Week 5 Colusa CA

Hey Mom!!

Last week I said I was getting used to the Cali heat, but I think I lied... it is freaking HOT!!! It was in the 100s for the majority (idk how to spell that) of the week... It really was just a constant state of hot and sweaty and sticky. Fun... it's giving me some killer tan lines though! My arm is like stripped. My forearm is tan, then my watch line, then the top of my hands are tan, but then my fingers are white (cause when I bike they don't get sun). It's pretty great. but hey, we'are staying hydrated.

The big event of the week though was zone conference! So it was the first time I got to see Hermana Hayes since Chico, so that was super fun! I love just seeing her and all my other mission friends! I really never thought that I would know this many people or have this many friends, ha ha!

But besides just seeing friends, zone conference is a great spiritual time! This time we focused on the Book of Mormon. We had a guy come who's job is to answer to anti-Mormon material. It was really cool. It was basically just a bunch of evidence to show how the Book of Mormon really was translated by Joseph Smith and it really is the word of God. It was so interesting. My logical brain loved it! But at the end he emphasized that the only real way to know is through the spiritual witness we receive through the Holy Ghost when we truly read it and ask God. That's when the truths in it really come to help us change our lives and have heavenly help. He said that is the only way. You can't go around the book, under it, or over it. The only way to know is through the Book. And we are promise to receive an answer that way. It was way cool and super interesting. Especially cause it was about a topic that I love so much!

The other big thing this week was that we had a branch activity! So we had a BBQ and then a music program after. The music program was focused on the pioneers that crossed the plains and all the hard times they had, but continued through with all the persecution. So I played come come ye saints and fiddled. Hermana Andrew sung a song and a few other people sung songs. It was so awesome though. The spirit was there so strong and I loved it. It made me so thankful and proud of my pioneer ancestors that crossed the plains so that I could be here and have this gospel in my life. Can't even really explain my appreciation for them, but it was a great night!

But along with music, I became the music sister missionary this week... Iplayed at the program, and then they need a pianist for Sunday, so I played for sacrament meeting (thanks simplified hymns). And then they also needed someone in primary, so guess who played the piano there too... me! So thanks for 5th grade piano lessons! Really paying off there. I'm all musiced out for a bit.

But it was a good week! People are so kind and our fridge is full. We didn't even really use much of the food we bought last week cause people kept giving us things! It was super kind of them, and I am very thankful!

But anyway, I love and miss you tons! Have a great week!!

Kiley

Hermana Atkinson