Alma 26:5

Pres Hansen & Sister Beckstrand

Sister Beckstrand at the Memphis Temple

Playing with Sis Beckstrand's long hair...

This week was so good. I loved it! On Monday a member took us to explore Downtown Memphis, that was so fun. We had a blast.

Tuesday was my last District meeting, and we all shared spiritual experiences. It was so good. Pretty much every story from the elders was a time they had given a blessing. It is so inspired to send young men new to the priesthood out to teach about it, and to have such amazing opportunities to use that power to help others. It is amazing. Also, I had my last exchange! I went to Walnut Grove with Sister Povey and Sister Anderson stayed in Bartlett with Sister Ellis! STL exchange, a new thing! It was fun, and it rained! I love the rain here!!  So fun. Sister Povey is amazing!

On Thursday we had Missionary Leadership Council in North Little Rock, wow, it was so good. And I just keep having my testimony of President Hansen grown every time I meet with him. He is so close to the Spirit! Everything was amazing.

Miracle
8:45 at night we have to drop off these cookies at our investigators (M's) house. So we run up to the door to drop them off, and she invited us in for a minute. We came in, and met her friend (W) who was over, and W mentioned a text we'd sent out a couple days earlier to M. She said that when we sent it at the perfect time, she has been stressed about things, and it was exactly what she needed to hear at that moment. (Something about Fear not and seeking the kingdom of heaven first, it was good.) So we got to talking and then started spontaneously having the first lesson with her. It was crazy because Sister Anderson had to focus on talking to M so she didn't keep moving the conversation away from where it was going, and hen I focused on talking to W and answering her questions and all the answers were in lesson one! It's so cool, because most of people's questions have to do with the answers that come from lesson one. It was incredible because W asked if we could set a date right then for her two sons to be baptized. And we set a return appointment to come back an officially teach them the lessons. Then we drove home as fast as we could while keeping to the speed limit. That was one of the most amazing lessons I've ever been in, and it was all because we were bringing cookies to our investigator! I love my life!!

To top it off, yesterday our recent converts were finally able to make it to church (they had missed the last three weeks due to being out of town, sick...) and the young man was able to receive the priesthood!!! It was amazing! His family is so beautiful! I love Bartlett!!

A scripture that I found a little bit ago, maybe last week, that I just loved: Alma 26:5, "Behold, the field was ripe, and blessed are ye, for ye did thrust in the sickle, and did reap with your might, yea, all the day long did ye labor; and behold the number of your sheaves! And they shall be gathered into the garners, that they are not wasted."

I though it was so beautiful! It connects so well with D&C 4, one of the scriptures I have been quoting my whole mission. This has been a beautiful and wonderful experience. I have learned so much. One of the most important things I've learned is the why of the gospel. The why of everything, and I would not trade it for anything! I love the Gospel! I love the Bible and a Book of Mormon! I love my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. I love it all! And I know it is true.

Love y'all!
Sister Kimberly K. Beckstrand
Sister Beckstrand

Note the change in her signature? I did. She's on her way home!!! She's at the mission home now, and will be flying home tomorrow!

Wahooo!!!

Outgoing missionaries with President Hansen

Sis B & Sis Ellis saying their farewells - Love you!

Love y'all! Goodbye!

Sister B with one of the Mission Mamas,
Pat Baker Christensen from Millington

Outgoing missionaries got to go to the temple today!

We'll get to hug you in a few hours, Kimberly! Lots of love, Mom & family

🕺🏼😁😂👋😀👂👋😴 gosh, it's been a week...

Wow, this was a crazy week! It was also really hot, the temperature said it was in the 90's but the heat index was in the 100's, and we were out in it all week! We had a leadership training meeting on Tuesday where we got to know or mission president and his wife better. Man! They are inspired! Wow, I learned so much from them. It was great. And then all that afternoon evening in we walked and just talked to people and met quite a few cool people, and one interested person said we could come back. And then we met some pretty neat people from India on our way back.

Wednesday we had a great miracle of a new investigator. We have had this potential we haven't been able to see in a long time, but we've found people to teach in her neighborhood in the meantime. So as we were driving to go contact some of those people, we dropped her. Then we saw that her car was home, and none of the other people were, so we decided to just try her. And we had a beautiful lesson. We both felt very prompted to teach tithing. So we taught tithing. She totally accepted our challenge for her to pay tithing.  It was really cool, and we immediately un-dropped her.

