12/19/16

Dear Dad

Good Morning Citizens! I'm sure I've started an email off this way before. So I just want everyone to know that I'm sitting at this weird marble table thing and my hands are like so cold and stiff I can hardly type. Sorry If I get lazy and cop out half way through. 

This past week was pretty good. Our progressing investigator totally dropped us but you know... 

We have two appointments this week. The ward is still super awesome. The Craft family is so amazing I love them so much. They're the greatest. There are lots of cool families here. So many grad students. So many small babies. So many intellectual people. I feel like a huge noob. Everyone is super nice though. Since it's all grad students they aren't like 10s of years older than me so they can relate. I feel like the sisters in relief society are like my actual friends and not "the members of the ward." I don't know if that makes sense. Sometimes as a missionary you feel like you're not a real member of the ward you're just the missionaries in the ward. If you want to do some pretty legit service you should make the missionaries in your ward feel like you care about them as humans not just missionaries. We're representatives of Christ, but we're just human beings representing Him. He calls the weak and the simple to do his work you know! 

I had a really good week as far as growing spiritually. I've been able to feel the spirit like crazy. I've been trying to become as consecrated as possible these last 5 transfers. I have 27 weeks left in case anyone is interested in knowing. ): Time feels so fast. Every day is fast and every week is fast and every transfer is like none even existing. It's like being changed in the twinkling of an eye. Maybe my next few transfers will be miserable so time will drag. Hopefully not actually I'm not sure it would actually be slower. 

I've learned a lot of stuff from pondering this week. Here's one I wanted to share: 

In Luke chapter 14 Christ gives a few parables in verses 25-32. The parables involve sitting down before building a tower or going to war and examining the cost before making a decision. In verse 33 he says "So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple." He is saying that before we commit to follow the example of Jesus Christ by being baptized we must be willing to give up everything about ourselves as the cost of discipleship. The cost of building our spiritual tower or going to war against the adversary is EVERYTHING that we have. It is all of our sins, our weaknesses, our desires, our plans, everything must be placed on the alter of sacrifice before the Lord. Otherwise we will not be able to finish our course. If we hold any part of ourselves back the Lord will not be able to reach those parts to change them. Therefore, "...whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple." 

In Matthew 19 there is a story of a rich young ruler who is not willing to pay the price of discipleship. He is not willing to forsake all that he has. The apostle Peter, upon observing the situation states in verse 27, " Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?" to which Christ promises everlasting life. At this point the Apostles have forsaken all. In Matthew chapter 4 Christ invited them to follow him  "And they straightway left their nets, and followed him." 

However after Christ's death they go back to their old ways. They return to being fishermen. They have ceased to forsake everything. One of my favorite chapters is John 21 when Christ appears to the apostles after they have gone back to fishing and tells them to feed his sheep. He offers them another opportunity to forsake all and follow him.

Our savior knows that the price of discipleship is a high price for us to pay and he knows that we will sometimes fall short. If we listen to the Holy Ghost he will always correct our paths and help us return to discipleship just as the savior did for his apostles again and again. 

Here's another Sister Clark one liner: 

"The pictures we choose to hang on the walls of our minds are an image of who we become." -Sister Clark 

I know that what Sister Clark says is true. haha jk but really if we take time to ponder the scriptures and turn our thoughts to holy channels the act of pushing out all the clutter leaves plenty of room for the spirit to fill with additional light and knowledge. 

