"Thus we in gratitude recall and give our love and pledge our all, shed grateful tear and conquet fear."

Sorry so late in getting this out. Enjoy the glorious celebration of Easter! Love, Dawn

 

Written Monday April 14, 2014

Hi all!

On exchanges this week, my sister training leader asked about different things about different times in my mission. She then said, "Sister Atkinson, you have had just a fun mission." It's probably because I get excited about anything and everything, but I can't lie----"men are that they might have joy (2 Nephi 2:25)" is one of my favorite mantras. I could use many words to describe this past week: roller coaster, miraculous, challenging, hilarious, spiritual, etc., but I am definitely going to use the word fun.

This morning we woke up a few minutes early and went running on the beach. Well as close as we can get to the beach without being illegal. [Note from Dawn: Missionaries are not allowed to actually 'go to the beach'] A few days ago, we went on an adventure on the Pacific Coast Highway to find a the apartment of a less active that lives on the beach. #bestareaever

Showed up to district meeting and forgot I was supposed to give the training. Whoops.

This week was the first time I went on an exchange in over 9 months where I wasn't the sister training leader. It was incredible. It made me look back at those 9 months as a sister training leader with so much gratitude for that opportunity. The sister that came with me has never served in an English area, always Hispanic. I probably shouldn't have laughed as she experienced how...un-open? people can be in our area, but I couldn't help myself.

We got a mini-missionary this weekend! She is good friends with my good friend, Heather Virgo! She is in Heather's home ward. I think it is so funny that Heather tries to stalk me every time she comes in town and has yet to run into me. Our mini said her highlight was street contacting. #raisedherright I can't tell you how much I love street contacting. Everyone has a story. Everyone needs to hear about the restored gospel.

We go on visits with our Relief Society president every couple weeks (we always have miracles) and she is one of my favorite humans ever. Her daughter is in the Philharmonic Orchestra at BYU and so we have talked about my first name before. Anyways, she accidentally called me Ali this week and it took me a good 5 seconds to realize that she was referring to me. So weird.

I realized I need to work on patience. It is always so frustrating when people don't get it! We feel like everyone's mothers some days. #comeonkids

Remember Tony? We met with him twice this week! Hoorah for Israel!!! Vicky has a baptismal date! We had a lot of lessons with other people, but mostly they were just big seeds planted because only working with the elect was easier for me this week. We're still praying to find a family!!

Our church building is under renovations for a couple months, so we switched to a different building yesterday and are meeting in the afternoon instead of the morning. Basically it's been a hard adjustment for a lot of people, including some of our investigators, butttttttttttttt a less active who we have been working with for months finally came to church! She hasn't been in years. We went over before church and curled her hair and everything. It was a saving tender mercy for me yesterday.

One doctrine that has really stuck out to me in my studies this week: Many people believe the atonement of Jesus Christ is a gift we open at the end of our lives. They think, "If I'm a good person and accept Christ in this life, at the end of my life, I will be "saved" and magically turned into a person who can live with God forever." That just is not true. The atonement is a gift we are to use and apply DURING our lives. We will be the same person after this life that we were in this life; we aren't going to magically be different. In order to live with God we must be perfect. Are we perfect? No. Can we ever be perfect on our own? No. Christ came to make us perfect. But that is not at the wave of a magic wand when we say "Okay! I have faith in him!" It is a process. We must choose His path. We must make covenants with Him. Faith without works is dead. If we allow Him, He can help us overcome our weaknesses and sins NOW and change NOW. "THIS life is the time for men to prepare to meet God." Throughout our journey in this life and in the spirit world, we can BECOME perfect. Through Christ. We must never become complacent. That means we have stopped progressing. And the definition of damned is a stopped progression. We must constantly rely on our Savior's grace to enable us to overcome and become. One of Satan's greatest tools is to let many believers think "Oh it's okay if I'm this way. Christ will save me and change me in the end." Our Savior is here now. We are on that difficult but possible (because of Christ) path now. Elder Ballard has said, "One day you'll look up and discover that His path has led you directly to the throne of God." We must turn our lives over to Him now.

And lets save the best for last. Remember my miracle of talking with everyone last week? When we met David Archuleta's manager? On Wednesday, we get a call.
"Hello, This is Sister Atkinson."

"Hi Sister, this is Gina, David's manager."

I think, "David...who is David? oh. OH. OH!!"

"So I told David about how we ran into each other the other day. He thought it was awesome. He's going to be in town this weekend and wants to know if we could all meet up?"

After we hung up the phone, I literally fell to the floor like the 16 yr old girl that I am and sprawled out and screamed for a good 90 seconds. #noshame

On Friday, we had our lesson!! We met at the church building. The zone leaders had to come unlock it for us. They just "had" to stay until after the lesson, so they could get a picture. #you'rewelcomeelders

We were so nervous. Not just because I sang along to his Christmas with the MoTab cd everyday just a few months ago, but because you're always nervous when you meet with a member's close friend. We fasted before the lesson and role played it like nobody's business. It was one of the best first lessons I have ever been apart of it. The spirit was incredibly strong. Gina is unreal and so prepared.  Not only is a signed copy of Elder Ballard's book "Our Ssearch for Happiness" that he personally gave her on her nightstand, but she does family history almost every day and has done it for years. She told us of some really spiritual experiences in her life where she has just had the faith to follow God's promptings. She told us of her experiences in the religion she was raised and didn't like how she couldn't ask questions, how there seemed to be a disconnect of a personal relationship with God, etc (all concerns that are answered with and fit perfectly in with the Restoration). David bore a perfect testimony of the First Vision. It was so cool to watch the Spirit work through my companion as well. Anyways, I can't really convey how special the lesson was, but it was. Gina is reading and praying. She is out of town for the next week and a half, but she texted us to tell us about the next time we could meet. Although she works in our area, she lives three blocks out of it :(. So we'll have to transition her to other missionaries when she gets back, but I am so grateful that God let me be apart of part of her journey. Some side notes:
Gina is legit and has even done PR work for people like Britney Spears (back in the good days...)

In preparation for the lesson, I couldn't say "David" without getting distracted, so I would call him Dah-veed.

Tis true, he really is 5 inches shorter than me.

David Archuleta is SO humble and so fresh off the mission. Before and after the lesson he talked to us about some of his experiences. Very genuine guy.

And I love God. Yup. I think that's about it.

MAKE IT A GREAT WEEK EVERYONE! HAVE A HAPPY EASTER!

My mom sent me this quote today, President Hinckley:  "These simple words - " He is not here, but is risen" - have become the most profound in all literature.....They are the fulfillment of all HE had spoken concerning rising again. "

He really does live.

LOVE YOU ALL!!

Sister Atkinson