"He's shaped like a corndog"

Look at that tiny dog!! She's full grown too!

This week was so good. And so exhausting. So many times this week I just fell into bed and fell asleep so fast it was disorienting in the morning. We had a couple incredible meetings this week, first being the Worldwide Missionary Training Broadcast. It was so good, and there were some pretty crazy changes made. The key indicators have changes, we only have four now, and our schedule has been changed. It's going to be an interesting change, but so far it's been great 👍. The other meeting that was incredible was with Elder Neil L. Anderson. The whole mission was there. It was a great experience. I'm still reviewing my notes, but I loved how they talked about giving up everything to Heavenly Father. And Elder Anderson encouraged us to memorize scriptures from the Holy Bible and the Book to Mormon. It was such a great meeting. And it was made even better by the fact that our two recent converts and the Ward mission leader and his girlfriend (who happens to be another recent convert) were our ride, and they stayed for the missionary meeting, and then they went to the youth meeting right after! It was so great.

Another thing that made Sister Lloyd and me so proud, we felt like mothers to their children, was when our branch president switched up the speakers for sacrament meeting and had the youth speak on what they learned from Elder Anderson, and both S & A talked about things they learned and said how they knew the Church was true and gave the best testimonies ever!!! And S blessed the sacrament yesterday!!! It was the best. 😄 We just kept looking at each other and smiling and thinking that they were the best people ever. (Plus it totally let me off the hook for a talk I was going to give on the sacrament. So that worked out 😁)

This area is amazing! The people 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦👨‍👩‍👧‍👦here are the best! And there are so many prepared hearts💕! 

And the title of this letter comes from our conversation in the car on the way home (2-2 1/2 hour drive) - apparently that's a thing. They also said that there are some (persons?) shaped like a sucker. It was a funny moment. 

Last night was the first time we didn't have daily planning at night🌄. It's in the mornings now🌅. And it's a good thing because we shut down! We were so exhausted. Sister Lloyd and I were talking in the southern accent, and she said something so completely southern that I died! I just laughed until tears were rolling down my cheeks. 😂 It was the best. 

This week was so good! And we have a possible baptism this weekend. We'll see how it goes, cross your fingers and pray really hard! He is so ready and prepared!! It'll happen sometime anyway, but everyone is hoping this weekend. 

This was just a wonderful week. I spent a lot of time studying the sacrament, and it was neat to learn about it. One thing that I've appreciated understanding better is why we need to take it every week. I understood that that was a thing, and because we are so forgetful as human beings, but it was interesting to connect that as we partake of it weekly we are a continual representative of Jesus Christ. We renew our pledge to him that we will stand as a witness of Him, and the moment we decide to not take the sacrament we make that witness void. We are turning down the Atonement in our lives and put our access to it on hold until we partake of it again. It's a serious matter. That's not to say that if we can't take it for one reason or another we are making that witness void, it's the choice, us using our agency to run down that gift that He's commanded we receive weekly. That hit me pretty hard this week. There is such a thing as being too sick to get there to take it, and things like stake and general conference that prevent that from happening, but those moments are important to help us recognize the difference so we can appreciate it more when we have that opportunity again. Just like when we're sick and we enjoy being healthy so much more for it. Just never choose to be sick- not to take the sacrament. That is when we receive that damnation our soul-we quit growing and changing to be more like Christ. 

I love the gospel. I love the Lord. I love His mercy, His love, His peace, His comfort. Even though I fall so short of the mark, He is still there lifting me and helping me to be better. Sometime I feel like I can't do all He has asked of me, but then I remember who He is (or rather the Spirit reminds me) and I know that I can do it, because He is the one who asked it of me. Because He knows what I can became and He knows how to get me there. I can do all things with God, I just have to humble myself and accept His will. The great and spacious building that is the pride of the world is so huge!! Even the most humble of men still has a rather large corner of that building. There is pride in humility. But as I give it all to Heavenly Father there is strength and growth. I know He is real. God the Father lives. He loves us. Jesus Christ lives and serves us with all He has. I am so grateful for this knowledge and the opportunity to share it with so many people here. 

I love y'all! Thank you for everything you do, and especially for who you are! 

Love Kimber 

Sister Beckstrand

Here we are, enjoying dinner after the meeting with Elder Anderson

Everyone looks so good!

Bubbles! It was a fun week!

In her response to Mom's letter, (for one thing I asked her about the weather):

 You know, it's funny, but it's actually been really nice here lately. Not too cold, but still pretty chilly. It's been hanging around the fifties. Sometimes it gets chilly, but it's been staying nice. It's crazy because it's nearly January, but it feels like it's getting warmer. The trees have even started to bud!!! 

This area is significantly larger than my last areas. And here are a lot of dirt roads we drive on. We have full car (a car all the time) but we do have to take seven walk days a month. It's nice though, we get to plan it and put it on useful days. And the miles are specific for every area. It depends on how big the area is, and what other areas are in the car share. A lot of things go into it, but they work it out...

...It's funny, I can totally feel the difference when we sit down to plan for the next day and start discussing things and we start trying to figure it out, but it's not working and then we stop and remember that we were going to pray, and then it all works out somehow after we pray, it gets better and sometime the day seems to plan itself. It's really fun when ya happens. And it's interesting to note the difference. 

Love you Mom! Kimberly