Pictures ... 10/26/2016

Hola Hola 10/19/2015

Hola Hola

Hey everyone so this week on the last Monday we went to go teach a Family Home evening and it was amazing! Seriously we were doing Personal Progress and Honestly I cant really explain why but it was amazing to sit and just listen Personal Progress is such an amazing program. Oh and we decided to just go and visit any member we wanted this past week so we went to go visit a member that the elders teach ( we told them what we were doing and they were ok with it.... Kinda I will explain in a bit)  so these members are a 19 year old boy and his 16 year old  cousin and our appointment was a little bit later and where we were going isn't necessarily the best part of town but anyway we were walking to our appointment and then we we hear a horn honk and some one call out to us... we are both very well trained to just keep walking so we walked and then I slightly looked back and I swore it was the elders and then I thought nothing of it but needless to say it wasn't the elders and now we aren't allowed to go back anymore.... and then on Saturday we had an activity that was super fun.. always all the dances and the missionaries that aren't allowed to dance... it was so sad. other then that I am out of time but I love you all and hope your week is amazing!

Happy Halloween 10/26/2015

HAPPY HALLOWEEN🎃🎃

Herro!!!!

That is hello in an accent.....  So this week we taught the most amazing lesson ever. So background the only way I have been able to learn Spanish is through the Holy Ghost. I wouldn't have been able to learn it without the spirit. If you don't believe me ask my high school Spanish teacher. So anyway we went to go visit an investigator and we decided last minute to have a member go with us. he lives a ways away and doesn't have a car so we walked to the investigators house with this member and the investigator was asking us questions about music and really just normal questions that I have heard before and answered before. But the weird part was I couldn't for the life of me understand what he was saying I mean I understood but I couldn't think of what to say( which for those of you who know me you know I never have a lack of things to say) and neither could my companion so after struggling for about 10 minutes this member jumps in and starts teaching teaching. like he brings up all of our lessons and bears his testimony and tells this guy about baptism and the word of wisdom and the law of chastity. I was so impressed that after he was done I still had nothing to say... I think I talked less in that lesson then my very first lesson. But I know there was a reason for it. This member is 19 and is debating going on a mission and now we know that we have to help him want to serve.....

Oh other then that yesterday we had a fireside for all the new and returning members and so a few people got up and bore their testimonies and then the missionaries that are leaving are invited to go bear their testimonies and my trainer bore hers.... it is so weird to think that she is going home. it only seems like yesterday when I met her and we had Christmas together. I am going to miss her so much...... otherthen that I took a ton of pictures last night! Love Ya!

LOS QUIERO!!!!!
Hermana Karlie Atkinson

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One Year Mark - Pictures - 10/12/2015

One Year Mark ... 10-12-2015

10/12/15 at 12:14 PM

Hi every one!!

How is life? What is new? Tell me everything! So this week I hit my year mark! 

It is crazy how fast this has all gone by! We are really doing good in this area this

week we found 5 new investigators and they are all super cool and also we were 

fb one of our investigators, because he works a lot and so it is easier for him to get

 lessons through Facebook, and we invited him to baptism and he said yes! We are

 just trying to get him to understand the importance of coming to church! He has 

still yet to come. And then there is this one investigator and he is just soooo funny 

he always thinks that there is a service at 12 and it is only at 9 and he sleeps in every

 week! Lol but he is great! And then we had exchanges this week and I went to 

old town and got to see some people I haven't  in a while! Seriously I forgot how 

much I love that place.... Oh it is official I have been in little river for 6 months 

as I have been put a year and I love it. Everyday out here is something new and 

reviewing conference has been amazing! Seriously   Elder Hollands talk was 

amazing and it makes me cry and I love President Utchdorfs talk from the women's 

session was adorable and then one thing that I have been thinking about and then 

I will stop this email. It comes from a talk from president Monson from 2012 in 

October general conference and I just realized that I don't show enough appreciation 

for the people in my life and I am sorry! But I really do appreciate everyone on this 

email list and the people that read my blog and  pretty much everyone I know I 

don't think you realize how much you have  influenced  my life so thank you thank 

you for everything!

Oh random story we were on exchanges and we didn't have a dinner appointment 

and sooooo we decided to get pizza and in the ward I am in you get fed a ton like

 sometimes 3 dinners a night, ( and I haven't gained weight) and so Hermana Pettit 

said I bet you can't eat a whole pizza so I said I could but she couldn't so the 

challenge started... As a side note I can eat a whole pizza in about 20 minutes 

and still work for 4 hours! She on the other hand can not eat a whole pizza.....

