Letter to Mom-May 5, 2014

Hey Mom!

The Weather was insane!!! The Lightning storms were so ridiculous! We haven't been doing too much cleaning while we have been here which I guess is nice. Yeah us missionaries are goof balls haha. Did she buy the canned ones? if she did those are probably the worst kind you can get haha. They're really nasty.

I don't know why I don't sleep. I have really just been rolling around and just restless. I do fall asleep, but I wake up all the time during the middle of the night. It's not too bad because of Heavenly Father really is helping me out. I will work on it this week and then talk to you Sunday.

My spirits are great. I really don't feel sad or worry about a lot out here. The area has a lot of potential and its a lot of fun to be out here. I mean I do get frustrated sometimes with things going on, but I try to stay happy.

Sounds like the boys are getting busy and handling it pretty well. I remember those AP tests and ethan should kill em.

Something great this week was probably a meeting we had with a Part member family the Albas. They are from Vegas. Mario is the investigator and  he has a lot of questions about the gospel and we answered a lot of questions last night. He is awesome and is getting close to baptism so that was awesome.

I am working on just being more and more obedient and getting where President can use me whenever  he needs me.

We'll probably be calling you like in the later evening time at Sister Blanchard (mama b) she has an Ipad and an Iphone so we'll probably go there and talk there.

I have both cards the one wasn't deleted all the way is all so I just didn't know what you wanted me to do.

Love you Mom talk to you later!

Letter to Dad from Fort Walton Beach-April 14, 2014

It's crazy to think that another companion is going home after being with me. I found out today that Elder Misi is going home early. So that was kind of a blow to the brain, just keep him in your prayers alright? That's good Riley is doing well. Ethan and Noah are going to be some amazing athletes next year! I can just see Penrod waiting for Ethan to pick Elora up haha. Sounds like y'all have been busy with your missionary efforts great job!

We are trying to call the military members up and get them to come out with us or to find new people to teach. We try to tell them to find people at work, but I don't know if they are allowed to share much about their religion in the military. The Ranger from basketball does a pretty consistent job at the Ranger camp. He is an instructor there so I think he is doing a good job.

The goofiest thing that happened this week was watching Elder Schwartz pack his bike haha.

We had an awesome musical thing called the Lamb of God and the music was fantastic. It was an awesome experience and i really enjoyed it.

This week we were talking to these girls and their mom about the Plan of Salvation and just really showing them why God is there for us all the time. It really helped me know that this is what I’m here for.

The smile is fighting to stay up but it has been pretty hard to keep up lately. I am trying really hard to give my all and i think this transfer will allow me to do that.

I think this area has a lot of potential and I think that it will be exciting with a new comp in Elder Kimball. He actually came out with me so that is pretty exciting. I think that we will be able to use Family history to find a lot of people.

Thank you Dad for your testimony. I think more and more everyday about the example that you have been to me and in large part my whole purpose of being a missionary is to fulfill your Legacy out here.

I had 1 question though. How can I find out more about our Family History? Like on the Polynesian side? Do we have any books or records of it?

Alofa Atu Oi

Elder Wilson Atagi

 

Letter from Fort Walton Beach-April 7, 2014

My week was really good! My spirits are great right now! Life is good. Ethan and Noah, those suckers are getting too big haha. I bet Ethan will get a scholarship somewhere. Pappies will be alright. Mom said Josh gave him a blessing so he'll be fine. Thank goodness for the Priesthood and the blessing of modern medicine. I wrote them a letter last week so I hope they got it. I will keep him and Riley in my prayers though. Everything happens for a reason which is something that I have come to learn quite a bit on my mission. That's awesome about the bros and all the sports haha. I bet they had fun with the jackhammer in Gransie’s bathroom.

Conference was great huh? I loved it!

I did get the Dillard’s package and the pants fit great! I think that my waist hasn't really gotten much bigger mostly just my thighs have haha all the biking and stuff. I put the bike back in the shop last week haha the spokes came lose in the back wheel so it worked for a while haha.

We have been going through the potentials and asking for referrals and seeing people on the streets mostly for it all. Thank you so much for all that you guys do for me! I can really feel the prayers and everything. We do talk to a ton of military and most of the ward is, so it's hard for them to come out with us.

The sisters in our area are Sister McKenzie and Obray. Sis M. is from Jordan and Obray is from Riverton and they are pretty chill.

We write our emails from the Northwest College over here and we don't have any ward missionaries to work with right now haha

The basketball is fun. There is this huge Army ranger dude that plays super cheap and pushes with 2 hands to play and I beat him in the post all day. It’s a lot of fun.

That sucks that Riley has to come home but the Lord will help him and maybe he is supposed to go home and help out his dad for a while. The blessing of an Eternal Father in Heaven that is constantly watching over us all and knowing what we need in our lives.

We do cook the best food. For the tennis team, I think something easy would be like Costa Vida pork and rice might be the best thing.

Love you!

