Dear Family,
I have had a wonderful week! Something clicked this week that I have been working so hard for, and I finally feel comfortable and confident in this area. I am very happy. :) Confidence is everything as a missionary, because if we lack it, missionary work is so hard, and we are tired all of the time. But when we have it, we are alert, happy, successful, motivated, and able. I guess it really is faith. I struggled with my faith in myself for a little while there, but it is back! I can talk to anyone!
Anyway, it has been a good week.
So last Monday night, a series of strange events happened. We were feeling a little discouraged, and it was about time to go home. But we wanted to talk to one more person, and there was a woman on the street watering her lawn. We went over and talked to her, and she was very nice. It turned out that she had a chinese Book of Mormon (she's chinese), and had been to the Visitors' Center several times. Crazy! We talked to her about the Book of Mormon, and we set up a return appointment. She said she wasn't interesting in changing religions, but she would hear more from us. New investigator! Sweet! But later in the week, she called us to cancel her appointment because she really didn't see the point (asian culture is wonderful because it requires people to cancel instead of just avoiding us). The weird thing was that her name came up when she called--she was already in the phone from past missionaries. hm. That's weird. So we looked in the area book through all of the records of former investigators and potential investigators, and we couldn't find her anywhere. strange. I said, "there is no way she would be in here..." and started to flip through the ward list. There she was! A Do Not Contact on the ward list! She was already a member! Then I said again, "I have an idea, but there is no way it would be here..." and there in the back of the area book was her teaching record and baptismal record!! Weird. She was taught and baptized five years ago and got antied. So anyway, no new investigator there. How strange. I think the Lord wants her to come back. We are erasing the Do Not Contact next to her name. :) We're sisters now, after all. :)
Then on Tuesday we got a third companion! The Liberty Stake are doing these cool things called mini-missions. I think I already told you about that. Well, Sister Riddle arrived on Tuesday morning, bright eyed and 16! I thought they would be older, but she was only 16 and going to live with the missionaries for three days! Crazy. I don't think I would have done it at her age. She did well. She was a little shy, which was expected, I guess, but she was up for anything. We walked a lot those few days because we had a no car day. She brought the wrong shoes and got blisters, but at least it was only short term. It was great because we had standing next to us all day the motivation to do everything perfectly and boldly. We wanted her to have a good experience, so we gave everything 190%. It was exhausting, but we taught so many lessons this week. My goal is to teach 20 lessons in a week someday. We taught 17. So close! We are going to get another mini-missionary this week, and we already have ideas to make it a better experience for her. We are going to give her a Book of Mormon the first day and tell her that she has three days to give it to someone. Sister Hodson has her half empty MTC planner, so we are going to give her a planner to use for the three days, and then she can tear out the pages when she leaves and put them in her journal.Then she can actually plan with us and be involved in everything we do. We're excited--the second of three.
This week we discovered a miracle--there are two tiny ghetto streets in all of Overland Park and we found them. It was awesome. I didn't realize how much I missed the ghettos until we found those two streets of duplexes. It was amazing. I was in my happy place. It was healing. That is where I regained my confidence. We taught four lessons there. We are going back. :) People smoke there, people have imperfect yards, houses, cars, they work at McDonalds, and they talk to strangers. All in all, a missionary's happy place. Sister Hodson has never seen that before, and she just laughed at how excited I was getting.
Also, we got a full time car this week! It arrived on Wednesday. It is dirty, but when we wash it and love it, it will be wonderful. The elders brought us our new car and a new phone, and it was like Christmas came early. I was so happy. :) We are combining phones so that we don't have separate phones for the two areas. I'm glad. That will be nice. And this one is a touch screen. Nice.
One sad thing that happened this week is we visited a less active old woman in the Red Bridge Ward. I love her. I love visiting her. But this time, she was discouraged. She feels like she has nothing left to look forward to, and she is a little mad at God. Everything is going down hill, and she knows it won't get better for her or her husband here-on out. I am glad she doesn't see well because I cried the whole time we were there. I have never seen such lack of hope. We talked about eternity and the Plan of Salvation. We encouraged her to pray. I was a soggy wreck when we left, but the gospel does give us hope! We know that what is now is not what forever will be! There isalways something to look forward to. This sadness is so short in comparison with the happiness that is ahead of us if we endure.
We got a phone call this morning from President Keyes. I have been called to be a Sister Trainer. All that means is that I do exchanges to train the sisters nearby. Our mission is so spread out that I just have two other sets of sisters to look out for, so I just have to do two exchanges a transfer. No big deal. But I'm excited because Sister Lewis, who I trained originally is in my area, Sister Van Camp, who I came out with, Sister Thorne who is my best mission friend, and Sister Sant, who is amazing, are all in my area. It's going to be fun to do exchanges. :) I hope I get to stay and do it for two transfers. I feel like my whole mission has been grooming me to be a Sister Trainer at one of the Visitors' Centers. We'll see.
