33 - Zone Conference on the Island

Well first off, that cake looks great! You would be surprised with the lack of sweet things there are in Central America/ Latin America, whatever you want to call this place. I guess we are kind of Caribbean/Central/South America. And for my day of birth remembrance, we had a grill out! But it was not just any grill out! The ZLs came and so did all the other missionaries in the zone. We took a lot of pics. I’ll have to send them some other time; the internet is being a little temperamental today. But we built the fire using paint thinner as fuel, you know whole eagle scout training kicked in. but one of my ZLs was doing it, and the fire climbed the stream and caught the rim of the bottle on fire. He ran to the ocean to try and put it out but as he threw it into the water, it sprayed and caught the ocean on fire. So we had a fire tornado kinda thing going on right by the bathroom. My first thought was --wet the dock so it doesn’t catch fire. Finally we put out the ocean fire but it was pretty stinkin cool if I do say so myself!
 
But that’s crazy to hear about my buddy. It’s too bad that things like that happen to people that I was so close to. I still feel like he is one of my good friends. It’s just sad to see how badly a few decisions can switch your life.

So about the package. The first thing I thought, what the freak am I going to do with 15 CTR rings????!! haha just kidding. Thanks mommy! But maybe I’ll get em. We are going into the city for Christmas the first Friday of December. So maybe I’ll be able to get them then. But we will just have to wait and see! I really hope I can get some. And if not, it’s not like I’m gonna be sad! It just means I’ll just have to wait. But we are trying to get permission to stay in the city an extra few days so we can be there for changes. We need to buy some new pans for the house and such so we are trying to get that worked out. We will see how it goes I guess.

I’m sure that would be good spam- jalapeno! Out in the mission, spam is a good thing! Just fry it up with some oil and boom! It turns good! I’ll make it when I get home. Don’t you worry your little spam-deprived heart!
 
I don’t know why time is going slow for you. It feels really fast for me! Like it feels like I just got back into the mission a few weeks ago! But it was actually a few months ago. But don’t worry. I’ll be home before you know it!
 
That is a good thought you sent me. Learning and gaining a testimony is a lifetime of work. I have been thinking a lot about that. A man who was really strong in the Gospel here is kind of inactive now. It’s just kinda weird to think you could practically go from bishop to inactive just within a few short weeks. But maybe my thinking is wrong on this one. I’m not sure!
 
Oh good old region dances. So much fun! I totally would have come and chilled with you guys! That would have kind of been fun to chaperone! Just you, me and dad watching a bunch of little kids. We would have had some pretty funny comments come out of that group. But I guess I’ll just have to wait till another time to do it with you guys!
 
But that’s awesome Marcus got a birthday gift! And it’s only a month late! That’s awesome! ;) haha I’m just messin with ya mom! But that’s actually a cool gift!

I’m so glad I’m not there to watch granny go through all this chemo and stuff. I don’t know if I could handle all that! But I’m just a little tender I guess.

You guys are gonna party that place up at Christmas! And I’m pretty sure I’ll be able to skype. We will get it figured out! It might have to do it on a different day, but that’s only if like some freak storm takes out the power on the island or something big like that.
 
But other than that, this week was good. We had the zone conference, then taught some good lessons. Me and Elder Murray cleaned the entire building before these guys came. But now it’s dirtier than before, and they have been here less than a week. So now we’ll have to clean again! But we have a baptismal date and we are hoping to get at least 2 more this week. So we got high goals! And we think these are good solid dates. So I’m pretty excited! But that’s about it. I love you! Keep up the hard work.

Oh, and remind dad he has to ride the scooter a little bit so the gas doesn’t go bad and ruin it. But I love you! See ya!
 
Love
Elder Adams

32 - HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JAKE!

First off I don’t get why everyone is making such a big deal about 20! Yeah it’s not a teenager anymore but still! It’s not that big of a deal! But don’t worry. We are going over to a member’s house to have a birthday dinner. And you guys can eat all the cake you want! It doesn’t bother me at all! Eat multiple cakes and go to California Pizza Kitchen if you want! Enjoy it for me! 

