Hi everyone!
This might be a shorter email, because I need to try to look at classes
for this fall. YUCK.
First off, new transfer starts this week! I am staying here in the Santa
Monica 1st ward! My good friend Sister Rackleff is leaving me :( but she's going
to one of the wards I started in (LA YSA) which is such a good area and she's
going to be with my Sister Pillar (we were in a trio for 2 weeks!), so I'm super
happy for them. Sister Morgan will be coming here! She's my "granddaughter" in
the mission. Sister Son (who I trained) trained her. I know her a little, and I
couldn't be more excited to be with her. Our area is no longer a sister training
leader area, but after 6 transfers of being an STL I was not surprised. I'm
actually really grateful. I will miss going on exchanges and knowing more about
what is going on across the mission, but I really just want to work so hard the
last few months of my mission, and I think that is exactly what God wants me to
do. So lets do this!
This week was awesome. Here are some highlights:
-We had a training meeting for the sisters across the mission. It was
incredible to be with all of them. my favorite part was reading Psalms 23 and
having a testimony meeting. Sis Rackleff and I got to train on 'how to have a
successful companionship' and I just wanted to say "Just let God love you enough
to give you the easiest companions in the world. That's what he has done for
me." But I decided that probably wasn't what President was going for.
-Fav quote of the week from Elder Neal Maxwell "Consecration is the only
surrender that is total victory."
-A man on the street tried to convince me that "Those Mormons are training
an army up in that building on overland." (he was referring to the temple.)
Heaven help us all. Speaking of the temple, it was closed for cleaning this week
and we got to do service. I HAD THE COOLEST JOB EVER. We were in the celestial
room/sealing rooms and we literally took every piece off of the chandeliers to
clean them. It was incredible and so humbling to be in the Lord's house. Sis
Rackleff got super sick while we were there, so I convinced her to lie down for
a minute on the couch in the celestial room and take a nap. It might sound
inappropriate or something, but it was actually a really special experience. We
felt at home and like God was taking care of us.
-I met one of the rudest street contacts on my mission. Here is how the
conversation went:
"Hi! Can we share a card with you?" -Sister Rackleff
*meanest glare in the world* "I am an ordained minister." *turns and starts
to walk away - middle aged woman
"Oh that is awesome! What church do you work at?" - me
*turns around* *death stare* "Does that really matter to you?"
"Of course! We love all faiths!" -me
*once again death glare* 'The Lord's church.' *stomps off*
Does it make me a hypocritical Christian if I call her a hypocritical
Christian? Probably. Whoops.
-Right after that we were walking down the street and I said an out loud
prayer as we were walking "Heavenly Father, please help us to have at least one
more quality conversation tonight.' Immediately, home boy walks out of his apt
building in front of us. His sister joined the church not too long ago. It was
such a good conversation. I love Heavenly Father so much.
-I went on exchanges with the sisters who cover where my recent convert
Denis (from a year ago) lives. They said he bore his testimony to them the other
day, and my heart melted I was so happy. I love this work. I love these
people.
-Some ward members gave another ward member money so he could take us out
to eat. This ward member is one of my favorite humans. He joined the church
about 10 years ago. Lets just say he used to be one of those schizophrenic
homeless men who yell at you in the alley and now he is the one who helps the
old ladies in our ward get up to the stand on fast Sundays to bear their
testimonies. Anyways. I loved going to dinner with him. While we were at this
pizza place they played normal music (remember that I only have listened to
churchy Jesusy music for over a year), and then what comes on? COUNTRY ROADS. I
thought I died. I was so happy. THEN? IT PLAYED 4 MORE TIMES ON REPEAT. THAT IS
NOT A COINCIDENCE. GOD LOVES ME.
-I was on exchanges with this awesome Sister from Spain, so I was driving
one night in crazy downtown traffic (with spring breaks starting and 80 degree
weather, our beach/tourist town has been super busy) when she points to the
window beside my head and yells in her cute accent "Sis. Sis! Sis! Spider!!!!!!"
Sure enough there is a spider crawling on the inside two inches from face. You
can imagine my screams. (I can see dad rolling his eyes at me all the way out
here). I tried not to crash while she threw things at it. Luckily at a stop
light Ii could smash it like 3 minutes later. And this is why God didn't send me
to the Philippines or South America.
-Ted and Brandon now hold the Priesthood. Every one is doing great! We're
still working on finding!
-This morning I woke up to the alarm at 6:20 and did not want to get up.
So I was just lying in my bed thinking "ugh". Then God literally told me to get
up by sending a crazy EARTHQUAKEEEEEEEEEE. I jumped out of bed, down to where
Sister Rackleff was kneeling and praying and shouted "Sister! that's an
earthquake!" She didn't seemed alarmed, haha.
-There is this precious man with mental disorders that we always pass on
the street. Since january, we have run into him and every time we say hello he
says "Happy St. Patrick's Day! Happy Easter!" Well today, God put him in our
path! It was awesome. We didn't recognize him from all his St. Patrick's Day
get-up. #ilovemylife
And something that has been on my mind all week/I've been sharing with
people actually comes from an email that my old companion Sister Jones sent me
last week. Instead of paraphrasing what she said, I'll just copy and paste.
:)
[This is from Sister Jones who is now home]
"I went to go
see a movie called "Son of God." It is a major motion picture about Jesus
Christ (from the New Testament). And, actually, I loved it. It was amazing. I
mean, there were obviously some parts that did not follow the LDS
interpretations of scriptures, but it was very enlightening. And, at the end, I
just felt like I knew my Savior so much better. It was a great reminder for me
of how real everything is....The movie ended with His
resurrection, and it was very happy, but I was very sad that so many wouldn't
get to hear the whole story....They have NO idea about His ministry in the
Americas. They have NO idea about how He is STILL communicating with prophets
today. They have NO idea that He is coming to return, and that we, if we follow
the things He has asked us to do, can become just like Him. I am so grateful for the
fullness of the gospel."
That's
why I am on my mission---people need to hear the whole story. Christ lives, and
His work hasn't ended. It continues today. And it has brought me more joy than
anything.
Make it a
great week! Love you all!
Sister
Atkinson
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