Also, Selene, the first woman I taught isn't doing well. She's great in that she is active and has been called as the Relief Society Secaretary (which is wonderful for her), but she is going through a very very hard time. Pray for her.
Well, I better go, but I love you all. It's going to be a great week!
Love,
Sister Atkin
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Moved, but not Transferred
Dearest Family,
That's right, we moved, but we weren't transferred. I'm still in Overland Park with Sister Hodson, and I am glad. I like her a lot. I hope I get to stay here a little while longer, but we'll see. Actually, our whole district stayed the same, which was nice.
But we did move! I think I told you before that we live with members out here. It's really nice. Well, we lived with the Andersons (the stake Patriarch), but their 22 year old son is moving home this week, so out the sister missionaries go. Actually, the stake out here likes the missionaries to move every four months anyway. I think to make it less overwhelming to agree to house the missionaries, and also to spread around the blessings. So on Saturday we moved to the Gassin's. They are a cute young family. They have 3 kids ages 7, 5, and 2, and he is an anesthesiologist. They are very kind and generous, and their house is HUGE. It is very nice. We live in the basement, where we have our own room, walk in closet, bathroom, kitchenette with fridge and microwave, and a fireplace open area (it isn't furnished yet) with our folding chairs and card table in it. We feel totally spoiled. I'll send you a picture of their house. It is really nice. I haven't played on their Steinway baby grand yet, but I'm planning on it.
Sister Gassin is so nice and completely cute. The parents both look younger than they are. Their kids are fun and well behaved (well, Jake is a two year old. So still a little crazy, but cute.) I can't even count how many times they have urged us to ask for anything we need. She's willing to do our laundry (I think we will still do our own) and feed us whenever. She's a stay at home mom. I really do like them. They are such kind, fun, people, and she is crafty and cute (and can afford it. :) ).
Last week was a good one. We really have hit it off with a less active couple, especially the wife (I think I told you that last week), and we saw her a lot this week while she was on "vacation". She fed us dinner and gave us banana bread and gave us rides. It was wonderful. I think I will write her. I really do like her. She and her husband were sweethearts in high school, but the school was so big (1000 people in her class!) that they went separate ways and got married and had lives and things. He joined the church. Then they met up again in their fifties, both divorced, and got back together. Then she joined the church. They are married and they are so cute. She showed us her yearbook. I think it is adorable.
The Fourth of July was actually a pretty rough day. Well, it was a roller coaster, really. We found out Tuesday night that I was staying in the area (yay! I like Sister Hodson, and I don't feel done here! We texted Megan, our investigator, right away, and she was super excited, too). Then Wednesday morning we got the car back, which was a relief. We could drive! We then got a phone call from the Zone Leaders (we have a strange friendship with them. I don't know if they think I'm annoying or really like us. But whatever) saying that we are going to get a full time car. They are the types to pull jokes on us, so he had to tell me five times before I actually believed them. Yay! We are going to have a car!!! I was so glad. We're still waiting for it to arrive from Independence, but it is coming. We will have to be careful because we have a small miles allotment, but it will be great.
Then we had a ward breakfast, which was good, and then a ward lunch, which was also good (two wards=two meals). None of the people we invited came. :( And I thought we were going to get pulled over, which would mean that we would have no car for a month, which sent me into a state of high stress. but we didn't, and I slowly recovered.
We tried to talk to people that day, but I wasn't feeling well, it was over a hundred degrees, and no one was home or wanting anyone to knock on their door. It was a rough day. We didn't get permission to go to fireworks to meet Megan's mom, and I was glad. I was pretty worn out. Dinner was BBQ at a member's home, but some of the people there were comparing home locations and prices as compared to social status, which is lame. Most people aren't like that out here.
Anyway, the rest of the week was pretty good. It was really slow as far as lessons and new investigators go. We worked hard, but life happened.
Saturday we moved. Man, it wore us out. It was hot.
On Sunday I gave a youth talk in church. I was proud of the fact that I stayed within my 5-7 minute time limit. It was on 'the Essential Role of Member Missionary Work' by M. Russell Ballard. I feel like it went well. I used Alma 20 and about how people have to meet the church in the right way and right time in order for conversion to happen, so we have to pray and rely on the spirit, and God will help us. I think it went well.
