2/27/17

Dear adoring fans, 

Thank you for the package full of letters. My favorite letter was the one that said "I don't know you, but I've seen a picture." Shout out to whoever sent that, you're my kinda person. Also whoever said they were in art, that's pretty cool. Send me pics of your work. Sorry I can't remember who sent what. The number of letters exceeded my attention span. It's not hard to do..... 

So this week was SO AWESOME! My Christlike attribute this transfer is meekness and lowliness of heart so naturally I'm struggling with those things. In particular I'm having trouble not being really fiery about everything.  

"I'm having trouble this transfer with being fiery about everything." -me 

"you're just having trouble THIS TRANSFER?" -Elder Gunn

Luckily Sister Gage is awesome. She's literally like the most forgiving and patient person ever. She never gets annoyed with me. It's a miracle! Also she's pretty funny. Also she's colorblind! Somehow her outfits are always on point. She wears a lot of neutrals. That's how you gotta do it I guess. 

The ward is awesome. We didn't know who our ward mission leader was until yesterday. I still don't know who he is because I'm new here! He's also going on a trip today. Our Bishop just got back from Fiji. We saw a lady walking her pony. Everyone basically lives in a castle. We helped set up an actual garden party. There are 51 high priests in the ward. I can't get over how excited I am to be in this ward. It might be my favorite ward. Also our stake center is gigantic! I even go to church in a castle! 

We picked up a new investigator. So we met all our weekly goals. I didn't help set the weekly goals. That's always weird. She's super nice. Her name is Rita. She was the last person we called during weekly planning. She was also the only person that answered. Her teaching record had like 5 former statuses that were like Rita says she is not interested in meeting anymore. So it was pretty shocking when she was like "Well can you come over tomorrow?" My theme in this zone is fourth floor last door. We've seen tons of tiny miracles. 

Something I've learned is that when you're positive and excited about things that's like kind of the same as faith. 

Well I don't have a ton to report, but this transfer is going to be bonkers amazing. I'm excited about it. My district leader, Elder Williams, is like a cross between Matthew and Elder Whatcott. He's pretty hilarious. 

Here's some quotes: 

"Oh look! 2 for $3!" -me 

"Yeah... but it's good & plenty...." -Sister Gage

"The Frys and the Bergers should get together to be the Freiburgers." -Elder Williams 

"Mayo!.... They should hang out with the Frys and the Bergers." -Elder Williams

"The difference between Nellie Gail and that place is like the difference between Bill Gates and someone who lives in the hood." -Elder Gunn

"It's like the difference between someone who lives in a big house like... in Nellie Gail and someone who lives in an apartment." -Elder Williams

"DANG YOU'RE TINY!" -Elder Gunn

"I wonder if this is how normal size people feel when they try to talk to me!" -Elder Gunn

"Wow your hair is awesome!" -me 

"Thanks!" -Sister Ottesen

"What about my hair?" -Brother Ottesen

"if this person was a fruit they would be.... blackberries... because they're hard to control." -Elder Williams

"What the heck?" -Sister Bauer

"I didn't know what to say!" -Elder Gunn

"A horse and a black mamba? I'm picturing a snake with huge horse legs." -Elder Gunn

"We have to get the old people to do missionary work." -Sister Gage

"Ye elderly of Israel come join now with me!" -me 

The reading assignment is this: 

I was reading 1 Nephi 8 and I noticed that Lehi says that everyone is coming into the narrow way just fine before the mists of darkness arise. After the mist appears everyone who didn't grab hold of the rod gets lost. So it's like the seeds that fall in shallow ground and are scorched up in the heat of the day. My mind was blown. 

Read 1 Nephi 8 and learn something new from it. 

Love Y'all! 

Sister Atchley

We took zone pictures week one

Found an Ensign from the 70's 

Man walking his pony

Someone was having issues

First picture of sister Gage

Last picture of sister Call

I can get any one to pose with my cow.

That tree tho

2/20/17

Sorry about the late email friends. Yesterday was bonkers. This week was pretty crazy actually. There was just one plot twist after another. 

The first thing that happened was that p day activity was at this park. Except in Irvine parks are all like this weird mixture of private and public it's confusing. So basically some people had rented this field that we were on and I guess we looked really aggressive so they called the authorities to kick us off. He came in really hardcore, but then calmed down in like 5 seconds when he realized that we were super willing to leave if he just asked. So that's the story about how I've been harassed by the cops more on my mission than at any other time. Kinda similar to how I've missed more church on my mission than at any other time. 

District meeting was pretty awesome. It was hilarious and also super spiritual. We played 42 points pictionary. I straight up dominate any 42 points activity. Thanks Sister Shober and Sister Peterson. I couldn't have done it without you. #ShoutOut Seriously Sister Shober made me memorize the sequence of doctrinal principles so much. I'm super thankful because now it's really hard to lose me in a lesson. I always know where we're at. Then we had this discussion about consecration and it was sooooo gooooood. Everyone audibly gasped when I said I sent my art supplies home. I was actually really touched because it was a hard thing to do and I didn't know other people were going to recognize it. #ShoutOut #ThanksFam I had a really great district this transfer. I learned a lot.

I've been getting these weird headaches. It's more like in my neck but it also makes me feel queasy. I have one by the end of every day. Pretty stressful. Anyway that's not what you want to know. 

I found out this week that the mission ALREADY HAS MY FLIGHT ITINERARY! AWFUL! 

You don't want to know that either. 

So anyway the first part of the week was pretty basic, but things started picking up on Friday. 

