Hello all!
We just spent 3 hours (well 2---I got lost on the way. oops.) at
the beach with 2 other zones playing volleyball and such! So fun! (we get to go
once a year with President and Sister Baker. So fun.) I'm finally getting to
know more and more missionaries in the mission, and the friendships you form on
the mission are so fun. Love California's sunshine, but when Mom told me there
are already lightning bugs back home I remembered why nothing compares to my WV
green hills.
This week was great! Thursday night, Sister Oldham got
sick and then Friday almost all of our appointments fell through :( but when you
keep pressing forwarddddd---the miracle is around the
corner!!!
Saturday night we meant to knock on a member's door in the
UCLA married housing, but accidentally knocked on the wrong one. Low and behold,
we met Shaelynn. She is a nonmember but grew up in Draper, Utah and her husband
is a less active. She has tried to read the Book of Mormon a couple times, but
said we can come back and talk more. COINCIDENCE? OBVIOUSLY NOT. These frequent
moments are when I KNOW that this is the Lord's work and He is very aware of me
individually in ol' Los Angeles, CA.
Other miracles---
Megan. Megan
is always a miracle. She's praying about a baptismal date. And she's bringing
her new boyfriend to a lesson this week.
Brian and Tiffany. Have I told
you about them before? His girlfriend Tiffany started coming back to church a
while back and he has been taking the lessons. We finallllly had a breakthrough
last night! He said "I'm definitely moving towards yes." We've seen a
transformation in Tiffany the past couple months. They have been through so many
awful trials recently, but she prays on her knees every morning (I could've
cried when she told us) and receives personal revelation through the Book of
Mormon. ah, so good.
Oscar. He's a newer investigator who has been
struggling with the concept of prayer. He texted us yesterday and wondered why
he's getting this calm feeling after he's trying to pray. AH. YES.
UCLA
ward had their open house yesterday!!! 15 nonmembers came!!! It was a great
experience for everyone. We have lessons scheduled from a few of them!!!!! And some of
them said they are coming again next week!
Patrick. He's someone we have been
working with since my first week. He started coming back to church a month
before we got here. He gave a talk yesterday!! Another less active we have been
working with is teaching at family home evening tonight. And another went and
did baptisms in the temple last week.
These small miracles are worth
everything! I find myself getting impatient wanting to see baptisms from all the
work we are doing. But I need to be patient and trust that this is the Lord's
work. I'm learning SO much about myself and from the Lord from training. There's
a lot of pressure to get everything done and to explain everything and teach
every little thing, but I keep reminding myself to laugh and have fun. Oh oh oh,
we had a mini missionary [Note from Dawn: a local young woman who stays with them and lives like a missionary for a weekend] this weekend from Inglewood Stake (I want to serve in
Inglewood so badly. I went to Capital. I can handle it, right?). She's only been
a member 3 months! She was hilarious. She taught us a cheer. She accidentally
broke our showerhead (it's now a waterfall that mats my hair down, hahaha. I
really shouldn't complain. I could be in the Philippines or something.) [Note: Philippines: where her brother John-Mark served without a running water shower or hot water for many months. He used a bucket for a shower head] She
said, "I didn't realize how much work ya'll do." Win. Oh and Mormon helping
Hands was this weekend! (Mormons all over California do service.) We worked at
an innercity school. I painted a classroom. We attempted to.... It was fun
though! Got a yellow vest. SO MUCH WIN.
I'm legitimately so happy. Yes
there are frustrating and hard moments, but I am spending 18 months of my life
telling God's children about His eternal plan of happiness. I can't believe it's
May. LOVE YOU ALL SO SO SO MUCH! THANKS FOR ALL YOU DO!
Sister Atkinson
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