Catching up...3rd companion

When Adam was first transferred to Placentia and became a district leader, his companion was Elder Pafford. They were instant friends and worked well together. He really enjoyed his time serving with Elder Pafford. It was short, about 7 weeks, but he had a great time. Their favorite thing to do on p-days was to go mountain biking. He said there are some great trails around Placentia.

First Baptism

Adam had his first baptism on April 5th and it was a wonderful experience for him. Larry asked Adam to perform the baptism. We are so happy for Adam and that he had this wonderful experience. Here are his words: What a beautiful sight to see and participate in miracles that are happening today. I think I must say that this has been the Best week so far on the mission. This week has been so awesome! I'm so glad that I get to go through these experiences, I couldn't have imagined what it would be like to have the opportunity of bringing a lost sheep back into the fold of Christ. Our investigator Larry Manning was baptized Friday @ 7:00 and it went perfect. He was baptized by the Priesthood Authority of God and he will be blessed Eternally because of it! Being 76 years old I also had the opportunity to get him dressed afterwards, it felt great to help him out and I'm sure that has been the closest to Christ I have been out here.

Big Changes

Well, it feels like I just posted about the last transfer and now there is another one. Adam has been in Irvine since he left the MTC the first week of October. He was there with his trainer until the week before Christmas when he received a new companion. I knew the next transfer was in 7 weeks because this particular companion was somewhat challenging and Adam said he could do anything for 7 weeks. Well, those 7 weeks have gone very quickly! Our family had grown very fond of Adam's investigators in Irvine. We were continually fasting and praying for them and felt "invested" in them as a family. Our children prayed for them by name and were very hopeful they would be able to overcome those things that were keeping them from baptism. So, we had very mixed feelings about Adam being transferred but we realized it was probably time. So we found out last week that Adam was transferred to Placentia. We have decided to continue to pray for his previous investigators as they are still important to him and to us and we will just add new ones to our list of people to pray for on a regular basis. We thought Adam might have the opportunity to train with this transfer since there are so many new missionaries entering the field right now. They did receive new ones but only 1 Elder and 15 Sisters! So, he is not training yet, but he has been made a District Leader. He is really excited for the opportunity to grow in this new calling but he is a little nervous too. Over the last few weeks I have noticed some things about his letters that may have been preparing him for this new calling. One day in January they were helping someone move and the people were getting rid of a tv. One of the Elders in his district talked them into letting him have it. Adam (not a district leader but a young junior companion) told him no he couldn't have a tv. I saw then that he was stepping up and being a leader on his own. He said it really concerned him how some elders just check out and don't care. In the letter we received right before the transfers he told us rumors were flying but that he would be good with anything. He said, "If the Lord has an Errand, I am more than willing to run it for him." He is a good boy. Here is what he said about his last zone meeting: "The day started with Zone meeting that went well and I find I can actually add something worth sharing to the discussion. The AP's were there and I swear they would be staring at me the whole meeting...?" That evening he received a call from President Bowen asking him to be a District Leader. Here are some of his thoughts, "This will be my 4th transfer and it is super early for leadership calls, I thought...(I later found out that I am the youngest DL to be called, at least in a while!) I guess that's what I get for talking about leadership, haha!! Ahhh, it's crazy! I'm excited but a lil nervous at the same time. I am being put to the test!" He seemed a little overwhelmed but excited at the same time. We are very proud of him for being diligent and obedient so he was prepared when the Lord needed him. Now for some fun things: He has had some fun p-days where they played basketball, but lately he has been a little discouraged. He said most of his district (the old one) wanted to play "nerdy" board games. Adam does like board games but he's not real fond of things like "Dungeons & Dragons" and I guess his zone is into those kinds of games (sorry John). So, he said he would try to convince some of them to play basketball or table tennis with him. When he couldn't get takers he would just read and said he has read all of his "mission books" except Jesus the Christ which will be his next pursuit. He is excited because apparently this new zone plays football sometimes so he asked us to send him his cleats! I'm sure that will be a nice change for him. He also does some juggling now and then. One thing that was really exciting for him was when he went to the Newport Temple in January. He said, "So I am coming out of the changing stall and guess who I ran into.... Jeremy Rich one of my best friends from school! The one I took pictures of jumping bikes, and is going to the MTC next week It was so awesome! I gave him a big hug....( something I have learned on my mission... ya it's not a normal thing and I kinda think it caught him by surprise hahaha! We did the same endowment session and talked for a lil bit it was his second time in the temple ah it was so fun to see someone I know!" Adam was really excited that Jeremy had decided to serve a mission too. That was a great experience for him. I'm sorry it's such a long post, but now you are all updated. I am looking forward to hearing more from him about his new area and companion. What I do know is that his companion is named Elder Pafford, he is from Virginia, and he has been out one transfer less than Adam. So far Adam thinks he is great and said he is one of the funniest people he has met.

