Note from Dawn: Here is the current week's email. I am caught up and hope to post pictures later today!
March 25, 2013
HOLA EVERYONE!
Okay lets start with a guessing game.
What happened to
Ali January 2011, February 2012, and March
2013........................................
AN ANKLE
INJURY! WOOHOO! I know, right?! How does that happen? Hypermobility or whatever
at its finest. Don't worry. It's no where near as bad as the past two years'.
It's just a little sprain. I was running this morning and my left foot did a
little dip between a cement crack and sprinkler head....if that makes sense.
basically it's exactly what I did last year, only not as bad. Down I went on
Santa Monica Boulevard. "Ouch." "NO. YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME." "NO. NO. NO."
Sister Barney ran to get our car, and I had a moment to myself to freak out. (I
think that's the first time I've been alone in 3 months, haha) All I could think
was "I don't want to go home. Please don't send me home. Don't send me home." I
was in shock and naturally only thought of my previous injuries. I said a prayer
and I have felt very peaceful since. Within a couple hours and some ice, I've
got my brace on and limping a bit. Within the hour, Sister Barney and I were
laughing hysterically about it. I prayed for strength and I can most definitely
feel it. The Lord's strength is physical, emotional, spiritual, etc. etc. etc.
etc. I'm fine. I won't over do it. I hate my ankles though. Can't lie. Prayer
works people. Just saying. But in April 2014, I will be EXTRA careful.
Merciful.
"It's not your fault you have weakles that are ank." -Sister Barney
sometimes struggles speaking words.
"Oh my gosh, I knew we should have turned
back home when we saw that black cat!!" -me trying to blame my clumsiness on a
black cat
"Dear Heavenly Father, we are thankful for the morning we've
had.....*cue laughter*" -my habitual prayer to start to companionship study
didn't seem to sound genuine. Wonder why. I really am grateful though.
Okay! Other fun thing of the week! Last night our investigator
texted us and said we could meet at the visitor's center for her lesson (we are
not visitor's center sisters, but we use the facility to meet people there to
teach. the technology and spirit there is just not like their apartments, haha).
Anyways, we got there a couple minutes early. I look up and who do I see? The
Pingel family! (good family friends). They are in L.A. for spring break and
decided to come to the temple. The senior sister missionary was just about to
call us since we just live down the street and show up there all the time to
teach people, haha. It was so fun to see them! Mom, they said they are
impressed with your facebooking and blog skills. Gracias. They also said that I
look different from when they saw me 6 months ago, haha. Justin said I had that
"missionary mantle", hahaha. Who knows if that is a good thing.
Lets
see, this week was great! We set our goals high, and somehow the Lord provided a
way that we could accomplish almost all of them. Transfers are in a couple of
weeks, and I am praying that we stay. Ah. Megan, Ashley, Kent, Dennis, et. al. are
so close, but they need another month or two. And I love the less actives and
ward members we work with. Obviously, I'll do whatever the Lord wants, but I
just love my people. Dennis is our new investigator who we love! He is 20ish and
grew up in Uzbekistan! He is very shy and has a sweet Russian accent. He is
looking for friends and it has been so rewarding to take him under our wing.
I'll keep you posted on that one.
I feel like I have said this plenty of
times, but I feel like I always need to clarify. We have two wards, the UCLA one
and the L.A. singles one. The singles ward covers an abnormally large boundary
because it is for people 20-31 from all over the stake. Aka, we get from
Westwood to Downtown. So fun. Anyways, this week we were driving to an
appointment and looked over and saw the Hollywood stars on the ground! Like the
ones with the handprints and stuff? Another appointment we looked out their
window and realized we were across the street from the Staples Center downtown,
haha.
This week we met some of the craziest people yet. Oh Los Angeles, how
I love thee.
-We show up to this apartment complex to knock on a door of a
referral. There are homeless people sleeping on the lawn outside. (And by lawn I
mean like the 3 ft of grass between the sidewalk and street). Already we were
thinking we were going to have a good story. Our referral wasn't home, but his
manager came out to talk to us. She started to unlock and open the door to his
apartment (we had to stop her). She was this little old woman named Vicki from
Yugoslavia with some dementia. She asked us why the mail hadn't been coming. And
then she told us her life story and started balling. We started to share a
scripture with her when she got distracted by some noise in one of the
apartments. She went right over and knocked on the door and said, "Hey! why are
you yelling?! Come meet the pretty girls like you!" The lady opened the door as
if she was used to her bizarre manager and took one look at us and said "I'm
well aware of who was behind Proposition 8" and slammed the door. But Vicki took
a Book of Mormon and we referred her to the family ward missionaries in her
area, haha. Oh mercy.
-This old man was walking down the street slapping his
leg. We started to talk to him and he freaked. "Who do you think you are goin
around giving stuff out on the streets?! No I don't need any of your prayers. I
go to the best church in town! What has this world coming to? When I was a kid,
we only had to go to church on Easter!" Hilarious.
-Joel was a homeless man
trying to fix his bike. He dressed like a hippy and had long curly hair. He is
from Guatemala. "God is good. but then religion leads to wars and bloodshed.
Religion is like sports." Got it. OK.
-And then my personal favorite: Sister
Barney and I were getting in to our car when two guys approached us. They were
clearly on something. Like so much more than pot. Like hallucinogens and
alcohol. The one got in my face while the other leaned on the car. They were
very uhm profane. And kept calling God bad names. And the spirit immediately
left the situation. The conversation:
"What white man do you know that could have stood
outside as long as Jesus did?"
"Oh I don't know sir, but Jesus wasn't white.
He was Jewish." (me)
"No. no.. The Jews were the Jew-el makers for the
Egyptians...Jesus was black!"
"Oh okay sir, we need to go."
"Jesus when
through Chicago...Miami...and wherever else, and he ain't have no suntan lotion
on!"
"Yup you're probably right, sir."
"Jesus was Egyptian. *showed us
the Free Mason tattoo he had on his wrist and backed away."
"Oh okay, have a
good day! God loves you!"
Kid you not. I just realized these stories make it
sound like we're in bad neighborhoods. But we're not!! We are always super safe
and I have never ever felt threatened. God protects us in the most literal
sense. I promise. I just wanted to share some hilarious stories!
This week as
always has been full of blessing and miracles. Spiritual note for the week?
Learn to laugh. Elder Wirthlin (a latter-day apostle) once said, "The next time
you’re tempted to groan, you might try to laugh instead. It will extend your
life and make the lives of all those around you more enjoyable." It is so so so
true.
I'm happy and well! I hope you all are too! Thanks for the prayers!
Love you!!!
Love, Sister Atkinson
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Monday, March 25, 2013
"Fear not, I am with thee oh be not dismayed. For I am thy God and will still give thee aide. I'll strength thee, help thee and cause thee to stand."
Note from Dawn: This is last week's email. I am sorry I didn't get it posted. With my sudden and quick trip to Utah to move Grandma Atkinson out of her apartment and fly her home to live with us and all that involved I just didn't get this done. I will be posting the current week's email in the morning.
March 18, 2013
Hola everyone!
