Dear Family,
Today is a good day! Besides the fact that Elder Nordine is sick as a dog, it's been a fun preparation day so far. Our district just got done hiking a couple of hours ago. Hiking is nowhere near as awesome here as it is in Utah and such, but there are a few cool places out here in the hills of the Ozarks. Today we packed up some lunches and hiked the trail to (excuse me for this title, but I wasn't the one to make it up) "Mother Nature's Butt Crack." Overlooking a river just south of Joplin is a series of cliffs with a trail running along the edge. It's about a 50 foot drop, but nothing too scary. After about a mile of hiking is a crack that dives right into the cliff that people can climb down to the bottom of the cliffs through. It's pretty cool! Elder Nordine stayed at the Joplin 2nd elders' apartment with Elder Holmes during all of this. Poor guy :( He got some kind of food poisoning last night and has been puking non-stop ever since. I actually had a horrible night trying to sleep because of how loud his ralphing was. Ugh! But I have no room to complain. At least I'm not sick.
Mom, that's pretty cool that you got to teach the 10 and 11 year-old age group about Moroni. I might've already mentioned this to y'all before, but Moroni is one of my favorite Book of Mormon characters. Well, I have a lot of favorite Book of Mormon characters, but Moroni really does have a special place in my heart. One of the most heart-wrenching scriptures is found in the book of Mormon (within the Book of Mormon haha), in which Moroni writes about his father's death. If I remember correctly, Moroni mentions 3 or 4 times that he doesn't know what he's going to do or where he's going go, but "it mattereth not." He sounds so sad! Imagine being in his place, being hunted by Lamanites, being absolutely alone, and yet writing some of his father's words and including his own powerful testimony. Despite such dreary circumstances, Moroni was able to teach us some priceless doctrines, including some of his final words on how one could come to know that the Book of Mormon is true. What a man!
I've discovered that quite often I am very hard on myself as a missionary. I look at some of my weaknesses and the problems in our area and such and I let them really get me down. I know it's the adversary, but I still let it happen. I think it's because I want (and have wanted for the past 16 months) my mission to change me. Pre-mission Elder Atkin didn't know much about missionary life, but I at least knew that this type of experience could really direct my life for the better. I get so frustrated when I feel like I'm not learning or progressing. It makes me sick! But lately as I've read the Book of Mormon again, it's really brought comfort to me. Reading the stories of Alma and the sons of Mosiah make my problems seem very small. Heck, Moroni makes me look like a wimp. It feels good to be able to say that at least I know that the Book of Mormon has become a huge part of my life. I just feel so good whenever I read it. Honestly, I don't know if I could have said that before my mission. It's funny - I know that the Book of Mormon brings me comfort, but I still struggle to help other people feel those same feelings. I'm working on it :) By the way Dad, those scriptures you sent me this past week in Moroni 8,9, and 10 were just what I needed. How did you know?? Gosh, my parents must be in-tune with the Spirit or somethin'...
Speaking of the Spirit: Elder Nordine and I have been working on relying on the Holy Ghost more in our missionary work lately. We were really inspired in our latest ZLC and in a recent dinner appointment with our new ward mission leader to do this. We both agree that we've learned that the Lord really can lead us to his children through the Spirit, if we just listen. You know those stories you always hear about missionaries being led to a door where somebody just got done praying and they want to be baptized? Well, I certainly have always lacked the faith for those sort of things to happen. But with these recent meetings we've had, I've felt something stir within me (okay that sounded cheesy). The question came to my mind, "Why not, Elder Atkin?" I realized that Heavenly Father isn't trying to make it hard for us to find the prepared ones. It's not some kind of game. Don't you think he wants us to find those who are ready?!
