M'dear ones...

Dear Family,

 

In the midst of all this "going home" hoopla, there's at least one thing that I can grasp on to: there's good to come in the future. Some days I'm depressed. Some days I couldn't be more excited. Other days I could care less about anything. But I know for sure that there are more positive experiences coming my way. This mission isn't over! This isn't the end! Maybe I'm saying all of this because today is one of those depressed days and I'm in denial, but I really think that this is all just a so-called "kick-start" to my life. I'm imperfect. I still let myself get angry at stupid things. I still have big-time questions that I'm seeking answers to. Don't expect Mr. RM to come off the plane in flying colors as a future general authority. But I've got my head on straight (for the most part). I know what's important and I care about it. Here's what I care about:

 

God knows me and loves me. Despite my weaknesses, I've had very personal experiences where this very fact has been etched into my heart forever. He doesn't always answer my prayers the way I want Him to, but I know He's guided me as long as I've asked for it. I testify that you and I belong to the true and living church led by the true and living Christ. His atonement is real and it completely covers everything that could possibly go wrong. Time and time again I have felt his grace - which I don't deserve. I also know that the Restoration of the Gospel happened and that everything that has come from it - the Book of Mormon, the priesthood, etc. - are true. We're not lost, my friends! Heavenly Father has given us enough to be okay.

 

How grateful I am for the ordinances and covenants that not only help us in this life, but prepare us for Eternal life - of which I am BEYOND excited for. There are even greater family reunions to be had than the one that will take place in a few days. But don't worry I'm excited for that one too :) Just know that you (yeah, you) have been a special helper of the Lord in shaping this young elder's life. I look up to you more than you know. When I'm with my family, I am in the midst of giants. I'll try to not let it overwhelm me too much... You're just a little intimidating, okay?!?!

 

Well, I hope I've made my point clear. I get a little intense with this sort of stuff. Ain't it great? You know... this life? I have no idea what the future holds for me, but I'm just pumped for life. Yay for living on this earth!!

 

Keep it real, Atkins diet (way too many people call me that)

 

Love, Elder Atkin

 

Sup, dudes

Dear Family,

 

This whole emailing thing is really wearing me out. Buuuuuuuut I'll still write ya somethin' :)

 

Just got your email Mom. Wasn't that meeting so amazing!?! You're right, I did cry. I'm so predictable nowadays, now aren't I? Dang it. Right from the opening song I was feeling the Spirit a TON. It was almost like He was saying, "Yeah, this is a big deal. Just in case you were wondering." And it is a big deal! Most of the things our church leaders instructed us on yesterday are things that we already know, but we must not miss the emphasis on member-missionary work. If anyone left that meeting feeling disappointed it's their own fault. "The hastening" isn't going to happen with just 70,000 missionaries, it's going to happen with 15 million members.

 

The broadcast was already special to me for many different reasons, but it was even better because Claire was there. She came to church at 2:30 and stayed for the long haul. Everything was so perfect! The members fellowshipped her so well, Gospel Principles had an excellent lesson on the Sacrament... And I know how much Claire loves to hear conversion stories so I was happy to see all of the cool videos in the broadcast on that very thing. Claire might've left a little overwhelmed, but I know she enjoyed the day. Really it's been a great 2 days for her. On Saturday we taught her the Word of Wisdom for the first time. I was really anxious how it was going to turn out, but in the end it was one of the best lessons we've had with her. She really understood the principle of obedience to commandments and was willing to try living it for a week (she drinks tea). I promised her that her prayers would be answered soon if she lived it. It was so awesome!

 

I don't know what to say except that our week was pretty good and I'm holding on for dear life here in Arkansas. Everything is crashing in around me, but all I can do is keep moving forward - keep doing what I've always done. I now know that things will work out for me if I just work hard to the very end and do what I'm supposed to. The Lord keeps blessing us with new investigators and with new opportunities. I can still get a lot done in 2 weeks, ya know?

 

Wish me luck and pray for me.

 

Love, Elder Atkin

 

Hi

Dear Family,

 

Happy Fathers Day, Dad! I wish I could've been there yesterday to give you a hug and "a great big kiss" (primary song). :) But don't worry, I'll see you soon. I'm planning on throwing a big ol' party for everyone that's close to me for all the birthdays, holidays, and events that I missed. I'm so bad at sending letters and cards and such. I want to be a better birthday-recognizer when I get home so that people know that I actually care. I'm done being selfish!