So glad anyone and everyone can email me now! I'll try to respond to the couple of you who did email me this week :) I'm so behind on the letters/cards, but I promise I will respond to everyone!
Shout out to Sydney---seriously, one of my favorite letters I have gotten. Love you so much! Will respond in the next couple weeks!
Congrats Camilla!!!!!! Roseville! My sister lives there! And I bet Amy is freaking out. Seriously, California missions are the best. Just saying. Ah, so happy for you!
Micah--email me. Congrats on Les Mis! Heard is was a great show! And thanks for cleaning out part of my room :D
Praying for Grandma and Dougarino. (Grandma's husband)
I can't believe it was only Wednesday when I emailed you last week. That feels like ages ago. Lets just say the past few days have seriously been a roller coaster...but! That's just part of being a missionary. And you just pray hard, have faith, find something to laugh about and keep working.
Ashley did not get baptized this weekend, but she said "I have a testimony. I will never deny that. I just can't do it this weekend." I have a lot of faith in her. Baptism is the first step. It's the gate. She just needs to make the decision on her own.
This week is finals week for UCLA and then it's spring break, so we'll probably be doing a lot of work in the Single's ward.
We did a ton of less active work this past week for both wards. Too many young adults leave home for school and realize that they don't have a testimony of their own and are going to church for the social aspect. When they stop coming, no one seems to sit down and just talk to them about their testimony. That is the core of it. While yes we should be inviting people to dodgeball nights and institute, we should be helping them recognize that they can gain their own testimony of Jesus Christ, of the Book of Mormon, of going to church to take the sacrament to renew the covenants we made at baptism, etc. We just sit down with these individuals (love them so much) and ask them one question about their relationship with God. Almost every time, Sister Barney and I just sit there and listen while that person opens up and tells us everything. We're not there to boost church statistics, we are there because we genuinely love them and want to help them figure it out for themselves. We are there as representatives of Jesus Christ to help them come unto Him. If we could all always have that attitude when we sit down with people and be genuine listeners...
"True doctrine, understood, changes attitudes and behavior. the study of the doctrines of the gospel will improve behavior quicker than a study of behavior will improve behavior." -President Packer
Preach My Gospel (our missionary manual) says "You should not become discouraged; discouragement will weaken your faith. If you lower your expectations, your effectiveness will decrease, your desire will weaken, and you will have greater difficulty following the Spirit." Once again "fear not, I am with thee oh be not dismayed." :)
I feel like this email is going to be very scatterbrained with poor grammar. My bad.
-Tomato basil humus from Trader Joe's is my new favorite thing.
-Sister Barney asked if Michael McClean was a Mormon and I died. Oh Utah girls. (Note from Dawn: he is a very well known LDS musician)
-We took Megan to a baptism yesterday of an 82 year old woman (so precious). Megan made us journals. WHAT. LOVE HER.
-After the baptism we saw this man and knew we recognized him from tv. Sure enough, his name is Larry Bagby. He is LDS (whaddup). His mom is from West Virginia and is also LDS---Nancy Moore, I think? Anyone? Oh and yes, Mom that new sister missionary in my missiona is from Huntington. Small world! Oh right, back to Larry. He was the bass player in Walk the Line (Johnny Cash movie), was the guy who always asked for a smoke in Saints and Soldiers, and was an assistant coach in Forever Strong. We asked for one picture that turned into a 20 minute schpiel of going to his mini van ( I kid you not) so he could give us his business cards and free cds. Yes. This is my life. Just wait for the pictures. OH and Chelsea Hightower? She danced on So You Think You Can Dance and Dancing With the Stars? Moved in to my ward. Gotta love Los Angeles. Except when you get a parking ticket....what.... -_-
-I realized I speak in 3rd person all the time. Only when I do a sassy or ghetto voice in front of Sister Barney though. But still. I think it helps me realize my name is "Sister Atkinson" instead of Ali. Then again I say "Sista Akkisehn."
-Satan is so dang real. He knows us so well and he makes me so so so mad when I can see him attacking the people that I love. But the Atonement is real. And Jesus Christ knows us even better. Someone said last week, "The game is already won, we just have to decide if we want to partake in the victory."
"The Savior can wipe away our tears of regret and remove the burden of our sins. His Atonement allows us to leave the past behind and move forward with clean hands, a pure heart, and a determination to do better and especially to become better." -President Uchtdorf
I testify that it's true! I witness this everyday! Say your prayers and make good choices. And email me. I love you all!
Love,
Sister Atkinson
March 18, 2013
Hola everyone!
So glad anyone and everyone can email me now! I'll try to respond to the couple of you who did email me this week :) I'm so behind on the letters/cards, but I promise I will respond to everyone!
Shout out to Sydney---seriously, one of my favorite letters I have gotten. Love you so much! Will respond in the next couple weeks!
Congrats Camilla!!!!!! Roseville! My sister lives there! And I bet Amy is freaking out. Seriously, California missions are the best. Just saying. Ah, so happy for you!
Micah--email me. Congrats on Les Mis! Heard is was a great show! And thanks for cleaning out part of my room :D
Praying for Grandma and Dougarino. (Grandma's husband)
I can't believe it was only Wednesday when I emailed you last week. That feels like ages ago. Lets just say the past few days have seriously been a roller coaster...but! That's just part of being a missionary. And you just pray hard, have faith, find something to laugh about and keep working.
Ashley did not get baptized this weekend, but she said "I have a testimony. I will never deny that. I just can't do it this weekend." I have a lot of faith in her. Baptism is the first step. It's the gate. She just needs to make the decision on her own.
This week is finals week for UCLA and then it's spring break, so we'll probably be doing a lot of work in the Single's ward.
We did a ton of less active work this past week for both wards. Too many young adults leave home for school and realize that they don't have a testimony of their own and are going to church for the social aspect. When they stop coming, no one seems to sit down and just talk to them about their testimony. That is the core of it. While yes we should be inviting people to dodgeball nights and institute, we should be helping them recognize that they can gain their own testimony of Jesus Christ, of the Book of Mormon, of going to church to take the sacrament to renew the covenants we made at baptism, etc. We just sit down with these individuals (love them so much) and ask them one question about their relationship with God. Almost every time, Sister Barney and I just sit there and listen while that person opens up and tells us everything. We're not there to boost church statistics, we are there because we genuinely love them and want to help them figure it out for themselves. We are there as representatives of Jesus Christ to help them come unto Him. If we could all always have that attitude when we sit down with people and be genuine listeners...
"True doctrine, understood, changes attitudes and behavior. the study of the doctrines of the gospel will improve behavior quicker than a study of behavior will improve behavior." -President Packer
Preach My Gospel (our missionary manual) says "You should not become discouraged; discouragement will weaken your faith. If you lower your expectations, your effectiveness will decrease, your desire will weaken, and you will have greater difficulty following the Spirit." Once again "fear not, I am with thee oh be not dismayed." :)
I feel like this email is going to be very scatterbrained with poor grammar. My bad.
-Tomato basil humus from Trader Joe's is my new favorite thing.
-Sister Barney asked if Michael McClean was a Mormon and I died. Oh Utah girls. (Note from Dawn: he is a very well known LDS musician)
-We took Megan to a baptism yesterday of an 82 year old woman (so precious). Megan made us journals. WHAT. LOVE HER.