Then that night we went on exchanges with the Jackson Sisters. I went to Jackson with Sister Tyree. We had so much fun, and again, it was soooooo hot. But, of course, that lead to one of our best miracles that day. We were contacting a bunch of people, and standing out in the hot sun for several hours. So we decided that we should get ourselves some ice cream or something for standing in the heat so long. At first we couldn't find anyplace to go for ice cream, so we decided that we'd pay attention as we drove to the next person we needed to see and go there after we saw them. So as we were driving we saw a snow cone place and we got to go there after we found the referral's house and talked to some people. The guy at the snow cone place is amazing. We taught him about the Book of Mormon, and then we taught him about keeping the Sabbath day holy. He was super nice, and they are totally going to go back and keep teaching him now! It was neat.

Snow cones!!! (Sis Tyree & Sis Beckstrand)

My old home

Then we exchanged back that evening and went straight to bed. Then on Friday we had weekly planning, and then another exchange. This time in Southaven to help our with the ASL, so I went to be in Southaven with Sister Fifield. We had so much fun! We contacted some deaf people, and we had a lesson with one deaf lady, and it was amazing because I totally understood pretty much everything she said I could follow our conversation!!! That was a miracle. It was great. We also had dinner one family's house, the same one as last time, that I found and then they got baptized in December, with the cute little kids. We had so much fun teaching them, the two little girls are preparing for their own baptism now. They gave us some fun art project things they made. That inspired us, so we went home and made our own with nail polish. Sister Fifield made Snoopy and I made a fancy jar. It was fun.

Our art projects!

Then the next day we went to ASL class where we were going to exchange back, and Sister Anderson and Sister Vaitai were a little late getting back to us, so I got to interpret for the deaf member that comes to the class. It was so fun to interpret again! Gosh! I've missed sign language.

Two exchanges this week was super exhausting, but we had so much fun. On Saturday we got to see this amazing less active in our ward. She's the one that we miraculously found a few weeks ago. She love it when we come over, and we have so much fun talking to her. She's so cute!!!

And then yesterday was the best and hard. The best because we got to go to church and take the sacrament. Yesterday was so good. Everything at church was amazing and I felt the spirit so strong. It was hard because nobody came to church, and we were both exhausted by our long week. But we had one really good lesson, and then a really good contact with a guy we found a couple weeks ago.

It was a long week, but we had so much fun with all the people we saw and met and all of our exchanges. We learned a ton, and loved a lot. It was so fun!!

Love y'all!
Kimber
Sister Beckstrand

18 Months!
(ASL "18" on the left)

War chapters!

Farewell to the Wakolo family! Thank you, we love you!
Final picture together.

The Otter Creek Sisters with REAL Otters!

Hello all! This Week has been crazy, and amazing. Last Monday we went to the zoo with the STLs and the sisters in Glenwood. It was super fun, and really warm and humid. Love it! After that we had an FHE at President Wakolo's house, one of our investigators came for the dinner, and a recent covert came for the dinner and the lesson after. It was amazing. President is such a great teacher! And we had a fun moment when the power went out for a minute and then came right back on. Then we had to slip out for a second to call someone, and there was this beeping that was quiet, but consistent and annoying. As we were coming back inside we saw Sister Wakolo and Jasmine trying to find where it was coming from. We finally found it in the pantry. And then we had to figure out how to turn it off. We tried everything, and repeated everything. For several minutes. Then Sister Wakolo tried something, and it magically turned off. Mommy magic is real. 

The on Tuesday we had exchanges  time with our STLs. It was really fun. I went to Pinnacle Mom (to) train with Sister Lange. We had a lot of fun, and some crazy experiences. Sister Lange is so fun!

Then on Wednesday we (we is Sister Lange and myself and Sister Brumett and Sister Crookshank) had lunch with a deaf member in the ward, she is amazing! And she went on a mission and showed us things from when she was teaching. It was fun. Then we went back (the exchange ended at lunch) and had a crazy busy day like normal. We never have time!

Then on Thursday we had our last zone conference with President Wakolo. It was amazing. We learned so much. And we got a new tiwi, and it took so long hat we were at the NLR building from 9:30am until 7:40pm. Wow, good thing the meeting was long and we had a lot of people to text and call. So it all worked out. (Definition of a "tiwi": "A tiwi is the black box in our car that monitors our driving and tells us to slow down and things like that."  Good plan!)

