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