A missionary leaves her family for a short time, so that those she teaches may be with their families forever!”

Tuesday, February 28, 2017

Who's Counting?

My thirteen month mark...it snuck up on me. 

This week has been fun! We've met some interested people, and some people that are not willing to talk to us. This week we met a couple guys who had some questions about what Mormons believe, and we were able to answer them and help clear up things they've heard before, and they were really nice. One of them accepted a return visit. We were on walk week so we didn't get to see a lot of our investigators who don't live very close, and one day we decided to try biking, (I borrowed an elder's bike), but we had to bike for about two to three hours to get to our dinner appointment. Then Sister Fifield fell and got scraped up a bit, but she's all fine now. 
Sis Fifield & Sis Beckstrand.
"Crazy us!!"
Overall, I just love Sister Fifield. We have a lot of fun together!

Sis Zollinger(?) & Sis Beckstrand
This week we had exchanges, and I went to The STLs area with Sister Zollinger and we had a fun time. We had some really good lessons with people and some successful finding. We found a cool guy who actually lives in our area, and he texted us a question after we left. We told him to read chapter one in the Book of Mormon because it answers his question. I had a goal to share doctrine in first contact. I did better that I usually do, and I'm trying to continue that every time I talk to people. 

Yesterday I interpreted in church! (ASL) I was fun, and a lot of people were surprised that I could sign. But it was fun to interpret again. We do language study every day, usually, and we've had two language studies over Skype with another companionship who are also doing some ASL work. It was really fun. And then I went and and played piano for the Spanish branch (it wasn't very pretty) but that was fun. 

And, this Saturday, we have an investigator getting baptized!!!! He is such an amazing mad, and he has a lot of fun stories. Last night we went to talk to our top investigator who is getting baptized the Saturday, but he was already asleep, so we talked to his grandsons out side, they are super less active. We were talking about the gospel and about how they know things, and he got onto us about how we were raised in the gospel and that it was easy and we didn't know anything because of that. I've been getting similar statements from a lot of people ever since I got here last January, and I've always known it wasn't true that I didn't know life, and I never felt that it counted against me that I grew up with it, but those comments always made me wonder how to describe that it was a very good thing that I grew up with it. At that moment I finally understood why I felt that way. I understood how to explain to him so my point of view on how that does not count against me was a good thing. This is sort of like I said it, but in my studies this morning I was thinking about what I said and decided to write it down in my journal because it is an answer I've been searching for ever since the first time it was mentioned. 

'I have been raised in this gospel. I have never strayed far from the path. That doesn't mean that I haven't messed up, and it doesn't mean I know everything and it doesn't mean I don't know any different. Enos 1:1, "...my father...was a just man--for he taught me in his language, and also in the nurture and admonition of the Lord--and blessed be the name of my God for it" I do not regret being born in the Gospel. I do not feel like I'm missing anything, it is not less sweet to me because I am used to it. I don't have to mess up to understand. I can be the smarter one, and learn as I observe others mistakes in the lessons they learned from it. It's like the concept in Alma 32:14–15, "...because ye were compelled to be humble ye were blessed, do ye not suppose that they are more blessed who truly humble themselves because of the word? ...Yea, much more blessed than they who are compelled to be humble" In most cases these people are smarter, wiser. They don't have to hurt as much in the process. Again, that doesn't mean I don't mess up, but I like this less painful route, and it has been a blessing in my life, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve a mission, to see people from all walks of life, to talk to them and learn from them. It is a beautiful blessing that I will never let go.'

Love y'all! 
Kimber
Sister Beckstrand

Monday, February 20, 2017

The people are always golden on the Otter side of the Creek!

Sister Esplin is really good at these titles. 😃 (Asked her how she got a title from Sis Esplin already, and she said, "I just talked to her - we just talked on the phone - and asked her for a title, I've been doing it for all my areas since we got separated. ")

Sis Fifield & Sis Beckstrand

Also, this week has been so fun! Whitewashing is great! This Ward is great! We have a great guy we are teaching that is so excited for his baptism at the end of this month. And we have met so many great people! And we are going to be doing ASL work! We haven't been able to meet with many deaf people outside of church yet, but that'll probably change this week. And we found out yesterday morning that we were starting walk week right after church. So we are car-less. And so far it's been great 😅. At least we found a ride to grocery shopping this morning. So, ya, my area is a little section in SW Little Rock, and we can go outside of our area for ASL work, but we haven't done it yet. My new address is .... It's really nice that the church building is literally a five minute walk from where we live. It's like being back home again. Fun stuff!