 

Mom, I like what you said in your email about a "fulness of opposition." It's so true. We live in a time with such extremes in wickedness as well as righteousness. Just like you, I'm so grateful for the price we have to pay to receive such wonderful light, truth, and knowledge. I feel like I'm at the height of missionary work - the top of the world! That could only exist with such extreme filth around us. Like I always say: the rainy days sure make us appreciate the sunny ones. If I was baptizing every day I would treasure those moments a lot less than I do now. How thankful I am for the tough days that make the successful days so much sweeter. Remember the song from "My Turn on Earth" about opposition? Hahaha if we still have that I really want to listen to it when I get home.

 

I don't know if I already told you (too lazy to look in the Sent Mail), but Cassandra went to Mexico on Wednesday and will be there until the end of July. We had a couple of awesome lessons before she left and I feel satisfied with the way we sent her off. We watched "Safety for the Soul" by Jeffrey R. Holland. Always a fan favorite :) Both her and Claire loved the line where he said, "no wicked man could write such a book as this, and no good man would write it, unless it were true..." They now have a stronger desire to read and pray about the Book of Mormon because they understand its importance. Cassandra agreed to bring her Book of Mormon with her. It kind of stinks that she's leaving, but we feel that it will be a good time for her to think about things and make a decision.

 

Claire will also be leaving for a trip, but not until a couple days after I go home. She met with us on Saturday at the church and we were able to give her a tour and teach a lesson. She continues to tell us that while she doesn't want to jump on board yet, she feels good about what we're teaching her. Elder H and I feel like we could set a date with her this week for a few weeks after she gets back in August. After our lesson there just so happened to be a baptism in the relief society room (we planned it to work out that way) so we invited her to come. She sat down with us and we watched one of the best baptisms I've ever seen. It was for an 18-year-old girl named Amber. The Spirit was so strong! Everything went perfectly and I know that Claire felt it. She told us she really enjoyed it. The only thing negative out of all of this is that she didn't come to church yesterday because it was fathers day. But she did promise that she would come next week for all 3 hours. Little does she know that since our church starts at 2:30 she's going to be there for the big world-wide missionary meeting at 5:00 that everyone's been talking about. It's going to be so awesome!!

 

I'll admit something to y'all. For the longest time, I really wanted to end my mission with a baptism. Selfish, right? Yeah, I really really really wanted it, but it's not going to happen. So many other good things can happen in 3 weeks so I'll be okay. I've realized that I can be happy knowing that I tried my best and that some of the people I'm teaching now will probably get baptized a few months from now. It doesn't need to happen right this minute. All the people I've ever worked with don't need to "Come unto Christ" in the short 2 year time period of Elder Atkin's mission. Elder Heindel (still in Willard) also informed me that James and Lynette are progressing and that a few other people we taught are getting close to baptism. Exciting!

 

I'm doing great. There's quite a few negative things that I could share with you, but that isn't necessary. Too many good things are happening and an opposition in all things makes those good things even better. What a great perspective!

 

I love you. "60 minutes, fellas."

 

Love, Elder Atkin

June 11, 2013

Dear Family,

 

Hey sorry I didn't get an email to y'all yesterday. We had zone training meeting and interviews with President Shumway yesterday so we just switched preparation day to Tuesday. Hope this email finds you safe and happy wherever you are in this world.

 

I'm really starting to get tired of all the lasts - last zone conference, last transfer, last companion, last zone meeting, last interviews... Everything is ending!!! The good news is that every last thing I've experiences has been awesome. My interview with President Shumway yesterday was so fulfilling. We mostly talked about Elder Hironymous (in a positive way). I look back and realize that each interview over the course of 2 years has changed slowly from being all about myself to all about others. I'm not saying that to brag, but it just feels good to see how I've changed. I don't worry so much about myself nowadays. My only real care and concern right now is my companion. His happiness and well-being is on my mind 24/7. I want more than anything for him to get a good kick-start to his mission. When he's sad, I'm sad. When he's happy, I'm happy. He's all that matters.

 

Nothing too crazy and interesting happened this week besides some really cool lessons we've had. Claire and Cassandra are our #1 priority right now and we've met with them 4 times in the last week. It's been an absolute blast to teach them! They are young, intelligent, and yet open-minded. They are sincerely searching for truth and they recognize that our ultimate purpose is to help them find their faith in Christ. There's the normal people that we try to keep our lessons under an hour for, and then there's people like Claire and Cassandra that we teach for 2 hours every time - not because we plan on it, but because they want to KNOW. They ask, we tell. Every now and then I'll meet someone that just soaks it up like a sponge and I feel like I shouldn't hold anything back if they really want to know. So that's how it's been going. They completely understand and they even want it to be true. We've helped them recognize the Spirit. The only thing that seems to be holding them back is just how intimidating it all is. Yesterday we got to a point in the lesson where they basically said very seriously, "You know, this is a big deal." Yes, it is a big deal. The whole culture and lifestyle is very overwhelming to them. They both realize that this isn't a "church hopping" type of a change. This is for life. This is a complete 180 change of ... everything.