And Friday we had a super long weekly planning. Not much happened that day. It was fun though. I love being able to teach the restored gospel. We get so down and sad about nothing until we get an opportunity to teach and bear testimony, and then life is amazing and fun and beautiful. I love the difference that bearing testimony does in the lives of those who share it. It's an incredible spiritual boost.

On Saturday we saw more people, we were trying to talk to as many people as we could. I don't remember all that we did, but we were busy. Thy night we had our third ASL class, and this time we only had our investigators there. They loved it anyway, so that was good. It was really fun. Then we waited around for the transfer email to come. That's right people, transfer week. And I've been transferred. I'm going to Bartlett to be an STL! (Sister-Training-Leader) Crazy! I'm only going in Bartlett for one transfer, but it's going to be really fun. My new companion is Sister Anderson. I'm excited to work with her.

Ok, then Sunday was great. We had several people come, and they are beautiful and they all loved it! I'm so excited to hear how it all goes with them. It was such a fun day yesterday. I love Otter Creek, and I'll be so sad to go! But I'm excited to see what Bartlett has for me. It's going to be a lot of fun.

I was reading in Alma 52 and thinking about the strategy and how they had to coordinate everything and then follow through. And then I read verse 30 and I thought that it is amazing how much trust they had to have and did have to succeed. They didn't have cell phones to call and double check that things are still going according to plan. They just planned carefully and followed through. I thought that was really impressive.

I've loved everything. It's so fun here!

Love y'all!
Kimber
Sister Beckstrand

Otter Creek Sisters!

Converting Kerchek!!...Set a baptismal date with him!

Farewell to the soul-sister companionship!
Thank you, Sister Brummett!

If You Talk to That Lady I'll Open the Door

All the ASL sisters and the Little Rock STLs visiting
over lunch about the exchanges

That's my boy! Love this kid, he loves the Book of Mormon
(She got to see him, her first mission baptism, while
on exchanges in her first mission area last week!)

♥ It looks like these sisters heart-attached their investigator's
door with notes and scripture hearts! ♥

Saw this girl again!

So many miracles this week. I can't even try to write them all.

So back when Sister Brumett was having her very first walk week, about 2 transfers ago, we met this great man, who was so ready for the gospel. We shared a bit with him, and then set a return appointment. And then he missed the return appointment. And then we were super busy, so we were never able to get back to his house. So, those two transfers roll by, and then we have an opportunity Monday to go by his house again. When we get there he's still waiting for us. Not only did he remember us, but he had read the pamphlet we gave him, and he wanted to know more, he wanted our number, and he accepted a baptismal date! He has been waiting for us this whole time. So now we are working with him, and he's really cool. (2 Nephi 2:24) (For Sis Brummett's account of this story, see below.)

This week we had ASL exchanges!!!! I got to go to Southaven! (I love that place) with Sister Vaitai! It was so fun! And I signed the whole time I was there, no matter what. It was hard, but not as hard as I though it would be. We had dinner with a family I had found while I was there, (and they are baptized now) and they totally remembered me! And we got to talk about the plan of salvation with them. It was so fun! And that night we Skyped with a deaf lady who is so cute! And she really wants to come to church, she just hasn't been able to find the address, so we texted it to her after. That was so exciting! She is so sweet!

The second day of the exchange we went to go see the first person I baptized. His mom is deaf, so we got to see her (she's still not baptized, but she knows it! She'll get there) but it was a bad time to see her, so we went to the library to see him (the guy I baptized-well as much as a sister can 😂), and we taught him a lesson in sign language because we couldn't talk, it's the library. That was really fun, using my language. We tried a bunch of deaf people, but no one was home or available. So we went to dinner, which just so happened to be with the family that I got to go to the temple with a couple months ago. I was fun to talk with them for an hour and to continue signing. I think I've improved a lot. Then we got to go teach ASL class. That was a lot of fun. We started working on sentence structure. Also I got to see one of the deaf members again. We had a better conversation than I was able to have with him before. I've learned a ton in the last year. (2 Nephi 28:30) Then we had ward correlation. Wow, it was cool to see all the members again, to see how the work continues to progress, to see the new people they are working with. To meet the investigators, to find new people for them to teach, some that I remember from before. One time we were driving to a deaf member's house and we saw this lady and I got the prompting to get out and talk to her, so we went and talked to her and turns out she probably talked to me a year ago, and she's been reading the Book of Mormon and loves it, and she's been dropped, but her follow up date was three days from the day we saw her and talked to her, and the appointment we set was on her follow up date. That was a really cool miracle. And I don't know if that even made sense, but it was neat. I love Sister Vaitai, she is so fun to work with, and she is so strong. I love how much she devotes to the work, how important it is for her to serve, even giving up Volleyball for it. The Lord will bless her beyond her dreams for it, we heard a story about that yesterday from the general authority who came for stake conference. It was so cool.