We had dinner with a family that adopted 3 kids from Russia (well, Kazakhstan). They have 6 kids now, ages 12 to 6. Crazy. So much fun, though. :)
Then last night we taught Megan again. We keep feeling that there is something missing for her. She is so really to go that nothing has been difficult for her. And usually conversion comes when we have to exercise our faith. Well, we talked about faith last night. She told us that she prayed about it and picked July 28th as her baptismal date. We were so glad because that was the day we picked, too! We all felt really good about it. She just had to run it past her less active mom. Well, she did. And her mom said yes to baptism, and no to the day. Megan was crushed. This is probably the trial of her faith. Please pray that her mom's heart will be softened! Megan is ready!
So that was my week. Nothing too exciting. Sister Hodson and I are working together better and better. We still run into dead ends sometimes, but we work through it, and no disagreement or hard feelings last more than a few minutes. I can honestly say we haven't gone to bed with hard feelings. She forgives me so easily, because I really think that it's usually my fault for pushing her too hard. I really like her. We are getting along well, and I feel like I'm learning so much from her. I just hope she learns things from me!
Yesterday there was finally a break in the weather. It is a little nicer today (probably only in the 90s! It was over 100 all last week!). So life is good.
Oh, one other story. We got pulled over. We were driving and I was going the speed limit and everything. I saw a cop on a side road, and I smiled because I knew I was doing everything right. But I still got the distinct impression to be very careful and exact in my driving. A few turns later I looked in my rear view and there was the cop. She turned on her lights and pulled me over. She came and asked for my license and registration and all of that. She told us that the reason we were pulled over was because the tags on the car were expired. Our Zone Leaders keep forgetting to give the stickers to us, but it is up to date online, so she was able to look it up and see that we were legal. Anyway, so we were good to go. I just know that if I hadn't been careful, she would have found something to give me a ticket for anyway. But I was exactly obedient, and we were okay. And we get to keep our car. She heard we were missionaries and started asking a lot of questions about what we were doing and where we were going, and then informed us that soliciting is illegal in Leawood (one of our little cities), and unless we wanted the cops called on us, we couldn't go door to door. We were headed to an appointment, so it was all good. She was nice, but I know she wasn't super happy about us being missionaries, and if we hadn't been kind and good, she would have found something to give us a ticket for. The cops in this area get bored sometimes. Can you find out for me if we are technically soliciting? I don't think we are, but you should find out for me. I don't want the cops called on us, but we probably will have to knock a couple of doors there at some point...
Anyway, answers: I'm happy, staying cool, we don't have problems with dogs (everyone has them, but they are usually well trained), we do go right up and knock on doors, and our wards are nice and helpful, but need some missionary nudging.
I love all of you. :) Have a wonderful week!
Love,
Sister April Atkin
That's right, we moved, but we weren't transferred. I'm still in Overland Park with Sister Hodson, and I am glad. I like her a lot. I hope I get to stay here a little while longer, but we'll see. Actually, our whole district stayed the same, which was nice.
But we did move! I think I told you before that we live with members out here. It's really nice. Well, we lived with the Andersons (the stake Patriarch), but their 22 year old son is moving home this week, so out the sister missionaries go. Actually, the stake out here likes the missionaries to move every four months anyway. I think to make it less overwhelming to agree to house the missionaries, and also to spread around the blessings. So on Saturday we moved to the Gassin's. They are a cute young family. They have 3 kids ages 7, 5, and 2, and he is an anesthesiologist. They are very kind and generous, and their house is HUGE. It is very nice. We live in the basement, where we have our own room, walk in closet, bathroom, kitchenette with fridge and microwave, and a fireplace open area (it isn't furnished yet) with our folding chairs and card table in it. We feel totally spoiled. I'll send you a picture of their house. It is really nice. I haven't played on their Steinway baby grand yet, but I'm planning on it.
Sister Gassin is so nice and completely cute. The parents both look younger than they are. Their kids are fun and well behaved (well, Jake is a two year old. So still a little crazy, but cute.) I can't even count how many times they have urged us to ask for anything we need. She's willing to do our laundry (I think we will still do our own) and feed us whenever. She's a stay at home mom. I really do like them. They are such kind, fun, people, and she is crafty and cute (and can afford it. :) ).
Last week was a good one. We really have hit it off with a less active couple, especially the wife (I think I told you that last week), and we saw her a lot this week while she was on "vacation". She fed us dinner and gave us banana bread and gave us rides. It was wonderful. I think I will write her. I really do like her. She and her husband were sweethearts in high school, but the school was so big (1000 people in her class!) that they went separate ways and got married and had lives and things. He joined the church. Then they met up again in their fifties, both divorced, and got back together. Then she joined the church. They are married and they are so cute. She showed us her yearbook. I think it is adorable.
