9/12/16

What's up guys. I bought stationary today. Write me letters and I'll write you back. Or don't and I won't. Your choice.

What do I have to tell you today? First off I want to apologize for the generally poor spiritual quality of every email home ever. I have three main things to talk about this week I guess. 

The DeGraws got baptized, my district is literally my favorite district of my entire mission, member missionary work is the bees knees, and following spiritual impressions is the only way to live your life. I guess that's four. Good thing I'm an art major. 

The DeGraws have been investigating for a really long time. Basically all they've been waiting for is Brother DeGraw to get the ok to be baptized from the stake president. So he got it and they got baptized immediately. Literally interviewed Wednesday baptized Thursday. President Clark interviewed Sister Degraw and I will echo his thoughts.

"Wow Sister Atchley, WHAT a SWEET lady." -President Clark (Imagine a big teddy bear man voice.)

The baptism was so cool. Sister DeGraw said that when she was being confirmed and everyone was standing around her she just suddenly felt loved and accepted. Idk but she recognized the exact moment she received the Holy Ghost and that's pretty cool.  

Number 2: 

My district is literally the best district I have had my entire mission. I honestly thought that no one would be able to top my first/second district but I've never felt so loved by a group of people before in my entire life. I can tell that they all love me together and that every individual member loves me too. That's not even my favorite part though. My favorite part is that almost everyone in the district is fully committed to humbling themselves before the Lord and literally changing their nature to please him. Also everyone is really open. Elder Anthony asked us for help being less serious all the time. He also asked us for help showing love. Also Elder Mueller asked us to help him be happier and Elder Rassmussen asked us to help him not talk bad about people. Basically Everyone is super committed to developing Christlike attributes. I just look up to everyone so much. Specially Elder White and Elder Anthony they're my favorites at the moment. 

Elder White is soon to go down unto his grave though. 2 more weeks. RIP. ): 

Maybe I talked about our plan for member missionary work? Basically we're working with the Elders to teach every family the restoration and invite them to pray about a date by which they can extend an invitation learn about the gospel. Also I made like member teaching records to keep track of who everyone is and what's been shared with them / what invitations have been extended. 

Every time we extend the invitation people have this flood of ideas of who they can share the gospel with. I want to testify to all of you right now that if you have someone who you've "been meaning to share the gospel with" or someone who you "just wish would read the Book of Mormon/come to church/ talk to the missionaries/ attend a ward social" those thoughts are put into your mind by the Holy Spirit of the Lord. Please quit waiting around to invite them come unto Christ. They need your help. As someone who was baptized as a direct result of members being a little weird about it I want you to know that I am eternally thankful that missionaries were sent to my home. 

You probs shouldn't be reading this if you are a missionary, but if you are get your priorities in order and then make sure to follow up on every member referral you get please. It's so important. 

I have a lot to say about spiritual promptings but I have to go pretty soon. Basically I had a cool experience this week where I realized that there is a very clear difference between the voice of the spirit and my own voice that I think in. I just have to be listening closely and I know the voice of the spirit. I invite everyone to listen to the voice of the spirit. Ask some questions and pause to listen for his voice. I promise he will speak to you. 

I know all y'all wanted was deez quotes:

"This IDIOT bird is freaking out and pooping everywhere!" -Sister Baker 

"FREAK I PUT MY HAND IN IT!!!" -Me 

"Uuuuuuh we should amp Elder Capasso to go to Laaaaguna Nigueeeel so heee can goo to caaaaaanes." -Elder Kieth 

"Omg hush Elder Kieth." -Sister Baker 

"Uhhhhhhhhhhhh noooow every body's mad at meeee and I diiiiidn't even dooooo anythiiiiiiiiiiing." - Elder Kieth in like a professional winy baby voice 

"Does Canes benefit you spiritually?" -Elder Radeke

"Then she went home and wend to the temple with my girlfriend." -Elder Radeke

"Being become... being... come....." -Sister Baker trying to say becoming 

"more better" -Me all time time 

Transfer Goal: Being become more better at gramer 

"No Elder! Four thousand and a half means four thousand and one half of one not four thousand five hundred!" -Elder Richardson 

"Whatever Elder Richardson. Look at this guy he's some kinda numbermatician." -Elder White 

"Hey Sister Atchley..... so are you the one that needs the blessing." -Elder Anthony

#WhoElseWouldItBe 

"What would Christ say if you had to give him your area book?" -Elder Anthony

"Probably that I have bad handwriting." -me 

"We all do Sister Atchley" -Elder Anthony 

"Don't feel my lobes." -Elder Rassmussen 

"Ok guys!! Sisters' picture!" *Takes Selfie* -Sister Baker

"I know I've been ugly crying for like an hour but we gotta take a district picture." -me 

"You mean b - w - dubs?" -Elder Kieth 

"Is Elder White BRUSHING HIS TEETH WHILE DRIVING?" -Sister Baker

"Elder White is the most basic white girl of all the Elders in this mission." -me 

