Dearest Family,
General Conference was so good! We got to see all of the sessions. :) We were in the VC for one of the sessions, but it wasn't busy, so they let us watch it until someone came in and wanted a tour. So we got to see the whole thing. :) Overall take away message: be kinder. I haven't been the perfect companion recently (well, probably ever), no matter how hard I try. This was the kick in the pants I needed to keep trying. I did see Frank in the choir. We were all so jealous of the missionaries that got to sing! What an opportunity!
Selene is still wonderful. :) She really liked conference. I wish you could be her visiting teacher, too! You would be soo good. I really wish the two of you could be in correspondance, mom. I just love her so much. We haven't gotten to see her much recently. She hasn't connected super well with anyone in the ward, although she likes everyone and they like her. Hopefully we can find a best friend for her. :)
As for my week, it was a pretty good one. It was a downer week for numbers because a lot of things happened so we didn't get a lot of time in our area. The Visitors' Center was good. I hope the Tolman's from Young Ward show you the picture they took with me the other day. :) They didn't know I was serving here, and were very shocked to see me when they walked in the door. I haven't been called April out loud for a long time, but I was really glad to see them. It was fun to show the Visitors' Center to them. You'll get to see it someday. :)
Did I ever tell you about the amazing part member family we are teaching? Well, we had a wonderful lesson with them this week. We taught the gospel of Jesus Christ (lesson 3) by reading 2 Nephi 31 together. The husband isn't a member, but is really an amazing person. He is very spiritual, and a wonderful father. He was raised Baptist, and has been a substitute preacher in churches before. He's really been a spiritual leader. They come to church regularly, and he says that he agrees with 80-90% of everything he hears. So we're working through the kinks, and it is going great! We asked him to pray about April 28th as a baptismal date. He readily agreed, and then chuckled a little bit. "You are going to think this is funny, but that is the day I was saved when I was younger." His wife got very excited. "It's a sign!" she said, "You'll get baptized on that date, and then we'll get sealed April 28th 2013! Oooh, is the Paris Temple going to be done by then? We could get sealed in Paris!" So basically she's planning out their future now. She's very excited. He laughed and said he would pray about it, but maybe they should aim for a closer temple like the Kansas City Temple, and they could travel to Paris later. hahaha! He's so getting baptized. I just love them so much! I know this will bless their family. They have two adorable daughters. One is 4 (I think) with adorable pig-tails and big eyes. The other is 8 months and adorable, too. I'm so excited for them to be sealed. :) I hope I get to go.
Matt, the 17 year old, is doing well, too. We've started involving the priests in teaching him. They love it, their moms love it, the young men leaders love it, and it is good for Matt, too. We're hopefully teaching him at an FHE tonight.
We went on exchanges this week and it was fun. I really like Sister Minall. She's one of my best friends out here. She's 25 and converted when she was 20 in DC (that's where she's from). I just love her! Anyway, so we had a fun day together. We taught the first lesson to one of their investigators. Last last Sunday, he just showed up at church saying that he used to drop off his friends there, so he decided to come. That's how they found him. So he liked the first lesson, and we invited him to be baptized. He said yes and set a date and everything! He said that he met with elders in '83 and really liked them. He wanted to join the church back then, but then he didn't know what happened to them. So he decided to go back to the church where he had dropped them off before. Crazy! He wanted to join the church nearly 30 years ago! Since then he's kicked a drinking problem, so he's even more ready. He watched all sessions of general conference and came to a baptism. What a cool old guy. And he brought us a bag of gifts--deoderant, anti-wrinkle cream, sparkling water, a hat for a doll and a map of France. He's good. :)
On last Friday we had a ward party--a Temple Celebration. It was really well put together. We were glad to see less actives and partmember families come. It was so fun!
Then on Saturday was General Conference. It was a wonderful day! Our best friends, Sister Sawyer and Sister Minall had a baptism of a 19 year-old young man. His name is Branden, and he's amazing. Sister Minall really was sent here specifically for him. A lot of his conversion has happened at the Visitors' Center, so all of the sisters are friends with him. So we all got to go and be a part of his day. I played the piano (I play a lot out here, by the way). It was so wondeful! He will go on a mission. I'm sure of it. He's a cool football player kid, and he's really giving up a lot to join the church, but it's right, so there you go. One of his music heroes is a member of the ward, so Alo Key got to baptize him and sang a beautiful musical number with Sister Sawyer as a surprise. It was a beautiful day. baptisms always are.
General Conference was good. I especially liked Jeffry R. Holland (I always do. He's my favorite. :) ) and Richard G. Scott. Did you see David F. Evans? He was the one that came here to speak to us about Alma 17-42.
So it has been a good week. I really feel like a mission is the best of times and the worst of times. It's the best thing ever. I love it. We get to see miracles every day. We are on the front lines of the battle, so we get to see the work going forward. But it means we also get to feel the brunt of the attack of Satan. His firey darts are relentless. This week has been rough keeping his lies away. I feel like all of my weaknesses are magnified out here. So I have to constantly remind myself that I am not alone out here, and that the Lord gives us weaknesses that we may be humble. And if we bring those weaknesses to Him and allow Him to help us, His grace is sufficient to turn those weaknesses to strengths. It is all through His grace. My mission is really forcing me to rely on His grace. Sometimes I feel like I am full of weaknesses, full of holes, and His grace is the scaffolding that is keeping me standing and moving foward. I just need to rely on Him to help me be better. I have to have the humility to accept His help.
So life is good. :) This week begins the Temple Openhouse madness and I am so excited. The first night, April 7th, is the first shift we have there. My birthday gift from heaven. :)
We aren't going to be getting much sleep. The morning shift starts at 7:15, and the night shift ends at 9:45. And it is a half-an-hour away. So, yeah.
Know that I love you all very much, and I hope you have a wonderful week. Thank you for your prayers. I have felt them helping me. Know that I'm praying for you, too. :)
Love,
Sister April Atkin
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