Life without a CAR!

Soooooooo I am going to sound a little bit pathetic this week..... Our car broke down so we had to walk for 2 DAYS! I did learn that we can walk a mile in the freezing rain in about 8 minutes!  So yeah, that wasn't fun. One major advantage or walking is that we did get to talk to a LOT of people, just think of all the people you drive by every day that need to hear about the Gospel.  One good example happened while we were standing at a cross walk waiting to cross the street.   A young Hispanic man walked up to me, and me being me smiled at him and said,” hello, how are you”?  and he said, “ hello beautiful”, and then he went on and on about how we were his angels and beautiful and princesses and pretty and a whole bunch of others words that I don't remember (or didn’t quite understand).   I just completely stopped talking (miracle) and stared at him while he went on and on.  When he was done speaking he hugged all 3 of us and gave us each a kiss on the check.... ewwwww!!!!!!!! I think more guys have kissed me on the check on my mission then all the rest of my life.  It is usually kinda awkward but is a part the Spanish culture …..  I am still trying to get used to it. 

Oh and so on Saturday at 3:44 and 28 seconds we get a call and our car is fixed!!!!!!!  YIPPEE!!!!!!   I told the nice man on the phone that we will be there to get it and he told me to hurry because they close in 15 minutes! And we were about 10 minutes away..... driving..... and we didn’t have a car.  I quickly called our zone leaders and was like elders! HELP!  The Zone Leaders are on their way, coming to pick us up, we call to get permission to ride with them, everything seems to be falling into place to get our car!  Just them we look up and see the Elders car on the other side of the highway and they are waving at us.  What to do? Then my companion was like RUN for it and she took off across 8 lanes of traffic!  and we all follow across 8 lanes of traffic.... we made it alive to the elders car, hopped in and got to the car place with at least 2 minutes to spare.  OUR CAR! I half laughed half sobbed with joy.... what a great week!  As for food we only ate some tostados.... and a salad. I loved it.  I just made a lot of food at home.  BTW Mom we survive on $35-$40 a week by shopping together.  Not a lot of Raman noodles but we eat quesadillas, pasta, and fruit and sandwiches.... Oh and I have been drinking green smoothies.

Oh, funny story! We went to an investigator's house to eat and it was fried platanos and some chicken. Nothing too out of the ordinary until my companion looked at her plate and she had a chicken foot in it! Lol, I felt so bad for her. She ate it!  Oh and I learned how to make chicharon... It is good and super easy.

Um let me see …. other than that I am still diligently trying to give up sarcasm. REPENTANCE IS REAL! HAHA. Um I went to the temple today it was amazing and I loved it. The D.C. temple is so beautiful.

Spanish is getting better and I can actually teach a little bit and converse with people!

Love all of You,
Hermana Atkinson
Missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
Washington D.C. South Mission