Here's some really cluttery quotes to impede this process for you: 

"I'm never going to be able to think of baboons without thinking of you again!!" -Sister Call

"Every time I stop liking boys I just LIKE BOYS AGAIN!!" -me 

"Every time I pee I just have to pee again. Sometimes these things happen." -Sister Call

"Ok! Remember you need a name with two syllables from the Book of Mormon for your team. What's yours?" -Sister Siaosi 

"MORON!" -Some Elder

"ok.... Morons." -Sister Siaosi 

"What do we win?" -Some Elder 

"I will pray and ask Heavenly Father to rain down blessings upon all the Morons." -Sister Siaosi 

"Is this your first call home?" -Elder Mills 

"Nope 3rd." -me 

"oh! I forgot how long you've been out." -Elder Mills 

"Drench me with knowledge, lessons, and teachings and I will be happy." -this guy who's preparing to serve a mission 

"In the scriptures ye is equivalent of y'all because it's the plural of you." -Elder Cardon 

"I was listening like 94%... your dad is a math professor at BYU?" -me 

"Yes" -Brother Cardon

"Ok then I was listening 100%" -me 

"Good listening." -Brother Cardon

"oh look a pod! Lets bust it open! Lets touch the seeds! Oh no! Pokey stuff in my finger! This is the exact kind of logic that makes the atonement necessary." -me 

Here's a reading assignment:
Shout out to dad

“That’s How the Light Gets In”
Tyler J. Jarvis

Have a Merry Christmas!! 

Sister Atchley

12/12/16

How's it going fam? 

We got to go to the temple this week. I love the temple. I received a lot of guidance on what to do with my life, so that's exciting. The other day the spirit told me that I need to think about what I want to do when I get home. I like.... don't even want to do that. I still have 6 months. Get off my case!! Not really though. Despise not the revelations of the Lord. Now I'm discouraged though because what the spirit said seems like it's going to be like really impossible. I guess it's ok. because "I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them."

Does anyone know if you have to attend byu to teach at the MTC? This is slightly irrelevant to the temple.  

We had zone conference this week. It was so good! Now we have a FANCY NEW STANDARD OF EXCELLENCE! It's super awesome! Our mission stopped counting contacts. Also week one of this transfer there were nine baptisms. That's more in one week than at any time in the past over 2 years. President Clark is killing it! He's so amazing! I love him so much! The other day was his birthday. What nice man! Remember when the whole mission was scared of him? Probably not, but that was a thing. 

We met with our investigator Suzel. She's super nice. She was like asking about baptism and about missions and about how to bear her testimony. She set a baptismal date. She's having a lot of hard struggles in her life right now though, but it's ok. The gospel can help. We're having dinner with her tonight. Sister Craft is a boss lady and she just invited her over because she was having us over. This ward is so amazing at everything and they stinkin love us. I'm so grateful.

Our Christmas party was this week. We helped out a lot. It was crazy! It was really good though. I don't like Christmas parties because I don't like too much noise and people and everything going on around me. It's stressful. ALSO they made us guard this candy table from a bunch of primary children who were there an hour early for Santa. NOT FUN!!! I had to pray for Christlike love for many young boys. Emailing is also stressful. I have a really big desire to share my life with everyone in a really positive way, but then I get to emailing and I don't know what to write about. Y'all should send me questions so I have some ideas. Also I basically forget everything I learned in any given week as soon as I start typing. 

Oh!!! Here's something I learned this week: 

It's really awfully hard to feel love from someone if you're mad at them. This includes Heavenly Father. 

Here's Some Sister Clark One Liners: 

"It's what we go through not what we don't go through that makes us who we are." -Sister Clark

"Thank you is a phrase that doesn't cost much, but we tend to be stingy with it." -Sister Clark

Here's some quotes: 

"What is this white people vs brown people?" -Elder Bowen

"Be the fork, there's already spaghetti prepared" -Sister Call

"The missionaries and the Elders" -Sister Orellana

the worst is when people are like the missionaries and the sisters. like what I'm not a missionary? Sister Orellana, switching it up. 

