June 16, 2010 "Burfdays and Baptisms"

My burfday! I woke up to this sign: Rock Sensation!

R****'s baptism. He is such a punk.

Sister Villa going to Worlds of Fun (the amusement park out here)

Sister Wathen in our room, singing like a lil diva. Love her!

Transfer Day, getting to see all my friends. Elder Hayter and Elder Cox. E Cox is deaf and we all served together out in Olathe. His testimony in ASL is far more powerful than any testimony I have heard in English. He is one of those people who has changed my life forever.

Hi Everyone!

Thank you thank you for all the birthday messages, gifts and letters and love. I have the most wonderful friends and family in the universe. My birthday was super fun! It was stake conference, where I was able to see all my old friends from 4th ward and Riverview. Then we visited some of our favorite people, and had dinner with a Mexican family who had TRES LECHES cake for me. Soo good! Then we stopped by a cute family's house whose son shares a birthday with me (he turned 5). He is a total stud. We didn't have much time so they actually came into the VC and brought me a cake. He and I got sung to by all the VC sisters. I was having so much fun that I FORGOT to open my birthday presents you all had mailed. so funny! I opened them on Monday and had a ball with all the fun things! 2nd best birthday ever. (The best being in Mexico when I got to go para sailing and snorkeling in the ocean). I felt very, very loved. :)

Other updates: I am a "grandma"! Sister Howe that I trained is now training. I am so old! She is out in the middle of nowhere Kansas (Great Bend).

We had a baptism of a man whose family lives in the 3rd ward, but he moved recently. Sis Wathen, Sis Villalobos and I got to ride up with his mom. Our friend Mic gave us all a ride. It was wonderful! Joining the church for him has been a big lifestyle change and he is doing so great! I love watching people turn into faithful disciples of Jesus Christ. It's such a sacred opportunity to be a missionary. Thanks for your support.

It has been storming a lot. I was up all night the other night watching lightning. It's so beautiful- I can't help it.

Besides that, I can't really think of any updates. Oh! We had transfers and I am staying with Sis Wathen in Indep. 3rd ward. "Adam-then to the rethcue!" We are the only companionship in the entire Zone that didn't change. Pretty much in the whole mission. Each companionship at the VC has a sister who has never served in the Vc before. So we have bajillions of people coming in, but nobody to give tours since all the new ones aren't comfortable giving their own yet. I had to give my own tour on my second day. Just sayin'. :) Oh, Heritage tours came through yesterday. I was sad to miss it. That's the one from Cedar Hills/Highland/Alpine area. Oh, I had a group the other day where the family knew Gma and Gpa Porcaro and also Anneica. Kind of fun.

We have a few people we are teaching who are attending the Addiction Recovery Class that the church does through Family Services [tangent: I want to say that I appreciate LDS Fam. Services so much. There is much that goes on there, behind the scenes, and the things that are available are incredible and life changing]. I decided to get a workbook, too and start filling it out since we can't attend the class (no time). It is blowing me away. The teachings in it are for everyone. I don't care if you are addicted to alcohol or codependency or food or negative thoughts or just know someone who is. This workbook is beautiful and well-made. I am really, really excited to figure out the un-Christlike attributes I have developed in my life and get them out of me. Sometimes we think of addictions as just bad habits that people just need to break on their own. NO! The Atonement is there because we cannot do things on our own. We give our best, yes, and then he steps in and finishes what we can't. Fears, anxieties, depression can be swallowed up in the Atonement. There is no substitute for medication when it is needed, don't get me wrong. But we do not understand the Atonement and we often times do not use it when we should. At least I haven't been. I know through the Holy Ghost and His power that is is real. Jesus Christ is there with His arms out. "Come unto Me. Give my all your pain, tears, insecurities, worries...and I will give you peace. I have already paid for it. Just follow me."

He loves you and I love you. I apologize again for being the worst letter writer ever.