Investigators

I'm sorry there are 3 posts in one day. I got behind with the holidays and traveling to Utah. Hopefully I can get back into the swing of things now. Adam currently has two investigators that are working toward baptism. One is scheduled for this Saturday and as a family we are praying and fasting for him. As of Sunday he still hadn't completely given up his cigars. He loves going to church and hasn't missed a Sunday since he started going and he loves the members. He enjoys going to the activities and being part of a ward. Adam has really enjoyed teaching him and working with him. Please join us in praying for him to be able to overcome his habit and enter the waters of baptism. The other one preparing for baptism is Sean's mom who I mention in the Christmas post as well. She is also struggling with the Word of Wisdom and is working hard to overcome that. Their lessons with her have been going really well and she is schedule for baptism on February 4th. Please pray for her as well as she prepares for this big step. They are teaching others but these are the two that are scheduled for baptism. Thank you all so much for keeping Adam and his investigators in your thoughts and prayers..................................On another note, Adam is really excited that one of his good friends from Provo who was in our ward and on his baseball team has been called to the same mission. Adam is so excited for Trevor Zibetti and can't wait for him to get there. I believe he enters the MTC in February.

Transfers

The week before Christmas they had transfers. It seems like a hard time to have to do that, but I guess it goes along with missionaries coming and going from the mission. I realized since I arrived in Portugal one week before Christmas, the same thing had to have happened in my mission........Adam stayed in the same area (Irvine) but his trainer was transferred and he said he misses Elder Horejsi. His new companion is Elder Oviatt and here is some of what he had to say about transfers, "Elder Oviatt has only been out a transfer more than I have and this is his 2nd area. He just switched with Horejsi. He is senior companion but it doesn't feel like it. I am more of a leader and he is kinda shy so I do most of that stuff. He was driver but drove me nuts because he didn't know where he was going so we got that switched." This is the information he gave me in his letter now I will share what he put in his email........."all I know about him so far is that he went to BYU and he likes My Little Ponies ....... yep I said it my little ponies!!!! Are you kidding me???!! He tried to put a M.L.P. ornament on my Christmas tree and I almost died of laughter and then nearly had a heart attack when I found out he was serious... At least you will be getting some interesting and probably funny letters." We all had to laugh at that. I can just picture Adam finding out his companion is a "Brony". We told him to be nice and try to learn from the experience. In his last letter he said they have had some good discussions and he is beginning to feel that it's not as weird of a companionship as he thought.

Elder Wardle and Elder Oviatt

Their Little Christmas Tree (before the MLP ornament)

Christmas

Christmas was wonderful mainly because we were able to skype with Adam. It was so nice to be able to see him and talk to him. He looks wonderful and seems to be doing very well! In his letter before skyping with us he wrote, "It is finally here, it seemed so far away but it came so fast at the same time. I am so happy that I get to call or skype you. I know it hasn't been that long but I sure miss everyone." It is nice to know that he misses us too. They got together as a whole mission for a devotional and here is what he said about it, "1st Christmas Devotional was a blast! Our Mission President is the best! We started off by watching Tangled! Yep we watched a movie and everyone loved it. After we had some amazing Korean BBQ for lunch and I swear I ate a whole chicken, pig, and cow, yum yum! Everyone was there so I got to chill with Elder Rogers and Sister Thompson (from his MTC district), both super awesome! We had a devotional where someone in each of the 8 languages read the Joseph Smith Story in their tongue. It's pretty cool to feel the spirit when you can't understand it completely....................... On Christmas Eve they went to a Ward Dinner with one of their investigators. Then they went and opened their pj's and wore them for their Christmas Eve Party at a member's house. They played games, santa came, and they had a lot of fun. The family gave him a green lantern shirt. I guess the girls in the family thought he looked like green lantern :)!

I believe this picture is of Sean and his dad with Adam and his comp. Sean and his family have been very good to Adam. Sean is a convert of 2 years. His mother is one of their investigators and we are all praying for her in her preparations for baptism. They skyped from Sean's house and later went to his parent's home for dinner. The family gave them some gift cards for Christmas, too. Christmas Day: "We had another p-day for Christmas and it was awesome. For my 1st Christmas away it was hard for sure, I miss being with everyone, but I had a good time. We had breakfast as a zone, played some group games, and opened presents. We eventually got ready and went to Sean's for skype which was wonderful! Kind of weird to be called by my first name(by us of course), haha:)! I think that's good?! I'm glad I could start a snowball fight from Anaheim." We were in Utah and he asked me to take the computer outside so he could see "his snow". He encouraged Ashlee and Jaxon into a snowball fight which was quite fun to watch. He enjoyed every second of it. I just tried to keep the computer camera pointed in the right direction so he could see it all. We sure missed having him play games and go sledding with us this Christmas but he is exactly where we want him to be and we are so grateful he has chosen to serve The Lord on a mission. It was so wonderful to skype with him.

Christmas Ideas

For those who have asked about Christmas ideas for Adam, he mentioned he would love some gift cards. He said Target and Albertson's are grocery stores nearby. He likes it when they have enough $ that they can "eat good". I'm sure that means when they have a little extra they go for a steak now and then. He also mentioned Jamba Juice. I'm sure it's fun for them to get a treat like that once in a while. Just thought I'd pass on the info.