Christmas-week email part three: Voice recordings

Recording One (Click here. 7:48)
People they are teaching:

• Their first baptism! Michel got baptized this weekend! He went to church as a boy but never got baptized. Has own family with two cute kids. Adam attended his daughter’s concert. He comes to Saturday sports day and is great at soccer. (Adam LOVES soccer.)
• Michel’s daughter is preparing to be baptized. 
• Tibot is a big, strong, body-building, martial arts man. 
• Danny is from Spain, living in Belgium. Polite. Only speaks Spanish and Eastern European languages, so Elder Amico talks to him. (Elder Amico knows four languages.)
• Charlotte is about 18. Young women have really taken her in and befriended her. The ward does a good job of taking in new members. 

• Just got a new bishop on Sunday. Fun to meet some of the members of the ward. 
• Hope our family missionary efforts are going well. It’s so different than home with lots of members in our neighborhood. 
• His mission area takes maybe six hours to get to the end of the area. He gets around by metro and bus. The ward is awesome!
• He gives a personal message to each family member, including his grandparents and niece Zia. Adam uses the quilt every night that Malia gave him. 

Recording Two (Click here. 1:10)
Adam plays on electric piano "Angels We have Heard on High," because if he were home he would be playing Christmas music for us.


.
Recording Three (Click here. 0:48)
Adam and his companion, Elder Amico, each sing a verse of "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" a Capella. It's fun to hear Elder Amico's native French speaking and singing!

I noticed this photo on another missionary's Facebook page, and since Adam was in it, I copied it. :) Ahh, the joys of modern technology for the sappy missionary mom!  This may be Adam's zone at the two half-mission conferences they had last week, I assume in Paris. 

This looks like Adam's MTC people. Maybe these are the lights at MTC? Almost as stunning as the lights at Temple Square! It's amazing how much this picture reminds me of Mike when he was missionary age. 

Christmas-week email part two, plus pics

Click here for Christmas-week email part one. 

Adam's first baptism! Elder Amico had been teaching this man, Machel, and baptized him last weekend! 

Hey Dad, 

I really hope you have had a great week and that work and service in the Church has been going well!! I will do my best to answer some of your questions from the emails I only just read today! Also how are you doing, Dad? I loved reading your emails with service at the church and how you stayed until 5 PM yesterday and how great it'll be to have everyone there together for Christmas. :) Thanks a bunch for your feelings and how you understand what it's like to be away from home! It's awesome to know that and also to know the Savior understands too. In fact he understands a lot more than I do. I want to be more obedient sometimes, for example we should be out working right now, but I improved the last couple days with talking to people. My district leader challenged me to make a goal with that and so far it's helping a lot! People are really receptive. 

Will you write me and tell me aallll about Christmas? Okay maybe not everything because I'll cry but a lot? Haha. In sacrament meeting yesterday I missed you guys A TON but it's okay, I know we can get through it. It feels so good to know my family supports me back home, if I were a convert with non-member family I don't know what I would do!!

So Charleroi has been awesome, it's not the cleanest place ever, but the people are very nice. Our ward mission leader, Brother Cockx, is really really nice. He says that in France and America, people have a lot of pride, they think they're the best (which I have to admit is true, America is the best :D). But he said it's not that way with people in Belgium. That's really cool. The chocolate is sooooo GOOD. We ate some really good chocolate here last night when we went caroling (like you did--cool!) and it was amazing. I can totally see lots of new investigators happening if we just talk to more people.

Yes, you found the right apartment! It's actually quite nice, I think. We're spoiled, in our mission, everyone has their own washer and drier! Sorry, maybe I shouldn't have said that. Yes absolutely tell the priests to read scriptures.  I'm so excited for all the five priests going out, that's so cool!!

Is Grandma B doing all right? I feel so bad, is her leg ok?

Sounds like all the Christmas celebrations were magnificent! Boy I don't know how people can stand to live very far from their parents just for work or non-mission reasons, that would be hard for me! Haha. I loved what you said about Zia "respectfully disagreeing" to sleep in the crib, that was super funny. 

Also we have the best DMP (ward mission leader) ever! He is so awesome he takes us out to dinner a lot and he really is excited about the work. Members take great care of us. I've saved all the Christmas presents and candy and a couple of families have already offered to have us over during the holiday season here so we'll be fine. Plus even if nobody has us over we just shopped today so it's okay. :D 

So far, no one has been disrespectful or rude that I can remember here! Haha enjoy that while it lasts, right? 

