Tuesday, August 20, 2013

"Constant He is and kind, Love without end."

Tuesday, August 20, 2013
 
Hello!
Merciful, so much has happened this week. Back home and here.
Mom sent me lots of updates, so I'll comment on those first.
I'm so sad to hear about Eleanor. She was/is a huge role model in my life. I was very serious about naming one of my children after her. but I know she is at so much peace. She is an incredible person and is doing so much work on the other side of the veil. Lots and lots of prayers sent to you all.  [Note from Dawn: Sad news for our family. Eleanor Heywood one of family's dearest friends passed away this week]
Also! So sad to hear about Bob Leighty!  He is one of the nicest people ever. He'd always joke with me when I would take off my shoes to play, haha. Send my music people my love and prayers! [Note from Dawn: More sad news. Mr. Leighty was a music teacher in Charleston who suddenly passed away this past week]
CONGRATULATIONS DEANNA! Obviously, I just imagined I rocked a bridesmaid dress, haha. So happy for you!! Can't wait to see pics! Love you! [Deanna one of her BYU friends got married]
And congrats Corinne!! ah!! [One of her BYU friends became engaged]
And obviously I'm bummed I missed the annual Atkinson concert on the lawn, haha. (mostly because I love the plethora of leftover popsicles we always have.) But I'm glad you had a good turn out!!!

Okay. Seriously last P-day feels like forever ago. Transfers are this week! SISTER JONES AND I ARE STAYING!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you so much Heavenly Father! We are so excited. This transfer is seriously nuts. There are 42 new missionaries coming in tomorrow. The most our mission has ever gotten. They are opening 18 new areas. They called another set of sister trainer leaders, so we'll still have the same amount of companionships to cover which is nice.
 
I don't know if I will come home sassier than I left. I'm trying not to be...but it's me...
Lets see, last Tuesday we did temple service (it's closed right now for cleaning). Of course I accidentally set our alarm clock for 5pm. We woke up at 6:15 in pure panic mode (it was hilarious), but we made it out the door in 12 minutes like bosses. We were only...a little..late for service. #notmybest We helped cleaning in the cafeteria with the cutest ladies who made us a very Mexican and delicious breakfast. Oh and next week, P-day will be on Wednesday because we are going to the temple for a session! Yay!
This week we did a "service project" for our precious branch president. We set up a gmail account and facebook account for his wife and made sure there were icons on her desktop and everything, hahaha. Reminded me of Dad. [beginner tech skills] Oh mercy.
Sidney has a very set baptismal date for September 8! So proud of her!
One of our favorite missionaries got super sick and had to go home this week :( but her companion Sister Kylee Rudd (Timmy knows her) came with us! Aka we were in a trio covering her Spanish area, our YSA ward (which covers the stake), and her Samoan ward (but they all speak English) for the past 5ish days. Aka it has been nuts! But so much fun! We just love her. But she'll get a new companion tomorrow.

All I have to say is I have been exposed to a lot of culture this week, haha. But that's always the story in Los Angeles.  I forgot to tell you about driving through Watts a couple weeks ago and seeing a man peeing on the side of the road. Win. Anyways, Sister Jones is a Spanish-assigned missionary luckily so they both were able to teach in the Spanish lessons. Obviously I sat there, smiled, and said 'bien' a lot. It was cool though because even though I didn't understand 95% of the conversation, I was able to focus on the Spirit. And that is a universal language. God is so real. :) The other biggest culture shock was walking in to ward council to find a room full of very large Samoan men with giant tribal tattoos. wearing lava-lavas. Half of sacrament meeting was in English and half was in Samoan. It was so cool. Samoan culture is so neat. And the children's names are unreal. I accidentally called Sister Mui-Mui, Sister Mucho-mucho. But not to her face, so that's good.

We helped this sweet Samoan sister with the whitest hair I have ever seen with the Primary activity (I miss kids so much... I won't know what to do when they send me to a family ward, haha) so she fed us to thank us. SO MUCH FOOD. Seriously, we left with a whole chicken, a 2-liter, and 5 containers of food at least. Also, we had a meeting at a church building Saturday night the same time as a wedding, so obviously they sent us home with the cake. Like we have at least half of a wedding cake in our apartment. And a whole watermelon (my favorite. aka tender mercy). Basically I just kept saying all weekend "this just doesn't happen in the single's wards." Best part about a trio? I get to rock the back seat of the car. Seriously. Best 6 days of my mission car life. Except I was backing Sister Jones, but was checking our texts at the same time. She may or may not have scraped the side of our car against a pole. I mean the back was great, but as backer I probably should have been watching the sides as well....once again, #notmybest. ['backers' are supposed to direct the driver to make sure they do not hit anything!]

