Week 27 (12/13/11): body builder?

Hellooooo

 

So..transfers are NEXT WEEK!!!  Time is seriously flying by so fast!  I'm sort of not ok with it right. :)  I will get transferred on Dec 22.. hopefully I will still serve at the Trail Center, but you never know.

 

I don't talk much about the tours I give at the Trail Center, so here is one..  I took a family of 6, 3 generations, Parents, their kids, and their kids..all adults.  They were all non members.  They, like most, came in for the gingerbread displays.  I talked to them about the history of the area and they were interested.  Then as I took them on tour, I of course brought the gospel in, and the Plan of Salvation.  I felt prompted to share my testimony of the Plan of Salvation as we were in the memorial room looking at the temple and the cemetery.  The spirit was strong.  They began asking questions.  By the time I had finished the tour, 3 of them took a copy of the book of Mormon and one is currently meeting with missionaries.  I later found out that the oldest gentleman was a Pastor and had been most of his life.  He was one of the three who wanted a copy of the Book of Mormon. SO COOL!  The spirit is so strong at the trail center.  I love it.  You try to give a book of Mormon to someone on the street and they think you're crazy (they're generally right)  BUT the trail center is a whole different deal...

 

We decorated the Marlers ( less actives for like 40 years..who have now been coming to church for the past 2 months!!!!) Christmas tree with them and their family ( also less active) We taught about the Savior's birth. It was such a neat night.  I love them. They are a LOT of fun.  I told Brother Marler to find dad on facebook...I may be sorry later...

 

There was an old lady at the Trail Center ..and when I say old..I mean like 95??  She was PLAYING the piano.  I was so nervous when she came in I thought she was going to kill over.. next thang I know.. shes all over the place on the piano!!!  I couldn't believe it. I thought surely I had taken too much Day Quil or something.. totally reminded me of dad... of course not the old part. just the real good at the piano part... :)

 

Weird weather here... its snowed like crazy.. and then all melted..THANKS FOR THE PRAYERS!!!!!!!!  :)

 

I think my companion may be a body builder???  I don't know... I'm still trying to figure it out....... its weird. but I love her.

 

ok.. I gotta runza. Love you all....

Week 26 (12/05/11): burrrrrsies

Hello!!

IT:S SO COLD!!!!!  Why didn't anyone tell me it was going to be cold???  :)  Our cars were grounded on Saturday.  It was exciting/kind of annoying.  When the roads are so bad, they ground all the mission cars and we can't drive anywhere.  Which I'm fine with, because I'm the one who has to drive!!  Yikes.  BUT the snow is beautiful.  It's definitely beginning to feel a lot like Christmas!  

Speaking of Christmas...wasn't the First Presidency's  Christmas Devotional amazing??  Wow.  I loved it.  Our polish guy said it resolved all of his concerns!  WOOHOO!!  The power of the spirit is incredible.  Nothing that was said, was anything he was concerned about.  But the feeling that had as they were speaking, he KNEW they were men called of God.  So amazing.  

We have been teaching a lot.  Freezing a lot. and having fun. a lot.  I am so excited for Christmas.  We are going caroling with Heather's, (our recent convert who just left on her mission) father.  We are so excited.  He is so much fun.  He reminds me a lot of dad.  

Not much happened this week..or at least I don't remember much.  It's all a white blur. a cold white blur. 

Sorry this letter is a total snoozefest.  I'll try to write down the exciting stuff for next week.  My p day will be on TUESDAY next week.

Remember, you never stand taller than when you do something that you don't want to do.  Get out of your comfort zone...and GROW!  :)

I love you all.  mucho.

Sister Atkin

Week 25 (11/28/11): clownin' around

Hellooo!

 

Oh geeez.  I don't even know where to start this week. 

 

I forgot to follow up with you on the tour with Elder Golden.  It was AMAZING!  He is incredible!  To answer your questions..no. I did not get interviewed..BUT I was asked to bear my testimony at the end of the conference, for the whole mission.  and Elder Golden. No big deal.  AHHH I wanted to throw up.  Whats new..I know.  But after all was said and done..it was an incredible experience and opportunity I will never forget.  I am so grateful for that invitation.  I took lots of notes and learned so much.  The main thing I walked away with..is WHERE IS YOUR FAITH!  and TRUST IN THE LORD.  We hear these things ALL the time, but when you're doing what the Lord wants you to..we just need to relax and stop worrying.  EVERYTHING will work.  We just need to TRUST! 

