Waller Week 5

Heyo Mommyo!

 

This week we were so busy that we were not able to make it up to campus. But the way we would have contacted up there is just talked with them about their classes and interests, and then invite them to a Bible study class that the church is trying to get set up there.

 

It turns out that the investigator was a hoax, he only really wanted financial help from us, but since we are poor missionaries, we aren't able to do much financially. We got a call from him not to come over, but we went over anyway and he explained that he only wanted financial help. So that was a little bit of a bummer.

 

Ok, you are going to hate me, but I already have a nice layer of burn/tan. I got it going and helping out Bill, English ward member, and is a little older, on his ranch. We helped him build a fence, and you can tell dad about the fancy equipment that I used. It's called a post-hole digger, its really not too fancy, but it was fun manual labor all the same. And then the burning tan continued on Saturday where we had a crawfish boil. It was delicious, but we were out in the sun for a bit. I learned how to eat crawfish properly. Break in half, suck head to get juices, eat bottom half (meat only). It was a really neat and fun experience.

 

This week we have also been able to find two new friends(investigators) uno de español, and the other English. The Spanish was a potential that we have been trying to see for a while, and one of our appointments fell through so we decided to go and try to see if he was home. He was, and we were able to talk with him for a bit. El es de mexico, y tiene 2 hijos, un varon y una mujer. Su esposa y sus hijos todavia viven alla en mexico y el esta aqui solo. (He is from Mexico and has two children, a boy and girl. His wife and children are still in Mexico and he is here alone.) The other is an English guy who lives with his girlfriend. I am excited to be able to work with and help them both.

 

Welp, that's my week in a nutshell. I hope that dad is slowly getting better (was it an ACL tear?) and I am glad that all the sibs are doing great. Thanks for the picture of Arielle, she looks funny (get it she is a jester!). Elder Alexander and I get along very well, we have become good friends and I am looking forward to possibly killing him (don't worry killing means being his last companion before he leaves home). He has really helped me grow in my teaching abilities, and all aspects of missionary work. Great kid.

 

Oh, I also played the piano in sacrament meeting yesterday for the rama (Spanish Ward). It was a good experience and I am really glad that I was able to do it. It helped break me out of a shell that I was in. (Shell? What does that mean? Nic has a shell???)

 

Love y'all very much, and I hope the best for y'all!

 

Nic Elder Atkinson

 

Waller Week 4

Howdy Mom!

Yeah, the Jameson family is really cool,they are the ones who sent the pictures. (Sunday night I had a great surprise when I had 3 pictures sent via text to me!) Their son is still in school but it is interesting because he is only a month younger than me. We were able to go and help them feed the cows, and pet them and what not. I am honestly loving being out in the middle of nowheresvilleton. It is so beautiful, ranches after ranches, but then you get to the busier areas which looks kinda like downtown Chalfont, but less stoplights. The plus is that everyone out here is really nice, and caring.

 

This week we had quite a bit of Spanish, and I found the key to being good at it. The key is to pretend that you are good at it (confidence) and then, BAM, you are good at it. The Spanish branch is fun to work with, the amount of people there are small, but they are all really willing to help out. I love them all, and I will miss the area and the people when I leave, hopefully not soon.

 

 We found a new guy this week, and it is cool because he wants to change, and he has a sister out in California that is a member. We have stopped by, but we haven't been able to get a solid lesson down, but he has been reading in the Libro de Mormon, which is awesome.

 

The campus life was non existent this week due to being spring break. Something funny that happened while we were tracting one day. We were walking then a bunch of borrachos (drunks) called us over, so I played the guitar a bit, and then Elder Alexander sung the restoration, it was quite a funny experience. That's pretty much my week.

 

I love you all and I love hearing about your lives!

 

Elder Atkinson (Nic)

 

Waller - Week 3

Hey Mom!

 

Down here in the South it is real nice, it was raining for most of last week, but over the weekend, the sun has come out and graced us with its presence. It is lovely weather and I am enjoying every second of it. I have yet to get the second letter, but I have the package and Bella's letter. I haven't been to the post office since Friday, so it could have arrived.

