Happiness and Humility

So this week, I've felt a little stressed. Our investigators aren't really what I thought they were, so we have been trying to figure out ways to get more. The urgency to find new people to teach, coupled with the fact that I was feeling at a loss as to HOW, filled my heart with depression (Alma 26:27). But yesterday, my family (the one in the picture I sent last week (see last weeks blog, the Llave family: Rose, Karen and Pabs)) worked with us. They brought their strong testimonies and their tricycle. It was an awesome experience. The lessons are so much more powerful when you have a local member to back you up. I went home feeling much better than I had all week (even though no investigators came to church). I have some fresh ideas and a fresh look on a fresh week. Things are looking up.
I also had a lesson in humility this week. To understand this, we must rewind my life almost a year (yeah, a year). When I was in the MTC, there was one thing that they repeated over and over. No matter where we were, this piece of advice, commandment really, was repeated. Every day. And then in our last devotional, it was really stressed. Every time I heard this commandment, I thought, "duh, I know that... no worries here." This commandment is "Don't Do Stupid Things." Now, fast forward again to last Thursday. In the Philippines, there are frequent brownouts. It's normal, so to save on batteries, we keep candles on hand for light in case the brownout happens at night. Thursday, there was a brownout, so when we came home from work, we lit some candles and planned as usual ("no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing"). We finished planning and the power still wasn't on. I won't go into detail, but basically, because we were done planning, and I got distracted with an index card and the candle wax, the card ended up bursting into flames, and my right index finger came out of the ordeal with a giant blister on the end. It hurt. But I think it hurt my pride more than my finger. All I could think was, "thatwas really stupid. Didn't I listen in the MTC?" I kind of cried to myself, but not because of how painful it was. Because of how much work I felt would be effected by this small, simple, stupid act. I wondered how I would sleep that night (because it hurt pretty bad), how I would do laundry, how I would cook, how I would do pretty much everything a missionary needs to do. I tell you, you don't know how much you use your right index finger until you no longer have use of it. Anyway, before I went to sleep, I remembered that frequently repeated statement in the MTC. "Don't Do Stupid Things." But this time, the thought that followed it was much more humble than it was last fall, "Ok, I'll do all I can to never do stupid things again." So, in case you are all wondering, they aren't just talking to the Elders (sorry...) when they say "Don't Do Stupid Things." Also, in case you are wondering, my finger is doing quite well. It actually stopped hurting before I woke up Friday (which I am very grateful for), and it is well on it's way to recovery. But until then (and probably for a long while after that), every time I look at it, I will remember that very valuable lesson.
So folks, that's all for now. I love you all, Sister Custodia is doing awesome, and THANK YOU for your prayers, letters and support.
Love,
Sister Adams

P.S.
I got a letter from Ann Moon (which I am in the middle of answering... just wait about 2 weeks for it to get to you)
and a letter from Jimmy and Taylor
and a letter from Grandma
THANK YOU!
P.P.S. Also, I want my cousin Elder Ward to know that I am sending a letter... and that he's pretty much the coolest missionary I know!