-After the baptism we saw this man and knew we recognized him from tv. Sure enough, his name is Larry Bagby. He is LDS (whaddup). His mom is from West Virginia and is also LDS---Nancy Moore, I think? Anyone? Oh and yes, Mom that new sister missionary in my missiona is from Huntington. Small world! Oh right, back to Larry. He was the bass player in Walk the Line (Johnny Cash movie), was the guy who always asked for a smoke in Saints and Soldiers, and was an assistant coach in Forever Strong. We asked for one picture that turned into a 20 minute schpiel of going to his mini van ( I kid you not) so he could give us his business cards and free cds. Yes. This is my life. Just wait for the pictures. OH and Chelsea Hightower? She danced on So You Think You Can Dance and Dancing With the Stars? Moved in to my ward. Gotta love Los Angeles. Except when you get a parking ticket....what.... -_-
-I realized I speak in 3rd person all the time. Only when I do a sassy or ghetto voice in front of Sister Barney though. But still. I think it helps me realize my name is "Sister Atkinson" instead of Ali. Then again I say "Sista Akkisehn."
-Satan is so dang real. He knows us so well and he makes me so so so mad when I can see him attacking the people that I love. But the Atonement is real. And Jesus Christ knows us even better. Someone said last week, "The game is already won, we just have to decide if we want to partake in the victory."
"The Savior can wipe away our tears of regret and remove the burden of our sins. His Atonement allows us to leave the past behind and move forward with clean hands, a pure heart, and a determination to do better and especially to become better." -President Uchtdorf
I testify that it's true! I witness this everyday! Say your prayers and make good choices. And email me. I love you all!
Love,
Sister Atkinson
Saturday, March 16, 2013
"I Stand All Amazed at the Love Jesus Offers Me"
Note from Dawn: This is late this week because for a couple of reasons. First, her p-day was not until Wednesday. Second Ali alludes to a situation with her Grandma Atkinson who lives in Utah. Grandma's husband has been diagosed with lung cancer and his wish is for her to move back to West Virginia as he will be unable to care for her. She has demetia and also falls alot. So since Tuesday evening I have been busy making arrangements for her to move in with us. I will be in Utah, Sunday evening and flying her back home on Tuesday. Next week's blog post may also be late. I hope to link the youtube video she references and post some pictures as well, soon. Thanks for your support of her, I know it means a lot to her. Dawn
March 13, 2013
Hello hello hello!
Wow! So much to say today!
First off NEW MISSION RULE WORLDWIDE!
The Church has recently issued the following policy update:
"Missionaries are to write to their families each week and are also authorized to communicate by email with friends, priesthood leaders, and new converts. Mission presidents should allow sufficient time on preparation day for missionaries to write emails and letters. While in the mission field, missionaries should receive authorization from the mission president before entering into communication, including via email, with converts and others of the opposite gender within the mission boundaries (see Missionary Handbook, 36–37)."
This is from my mission president with rules specific to us:
1) You must follow the policy of obtaining my permission BEFORE writing to anyone inside the mission of the opposite gender.
2) As a general guideline, we have encouraged CLAM missionaries to spend no more than an hour writing emails weekly. This continues to be our guideline. You should be considerate of your companion and not spend long periods of time emailing as there are many other things that need to be accomplished on preparation days.
3) It is critical that each companion monitor and CORRECT the behavior of their companion if they are not following the guidelines in correctly using the computer.
4) This policy revision does not change the following: a) You should continue to use only your approved missionary email account for writing (do not access old personal email accounts). b) You should not enter ANY website that is not affiliated with the Church (ex: mormon.org, lds.org, etc) without my permission. c) Please remember to write the mission president each week to report your stewardship! d) Additional computer time may be used to become familiar with missionary materials found on mormon.org.
So! Anyone can email me and I can email anyone. However, I already have trouble trying to find time to use only an hour to email my family and my mission president, so there are no guarantees that I will be emailing a lot to my dear friends that write me :) But! I will print off your emails and try to respond via letter or email within a few weeks. I especially love pictures. So if you ever want to email me pictures...just saying. And I still LOVE letters...just saying. But! Beggars can't be choosers. any questions on this? ask my mom and I will try to respond. oh wait, you can email me. and i can try to respond. AH CRAZINESS. alexandra.atkinson7@myldsmail.net
CONGRATULATIONS JESSICA AND BRETT! My mom is a master creeper on facebook these days and she forwarded me a picture of beautiful Echo. I feel like an honorary aunt. I am so happy for you!!! She is a beautiful baby!
So is Grandma Atkinson now in West Virginia? I am so sad to hear about Doug. Please send him my love. He is in my prayers. Grandma is in my prayers. You all are in my prayers. I know this new transition will not be easy.
We got to go to the temple this morning! Which is why my P-day is on Wednesday this week. Next week it will be on Monday.
This week I am overwhelmed with gratitude. As I sat in the temple today, I was overcome with feelings that I have been having all week. I cannot deny that my Savior lives and love me. I know that He understands exactly how I feel. I think I always get emotional when I go to the temple because I feel like I am going home. I don't let myself sit and ponder about home while I'm in missionary mode. I am here to dedicate all my time and attention to serving the Lord. So work work work! But as I get the opportunity to sit and reflect in the Lord's House I ponder how one day I will return home to my Father in Heaven. How badly I want Him to say "Welcome home, my dear daughter. You have been faithful. Enter into my Kingdom and my rest." This week we discovered a newer Mormon Message entitled "Mountains to Climb". Youtube "mountains to climb eyring mormon message" and it will come up.
Everyone--please please please watch this and focus on how you feel. Give 5 minutes of your time to feel power and love from above. During good times and bad, our Savior is there. Build a foundation on Him, and you will find hope, peace, and perspective. This video has changed many people's lives this week. Let it brighten up your day. :)
Sister Barney's birthday was this past week! You know me. I really get into birthdays. So I had to get creative with what missionary means I had. aka: ga-hetto. I will send pictures home soon. Mom, thank you so much for the ankle braces and the new picture sd cards. I will send more pictures home! If you promise to send them back :)
Ashley passed her baptismal interview last night and then texted us a few hours later and said she wasn't being baptized. We have no idea what is going on. We are very stressed, but felt peace and comfort in the temple today. I will let you know on Monday if she actually was baptized! Sigh.
This week it felt good to help and serve some members in our wards. A lot of them are at hard places in their lives, trying to make difficult decisions. They love going out with us to lessons and always say "it is just what they needed".
So many miracles this week. So many. I'm already at 20 minutes left and have to email my mission president, so I will only talk about Megan.