Elder Wilson Atagi

Letter to Dad from Fort Walton Beach-March 31, 2014

Hey Dad!

Nothing much dad.

It was only about elder Misi and why I didn't tell him that I was having a hard time with him. Apparently he did like a survey and President was just asking why I never said anything to him about it. I am working on it dad. It is hard to be motivated in the morning but I am trying.

I am so ready for conference! The ward is full of air force people because it is between 2 air force bases. We have a pretty small ward. There are like 450 members and like 125 active. We live about a mile away from the sisters. There is a bike shop in our area. He is the DL. We have 2 sets of Spanish in our district then us. There are 2 zones in between us and Mississippi.  

1. Your comp basically has 18 days left how’s that going for you? It's not an issue at all.

2. Is your comp still willing to work? We work hard out here.

3. Tell me about some of your investigators? We don't have any as of now.

4. So have you had an interview with President Smith lately? How did that go? No I haven't lately.

5. Funny story about the week? We talked to a crazy drunk dude on the phone today haha and he was freaking out about our family history website. Not much really happened this week that is worth talking about. I am working on becoming a better missionary.

6. Most spiritual experience this week? Just bearing testimony to someone about the Book of Mormon and feeling and using a prompting to talk to someone in the store today

7. So the Leadership sisters do you have one in your area? No we don't they are an area above us.

8. How are you doing physically? Spiritually? Emotionally? And mentally? I am working on getting better physically and I still am trying to get better at sleeping. Emotionally I am fine. Mentally I will live I am trying to get less stressed out about baptisms and crap.

That's awesome about the setting apart. I'm sorry that I wasn't always the most proactive in trying to be better and I think you are the one that made us look good Dad. Thanks for the quote Dad!

Alofa Atu Oi

Elder Wilson Atagi

Letter to Mom from Fort Walton Beach-March 31, 2014

Hey Mom!

My week was pretty good! I'm glad Mama B (Sister Blanchard) could talk to you for a little while! Basketball is working great!

President Smith did call me about Elder Misi and a survey that he had to do for President. He asked why I never told him about why he had such a hard time with Misi, but nothing too big. I am glad that he likes me! haha I know Heavenly Father knows what we need all the time. Honestly I haven't written anyone a letter in the past like month or so. I just haven't been good at writing anyone really. Mostly just emailing everyone on Mondays.

That's awesome about your calling! I heard that the conference was pretty good! Sad to hear that it's snowing up there during spring break though!

My spirits are doing great! Life is good! Something good this week was probably a crazy rainstorm that we had this week. It was on Friday and we were taking the car to the sisters and we stopped at this stop sign and out of nowhere this huge wave of rain covered the road in front of us and then we got stuck at the sisters’ apartment. They said that a tornado touched down somewhere far away from our area. It was crazy!

I've been missing you a lot lately too Mom, but there is a reason that I am out here. I just have to find the one person that needs me to be the one to talk to them.

Thanks for the scripture mom!

Love you so!

Elder Wilson Atagi

Letter to Dad from Fort Walton Beach-March 24, 2014

Hey Dad!

Missed you too dad! He leaves in April on the 18th. We do have a car but we share with the sisters so technically we don't really have a car haha.

 

It's going really good dad! Life is good! I am constantly trying to stay happy because it makes everything a lot easier. He is working hard for sure. The new area is awesome but the ward is so-so.

1. Tell me about your apartment? The apartment is really little and small but not too bad. We have the kitchen, laundry and study room downstairs then bathroom and bedroom upstairs. We only have one study table instead of 2 so that kind of sucks, not too much space.

2. How is the new area? The area is good but the membership is kind blah. There are a lot of members that want to work with us but they can't because they are in the military and work a ton.

3. So do you like the beach? Have you accidentally fallen into the water? The beach is nice but I don't think I will be "falling" in the water any time soon haha.

4. Is there a rule about how close you can be to the water? No there isn't, at least none that i have seen.

5. Are you having fun? What happened this week that was fun? I am having fun out here dad! We have been making up songs on the guitar so that has been a ton of fun.

6. Sounds like there are some people that like you with all the attention that you got from your birthday. Tell me the goods and bads about your birthday. My birthday was great we got cake/food from like 5 people so that was fantastic.

7. Tell me a spiritual experience you had this week in detail please and how it affected you? I have been memorizing a scripture in 2 Nephi 4:17-28 and I keep just feeling how true the Book of Mormon is. The scripture talks about how sometimes we feel that we aren't worthy because of all the mistakes we make, but really God is always with us. That is something that hit me really hard this week.

8. How are you getting along? I am getting a long great dad! Thanks for worrying about me.

Thanks for the message Dad! I missed y'all a lot this week but I know I'm doing something good here.

Alofa Atu Oi

Elder Wilson Atagi

Pictures from Fort Walton Beach-March 17, 2014

Birthday Cake



View from Fort Walton Beach Shore

Beach Volleyball at Fort Walton Beach