 

So we've tried to help them feel comfortable. Our exchanges have been great helpers every time. John came with us yesterday and shared his conversion story. He joined the church in 2009. It was so perfect! I know they felt it. Today we're going to be watching the Restoration DVD to recap things so far. Cassandra is going to Mexico for the next month or so (I guess that's another hold-up), so we're trying to send her off with a bang. Elder H and I think it's long enough for us to try and get some missionaries to her down there. She's expressed that it will be a good time for her to really think about it and make a decision. We'll still be able to meet with Claire until July when she leaves for England for a month or so. Here we have 2 investigators that are super golden, yet going on summer trips to far-away places. Tough! But I'm satisfied with the way the lessons have gone so far. We only started teaching them a week-and-a-half ago! We've taught them so much that it will be on their minds for a long time. My hope is that they come back from their trips and get baptized in August or September. They've already accepted the baptismal invitation if they come to know that this is all true. Gosh, I can't talk enough about these 2 wonderful people. They are so prepared! Wish us luck in this one.

 

I'm still trucking along. Everything is getting harder and harder, yet I'm okay. I surprise myself at times with how okay I am, considering. I feel so much pressure from so many different directions, but I guess the Lord is really strengthening me. I'm so tired, and yet I've never felt so alive. Nothing else matters right now. Mom, I think that's the best idea I could give you for your talk on discipleship. There are so many good scriptures that can go along with this subject, but knowing you I think you can find them easily :) For me, discipleship is all about priorities. If you have the priorities of a disciple of Christ, you can trust that God will take care of you no matter what. Discipleship is also about sacrifice. I recently read "Sacrifice" by Elder Oaks, and it reminded me of this importance of sacrificing something good for something better - an act that the Savior was a champion at (yes, I just called Him a champion. I think it's very fitting). Sacrifice is an eternal principle and even more importantly an eternal law. God requires sacrifice. Christ's sacrifice makes our sacrifice acceptable and pleasing unto Heavenly Father. And really all he asks for is a broken heart and contrite spirit. I can promise each one of you reading this that God loves and appreciates every ounce of sacrifice we perform and that blessings flow abundantly from consecrating our all to the Lord.

 

Have fun in Texas, parents! Have fun in Utah and North Carolina, sisters! And here's a shout out to anyone else that might read my emails each week. Have a good one.

 

Love, Elder Atkin

 

Them nadoes

Dear Family,

 

With the recent crazy weather in this part of the country we've had the opportunity to talk to some of the locals about the tornados and such. It's a good ice-breaker, really. But either way we want to know the forcast because we don't have TV. It's nice to know if we need to hunker down, right? When we hear the tornado sirens go off outside Elder H and I get in the closet under the stairs with our bike helmets on. I know this might really scare you Mom, but that's as safe as it gets. And don't worry - Bentonville never gets tornados. They just kind of skip around the Rogers area. The same storm that hit Moore, OK with a tornado came through a few hours later but only brought heavy rain and fierce winds. The coolest part was that the sky turned green! It was definitely the right conditions for a tornado, but nothing touched down near us. It's always a hoot to hear a native Arkansawyer talk about "them nadoes" or "them naders."

 

Speaking of bike helmets, Elder Hironymous got in his first major bike wreck this week. Notice how I said major. He's been in plently of little accidents. He's not the best at biking so I'm always worried about my son getting in wrecks. Good thing B'ville is a very biker-friendly town. Anyway, we had just barely exchanged with the district leader after zone conference and I was with Elder Hammit in the car. We got about 5 minutes down the road when Elder Prestwich called and asked us to come back to where they were because Elder H just crashed. As we pulled up I had to hold in my laughter as I took a look at my companion. He was all scratched up, his nametag was destroyed, shirt and tie were ripped, and the front of his helmet was flattened. Apparently he just lost control and nose-dived into the pavement. I only laugh now because he was okay, but i just want you to imagine my son face-planting the pavement and skidding to a halt. Hahaha I laugh just thinking about it! Long story short, we found out he fractured a little bone in his wrist and will need to wear a cast. He sure took it like a champ. That's my boy :)

 