The Fourth of July was actually a pretty rough day. Well, it was a roller coaster, really. We found out Tuesday night that I was staying in the area (yay! I like Sister Hodson, and I don't feel done here! We texted Megan, our investigator, right away, and she was super excited, too). Then Wednesday morning we got the car back, which was a relief. We could drive! We then got a phone call from the Zone Leaders (we have a strange friendship with them. I don't know if they think I'm annoying or really like us. But whatever) saying that we are going to get a full time car. They are the types to pull jokes on us, so he had to tell me five times before I actually believed them. Yay! We are going to have a car!!! I was so glad. We're still waiting for it to arrive from Independence, but it is coming. We will have to be careful because we have a small miles allotment, but it will be great.
Then we had a ward breakfast, which was good, and then a ward lunch, which was also good (two wards=two meals). None of the people we invited came. :( And I thought we were going to get pulled over, which would mean that we would have no car for a month, which sent me into a state of high stress. but we didn't, and I slowly recovered.
We tried to talk to people that day, but I wasn't feeling well, it was over a hundred degrees, and no one was home or wanting anyone to knock on their door. It was a rough day. We didn't get permission to go to fireworks to meet Megan's mom, and I was glad. I was pretty worn out. Dinner was BBQ at a member's home, but some of the people there were comparing home locations and prices as compared to social status, which is lame. Most people aren't like that out here.
Anyway, the rest of the week was pretty good. It was really slow as far as lessons and new investigators go. We worked hard, but life happened.
Saturday we moved. Man, it wore us out. It was hot.
On Sunday I gave a youth talk in church. I was proud of the fact that I stayed within my 5-7 minute time limit. It was on 'the Essential Role of Member Missionary Work' by M. Russell Ballard. I feel like it went well. I used Alma 20 and about how people have to meet the church in the right way and right time in order for conversion to happen, so we have to pray and rely on the spirit, and God will help us. I think it went well.
We had dinner with a family that adopted 3 kids from Russia (well, Kazakhstan). They have 6 kids now, ages 12 to 6. Crazy. So much fun, though. :)
Then last night we taught Megan again. We keep feeling that there is something missing for her. She is so really to go that nothing has been difficult for her. And usually conversion comes when we have to exercise our faith. Well, we talked about faith last night. She told us that she prayed about it and picked July 28th as her baptismal date. We were so glad because that was the day we picked, too! We all felt really good about it. She just had to run it past her less active mom. Well, she did. And her mom said yes to baptism, and no to the day. Megan was crushed. This is probably the trial of her faith. Please pray that her mom's heart will be softened! Megan is ready!
So that was my week. Nothing too exciting. Sister Hodson and I are working together better and better. We still run into dead ends sometimes, but we work through it, and no disagreement or hard feelings last more than a few minutes. I can honestly say we haven't gone to bed with hard feelings. She forgives me so easily, because I really think that it's usually my fault for pushing her too hard. I really like her. We are getting along well, and I feel like I'm learning so much from her. I just hope she learns things from me!
Yesterday there was finally a break in the weather. It is a little nicer today (probably only in the 90s! It was over 100 all last week!). So life is good.
Oh, one other story. We got pulled over. We were driving and I was going the speed limit and everything. I saw a cop on a side road, and I smiled because I knew I was doing everything right. But I still got the distinct impression to be very careful and exact in my driving. A few turns later I looked in my rear view and there was the cop. She turned on her lights and pulled me over. She came and asked for my license and registration and all of that. She told us that the reason we were pulled over was because the tags on the car were expired. Our Zone Leaders keep forgetting to give the stickers to us, but it is up to date online, so she was able to look it up and see that we were legal. Anyway, so we were good to go. I just know that if I hadn't been careful, she would have found something to give me a ticket for anyway. But I was exactly obedient, and we were okay. And we get to keep our car. She heard we were missionaries and started asking a lot of questions about what we were doing and where we were going, and then informed us that soliciting is illegal in Leawood (one of our little cities), and unless we wanted the cops called on us, we couldn't go door to door. We were headed to an appointment, so it was all good. She was nice, but I know she wasn't super happy about us being missionaries, and if we hadn't been kind and good, she would have found something to give us a ticket for. The cops in this area get bored sometimes. Can you find out for me if we are technically soliciting? I don't think we are, but you should find out for me. I don't want the cops called on us, but we probably will have to knock a couple of doors there at some point...
Anyway, answers: I'm happy, staying cool, we don't have problems with dogs (everyone has them, but they are usually well trained), we do go right up and knock on doors, and our wards are nice and helpful, but need some missionary nudging.
I love all of you. :) Have a wonderful week!
Love,
Sister April Atkin
Monday, July 2, 2012
HOT
Dearest Family,
I love all of you sooo much. I just have to thank you for how supportive you are of me. I just feel so blessed today.