Conference Weekend 10-05-2015

So this week was awesome! we had general conference on Saturday and Sunday! And honestly I loved them!!!!!! I watched them in Spanish so I will just say that I loved Elder Hollands and President Uchtdorfs.

They were all awesome and 3 new apostles were called and It was an amazing experience to see that. Other then that we watched in a members house and in between the sessions we were going to go to a baptism and so we asked the member to take us and right before we left she got a call from her ex boyfriend saying that he wanted some stuff he left at her house and so we decided it would be best to do that first and we went and Honestly I don't trust the guy at all and so we wouldn't leave her side the whole time. Luckily nothing happened but to see someone you see as very strong that scared of someone it makes you wonder  How someone can distill that much fear in someone else.... and really not care...

So other then that we taught a member how to make cookies this week... So he accidently spilled some flour on his shirt and he was upset because he really likes that shirt. so I told him that it was ok because cookies need happiness to be good and that was the happiness.... needless to say he spread his happiness with all the kids in the house and us.... we left covered in flour.... don't ever do that..... other then that my whole week was centered on conference. making sure that everyone could get to it off their internet and stuff

Oh but after conference we were driving home and I am driving and I see an ant on the window so I try it hit and it was on the outside... it wasn't going to kill me......

Pictures ... 9-28-2015

Same Old, Same Old, Or is it? 09-28-2015

So I am in the same area with the same companion doing the same thing as normal. We have meetings we meet new people, we talk with members, we work with less actives. I guess that is what we do we work. we work until we don't have energy and then we work for another 3 hours..... in All honesty when you put in those words a mission sounds so dreary and  depressing but in all actuality this week was one for the books. I have laughed and cried and smiled and frowned. I have been overly happy and skipping and angry and just not talking.  My weeks are an emotional rollercoaster and I know it is almost done when I have felt all the emotions

This week some things came up with a recent convert so his mom is working now which means she is never home so we cant ever visit him. so We had to pass him off to the elders which was super hard because honestly I love that family. And I would do almost anything(with in rules) for them. So that was hard. But then they came to church which was awesome!

Then while we were at church awe got a text saying that someone we met was waiting for a ride. so we asked a member to go pick him up which was awesome. Then we had Womens conference. Which I watched in Spanish and Honestly I am starting to like listening to things in Spanish better. I understand more sometimes.... Like people will try and tell me things and I don't get it and then someone says it in Spanish and I get it... I understand a lot more then I can speak. But part of me is really going to miss Learning and speaking in Spanish. Anyway life is the same in a lot of ways but I love it. I love meeting new people I love getting know the different cultures that are around here. It is an amazing experience to be out here... I only have 6 months and I hope I can make the best of it. Anyway I love you all so much.

Oh funny story!!! So the other night my companion had washed her sheets and so she was going to put them back on her bed and all of a sudden during my prayer she shrieked and so I ended my prayer quickly and I asked what was wrong and she said there was a spider and so we spent an hour trying to refind this spider that grew everytime she explained it to me..... and then we have 3 beds and she got onto the extra bed and was trying to be a ninja and she almost fell... I died laughing... so we still have this spiderin our house because we never fond it. and then last night I go to take a shower and something black falls in the shower right after I turn on the water so I try to get out but the door was locked so for a good 30 seconds I just screamed and fittled with the door.... we still have the spider in out house and we have a dead cricket in the bathroom... any way that's all I got  love you all!!!!!!!

Transfers ... 09-21-2015

09/21/15 at 4:44 PM

Hello family.... This was the week of transfers. I honestly had my
bags packed and  was ready to leave this area. Then we got the
call and I am staying. So after that new know if I was happy
that I am staying or sad that I just gave out 50 notes saying
goodbye........ But it's all good. So yeah that happened and we had
Spanish form which was awesome. Then yesterday was my companions
birthday so I convinced the elders to make her cupcakes and bring them
to stake conference. And today we went to DC with A member. We had fun,
he is super funny and really helpful!