Sounds like your Christmas sacrament meeting was awesome, ours was really great too! I always love it I think it's the best one in the whole year. It's interesting, when I get outside of myself and try and serve others, the homesickness goes away for a while. It's really cool. It's kind of like that David Archuleta song "Glorious." 

Hey, we just watched a really cool video called "The Old Shoemaker" about how we serve the Savior when we serve others. Love you, Dad! THanks for reading the Book of Mormon! I will get back on that! Even though we are far apart, in my mind will always be the image of us, both as grown men, smiling together! You have taught me so much and given so much for me and my mission too, and all I can give you is grattitude, grattitude and bring souls to Christ. I will do both for you for the next three short days until we can at last talk to face for a couple hours!

May the Lord bless and keep you! Merry, merry Christmas and thank you so much for all your sacrifices so I can be here! I will remember that today. 

Also, would you mind sending some more developed family pictures sometime? Just so I can have them? :) Thanks so much, Dad! If not, it's totally okay. We have so much to be grateful for. Tell the priest's quorum to lose themselves in serving others for Christmas. To learn to talk to others even strangers! Christ is the King of glory. I know God lives and loves us. That is true. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen. 

And thank you SOOO MUCH for your letter at the Christmas conference!!! It was the best!!!

LOOOVEEEE YOU MY FAMILY!!! WE CAN TALK SOON!!!!

Sincerely

Elder Adam Edwards

Click here for Christmas-week email part three, voice recordings. 

The day all these wonderful "greenie" missionaries arrived in Paris from the MTC. 

A building the greenies saw on their first day in Paris. I wonder what building it is? 

Oh good, I wondered about this. Adam gets to be with one of his MTC buddies, Elder Harris, along with the two trainers, Elder Amico and Elder Wells, their trainers. 

Wow, that's an interesting sculpture. I wonder what the meaning is.  

Adam didn't give captions to these pics but I'm guessing this is a picture of his town, Charleroi, Belgium. 

Christmas-week email part one. First baptism his first week in Belgium!

Adam and Elder Amico writing emails home. 

Adam's first apartment in Charleroi, Belgium. He hung our fabric Christmas tree to decorate their apartment. That makes this mama happy. 

MOM I LOVE YOU! LOTS! 

Okay so thanks a bunch for telling me all about life and how Christmas is going and all that. That was awesome, I'm so sorry I didn't respond last week! No excuse so now I am going to email you first! 

I just wanted to tell you a little about our Christmas sacrament meeting here in Charleroi 1. It was realy good, you know how I always love the Christmas music and all that. Anyway, I got to play a little number for the ward, the kind music coordinator asked me if I'd like to last week and I said yes. Because it's fun! :) So I was happy to go up and play a little hymn, Angels We Have Heard on High, and then I sat back down and then the last musical number started and I started thinking about some of the sisters in the ward choir up there singing and how much they'd like you, Mom, because everyone likes you tons, and how I was maybe a little sad that we couldn't be together for that musical number, because I guess I've always liked flattery when I play something, haha, and you're really good at complementing (I mean flattery in a good way). I just missed you all, you Mom, and you Dad, and the whole family so much! 

I'm doing pretty good right now, I hope you are, too! Just know I love you! In a weird way it was reassuring because there is no doubting that I love my family a lot! I'm super glad I have pictures and stuff to look at and emails and such. I actually had a really good scripture study today to get some comfort and stuff, don't worry, the members feed us a little all the time, and the people are really nice, no one has been rude or disrespectful that I can recall. But anyway, Mom, have you been doing okay? Have you been doing all right? Will you tell me if something is really bothering you a lot? :D Love you, Mom. No idea how but we'll get through this. :D Seems like whenever I have a really hard sad day that the next day is lots better. So it'll be all right! I'll just keep imroving where the Lord wants me to, and you just keep working, Mom, and the Lord will take care of the time passing and the rest. also I'm really looking forward to seeing and talking with the whole family on Christmas! Haha that will definitely be the best gift I get this year!! 