One day Sister Barney looked through old records in our area book to find people we could call up, while I made some phone calls. (so much of missionary work is phone calls, planning, and paper work.) She found a former investigator that she felt prompted to call. We called her a few days later and said she would love to meet with us. WHAT. Unusual. Then she shows up to our lessons. I have never ever meet anyone more prepared to hear and accept the gospel than her. We taught her the first two lessons and she came to church. She is one of the most genuinely kind people I have ever met. She is 30, single, and an attorney. She met a Mormon friend in college and she has always been impressed by her "humble confidence" in her faith. She went to Salt Lake a year or so ago and had a very spiritual experience at Temple Square that has never left her. She is overcome with the Spirit during our lessons and cries as she feels God's love for her. She has had a lot of questions about things that she felt her faith never answered. As we teach her, her eyes widen as she is relieved that questions that she has had for years about her Savior, the afterlife, the world, the Fall of Adam, etc. are finally answered!! She takes notes during our lessons (what?!). She prays. She reads. She told the bishop on Sunday he would be seeing a lot more of her. WHAT IS HAPPENING!
I feel like I don't deserve the COUNTLESS blessings that I am receiving. I seriously don't understand why Heavenly Father is pouring out the blessings. I am trying to humble myself and work harder to try to feel more adequate. I love this Gospel. I love you all. I am so happy and so blessed. Pray for Ashley. Email me. ;) Watch that 5 minute video! Thanks for yours prayers!
All my love,
Sister Atkinson
March 13, 2013
Hello hello hello!
Wow! So much to say today!
First off NEW MISSION RULE WORLDWIDE!
The Church has recently issued the following policy update:
"Missionaries are to write to their families each week and are also authorized to communicate by email with friends, priesthood leaders, and new converts. Mission presidents should allow sufficient time on preparation day for missionaries to write emails and letters. While in the mission field, missionaries should receive authorization from the mission president before entering into communication, including via email, with converts and others of the opposite gender within the mission boundaries (see Missionary Handbook, 36–37)."
This is from my mission president with rules specific to us:
1) You must follow the policy of obtaining my permission BEFORE writing to anyone inside the mission of the opposite gender.
2) As a general guideline, we have encouraged CLAM missionaries to spend no more than an hour writing emails weekly. This continues to be our guideline. You should be considerate of your companion and not spend long periods of time emailing as there are many other things that need to be accomplished on preparation days.
3) It is critical that each companion monitor and CORRECT the behavior of their companion if they are not following the guidelines in correctly using the computer.
4) This policy revision does not change the following: a) You should continue to use only your approved missionary email account for writing (do not access old personal email accounts). b) You should not enter ANY website that is not affiliated with the Church (ex: mormon.org, lds.org, etc) without my permission. c) Please remember to write the mission president each week to report your stewardship! d) Additional computer time may be used to become familiar with missionary materials found on mormon.org.
So! Anyone can email me and I can email anyone. However, I already have trouble trying to find time to use only an hour to email my family and my mission president, so there are no guarantees that I will be emailing a lot to my dear friends that write me :) But! I will print off your emails and try to respond via letter or email within a few weeks. I especially love pictures. So if you ever want to email me pictures...just saying. And I still LOVE letters...just saying. But! Beggars can't be choosers. any questions on this? ask my mom and I will try to respond. oh wait, you can email me. and i can try to respond. AH CRAZINESS. alexandra.atkinson7@myldsmail.net
CONGRATULATIONS JESSICA AND BRETT! My mom is a master creeper on facebook these days and she forwarded me a picture of beautiful Echo. I feel like an honorary aunt. I am so happy for you!!! She is a beautiful baby!
So is Grandma Atkinson now in West Virginia? I am so sad to hear about Doug. Please send him my love. He is in my prayers. Grandma is in my prayers. You all are in my prayers. I know this new transition will not be easy.
We got to go to the temple this morning! Which is why my P-day is on Wednesday this week. Next week it will be on Monday.
This week I am overwhelmed with gratitude. As I sat in the temple today, I was overcome with feelings that I have been having all week. I cannot deny that my Savior lives and love me. I know that He understands exactly how I feel. I think I always get emotional when I go to the temple because I feel like I am going home. I don't let myself sit and ponder about home while I'm in missionary mode. I am here to dedicate all my time and attention to serving the Lord. So work work work! But as I get the opportunity to sit and reflect in the Lord's House I ponder how one day I will return home to my Father in Heaven. How badly I want Him to say "Welcome home, my dear daughter. You have been faithful. Enter into my Kingdom and my rest." This week we discovered a newer Mormon Message entitled "Mountains to Climb". Youtube "mountains to climb eyring mormon message" and it will come up.
Everyone--please please please watch this and focus on how you feel. Give 5 minutes of your time to feel power and love from above. During good times and bad, our Savior is there. Build a foundation on Him, and you will find hope, peace, and perspective. This video has changed many people's lives this week. Let it brighten up your day. :)
Sister Barney's birthday was this past week! You know me. I really get into birthdays. So I had to get creative with what missionary means I had. aka: ga-hetto. I will send pictures home soon. Mom, thank you so much for the ankle braces and the new picture sd cards. I will send more pictures home! If you promise to send them back :)
Ashley passed her baptismal interview last night and then texted us a few hours later and said she wasn't being baptized. We have no idea what is going on. We are very stressed, but felt peace and comfort in the temple today. I will let you know on Monday if she actually was baptized! Sigh.
This week it felt good to help and serve some members in our wards. A lot of them are at hard places in their lives, trying to make difficult decisions. They love going out with us to lessons and always say "it is just what they needed".
So many miracles this week. So many. I'm already at 20 minutes left and have to email my mission president, so I will only talk about Megan.
One day Sister Barney looked through old records in our area book to find people we could call up, while I made some phone calls. (so much of missionary work is phone calls, planning, and paper work.) She found a former investigator that she felt prompted to call. We called her a few days later and said she would love to meet with us. WHAT. Unusual. Then she shows up to our lessons. I have never ever meet anyone more prepared to hear and accept the gospel than her. We taught her the first two lessons and she came to church. She is one of the most genuinely kind people I have ever met. She is 30, single, and an attorney. She met a Mormon friend in college and she has always been impressed by her "humble confidence" in her faith. She went to Salt Lake a year or so ago and had a very spiritual experience at Temple Square that has never left her. She is overcome with the Spirit during our lessons and cries as she feels God's love for her. She has had a lot of questions about things that she felt her faith never answered. As we teach her, her eyes widen as she is relieved that questions that she has had for years about her Savior, the afterlife, the world, the Fall of Adam, etc. are finally answered!! She takes notes during our lessons (what?!). She prays. She reads. She told the bishop on Sunday he would be seeing a lot more of her. WHAT IS HAPPENING!
I feel like I don't deserve the COUNTLESS blessings that I am receiving. I seriously don't understand why Heavenly Father is pouring out the blessings. I am trying to humble myself and work harder to try to feel more adequate. I love this Gospel. I love you all. I am so happy and so blessed. Pray for Ashley. Email me. ;) Watch that 5 minute video! Thanks for yours prayers!
All my love,
Sister Atkinson
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Fear not, little children, for you are mine, and I have overcome the world..." Doctrine & Covenants 50:41
March 5, 2013
HELLO EVERYONE!
- First off--CONGRATS JOHN-MARK AND NATALIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Nephew #4! He is to be born in July! I'm so happy for you two. (Ashley is having nephew #3 in April!)
- I don't know where to begin this week. So much has happened and I had so many mixed emotions this week.
-I survived transfer 1! Mom you should probably explain what that means. Sister Barney and I are staying in our area and we are so relieved! The work is progressing for these two wards and we are so excited to keep it going.