It's been a good week! We were on bikes, and it was over 100 for most of the week, but it was actually an amazing week. I've been pretty discouraged about the bikes recently, but God just showed me this week that I don't have to be. :)
First of all, last monday we started teaching another teenager. He's a foster son of a family in one of the wards (actually, his foster brother was my Zone Leader in the MTC. Small world). For having been in foster care basically his whole life, he is an optimistic, happy kid. I really do think he will choose to be baptized. So now our two most solid investigators are teenagers. :)
Then on Tuesday were exchanges. For sisters, exchanges are a much bigger deal because we are so spread out. We do exchanges with the sisters in Lawrence, Kansas (where KU is), which is about an hour away. I went up to Lawrence for the day, and Sister Hodson got to take over the area. It was a day of miracles. It was fun to see the progress of someone else's investigators and celebrate with them. I was with Sister Van Camp, who was the only other sister to come out with me. She is a full pros sister (not VC--it's in our calls, so our missions are different), so I didn't know her well in the MTC, but she is very nice. We were both a little nervous that we hadn't learned as much as the other sister, but it was fun to see her again and see how much we have grown in the last nine months. I've been out nine months! Aaaahhh!
Then on Wednesday was District Meeting, which was fine, except that it means that we give up the car. I was feeling pretty discouraged about it. I wasn't feeling super great in the first place, and then it was 105 on the heat index. HOT. Honestly, I wasn't in the best mood about it. We had no appointments until late in the evening, and no dinner appointment. It was a day of what looked like really horribly miserable tracting. But then we just went off of faith, and headed out into the heat anyway.
We decided it would be unhealthy and unsafe to bike in the heat, so we started walking. We got maybe a half a mile away when a van honked at us, and then slowed to a stop. It was a member. She was driving her son to the orthodontist basically in the same direction as the place we were walking to (2 miles away). So she gave us a ride. Then, when she dropped us off we stood on the corner for a second while Sister Hodson was on the phone, and a member walked out of one of the houses--I had no idea she lived there. She told us that when we were done in the neighborhood, she could give us a ride home and to just knock on her door. Sweet! Our day looked suddenly very much brighter.
We ended up walking around and tracting for an hour, which was long enough to make me more sweaty than I have ever been in my life, but we had water, and we were in good moods. I think people felt bad for us, so they weren't as mean. Then we were able to see an investigator that we hadn't seen for a long time and teach her! She let us in her air conditioned home and gave us ice water. It was a total miracle. We felt so blessed!! So it ended up being the highlight of our week. We know God is aware of us, and even cares about us getting discouraged in the heat. What a wonderful day. :)
On Thursday, a member and her nonmember boyfriend drove us around all day. He was visiting from Alabama, and she didn't have any exciting plans for him, so they drove around the missionaries. It was an interesting day. I hope we gave him a good impression. Her parents were really excited about it. He's a hard core Episcopalian, so he probably won't join, but he's reading the Book of Mormon for her, and it was an interesting day for everyone involved. We taught him the full plan of salvation in the car.
Friday we also got rides. There is sister that just moved in the ward that is 7 months pregnant and bored, so she volunteered to drive us all day. We had another good day. We actually were in a car or in an appointment all day. It was awesome. It was a little weird because the sister that drove us around is actually younger than me (old maid alert!) and is pregnant, but no big deal. I'm glad to be here.
There is a less active in the ward that Sister Hodson and I have hit it off with recently. Her husband has health problems, so it is hard for her to get him up to go to church, so she hasn't gone for a while. But since we started dropping in on her, she's started showing up to church. Every week. We didn't even say anything about church because it didn't feel right. She LOVES us. Actually, I really love her, too. I feel like I'm cheating whenever I visit her because we all love it so much, but there is a definite correlation between our visits and her attending church. I think we are her favorites. :) She's having us over for dinner tonight. She's taken some vacation time this week and she has said several times, "If you need a ride or anything, Call me. I'm on vacation." Most people don't have that feeling about the missionaries talking to them while they are on vacation, but I think we are the highlight of her vacation. :)
We also really really love the Christenson family. I know I've told you about them before, but they had us over for Sunday dinner and to teach Megan. Again, I feel like I'm cheating to have so much fun on my mission sometimes, but it is good to be happy. They are bugging us to try to get special permission to stay out late and watch fireworks with them on Wednesday. I think we really will, but not because we want to stay out late (=tired), but because Megan's mom and two nonmembers they want us to meet will be there. It will be a great finding opportunity, and Megan's mom really is the only missing piece to get her all ready for baptism. Megan really wants it and her mom will let her, but her mom isn't really supportive, and Megan is hanging back until her mom softens. We hope this could be a chance to soften her mother's heart towards us and the church.