Besides a gnarly bike wreck and some crazy weather, this week has been pretty good! Zone conference was an inevitable tear-jerker since it was my last one. I had to give a departing testimony in front of 100 missionaries. I was doing alright until I bore my testimony about the Book of Mormon. I got all chocked up and the tears flowed freely as I shared my feelings about the work of the Lord. It was such a bittersweet moment. How can I ever leave this place? I can't imagine myself not going to another zone conference. The whole entire meeting was beyond wonderful for me. During lunch I met up with Elder Golder (he's still in Joplin) and he proceeded to explain that the Sands had gotten baptized a couple weeks before. Do you remember me talking about them? Look through my past emails. I found them! I started the lessons with them and committed them to be baptized. After the ward boundaries changed they kind of dropped off the radar. But good ol' Elder Golder stuck with them and boom - here they are. I guess Bro. Sands is already passing the sacrament and stuff! What a miracle. I'm getting choked up just thinking about it. Elder Golder said that they still talk about Elder Atkin, their first missionary :) And guess what else?? Elder Wheeler (replaced me in Joplin) said that Ruben is getting baptized this coming week! Remember him? I started teaching him and Erin with Elder Nordine. The blessings and miracles don't stop flowing.

 

Our numbers have suffered a little this week, but it's okay considering Elder H's wrist (he's on heavy meds) and we've done our best. The Lord still blessed us with 3 new investigators, 2 of which came to our recent convert fireside last night. This fireside is something we've been preparing for for a long time. We made flyers this last week and everything. We had quite a few non-members come so I was so happy. I was praying that the Lord would provide and he sure did. The 2 investigators we had that came are named Cassandra and Claire. They were a member referral we received. Our first lesson was so amazing!! They're both really open-mined and they want to know everything about Mormonism. They've noticed how strong Mormon families are and they're finally grown up enough to realize that it's something they want for themselves. They loved the fireside and even met a few friends from high school there. I was so proud of our YSA branch for how well they fellowshipped people. We didn't even need to do anything! That's the way it should be - it's their missionary effort and we're just the helpers.

 

I feel like the ball is finally starting to roll in this area. Heavenly Father is pouring out the blessings upon us and I just need to recognize them. Don't get me wrong, it's still really tough. We barely taught much at all this last week. But the lessons we did have were awesome. It's almost like the Lord is giving us just enough to keep going. He wants to bless us, but he also wants to keep us humble and constantly trusting in him. There's no way anything would be happening if it weren't for Him. I love Him so much!

 

Goodness, there's so many more stories I want to share with you, but I'm out of time. I know I always say that, but I really do wish I could share everything with you. This mission thing is such a blast. What a ride! The Lord is always giving me exactly what is best for me. Don't let me ever forget that.

 

Y'all just keep bein' y'all, ya hear?!

 

Love, Elder Atkin

Short Email

Dear Family,

I know y'all probably hate it when I do this, but I don't really feel like writing a long email today. Don't worry I love you! But I'm lazy :) I'm happy, I'm working hard as ever, and the Gospel is true so everything else doesn't matter. Elder H and I have been having our little skirmishes lately, but that's all part of training. Some crazy storms came through, but no tornadoes.

I hope all is well at home. Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad! I couldn't ask for better parents.

Have a great week and be safe. I'll continue to work hard and finish this last transfer strong.

Love, Elder Atkin

Quick week

Dear Family,

 

Happy Birthday, Dad!! One year older and wiser too, huh? Love ya, man :)

 

This week was full of little miracles. We talked to some of the neatest people I've ever met in my life. The thing that really made a difference was me making the effort to go out of my way to talk to people that I normally wouldn't have talked to. Y'all know how much of a door-knocking guy I am. It's what I do. It's surprised me to realize how many of God's children I pass each day without so much as a "hi" or a wave. I try to be friendly and I say hello and wave when I'm thinking about it, but I miss out on so many opportunities. It usually comes from me saying, "Oh, they're busy," or, "they probably would reject me." I then drive, bike, or walk right by them. I'm such a whimp. I still have so much to learn.

 

Yesterday we were biking the streets of downtown Bentonville after an appointment fell through. The town was a little more quiet than usual and we had stopped at a little park to take a break. While I was trying to figure out where to go next - probably to tract - I looked across the street and saw a man sitting in front of the library. He had his laptop out and had his headphones on. Once again the thought came, "He must be very involved in whatever he's doing on the computer. Don't mind him." But as the thought came I got a little mad at myself. Satan would love for me to just skip over this guy. I decided it was time to change. Without telling Elder H what I was doing I headed across the street and up to this man. What started out as a simple interaction about directions to Memorial Park (which I didn't need, by the way. Just an ice-breaker) led to a 2 hour in-depth conversation with one of the coolest people. His name is Javier and he's originally from Mexico. He's lived in a few different states, but is now here in Arkansas because most people from his hometown in Mexico seem to congregate here of all places. He has a job at Memorial Park, probably as some type of groundskeeper. Javier's English is excellent and he is in love with learning - learning about anything and everything. He's quite brilliant. He spends hours everyday just listening to motivational speakers and self-help lectures. He's all about psycology and philosophy. He knows his history and he studies the lives of the greatest people to have ever walked the earth. Overall he's just a very intellectual person who seems to "get it." He loves people and doesn't judge people wrongly. I learned so much in our seemingly short interchange and we plan on talking again soon. He let us know he wasn't really interested in our message, but respected us. We'll work on him :)

