cool fact.  The Visitors Center just opened this week.  And it is so amazing and incredibly beautiful.  I wish that everyone back home could go there one day and see it. 

This is a super creepy yet awesome elevator we found in one of the buildings.  The lights go off and sometimes we wonder if we are just going to fall to our deaths.  But we use it everytime now and sometimes its the only adventure in our life haha. 

  

Then this is Hermana Heaton climbing a tree.  She is honestly one of my favorite people in the entire world and I hope we can remain friends forever..

      Once again I failed at taking any fun pictures!  But I know that I will take them sometime before I leave.  Here are just a few.  My room. Us studying. And I found the Cheeto!