Today we have rides again, so we didn't have to bike to the library, which is a huge blessing. I just feel so blessed!!
Transfers are this thursday, but I really don't think I will be moved. We'll find out tomorrow. Sister Hodson is in training, so I think I will stay. I haven't been here very long either. Either way, we are moving on Saturday to a young family's home in the Stanley ward (we live in the Red Bridge Ward currently). We're excited. They are a wonderful family. They also live in a very very wealthy neighborhood, which will be interesting. Nice in that we will get the basement of their house with its kitchenette to ourselves. They have kids ages 6, 4, and 2, so that will be fun.
Also coming up this month is that we are getting some sisters on mini-missions! Nineteen year old girls from nearby get to come stay with us and be missionaries for 3 days. I'm so excited. It will be a lot of fun. They sleep in our room and everything. We are getting three of these girls in July.
I really do feel like I belong here, now. After all I heard before I got here about how this is a "hard" area, it isn't true, and I'm learning to really love it. We taught 15 lessons this week which is a new record for me! Next up, we are going to teach 20 lessons a week! Yes! (that includes lessons to investigators with and without members there, and also lessons to less actives, but that's it).
Anyway, I love you all! Have a wonderful week!
Love,
Sister April Atkin
P.S. I guess the funny story of the week is that girl that we are teaching that was raised by lesbians. We taught her repentance and basically laid it all out on the line for her. I was pretty bold, but I felt strongly about it. We felt like we should drop her, probably, but we couldn't figure out how. Then she texted us that night and dropped us saying that she didn't want to meet with us anymore. It was late, so we laughed and went to bed without responding. In the morning, she called us. She does a lot of things for attention, so I think our lack of response to her dramatic dropping us killed her. So she called us and didn't let us drop her. Now she wants to get her Young Women's medallion. Go figure. Anyway, now we will help her get that. Just a funny turn of events.
I love all of you sooo much. I just have to thank you for how supportive you are of me. I just feel so blessed today.
It's been a good week! We were on bikes, and it was over 100 for most of the week, but it was actually an amazing week. I've been pretty discouraged about the bikes recently, but God just showed me this week that I don't have to be. :)
First of all, last monday we started teaching another teenager. He's a foster son of a family in one of the wards (actually, his foster brother was my Zone Leader in the MTC. Small world). For having been in foster care basically his whole life, he is an optimistic, happy kid. I really do think he will choose to be baptized. So now our two most solid investigators are teenagers. :)
Then on Tuesday were exchanges. For sisters, exchanges are a much bigger deal because we are so spread out. We do exchanges with the sisters in Lawrence, Kansas (where KU is), which is about an hour away. I went up to Lawrence for the day, and Sister Hodson got to take over the area. It was a day of miracles. It was fun to see the progress of someone else's investigators and celebrate with them. I was with Sister Van Camp, who was the only other sister to come out with me. She is a full pros sister (not VC--it's in our calls, so our missions are different), so I didn't know her well in the MTC, but she is very nice. We were both a little nervous that we hadn't learned as much as the other sister, but it was fun to see her again and see how much we have grown in the last nine months. I've been out nine months! Aaaahhh!
Then on Wednesday was District Meeting, which was fine, except that it means that we give up the car. I was feeling pretty discouraged about it. I wasn't feeling super great in the first place, and then it was 105 on the heat index. HOT. Honestly, I wasn't in the best mood about it. We had no appointments until late in the evening, and no dinner appointment. It was a day of what looked like really horribly miserable tracting. But then we just went off of faith, and headed out into the heat anyway.
We decided it would be unhealthy and unsafe to bike in the heat, so we started walking. We got maybe a half a mile away when a van honked at us, and then slowed to a stop. It was a member. She was driving her son to the orthodontist basically in the same direction as the place we were walking to (2 miles away). So she gave us a ride. Then, when she dropped us off we stood on the corner for a second while Sister Hodson was on the phone, and a member walked out of one of the houses--I had no idea she lived there. She told us that when we were done in the neighborhood, she could give us a ride home and to just knock on her door. Sweet! Our day looked suddenly very much brighter.
We ended up walking around and tracting for an hour, which was long enough to make me more sweaty than I have ever been in my life, but we had water, and we were in good moods. I think people felt bad for us, so they weren't as mean. Then we were able to see an investigator that we hadn't seen for a long time and teach her! She let us in her air conditioned home and gave us ice water. It was a total miracle. We felt so blessed!! So it ended up being the highlight of our week. We know God is aware of us, and even cares about us getting discouraged in the heat. What a wonderful day. :)
On Thursday, a member and her nonmember boyfriend drove us around all day. He was visiting from Alabama, and she didn't have any exciting plans for him, so they drove around the missionaries. It was an interesting day. I hope we gave him a good impression. Her parents were really excited about it. He's a hard core Episcopalian, so he probably won't join, but he's reading the Book of Mormon for her, and it was an interesting day for everyone involved. We taught him the full plan of salvation in the car.