 

I've been praying my entire time in Skyline for a member's less active son who has been in and out of jail and is just a hot mess.  Last night, we were teaching his girl friend(who is not a member) and the son just happened to be there (as he is out of jail)  We had the most powerful spiritual experience.  The father bore his testimony and the son was in tears, as were we.  He had never had the opportunity to share these things with his son (who is adopted).  We set the girlfriend for bbaptism in January and after the lesson the son thanked us and said he couldn't wait until Saturday (our next lesson) Miracles are definitely happening in Skyline!!  I called President and told him all about it and then he asked me if I had any questions..and I said yes.  Just one.  What are the chances of me staying in Skyline for another transfer??  He laughed..and said..not very good, but keep praying!  :) 

 

Ok, so Thanksgiving??  WHAT A TRIP!!  Me. Sister Unice.  The Furr Family.  Single mother with 10 adopted special needs children. Craziest day of my life. I have some pictures I'll send.  It was so fun!  --Thanks for the Dixie Salad :)  One of the boys hated me.  Everything I said he would roll his eyes.  I was trying to figure out how to make their ice machine make ice..and I was talking to my companion and I said " how do I make the ice??"  the kid came up to me and he was like.."ARE YOU SERIOUS??  YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO MAKE ICE???  I don't know why God made girls, they don't know ANYTHING!"  haha  my laughing didn't really help the situation.  BUT on the other hand..one of the other boys kept signing to me that I was his girlfriend and followed me everywhere. and yes.  we have lots of pictures together.  :)

 

I met a guy that went to clown school. and has his "clown degree".  For reals?  He showed me his licence.  "Tickles the Clown".  gross.  He also attends a clown convention once a year.  Where everyone goes in their git up.  This is a thing I think I would enjoy attending.....

 

 

AND before I forget..or Kim sends me another email in ALL CAPS RAGE :)  .. here are the Christmas deets....

 

For Christmas this year any of things would be GREAT...

Bobby Brown Make up (mom knows what I like...)

Jillian Michael's work out DVD's

Very Sexy Mist from Victoria Secret...totally missionary approved.. :)

Stationary

PICTURES OF EVERYONE!  I send pictures..it's only fair I get some back...

AND LAST but definitely not least...for everyone to attend the temple EVERY week...

 

You can send stuff to the Bartletts, where you've been sending stuff... but Transfers are on Dec 20.  So anything sent after the 17th, needs to go to Mission Office, because who knows where I'll be!

 

11930 Arbor St STE 203

Omaha, NE 68144

 

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING!!  I LOVE YOU!!!!

 

Sister Atkin

Week 24 (11/21/11): jack FROST

Holy. Smokes!!!

 

It's cold.  Why didn't anyone tell me it was going to be cold here???  ha.  When I tell the members I'm FREEZING, they laugh, and tell me "just you wait" with a smirk.  I'm so not excited. Just thought I'd throw that out there...

 

SOO this email is going to be SHORT!  Not a whole happened this week.  The Gingerbread Festival at the Trail Center started today.  And it smells sooooo GOOD!  I'll take pictures of them and send..they are AMAZING!  These people are serious about their gingerbread.  I'm not kidding.  It's an ACTUAL calling ...to be on the Gingerbread Committee.  hilarious. 

 

We started teaching this young girl, we'll call her Jane, and now her MOM wants to start taking the discussions after talking to her less active neighbor (who we also teach) ...  SO COOL! 

 

I heard Heather Furr called you guys to get my favorite Thanksgiving recipe??  She is the CUTEST!  She was just baptized a year ago and leaves for her mission to IDAHO in 2 weeks!!!  She is a superstar.  I love that girl.  We will be having Thanksgiving at her house with her non member parents who are HILARIOUS!  We always have a good time. They have also invited this family over who have adopted TEN  SPECIAL NEEDS children.  I cannot even imagine.  This is going to be one BUSY Thanksgiving.  I'm excited for the new adventure, but will miss our traditional family  Thanksgiving that generally consists of too much food, sleeping, and the infamous sharing of the inappropriate things we are thankful for.  I LOVE THE HOLIDAYS!  and you miss you all soooo much!  I hope you enjoy it and make it a special day for someone.  We are all SO loved, and so blessed.