And Sister Fifield and I have had a ton of fun already! This transfer is going to be so fun! We've gotten to know each other really well already, it doesn't feel like it's only been a week, it feels like it's been longer. And we are also in sync for our mission timeline! We will be going home together! She's from Kaysville Ut, and she does voice acting for people on YouTube. (Look up 'Bloctor Who' she's Scarlet). She does a lot of fun things. Lots of crafty artsy stuff, it's fun to watch her work! It's great.

Blessing this week:
Yesterday we were sitting in the foyer waiting for the bishop to text us back when I saw the Tithing slip and envelope on the wall, and decided to grab one, I was thinking why am I getting this now? I've got a couple weeks until the first of the month, but I grabbed it anyway and stuck it in my bible. Then last night we were teaching our investigator about Tithing and Sister Fifield started explaining how the slip looked and worked and then I remembered that I had one in my bible! So we were able to have that and to give it to him so he could see it and have one. It was so cool! And I loved to see how the Spirit was able to just make me grab one even though I didn't need it yet. It strengthened my testimony of following the Spirit, even if the lesson would have gone well without it, it made it better that we were able to have one.

It was a great week.

Love y'all!
Kimber
Sister Beckstrand


PS - And no, I'm not in the area of the mission office anymore, so I don't get to go there unless it's a big meeting or something. But one of the office couples goes to this ward so I get to see them on Sunday, it's fun. 

The following pictures appear to be from Sister Beckstrand's previous area, Mountain View:
The best people in the world!

Hiking! In our service project!
 


Driving in the car!
My district!

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Once upon a time there was a really happy story and something really happy happened!

Hey, sorry my email didn't make it last week, there was terrible internet connection, I'll send it after this. 
Anyway, I've been transferred!!!! I'll miss Mountain View like you wouldn't believe, but I'm excited to learn the new area. I'm also leaving Sister Lloyd behind. And I'm whitewashing. Again. My new area is Otter Creek. It's in Little Rock, or somewhere near there. I don't know yet! Also, my new companion is Sister Fifield. And this is an ASL area. And she is an ASL missionary. And I don't know if my mission language is being changed or not, but I'm in an ASL situation now! And I'm so excited to be able to sign again! Ok, so we also have a bit of an advantage, Sister Fifield has been here before, but the teaching pool is going to be very different. So still a whitewash, but we have information.
This week was great. We had a really good district meeting. Some reminders on things that we can improve on in our teaching. And fun moments as a district. And then we had interviews with President. It was a good day. There were so many wonderful people there I am so sad to leave. We were teaching so many amazing people that were so prepared for the gospel it was so wonderful to be part of their lives as they embraced the gospel.  It is a privilege to serve here and be able to help people come closer to Christ. It's a beautiful thing! 
It was a fun week. 
Love y'all! 
Kimber

Mmmm, iron. Who needs supplements when there's a cast iron skillet?

This is the email that never made it to us last week, because her internet connection wasn't good enough that day. It must have been all those pictures! Nice to get it this week.



It was a good week.  We did a lot this week. We had some really great lessons. Lots of progress made with those we are teaching. On Wednesday we had a really great zone conference, and some good challenges to work on.

And then for the rest of the afternoon we had back to back appointments with some great people. We struggled finding new investigators, but that's ok, we can do better this week! It was a busy week, that dragged and then was suddenly over. It was strange, and fun. One time when we were walking, we took a short cut through an amphitheater that was super neat. It looked like it's a lot of fun in the summer.

The first half of the week it hung out in the mid fifties, then Friday through Sunday it dropped to the thirties, until Sunday evening when it was back in the fifties. Arkansas is weird. I love it though. This place is gorgeous, and the people are the best!




And I got to hold a couple wolf cubs this week!! They were so cute! It was a fun week.

And look at that floor! That's all hand done. Crazy right?! It looked really cool though.

Love y'all!
Kimber
Sister Beckstrand