Friday we also got rides. There is sister that just moved in the ward that is 7 months pregnant and bored, so she volunteered to drive us all day. We had another good day. We actually were in a car or in an appointment all day. It was awesome. It was a little weird because the sister that drove us around is actually younger than me (old maid alert!) and is pregnant, but no big deal. I'm glad to be here.
There is a less active in the ward that Sister Hodson and I have hit it off with recently. Her husband has health problems, so it is hard for her to get him up to go to church, so she hasn't gone for a while. But since we started dropping in on her, she's started showing up to church. Every week. We didn't even say anything about church because it didn't feel right. She LOVES us. Actually, I really love her, too. I feel like I'm cheating whenever I visit her because we all love it so much, but there is a definite correlation between our visits and her attending church. I think we are her favorites. :) She's having us over for dinner tonight. She's taken some vacation time this week and she has said several times, "If you need a ride or anything, Call me. I'm on vacation." Most people don't have that feeling about the missionaries talking to them while they are on vacation, but I think we are the highlight of her vacation. :)
We also really really love the Christenson family. I know I've told you about them before, but they had us over for Sunday dinner and to teach Megan. Again, I feel like I'm cheating to have so much fun on my mission sometimes, but it is good to be happy. They are bugging us to try to get special permission to stay out late and watch fireworks with them on Wednesday. I think we really will, but not because we want to stay out late (=tired), but because Megan's mom and two nonmembers they want us to meet will be there. It will be a great finding opportunity, and Megan's mom really is the only missing piece to get her all ready for baptism. Megan really wants it and her mom will let her, but her mom isn't really supportive, and Megan is hanging back until her mom softens. We hope this could be a chance to soften her mother's heart towards us and the church.
Today we have rides again, so we didn't have to bike to the library, which is a huge blessing. I just feel so blessed!!
Transfers are this thursday, but I really don't think I will be moved. We'll find out tomorrow. Sister Hodson is in training, so I think I will stay. I haven't been here very long either. Either way, we are moving on Saturday to a young family's home in the Stanley ward (we live in the Red Bridge Ward currently). We're excited. They are a wonderful family. They also live in a very very wealthy neighborhood, which will be interesting. Nice in that we will get the basement of their house with its kitchenette to ourselves. They have kids ages 6, 4, and 2, so that will be fun.
Also coming up this month is that we are getting some sisters on mini-missions! Nineteen year old girls from nearby get to come stay with us and be missionaries for 3 days. I'm so excited. It will be a lot of fun. They sleep in our room and everything. We are getting three of these girls in July.
I really do feel like I belong here, now. After all I heard before I got here about how this is a "hard" area, it isn't true, and I'm learning to really love it. We taught 15 lessons this week which is a new record for me! Next up, we are going to teach 20 lessons a week! Yes! (that includes lessons to investigators with and without members there, and also lessons to less actives, but that's it).
Anyway, I love you all! Have a wonderful week!
Love,
Sister April Atkin
P.S. I guess the funny story of the week is that girl that we are teaching that was raised by lesbians. We taught her repentance and basically laid it all out on the line for her. I was pretty bold, but I felt strongly about it. We felt like we should drop her, probably, but we couldn't figure out how. Then she texted us that night and dropped us saying that she didn't want to meet with us anymore. It was late, so we laughed and went to bed without responding. In the morning, she called us. She does a lot of things for attention, so I think our lack of response to her dramatic dropping us killed her. So she called us and didn't let us drop her. Now she wants to get her Young Women's medallion. Go figure. Anyway, now we will help her get that. Just a funny turn of events.
Humidity
Dearest Family,
It has been a great week. :)
First, to respond to your emails. That is exciting about the Napolis! I am so excited for them. They really have been prepared for the gospel, in my opinion. You are being wonderful member missionaries. I am so proud of you! Now you understand the stresses of a missionary when the members at church don't pay careful attention to what they say over the pulpit or what they teach in classes or even what songs they sing! They don't even think about there being people in the room that haven't been through the temple, let alone that aren't members! We are lucky enough to have a Gospel Principles class so that we can control what sunday school experience they have. I bet if you talked to the bishop about starting a class, he would be up for it. Having a Gospel Principles class is really good for nonmembers, new members, less actives, or those who are struggling with their testimonies. It is a good resource for any ward to be able to strengthen the people who come at their level. Just a thought.