Also I loved the Christmas CD. Turns out, according to our District Leader, Elder Wells, the rule for music is just that it has to follow the guidelines in the Missionary Handbook and it has to make us think of God. So pretty much all religious Christmas music is sweet! Haha. I also really liked the song "Grateful," on that MoTab CD. 'Twas awesome.

Also, attached are some recordings from a more recent time. :) 

But anyway, yes, the week has been pretty solid! I appreciate a lot the chance to email you, I think it's a good thing to be grateful for things and remember the things we have instead of the things we don't. Thanks for all those times when you took care of me, Mom! Or changed my diaper or even just read a book or taught me how to read. A couple of people said they really liked the hymn I played, and I told them it was thanks to you, because you always reminded me to practice. :) So you're already blessing people, companion-at-home! Heck Dad can be my companion-at-home too because you two are companions so we're a tripanionship :). 

We had the baptism and it was awesome! How cool to have my first baptism just a week after I arrive in Belgium, right? I was super lucky to get that! His name is Michel, he is such a great guy and he actually sat by me and comforted me when I was feeling sad during sacrament meeting yesterday. Haha it was really cool. I got to be one of the three Priesthood holders to confer the Holy Ghost on him, too! So I told him it was the best gift and that all he needs to do is learn to follow it. 

And guess what?! We had the mission conference Thursday, and it was amazing! And I got to meet Elder Nelson, the really cool, happy elder whose blog was my favorite to read before I went to the MTC. He is definitely a really happy, smiley person! Haha I kind of hope we get to be comanions before he goes home, which is in 6 months, so probably not, but you never know! 

(These are questions I asked Adam followed by his answers.) 

1. What can we pray for you about? Ohh good question, maybe just for a willingness to sacrifice my normal introvertness to talk to people about the gospel. That would be so awesome. I'll be praying for you too as requested, family! We're in life together here, we're forever!
2. What time should we plan on you Skyping us on Christmas? We want to be sure to be here! Okay it will be 6 PM my time so I believe 10 AM your time or maybe 9 AM if it is a 9 hour gap. Although just letting you know it will probably be later than that, but I will try to be on time. So excited!
3. What is your companion like? Oh he's awesome, very giving and very fun and very patient. He acts very serious in public, which is a lot like me, but he's a really good cook and he made me lots of food the first couple weeks and I'm hoping that won't end, haha. He speaks 4 languages!
4. There's no organ at our chapel, but there is a very nice, high-quality electric piano. And it was so fun to play! Also I'm going to accompany the choir next Sunday singing another Christmas song so yay!!
5. They do already have a pianist or two here but I can play for sacrament sometime so I'll ask the music coordinator next time I see her. Mom, I wish you could meet these people, you'd love them and they'd love you so much!
6. You're doing great with Seminary and family, I'll pray you'll see that and that you'll get help figuring out the timing.
7. Please send that song if it is religious! Just as long as it's not worldly Christmas music, talks about God. Actually, would you try sending "the work" CD through the email too? It may not work but it turns out that it's okay, I guess President Babin loosened the music standard a lot so yeah.

I just love you sooo much Mom! I wish I had more time to tell you about the week and stuff but please know that I love you a ton! Hey and also I've heard that it's okay to take 2 hours for the Skype call so is that okay with you?

Love you toooonnns! I sent Grace a bunch of pictures! (I included those pics in the next post.)

Love,

Adam Elder Edwards 

Click here for Christmas-week email part two, including more pics. 

Click here for Christmas-week email part three, voice recordings. 

First letter from the mission field...Adam and his companion prayed each other there!

Adam just arrived in Europe! This is Charleroi, Belgium. Adam's first area in the Paris, France mission.  

Hey Dad! 

It's been great to hear from you! holy cow, I am typing on a French keyboard and it is a major trip! Haha but it's fun. That's so cool that you're officially in the Guard, way to go!! Thanks so much for serving, Dad, you're a great role model!

It's amazing all the highs and lows that I've been going through as a greenie! haha but boy it's a lot of fun! This week has been really good for the most part. Hey! I wanted to tell you, I feel like the language is really coming along! Yesterday in Sacrament Meeting, we sang three Christmas hymns, and boy, it was awesome!!! They sound so cool in French, probably because several of them (and a couple we don't have in our hymnbook) are originally French. It was quite an experience, I really enjoyed it. Hey, and it has been really fun to be in Belgium, too! 