 

MUAH!

Sister Atkin

Week 23 (11/15/11): no shave november

Hello!!

 

I was just thinking..its about this time of year that Dad forgets to shave for several weeks at a time.  Sooo DAD!  It's time to start growing your santa beard. You grow yours and I'll grow mine.  :)

 

This week has been AMAZING!  It seems like I say that a lot..but it's TRUE!  We set a darling girl for baptism on December 10!  She can't wait.  WEEE can't wait! :)  She is friends with a couple girls in our ward.  She is 17 and has led a pretty rough life.  She has found peace and comfort as she comes to church and she feels at home. Of course she does!  THIS IS HOME! 

 

In Relief Society they had these two girls sing "When He Comes Again" and I started bawling my eyes out.  It totally reminded me of Kimi's Farewell.  And I started missing my family..BIG TIME!  BUT don't worry, its not the first time.  Good thing Heavenly Father has been blessing us with so many teaching opportunities to keep me busy and focused!

 

Elder Golden of the Seventy is coming to speak to our mission tomorrow!!  I'm so excited!  He is going to interview 3 missionaries. I want to be one of the missionaries so bad!  What an incredible experience that would be. I have been preparing ALL week for this conference.  He is also going to do a training for all the leaders...( trainers included ) so I get to be apart of that too!

 

I got my boots and a big fatty coat so now I'm a LITTLE bit more ok with winter rolling around. :)  I can't believe it still hasn't snowed yet..BUT i"M SOOO OK WITH IT. 

 

I know cross dressing is frowned upon..but seriously, sometimes I think it would be SO much easier if we were in white shirts and ties... because that = mormons.  Two girls in long skirts= Jehovah's Witness's. SO ANNOYING.  Everyone and their dog thinks we're JW..even when we introduce ourselves and MISSIONARIES from THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST of LATTER DAY SAINTS.  Maybe this is something I will suggest to my Mission President...  :)

 

Walked 5 miles in my little cowboy boots.  bad idea.

 

You know its time..WAY passed time..when your less active says:

" oh sister atkin! girrrl when yous get a weave???" 

me: haha I didn't!

" sister atkin!  yous cannot lie to me!  yous an angel of God and you gots yoself a weave!"

me: listen, annette...I don't have time to get a weave..nor the $$$  I just REALLY need a haircut... ( then I let her check out my hair..)

"sister atkin..girrrl. yous have GOT ta git yer hurrs cut."

 

aaand this is the story of my life. and I love it. 

 

The gospel of Jesus Christ not only blesses lives, but it changes lives.  Rory is a man that was recently baptized in our ward and his story is INCREDIBLE.  There is no way he would still be here if he hadn't met the missionaries.  His story is touching and it is real.  Check it out.. http://mormon.org/me/52T0/ 

 

I love and miss you all so much! 

Make someones day today..

 

Sister Atkin

Week 22 (11/09/11): Donny and Marie

It's me again.... 

 

I forgot to mention that this week is transfers. TODAY actually..but good news.. I'M STAYING SKYLINE!!!!!  Best. day. ever.  I'm leaving my district, which I'm SUPER sad about it.  Those Elders are hilarious and I love them all!  I've been with them since I got here..so I guess its time to make new friends!  Oh..and I'm staying still training Sister Unice.  Which I'm also excited about it.  She is totally crazy...and this is why we get along so well.  I love that girl.

 

MIRACLES!!!!  So many are happening here in Skyline.  It's crazy.  When I got here we had a teaching pool of ZERO.  It's been hard work, but we have 2 people set for baptism and are now teaching THREE families and have THREE appointments set up with members and their friends who already want to be baptized!!  and we haven't even taught them anything yet!  I'm so excited... We are so so SO blessed to be trusted with having so many teaching opportunities!

 

A few night ago we were following up with a man we had given a mormon.org card to. His son invited us in (because it was FREEZING) and the wife was like "WHO ARE YOU???" and we told her.. and she said "we aren't interested, we're Christian!!"  and I said, "thats wonderful!  We are too!  and she said "@#$45 6$%&%^*  GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!!!  YOU'RE A CULT AND YOU THINK YOU ARE GOD!!!! "  It was terrifying.  I'm thinking about sending her a Finding Faith In Christ DVD... :)  I know she said she was Christian...but..lady definitely needs Jesus.