Note from Dawn: Transfers occur periodically,
where Alexandra will be sent to serve in a new area of LA and would serve with
a new companion. She is not moving this transfer period.- First off--CONGRATS JOHN-MARK AND NATALIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Nephew #4! He is to be born in July! I'm so happy for you two. (Ashley is having nephew #3 in April!)
- I don't know where to begin this week. So much has happened and I had so many mixed emotions this week.
-I survived transfer 1! Mom you should probably explain what that means. Sister Barney and I are staying in our area and we are so relieved! The work is progressing for these two wards and we are so excited to keep it going.
-I went on exchanges (swap companions and areas) this week for 2 days to Manhattan Beach. One of the days I was reunited with Sister Ostler (my MTC companion) so that was fun! Their area is so different. We mostly met with older less active women who are (to be blunt) miserable. It motivated me to come back to my area and help these young people make the right choices that affect the rest of their lives. What's that President Uchtdorf talk, that talks about when flying a plane if you get one degree off it makes a huge difference over time, to the point of crashing? It is so easy to get that one degree off. We must do the simple things each day--pray, serve, read our scriptures, etc. to stay on track. No one is ever exempt from that, myself 120% included.
Note from Dawn: Elder Deiter Uchtdorf Talk reference – “A Matter of a Few Degrees” delivered at April 2008 General Conference. If interested in reading this it can be found by searching his name & the title.
-Ashley Kwan is going to be baptized on March 16 and I could not be more excited or more proud of her. I wish I had time to give you all the details. "I'm just ready to take that leap of faith."
-Allan dropped us this past week after a really powerful lesson. There is nothing more depressing than to see someone deny what he has felt and walk away from the blessings you know that lies in wait for him. Sister Barney read to me Helaman 10:4-6 to me directly after. Nephi, a prophet and missionary, was comforted by the Lord because he had with "unwearyingness declared the word". I truly felt that we testified to Allan with all the energy of our hearts and I don't have any regrets. But the bittersweet beauty of the Gospel is that we each are given the gift of agency from our Father in Heaven, or that ability to choose for ourselves.
-I have learned that there are no coincidences. Like, it's insane. Heavenly Father has a hilarious sense of humor. Everyday there is something that makes me think "well that is too much of a coincidence to be a coincidence", but I will share three.
-Ashley sent us a text to say she was 100% going to be baptized and I was about to call her when Sister Barney looked up and saw her across campus. We ran to her and shouted for joy! Obviously.
-We knocked on a door of a less active member. His roommate answered the door to say that he has moved out, but he recognized us immediately. His Mom and sister are Mormon. His best friend is on a mission in Mississippi. He invited us in and let us share a message. Usually he would be at class at that time, but he got out early. He was going to stop going to a bible study with his friend that night but decided that he should go. Usually we don't have a 3rd female/member with us, but we came from another appointment so we could come into his apartment (we have to have a 3rd female with us if we are at a single guy's house/apartment). All a coincidence? I think not.
-And my personal favorite: we set up an appointment to go see a less active member in our ward who is the head fashion designer for the pop band LMFAO. We showed up and his cousin said he wasn't home and that he lost his phone in a taxi cab that morning. We left our member's car outside his apartment and gave her a ride to go visit some other people in that area. A few hours later we are driving back to drop off our member by her car, when Sister Barney says "LOOK!" Lo and behold a giant van decorated in zebra print with neon lettering that says "Party Rock Clothing Company". He was pulling in and parking. I jumped out of the car and chased it down as Sister Barney drove behind. 45 seconds, before or after, we would have missed him. It was hilarious. And we had a good 25 minute chat. He's great. And his van? Pics to come. I'm sending my SD card home today hopefully!
Almost out of time :( sorry I can't share more!
Heavenly Father loves you. Your Savior loves you. I love you.
Make it a great week,
Sister Atkinson
This is a picture of her Westwood Zone (missionaries in a certain geographic area). On the top row 3rd from the right is an Elder Ryan Satre who is also from WV. He actually used to live in the Charleston in the 1st Ward when he and Ali were small. They did not remember each other but he most recently was in the Morgantown Student Ward as a freshman last year and knows John-Mark!
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Finally!!! MTC pictures and arrival in LA
MTC Entrance Day
January 9, 2013
A final wave good-bye!
All of her worldly possessions in three purple suitcases!
Sisters in the MTC district
Sister Ostler, MTC Companion,
by the "Biker" statue
MTC District
A visit to the Provo Temple
Sister Ostler and Sister A
in their MTC Dorm Room
The MTC World Map
"California Here I Come!"
All the new arrivals from the Provo MTC to the California Los Angeles Mission
January 30, 2013
President and Sister Baker and Sister A on arrival day
January 30, 2013
Sister A and her trainer, Sister Barney
Monday, February 25, 2013
We Are All Enlisted Til the Conflict Is O'er, Happy Are We! Happy Are We!
Hi guys, I still have no pictures but Brittany is going to help me this week so if all goes well you can see what she did while in Provo at the MTC and then if she sends more next week, we will be up to date! Thanks for your support of her. Dawn
hello all!
Today the sun is shining and is just one of those days you can't help but smile!
A big shout out to those who have written me letters and who commented on the ol' blog posts. Thanks! (my mom even forwarded me the zorz from Colton. Scotts-love you and hope you're doing well! Sar-love you! Write me!) Taylor is your competition this week? Good luck! Kel-heard you asked mom what to send me, haha--Gum! We chew it during our studies. Thanks so much! Love and miss you all!
I forgot my journal at home, so lets see what I can remember from this week!
-yes mom, our apartment is furnished. and yes we get fed almost every night :) we pass around that meal calendar at church until it's full, haha. We get a lot of pizza and soups and spaghetti from the young singles and lots of creative dishes from the young marrieds. We even have gotten swiped into the cafeteria at the dorms :) Sis. Barney is a health nut and she is keeping me healthy. Except she never eats the candy we get....aka more for me. haha, just kidding--we give candy to everyone! we leave it on doorsteps, give it to investigators, hand it out on campus, etc. Candy is the way to people's hearts. Also, Sis. Barney let me graduate to running out in the real world. The (c)ankles are really holding up, haha and I actually enjoy running now. (#miracleshappen. oh and yes, I still make my bed every morning :D ) We see so many homeless people. This one homeless guy we run past every morning, we need to be friends because we see him every day. It is hilarious to watch people's reactions as two tall white girls run past them at 6:30 in the morning and quite cheerfully say hello or good morning. People think that people in L.A. are mean, but really they just are too passionate with the car horn. People are generally really nice to us. One woman in the laundromat this morning randomly told me I had beautiful complexion, haha...and I have rosatia!
-we had another young woman serve as a mini missionary this weekend! She may or may not have taught some false doctrine in one of our lessons, haha, but it was so fun to have her!
-we spoke in church yesterday, haha. missionary work was the topic. obviously. I talked about how "every member a missionary" really means every member is a disciple of Christ. Part of our covenant or promise we make at baptism is to stand as a witness of God at all times, in all things, and in all places. I might have Christ's name literally written on the bottom of my name badge but when we are baptized we all promise to write His name on our hearts. We are disciples or learners of Him. We are all learning and trying to become like Him and to say, do, invite, serve and testify as He would.