I really like hearing from you too, Dad! It felt so good to talk to you a week ago. Haha and I'm looking forward to the Skype call on Christmas, that will be awesome! 

Thanks again for the advice, Dad. Thanks, I will just keep working. I feel really bad at doing missionary work sometimes, but yesterday, we went puert à puert for the first time (door to door). It was cool. We only knocked on five doors or so, but I'm still glad we went. Elder Amico is a great guy. It's kind of fun, because he is Swiss, he's from Switzerland! So his English accent is really funny. But he's really patient and fun to work with. He's really good at working with members, and the main thing I've learned from him so far is that speaking and working with the members is fun and important. We also have a deal that as long as he keeps giving me Swiss chocolate, I will always say that it's the best, better than Belgian chocolate. Haha the people here like to think that Belgian chocolate is the best. They're both really good. 

By the way, here is my address if you don't already have it:

1a/22 rue de la marine 6040 JUMET Belgium

And I totally take back what I said to Mom about don't send letters, I love getting letters and I will make time to read talks or at least get the gist of the message from it if you and Mom mail me those, too! And I'm buying stamps tomorrow so yes. :D Lately anything from home is a treasure, like your tag or the pillowcase I have from when you went to Iraq. Haha I actually went to sleep hugging those a couple nights ago and last night, I'm super glad I have them! 

I'm glad you like being a bishop so much, that's good! Unexpectedly, we actually just got a new bishop yesterday, so that made me think of you and Mom. I had forgotten how many people bear little testimonies! Boy, and testimonies--or what I got from them--can be so strong in French, it's awesome. Oh and I got to play the piano for Primary, they usually don't have a Primary pianist and that was fun even though I feel like I didn't do super great!

Oh, oh, and last night, Sunday night, we visited with some members (I'd like not to take so much of their time but it's something we can work on, I guess), and I'm grateful, I feel like the Gift of Tongues is real, because sometimes I felt like I was actually having a conversation with people in French, and it was really fun! But I can't take the credit, it's not me. I'm grateful to God--me and Elder Amico prayed for each other, because he wanted someone who could play the piano and I wanted someone who is a native French speaker, and he is!!! Cool, huh? So don't think I say all that to brag, because it's "pas moi" (not me). 

I hope the preparations for the holidays are awesome for you! love you lots!!

Hey Mom! Thanks for sending the tree, it's way awesome! I think it helps our apartment feel more like home. Haha the pictures are awesome!

Arrival letter from Adam's Mission President Babin - Dec. 10, 2014

Sister Babin, Elder Adam Edwards, President Babin. They look so nice! Adam just had a very long flight so he looks tired, but also happy. Adam looks like he is in good hands. 

To the Family of Elder Edwards

Sister Babin and I were delighted to welcome your son , Elder Adam Grant Edwards , into the France Paris Mission on 09 Dec 2014. He and his MTC companions were enthusiastic and all arrived in good health.  He spent his first day eating some good food, visiting with me, contacting non-members in the heart of Paris, and sharing testimonies.  We enjoyed his spirit.

The next morning, after a mission orientation, Elder Edwards left for his first assignment to work in the Charleroi 2 Area with Elder Amico, who will be his trainer.  Their apartment address is:

1A n°22 Rue de la Marine

6040

Jumet

(Note from Becky: We don't know if the address is complete. Mike searched it on Google Maps and found the address in Belgium, which we're not sure is accurate, but we'll find out for sure on Adam's P-day.)

Any packages or letters you would like to send will reach your missionary at this address.

We feel very privileged to work with your  son .  We also realize the responsibility we share with you to help him continue to grow spiritually as he faithfully performs his duties.  May the Lord inspire us all to sustain him in this challenging and exciting assignment.  We hope you will join Sister Babin and me in praying each day for your son , his companion, investigators, and all of us serving in the France Paris Mission.

A positive, supportive letter from home every week does wonders to sustain a missionary’s morale.  Proverbs 25:25 states:  As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country. If you have any questions, or if we can assist you in any way, please contact us at our office (001-331-3480-0483) or home (001-331-3976-8402).

Sincerely,

Frédéric Jean Babin

President, France Paris Mission

______________________________________________

Dear Families of our Missionaries,

I am pleased to be able to send you this little E-mail to announce to you the creation of the Facebook of the Paris France Mission Babin.