"I hate it when people try to play mom against dad with me! I don't like what Elder Radeke said so I'm just gonna call mom. I'm not gonna contradict him!" -Elder White

"The f key was broken! THIS SONG IS IN THE KEY OF F!!!" -Sister Baker 

"Oh yeah Elder Center get permission to go to Europe so you can marry me to my husband before you're released from you mission!" -me 

"I like shaking hands with people when I contact because people feel less comfortable walking away when you're holding them" -Elder White 

"Nobody comprehends my name well enough to make jokes about it." -me 

"Atchley I make lots of Atchley jokes Sister Atchley." -Elder Radeke 

"That's why it says MUCH fasting and prayer not ONE fasting and prayer." -Sister Baker 

"Wow Sister Wimmer and her sister REALLY look alike." -Elder Ball

"Almost like they're twins." -Sister Baker 

"Hey Elder Mills wanna know something about yourself?" -me 

"Uh yeah I guess." -Elder Mills 

"You go to Sam Houston State." -me 

"WHAT THE HECK HOW DID YOU DO THAT!?" -Elder Mills 

"You guys know Elder White's protein is literally pumpkin spice right?" -Sister Wimmer 

"I'm not competitive but I'll take anyone on in ping pong right now. No practice!" -Sister Clark

"President how do I become AP? 

You must beat me..... at ping pong" -Elder White

"Do you think you friend zoned him in the preexistence?" -Sister Baker 

"You know what this needs? More borders!" -me 

"OH GOSH IT NEEDS FEWER BORDERS!!" -me 

"Elder Fife's proximity radius is set to general vicinity." -Elder Radeke 

"They're still going strong! This hole punch has never been opened before! This is what happens when your organization is RUN BY VOLUNTEERS" -Elder Radeke 

there were a solid stream of dots coming out of this hole punch for like no kidding 3 full minutes. 

"I thought you said though I be so cool." -Sister Baker 

"FillinUpDemLines"-Sister Baker 

"it's not that big!" -me 

"Yes it is.  Specially when YOU'RE holding it." -Sister Wimmer 

"It's not a hoover but it'll do." -Elder Center

"I'm actually kinda obsessed with vacuuming." -Elder Center 

"This is the closest I've got to cutting hay in awhile." -Elder Center 

He then proceeded to rope Elder Mueller with the vacuum cord. 

"Can I crawl in a hole and die?" -Sister Baker 

"I mean if you know where one is I guess that's a possibility." -me 

"I'll dig my own!" -Sister Baker 

"Sounds like effort." -me 

"I'm short so it doesn't have to be very deep." -Sister Baker

"If you were from the ghetto how would you spell opossum?" Elder White 

"I don't know probably like..... A-P-O-Z-U-A-M-E" -Elder Rassmussen 

"If any animal were the size of a horse and you could ride it what would it be?" -Elder Foutz

"Pug." -Elder Anthony

"Wow.. no hesitation." -Elder White 

"If you had to wear a wedding dress how frilly would it be?" -me 

"Probably like.... incredibly frilly, as much as possible." -Elder Foutz 

"The fourth question will be directed by the spirit." -Elder Foutz

"It'll come from A spirit that's for sure." -Elder Radeke 

Reading Assignment: 

I know I already assigned this but y'all need to read "Pure Testimony" again because bringing your investigator to fast and testimony meeting should not have to be considered risky or brave. 

https://www.lds.org/ensign/2004/11/pure-testimony.p1?lang=eng 

Love Y'all

9/6/2016

Well transfer calls were this week. Nothing is changing in our whole ward. This makes 9 months with Elder Center. I must be missing something here. I'm either not learning something right or not teaching something right. 

Sister Baker and I were honestly super upset when we got transfer calls, but we talked about it and now we're super excited for this transfer. We're sad that it took us two transfers to get to the point where we can work together well and use each other's strengths. Good thing Mosiah26:30 Yea, and as often as my people repent will I forgive them their trespasses against me.

Well I hit 9 months recently. I made a list of some of the things I've learned on the first half of my mission. I'm just going to share that list. 

One time when I was a member of the church for like 2 weeks someone said something to me that planted the very first seed of the idea to serve a mission. 

"You have to marry a returned missionary because you learn things on your mission that you can't learn anywhere else." -Thomas Whatcott 

I've since learned that Those things are different for everyone, but here are some of mine: 