So Elder Nordine and I decided to put it to the test. On Friday we had a wide open day and we decided to tract. But this wasn't going to be any ordinary tracting day, this was going to be a Spiritually-guided tracting experience. That day we probably prayed 100 times. We asked the Lord to lead us to what streets he wanted us to knock doors on. We then narrowed it down by picking 15 streets at random on a map. Then between the two of us, we individually picked 5 streets and then showed each other. If there were any matches, we'd knock those streets. The results? 1 street in Joplin, and 2 in Carl Junction. The whole day I was trying not to doubt and to have the faith that the Lord would lead us. To make a long story short, a miracle happened. We didn't have wild success of any kind, we didn't dunk thousands of people in the water, etc. On each of the 3 streets we found one person who was interested and that we were able to teach and give a BoM to. 3 streets, 3 people, 3 lessons, 3 BoMs. Now that may sound small to you, but it was huge for me. Heavenly Father is currently 3 for 3 in our new method of finding. That's 100% :) So that's where were at right now. I expect more miracles to happen this week.
Yesterday was a really good Sunday. It was the primary program, so you can only imagine how happy I was during Sacrament Meeting :) I'm pretty sure that we spent the whole meeting laughing our guts out. The Stills made it again and they are totally ready for their baptism this Saturday. I'm so excited!! In our last lesson with them, Kim informed me that both she and Bri want me to baptize them. I about burst into tears right then and there because I haven't baptized anyone on my mission yet. I keep telling elders that I feel like it's not my place, but I think that I secretly wanted to do it so bad. It's been a long time coming. Hopefully I can recite the baptismal prayer without crying like a baby haha! Man, it just feels so good. I know that Kim and Bri's lives are going to change forever on Saturday.
Sadly, the Coxes didn't make it to church for the 3rd time in a row. We're thinking it's because they didn't quit their addictions like we had planned on Saturday, and that they're ashamed to tell us. We'll just have to show 'em some love. I think that you putting their names in the temple will really help, Mom. Thanks. We might talk to them about the addiction recovery manual/class that's held in Carthage (ehem, Annie get off my back. Just kiddin'). We'll have to reset their date for a week or two later, but it will be a good thing. I felt like it was a little rushed.
Well, I'm out of time! Golly, there was so much more I wanted to tell you about. I guess that's what a journal is for, eh? Which reminds me that I need to be better at doing that... Have a great week! Wish us luck in our finding adventures!
Love, Elder Atkin
Today is a good day! Besides the fact that Elder Nordine is sick as a dog, it's been a fun preparation day so far. Our district just got done hiking a couple of hours ago. Hiking is nowhere near as awesome here as it is in Utah and such, but there are a few cool places out here in the hills of the Ozarks. Today we packed up some lunches and hiked the trail to (excuse me for this title, but I wasn't the one to make it up) "Mother Nature's Butt Crack." Overlooking a river just south of Joplin is a series of cliffs with a trail running along the edge. It's about a 50 foot drop, but nothing too scary. After about a mile of hiking is a crack that dives right into the cliff that people can climb down to the bottom of the cliffs through. It's pretty cool! Elder Nordine stayed at the Joplin 2nd elders' apartment with Elder Holmes during all of this. Poor guy :( He got some kind of food poisoning last night and has been puking non-stop ever since. I actually had a horrible night trying to sleep because of how loud his ralphing was. Ugh! But I have no room to complain. At least I'm not sick.
Mom, that's pretty cool that you got to teach the 10 and 11 year-old age group about Moroni. I might've already mentioned this to y'all before, but Moroni is one of my favorite Book of Mormon characters. Well, I have a lot of favorite Book of Mormon characters, but Moroni really does have a special place in my heart. One of the most heart-wrenching scriptures is found in the book of Mormon (within the Book of Mormon haha), in which Moroni writes about his father's death. If I remember correctly, Moroni mentions 3 or 4 times that he doesn't know what he's going to do or where he's going go, but "it mattereth not." He sounds so sad! Imagine being in his place, being hunted by Lamanites, being absolutely alone, and yet writing some of his father's words and including his own powerful testimony. Despite such dreary circumstances, Moroni was able to teach us some priceless doctrines, including some of his final words on how one could come to know that the Book of Mormon is true. What a man!