We made a goal to weekly plan quickly because it usually takes us forever like all day. We really wanted to be more efficient so we could go out and work instead of planning for literally all day. So we finished weekly planning in only like 3 - 4 hours. It was a straight up miracle. Then we were off to our appointment at 2:00. We were turning on to the street that they live on when we got a text from the mission. "Elders and Sisters President Clark as asked us to return to our apartments right now and remain there until told otherwise." It was raining a little, but not THAT badly. Nevertheless, we went home and good thing too because it started raining that badly pretty quick. 3 people died in orange county, 2 cars fell into a sink hole, and part of a freeway collapsed. There are a lot of huge eucalyptus trees here and they don't do well when it rains a lot and the soil gets mushy. 

It was good though because we had a million church magazines to keep us busy. We read articles to each other and made soup and stayed away from our sliding glass door because it was shaking in the wind. Ironic that I send my art supplies home and finished weekly planning on time right before having 6 hours to spend in the apartment. 

About 4 hours in we realized we missed a call from the Assistants. We got scared because a call from the Assistants on Friday of week 6 means only one of two things. Either you're training or you're doubling out. I'll give you a hint: neither of us are training. THEY MADE UNIVERSITY PARK AN ELDERS AREA!!! We were replaced by Elder Mask and Elder Peck, two awesome Elders. I'm so excited! The ward is going to be awesome. So that was the first major plot twist.

Saturday was stressful. We had these sketchy appointments and then we had to drop something off at the mission office. I was already stressed out when we bumped into Elder Everett. 

"Oh good, just the sisters we need." said Elder Everett, "Sister Atchley, can you drive?" 

"nope" 

"like.... not even... not at all?" 

"nope" 

"you don't have your license?" 

"nope" 

"do you.... want one?" 

"uhhhh...." 

"just kidding don't worry about it I'll just tell president." 

Then President Called me. Then President asked me to get my drivers license. Then I freaked out for awhile. Then he changed his mind on Monday so it's all good. 

Anyway I got transferred to the newly rearranged Laguna Hills ward. I'm SO EXCITED! Also my companion is my friend SISTER GAGE! I'M SO EXCITED!! JUST LOTS OF EXCITEMENT! I'm covering Nellie Gail! Horses! yay! Also Elder Mueller and Elder Gee are in my zone! Hooray! Anyway I'm so excited also hopefully I will die in this ward. Yesterday was already really good we're teaching well together and everything. This is going to be awesome! The only downside is that Sister Gage has already been in the ward 3 transfers so she may only be my companion for 1 transfer. Sad. 

Well... that's all folks.... 

Here's some quotes: 

"I don't like to mention the church in conversation because I'm not the best person so I don't want to become affiliated in people's minds because it might make them hate the church." -Brother Johnston

"you tell the story it'll boost your health." Elder Cheever

"uuuh... well... ok so what happened-" -Elder Gibb

"level up!" -Elder Nattress 

"If you want him to wake up you just have to start talking about anime and pokemon." -Elder Mills

"It was 5 lunchables for $5 and you can't pass up a deal like that." -Elder Gibb

"The Elders Referred us this family. I guess the Grandma is Chinese the parents are Chinese and Hispanic..." -me

"NO WAY! ELDER AHLSTROM!" -Elder Cheever

"It's CHEXICAN!" -Elder Ahlstrom

"He wants to build and Chexican food restaurant." -Elder Cheever

"It'll be chinese slash Mexican food. The name of it is Bet You've Never Tried This Before." -Elder Ahlstrom

"no... you guys.... they literally have that in Odessa... it's called ChinaMex." -me 

"Gosh dangit Odessa!" -Elder Ahlstrom 

"Mexican Sushi!" -Elder Ahlstrom

"It might be good. There's already rice." -Elder Nattress

"Raw chicken!" -Elder Cheever

"OH GOSH NEVER MIND" -Elder Nattress

"Sometimes you don't think about that Heavenly Father just wants to make you even better." -Elder Gibb

"It's like when you don't want to evolve wartortle because it's awesome, but you have to evolve it because blastoise is awesomer." -Elder Mills

"It has guns on its back." -Elder Gibb

"What a way to end district meeting." -Elder Nattress 

"OH NO I DROPPED THE CHALK NIBBLET!!" -Elder Cheever

*Elder Mills drawing the laying on of hands for the gift of the holy ghost* 

"What... it takes TWO people to give head massages?" -Elder Nattress

"Is it a care giver or a care taker?" -Elder Cheever

"Care.. taker?" -Elder Mills

"They TAKE it." -Elder Nattress

"How old are you Elder Mills?" -me 

"21 I'm the oldest person in the district." -Elder Mills

"Nope I turn 22 on sunday." -me 

"oooooohhh grandma Atchley!" -Elder Cheever

"uh! Elder Mills! You just pushed the black kid!" -Elder Nattress

"I wanted you to sit by me." -Elder Mills

"I can't. He's on my feet." -Elder Nattress

"Oh pizza. I want to drown myself in your saucy sorrows." -Sister Call 

"Here I'll just write it down for you and you can add me later." -me 

"Oh wow! Madeleine Atchley.... I would NEVER be able to spell your name, it's SO HARD!" -Kaveh

"I have no respect of persons, I'll dunk on anyone." -Elder Boggess 

Here's your reading assignment: 

My favorite part is when he said he's a general authority so he teaches general principles. My mind was blown. 

https://www.lds.org/ensign/2006/06/dating-versus-hanging-out?lang=eng

Love Y'all!

Whats the point

When your cute but your companion is weird.

I liked their old stuff better.