 

This week was really fun. We were able to give a lot of service, which I loved and hope I can continue doing. We helped out Bill on his ranch, feeding cows, and other little projects he had for us to do, which is always a blast. Another something fun that we were able to do was go to our ward mission leader's house and help him slaughter a few chickens. He let me take home one, so any help about how to cook it would be nice and appreciated. It is a whole bird, I named her Susan.

 

We had an exchange on Friday with one of our ZLs (Zone Leaders) who came out to help us know how to work on the Prairie View A&M campus, which seems like it will be really fun. It was fun to talk with kids our age, and one of the groups we talked with are studying engineering, which I thought was cool.

 

A miracle happened with a family that is investigating. Yesterday, after church we brought an Hermano with us to help us teach, and everything that he said was basically answering all of their doubts/concerns, which was really cool. It was a really spiritual lesson and I was glad to have been a part of it.

 

I am good, there isn't anything that I need. To be honest there aren't that many big chain restaurants out here, sooo, yeah. I think that a jelly bean Easter tie would be awesome, I'd definitely wear it.

 

Much Love!!!

 

Elder Atkinson (Nic)

 

Waller - Week 2

Mother!

 

Ok, this week was really fun. Again, we had some service on some ranches, which is so fun, and I really look forward to doing it every week. I have eenjoyed this area a lot, and am meeting a lot of really great people. The ward members are really cool, and they make really good food.

 

The miembros de la rama are great people as well, they are really nice and help me with my Spanish. This week a member from the English ward showed us around to a couple service organizations that the old missionaries were working with, which was fun to meet all of the nice people there.

 

A miracle that happened this week was on Thursday, we had planned to go on splits but one Hermano never showed up, so we went with the other Hermano to go and see people. We took him to one of our investigators house, and our investigator is out of work right now, and the job he did is a really rare job that needs special training. Turns out that the member we took works in the same job, and his company is looking to hire more! Also, it turns out the investigator was baptized earlier in his life, and that his family are members well. It was a really fun experience because I could really see the hand of the Lord helping us out that night.

 

Something else that was really fun was that we got to help make concrete to help un miembro with his add-on. Overall it was a really fun we with some fun service going on.

I love you all!

 

Elder Atkinson (Nic)

 

P.S. We switch off everyday because we both want to drive the truck

 

Waller - Week 1 (March 1st)

 Nic's current address is PO BOX 1113, Waller TX, 77484

Mom,

 

The libraries were closed yesterday, so I am writing to you today. My new area is awesome!!! Look up Waller, TX on google maps (with the satellite on) and you should see the beautiful farm land that is my new area. I cover Hempstead, Waller, Hockley, Prairie View, and some of the areas north and south of them. I am really excited to serve here. I have already gone and helped out on some ranches and have met a lot of nice people.

 

Another interesting fact, I am whitewashing (both Elders are brand new) the English ward, as well as having the Spanish branch, since the number of missionaries here are beginning to shrink, they needed to have us cover English and Spanish. I am really excited for covering them both. The area is so different than Louetta, so much open space, and farms, it will be great. Oh, I get to drive a truck instead of the little Corolla, which I am so happy about! My new comp is awesome! His name is Elder Alexander from Santa Clara, Utah, and I believe that I will get along well with him. He likes Star Wars, and so that is awesome.

This week was really fun, just trying to get to know all of the people in both English and Spanish. To make things more understandable, I will refer to the English things (less active, investigator, etc) in English and the Spanish (menos activo, investigador, etc) in Spanish.

 

Throughout the week we have just been trying to meet everyone that we can, sometimes not as successful, but whatever. I met a menos activo that is trying hard to find a different job so that he can come to church on Sundays. We met up with a member and helped him out around his ranch, which was awesome! Helped him feed cows, get soil samples, and move some things. It is going to be fun if I get to do that every week.

 

Something that has been very stressful is taking over the two wards. We don't know much about the English ward, and we don't really know how we are going to balance all of the work, but we are slowly figuring it all out, maybe that is why you were inspired to pray and fast (or maybe you are just a mother).

 

Its always fun to hear how things are going, and I am glad you keep me very informed. I am far from the mission office, so I don't know about packages, and we might be moving to a different apartment so I don't have a confirmed address as of right now. My toe is getting better, just as beautiful as always.

Much love for ya'll from the country!

Elder Atkinson (Nic)