April 20, 2015 - Adam's letter and pics

Last Baptism with Laïsse and Thibeault. Gaeton and his wife, friends of Michel; Laïsse in white; Michel, who was baptized a week-and-a-half after I got into the field; Nicolas, I believe, the son of Gaeton and his wife. 

Same as above, with Carine, Michel's wife, next to me and Nicola, their four-year-old son below her, and Jimmy, Carine's son, behind Carine.

Laisse and I.

Today's Brussels trip. These and the following pictures are the buildings in the Grand Plaza, you can look it up online, it's one of the big tourist attractions in Brussels.

This building is St. Michel's Cathedral, it is, itself, one of the big identifiers of Brussels on little tourist trinkets you can buy.

This is a different building, a museum of some kind.

Brussels again. My buddy Elder Haaaarrrissss! Woohooo buddy! (Apparently his mom and you talk every week, hahaha! She even called me "adam!" Haha! So he was worried I told some kind of crazy stuff about him, haha.)

This was super cool! Three guys that apparently have little structures they rest on inside the robes, but it looks like they're just sitting like that, the weight of two guys on the bottom guy. Pretty cool.

A little church or cathedral in Brussels. I got lost right by here my first trip to Brussels in my first transfer! Haha and the sisters found me, it was funny.

You'll think this is kind of funny, but yes, it's a statue of a naked little boy. Peeing. Yeah. It's called "Mannekin Pis."It's a big national symbol for Belgium, so there are always lots of people around it. So there you go, a little piece of Belgium culture! It's pretty small, less than one foot tall, for sure.

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Hey Mom and Dad! 

I love you both so much! wow it was awesome to hear or read your words! 

Dad thanks so much for the great letter of encouragement you gave me! It was a great light into my day! Thank you too Mom for teh encouragement! It suonds like, from your eyes, I'm doing pretty well! So thanks for the reminder just to keep giong and not be discouraged. Thanks Om for the spiritual experience you shared with me. 

This week, I had a ton of exchanges--one with Elder Earnshaw from Nivelles, one with Elder Vance in Namur (which is a very nice little town), and we also had the opportunity to have three days with a mini-missionary! I'd never heard of that before--It's basically a priest who goes with us to try out a mission for a few days! Pretty cool huh? 

Beyond that, I'm excited to finish up the next little while in Charleroi! I'm thinking I'm going to ask Elder Badlwin if we can try and pick out some really pretty door-to-door spots in our area to go porting for these last couple weeks, so I can absorb the beauty of the town!

We had a great church activity on Friday night, we all made cookies and banana bread, it was pretty sweet! Haha a member brought us home which was good or we woudln't have ever made it! Haha it's hard to be home on time sometime. 

Love you all so much! THanks for your letters and your prayers! I received a letter from Grandma Georgia today and read it on the train to Brussels, which was great. It was a graet pleasuer. Thanks again for the packages. 

we went to church yesterday, like normal. It was a good experience, there were a couple great talks given. One of the members in the ward, Sebastien Wery, is a truly great guy and I feel like a friend with him. He's about 27 or 28, he's been home from his mission for five years, and he has a little boy, Gabby, who is being taught french, Spanish, and english all at the same time! Pretty cool, huh? 

Beyond that, we went to Brussels today for P-Day [today] and it was awesome! We saw lots of cool stuff and had a great time even thoguh it was just for a few hours. Cool stuff!

Also, I've felt help from the Lord with getting more hope and desire up for my mission! Adn when I was on an exchange with Elder Tibbetts, he told me I was doing well, that I'd find my direction. Just keep chargnig, right? I hope to incorporate Dad's good spirit of keepign on charging, and giving it my best, my service, immersing myself in the important things! That way we can have a legacy together, Dad! 

I'll write in my journal tongiht, I promise! 

Till next week! 

Elder Edwards 

LOOOOVEEE YOU ALLLLL

And ZIa and Brielle are REALLTY CUTE

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Thanks Mom! Wow I really loved your voice recordings, and Gabe's little bit, too, and Grace's! Thanks so much for the advice. I'll try and go to some of the pretty areas in Charleroi to go door-to-door, just to enjoy the town. Boy, Elder Earnshaw from my district and I went to this gorgeous little neighborhood, it was awesome, on Tuesday! It was sweet. Okay I'll send you and Dad an email when I read Dad's. Love ya!

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(Note from Becky:  For some reason these pictures didn't stay pictures in Adam's email, but I'm pasting them here anyway to remember the captions. Maybe I can check again later and they will be fixed.)

Me and my bro Elder Smith!

The three amigos at the

frites place (fry restaurant)



Random little castle thing in the middle of Brussels! It looked super old. I wonder if it was a remnant that has been preserved of an old castle or something. But look, there's a modern building right next to it! that's it, it's just a wall.