"He Knows Me Better"

March 23, 2015

This past week has been one of learning and growing! It is amazing how we
 never stop learning!

 Funnies:
 1. We were knocking doors and I can whistle pretty good so we pondered the
 idea of having a whistling concert on every door...we didn't end up doing
 it...but you never know ;)
 2. Dutch stair wells are TINY. We had to help one of our investigators move
 this week and it was an adventure getting the shelves, beds, and washing
 machine down. Elder Bosco carried the washing machine down on his back...it
 was crazy. There was a really big shelf and we contemplated moving in off
 the roof. I also...may have fallen down the stairs. I was fine though.
 3. We filled up an air mattress with a blow dryer!!
 4. Last night some one told us that our visit was very unfruitful. It
 sounded so funny when he said it.

 Well I have learned a lot this past week. The beginning of the week I was
 frustrated with a couple things. All the people we had found last week had
 turned into nothing. No one would answer their phones and were not home. It
 was frustrating and I found myself angrily asking Heavenly Father, why the
 work wasn't going anywhere. The Lord knows how to answer my prayers and
 humble me. We were in District Meeting and I realized that Heavenly Father
 has a plan. He loves me and the people we are talking to. He wants their
 success and will make it happen. I don't need to worry. I need to trust in
 him. I made a personal commitment to myself to be happy in all
 circumstances. This commitment helped me later in the week. We had some
 cool miracles this week. We looked up a potential and she let us in and we
 were able to teach her the first lesson. It was a good lesson. She told us
 at the end she wasn't interested but it was amazing that she let us in and
 let us share our message with her. We drew the Plan of Salvation at a
 shopping center this week! It was really awesome! We had a bunch of good
 conversations. We did almost get a ticket...we asked a cop if we could do
 it and he said yes...but then other cops came and weren't sure if we could
 do it. Hopefully they don't call the elders! Other miracle was that our
 investigator Ike let us serve him! Dutch people like to do things
 themselves a lot of the times. They are very self-reliant. It is great! But
 we were really excited when Ike said that we could help him. It turned out
 great! We were able to teach a girl that was there and give her a Book of
 Mormon and our number. We will see if she calls. It was really fun though!
 We have this incredible woman from England that we are reactivating and her
 husband isn't a member. He sat in our plan of salvation lesson!! We were so
 excited! He almost came to church and went to the stake activity on
 Saturday. We are so excited!! He is amazing. Saturday was a really good
 day. We had Sister's Conference at the mission home. I love my mission
 president and his wife! They are so amazing! I learned a lot! I also got
 the chance to speak to the sisters for 10 minutes. It was really wonderful.
 I talked about how it is impossible to fail as a missionary. I also talked
 about how at the end of your mission what will bring you the most joy will
 not be the success you saw but rather the personal growth that you have
 seen and the person you have become. It went really well. The other sister
 training leaders also spoke and they did great jobs! I got to see my old
 companions and my friends in the mission! It was wonderful. Yesterday was a
 trying day but there were a lot of miracles as well. I have been having
 back problems recently. I have a lot of pain and it is having interesting
 side affects. Yesterday it was especially bad. I had lots of things to do
 at church and people expected a lot of me. I was a bit overwhelmed. Right
 before Sunday school I almost broke down crying because of the stress. My
 companion and I were supposed to teach. The tv wasn't where it was supposed
 to be and the ward mission leader was upset with me. We also had forgotten
 our lesson plan. It was crazy. I pulled it together and we gave our
 lesson.  It went well and surprisingly, multiple people told us that they
 really felt the spirit and were really touched by our lesson. Afterwards, I
 did feel a bit sick and my legs were pretty shaky. The Lord provided and
 everything worked out. After church a woman that I haven't really talked to
 before told us that she has 4 friends that want to take the lessons!!! She
 is going to be setting up an appointment soon!! I was so excited. I can't
 wait to meet her friends. She told us a cool story of her one friend that
 received an answer that she is supposed to meet with the missionaries two
 weeks ago! It was amazing! We got home from church and all our meetings and
 I just let everything out. I told Sister Mashburn that I wasn't feeling
 good. We took it easy and I was able to talk out all of my concerns
 regarding my health and also the work. I had gotten a blessing saturday
 night and it said that the Lord knows all the trials I will face in this
 life and that everything will be okay. It said I need to face my trials
 with a positive attitude. Yesterday, I learned that the lord has a plan. I
 need to learn patience. These problems aren't going to magically go away. I
 need to delegate my stress load to my companion. She wants to help. I need
 to let her help me. I have some many things I need to do and sometimes I
 forget that there are people to help me. The last few months there hasn't
 really been an opportunity for me to relax or ask for help. Those around me
 needed me to be strong. I feel like the Lord wants me to learn to let other
 people help me. I need to learn to let other people be in control. I was
 humbled. I love my Heavenly Father. He knows exactly what I need to learn
 and when the time is right to learn certain things. I have dedicated myself
 to learning from all the trials that will come. I will face them joyfully
 and with a learning heart. We are seeing miracles. I am seeing the miracles
 that the Lord wants us to see. We are getting member referrals! That has
 been my dream my whole mission! Heavenly Father knows my desires and
 dreams. He will make them happen in his timing. This work is incredible! I
 love the ward here! I love Amsterdam! My companion and I are having so much
 fun. I am going to go out this week and give it all I have!

 De Heiland is onze redder!!

 Zuster Adams

 P.S. I am taking care of myself. The mission president's wife knows about
my back problems. :) I am getting help!