Hi family! I guess I will be e-mailing on Tuesdays this transfer because the library in Atwater is closed on Mondays and we don't have enough miles on our car to drive to Merced every week. It takes up a lot of time too. Mom, I really hope you feel better soon! Will you ever be able to run again? We've got a marathon to run when I get back! I'm so glad James got off to BYU good and it sounds like he's already having a great time! I'm so excited for him. The rest of you don't sound like you're doing to bad either. Keep living life to the fullest and counting your blessings along the way. :-) Above all, cherish our family! It is one of the greatest blessings we have! The spiritual strength of all of you really helps me when I'm going through a hard time. Being raised by such great parents (which says something about the grandparents too :-) ) has given me a strong foundation that has saved me as a missionary. ILOVEYOUIMISSYOUILOVEYOUIMISSYOUILOVEYOUIMISSYOU!!!!
Hi everyone!
Well, I'm back in Atwater! It's kind of bitter-sweet. More sweet than bitter though. I absolutely love this area and all the people in it. The sad part is coming back and seeing some people that have gone inactive or investigators that I left with high hopes that have decided they are not interested. There was one amazing blessing to see. The parents of one of the teenage recent converts have been married and baptized since I left. We visited them one of the first days and I could see a difference. They just had a glow. They looked so much happier. It was great. A lot of people at church did a double-take when they saw me like, wait, have you been here before? The bishop said he was really glad to know I was coming back. The Spanish members tell me my Spanish has improved. They all adore my companion too. I'm very excited for this transfer. We have several investigators who are ready and excited to be baptized, we're just waiting to sort out some complications but they should be able to be baptized soon. My companion is still doing good. She loves this area too. We get along really well. We still teach each other words in English and Spanish. This week we learned "fuzzy", "troll", "fluffy" and "bother."
I think there is a garlic processing factory somewhere nearby because every evening and every morning it smells like garlic or onions or something outside.
It's been a whole lot cooler lately. This morning was so cold we could see our breath a little. A few days ago we had to go back to our apartment after dinner for coats.
I still love teaching children! We had dinner at a member's house and when we taught the lesson we asked what are some of the blessings Heavenly Father has given us. One of their granddaughters answered: "He gave us ears so we can hear. He gave us a nose so we could breathe and not die. He gave us eyebrows so we could move them up and down and up and down and show when we are sad..." She was so cute! That's the way to count your blessings. Everything is given for a reason, because Heavenly Father loves us and wants us to be happy. I know that for a fact. I love being optimistic. What good does it do to anyone to be miserable? You don't gain anything by it. The only person you please is Satan and who wants to make him happy? Hey, we've got eternal life to look forward to. In the darkest days we always have the light of the gospel. When I wonder why me I might not know but I can say that I do know that Heavenly Father loves me and that's enough to at least get me through. I have seen what forgetting that does to someone and it's not very happy.
I'd like to share the Bambi theory in case anyone missed that in their childhood "If you can't say somethin' nice, don't say nothin' at all." That is very true. If you want yourself and others around you to be truly happy, never say anything negative about anyone, including yourself. It destroys trust and confidence and distracts from what is really important. It's especially easy to see in these small towns where I have served. There actually isn't much to do in the way of social activities so people talk about each other. This is not good. If you want to save yourself a lot of grief, just learn how to keep certain things to yourself. You don't have to be happy-go-lucky all the time but you can just be smart about what comes out of your mouth. God gave you two ears and one tongue, use them accordingly. He also gave your mouth a double fence with your teeth and your lips. Be careful about what you say.
I found a quote I really liked the other day:
"While there are many experiences...full of spiritual power and confirmation, there are also days when we feel inadequate and unprepared, when doubt and confusion enter our spirits, when we have difficulty finding our spiritual footing. Part of our victory as disciples of Christ is what we do when these feelings come." --- Neil L. Anderson (conference Nov.2008 "You Know Enough" -good talk!)
We don't pick our trials but we can pick how we will react to them. Just try to avoid the phrases "I don't want to" or "I don't feel like it." Whatever you do, don't quit!
Everybody have an amazing week! Keep smiling! .... That's not smiling....don't make me tickle you!....Come on, I'm serious about this.....thaaat's better! Ok, onward!
Hermana Evans
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