"My favorite thing about Elder Nattress is his hair product." -Elder Mills

"How old are you today 56?"-me 

"I'm 40!" -President Clark

"My Goodness!! You're so cute!" -President Clark

"My children will ruin it in two weeks. They'll polish fruit." -President Gallund

"How do you say your name?" -me 

"Like jet ski"- Elder Jeske 

"Oh yeah! Paco taco time." -Elder Sorensen 

"alright some personal stud and some comp stud." -Elder Sorensen

"Look guys! We got a gift and it's not even secret Santa!!" -Elder Bowen 

"you look like you're in a bowl." -Sister Call

"You're guarding this candy from everyone."-President Nelson

"Mostly from stake presidencies and bishoprics!" -me 

"What do you like about prophets?" -me 

"They shot arrows but they couldn't hit Joseph or... SOME boy! Whatever! I'm out!" - a 4 year old

The reading assignment is this:

 

Throughout the Book of Mormon we can see the pride cycle. Usually it happens over the course of many chapters. Read 4th Nephi and behold the entire pride cycle in one chapter. Ask yourself "In what ways am I prideful?" 

Have fun! 

Love Y'all! 

Sister Atchley

An actual Ewock

We all look dang good in this picture ok don't question it.

Sister Baker went home. RIP ): 

#WhereIsSisterBaker -me ever day

12/5/2016

WELL THIS WAS ONE OF THE CRAZIEST WEEKS OF THIS WHOLE MISSION! 

Doubling in is super hard. I have literally not been not stressed all week. I'm on the verge of strangling everyone that doesn't take care of the area book. There's like two to three copies of every teaching record in formers and literally two months missing from the progress records. I burned through like 10 sheets of hole protector stickers. Also for some reason there's always stuff in the area book that has no business being there like sheets from old training that happened in 2010. Sorry but I didn't realize preach my gospel listed "old trainings from 2010" as a necessary item to be filed under "potential investigators" 

This probably sounds like alien language. Basically our book that's supposed to be really nice is really ratchet instead. One of the teaching records is so mean. It's just like bagging on the investigator and at the end it says in big letters "CATMUL IS A GAYTARD" So I guess there was an Elder called Elder Catmul and apparently they got immature one day and wrote that in pen in the area book. Sad because PMG says we will be accountable to the lord for what we put in the area book. Somebody is going to have to explain that. 

The ward is really awesome. We met almost everyone in ward council. Our ward mission leader, Brother Armstrong, is SO AMAZING!! He's just really cool and really on fire. He was filling us in on who all of our investigators and recent converts are and he was like "we have these investigators" and "a lot of our investigators are getting ready for baptism." He's so enthusiastic. Also everyone loves us I think. Like I've felt nothing but love. We had an investigator at church and also we have an appointment tomorrow with a member present. Apparently in this ward ALL of our lessons are with a member present. Basically this ward is just the most amazing place ever. Newport Beach Zone #promisedland Also when I was a temple tour sister there was this Stake guy that I always saw and I was always like "oh man this guy is so cool I want to serve in NB so I can be friends with him." Guess what? HE'S IN MY WARD AND HE REMEMBERED WHO I AM!!!

Since we're the only missionaries in the ward they said we can participate in young men's because "you're this ward's missionaries and those boys need the exposure. They need to being seeing the tags." 

We had dinner with our recent convert, Guiti, and she is SO SWEET! She's like the cutest sweetest lady ever. She's been a member for about a year so she can come to the temple soon. 

I did forget how cold it is in Irvine compared to Mission Viejo. 

Sister Call is flipping amazing. She's super obedient and a really hard worker. She is working me to death. I might literally actually die. We need to slow down by 10% as per adjusting to missionary life. How do you quantify that? She's also just a really strong sister. We have a lot of the same things that we struggle with and that we've been trying to learn. She's also so so humble and patient with her super cranky prideful companion. She's a lifesaver. 

I secretly kinda feel like I'm going to one and done it in this ward. I hope not because I want to be in this ward for the rest of my mission. So I'm definitely not going to. 

This week was basically really good. I've also felt myself be strengthened to be able to be really outgoing and personable. I'm usually kind of outgoing and personable, but I've gotten over almost all of my anxiety. It said that would happen in my blessing when I got set apart. I'm not even afraid of talking on the phone anymore. It's a miracle. Heavenly Father is so good to me. He is even really patient when I'm stressed out. I'm so thankful. 