Thank you so much for telling me that Grandma and Grandpa are helping pay for my mission! I will write them another letter. I enjoy writing them. :)
Well, the week started off a little rough. You know that I am really struggling with being on bikes. It kills me, kind of. I get discouraged because we can't go where I think we need to go, and we are stuck talking to people that aren't the people I think we need to see. But the Lord knows. That's what I have to remind myself. The Lord knows! He knows that not having a car is hard! He knows I am trying my best!
The reason I started that way is that the elders asked for an extra car day this week. More like they assumed they would have it an extra day, then asked permission last minute. I thought about it, and I couldn't tell them no. I could think of all of the things I could say to make them feel guilty or all of the logical reasons that it was rude of them to expect to have the car an extra day, but I couldn't say those things to them, and I knew that I needed to let them have the car. So we did. And I cried. We actually had a pretty rough day on foot. Oh, well. Life moves forward.
Then we got the car, and things started happening. We went to very few houses where someone wasn't home or wasn't interested. It was a great week! The best part was that we found new investigators! I think I told you this, but last weekend we had a mission wide fast to find investigators every week this summer. And it has already started. :)
The best one was that we showed up to a potential's house, and she was in the open garage. At first when she saw us, it was clear she was having a bad day, and she did NOT want us to add to her bad day. But we talked and we listened and were loving and friendly. She told us about her bad day. Then she opened up more and more and told us her life's story. She is Mong and from Loas. She lived through the Vietnam war as a kid. We heard about her arranged marriage at 13, and about her now very blessed life. She have PTSD (surprise), but she is now happily married (her second marriage) with three beautiful, happy kids. Her husband makes a living from a hot dog stand, but it is heaven to her. Living in America and having a happy family means that all of her dreams have come true.
She wants to start taking her kids to church. Her husband was raised Baptist, but he stopped going when his mom moved out of town. His mom wants them to just go toany church. They are looking for a church. She has know members since she was a kid, and loves the church. She's all on board for joining, but says we need to convince her husband, because she follows his lead.So we may have found a whole family! A missionary's dream! And I love her so much already. We laughed and cried together, and she hugged us before we left. She seemed excited for us to come back and talk to her husband.
Another cool thing that happened this week was that Megan, our 17 year old investigator, went to girl's camp. She missed the first half, but she loved it. Out here, they have stake camp every year because some wards aren't strong enough to do it on their own. Also, camping is a completely different experience in the midwest. Now I understand the connection between drunk hicks and camping, because no one else out here in their right mind would really want to do it. Ticks (hundreds of them), fleas, and chiggers are normal and a natural part of camping. It is hot and humid and doesn't cool down at night. Things mold. There are a ton of little critters everywhere all of the time -- mice. It is unsanitary to the extreme, and in general a bad experience.
Anyway, they still have girls' camp. And Megan still loved it. You know how they have the parents write their kids letters to get at camp? Well, Megan's mom, of course, didn't write a letter. Instead, she got a letter from her aunt, uncle, and cousins, and then was the only girl in the camp to get two letters because she got one from the sister missionaries, too. :) She's amazing.
I've told you this before, but her aunt and uncle's family have kind of adopted us. He's a top notch attorney, and she's a real estate agent (a good one). Anyway, but the dad thinks a lot like I do. He's very clever, and very funny. I may have told you this before, but they have a 19 year old daughter that in some ways is a lot like me. She is very logical and very intelligent. Probably too much for her own good. Her parents are starting to really worry about her because she is so logical that her testimony is getting a little shaken. They don't know how to reach her.
But the minute I met her, we connected. I get her. Our brains work the same way (well, except that she is probably smarter than me, and I have a bit more of the emotional/creative side). And I know that the spirit has spoken through me to her already. She loves coming out with us, and she loves talking to me. I part way think I was sent out here for her, even though she is an active member. Her parents are super excited that we get along and really really want her to continue to connect with me. Her boyfriend is coming to town from Arkansas this week, and her dad could barely contain his excitement of having the boyfriend meet me this week. He wants them both to come to appointments with us sometime this week, and the daughter seems okay with it. So we'll see how that goes...
This week I have been mostly studying Moroni 7. I read it over and over because I keep feeling drawn to it. I think there is something I am supposed to learn in that chapter. It has so many good ideas in it, and I think I just need to completely understand the connecting factor. I'll let you know how that goes, too.
Well, I'm out of time, but I love you loads. This week, I just ask for your prayers as we go on bikes in 100 degree weather. Pray for me to have a good attitude. Also, Sister Hodson's grandmother passed away last week, so pray for her, too. She is doing really well, but I still worry.
I love you!
Love,
Sister April Atkin
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