 

I guess the reason why I mentioned this guy is 1) because we were blessed for going out of the way to talk to people and 2) because he was the perfect example of many things I've learned on my mission that don't necessarily have to do with faith, but most definitely are connected. Things like emotional intelligence, the power of decisions, understanding that each of God's children have something to offer, broadening our "belief window" in the right ways, removing barriers that would prevent simple and positive interaction, and so forth. 2 years ago I thought that I would only learn things strictly having to do with the scriptures. Now I realize that each day I learn a lot about myself, other people, society, and how the human mind works. And yet it does all connect back to faith. God's purposes and plans are all based on people.

 

So anyway. Back to missionary work :) We picked up this really neat new investigator named Joe yesterday. He's a religion major at a local school and really wanted to meet with us. The zone leaders found him while walking in downtown Rogers the other day. The 4 of us met with him last night and taught most of the first lesson. The lesson flowed very well because Joe already has such a great understanding of the scriptures and has an open mind. By the end he was asking if we could give him the priesthood right there. We told him he had to wait and that we could prepare him if he wanted us to. Cool, huh! I was initially a little apprehensive of this guy because of his field of study, but I think that he's really interested. Should be legit.

 

Yesterday had to have been one of the best days of my mission. It was comparable to April 7th last year when April gave the young women from my ward in Owasso the tour of the VC. You see, this weekend there was a big YSA conference down in Springdale. It was all capped off with a combined sacrament meeting helf yesterday morning in which YSAs from many of the surrounding states packed into the chapel. Naturally Elder H and I attended because Springdale is like 20 minutes away and it would be our sacrament meeting for the week. I wouldn't have expected what happened as I walked into the building.

 

Walking into the chapel, I looked up on the stand. To my surprise there sat the Joplin YSA branch - including many people that I knew and loved from my time spent there. A few of them ran down to greet me. The two guys who were responsible for my broken pinkie came up and asked how it was doing. I laughed. Amanda and Emily took pictures with me and sent them to their families. What meant the most was hearing that they all missed me and that I was their favorite. I almost cried big ol' tears! I kept shaking their hands and thanking them. I was speachless. Afterward I saw other YSAs I knew from Willard and even Owasso. It was like one big reunion.

 

But the ultimate "cherry on top" came after the sacrament meeting was over and I had said all my goodbyes to people from my last 3 areas. Inside the chapel the Springdale wards were filing in for a combined sacrament meeting. I began to see families and individuals that I knew and loved from almost 2 years previous in my first area - Springdale 1st ward. The Hornbergers, the Penningtons, the Smiths, the Lindseys (sitting on the back row like they normally do), and ...... my heart skipped a beat ...... Nichole Munts. I nearly ran across the room to greet the 2nd person I taught and baptized on my mission. So many emotions flooded over. She said hi like I had never left! We quickly exchanged info and I promised to write a letter. Words can't express how happy I was to see this wonderful woman inside the church building where it all started.

 

You know, sometimes I get discouraged. Discouraged because I hear that some of my recent converts are less-active/inactive. It's like a punch to the face knowing that you taught them and then the ward didn't take care of them or they simply chose to stop going. It's so hard to join the church. But just seeing Nichole yesterday made all the difference. I'll never forget the adversity she went through to join the church. To think that she's still got a testimony in there is beyond encouraging. I could ramble about this forever. Let's just say the Lord is good.

 

So yesterday was special. I'll never forget the unplanned and unexpected reunion of sorts that happened on May 19th. Heavenly Father dropped a huge tender mercy right in my lap. And I sure love him for it! This work is true. I'm still doing great. Next week should be killer (as in awesome). See you soon.

 

Love, Elder Atkin

 

P.S. Here's a picture of me chillin' in downtown Rogers. I love the old murals and paintings that are done in old towns like this and these brick walls make a great picture.

P.P.S. By the way, transfer calls were on Saturday and I'm not moving. I'll finish training my son and get 'er dun.