Here's not many quotes because I was like 5 days behind on my journal and my brain was jelly: 

"Dear Diary, today Sister Atchley scooted up to me on her buns and gave me a book." -Elder Radeke

"You look like your mom's attractive." -Elder Kennedy (to Elder Mueller) 

"How did you make this?" -Elder Kennedy

"I painted it." -me 

"you PAINTED this!?" -Elder Kennedy

"I never considered that you could answer the doorbell at Target." -Sister Baker

"You guys aren't awkward like most Sisters." -Elder Sawej 

"That guy was not adjusting your insurance he was trying to clone you. He has your dna." -me 

"AND HE HAS A PICTURE OF ME!" -Sister Call

"It'll put fumes in our smoothies!" -Sister Call

"There are 6 missionaries in the zone representing Texas. Just saying." -Elder Mills

"I'm from Oklahoma. It's right above Texas. Where the humility is." -Elder Tree

"There were iguanas infesting his pool so he got out his pellet gun and spent Christmas obliterating iguanas." -Elder Boggess 

"Oh well pick a Christlike Attribute anyway." -Elder Bowen

"Christlike attribute: Submissiveness to Christlike attributes." -Elder Boggess

"I really appreciate jogging right now. A sentence I never thought I'd say." -me 

I forced Sister Call to go jogging with me. I was really stressed.  

Weekly Assignment: 

read 3Nephi27 and look for where it talks about the doctrine of Christ. 

P.S. Sister Baker went home and I'm so so sad. I don't know how to be a missionary without Sister Baker. It's hard. Where are my inside jokes? 

Press Esc or click anywhere to return to Mail.

11/28/2016

Good morning!

Sorry if you're not reading this in the morning. 

So transfer calls were this week. I've only been here for four transfers and I've only been Sister Ward's companion for one transfer. Staying with her makes a lot of sence from a logical standpoint since Sister Baker is going home. Also I really like this ward. There's a lot of really cool people in this ward that I like serving around so I was pretty sure I wasn't going to move anyway. And I was COMPLETELY AND UTTERLY INCORRECT! I'm doubling in the University Park ward in Newport with Sister Call! Also I don't have a ward share. Meaning there are no Elders in that ward. Meaning there is no one to tell us what's up with the ward. I'm incredibly excited! 

Also kinda sad because a lot of really cool people are coming to the zone as soon as I'm leaving. For example Elder tall Mann is going to be in MV2 and Sister Suchanski is going to be in YSA. Bummed. Also this means I only get to see Elder Kennedy today before he goes to his real mission. So sad! Visa waiters! >:( 

I've learned on my mission that I have separation anxiety. I'm like 500% sure people forget I exist within 2 weeks of not seeing me. I know that's not true because all these people like Elder Burk always come up to me after like 5 transfers of not seeing me and be like "KSDJFHA IT'S SISTER ATCHLEY!!" 

Elder Radeke is going to Oak Creek. I love Oak Creek. miss it sooo muuuuch. 

I'm in the Newport Beach zone, but I'm technically still in the city of Irvine. Irvine is in 5 different stakes and one of them is not even in our mission. There's the Irvine Stake, then parts are in the Racho Santa Margarita stake, the Newport Beach stake, and the ORANGE STAKE?? The California Irvine Mission does not even contain the entire city of Irvine. Neither do the Houston missions though so I shouldn't be surprised. 

Still think it should be the California Mission Viejo Mission..... 

Anyway!!! 

Some good stuff happened this week. We went to the temple and I learned some crazy stuff about myself. I was praying for an image of where I'm at right now. I felt the spirit like crazy the whole session. I was in the celestial room praying and it occurred to me that Heavenly Father is a teacher. We come to this earth to learn and progress so we are students. The earth is like school. So I was thinking about this when I suddenly remembered this one time I was in like first grade or something reading like "see spot run" or whatever and being so frustrated at the lame books I knew how to read. I remember trying to go straight from like learn to read books to chapter books in one go. I remember reading this one book "Pickle Pizza Pie" I couldn't tell you what it was about because for me it was like the hardest thing to understand and I just did not have the skills necessary to read it despite it being a really easy book I'm sure. I realized that I'm trying to graduate too fast in the gospel. I need to slow down and pace myself and learn line upon line. 