I feel like I haven't really told you much about Sister Barney. We get along so well. We love working and we love people and we love teaching and we love laughing and we love the LDS singer, Alex Boye. "This companionship really is a trio--me, you, and Al." Remember how I found that 90s pop cd of Alex Boye doing hymn covers like he was a Backstreet Boy? All day. Everyday.
Yesterday in the UCLA ward council, it was so fulfilling to see their surprised faces by how much work we are doing. I love working on campus.
-Ashley is doing well! We met with her a couple of times anddddd she came to church! My favorite lesson we had this week with her was when we addressed her concerns about baptism and watched lots of Mormon Messages videos and talked a lot about faith. I love that girl so much. She is telling her Mom tonight about being baptized on March 9 or 10 so keep her (and her Mom) in your prayers!
-Allan. Oh Allan. I get so passionate about the gospel in our lessons with him. Sister Barney said after one of our lessons with him this week that all of my experiences in life help me with teach him and explain things to him. (shout out to growing up in the Bible Belt ;) ) We talked about the Book of Mormon a lot in our two lessons this week. We talked about the Book of Mormon logically (using that "essay assignment" thing Dad did once? It was in a book Mom gave me. It basically talks about how it's impossible that it was made up by Joseph Smith) and then how we have to understand it spiritually and watched the Restoration dvd. I basically tell him in every lesson that I refuse to give up on him, haha. He asks deep questions and I love studying in the mornings so I can be super prepared for our lessons with him.
-Kent! Kent is a new investigator who is from Salt Lake (go figure), but he never took the lessons from the missionaries. He has Aspergers (sp?) and is super smart and super sweet. He is really dedicated to school and struggles making time, but he has felt the Spirit and keeps saying "it all makes sense". Love him.
-Kelly. Have I told you about her before? She is a sweetheart whose best friend is Mormon. She comes to church almost every week and basically lives a Mormon life, but doesn't want to be baptized because she thinks that confirmation will come naturally rather then really working for it. She's a tough one. :)
Is that too much information about some of our investigators? I hope that isn't too much. We talk about having that desire to know all the time. Lots of the time people don't know what they are missing.
We are struggling finding people to teach in the Young Single Adult Ward. Some of our UCLA students can go to the YSA ward instead. It's hard to place people. We are doing lots and lots of work with less actives in the YSA ward which I definitely love, but we are praying that we can finally contact one of our several referrals for that ward (nobody picks up the phone and nobody is ever home. we even leave sweet notes and chocolate. :) )
-this week was the first time I have knocked on the door and knew the person saw us and hid in the back so she didn't have to answer, hahaha. Oh mercy.
-oh oh oh 58 new missions world wide?! HOW EXCITING.
-I love working hard and I'm determined to make better use of all of our time. The days when we are so tired we crawl into bed are my favorite. The other days where we have to sit in meetings and only can have a couple of appointments I get anxious.
-I'm particularly grateful for the Priesthood this week. And the Gospel Principles book explains things so well
-I didn't see any celebrities from the Oscars, haha We stayed away from that part of town yesterday.
I'm just so happy and grateful today! I love you all so much! Remember to smile and to pray :)
Thanks for everything!
Make it a great week!
Love,
Sister Atkinson :)
p.s. lots of pictures will be sent home on my card next week. stay tuned :) Mom did you ever figure out how to post them? I left instructions on that page... Oh and tell Ashley thanks so much for her package!!!!!!!!!
hello all!
Today the sun is shining and is just one of those days you can't help but smile!
A big shout out to those who have written me letters and who commented on the ol' blog posts. Thanks! (my mom even forwarded me the zorz from Colton. Scotts-love you and hope you're doing well! Sar-love you! Write me!) Taylor is your competition this week? Good luck! Kel-heard you asked mom what to send me, haha--Gum! We chew it during our studies. Thanks so much! Love and miss you all!
I forgot my journal at home, so lets see what I can remember from this week!
-yes mom, our apartment is furnished. and yes we get fed almost every night :) we pass around that meal calendar at church until it's full, haha. We get a lot of pizza and soups and spaghetti from the young singles and lots of creative dishes from the young marrieds. We even have gotten swiped into the cafeteria at the dorms :) Sis. Barney is a health nut and she is keeping me healthy. Except she never eats the candy we get....aka more for me. haha, just kidding--we give candy to everyone! we leave it on doorsteps, give it to investigators, hand it out on campus, etc. Candy is the way to people's hearts. Also, Sis. Barney let me graduate to running out in the real world. The (c)ankles are really holding up, haha and I actually enjoy running now. (#miracleshappen. oh and yes, I still make my bed every morning :D ) We see so many homeless people. This one homeless guy we run past every morning, we need to be friends because we see him every day. It is hilarious to watch people's reactions as two tall white girls run past them at 6:30 in the morning and quite cheerfully say hello or good morning. People think that people in L.A. are mean, but really they just are too passionate with the car horn. People are generally really nice to us. One woman in the laundromat this morning randomly told me I had beautiful complexion, haha...and I have rosatia!
-we had another young woman serve as a mini missionary this weekend! She may or may not have taught some false doctrine in one of our lessons, haha, but it was so fun to have her!
-we spoke in church yesterday, haha. missionary work was the topic. obviously. I talked about how "every member a missionary" really means every member is a disciple of Christ. Part of our covenant or promise we make at baptism is to stand as a witness of God at all times, in all things, and in all places. I might have Christ's name literally written on the bottom of my name badge but when we are baptized we all promise to write His name on our hearts. We are disciples or learners of Him. We are all learning and trying to become like Him and to say, do, invite, serve and testify as He would.
I feel like I haven't really told you much about Sister Barney. We get along so well. We love working and we love people and we love teaching and we love laughing and we love the LDS singer, Alex Boye. "This companionship really is a trio--me, you, and Al." Remember how I found that 90s pop cd of Alex Boye doing hymn covers like he was a Backstreet Boy? All day. Everyday.
Yesterday in the UCLA ward council, it was so fulfilling to see their surprised faces by how much work we are doing. I love working on campus.
-Ashley is doing well! We met with her a couple of times anddddd she came to church! My favorite lesson we had this week with her was when we addressed her concerns about baptism and watched lots of Mormon Messages videos and talked a lot about faith. I love that girl so much. She is telling her Mom tonight about being baptized on March 9 or 10 so keep her (and her Mom) in your prayers!
-Allan. Oh Allan. I get so passionate about the gospel in our lessons with him. Sister Barney said after one of our lessons with him this week that all of my experiences in life help me with teach him and explain things to him. (shout out to growing up in the Bible Belt ;) ) We talked about the Book of Mormon a lot in our two lessons this week. We talked about the Book of Mormon logically (using that "essay assignment" thing Dad did once? It was in a book Mom gave me. It basically talks about how it's impossible that it was made up by Joseph Smith) and then how we have to understand it spiritually and watched the Restoration dvd. I basically tell him in every lesson that I refuse to give up on him, haha. He asks deep questions and I love studying in the mornings so I can be super prepared for our lessons with him.