Me and Elder Murray were never comps and we never lived together. He was just in my zone back in Arraijan. We have a ton in common! Back home in Sacramento he has a 66 Mustang and we talk about cars a lot. We both play guitar and we are just a lot alike. So I’m glad I get to spend Christmas with someone that I enjoy hanging out with. Speaking of, we might get to go into the city for the mission Christmas party! So keep that one in the prayers! haha just kidding! But my comp and I actually teach great together. We have had some really good lessons so far and we are trying to find investigators. We put a list on the board of some tasks we have including names or descriptions of some people we want to teach. But being DL is kinda cool I guess. I just take numbers and talk a lot. It’s not too much but it’s still fun. There are two companionships of hermanas in my district so not really many people but it’s still fun. 

I’m glad I got just a little bit of drama with Booga. Now I know how to handle stuff like that! haha But the hermanas in my district aren’t very dramatic so I’m glad for that. And Elder Murray has the special assignment. He is in the district presidency or branch presidency or something like that. But there’s only ever 1 DL in a companionship.

That’s so awesome about Abbi cheering! That little cutie! And good job Brays! And Emmry is a lover! I remember over the summer when she would get mad or sad, I would go into her room and we would lay on her bed and watch tv. We actually became pretty good buddies this last year and a half or so. She’s a cutie.

But studies are going good. There is always more to learn. It would be harder for you to study like in depth study. I have all morning for that and then it just kinda keeps rolling. But your studying is on a time limit. But this week I was kinda all over the place. I was studying faith and how it affects our lives. About how our own faith can change our life course and how a lack of faith can be a huge thing. Like certain friends I have. A lack of faith can take you from a good place to a really, really bad place you never wanted to be in a real hurry. And how to make big changes like Alma the younger and Enos. They started with just a little bit of faith. Like Enos just says he knew his father was a just man but he didn’t know anything else. He used that little bit of faith that he knew, and it turned him into a great man. So even though lack of faith can be seen as weak, it could be made into the biggest strength you have if you know how to work for it. 

Then I started reading some parables like the prodigal son and the 10 virgins. I’m just trying to find more ways to apply the stories into the lives of the people I am teaching and trying to simplify them so people can understand. Like this week we had some family home evenings and we taught Matthew 25 verses 1 to 13. It’s the 10 virgins and we went through it and explained what the olive meant, what the lamps meant, and how we need to always be ready for when Jesus comes because no one knows exactly when. And just so you know, in Spanish it actually says boyfriend instead of bridegroom. So that was kinda funny to me. But we taught that the other night to a family. One kid is a less active, and then his sister and aunt are active members. But we taught the parable and talked about it a bit. To every question I had, this little girl who is like 5, she had an answer. Sometimes I had to whisper it into her ear, but she almost always had the answer. She is so dang cute! But she just came over and sat on my lap and we were just kinda chillin the whole time. It actually turned out really good. The aunt told us how her husband was a less active, and then he served a mission, she got baptized and they got married and all this stuff. So it was a super cool experience. 

But we did find our bag on the boat. Most of the food was still in it. But yes my suitcases are okay in the house of the assistants back on the mainland. I locked them up before I came to the island. So they will be fine! I’m glad Dolores is feeling better. Pass along this message to her for me please ( Espero que estas bien. y tambien te extraño mucho. estas un mujer especial. estoy tan agradecido que tu puedes estar en este familia. debes saber que te amamos mucho) She is such a sweet lady. Grandpa is way too lucky to have her. And tell dad to get his butt in gear to get my contacts. Tell him he needs to go missionary mode and write down a schedule and keep it on him all day. And write everything down right when it is said. He probably won’t, but it would help a lot! Planning is a huge thing in the mission. 

I sent you a picture of our makeshift grill. It’s pretty awesome. It’s made by yours truly! I took a shelf from an old fridge, some tin foil, a little fire, and some wood to make it. Our neighbors were like what are you doing with that food? So I guess they don’t understand the amazingness that is grilling! And it was some of the best chicken I think I have ever had. It was straight up good! We are planning on having another one tonight for my birthday so it’s pretty exciting! But I love you. Hope you have a good week! 

Love, Elder Jakey Adams