 

Okay on to what we really spent most of our time with this week---our media campaign!!!!!!! The website is almost done! Sister Jones has to move an orange box and we have to fix the facebook links (so don't click on those just yet..but obviously like our page when the links do work). www.theysabranch.com is our precious baby lamb. SO CHECK IT OUT. We are so excited for this transfer. The tools and organization are almost done, so we'll get everything rolling this week. The Branch has already progressed and changed so much in the past 3 weeks. I'm so proud of 'em, haha. For example we were sitting in a family ward's ysa Sunday school class this past Sunday. Lets just say there is a reason we have young single adult wards. We just know that this branch can change lives and sitting in that Sunday school class was just one of many instances where we have felt Heavenly Father tell us to keep doing what we're doing.

 

I have been overwhelmed by Heavenly Father's love this week. The back of my new planner has this quote from President Uchtdorf " This is a paradox of man: compared to God, man is nothing; yet we are EVERYTHING to God. While against the backdrop of infinite creation we may appear to be nothing, we have a spark of eternal fire burning within our breast. We have the incomprehensible promise of exaltation -worlds without end- within our grasp. And it is God's great desire to help us reach it." He just loves me and you so so so much. Earlier last week Sister Jones and I just sat and reflected on how much He loves us. I don't know if it was watching our friend have to go home, working with the sisters in the mission, having specific lessons we have had, listening to an elder tell us how he just got diagnosed with Chrone's diease, realizing our breakthroughs with our website and everything we're doing right now (otterpops always bring inspiration...just saying), sharing our life experiences, or falling even more in love with the scriptures, but a lot has made me realize HE JUST LOVES ME AND YOU SO MUCH. Moments in my life came to my mind. I was able to realize very specific points that changed who I am. I was just overwhelmed with humility. I will never understand why God sent me to the home and place I was raised in, with the parents, the siblings (uhm thanks for writing me every week! #bestsiblingsever), mentors, and friends I have had. I don't know why He lets me have these incredible experiences with His beloved kiddos here in L.A., in Provo, in WV etc., but I am just filled with gratitude...always. We can't comprehend how much He loves His children. This transfer has been full of those moments. Sister Jones and I can both confidently say we are different people than we were 6 weeks ago (I can say that about every transfer of my mission though, haha, but definitely this past one). Heavenly Father has just taught me a completely different way to think and look at things. I will just be a completely different member of the church, missionary, wife, mother, trumpet player, friend, etc.

 

Anyways, He lives. He loves us. He has provided a way for us to be happy. This Gospel is it. Embrace it.

I love you all so much! I pray that you are happy!

All my love,

Sister Atkinson

Monday, August 12, 2013

So trusting my all to thy tender care...I'll do thy will with a heart sincere; I'll be what you want me to be

