September 7, 2015 - Happy 19th birthday, Adam! He is excited to be training a new missionary!

Adam is turning 19 this week, on September 8!  

Me and Djenice, one of our most legit investigator! He is so cool and
so sweet, just a great kid. You would not believe it. Sweetest spirit
ever. His family is less active so he's eleven but hasn't been baptized
yet.

By Djenice's house, a bit west and north of ours. Waiting at the bus stop. We spend a lot of time doing that. :D

Favorite tie baby :D  Went to lunch with Eddy, Michael, Simon, and Elyse, so,e JA fr, the ward. It was fun. 

The view fro, our tram stop right by our home!! Cool, huh?

A suit that elder Mcbride gave to me before he left--really stylish!,!!  My shoulders look huge guys!!, haha!

Hey Mom!!!!

How is the best lady in the world doing? I hope really really well!!! Thank you so much for the nice; heartfelt letter: I loved those birthday pictures!!! Haha. I feel happy, I don't really feel as sad as I used to about being gone from home and stuff; you know. Well it's just really fun, getting to do all this and feeling happy and more connected with the Lord oftentimes.

You know, it's funny that you should mention my little spirit, I still kind of feel like the big, solemn, chubby little Ukboogook that I once was, you know, with the chubby cheeks and stick weapons and all. I'm a warrior for Christ! Working on my testimony; trying to give more in my mission: Thank you for all your support. I love you all so much! Life is good and I am happy. I'm starting to feel like the separation is harder for you, Mom, and maybe Dad too; than it is for me! Love you tons. 

You said you wanted some photos; is there anything else you want? 

[As of a few days ago Adam is a new trainer to a brand new greenie -- or in France they call them "blue" -- Elder Elliot Walton.] 

The first few days together have been going good It's cool, because it's kind of a transition right now from the initial hope and excitement to have a "son" and then really getting to meet him and work with the real guy! Haha it's cool, we are a lot the same, I'd say. Pretty crazy. Yeah, they've been good though. I've been making him work pretty hard, especially his first day or two we went out. :)

Thanks for that really nice tribute! Thanks for telling me about those things you're doing, you can do it, Mom! You know, one of the things I've found with going to bed on time is trying to take it seriously and just treating it like a deadline, like a must-do, or even connecting it with your duty to God, you know, like he's asked you to go to bed early and so other tings need to wait. But I know you may have tried that. God bless you in your efforts in teaching Seminary. Thanks so much Mom! You're a great example. You're one of the best teachers I know. You're the best Mom! These things will pass before too long, you know. You'll feel so natural in that classroom before long! I know it; I believe in you and love you!!! :D

Okay, so some investigator updates: Right now, our top three or four people are Djenice (I'll include a picture, just sent one actually), and he's doing really well, we bumped the baptism for him and David back to the 31 October. His family needs to come back active too, that's the problem. We also have stuff still to teach him. But yeah, then we have Kevin, who is a great African guy, don't have a picture of him, but he's really cool, he actually played soccer with us one pday a while back, and he's ready to be baptized, we just need to teach him the last few things and he needs to find a good stable job and apartment. Any prayers for him would be apreciated! The moment he finds them, he's good to be baptized!! (His requirement, not ours :D) Also we have Innocent who is a GREAT humble African man, 35 or 40, so good and so humble, Protestant, really open, just doesn't want to change that much yet. We'll get him there, though. In studies we've really been talking about the Book of Mormon and the power it has to convert us and convert people, so we'll be applying that to our amis :D ZAP spiritual power!!! !:D :D Missionary life is going pretty good. Feel like I could contact in the tram and buses lots more, probably dropped off since Elder McBride left, but know also that i'm still making efforts and that's enough. I have a really good idea now what is required and expected of a missionary. Man, it's cool.  We also have David, who is often not in town, so we haven't seen hi, in a while. He understands the Book of Mormon and Restoration though, I think. (Need to get more info from him.) Have been enjoying reading from the Book of Mormon and doing studies together (twice as long for trainers and blues) and learning about how to confound wicked stoners and baptize people! Haha all right, there's more to it than that. No, but things have been good. 

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Thanks Dad!  Yeah, shirts and shoes are doing pretty good. Socks are good! Like them now. I actually don't fit my gray suit anymore....cough....hahaha!!! Freak I've been meaning to lose some weight, I haven't gained that much though! I'm only 170 pounds, I couldn't have been less than 165 when I left! Man could that make that much of a difference? Oh well. 

yeah, stuff's doing well, thanks Dad. Love all the ties; tank you so much.

Loved your sweet letter last week about how much sacrifice you've made. Made me grateful, was sweet to me. I'm thankful to God for all those sacrifices you made for me. Amazes me sometimes. 

How is the family? Was it fun to gather together yesterday? 

Thank you for all the birthday loves and prayers and wishes! God bless you all!