E. Adamek Mission May. 4, 2015

May the fourth be with you!

Haha! I couldn't resist. 

I think I may be getting addicted to root beer . . . There is an A&W here in Payette and we go there several times a week due to there being people who work there that meet with us. I bought a mug so I can get free root beer. That may have been a bad idea. I'm going to go cold turkey this week and see how I handle it . . . haha!

Walked down the street one morning to help out a neighbor paint their house. It had been a while since I'd used a brush, so I started off being very conservative in my approach, but as it went along I became more and more liberal in my application. I stayed close to the ground while my companions climbed up some scaffolding to get the upper parts of the house. 

We met with a new investigator this past week. He is from the Netherlands and is one of those people who, if he wants to learn something, can learn it pretty quickly. He solved a Rubik's cube just by looking at it and figuring it out. He's really cool! I went and visited him with another member in the ward here who joined the Church in Payette just over 4 years ago, served a mission and then got married here in Payette. We were able to develop a teaching pattern really quickly because of our similar experiences and backgrounds. It was just a really awesome lesson all around!

My companions, E. Cope and E. Raubach, are really into cars and guns and that sort of American stuff. I have slowly been learning more about these things and wonder where I've been the past 22 years because I kind of grew up around cars and guns in rural Minnesota. 

God knows the hearts and minds of His children at all times and provides a way for them to improve and accept His grace. This past week, we felt prompted, two days in a row to visit a woman who had joined the Church within the past year, but has slipped back into her smoking addiction and is trying to quit again. We work with her every week, but these visits came up out of the Spirit. Both days, as we drove into the trailer complex that she lives in, she was standing outside, about to smoke. We caught her! We just smiled and waved as we drove up. She even laughed about it. The spiritual encouragement and direction that God gave to her those two days was powerful. I know that God cares about her and cares about each one of us. 

Prayer is awesome and has the power to change the hearts of those who pray. I was on an exchange this past week in Baker City. At 8:30 at night, we were about to contact a person. It was dark and the house was dark, so I felt like we should knock on the next door neighbor's house to find out if the people we wanted to talk to were home. My temporary companion was like "Ok, not sure how this will go, but I'll back you up" Always a comforting thing to know in missionary work, that your companion has your back. We knock and a lady answers the door and we find out a little about their neighbor, but she then lets us know that she was a member, but left the Church a few years back. We talked with her for a little bit and whenever we asked if she wanted to come back or have us come by for another visit she was quite standoffish. Before we left, I asked if we could say a prayer and she agreed. The Spirit came in very strongly and afterward, she accepted our phone number and expressed gratitude for us coming by. I know that God guides us as we pray to him. 

Things are going well here in Payette. I love being on a mission and all the hard and difficult things that I'm learning. God is in it. Have a great week everyone!

Love,

Elder Adamek