From the Mission Field...

Elder Forsyth's first area is in La Crosse, Wisconsin!

Adam lives on 6th Street, which is just 6 blocks away from this bridge that spans the great Mississippi River flowing out of Lake Onalaska. This pictures gives a good view of what winter will look like in a few months...

Elder Forsyth made it to the mission field in one piece, though barely. He writes of his travel...

"So today has been awesome/terrible. My attitude is great! I'm so excited to be here, but I'm sick. :-( I've had a head cold for two weeks, so waking up after three hours of sleep was no good. Also, I get sick on airplanes. No bueno! We had two separate flights. Honestly, its just a combination of being sick with the head cold. I had a headache, my stomach was going up and down, and I was dead tired. LOL! Oh, wait... I still am. Its all good. When we flew into Minneapolis it was raining hard core. Needless to say once the turbulence kicked in, I was a goner. I actually thought I was going to make it, but as soon as we touched ground, up came lots of fluids. Luckily, I didn't have breakfast. So the weather... WOW! Its downpouring! Seriously. Talk about a flood. Also, apparently, there are tornadoes in Southern Minneapolis, somewhere. Great stuff. Love it, though. :0) Its very muggy, but its also very good, temperature-wise.

The Mission President and his wife are awesome! What good people! I love the people involved in missionary work. :0) All of them are great!"

From a second page, written the following day...

"So my new companion is Elder Lauj. He's a native Hmong speaker, but he grew up in the U.S. so he knows both English and Hmong very well. I'm his first trainee so it'll be awesome. Best part? We're serving in La Crosse, Wisconsin! We're on the most eastern part of the mission boundaries. Elder Hill & Elder Hunter (his Hmong comps from the MTC) were sent to the big city (Minneapolis). There's just us, the two Hmong Elders, and four English Elders up here. Myself and Elder Lauj are with 2 Elders and we're in South La Crosse. The other 2 Elders are in Northern La Crosse. There's only 2 active families coming to church speaking Hmong, and then a few here and there. There's many less-actives, I guess. Can I just say that, honestly, I feel a great work to be done! I'm SO excited! So my new name is Elder Pab Zeb Xyoos. Zyooj is the last name of the woman who named me, so I take her name and become her "son" in a way here. Also, Pab Zeb means "rock" in English because she wants me to be steadfast and immovable in my diligence and commitments."

Elder Forsyth also writes...

"President Howell really has seen strong opposition from Satan in the Hmong area and says that it's because there is a such a great work to do. I agree with him! There is so much work to be done."

Elder Forsyth says that mail will get to him faster if you sent it to him directly...

Elder Adam Forsyth

1413 S. 6th Street #6

La Crosse, WI 54601

He also says not to send Fed Ex packages to the mission office, as they cannot forward them.

Opportunities Abound

Wow! Elder Forsyth's time in the MTC has just flown by. He has been incredibly busy. I'll share just a few of the highlights since I last updated this blog...

Elder Forsyth has certainly learned that the more you serve the more you love. He has had a lot of opportunities to serve his district and to help teach the gospel already. As Elder Forsyth first served as District Leader and then helped to train the new Zone Leaders and District Leader he found that one of the best ways was to just step back and let them do their job, which isn't always easy when others are looking to you to lead. He wrote home about a cute story with his companions who were made the new Zone Leaders. Everyone, including himself, was used to Adam leading out in the discussions, prayers, study, leaving for class, etc., etc., so there was a transition period when the new leadership changed. The new Zone Leaders were hesitant to lead out, and would still wait for Adam to cue them, so he decided that he was going to just sit back and let them do it. He wrote of the day things finally changed for them all...

It was temple day, and as they sat in the Celestial Room, Elder Forsyth decided that he would wait for his comps to make motion that it was time to go. They usually stayed there for 10 - 15 minutes after each endowment session they attended, until Elder Forsyth would get up and they would follow. Well - after about 10 minutes, he could see his companions looking at each other and looking at him, wondering when they should leave. Elder Forsyth just waited for them to lead out. FORTY-FIVE minutes later, after looking at each other and looking at Elder Forsyth, they finally got up, so Elder Forsyth went to follow them out. As they went to exit the room, they stopped to let him lead the way out, so he stopped, and they just stood there until everyone made the connection that the leadership had changed and it was time for the new leaders to lead.
He also was given the special opportunity, along with his district (four other Hmong speaking Elders) to call and contact all the non-members who filled out referral/interest cards as they went through the Oquirrh Mountain Open House. He had some great experiences bearing his testimony to a lot of people from all over.

In addition, a new Laotian-speaking missionary, Elder Harper, entered the MTC about a month ago. Adam was chosen by the President to take him under his wing and be his trainer as there wasn't another Laotian Elder to put him with. So, this meant meant that Elder Forsyth would now spend half his time studying, speaking, and teaching in Hmong and half in Laotian. What a neat experience, and a true answer to the father's blessing he received about a year ago. In that blessing, his father pronounced that he would speak in different languages and dialects. Well - Hmong has two main dialects that he'll use, and now he's learned some Laotian as well. What a testimony to the power of the priesthood.

Elder Forsyth was heavily depended upon by his Branch Presidency and grew to love them so much. He expressed that there were tears and hugs all around as they said farewells, and one of the counselors told him he was like a son to him. What a blessing to know that there are such good priesthood holders out there that honor that priesthood and can so diligently love and serve their fellow brothers. As Adam left for the mission field, he sent all of his letters and reports home. It was wonderful to read the reports that he wrote about the goals he had been setting and achieving, how he was learning to work with his companions, and the wonderful positive things his Branch Presidency wrote back to him. Each week's report showed a pattern of growth that was manifest through setting and achieving goals.

I will share some parts of his letters in my next posts. I had a hard time believing that this wonderful son could in anyway become more amazing than he already was. His testimony and faith have always been iron clad, but he grown SO much, especially in doctrine and in patience as he has learned to wait on the Lord. I can't wait to hear from him in the mission field.