-Kent! Kent is a new investigator who is from Salt Lake (go figure), but he never took the lessons from the missionaries. He has Aspergers (sp?) and is super smart and super sweet. He is really dedicated to school and struggles making time, but he has felt the Spirit and keeps saying "it all makes sense". Love him.
-Kelly. Have I told you about her before? She is a sweetheart whose best friend is Mormon. She comes to church almost every week and basically lives a Mormon life, but doesn't want to be baptized because she thinks that confirmation will come naturally rather then really working for it. She's a tough one. :)
Is that too much information about some of our investigators? I hope that isn't too much. We talk about having that desire to know all the time. Lots of the time people don't know what they are missing.
We are struggling finding people to teach in the Young Single Adult Ward. Some of our UCLA students can go to the YSA ward instead. It's hard to place people. We are doing lots and lots of work with less actives in the YSA ward which I definitely love, but we are praying that we can finally contact one of our several referrals for that ward (nobody picks up the phone and nobody is ever home. we even leave sweet notes and chocolate. :) )
-this week was the first time I have knocked on the door and knew the person saw us and hid in the back so she didn't have to answer, hahaha. Oh mercy.
-oh oh oh 58 new missions world wide?! HOW EXCITING.
-I love working hard and I'm determined to make better use of all of our time. The days when we are so tired we crawl into bed are my favorite. The other days where we have to sit in meetings and only can have a couple of appointments I get anxious.
-I'm particularly grateful for the Priesthood this week. And the Gospel Principles book explains things so well
-I didn't see any celebrities from the Oscars, haha We stayed away from that part of town yesterday.
I'm just so happy and grateful today! I love you all so much! Remember to smile and to pray :)
Thanks for everything!
Make it a great week!
Love,
Sister Atkinson :)
p.s. lots of pictures will be sent home on my card next week. stay tuned :) Mom did you ever figure out how to post them? I left instructions on that page... Oh and tell Ashley thanks so much for her package!!!!!!!!!
Monday, February 18, 2013
'O Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever."
Sorry guys, I have not yet been taught how to post her pictures. Hopefully I will learn soon. Dawn
HELLO ALL!!!!!
Time flew this week.
The scripture in my subject line is one of my new favorites (2 Nephi 4:34) and it goes along with Isaiah 26:4 and Proverbs 3:4-6. New life motto. Trust in the Lord. It will all work out. :)
Sorry if I came off preachy last week, I'll be much more reserved this week, haha.
-Picture of Dad walking across Summers Street in the rain in newspaper was hilarious.
-The other day I was standing on the street waiting to get in the car and this giant white van speedily drove past us. The sliding door was open and this girl was hanging out of the door and called to us , "we ain't on crack." when she saw my surprised expression, she gave out the funniest cackle I have ever heard. "HEH. HEH. HEH." At that moment, I thought, "this is real life. this is not a youtube video. this is my life. ohhh mercy, my life stinkin rocks." yeah. never a dull moment in L.A. :)
-Eclipse gum car cup? Helped Sister Barney and I survive our studies and plannings the past two weeks. (we only chew gum in our apartment).
-This is way late, but can anyone tell me how Taylor's recital went?! I'm sure you did great Tay!
-Thanks Zack Long for commenting on the ol' blog! Mom forwarded it to me. Can't wait to hear from ya :)
-Loved the WVU Mountaineer on top of Seneca during fall picture you sent me Mom. go 'eers. And loved the Elder Holland quote from October 2012 General Conference typed all artsy. During that talk is when I got my 100% going on a mission prompting. I've been able to read it or watch it and the announcement about lower missionary age a few times since I've been out. I haven't cried much at all since I've been out, but I always tear up when I hear/read those two things. Changed my life!
-Okie dokie, Mom you won't get new pictures until you post the old ones and send me the card back, haha..Then I'll send this card home.
-Julianne Hough (famous dancer/actress in the new Footloose? less active Mormon?) ON MY CHURCH YSA WARD LIST. I freaked out when I saw it. No address or number listed, so I can't go knocking on her door. But I did find her childhood email address on an older list, hahaha. Dr. 90210? some plastic surgery reality show? He was in Sister Barney's old ward (Beverly Hills). Maybe I'll get to meet him. Almost everyone we meet has a close connection to a Mormon. It's surprising. We ran into a Korean guy yesterday who went to BYU for 6 months and some of his dad's friends translated the Book of Mormon into Korean. The Church is growing and the knowledge of it is rolling forth to all the world! Speaking of, mormon.org rocks. It's our favorite pass along card. It even has fancy QR code so we're tyring to get people to pull out their iphones and watch a video with us right there on the street or on campus.
-Sister Barney gave me a calendar my first day in the field and we write down a tender mercy or how we have seen the hand of the Lord that day. I have started to write down something I can improve or change for the next day. It really has helped me grow. I recognize how much I rely on the Lord, how much I need to stay humble, and to improve each day through the strength of the Lord.
-Mom asked about Allan. He's still meeting with us. This week we are going to have a lesson with him on feeling and recognizing the Spirit. Hopefully that will help.
-Ashley is doing well. Her friend at BYU is coming home the second week in March so we are really hoping that she'll keep her baptismal date of March 10. She has the faith and the testimony, but a few things are scaring her (family opposition and perfect knowledge and some other things). She is like a younger sister to me. She has progressed so much, and I just know that she'll continue to do so. I have decided that a reason my sister Brittany and I served on campuses/ young adult wards is because we have a Mom who joined the church at that age. We know what effect it can have on a person's life to join the church in the young adult years. I have found myself sharing Mom's story time and time again. Because my mom made that decision, she has an eternal marriage and family. I wouldn't be on a mission right now if my mom didn't have the courage to act on promptings. from the Lord. I love working with people this age!
Valentine's day was one of my favorites yet on my mission. This might sound super cheesy, but I recognized that I feel God's love for people that day. I meet people from all over the world, from all walks of life. Within a few hours the other day, I met an Italian, a Korean, a Lithuanian, a Iranian, etc. I met a homeless man and a professional ghost writer for how-to books. I met a Jewish person, a Muslim, a Southern Baptist who lived in Utah for a long time and was worried about converting us to her beliefs (hahaha, we killed her with kindness and we at least got her to giggle), an Agnostic, and an Atheist. I mean, literally everyone. But every time I meet someone I feel this overwhelming love for them. I have the desire to sit down for hours with them and hear their story and where they came from. I have this overwhelming desire to share what I know to be true with them. That God loves them. That God is their literal Father in Heaven. That He will answer our prayers if we ask. How do I care so much for people that I've known 2 1/2 weeks, 2 days, or 2 minutes? When they tell me a tragedy from their lives, I feel so much sorrow and pain for them. I could type for hours about the individuals I have met and how their trials and stories have effected me. The other night we had a lesson with someone who has been struggling. It broke my heart to hear about her trials in life, but I was overwhelmed when she shared a very sacred and personal experience she had with her Savior. I could feel God's love for her. God loved her so much that he sent His only Begotten Son to this earth. For her. And for me. And for you.
