Hola A Todos ...

I had a Message Yesterday from A Family member, asking if they had been taken off Karlie's E-Mail list. Well ... it dawned on me that Since my Grandmother's Funeral, I had not updated her Blog. This Letter is from May 27, 2015. I am hoping to be caught up with her letters be tomorrow ...

D'Anne

Hola a todos!

Voy a escribir en español porque necesito practicarlo. Entonces esta semana tuve muchas experiencias buenas. Voy a empezar con el martes pasado fuimos a visitar hermana Rodríguez y ella nos dio comida. Ella es de México y puede cocinar tostadas perfectas. Pero fuimos a la casa de ella porque su niña Annel va a bautizarse en el 6 de junio y por eso enseñamos a ella las doctrinas. Después de este fuimos a visitar a Eduardo y su familia. Los padres de Eddy están divorciados. Es una situación muy delicada. Pero en miércoles tuvimos intercambios y yo fui a old tiene por un día y tenía la oportunidad a visitar a jazmín y la familia Castañeda. Los extraño mucho! Padilla me dio una carta Y visitamos con ellos por la noche y jueves fuimos a reston porque mi líder de las hermanas iba a ir al templo. Y después vine a mi apartamento y visitemos a tara. Y viernes tuve una entrevista con presidente  Riggs y después una con las líderes de zona. Ellos están bien incómodos porque son elderes. Y sábado fuimos a tener una lección con Eddy y su madre y padrastro. Y yo hable con su mama sobre el bautismo de Eddy y ella me dijo que esta bien y Eddy pueda ser bautizado. Estoy bien animada por eso. Y domingo fuimos a la iglesia y

después íbamos por commerce y yo vence mi pena. Hable con 5 personas... 5 tengo pena a hablar a las personas especialmente los hombres. Pero lo  vence. Y lunes hable con 2 mas personas.

Ok, so I just said that I need to practice my Spanish, that's why I sent this email like this. This week was cool. ...

To start lets go to last Tuesday. We went to go visit Hermana Rodriguez, she always gives us food. She is from Mexico,so it's always really good food. She also taught us how to make these good tostadas, they had beans, chicken, special sauce crema (which is like sour cream but a little different) and queso. Which contrary to popular belief is different then cheese.... Well it is cheese but it is a certain kinda of cheese. But any way her daughter Annel is getting baptized on June 6, we are teaching her even though she is 7. Then we went to Eddys house and talked with his family, it is a little complicated because his parents are divorced. His dad is a member, but we were with his mom and stepdad, we always have great lessons with them. 

Then Wednesday we had exchanges ... so I went to go with a different Hermana and I went back to old town! Seriously I love that place! I got to see Jazmins and the Castanedas and then Padilla gave me a card because we have permission to write each other and he was in shock ... kinda like a little kid.... Oh and I heard about a wedding that's happening on the 5th ... which I got permission to go to. My old investigators are getting married! 

Then Thursday we drove up to Reston, so another Hermana could go to the temple. Then we came home and studied and visited Tara who is a recent convert. 

Friday was planning ... and Interviews with president Riggs. When I went in with President Riggs, my companion met with our zone leaders. Then we switch. I always find thid kind of  awkward..... Being in a room with 2 elders. We talked about pranks, I told them if they pranked me I would get them back. So.....feel free to send me some prank ideas... 

Saturday we went to eat breakfast with Eddy and his Mom. Both Eddy an Eddy's Dad would like him to be baptized. After Breakfast, Eddy went outside to play. We were able to talk to his Mom, and she said YES !!! Eddy is going to be baptized and I am so excited...... We are going to the visitors center with them Next Saturday. Literally beyond excited. 

Sunday, after Church, we went to these sketchy apartments with a member named Michael. I had a goal to talk to 

everyone. This was hard for me, because a lot of these people scare me. I did talk to one guy. Then I had the courage to talk to a group of about 4 guys talking. At first I wasn't  going to, because I was scared. I finally bucked up the courage and went to talk to them. They were super nice.

So, as you can tell, the English version has a lot more info because it isn't an exact translation. What I am going to talk about next is not because I want sympathy, because honestly I am fine, but on Monday I got a call from home. As a missionary this rarely means anything good has happened. As was the case my Great Grandma Glenna passed away. I am not saying that it isn't hard, because it is and I will be honest I cried. And I am sad but that's not the reason I am talking about it. It is because I called my Mission President to give me a blessing. 

Let me explain what this means. When I want the help of my Heavenly Father or God I pray. Which is powerful and truly works. But when I come across something that seems incomprehensible and unbearable I can ask someone who holds the Priesthood, or the power to act in God's name, to act with his Priesthood and help me overcome any trial. This is the same thing that Jesus did. And though it seems crazy and doesn't seem logical, I want each of you to remember that your emotions are not controlled by logic and neither is your soul. So President Riggs came to my apartment and we talked for a little bit and we read a scripture it is in the Book of Mormon in the Book of Alma, Chapter 40, Verses 11 and 12 which say :

"11. Now concerning the state of the soul between death and the resurrection - Behold, it has been made known unto me by an angel, that the spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body, yea, the spirits of all men whether they be good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave them life."

So just a little insert to clarify and explain when it says the God who gave them life it is referring to Jesus Christ. and So to me this is saying that My Grandma has seen Jesus Christ. 

Now lets look at verse 12 " And then shall it come to pass, that the spirits of those who are righteous are received into into a state of happiness, which is called paradise, a state of rest, a state of peace, where they shall rest from their troubles and from all care and sorrow."

Honestly what more can be said ...

I love you all and as I said before I didn't write this for sympathy...

I wrote it because what I learned is a testimony builder for me. I

love you all and I will talk to you on Monday.

Hermana Atkinson