I've discovered that quite often I am very hard on myself as a missionary. I look at some of my weaknesses and the problems in our area and such and I let them really get me down. I know it's the adversary, but I still let it happen. I think it's because I want (and have wanted for the past 16 months) my mission to change me. Pre-mission Elder Atkin didn't know much about missionary life, but I at least knew that this type of experience could really direct my life for the better. I get so frustrated when I feel like I'm not learning or progressing. It makes me sick! But lately as I've read the Book of Mormon again, it's really brought comfort to me. Reading the stories of Alma and the sons of Mosiah make my problems seem very small. Heck, Moroni makes me look like a wimp. It feels good to be able to say that at least I know that the Book of Mormon has become a huge part of my life. I just feel so good whenever I read it. Honestly, I don't know if I could have said that before my mission. It's funny - I know that the Book of Mormon brings me comfort, but I still struggle to help other people feel those same feelings. I'm working on it :) By the way Dad, those scriptures you sent me this past week in Moroni 8,9, and 10 were just what I needed. How did you know?? Gosh, my parents must be in-tune with the Spirit or somethin'...
Speaking of the Spirit: Elder Nordine and I have been working on relying on the Holy Ghost more in our missionary work lately. We were really inspired in our latest ZLC and in a recent dinner appointment with our new ward mission leader to do this. We both agree that we've learned that the Lord really can lead us to his children through the Spirit, if we just listen. You know those stories you always hear about missionaries being led to a door where somebody just got done praying and they want to be baptized? Well, I certainly have always lacked the faith for those sort of things to happen. But with these recent meetings we've had, I've felt something stir within me (okay that sounded cheesy). The question came to my mind, "Why not, Elder Atkin?" I realized that Heavenly Father isn't trying to make it hard for us to find the prepared ones. It's not some kind of game. Don't you think he wants us to find those who are ready?!
So Elder Nordine and I decided to put it to the test. On Friday we had a wide open day and we decided to tract. But this wasn't going to be any ordinary tracting day, this was going to be a Spiritually-guided tracting experience. That day we probably prayed 100 times. We asked the Lord to lead us to what streets he wanted us to knock doors on. We then narrowed it down by picking 15 streets at random on a map. Then between the two of us, we individually picked 5 streets and then showed each other. If there were any matches, we'd knock those streets. The results? 1 street in Joplin, and 2 in Carl Junction. The whole day I was trying not to doubt and to have the faith that the Lord would lead us. To make a long story short, a miracle happened. We didn't have wild success of any kind, we didn't dunk thousands of people in the water, etc. On each of the 3 streets we found one person who was interested and that we were able to teach and give a BoM to. 3 streets, 3 people, 3 lessons, 3 BoMs. Now that may sound small to you, but it was huge for me. Heavenly Father is currently 3 for 3 in our new method of finding. That's 100% :) So that's where were at right now. I expect more miracles to happen this week.
Yesterday was a really good Sunday. It was the primary program, so you can only imagine how happy I was during Sacrament Meeting :) I'm pretty sure that we spent the whole meeting laughing our guts out. The Stills made it again and they are totally ready for their baptism this Saturday. I'm so excited!! In our last lesson with them, Kim informed me that both she and Bri want me to baptize them. I about burst into tears right then and there because I haven't baptized anyone on my mission yet. I keep telling elders that I feel like it's not my place, but I think that I secretly wanted to do it so bad. It's been a long time coming. Hopefully I can recite the baptismal prayer without crying like a baby haha! Man, it just feels so good. I know that Kim and Bri's lives are going to change forever on Saturday.
Sadly, the Coxes didn't make it to church for the 3rd time in a row. We're thinking it's because they didn't quit their addictions like we had planned on Saturday, and that they're ashamed to tell us. We'll just have to show 'em some love. I think that you putting their names in the temple will really help, Mom. Thanks. We might talk to them about the addiction recovery manual/class that's held in Carthage (ehem, Annie get off my back. Just kiddin'). We'll have to reset their date for a week or two later, but it will be a good thing. I felt like it was a little rushed.
Well, I'm out of time! Golly, there was so much more I wanted to tell you about. I guess that's what a journal is for, eh? Which reminds me that I need to be better at doing that... Have a great week! Wish us luck in our finding adventures!
Love, Elder Atkin
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