But for the coolest thing on Saturday in my first area my old
investigator walked into a members house and said he had a surprise
for her. He said you are the first to know about this. And he said he
was going to get baptized that night and then he called the
missionaries there and they called me and I was so beyond excited. I
taught him last November and in all honesty he was such a hard
investigator to teach. It was amazing

Strange Week, September 14, 2015

SO this was a strange week. I have been in this ward since April and  in all honesty I am a little scared to leave Not really scared but I have really learned to love it here. I am getting my transfer calls tonight or tomorrow morning and it is a little frightening. I am almost 2/3 done with my mission and to be quite honest I am terrified to go home. don't get me wrong I love all of you but life is scary outside of my little mission bubble. But anyway not a whole lot happened this week other then we taught this amazing lesson with these 4 kids that the whole time I have been in this area I have sworn that those kids hate me. They are raised by a single mom and I frankly don't like the way they treat her and I have told them as much.... It is not nice to swear at your mom in English when you know fully well she doesn't understand what you are saying. But anyway this less active family I seriously love them with all my hears and I am really sad to be leaving the area because they are amazing.  And so on Friday we went to go teach them and all the kids came and listened miracle and then they all came to church... EVen bigger miracle! anyway then the one kid jonathan asked where I lived at church and I told him Indiana and then after church we went to go eat dinner with them and he goes up to his mom and said in june they had to go on a trip she asked where and he said Indiana to visit me after my mission. I love all of them!!!!

Purple Pony

September 7, 2015

Hello wonderful friends and family!
Let me tell you a little bit about my week. First off it wasn't all that different from every other week. We went out and did a lot of finding. After, we had a district meeting all about fear. After that meeting, Hermana Christensen and I thought it would be a good idea to go out and knock doors. We are both of it sometimes. So we prayed about a house and put it in the GPS. When we get to the house, we just sat and looked at it. I just kinda wanted to cry because it is huge.... Lol it was pretty fun. We did knock, but no one was home. We will have to try again. Oh other then that the elders asked if we had any chocolate chips one day. We replied that we didn't and then we asked if there was anything else we could do for them. They jokingly told us to take away agency, then they asked if we needed anything. I said I wanted a pony, they texted back and said a purple one or red one. I said purple!! Later that night there is a knock at the door, the Elders had a My Little Pony coloring kit..... I got a purple pony! I was beyond happy ... don't worry I took pictures of it.
Other then that we ate dinner with our Mission President and a member this week. It was so good, Mexican tacos made from all sorts of stuff. I love tacos. 
Oh and funniest thing happened Saturday. We went to help a member wash his car. The car wash was broken. So we waited for the owner to come and fix it. A Indian guy came to fix it and I went to go help clean the car. My companion started talking to this guy and I thought that they were just talking. Then I heard him ask if my ompanion could go out and drink. I was like time to go step in. So this guy was like 40 years old ,to say the least. He was trying so hard, it was hard not to augh at the guy. Lol so funny. Oh we also ate Mexican tamales this week. I love Mexican food.
 Other then that transfers aren't this week but next week. I don't want to leave this area !!!!!

Have a Great Week ... Hermana Atkinson

A Week to Remember ...

August 31, 2015

OOOOOOOKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!

So the title was kinda a joke. Not a whole lot has changed, other then I am pretty sure at the end of this transfer I am going to be leaving this area. I am kinda scared to do so. I have been here since April, so in all honesty it has been a long time. Plus on top of it all I really struggled to connect with the people in this ward. I am really learning to love them and enjoy this area. It is sad that I will most likely be leaving. Really sad and also extremely hard. I started a list of all the people I need to write cards to. I have gone through my 4 box of cards on my mission and every box has 50 cards.... Guys I have gotten really good at writing in Spanish.

But yes so this week was really fun in so many ways. I love being with Hermana Christensen and I am really sad that we can't serve together for the rest of our missions. Because honestly she is amazing. She is an amazing teacher and has been a great example to me!

This week I went on exchanges, we went out finding and knocking doors.  I saw this little girl with a cute dog. The dog was running around being crazy, so I asked the little girl if she needed any help. She did, so we calmed the dog down and walked her home. Her mom was there and she was amazing. She so prepared, I can't wait until we get to teach her again. I have really found that it is the little things that are miraculous out here.

Other then that we had an activity for our ward this past Saturday and the missionaries prepared it all. It was a lot of work, from the lesson, the games, invitations, posters and food. It was so hard, but so gratifying to see everyone having so much fun. 

The next day was Sunday. We go into ward council,  the Bishop asks if we have everything prepared for primary today and all of us are like what?!? We threw together a quick primary lesson.  I was in charge of the music, which sounds easy, except none of the kids know the songs in English and I don't know them in Spanish.... awkward.... I really love my mission and I am kinda sad that I only have about 7 months left. It is going to be hard to say Goodbye to this place. I love it here so much!

I hope you all have a good week!

Hermana Atkinson

Frogs, to a Funeral, to the Doctors, to a Baptism and to DC !!!

August 24, 2015

Based on the title, I think you all can tell it was a crazy week!