We hope to be able to place photos of the events that take place here in the mission every 15 days so that we might share with you the Spirit that animates our mission.  Your comments are welcome, but we hope you understand we will not be able to respond to each one individually because of time.

We are very grateful for the support that you give through your prayers and the E-mails for your children. It is very precious.

Some amazing things are happening in this mission thanks to the faith, the perseverance and the desire of our missionaries to better fulfill the reason why they are here on mission. They are continually putting amazing efforts into raising the bar and to see the fruits of their labors.

We are very grateful for these chosen youth who have been place in our care and we assure you that we are doing all that we can to make sure they are taken care of. We love and care for them dearly.

We invite you to join our group, so that you might be able to participate in the great moments unfolding in each photo. Here is the name : “France Paris Mission Babin”

Sincerely,

Sister Babin

babinfrançoise@ldschurch.org

Adam flies to Paris, France!

We got a quick phone call from the airport. He bore his testimony to me in French. It was so beautiful that it melted my heart. 

Because our family thought Adam was flying on Tuesday, we made sure we'd all be around for his phone call. Then we found out the flight was Monday, and not one family member was home when he called! I was at an appointment that I didn't feel right about postponing, the kids were singing in a choir at Temple Square, and Mike was in court. Thank goodness for cell phones, so three of the five of us got to talk with him for a short time. :) Happy dance! 

A super nice missionary mom took this picture and texted it to me before the plane took off. There's our Adam, in the grey suit in the middle. There were four elders and four sisters on this flight to France. 

Here is the nice missionary mom who took texted me the picture. I'm guessing this family sat in the row in front of Adam's row. It made my heart so happy that she did such a nice thing for us!  And to know that there was a mom on the plane to nurture these missionaries who probably felt pretty nervous about their first day in the mission field. I love the sisterhood of the gospel. I have never even met this woman before, but after what she did for us, and after texting back and forth, we are fast friends. They are flying there to pick up her son from his mission. I think their trip was a surprise to her son. He has been serving as an AP, so he was there to pick up the new missionaries, and his own family walked off the plane! How fun is that! I would LOVE to pick up Adam with Mike in two years... 
  

Whew, all safe and sound in Paris, France. 

Here  is a quick video of these Elders walking off the plane.

Now I really hope Adam's mission Facebook page will post these new missionaries getting assigned their trainers in the next day or two, like they have done in the past. What a cool tradition! I feel a great love for Adam's mission president and his wife already. What an adventure he is walking into. Very exciting! 

---------------------------------

Here they are the next day! 

Eating breakfast at the mission home. Pretty mission home!  

Five new elders and five new sisters...

Are being assigned to five trainer elders and sisters!  Adam's new trainer companion is Elder Amico. From a little Facebook looking, we think he is the missionary on the left. If our information is correct, he is from Switzerland, a native French speaker, and knows only a little English from learning it on his mission. 

Here is what another missionary's blog last spring said about Elder Amico: 

Transfer day is always crazy. Tons of missionaries and tons of suitcases. But I found Elder Amico. He is from Switzerland. He is in his 5th transfer. He speaks a little bit of English. He's learned it from being on his mission. So that pretty much means that we speak french all the time. I am honestly fine with speaking french all the time. It hasn't been too bad and it's been great practice. 

Adam's MTC letter week 5. Thanksgiving was great...two apostles visited!

Hey Mom! I love you tons!!! Thanks sooooo much for the packages and the pictures! I'm very grateful for them! Elder Johnson says you're the best for giving him the lamp. Elder Similai will love it too I'm sure, I'll just have to ship it to him. GUESS WHAT we're leaving the MTC Monday at 11:30 AM!!! WOOHOO! Direct flight to Paris! I am a spoiled keet, I got three [packages] this week! Haha! It was awesome! Thanksgiving was super good, it was sad to see the French elders go, we got to serve in the temple laundry room one last time, Elder Johnson bought me breakfast, I had a couple funny moments with Elder Heno and the other French elders, and I'll think of some other things to talk about too. I'll set up that Christmas tree. I'll be back later. Love ya!

--Elder Edwards

------------------

Hey Mom!