Here's some quotes: 

"I wish you were faster at putting intestines together." -Elder Radeke

"I will be totally appropriate from this point forward. I'm a new Sister Atchley"- me 

"I don't believe you." -Elder Mueller 

"I'm embarrassed on behalf of everyone in this room" -Elder Heiner

"He tell us we believe in Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father but also Heavenly Grandpa and Heavenly Great Grandpa." -Elder Vaipulu 

"Wayne's World did it we can too." -Elder Rasmussen 

"Hey buddy, I'm a lady." -Elder Foutz

"I'm not a piece of meat!" -Elder Foutz

"Christ is going to deny that whole building." -Elder Rasmussen

"To the MV2 mobile!! Except the sisters they can go to the mv2b mobile" -Elder Rasmussen

"DON'T HIDE YOUR BEEF FROM US!" -Sister Baker

"The most melodramatic person I know: Madeleine Atchley" -Sister Wimmer

"I'm wearing a track suit... I look like some old creep!" -Brother Rose 

"You need to behave because the missionaries keep a record of things they don't want to name their children based on kids they meet on their mission." -Brother Mackay 

Here's the reading assingment: 

3Nephi18: 16 And as I have prayed among you even so shall ye pray in my church, among my people who do repent and are baptized in my name. Behold I am the light; I have set an example for you.

Pick your favorite of the gospels and read it prayerfully considering how Jesus Christ is an example for you. 

Love You Guys!

Sister Atchley

This is my best planner cover yet.

.

The Mackays are really sweet. Sister Mackay is like the most beautiful human being ever and their kids are REALLY HILARIOUS! Cole Mackay is one of my favorite kids on my whole mission. Morgan sprinted upstairs to get these bunny ears so she would be more noticeable in this picture. Please notice Morgan. 

Everyone was super into this thing. This is Elder Foutz

Elder Radeke mainly helped build it, but he's not in any of these pictures. 

Elder Kennedy: lowkey kind of weird. I thought he was really normal. I was pleasantly surprised.

#potatoShapedMen  Thanks dad

11/21/16

Hello Adoring Fans,

I'm just coming at you with some spiritual experiences this week. We didn't get a lot done in terms of teaching our investigators, but I learned a lot and felt the spirit a lot. Sister Baker had all her going home stuff this week, so we've been doing a lot of busy things. So ok, I just need to make a list.

Sister Baker's departing dinner was this week. It was really cool because all the missionaries who are going home and their companions get together and have dinner with the Clarks. Then we sit around and bear testimony and say nice things about eachother. Sister Baker said a lot of really nice things about me and I just sobbed aggressively because I <3 Sister Baker, but we had a really rough 3 transfers before this really good transfer. This transfer has been really cool because it's like all the progression we've been supposed to be doing in the last 6 months all crammed in to the last 6 weeks. Whatever works I guess.

At the very same departing dinner I saw Sister Dinning. She asked if I knew Matt Johnston, because apparently he recently moved into her ward. Brother Johnston was a ward missionary in my first ward and we really only ever saw him in church because he's recently married and works 50000 hours a week. So I was like yeah why? Sister Dinning said "He love you so much. As soon as he moved into the ward he was like 'do you guys know Sister Atchley? She's my FAVORITE. She's like a powerhouse man. She's a really great teacher!' He talks about you literally all the time." I was SUPER flattered but mostly SUPER SURPRISED because I didn't even know I had been around Brother Johnston enough to like even influence him in any way. In fact, the only time I was ever around him was in gospel principles. So that just goes to show that WE NEVER KNOW who we are going to touch very powerfully. That's why it's so important for you to not only always be in your church classes, but always participate because if you do Heavenly Father will use you to bless the lives of others. 

