Accomplishing Mission Goals (3 new posts)

June 26, 2011

Dear Fam,

Another week has flown by. The weeks of late have been just flying bye so fast. I can't believe how fast the time is going. It's just ridiculous. It is really starting to freak me out because before I know it I am going to be finished with my mission! Having the Sabey’s, Saunders and Elder Mackay all finishing their missions within the next 8 weeks doesn't help. It doesn't feel right, it's gone to0 fast. I still feel like I just got here. I do not want to leave my mission, I love it so much, and maybe my email this week will shed some light on why. On why this has been the greatest and most cherished time of my life. But I still have about 7 months, thank goodness!!!!

Well we have officially finished our mission goal to have every missionary in this mission baptize someone who has a family member in the church, and then to also help a family to be sealed in the temple! I can now relax and breathe!!!!!! Can you believe that, who would have ever thought that was even possible? Could you imagine if you tried to do that in any other mission in the world, it would be impossible. To have 68 families get sealed in the temple in only about 4 and half months. And have 68 companionships baptize someone who has a family member in the church already. It just blows my mind. The people of Ghana have so much faith. There is no other place like this in the whole world. In the last 17 months I have never met someone who doesn't believe in God. And I can count on my fingers the number of times someone has rudely rejected me. Ghana is just different. During this goal the adversary has made many attempts in trying to block our way, to stop us if you will from accomplishing this goal. We had all of the Ivoirians come to the temple for refuge, and during that time we couldn't send people to the temple so that made the goal even harder. We had 10 families go to the temple and not get sealed because of paper work problems, miscommunication, etc. One family even did proxy sealings and thought they did their own. We had families just this last week prepared to go who said they weren't able to go now. Just everything that could go wrong went wrong. But that didn't stop us. That didn't stop this goal that the Lord had given us from being accomplished. We worked around all of those things. We helped each other. We found families in other areas and we prepared backups and even this last week we had 3 backups for every companionship who hadn't finished. We made sure they had recommends, family group records, correct records, busses scheduled to get them there, everything we could possibly do, we did. And because we did everything we could possibly do, we put ourselves in a position where we knew that the Lord could, and would do the rest. We saw miracle, after miracle, after miracle. We saw families make sacrifices; we had families call us out of the blue saying that they wanted to go to the temple to be sealed, and to be sealed on the day the goal ends!!!! And on the 25th of June the Nyanka family helped the last companionship finish as they were sealed in the temple with their young boy!! A family who called us out of the blue, and who without we would never have accomplished this goal. I have learned so much from this goal. But if I have learned one thing, I have learned that this is the Lords work and not ours. I learned more than anything that when we do all that we can do the Lord will do the rest. And that is exactly what happened, and it was amazing. It was remarkable. My mission has changed the way I look at life. I know this is the only true church upon this earth. I know this work we are doing is not our own. It is our Father in Heavens, and we are so privileged to be instruments in his hands. Nothing brings me more joy or satisfaction than to help him in his work.

Today we just had President and Sister Sabey’s last zone conference. It was sad, and it is going to be hard to see them go. I have come to love President Sabey and Sister Sabey so much. I have never met better people. I am so grateful to have served with them and to have gotten to know them as much as I have. President Sabey will do anything for the lord. I learned so much from him and I am going to miss them so much. Being his assistant has been great. We just finished having dinner with the Sabey’s and the Saunders, probably for the last time. We made the Sabey’s a video of each companionship in the mission and it was really neat. Some sang songs, some made jokes, some said goodbye, and some did really good impersonations of Pres. and things like that. We put it in and watched it with them after dinner and they loved it. Then we had ice cream. We had great time tonight with them. After the video we sat around and we just talked. Everyone there will be going home soon so I am kind of hanging around, and pretty soon it will be just me and President Shulz and a new office couple. That's when it finally dawned on me that they are going. Man I am going to miss them so much. I don't believe there has ever been a greater mission president than President Sabey.

So the Shulz’s will be arriving on Wednesday and the Sabey’s will be going home on Thursday of this week. Things are going to really change around here. It will be sad but at the same time it will be so exciting. I am really looking forward to serving with President Shulz and Sister Shulz and I know that I will learn so much from them and come to love them just the same way I love the Sabey’s. It's gunna get crazy around here in the next few months. I am really looking forward to it and can't wait to meet the Shulz’s.

Holy shnikeze!!! What a week you had. I can only imagine how stressful that was. And I think that some days for me are stressful, but I can only imagine what that was like. I talked about doing all we can and then the Lord will do the rest, and I think you can understand what I am talking about by recent personal experience. Sorry about the crazy mess, but at least it wasn't anything that you did. I am glad things turned out okay. Well Tristin you should just name the baby Garrett because that is the most powerful name that starts with a G and anything else would just be a step down. jk. But I hope everything goes well and that the baby isn't ugly, haha okay jk again. That wouldn't happen with our genetics. Well I hope you have a better week this week mom and dad and that things are a little less stressful. I love you guys so much. I pray that the Lord will bless you everyday. Take care and God bless.

Love Elder Adams

ps. I got the packages. Thanks so much. The back brace works! Love you.

pss. The answer to the Holland question was the latter one you gave. You got it!