Okay wow, those pictures were awesome! That sounds like and looks like a great Thanksgiving! I'm sorry I didn't send out a card or letter for you to be on Turkey Day, but I hope it was enjoyable all the same. thanks for telling me about the family stuff, how everyone said what they were grateful for and talked about me! It's good to know people talk about me. :D Thanks soooo much for the packages! I shared a lot of food that first night, and I'll try and share more as time goes on. The Sour Patch kids were a personal favorite among the food, I must say. But I really loved the Christmas tree, me and my companion really felt loved as we put that up on the wall. I love you all lots. Please tell all the family that I lvoe them and appreciate their decorations a lot! 

Haha! I laughed when I read that line about you leaving Seminary if necessary to talk to me. I don't think that will be necessary, we check in to the Travel Office at 11:30 AM on Monday, I imagine we'll be waiting in the airport between 1:30 and 5, so the call will probably come sometime in there. I know that's kind of vague, but I hope that is okay. I don't think I can talk for very long, especially if more than one person is waiting for the phone, but it would be awesome to hear your voice again!! The rest of the famaily, too. 

[I had challenged Adam to give away a Book of Mormon on his flight.] Thanks, Mom! Yeah, might as well start speaking French to the French people. The good news is, the odds of sitting next to a French member are relatively high on that flight, I should think, so I might be able to start off a little soft. Then again, it would be good to sit next to a non-member. Our teacher, Frere Keenan, said thta he had somebody cornered for 2 or 3 hours on his flight to Chicago on his mission, and he taught him all three of the first lessons, he was so excited!! Haha! 

Answers: 

1. Have you had a chance to be a greenie missionary curb escort? Not yet, but we signed up to do that. We're hoping thta we can, I think it would be really fun, if not also a little painful. :D
2. What are you thinking and feeling about flying to France? I think it will be cool to get there, one of the branch presidents from another branch showed us a bunch of pictures of Paris, it was way cool. It has been so fun to be here, but I think the Lord has worked to prepare us, we've worked, too, so I think we're more or less ready to go. If you have to fly 12 hours, that's a pretty great place to go. :)
3. What was your Thanksgiving like? I hope you had a nice feast! Did they have a GA devotional to make your day special or anything? Oh it was so good! We had lots of great things, we had a service project where we made meals for the UTah Food Bank, it was very cool. We had a great GA devotional, actually Elder Oaks came the Sunday before Thanksgiving and Elder Bednar was there on Thanksgiving! Woohoo! Apparently you can go six weeks or even 9 without ever seeing an apostle, so two in a week is pretty sweet!  We did have some good food, and I loved the packages. Thanks to you too Grandma and Grandpa Balderree for the tie rack, and Grandma and Grandpa Edwards for the awesome package! Loved it! 

So Mom, how is life going for you? Is it easier to get to bed on time now that I'm gone? I hope so! Is there anything you want me to get a picture of if possible my first day in Paris? I mean, we'll be busy, but if you want, I can try and get an overhead picture of France or the Balkan Peninsula. That would be sweet! And how is the family? Are Gabe and Grace doing well? 

I just got to go to my last day of the temple today, it was really good. It was really sad to say goodbye to all the French Elders yesterday, they flew out yesterday, but it's good for them. I loved them a lot, especially Elder Heno and Elder Brunet. 

Just a quick spiritual experience: O, we had a really good combined district (zone) meeting. There was a special lesson given by our leader, Brother Dowling. He's a counselor to President Merrill, who is a BYU professor of religion, teaches classes on the Book of Mormon. (Any friends at BYU who know him should tell me, that'd be cool!) But I was struggling with some feelings of sadness, and Bro. Dowling talked about the importance of a name, and what goes into it, and as we sang the closing song, "Souvien-Toi" (a French hymn that means "Remember," speaking of the pre-existence), I had a special moment, and felt the strength that I needed. It was really good. 

Mom, just before we sang that song, I realized that a large part of the reason I'm on a mission, to me, is to represent you, because you never got a chance to come out here before you got married, so I was restrengthened, and I want to have a really good mission, in part for you!! And then we sang Souviens-Toi, which is a song about a mom, or at least a parent, singing to her/his baby, and I realized that it was basically you singing to me at that moment. And I almost cried, my eyes watered for sure. But I did a little translation of it, some of it is from another translation I saw online before I came, and I just used their lines because it was good, but most of it is mine, I think: 

I translated it to preserve the lyrical beauty and hopefully much of the rhythm, so that at least some of the time, you could sing it to the tune (New World Symphony, Dvorjak), and it would mostly work. :D 

"Souviens-Toi," French hymn

From: Adam

For: Mom

Please recall, little child:

Your parents on high--

You'll be back in their arms

These times aren't for long.

