Humid

Hello Family!

I am so happy to be emailing. Life is good. :)

I am trying to figure out how to capture everything that happened this last week. We'll see how it goes.

Last Friday we had our first district meeting and our district is huge! We have 7 companionships, and two of them are trios. I think it is the biggest district in the mission. Our District Leader is a young, shy, good missionary. He is doing well, and I am glad to have him. He is humble and close to the spirit. He also makes Sister Harding feel more comfortable because she can relate to him.

Saturday night was really unique. There is a recent convert in the ward that is really sweet, but perhaps a little too attached to the elders, so the bishop has advised them to limit their contact with her. So she is our responsibility now. This Saturday, her mother was passing away, and the elders couldn't go because they want to help her attach to other people. So we went. It was crazy because she invited us into her mother's home with her whole extended family. We were the only nonfamily members besides the nurse. The mother was on a hospital bed in the living room, and was unconscious. It was clear that every breath was difficult, and every breath look like it would be the last one. We were there to comfort. We talked about the plan of salvation in a simple way, especially about God's Love for us in the plan. The nurse for some reason looked to me a leadership person, and when talking to the group about the condition of their mother, was looking and talking at me. It was strange.

We went outside and prayed with this recent convert and cried with her. A half an hour after we left to go home that night, her mother passed away. It was really sobering. We were almost there when it happened, and the family would have been fine with it. We were welcome as religious figures. I looked at that old woman and thought about how she must be feeling right now. She was traveling along the transition between this phase of the plan of salvation and the next. Did she feel nervous? Excited? I can't imagine how I will feel when I get there someday...

On a more cheerful note, Sunday was fun because we got to go to Relief Society for the first time since we came to this new ward. Everyone was so friendly. I really like this ward. We had dinner with the Relief Society President. She was wonderful. She is in her late 20s, and is president over a full family ward with much older, more experienced women in it. Her husband is in dental school, she has two kids, and she works from home part time on the computer. I don't know how she does it all. She is so calm and put together, though. She says the Lord is really helping her. I am so impressed. There are so many people in the church carrying heavy burdens that I didn't even recognize before. I am so grateful for their service. She gave us a list of names to visit, and we are excited to do it and build her trust. We have already hit some this week.

On Monday we visited a less active part member family. They were so nice. The mom is a convert of a few years, and her kids don't even know about it! So we ended up teaching her daughter was baptism was. It turns out that later that day, the elders visited her, too! They had no idea that we had been there. But they ended up teaching her boyfriend (who we hadn't even met) and got a new investigator! We were super jealous. Funny that the spirit led both of us the same place that day. :)

Tuesday we did exchanges, and I learned a lot from the other sister. It was a good perspective change for both Sister Harding and I. Sometimes I just get so serious and concentrated that I forget to laugh and be carefree. The Lord has got this. But I do still have a lot to worry about it. I just need to be more peppy some days, I guess.

Then last night we had a miracle night in our area. We went to a street Sister Harding felt good about and we tracted and met a ton of people that were willing to listen. It was awesome. Sister Harding and I really clicked in our teaching styles, and it felt so good. We came home on fire and full of the spirit and joy. It was awesome. She is really growing recently. It is crazy to see that sometimes satan is really working on us to make us frustrated or grouchy, but when we overcome it, miracles happy. He's so sneaky. But we are determined to be better. I really do like her. She can be really funny. All of her clothes are cute, which makes me look bad, but who cares. haha. :)

Of course, not all is carefree. I have been faced with some pretty serious issues in my calling as a Sister Trainer at the VC. Please just pray for me to have the inspiration to do the Lord's will. Sometimes I don't know the right thing to do to help these sisters. A leader has a heavy weight to bear, especially when they know confidential stuff they can't tell their companion. I am doing well and handling it well, but I would appreciate some prayers that way.

I did get your mail--thank you! I wish it would snow here, too! That is awesome that you went to Flagstaff this week. I am sure you made a huge difference. :)

I love you all!

Love,

Sister Atkin

P.S. Also, It has been super humid this week. I am sticky! It has been hot and cold. I would just like it to snow...