• There's a difference between being successful and being effective. 
• When it comes to church callings and life the important part is giving it your all and letting your actions change YOU for the better. The results matter less than the effort you put in. For example if you serve your entire mission without baptizing a single soul, but you worked as hard as you could and became converted in the process you were a successful missionary. However if you serve your whole mission and baptize a hundred people but come back no better than you left you were merely effective, but not successful. (Moroni7:5-11)
• We won't be able to return to Heavenly Father willingly at the judgement day if we follow him begrudgingly in this life.
• Nobody wants to spend time with someone who only spends time with them because they feel obligated. 
• The deepest most important expression of love for our fellow man is respect for the fact they are a beloved child of the same Heavenly Father that created us.(Romans13:9)
• If someone is even TRYING to show love for you it means they care about you. People express and feel love in different ways. 
• I cannot be happy unless I am subject to the will of heavenly Father. (2Nephi2:27)
• People who are prepared deserve to hear the gospel way more than you deserve to preach it to them. When you are lead to someone with whom you can share the gospel it is a blessing for them more than a blessing for you.
• You can not be TOO obedient or TOO submissive to Heavenly Father (Alma26:16) (Philippians2:10-12)
• It's easy to know what to do when non-members make fun of you for being Mormon. It's harder to know what to do when other members give you grief for not wanting to do certain things. the answer will always be to do what brings YOU closer to your Heavenly Father. 
• If you feel that someone is a little TOO strict do not be tempted to step into the great and spacious building to point and laugh. It is not your place to do so. Instead turn inward and strive to improve. 
• When you truly humble yourself and ask for the Lord's help the response is 100% positive every time.
• We also know that the response will be quick. (Alma9:26) (Alma34:31) (Mosiah2:24)
•  When we humble ourselves and ask for help from others we get close to the same response, but not perfect, because our brothers and sisters are not perfect. 
• Heavenly Fathers loves the people you don't like just as much as he loves the people you do like. (D&C64:10)
• Prayer is a two way open communication with an all powerful Father who loves us.
• He answers our prayers even our real practical ones. One time I prayed to be able to be useful in a game of Frisbee and I immediately caught and passed the Frisbee for the winning point. Another time my testimony of prayer was shaken. I cried out to Heavenly Father and he sent his spirit to witness to me the reality of prayer. Anything you need you can receive. 
• If you listen wile you pray the spirit will give you the things you should pray for and answers to your questions. Half of prayer is listening just like half of a conversation is listening. Enos prayed all day and night I can promise you he wasn't talking for the entire time. 
• bear testimony to Heavenly Father. the spirit will confirm the things that you are saying and add additional light and truth. (D&C9:8)
• The words you use when you pray matter. Nobody can pray "perfectly" there's no such thing. Heavenly father does see and reward your efforts to improve. As you carefully consider what to say in thanks and how to offer up your petitions with humility Heavenly Father will help you know what to say. Something I like to do is explain why I want a particular blessing. then Heavenly Father can tell me if my reasons are righteous or not.
• sometimes the spirit may change the way he speaks to you at different times in your life. Sometimes the adversary tricks you into thinking this means he no longer speaks to you at all. 
• "No man is an island." -Elder Dayton
• there is some way we can connect and get along with all of our brothers and sisters. If you don't like someone you probably don't understand them. Heavenly Father loves us perfectly because he understands us perfectly. 
• Smiling helps you feel the spirit. 
• Heavenly father's power, the priesthood, is on the earth for no reason other than to help us. Never assume that you don't feel bad enough for a priesthood blessing. they work just as well for mild anxiety as they do for serious crisis and you can not inconvenience an all powerful God. 
• The atonement has real power to actually change your nature if you let it. 
• It does not make up for your weaknesses it "makes weak things become strong unto you." (Ezekiel36:26-27) (Romans12:1-2) (Mosiah5:2) 
• Through the atonement Heavenly Father is able to change your nature so that your weaknesses become strengths. (Ether12:27) The strongest example I have from my mission is how I've changed in the way I think about men. Before I came on my mission was the most boy crazy individual to walk the face of the earth. I assumed I would just be able to forget about it while I was on my mission. Turns out that it may not even be possible to totally forget about an entire aspect of your personality suddenly, even if it's a righteous desire. So when I got here I was super devastated to find out how big of a problem it still was. My solution was to pray and fast and pray some more for Heavenly Father to change my inappropriate feelings to Christlike love. So now I don't have a problem being attracted to any of the Elders, but also there is not a single one of them that I hate. Heavenly Father helped me to solve my problem by making my biggest weakness a huge strength. Specially since one of our mission's cultural beliefs is to love unconditionally. 
• We learn line upon line precept upon precept. 
• Don't be alarmed if you find that you're learning the same lessons over and over again. It may not necessarily be that you din't learn the first time, but that you're leveling up as you go.
• (D&C121:45) IT takes all night for the air to cool don'w and the moisture to condense on the grass, but by the morning, slowly but surely, you've got wet grass. So it is with learning the gospel. 
• Just because you've never tried something doesn't mean you're not good at it. 
• Heavenly Father has promised us many gifts, It's up to us to discover and develop them. In order to do this we have to try a bunch of stuff. 
• Plot twist: I'm actually kinda really good at journaling, planning, and goal setting. I didn't know my WHOLE life because I've never been willing to try them.

Well friends. That's what I got. I got some hilarious quotes but I've already been here way to long. So tune in next week for twice as many things my friends say. 

No reading assignment because I'm honestly impressed you made it through all that. But here's an invitation: Prayerfully make a list of all the things you've learned since some major event in your life. It's worth it. 

Love Y'all!!