I gave a training in district meeting this week. Basically I went through all the chapters between Mosiah 27 and Alma 36 and picked out all the bad/hard things that happened to Alma on his mission. I wrote it down on a timeline on the board of these basically 20 years that he's having really difficult experiences. We talked about all the negative words he uses to describe how he feels. Then I was like "So Alma sits his son down and tells him 'my mission was sooo hard and missions suck and all my converts got thrown into a fire and Ammon is a way better missionary than me' right? WRONG!?" and we read Alma 36: 

24 Yea, and from that time even until now, I have labored without ceasing, that I might bring souls unto repentance; that I might bring them to taste of the exceeding joy of which I did taste; that they might also be born of God, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.

 25 Yea, and now behold, O my son, the Lord doth give me exceedingly great joy in the fruit of my labors;

Then we talked about how even though Alma's mission is really hard and he wasn't happy for a lot of it he still found joy through bringing souls unto Christ and having the companionship of the Holy Ghost, because those are the things that bring you joy. Later Elder Kennedy came up to me and told me that he really needed that training.

Then later this week we were visiting people in Sister Baker's old ward so she could say goodbye. We were in Nellie Gail all day. If you don't know about Nellie Gail it's basically a huge neighborhood of houses that I'm too poor to even look at in a magazine. So we were walking up the steps to this huge McMansion and I was thinkin to myself like "man all these members of the church how dare they use all their money to buy a house. If I was this rich I would live in Nebraska and pay for people's missions or something man... wast of money... man" and the spirit was like "Settle down Judas!" and I was like "... oh my bad whats up?" and the spirit was like "If nobody lived in Nellie Gail, who would share the gospel in Nellie Gail." My testimony was strengthened of the fact that Heavenly Father puts you in specific places around specific people to fulfill his purposes. Basically I learned that like 50 times this week. So I would say it was a good week. 

Here's some quotes: 

"Ok new number between one and ten." -Elder Heiner

*everyone guessing*

"ELDER HEINER! IT'S NOT FAIR IF IT'S NOT A WHOLE NUMBER!" -me 

"I used to know Pi really far." -Elder Kennedy

"I'm not surprised." -me 

"WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?!" -Elder Kennedy

"What's the derivative of x^2" -Elder Heiner

"2x duh" -Me and Elder Kennedy in unison 

"Yeah I'm gonna major in art."-me 

"mmm You seem like that kind of person." -Elder Kennedy

"We picked up a new investigator!" -Sister Baker

"How did you do that?" -Elder Blue

"uh... by teaching a lesson and setting a specific return appointment." -me 

"We dropped your stuff off... we didn't come here just to tell you that." -Elder Heiner

"We just found out taht there's an Outback in the mission and we were talking about how good Outback would be etc. etc." - Sister Baker

"Hear that! sounds like they're fishing for dinner." -Brother DeGraw

"I don't know anything about makeup! Except eyeliner... I only had that for like.... a week.... with my.... green Mohawk...." -Elder Foutz

"Secret agent man!" -Elder Foutz

"Secret Asian man? what?" -me 

"I thought we all agreed that was Sister Baker" -Elder Foutz

"Now that I'm companions with Elder Boggess we can utilize all the cupboards, even the ones over the microwave." -Elder Everett 

"My closest relative in the mission is my 5th cousin, Elder Burk." -me 

"hahaha I can definitely see the resemblance." -Elder Everett 

"because I'm so hairy right?" -me 

"How tall even are you?" -Sister Baker

"6' 5"" -Elder Boggess

"People just think you're way taller because you're like 6 feet legs 5 inches torso." -Sister Baker

"ahah true" -Elder Boggess

"How many ants would it take to lift this couch?" -Sister Ward

"SEVEN." -Sister Baker

"Guess what guys! My fourth great grandparents are Jewish!" -me 

"Ah really? Shalom!" -Elder Vaipulu 

"Me and Tyler became best friends when I started ignoring him" -Katie (they're siblings) 