Why helloooooooo!
As always, this week was nuts.
    First off, CONGRATULATIONS BRITT AND TRISTAN! I swear I won't know my family when I get home. Auntie Ali to the 8th power? Uhm yes please. [Note from Dawn: Brittany just announced that they are expecting a baby girl January 7, 2014]
    Creature update: the ants are back. but not in the kitchen. In our bedroom and bathroom. Where there is no food. It's so weird. And so disgusting. I think it's because our house is surrounded by dirt. Aka it's one giant ant hill. We ran out of raid. So we've been killing them with Windex, totally My Big Fat Greek Wedding style. I never thought I would have nightmares about ants. But... lets just say I woke up a lot last night, haha.
    Also, I held a giant python snake thing this week. I'll let you imagine my facial expressions in the pictures. Merciful. I was on exchanges of course. We finished our last one this week! And obviously the highlight of my exchange was seeing HEATHER'S MOM, BROTHER, AND HOUSEHOLD. So fun. THANKS AGAIN MAMA VIRGO. Seriously, made my day. And congratulations Heather for being a piano-trophy-winning champ. Please talk to Amy about trophies. She loves that topic. #christmaspresent2007
    I  loved getting to work with sisters this transfer. So fun.
    Oh another weird thing. We got introduced to Kongan water by some people in our stake. I call it Tuck Everlasting water. I don't have time to really type out the quirkiness of our introduction, but just look it up. Maybe it'll cure anyone's reflux.
    We got to teach some training to the zone leaders/sister training leaders that they took to all the missionaries this week. We based it off of a quote from Elder Richard Scott about how there are three types of people in this work. 1) people who don't have a testimony and are not converted 2) people who have a testimony, but aren't converted 3) people who have a testimony and who are converted. We then compared that quote with the three groups of people in Lehi's vision of the tree of life (1 Nephi Chapter 8 in the Book of Mormon). The way we become fully converted really is through our daily gospel  study and putting it into action. I finished reading the Moroni chapters this week. I just love The Book of Mormon so much. It has brought me so much closer to my Savior.
    Investigator highlight of the week was teaching Sidney. She's facing some family opposition. But it was so powerful to testify how she had to know for herself. She's a champ.
    Our "tool building", the new idea I spoke of last week, has been an adventure and a half. It has been insane. I can't believe it's only been two weeks. We are trying to get everything done in the next week and half, so that starting next transfer we can really launch the campaign..or as Sister Jones would say "we can stinking shred". [Note from Dawn: I have no idea what that means] It has been SO weird to spend time on a computer again, haha. To answer your question Mom, no we don't have our own facebook account. We don't know when our mission will get that authorization nor do we know yet how it will work. But our website is looking so sweet. And we filmed a lot of people this week and had a photoshoot yesterday with a professional photographer who lives in the stake. We can't believe transfers are next week. We are just praying that we stay together (Sister Jones is a visitor's center sister and has already been out full-field for 3 months and she ends her mission in 2 transfers...so the odds are against us being able to stay together), but we pray we can get the ball really rolling together. Besides building the tools, we have been focusing on building the branch. We had a meeting with our branch presidency this week (whom I love so much. just so much), and on Sunday there was some auxiliary reorganization, we started on time, our ward council meeting was focused more on individuals, we had a home teaching/visiting teaching night, etc. MIRACLES. So progress is being made, haha. The biggest thing is to have our game plan of how everything is going to work, done in the next week. That basically means very detailed check lists for a lot of people who are helping us from the stake, to other missionaries, to branch members, to people with specific callings, etc. But once it is all delegated out, it's going to be so effective! For example, we are going to "mobilize our zone". Our zone of missionaries covers the stake [geographical area] that we cover. We have 800 young single adults who are on stake records (most are less active), but are on their family wards' records. The missionaries in each family ward will be given a list of the ysa less actives in their ward to go visit and figure out their story and encourage them to come to the branch. (But it won't be a waste for those missionaries, because they're still working in their areas. and most of the ysa's live with their families who are also less active or who are nonmembers.. and we're all united in the same cause. So exciting.) And then they have called a ysa representative from each home ward and their calling is to help encourage people in their home ward to come to the branch (we're still working on getting them coming to the branch -_-, haha). But one of their jobs will be to add every single one of the ysa's on their ward list to our facebook group and to figure out their emails so we can link them to the website. So!! All of our 800 people will be able to have been contacted face to face, and virtually, in a matter of weeks rather than Sister Jones and I trying to outreach to every single one of them (they just never will happen). Anyways. I love this campaign. I just pray that we'll be given the opportunity to see it through. But it's the Lord's work, so it'll all work out the way it's supposed to.
    I had a favorite quote from the Lorenzo Snow manual from a church lesson yesterday "Knowing our religion to be true, we ought to be the most devoted people on the face of the earth to the cause we have embraced." I was thinking about the most devoted people in this world that I could think of. And then I was evaluating my level of devotion to the gospel. I'm constantly changing and trying to be better. The mission just opens my eyes to just how much room for improvement there is in my life, you know, haha. I just know that I can never go back to the way I did my callings or the way I read my scriptures or they way I served others. I just love this Gospel of Jesus Christ. I'm coming to know my Savior Jesus Christ more and more each day; I'm not just learning about Him. I'm really trying to live the principle mentioned in one of my favorite children's songs "He knows I will follow Him...give all my life to Him." This is the most important cause we can embrace. I know that. I love it. And obviously, I love every single one of you. Truly. Thanks for your prayers, letters/emails, and support!
Love, Sister Atkinson :)
    oh p.s.--we get to open mail/packages on fridays now! haha. Mom, i know you'll be happy about that one. But of course we only write on Mondays. Sorry if it takes me a couple weeks to write back to some of you! I'm really trying!

Thursday, August 8, 2013

The Lord commanded Nephi to go and build a boat!... I will go, I will do the things the Lord commands!"

