Crayons from Heaven

Hey. :)

 

It's been another good week! I've attached a few pictures I think you will really enjoy. When Sister Lewis and I were in a really ghetto part of our area the other day, we saw this stop sign and HAD to take a picture. If you struggle reading spray paint it says, "STOP snitchin" (translation--stop tattling. Probably to the cops.) haha! I thought it was pretty great. Also, that is a picture of the Visitors' Center in the spring. I love tulips and daffodils!

 

That is so neat about being set apart! I love the idea you have about recognizing the dignity of the calling. It's crazy to realize what a privilege it is to serve in a calling. Really, we can't downplay the calling. Sometimes it is hard for me to grasp that I am a representative of Jesus Christ. Sometimes it would be easy to downplay or disbelieve the importance of my calling, but really I should understand that it is big and strive to live up to it. I love being a missionary. :) SOO much. :)

 

As for my week, it's been a good one. Last Tuesday we got anti'ed again at the VC, but it is alright. I'm learning good tactics to deal with it. One of those is to just bear your testimony. They can logically disprove everything about the gospel, but they can't take away the spiritual experiences we've had. Most of them won't outright tell you that you are lying about having an experience, and if they do, what do they gain? Nothing. Because I know those things have happened, I know that God knows it, and I cannot deny it. Just like Joseph Smith.

 

Oh, and I read the book of Acts in basically one day. It's amazing! I feel jipped that I didn't grow up learning those Bible stories! They are so exciting! I felt like I was reading the Odyssey (spelling?) or something. Man, Paul did some really funny stuff and some really cool stuff. Now I'm in Romans, which is much slower reading. Some of it is harder to understand, but I still like it.

 

Oh, and Sister Lewis and I have started running/walking every morning. I love it. :) It feels good. And you know what? The air really is different here. I can really tell the air is not dry and that we are at lower elevation. It's pretty obvious when I run. When we were running, a truck's muffler fell off on the road in front of us. So we got to do a good turn. We picked up the hot muffler and gave it to a very grateful man (we waved him down).

 

Sister Lewis finally passed off all of her lessons, so she's driving now. It's important to have her learn her way around the area, so she drives all of the time now. It's weird to think that I might be transferred for the first time in a couple of weeks. The likelihood is that I will stay, but you never know. We'll just have to see.

 

Okay. Yesterday was the day this week that was exciting. We invited everyone to church, and we were hoping for a few of them to come. When church started, we didn't see any of them. But come to find out, we had 7 investigators at church! Kesha and her 4 kids, a part member family, and Matt, the 17 year-old we are teaching! That is definitely a new record. And we are going to keep getting it! That wasn't even counting another man that came to church that we aren't teaching, and another nonmember I can't think of right now. Anyway, it was a great Sunday.

 

So you are now wondering, how did church go? Was it as good as last time Kesha's whole family came? Well, I'm here to say, miracles happen. See, when we left the apartment we didn't think Kesha was coming (well, we were almost positive, because she only comes if she can get a ride with a member). But something told me to pack crayons and paper anyway. After the sacrement was passed I turned around and there she was! Without even talking to us, some members picked them up and brought them to church!! So we went and sat by them, and the crayons worked miracles. Not only were we not going crazy, Kesha actually got to hear some of the testimonies! She mentioned that she was happy about getting to actually hear some of it because her kids were quiet. Man, those crayons were the best thing that has ever happened to church. Somehow I just knew I would need them when I packed my luggage to go to the MTC. Who knew it would lead to a good church experience. The Lord works in mysterious ways--even through crayons. :)

 

Last night a group came in from BYU. They were in the Landscape Management major, so they all knew Jessica Briscoe. That was fun. They were such a fun and respectful group! The spirit was so strong. I was very impressed. It made me happy to be associated with the same school as them. I know that they represented the church well at their competition in the way they acted. I just loved them! It really was a needed boost. What wonderful people. I love working at the Visitors' Center!

 

This week is going to be a good one! I'm looking forward to General Conference SO much. And our ward is doing some good activities. And some of the sisters (my best sister friends, Sister Hannah Minall and Sister Rachel Sawyer) are having a baptism this Saturday. The VC was a big part of his conversion, so he's having a lot of the sisters participate. He's 19, and he's going to serve a mission. :) What a good kid.

 

Well, I better go, but I love all of you SO much. I've been blessed with a wonderful family!

 

Love,

Sister April Atkin