June 20, 2011

My family,

Well it’s been another crazy exciting week. We've seen many miracles this week and had many great experiences. The goal ends this week so things are getting down to the wire, but we only have 6 elders left to complete. We will accomplish this goal. Sorry I haven't emailed, to be honest I forgot to email last week. Sometimes I forget what day is p day and then I forget that I was supposed to email. Well we got back late last night from zone conference in Kumasi, Presidents last conference, but it was really good, so that’s why I didn’t email yesterday. I love you and I just want you to know that I am doing great so don't worry about me. I hope the shingles get better this week paps, and forgive me for the late Happy Fathers Day, but just know that you are the best father a son could ever ask for, I love you. Hope you had a good day and enjoyed that lobster. I love you all and hope that you have a great week and that you enjoy Disneyland or whatever it is that you are going to do. The church is true and it really is moving forward in this wonderful country. The Lord is blessing this land tremendously due to the faith of these God fearing people. It's a wonderful place to be. I couldn't think of anything I would rather be doing than serving amongst these people. It’s changed my life forever. Talk to you next week, if not maybe the one after that ha.

Love Elder Adams

June 6, 2011

My Family,
Well it's been only a few days since I last emailed so there’s not a whole to tell, but I got a little something. This last week was Zone Leader Council which is usually a mini version of zone conference where President gives us a little instruction. But before he instructs us we will discuss a few things with all of the zone leaders. Our main focus right now is the current goal that we are working on, which is to have ever missionary help a family go to the temple and get sealed. Sounds impossible right? That's a 130 + missionaries, and in Ghana its hard to get people to travel that distance and pay that amount of money many don’t have.. Well we are down to about 10 left, maybe a few more, and we only have 3 weeks left to complete. It's getting a little to close for comfort. We had many families go to the temple this week, but for some reason 5 of them that actually went ended up not getting sealed for a few different reasons of paperwork or something. Now the reason why I make the goals in this mission seem like such a big deal is because when we set a goal we are going to accomplish it!! There is no way that we won't accomplish a goal, unless by our own disobedience because President Sabey only sets goals given to him by the Lord that are meant to be accomplished! It's true! President Sabey has set 8 goals and every single one has been accomplished, many of which were accomplished on the last day, and many of which required great miracles. That’s different than many missions. Many missions set high goals for baptisms and never accomplish them. So right now this is really our main focus. And one of the families who still needs to go is mine and Elder Mackay’s candidate. Anyway, after we discussed thatPresident taught us about something I found very very interesting. He quoted Elder Holland who said " we are to accustomed to 220 volts of M.
Priesthood power being forced through what should be 110 volts of Aaronic Priesthood power" He was talking about Bishops when he said that. I will let you see if you can figure out what he means. But it is definitely something that is true about the church in many places. Tell me what you come up with. We also talked about how in a democracy it is run from the bottom up. Meaning that the people elect their leaders, and it’s the people who ultimately decide. That is also true in many, or you could say all other churches. But in the Lords kingdom it is run from the Top down. Meaning that all things come from God first, then the prophet and so on and so forth. Just another small piece of evidence verifying that the church is true. We went on to talk about meetings and he is another quote you might like. "It takes a darn good meeting to beat no meeting at all," President Packer.

That was pretty much the highlight of the week. Other than that we had a few days in our area, and they were very productive. We have a few really good people to teach right now and hopefully we can prepare someone for baptism soon. I am getting frustrated small with it because we have such a limited amount of time in our area it is really hard to make much happen and keep investigators progressing when we don't see them for weeks at a time sometimes. But we are managing and things are getting better. One of the apostles said that "Assistants should be powerful master teachers that you can send to any corner of the mission to help lift and encourage and teach other missionaries in need" I read that and I thought "are you kidding me". Master teacher! That is a high expectation. So of late I don't care about learning doctrine, reading the scriptures just to read them, but all I am working on is becoming a master teacher by working on my teaching weaknesses and studying PMG a lot so I can do what that apostles expects. I know it is hard to become a master of it but I can become much better.

You were saying that the mission presidents send a letter saying that one of the elders form the ward received a position in the mission. Well I can tell you the reason why President Sabey doesn't send one of those is because he hates the "mission ladder" and in this mission there is no mission ladder. I can attest to that. He hates aspiring to positions too. And he is right in all of those. It's wrong. It goes back to the way the Lord governs the kingdom from the top down. There is no reason to send one of those letters if you ask me. It sends the wrong message, as if one missionary is more important. We were all called to me missionaries, not to be zone leaders or assistants. Some of the best missionaries in this mission have never had a position; it's just where the Lord wants them to serve. I am just guessing that that is why President Sabey doesn’t send out any letter, because to him position means nothing about who you are, it's an opportunity to serve. Not that what leaders do isn't important, but he wants to send the right message, that we are equal missionaries. Well that was a little much, but I believe that is why you haven't ever received a letter from our mission. I would have to agree with it.

Well I just want you all to know that I have a testimony of this gospel, of the church, and of the Prophet Jospeh Smith. I know it’s true. How grateful I am for the atonement. Though I may not comprehend how he suffered for us all I know he did, and I am grateful with ever fiber of my heart. He taught us how to live, how to love, and how to die. He has secured our salvation. I love you and pray that the Lords choicest blessings be upon you.

Love Elder Adams