Monday, August 5, 2013
 
Hello!!!!!!!!!
Oh my goodness, I don't know where to begin. This week has been insane.
So sorry to hear about Uncle Boogie! [Note from Dawn: My Uncle Boogie Thaxton (her great uncle) passed away last week]. But I'm grateful that his disease is no longer paining him and his sweet family though. He was always so sweet. He would always take me and Mick up to his truck to get us Spearmint gum. So obviously, he was one of my favorites.Love you all! And obviously, I'm very upset I missed Uncle Skip mooning the pictures. [Just after extended the Miller/Gibson family photos during the family gathering last week.] Sending my love and prayers to you all!
I am coming to love the Hispanic culture. (Obviously I knew nothing about it before...) Two of our neighbors both had Fiestas on Saturday night. But secretly, we highly enjoyed the Babylon music break. [She usually only listens to Sacred Music] Our area's signs and such always have hilarious spelling and grammar. For example this week I saw a "Toe-Truck". YES. Apartment updates: we finally got a fan for our bathroom and it is the best thing that ever happened to that place. Also, one morning during exercising this week I went to scratch my arm to find a GIANT SPIDER. I'll let you imagine my reaction. It was awful.

This week we got to go on exchanges with the ASL (sign language) sisters! It was SO COOL. Even though I couldn't communicate. I could understand a lot though, since deaf people are so expressive. It was super cool to feel the spirit, even though I wasn't sure what was going on. I have loved being a sister trainer this transfer.  Getting to know these sisters and exploring other areas is a huge blessing. Like I said before, being a missionary is very challenging. But there is no doubt in my mind that Heavenly Father takes care of His missionaries. It is so obvious that these sisters are His daughters and they are in His hands.
Okay this week was nuts like I said. It all started last P-day in Food4Less. Sister Jones and I were sitting in the motor scooters at the front of the store (naturally) eating a box of wheat thins (naturally) waiting for the sisters that we drive around on P-day (They're on bikes in their area. Counting my blessings on that one). I looked at Sister Jones kind of frustrated and asked "How can we see more success in this area? Our branch is dying." [The Branch is a smaller church unit] Within 20 minutes and between the car and 'Marshalls' (I'm telling you these are the places of inspiration), our outlook of missionary work changed forever. Sister Jones is super smart and is always 3 steps ahead of everyone. But Heavenly Father just gave us a lot of inspiration this week. It has been so cool. ANYWAYS. She turns to me and says "They've approved missionaries to use social media and the internet, right?" "Well not us yet, but yeah..." "Then why wait to use our resources? We can go through our members at least!"
I don't know if any of this is going to make sense, but one thing has lead to another and we are starting a "Save the Branch" campaign. We have gotten a lot of our ideas from the "I'm a Mormon" media campaign. We got permission from our mission president (because he is most inspired, humble, and ingenious men of all time) to use facebook if we have a member there and wix.com to create our own website! We have started filming our members "...and the branch saved me" and one of our members is editing them for us. WE CAN ACTUALLY SAVE OUR LITTLE BRANCH. There is just too much to say about it, so just stay tuned for the progress of it.  I can already tell this email makes no sense. Meh. Sorry.
It's so cool how all the little things that we have been working on have led up to this. One thing we realized about the new "work of salvation" website and such is that the brethren have asked us to stop separating all the different organizations in the church. Everything we do in the gospel should be united into one effort--the work of salvation! Everything should revolve back to helping individuals along the path to the saving ordinances and on to eternal life. So we're trying to help our leaders understand that we're not just concerned about nonmembers. We have a huge meeting with our branch presidency tonight. So exciting.
First we need to build the branch. There needs to be some reorganization and change to the way we're doing things. And then we can build the ship. We're building the tools (social media, etc.) with the intention of our members building the ship and letting it sail. The goal of all of this is to target different groups 1. strengthen and unify our branch members 2. get active Young Single Adults in the stake who aren't attending to come to the branch 3. the 800 less actives in the stake that we'll never be able to reach without ol' facebook 4. nonmember friends/making inviting so much easier.
I don't know if that made any sense, but we are so excited. It has actually been super hard to "drop the sickle" or stop doing traditional missionary work this week. I'm all about key indicators, so it was secretly super hard for me. But I can honestly say I know that this is what God wants us to do. This has been something huge I have learned on my mission: "Not my will, but Thine be done." I'm still learning to ask Heavenly Father what He wants me to do and then being okay with it. I'm coming to accept that it's okay if He doesn't want me to see 50 people baptized on my mission (not that that still isn't possible. You know. Just saying. I have faith :) ). He knows the desires of my heart, and I'm working hard. I honestly can say I'm trying to do what He wants. Even if it is to stop every missionary tradition I know for the next 6 weeks to see this "campaign" really get hold, so the branch and future missionaries will be able to see a lot of success. Where's my sickle? I have no idea. But I'm learning so much gratitude and humility. And I simply love this work. I love being here. I love Sister Jones. Love these people. I love this branch. I love my Savior. And I love each of you. Thanks for all you do! Sorry this is so scatterbrained. Make it a great week!
All my love,
Sister Atkinson :)