"We gotta check out just swerve . org" -Sister Baker

"Did you have a my little pony phase Sister Atchley...... are you still in it........ is it not a phase?" -Elder Kennedy

"Sister Baker you look good with a cheese beard." -Brother DeGraw

"I have space for like 4 feelings at a time but when my bladder is full it takes up all 4 spaces." -me 

"Hey how's it going?" -Sister Baker 

"FULL BLADDER" -me 

"God made America the promised land and then he remembered every body needs a rectum so he made California." -Brother Betty 

"Of all the His and Hers items out there refrigerator is a new one." -sister Baker

Reading Assignment: 

Go to the index and look up Joy. Read all the scriptures in Alma under Joy and learn how people have Joy in tough situations. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Sister Atchley

 I saw the Ocean for the first time this week. Have some pictures.

11/14/16

This has been a good week. None of our investigators made it to church but Veronica is reading the Book of Mormon and marking in it now. Almost all of our investigators are reading the Book of Mormon. It's exciting because that's what leads to lasting conversion. It's also exciting because I never read the Book of Mormon as an investigator. I did come to church every week though. It's just a different process for different people I've learned. It's a good thing Heavenly Father understands all of His children a lot better than we understand each other. 

I never update y'all on my life. Sorry. We have a bunch of investigators. 

They're all single ladies over the age of 40. 4/5 of them live in the same complex. We found all of them by contacting. Except Veronica. She tracted the Spanish Elders basically. #PlotTwist. 

We found Helen 500 weeks ago when Sister Baker and I were first companions. She's really nice. She just agrees with everything we teach her. She agreed to live the word of wisdom most recently. It's hard for her though. 

We've also got Therese. She's the employee of the bishop of the foothill ranch ward. She's super Catholic, but she agreed to pray about the great apostasy. 

We're picking up Peggy and Eleanor. Peggy is the daughter and Elanor is 96. They're super friendly. 

Veronica was feeling a little sick this week. We went over and she was like "come on in but we're sick!" So we came in and were like "Want a blessing?" So we got Elder Foutz and Elder Blue to come give her a blessing. It was amazing because Elder Foutz is super in tune so he was saying all this stuff that there's no way he could have know she needed help with. She said while she was getting the blessing that she felt "that feeling like a breath of fresh air!" Veronica describes the spirit so cool. 

It was super cute because when the blessing started Wes, her 6 year old, kinda stopped being squirmy and looked really hard at Elder Foutz. Then he kinda slid off the couch onto his knees and folded his arms. He said a really good prayer the other day after our lesson. He's a cutie pie. He got a blessing too. That was really interesting. It sounded a lot like he's going to be a really good missionary in the future. We talked about the priesthood and about how Wes could have the priesthood if he's raised in the church. 

Elder Hamula came to the mission again and blew everyone's mind again. He talked about how when Adam and Eve first found themselves in the lone and dreary world they CALLED upon the name of the Lord and HEARD the voice of the Lord. He talked about how you have to pray but sincerely and you must also listen for direction after you pray. 

He also talked about how miracles come AFTER you exercise your faith. He said a miracle is something you can't explain. That's why it's a miracle. It was pretty cool. 

So uh... California made recreational marijuana legal and plastic bags illegal. So now you have to bring reusable bags or pay like 50 cents per bag at every grocery store. Needless to say we carried all our groceries by hand. 

Jk there's a bunch of Trader Joe's bags kicking around in our apartment we just forgot them. 

I saw Elder Anthony this week! He's super happy to be back in Chinese. I also saw Elder Burk. Everyone's always so happy when I see them. It's the best. 

