Hola errybody!
That is the extent of my Spanish. I was upset I couldn't give more details
last week , so I'm going to do my best to type fast and straight from a few
journal entries, so sorry if it's so scatterbrained.
What an incredible week!
-My district rocks. WE each have our own little quirks, but we are all here
for the right reasons. They are hilarious and teach me a lot. Love them all.
I'll try to attach a dysfunctional picture of us and a picture I took of
everyone in our classroom. If we're not in the cafeteria, gym, teaching, or in a
special meeting, we are in our classroom studying or having class. We only spend
time in our rooms to get ready after gym, to sleep, and on P-days. We have two
teachers that trade shifts and then 3 zone teachers that hop in and out. They are
all BYU students who returned from their missions in the past couple years and I
love them each for different reasons.
-Sister Ostler and I are doing great! We have very different personalities,
but we work well together. The other 2 sisters in our district (Sisters
Bonrostro and Rackleff) also stay in our room, so I feel like I have 3
companions. They are all so sweet, hilarious, and I learn so much from them.
(P.S. the theme song from Sister, Sister is like alwayssss stuck in my head).
-Mom would be SO proud to know that I almost always get up before 6:30 and
I try to make my bed everyday. #miracleshappen. I think a big factor to me not
oversleeping is because I jump (aka fall) off the top bunk every morning to try
and shut off my extra loud alarm. No surprise there.
-Tuesday night we had our weekly devotional. the speaker? ELDER
JEFFREY R. HOLLAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! here's an excerpt from my journal from that
night:
"The Spirit was so strong as he bore an apostolic witness of these
glorious latter-days. We live in the last dispensation. We live in the time when
the Gospel will not leave, it will not fail. We live in the age of preparing the
world for our Savior's rightful return. For whatever reasons I was born at this
time to serve a mission at this time in January 2013 when the Lord is hastening
His work to the children of God. There is no where I would rather be than where I
am right now. We are moving forward with work unprecedented by any
dispensation. One thing he said that I loved was that previous prophets and
missionaries in previous dispensations knew they would fail, but continued
strong because they saw our day. He also said "what institution would trust its
future to a bunch of escapees from the Aaronic Priesthood? Only the living and
true God would have faith in 18-20 year olds."
Okay I'm already running out of time, so I better skip ahead and type some
highlights. :(
"The words are Preach MY Gospel, not Ali's Gospel. this came as a tender
mercy to me after a week of humility of trying to remove my will from the
equation as a missionary."
The last main point to me was his powerful testimony that "THIS. GOSPEL.
MEANS. EVERYTHING. TO. ME." I remembered the feelings I had a few hours before
in the temple as "my heart, soul and marrow of my bone" was filled with His
Spirit. I thought what the Gospel means to me- EVERYTHING. It means everything
to any and every child of God if they understood what it is. I wants to "declare
it from the housetops" as Elder Holland eloquently stated in the dedicatory
prayer (he rededicated 3 buildings at the MTC. and announced our new MTC
president).
Okay I need to hurry and try to sum up one the most incredible experiences
I have ever had. Saturday, Sister Ostler and I got to work with TRC volunteers
where we practice our teaching skills. The volunteer is actuallyyyyyy a less
active member of the Church (not just a fake investigator) who wanted to talk to
somebody that he didn't know, so his friend suggested he come to the TRC so he
wouldn't be judged and wouldn't have to see us again if he didn't want to.
Parker is an 18 year old who has been less active since he was 15 after he felt
utterly alone as he tried to overcome a problem and just couldn't. The Holy
Ghost completely led the lesson as he opened up to us, as we testified of the
healing and enabling power of the atonement of Jesus Christ and Heavenly
Father's individual plan for Parker. I felt like I should have him read Isaiah
53:3-5 rather than my usual go-to atonement scripture. As he read it, his
countenance changed, he trembled, and sobbed. It was the only scripture mastery
he ever memorized. Coincidence? I think not. Our heavenly Father cares so much
about the details of our lives. Parker gave the most sincere prayer I have ever
heard to his Father in Heaven. We were all in tears by the end, full of the
peace. He knew he is not alone and that as he applies the atonement in his life,
Christ can help him overcome and become his potential. I pray for him as he is
to act on his faith. I feel this account does not accurately describe the power
in the room. I have never felt that much love for someone I barely knew, and I
know it is a very special blessing of my calling as a missionary. I know that
this is the Lord's work. I'm so grateful I had the timely blessing of that
experience with Parker. I know the power of the atonement has the power to
change each of us. We are never alone. We cannot do it alone. We need Him
everyday. This is His gospel and I cannot express the joy that comes from it as
we accept it DAILY in our lives.
Thanks for all the love, support, letters, and prayers.
Make it a great week!!
Love,
Sister Atkinson
Notes from Dawn (her mom)
Sorry to say she ran out of time to send any pictures.
A 'scripture mastery' is verses of scriptures students learn when they are in seminary class while high school aged. Isaiah 53:3-5 says: He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and aquainted with grief; and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. but he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chasetisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
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