 

We were serving in the Trail Center yesterday, and Sister Proctor(SO AWESOME) is sitting there waiting for someone to come in.. and shes like " OH WOW.. ok.. who is this?  This is someone famous?  Yeah? No? WHO IS THIS GUY?"  These two guys walk in and are SO friendly and come right up and shake our hands and ask us our names...blah blah anyway we find out one of the guys had serve his Mission here about 6 months ago.  Well while he and his cousin were talking to Elder Watson (the Director) it hit me.  He totally looks like Donny Osmond!  We all starting laughing and cracking Marie jokes.  I told Sister Proctor when she take them on tour just keep calling  him brother Osmond.  We were laughing pretty hard. (easily amused out here in the mission..i know..)  Anyway.. long story short..She starts the tour and asks them their names..and he's like oh Thomas and Justin Osmond.  WE LOST IT.  hahahaha  They were totally related.  Made my day.

 

Fast and Testimony meeting this week including the following...

Stories about warts

kids teeth turning black

"the church is better here than in California"

and than some other REALLY great testimonies.

 

I love this work and I love the Lord.  Have an AMAZING day.  Love and miss you all!!!! 

and Nikki... GIVE EM HEAVEN!!!!  :)

 

Sister Atkin

Week 21 (11/01/11): ghost busters

Hello My Little Monsters...

 

This week has been nutso.  So crazy busy. I love it. We had exchanges last week and for the first time I left SKYLINE!  It was scary/exciting.  I went to Ralston.  So..let me help you understand what that means.  I went from country clubs to ghetto thugs. SO SCARY.  I've been so spoiled in Skyline that a common everyday event totally freaked me out. But don't worry.  I lived and was able to laugh it off.  We were talking to black guy by his trunk about prophets or something... and this drunken girl comes stumbling out of her apartment and is yelling..  @##$%$%&*&$^$#!!!!!!!  I didn't know who exactly she was talking to... but then the guy we were talking to ended up being her boy friend and he starts laughing he's like "Baby baby relax, its the MORMONS!"  and shes like I don't care who the #$%$#%^ ... you get the idea. So we start to leave and crazy chucks her keys at me and starts clawing at her boyfriends face while trying to chase after us...hahaha  its funny now.. but.. was absolutely terrifying at the time.  I LOVE MISSIONARY WORK!  :)  But we actually did have a pretty cool experience right after.  We tracted into this woman who had met with the missionaries before and she had had a very difficult experience with her mothers death and she was upset with God and long story short..the spirit was so strong that was willing to let us teach her how to pray.  and she DID!  It was so amazing. She felt so good.  We felt so good.  And she wanted to set up another appointment.  AMAZING. 

 

Ok so this week in District meeting, Elder from Space, who is now im my district, (I'm sure you remember him from past e-mails...) had all of us in tears.  He was talking about an investigator who they have been having trouble getting a hold of.. well I guess they FINALLY called them back and told them that she thought there were ghosts in her house and she wanted them to come and get rid of them.  and this was his reply.. "Who do you think we are??? GHOST BUSTERS?? We're missionaries."  haha  and he was dead serious.  I have been laughing about that all week. 

 

Also, I had a dream. I have been SOOOO blessed to get my favorite candy from all my favorite people and thus I am literally swimming in pumpkin reeses.  and am NOT complaining.  Anyway. Back to my dream. I was at the grocery store with one of our recent converts (who just got her call to IDAHO :( haha.  I totally get it.  )  and there were reeses on EVERY isle.  It was like super market sweep and I was opening as many bags as I could I was eating all these reeses and I'm pretty sure by time I had woken up I eaten at least 400.  I woke up and seriously felt soooo disgusting.  and you better believe I checked to see if I chocolate all up in my sheets.  good news.  it really was just a dream.

 

I've given up on my journal.  

 

I need Christmas music!!  I can listen to ANY Christmas music as long as it "directs my thoughts to the Savior"  sooo I'd like to invite you all to be creative and see what you can find.  Maybe Local Natives or Mumford has a Christmas album???  pleasepleaseplease 

 

I got Jen's article!!  SO AMAZING!!  and SO PROUD!!  She is so beautiful and so talented. I love that girl. and miss her. 

 

Ok well..I gotta goooo

 

LOVE YOU ALL!!!!

Sister Atkin