It may be the President Orgill effect. President Orgill always was like I'm so glad everyone in this mission is happy all the time. Elder Dayton pointed out that President Orgill probably had an inflated sense of how happy the mission was because everyone was always super happy to see him so he never saw anyone be unhappy. 

now the main part of the e-mail: 

"It's the little MORMON BOYS! Don't worry, they're harmless." -lady standing directly behind me at Target

"I'm buying PANTS!" -Elder Foutz

"Elder Kennedy are you a reader of doctrine?" -Elder Mask 

"I read the scriptures if that's what you're asking." -Elder Kennedy

So I don't usually give context but I think this one is funnier with context. So Elder Mask was trying to swerve my conversation w/Elder Kennedy and initiate a conversation about Talmage or something and Elder Kennedy wasn't having it. Except Elder Kennedy always has a friendly tone of voice. So basically this conversation sounded like bad acting from a movie about Mormons. 

"I can see Elder Chain wearing eyeliner." -Elder Kennedy

"If I was a cartoon I would be Wanda from Fairly Odd Parents." -me 

"I can see it." -Elder Kennedy 

"Wait no I would be Velma." -me 

"My sister was Velma for Halloween." -Elder Kennedy

"I was Velma for Halloween." -me 

"You must be my sister." -Elder Kennedy

"How dare these people exercise their constitutional rights!" -Sister Baker

"I feel like if you give it to her now the spiritual thought will last like two minutes and you can maybe get it back but if not you will probably not be able to have it for a longer period of time." -me 

"Wow that totally worked. Sister Atchley is going to be a great mom." -Brother Pinon 

"We were going to live in Idaho but it was just a way different lifestyle." -Brother Pinon

"Aren't you a surf coach? That would be kind of hard to do in Idaho." -Sister Baker

"Yeah CTR. Choose The RICH!" -Sister Sinclair

"I'm never going to be able to look at a potato shaped man again without thinking of you!!" -Sister Sinclair 

"Get his number for Sister Atchley." - Sister Baker

"Sorry my hands are covered in tears." -me 

"It's ok my tears are covered in hands." -Elder Radeke

"ok well..... giving blessings to sisters..... always awkward afterwards....." -Elder Radeke

"I'm watching my carbs." -Elder Rasmussen 

"I'm not..... as you can see." -Elder Kennedy

"Holy Grail is a Catholic term I shouldn't have probably used it." -Elder Hamula

"You right Sisters Probably dead RAT! You take car to Pep Boy!" -Elder Chao 

"This is the nastiest cabin air filter I've ever seen." -Pep Boys guy

"I'm on track to becoming a weremagu." -me 

Stinkin Magu bit the snot out of me for the second time. Tropical bird lookin, weird tongue havin, green feather lookin, fire alarm soundin little

"Nobody has more pride in their heritage than Brother Mortensen"-me 

"Well! Idaho is a wonderful place!" -Brother Mortensen

"Oh Andy! That's why you've spend most of your life in California!" -Sister Mortensen

We had dinner at the Mackays' Cole brought out this pirate muppet. He's actually really good at muppets for being an 8 year old. 

"Me name is Scurvy Jones of the 12 seas!" -Cole/Scurvy

"12 Seas!?"-me 

"I also go to Mars!" -Scurvy

"And my worst enemy! Captian Space Underpants!" -Scurvy

"I think I know that guy!" -me 

"Yes! He knows you too!" -Scurvy

"Oh yeah? What does he know about Sister Atchley?" -Brother Mackay

"He has a HUGE CRUSH on her!" -Scurvy

"COLE!!" -Brother Mackay

"And SCURVY SCURVY BEARDS!" -Scurvy

"That just means your beard doesn't have enough vitamin C." -me 

"That is correct fair maiden!" -Scurvy

"Fair maiden!? Jeez kid!" -Brother Mackay

And that's a story about how I got hit on by an 8 year old via hand puppet. 

"So Scurvy what's the most interesting thing you've learned being a pirate?" -me 

"Baby Koalas have to eat the mom's poop-" -Scurvy

"COLE!!" -Sister Mackay

"WHAT IT'S TRUE!" -Cole 

The reading assignment is:

Thoughts About Thoughts by Dean L. Larsen

https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/dean-l-larsen_thoughts-thoughts/