July 20, 2011

Dear Family,

Laundry time again! So I'm here, sitting at a computer, and writing you a letter. Last week at this time, I was freaking out. I was doing laundry with about 100 more people, I didn't know exactly how the email on these computers worked, and I almost ran out of time. To add to that, I got mom's email address wrong. Let's just say it was a VERY stressful experience. You weren't able to get my email, and things were just a little crazy.

But this week, there is barely anybody here, I know what I'm doing, and I already have a good start to the email. Hooray! I was going to include last weeks email, but it won't let me copy and paste. I might just send it again to mom's real address, but I have to make sure I get this done first.

How are you? I've gotten all of your letters (as I explained in another hand-written letter I sent yesterday), and I just love hearing from each of you. It's good to hear that mom is going back to school! Awesome possum. Rachel, I just can't tell you how hard I laughed at what you wrote me :) I can just hear the way you talk when I read it, and I just want to eat the letter up. Dad, that's a bummer that the U.S. lost... Well, at least we got to the final. I play soccer like every day here at the MTC, and every time I do, I realize how out of shape I still am. Plus the MTC food is just too good...

Anyways. I'm not getting fat. Don't worry.

Basically a normal day for me consists of:

6:30 Wake up

7:20 Breakfast

7:50 Zone teaching

8:50 Class

11:50 Lunch

12:35 Class

4:50 Dinner

5:35 Class

8:35 Personal/Companionship study/planning

10:30 Sleep

As you can see, there is a lot of classroom time, but I'm growing to love it more every day. There's nothing more fun than learning from Bro. Hopper and Bro. Cowan with my awesome district. I can't explain how much I love my teachers! They are so amazing at teaching us how to teach, and they also give us great role-play scenarios every day. They each act as an investigator, and each companionship plans and teaches them every day, switching off. Bro. Hopper acts as a man from D.C. named Cam who is curious about temples, and Bro. Cowan acts as a man named Mark who's wife just left him. These are excellent opportunities for us to know what it's like (sorta), and learn how to teach an investigator, not a lesson. Just so you know, Elder Denton and I committed both of them to baptism the past few days :) I'm sure it's harder in the field, but I truly felt very accomplished. Imagine what a real baptism will be like!

Along with our teachers, we get to teach other investigators that are actors that come to the MTC to help train missionaries. Elder Denton and I have had the opportunity to teach a man named Bobby from New Jersey. To make a long story short, when we first showed up last week, he wouldn't even let us in. That's how real it was :) He finally let us in after ten minutes, and we were able to gain his trust and teach the Restoration. Through a couple more visits through the last week, he has become more and more friendly and accepting, and he's become our favorite investigator. Elder Denton and I love him so much that we tried to make him break character (stop acting) after our last visit and give him our info so he could stay in contact with us. But of course he wouldn't break character :) Let's just say we were extremely embarrassed.

Elder Denton. He's doing great! He's feeling a lot better today after his nasty head cold he's had. I was able to give him a blessing yesterday, and it was awesome to serve my companion. I've grown to love him so much :) After last night's devotional, our district shared our thoughts and feelings about the talks, as well as our experiences. I talked about how much Elder Denton has taught me, and I cried like a baby. I was a little embarrassed, but Elder Denton just thanked me and said the same about me. We're probably going to be friends forever.

Augh only 5 minutes left! This is just SO stressful.

Oh yeah! Yesterday at the devotional, we sang Called to Serve in a cool way. The first verse was sung quietly, and it built until all 2,500 missionaries were basically yelling the song. It was absolutley amazing! I have been waiting to do that the whole time I've been here! It's sort of what I always dreamed of doing that.

Just so you know, I leave next wednesday, early in the morning. At the airport, we all get to call home before we get on the plane, so PLEASE answer the phone when I call. I want to talk to you!

I love you so much! I'll talk to you more later!

-Elder Atkin

            Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (I love this scripture)