But today, you are here, 

Here and marvellous.

Heaven's light brightly shines

In your heavenly view

Speak to me, little one

Of that blessed place

For the veil is yet thin

To your angel face.

Verse 2:

Please recall, little one, 

Those forests and cities

So may we picture them

For a while here, please?

And the sky, just at night

Is it pink or gray? 

Does the sun stop and stare

When it snows or rains?

Tell me now, my small child, 

Of its color now

And the songs of the birds

In that world so fair.

Verse 3: 

Remember, my small child

In that former time

Even then we were friends

Joyous in the sky! :)

Then one day, full of joy

We did stand and fight,

Following Jesus' plan

Of eternal life!

On that night, we promised

In that heavenly beam

So by God's love and faith,

We're again a team!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fabric Christmas tree we sent Adam, with paper ornaments from family and friends. Others have sent ornaments that will arrive any day now. 

Thanksgiving service project 

I assume this is Adam's MTC district or zone of French speaking missionaries. 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hey Dad!

I'm doing great, how are you? Oh thanks a bunch for your emails! I look forward to your email and Mom's especially every Tuesday, so thanks a bunch! Thank you SO much for the packages! I am a spoiled, happy missionary keet this week! I got three packages! I really loved the Christmas tree, too, and the scriptures on it. I liked your choice of Isaiah, "For unto us a child is born." That's a great part in Handel's Messiah. I am doing well, I hope you are, too. 

I love you too Dad! It was comforting to hear that you've missed home a lot like I have when you went on your mission and when you went on your Army tours, too. That was good to hear. Thanks a bunch, Dad, I appreciate that support.

I thought of you guys a few times throughout Thanksgiving day. They tried to keep us relatively busy, though, which was good. I felt bad, I kept asking people what their normal Thanksgivings were like, and a couple people were saddened by that because it made them miss home, but oh well, I didn't mean to. I've been trying a lot to reach out to people and talk to them more, even if it's just an elder next to me in the lunch line, you know. I admire how good you and Mom are at that, and we practiced approaching people on the street the last week a couple times, and the last time was actually really fun, we basically need to be enthusiastic, think of something that excites me about the gospel, and share it with that person. I think it'll be rough the first while, as people reject quite frequently from the sound of it, but I guess I'll just pray and get used to it. 

Also, 1 Nephi 13 is a great scripture on the coming forth of the Book fo Mormon. I thought it was a cool thought that France, our first real ally to America, helped America become a free and independent country so that the gospel could come forth. That's the gospel perspective on 1775-1784 when Cornwallis surrendered. So I think I might try using that history to talk to French people, because that's really cool. "You know how your country helped my country become free?" "Yeah?" "Well, that actually happened so God could establish His true Church on earth and bring forth a book of scripture to the world!" I don't know, Kurt Nielson said you just find things that interest the people, like talking about cheese or food they like, or talking about religious reformers with which they're familiar. But I'll work on it. I've been working a little with this kind of thing. 

I also loved a quote from "Meet the Mormons" from the Candy Bomber, Halvorsen, that "All happiness comes from service and giving to others," or something like that. Way to go with the Tithing Settlement! That would really overwhelm me, haha! There are reasons why you're a bishop and not me, I think! Oh that prospect sounds so very difficult. :D Thank you for serving, Dad!

So how are you doing, Dad? Haha I've realized that I didn't help out much with Thanksgiving at home, I'm sorry for being less helpful than I could have been. I guess it's a testimony to your great strengths of assertiveness, activity, and example. I really appreciated your letter, too, by the way. I hope that the end or near-end of your bishoping career is fulfilling. It's fun that we both get to serve the Lord in some pretty dedicated callings together for a while! Work is still going well? And are you getting enough sleep? :D I hope that has been easier since I've left. I know we miss each other lots, but it's not bad if at least that gets easier while I'm away! Haha. I'm sorry I never got a Thanksgiving specific letter to you for Turkey day! But I hope it was a good day nonetheless. I know the past few days have been amazing thanks to you all. :D 