I love working with less actives. People who think this work is all about baptism are a little confused. It's about bringing others, all others, to come closer to Christ. Whether that's my companion, the man I talk to on the street for 25 seconds, to an investigator (someone taking the lessons), the ward I'm working in, and members who are struggling. Don't get me wrong I love extending the baptismal invitation and teaching the Restoration and I cannot wait to see Ashley baptized, but helping people set their sights on the temple? So rewarding as well. Baptism is a hugeeee first step, but eternal life is the end goal. If we can help anyone and everyone get closer to that end goal, that goal of eternal perfection and happiness with God and with our families? happy happy, joy joy. That's not just the purpose of missionaries, that's the purpose for each of us!
I truly love you all so much. Thanks for reading. Thanks for the prayers and support.
Make it a great week,
Sister Atkinson :)
p.s. check out some of the mormon messages and mormon.org videos. love them. share them.
p.p.s.- if anyone wants to email my mom and attach a document with his/her testimony of the Book of Mormon, I would love you forever. Do it landscape so you can fit two on a page. I'll make copies and slip them in the Book of Mormons we give out. Makes a great family home evening activity ;)
HELLO ALL!!!!!
Time flew this week.
The scripture in my subject line is one of my new favorites (2 Nephi 4:34) and it goes along with Isaiah 26:4 and Proverbs 3:4-6. New life motto. Trust in the Lord. It will all work out. :)
Sorry if I came off preachy last week, I'll be much more reserved this week, haha.
-Picture of Dad walking across Summers Street in the rain in newspaper was hilarious.
-The other day I was standing on the street waiting to get in the car and this giant white van speedily drove past us. The sliding door was open and this girl was hanging out of the door and called to us , "we ain't on crack." when she saw my surprised expression, she gave out the funniest cackle I have ever heard. "HEH. HEH. HEH." At that moment, I thought, "this is real life. this is not a youtube video. this is my life. ohhh mercy, my life stinkin rocks." yeah. never a dull moment in L.A. :)
-Eclipse gum car cup? Helped Sister Barney and I survive our studies and plannings the past two weeks. (we only chew gum in our apartment).
-This is way late, but can anyone tell me how Taylor's recital went?! I'm sure you did great Tay!
-Thanks Zack Long for commenting on the ol' blog! Mom forwarded it to me. Can't wait to hear from ya :)
-Loved the WVU Mountaineer on top of Seneca during fall picture you sent me Mom. go 'eers. And loved the Elder Holland quote from October 2012 General Conference typed all artsy. During that talk is when I got my 100% going on a mission prompting. I've been able to read it or watch it and the announcement about lower missionary age a few times since I've been out. I haven't cried much at all since I've been out, but I always tear up when I hear/read those two things. Changed my life!
-Okie dokie, Mom you won't get new pictures until you post the old ones and send me the card back, haha..Then I'll send this card home.
-Julianne Hough (famous dancer/actress in the new Footloose? less active Mormon?) ON MY CHURCH YSA WARD LIST. I freaked out when I saw it. No address or number listed, so I can't go knocking on her door. But I did find her childhood email address on an older list, hahaha. Dr. 90210? some plastic surgery reality show? He was in Sister Barney's old ward (Beverly Hills). Maybe I'll get to meet him. Almost everyone we meet has a close connection to a Mormon. It's surprising. We ran into a Korean guy yesterday who went to BYU for 6 months and some of his dad's friends translated the Book of Mormon into Korean. The Church is growing and the knowledge of it is rolling forth to all the world! Speaking of, mormon.org rocks. It's our favorite pass along card. It even has fancy QR code so we're tyring to get people to pull out their iphones and watch a video with us right there on the street or on campus.
-Sister Barney gave me a calendar my first day in the field and we write down a tender mercy or how we have seen the hand of the Lord that day. I have started to write down something I can improve or change for the next day. It really has helped me grow. I recognize how much I rely on the Lord, how much I need to stay humble, and to improve each day through the strength of the Lord.
-Mom asked about Allan. He's still meeting with us. This week we are going to have a lesson with him on feeling and recognizing the Spirit. Hopefully that will help.
-Ashley is doing well. Her friend at BYU is coming home the second week in March so we are really hoping that she'll keep her baptismal date of March 10. She has the faith and the testimony, but a few things are scaring her (family opposition and perfect knowledge and some other things). She is like a younger sister to me. She has progressed so much, and I just know that she'll continue to do so. I have decided that a reason my sister Brittany and I served on campuses/ young adult wards is because we have a Mom who joined the church at that age. We know what effect it can have on a person's life to join the church in the young adult years. I have found myself sharing Mom's story time and time again. Because my mom made that decision, she has an eternal marriage and family. I wouldn't be on a mission right now if my mom didn't have the courage to act on promptings. from the Lord. I love working with people this age!
Valentine's day was one of my favorites yet on my mission. This might sound super cheesy, but I recognized that I feel God's love for people that day. I meet people from all over the world, from all walks of life. Within a few hours the other day, I met an Italian, a Korean, a Lithuanian, a Iranian, etc. I met a homeless man and a professional ghost writer for how-to books. I met a Jewish person, a Muslim, a Southern Baptist who lived in Utah for a long time and was worried about converting us to her beliefs (hahaha, we killed her with kindness and we at least got her to giggle), an Agnostic, and an Atheist. I mean, literally everyone. But every time I meet someone I feel this overwhelming love for them. I have the desire to sit down for hours with them and hear their story and where they came from. I have this overwhelming desire to share what I know to be true with them. That God loves them. That God is their literal Father in Heaven. That He will answer our prayers if we ask. How do I care so much for people that I've known 2 1/2 weeks, 2 days, or 2 minutes? When they tell me a tragedy from their lives, I feel so much sorrow and pain for them. I could type for hours about the individuals I have met and how their trials and stories have effected me. The other night we had a lesson with someone who has been struggling. It broke my heart to hear about her trials in life, but I was overwhelmed when she shared a very sacred and personal experience she had with her Savior. I could feel God's love for her. God loved her so much that he sent His only Begotten Son to this earth. For her. And for me. And for you.
I love working with less actives. People who think this work is all about baptism are a little confused. It's about bringing others, all others, to come closer to Christ. Whether that's my companion, the man I talk to on the street for 25 seconds, to an investigator (someone taking the lessons), the ward I'm working in, and members who are struggling. Don't get me wrong I love extending the baptismal invitation and teaching the Restoration and I cannot wait to see Ashley baptized, but helping people set their sights on the temple? So rewarding as well. Baptism is a hugeeee first step, but eternal life is the end goal. If we can help anyone and everyone get closer to that end goal, that goal of eternal perfection and happiness with God and with our families? happy happy, joy joy. That's not just the purpose of missionaries, that's the purpose for each of us!
I truly love you all so much. Thanks for reading. Thanks for the prayers and support.
Make it a great week,
Sister Atkinson :)
p.s. check out some of the mormon messages and mormon.org videos. love them. share them.
p.p.s.- if anyone wants to email my mom and attach a document with his/her testimony of the Book of Mormon, I would love you forever. Do it landscape so you can fit two on a page. I'll make copies and slip them in the Book of Mormons we give out. Makes a great family home evening activity ;)
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