To start, last week after I wrote, we went out to a lake and walked around it. We have a missionary out here from Mexico and she has never seen a frog. So we saw one and she wanted to hold it. I am sure we looked really funny in skirts trying to catch a frog. We eventually caught one and she was so excited to hold it. 

Any way then Tuesday rolls around and we are doing studies, we get a call and it was a missionary from the office. She asked to speak with me. She explained that a member had called and was doing a grave dedication that day. She wanted to know if a group of missionaries could sing at it. I was put in charge and even though we had a meeting that morning I got a musical number set up. Eight elders, my companion and I sang, "How Great Thou Art. It was an amazing experience. There was only one member at the grave dedication. It just felt good to be able to serve like that.  Yes, it was sad, but at the very end it was a little funny. The non-member mother, of the person who died. hugged all the elders and us. Each elders reaction was priceless....

That night, my companion didn't feel well. We went to the ER and they couldn't find out what was wrong. So this week has been in and out of different doctors. I told my companion that she should go see Doctor House. We have been in 4 different buildings and no one knows whats going on! It is insane.

Yesterday we went to a baptism in Bella Vista. It was just amazing. Today we went to D.C. and I got to see a returned missionary name Hermana Quinones, She is the best. So let me explain. I was trained by Hermana Debry, so she is my Mission Mom. She was trained by Hermana Quinones, so she is my Mission Grandma. Well everyone that Hermana Quinones trained and everyone they  trained met up in DC today and it was just fun.... Sorry this wasn't the most in depth email.

I love you all and hope you week is amazing!!!

Hermana Atkinson

Smelling the Roses ...

August 17, 2015

This title is in place thanks to TERRY THE GREAT.... I was emailing him today and I couldn't really think of anything to write about because we really just went finding this week. I expressed my want of change to Terry and this was his reply:

Change is the spice of life Karlie!  It is nice to get a new companion, but it is more of an adventure to get a new area.  A few more weeks and you will get moved, I am sure.  Work hard Kid!  and remember to smell lots of roses too!

So there are many aspects of this email that I love. Lets start at the beginning. Change is the spice of life. I love this because being in a Spanish  speaking mission I receive a lot of food that has different spices then I am used to eating. But honestly I have learned to love the taste of lime and pepper as much as I love lasagna ( for those of you who don't know me very well I love lasagna.... Especially my mom's it is amazing) But I made a salad this week to eat and it went like this: one tomato, hand full of lettuce, one avocado, some apple some eggs, cheese, ham, lime juice and seasoning salt. I Have just fallen in love with the food from Mexico, El Salvador, Bolivia and Peru. When we go out to eat, we get Peruvian chicken. So that is why I like the spice comment.
But what is the spice of life? According to TERRY THE GREAT, it is change. On my mission I have changed a ton. How I speak is different how I dress is different. My friendships have changed. not saying that all my old friendships are gone but they have all changed. And all of these changes have made the way I think about life different. Before I was used to my life, which was a really good meal. I have now found other things in life that I love. Before my mission I would have laughed at you if you told me that I would want to go into the ghetto because I have friends there, but now it is true. I want to go in to places that before my mission would have scared me. I have learned the difficulty that a single mom has raising 4 kids. I have seen how drinking can tear a family apart. I have seen how words really do hurt people. But along with all those hard and sad things I have seen a mother cry at her sons baptism. I have seen how a simple game of soccer can fix most problems. How kids can go from angry to happy by kind words. How stumbling over my Spanish and having them correct me helps them feel better. How a simple act of service really changes everyone's perspective. Those are the roses. The roses that smell the sweetest in life are  the things that make you laugh. The things you look at and smile. I have seen a man and his pregnant wife look at each other and in uncertain circumstances trust, that together with The Lord, that they can make it. I have seen faith grow and most of all I have seen myself change. I cant explain it right now but I am changing and at time I don't like it because change hurts, on the other hand I love that I am becoming who the Lord wants me to be .

I love you all and I hope that the cheesy sentimental stuff is ok for this week.

Food story this week. So many Hispanics think that Americans are used to 5 course meals. We went to this members house and she gave us a huge bowl of soup. Knowing that more was coming, I ate quickly so I didn't have a lot of time to digest. Then Directly following that I waited for the next course and Hermana Christensen looks at me in distress and says... Are they giving us more?... I just laughed then ate a steak, ribs,rice, beets and onion salad. Then I drank an Inca Kola and called it a night. I was really full. By the way everyone needs to try Inca Kola. It is the best

Any way love you lots!

Hermana Karlie Atkinson