Love you tons, Dad! Thanks for the great email. Thanks for your prayers, too! I know you send them lots. We're learning lots about grammar and such lately, they're trying to give us a solid foundation so we can hit the field and grab the vocabulary like crazy. That's my idea for this week, anyway. Some cool French words: bataille ("bat-AI," battle), l'epee (luh-EH-pay, sword), travailler ("tra-va-yay," to work). I am really grateful, it's been fun to see progress. Love you! Hey and I translated "Souviens-Toi," you know that French hymn that I told you and Mom about? The lullaby? Lots of it was with help from a couple other elders and some of it is actually from another translation online, I just used what they had, but most of it is mine. Love you! I will include it with Moms because I think I need to give her a good email this week. :D Love you Dad! 

God bless you!

Elder Edwards

P.S. It's a little hard sometimes to feel like we're set apart from the world, because our humor isn't always as respectful as it should be--do you have any suggestions for that? Just don't get involved with it, I guess? Thanks for your advice on being a zone leader, too, it feels much more comfortable to me now. Eat some chocolate or French truffles for me! :D

Testimony from a Missionary Mom to her Son

Last night in my letter to my MTC missionary son I felt like sharing my testimony with him.  Here it is. 

I want to share my testimony with you. 

I know that God lives and Jesus is the Christ, who atoned for our sins so we can repent and become exalted. I know it. I know that the Holy Ghost helps us very often if we tune into Him – through feelings, thoughts, warning of danger, testifying of truth, reminding us of things we’ve learned, sanctifying us, and guiding our big and small decisions. I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is God’s true church on the earth, and that it has the fullness of the gospel, including God’s priesthood power, saving ordinances and temples, living prophets and revelation. We are so very blessed to have the fullness, rather than just some truths. It’s like how much more you can play on that awesome conference center organ with all the keys and stops, than you can on a little mini keyboard. The mini keyboard still plays some music, but not as much and not as powerfully. I know that Jesus Christ will come to earth again, and the most important thing we can do to prepare is come unto Christ and repent. 

I know that families are central to God’s plan and that because of the priesthood power, temples, and Christ’s Atonement, families can be together forever! Which is super de duper awesome!! I know that the family and home are the best places to learn the gospel and develop our character to become more like Christ. I know that a gospel that invites sacrifice of time, talents, and funds is a gospel with the power to help us change into the beings God needs us to become. I know that if we hold fast to what we know in the gospel, any little things we don't understand will make sense later. The old adage is true -- it's best to doubt your doubts and feed your faith, until your doubts are resolved or disappear. 

I know that by studying true doctrine, ESPECIALLY in the Book of Mormon, our attitudes and actions change from the inside out. From my powerful experience last December with reading the Book of Mormon in one month I know that book is true more than I ever have before. And I know that Joseph Smith was right when he said that the Book of Mormon is the truest book on the earth, and living its principles brings you closer to Christ than any other book. 

I know that Jesus Christ leads this Church through giving revelation to living prophets and apostles, and that they are inspired of God for our needs today. If we follow them we will be blessed. Period. I know that our opportunities to serveas a missionary for you, or in other callings like Dad’s bishop-ing or my seminary-ing, are incredible opportunities to bless others AND ourselves. Those callings bring us closer to the Savior, help us stretch, grow, do hard things, study hard, ask for and receive revelation, become less self-centered, and change in wonderful ways. They help us to become like Jesus. Which is what we want. I know that through Christ ALL things, including our challenges, can work together for our good. Challenges are part of the plan, and we can choose to let them make us bitter or better. I also know that Satan is real and he knows our strengths, weaknesses, and life missions. Because he’s real I know that it’s uber important that we put on the armor of God chain mail every single day through power holy habits like:  

• connecting prayer (not just saying a prayer)
• feasting on scriptures (not just skimming the surface) and words of the prophets 
• serving others, which includes missionary work, callings, small acts of kindness and friendship, service projects, helping the poor and needy, and especially serving in our own families 
• obeying the commandments, modern prophets, and promptings from the Spirit
• using holy music and media, avoiding worldly music and media
• in other words – continually filling ourselves with God’s light and pushing away darkness

It’s all true, Adam! I know you already know that. But I just wanted to say it anyway. 

I love, love, love you!! 

Mom