Elder Adams is in Belgium!

8-6-12

Family!

Belgium has been a real nice treat.  Here is my new address before I forget;   2D Rue Moria Bte 2 {first line} 6032 Mont-Sur-Marchienne {2nd} Belgium {last}.  The mail system is very fast and only takes a little over a week to get mail.  I can’t wait to here from every body.

I am currently typing on a French keyboard and it is sooo hard!  haha  So I am sorry in advance if this email is extra short.  The first day in France was so awesome.   Our mission home is beautiful.  As soon as we got off the plane (longest ten hours of my life) we went straight to work.  My very first contact was insane.  I just walked up to some random Parisian and asked him if he believed in God.  He babbled off something that made absolutely no sense, haha.  I didn’t know what to say after that so I just kinda started bearing my testimony.  He listened and as soon as I stopped he said "fermer le bouche" (shut your mouth) hahah.   Rough start for Elder A, but it has definitely gotten better since day one.  My companion and I have given away ten or so Book of Mormons so far.

My companion is Elder Philips.  He’s a nice guy.  He is from Utah. We don’t have much in common but doesn’t matter because the only thing there is to talk about for the next two years is the gospel! haha.  

The second day in the mission and I was already receiving miracles. I don’t know if you remember but I told you I met a Belgium man named Patrick in the MTC who spoke French soooooo fast.  I met him in the TRC (the place where we teach fake investigators)  and for some weird reason I thought I would see him again some day. About a month ago when Patrick came back from the US to Belgium (where he lives) the missionaries in his ward asked him if he remembered any of the new Frenchies from the MTC and he said  "the only one I can remember is Elder Adam!"   I am not sure why he remembered me because I could barely even talk to him in the MTC haha. He prayed that I would be sent here though!!   He said he has been praying for me since that day.  ( I was secretly praying to come to Belgium as well)  GOD really does answer prayers.  I know I am here in Belgium for a specific reason.  Patrick was so excited when he heard that I was coming into Belgium that he picked us up from the train station the day I arrived.   And on Saturday he went and taught a couple of lessons with us!   He is the nicest man I have ever met.  We also had lunch at his house on Saturday. The man has got some legit cooking skills.   He has been a member for 8 years now!   He is such a good member missionary.   I could've been sent to a million other places but I know the lord needs me here!

I am really starting to pick up on the French.  I really struggle at comprehending but I know with time that will come.  I have already had the opportunity to give two blessings in French!  (tres difficil pour moi)   One of the people we gave a blessing to was a inactive members husband who was very sick in the hospital.  The spirit was so strong.  Definitely a experience I will never forget.  The other person was a member of the church who was going into surgery the next day.  No time to mess around here!   Its crazy how fast I am learning!   On Sunday I also got the opportunity to talk in Sacrament Meeting.  I was able to tell the people how excited I am to be here in Belgium, a little about me, and of course bear my testimony.  I don’t speak the most eloquent French but everyone said they understood! haha.  I was surprisingly not that nervous because I knew that the Lord would help me with my Fench!   The ward I am serving in is very small, about 40 people or so I believe.

Belgium is amazing!   I am near the town Charleroi.  My little house is very nice. It’s kinda in the ghetto but that is alright.  Everybody and I mean everybody, SMOKES HERE!   I am sure that I will need to get good at teaching the Parol de Sagesse (Word of Wisdom) haha.   People probably think that I smoke because I smell like it most of the time.  Weather is amazinggggggg!   It rains everyday and it is always overcast and cloudy.   So many people here hate the missionaries but about one in every hundred people will listen to our message.  We have done soooo much contacting and have been successful!   Tomorrow we have three rendez vous set up! I am pretty excited about that.

Oh yeah and we ran into a drug deal yesterday!  Everybody ran when they saw us coming because they thought we were cops (white shirts and ties haha) but when they realized we were not,  they cane back in the street and handed us a bag of marijuana.  We gladly accepted.  NOT!!!   I about peed myself!  Haha the men looked like straight mobsters.  They were some legit drug dealers.  Haha they were all rollin in BMW’s and Mercedes.  I will try to avoid that street from now on haha.  And we almost got jumped my second day! Three drunk huge men chased us down and tried to tackle us haha, but thankfully there nice little daughter stopped them!  She was only twelve or so.  I will forever love her!   I also try to avoid that street haha.

Love you all.   I am all out of time.  I miss you all and can’t wait to hear from you!

#ChurchIsTrue

#StayAwesome

#KeepTheFaith

#YourInMyPrayers

#TheChocolateHereIsToDieFor

ps- send me my winter clothes please!

ps- pictures next week! I have some good ones.