Hey everyone! I am writing this on the metro on my way into DC. We are going to the Natural History museum today! Woo Hoo! So this week was different in a lot of ways. I have learned more about myself this week then I think I wanted to know but I needed to know. I am going to try and explain the best I can. But honestly this has been a LIFE changing week. It has been unbelievable. So where to start. Most of you who read this know me pretty well, but if you don't I am going to describe myself the way I see myself.
I am the kind of person that doesn't smile often. I don't express emotions well. But despite that when I care about someone I would do anything for them. I can either be really nice or down right nasty and nowhere in between. Well at least that is who I was before my mission. Out here I have learned to fake it till you make it. I would fake and deal with the people I didn't like until I wasn't with them anymore. And that is what I have done my whole mission and a lot of my life, but then this past week I realized something. I realized I have been very judgmental of people out here. Even though I am in America, I live in a different culture then I am used to and I resented it. I had the mind set of they are in America they should be trying to adapt. But then I realized this week that they are people who are trying. Yes some of them maybe trying harder then others. But everyone of us, we are all humans with human natures and feelings and wants and desires and needs. And since we are all human we will make mistakes. And once I started to think like this then I realized I have been a hypocrite I have been wanting others to change without first changing myself. Which lets be honest we all in some way or another need to change and become better.
This week we went to go visit a member and she has swimmers ear and she was complaining about it and she had taken a lot of headache medicine to try and solve it. When we got to her house she was on a lot of medicine and went and was throwing up so she decided to go to the hospital and I called President Huntsman to see if we
could take her. He said yes and that we could stay with her as long as needed. So at first I was slightly irritated that I had to take her to the hospital because she took too much medicine and then we got to the Hospital and due to an escaped patient only one of us could go in with the member we were with. and they only allowed that because she doesn't know English and we could translate for her. Which my companion did. So not knowing what to do I sat in the waiting room and then President Huntsman called me and he told me that it was amazing that we had been there at her house at that time and that I was brave enough to ask to break rules to get her the help she needed. Then it hit me. Like a giant boulder. I do care about the member we were with and yes I was frustrated with the situation she put herself in and then I started looking at it from her perspective. She is a single mom of 4 who didn't understand what was happening to her. all she knew was that she was in pain and to continue providing for her children the pain had to stop. She took medicine in hopes that it would help. Needless to say I felt terrible after that call. I had just regarded someone as a problem that was impeding me. it was truly sad. After that I really started to look at my life and I noticed I regarded many people in my life as simple objects. the PEOPLE that I teach are referred to as investigators and it is recorded weekly. I teach lessons everyday. But that wasn't why I came on a mission. so I went out into the parking lot while I was waiting for the other Hermanas to come pick me up because my companion had permission to stay the night in the hospital with the member so she wasn't alone. and as I waited I started to look around and it hit me it really hit me as to why I am out here. I am not out here to change other people I am here to change myself, to be better and become an advocate for Jesus Christ. So if you want to know what happened this week it is pretty simple I found ways to improve and I am excited to become a better person. The member is doing fine now we go over once a day to check on her and do her dishes and make sure her kids have food to eat for dinner. So this week is my new beginning to start to treat people as they really are. as humans that have feelings and desires and needs and wants that are no greater then mine. After all if Christ were thinking about his needs and wants and desires he wouldn't have died for us. I love you all and I hope everyone realizes that. I don't have to know your name. I don't have to recognize you in the store. But I love you.
could take her. He said yes and that we could stay with her as long as needed. So at first I was slightly irritated that I had to take her to the hospital because she took too much medicine and then we got to the Hospital and due to an escaped patient only one of us could go in with the member we were with. and they only allowed that because she doesn't know English and we could translate for her. Which my companion did. So not knowing what to do I sat in the waiting room and then President Huntsman called me and he told me that it was amazing that we had been there at her house at that time and that I was brave enough to ask to break rules to get her the help she needed. Then it hit me. Like a giant boulder. I do care about the member we were with and yes I was frustrated with the situation she put herself in and then I started looking at it from her perspective. She is a single mom of 4 who didn't understand what was happening to her. all she knew was that she was in pain and to continue providing for her children the pain had to stop. She took medicine in hopes that it would help. Needless to say I felt terrible after that call. I had just regarded someone as a problem that was impeding me. it was truly sad. After that I really started to look at my life and I noticed I regarded many people in my life as simple objects. the PEOPLE that I teach are referred to as investigators and it is recorded weekly. I teach lessons everyday. But that wasn't why I came on a mission. so I went out into the parking lot while I was waiting for the other Hermanas to come pick me up because my companion had permission to stay the night in the hospital with the member so she wasn't alone. and as I waited I started to look around and it hit me it really hit me as to why I am out here. I am not out here to change other people I am here to change myself, to be better and become an advocate for Jesus Christ. So if you want to know what happened this week it is pretty simple I found ways to improve and I am excited to become a better person. The member is doing fine now we go over once a day to check on her and do her dishes and make sure her kids have food to eat for dinner. So this week is my new beginning to start to treat people as they really are. as humans that have feelings and desires and needs and wants that are no greater then mine. After all if Christ were thinking about his needs and wants and desires he wouldn't have died for us. I love you all and I hope everyone realizes that. I don't have to know your name. I don't have to recognize you in the store. But I love you.
Hermana Karlie Atkinson
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