Then the next day we came home and all of the ASL sisters, and the Little Rock STLs went to lunch to talk about the exchange. It was good I feel like we learned a lot, and I definitely learned a ton, and next time is going to be even better.

Also, this week we finagled a ride out to a family we really needed to see, but they weren't home, again, so we were debating between going home and going finding around there, or going to try to do service at a member's home who live near. We decided on the service thing. We show up and knock on the door. Her goddaughter was there and let us in, she said that the Sister was sleeping but we were welcome to do the dishes (yes!! our goal!) and so we got to work. About a half hour later, we are nearly done and Sister Brumett is struggling to figure out where to put the rest of the dishes, the Sister gets up and walks out into the kitchen, right then I remember that she'd had surgery the day before so I ask how she's doing and everything. She was so thankful that we had come by, she said that she was planning on doing the dishes when she woke up, and that she had thought about calling us, but had decided not to. And then we just so happened to show up. The Spirit is amazing. (Alma 26:27, 3 Nephi 5:13, Alma 18:16, Matthew 25:40, D&C 8:2-3, 8-9)

On Saturday we had our first (1 1/2) ASL class for this ward, and there were six people there! A member in our ward and her son, our recent convert and his wife, and one of our investigators and her daughter. It was super fun, we got to play some games that help remember the signs. They all loved it.

This week was stake conference! I love stake conference. We got to go to the Youth meeting, and then the next day we went to the Adult meeting with our recent convert and his wife. It was so good. And we were interpreting for it at the same time. That was fun. When President and Sister Wakolo stood up to talk, I hunk they had a shorter time than planned, and I was interpreting for them, and after Sister Wakolo said a few things President started to speak. I'm pretty sure he said everything he planned on saying, because he was talking super fast, the Gift of Tongues is so real! He was spouting scriptures so fast, and I could not keep up. But I loved it because it just shows how well he knows his scriptures and the doctrine, and literally I have no idea if the things I signed made sense, but no matter how confused I was, my hands kept moving, so I know Heavenly Father was helping. (It made more sense to those who weren't trying to interpret it because I'm trying to think of signs I know and sentence structure at that point. (Ether 12:27)) Then the next day was Stake conference!!!!!!!! And we had five people show up!!! It was amazing! And they loved it! There was a musical number with a violin and piano and flute (there was supposed to be a violist ❤️ but he got sick 😢) , and Sister Brumett sang! It was beautiful. And I got to stand up with her and sign the song. It was super fun because in our Stake we have 3 languages, English, Spanish, and American Sign Language. So Sister Brumett sang a verse in English, then a verse in Spanish and I signed the whole thing. 💗 (Acts 10:34 is one of my new favorite scriptures) It was so amazing! And President and Sister Wakolo and the other general authority Elder Thompson and then the stake presidency sitting right behind us. No pressure.

Then we went to go see our other recent convert, the one we haven't been able to see in two weeks, and his wife, who's date got moved to this Saturday (it's happening this time, I know it) and they were expecting us, but again, just like usual, their door did not get opened to us. So like usual, they were either sleeping, or had forgotten or something and weren't there. So we are standing there praying that the door would open, and the thought comes to our minds, "If you talk to that lady I'll open the door." So as we walked up to their house, we passed this lady, we said hi, but we really needed to see them, so we didn't do much else. Then she went inside, and then came back out. We needed to talk to her. So we went and had a really good conversation with her, and we gave her a Book of Mormon, and invited her to an activity President Wakolo is putting on tonight. It was a really good conversation, and we are going back to teach her soon. It was amazing. Then we went back to the house and knocked again. Nothing. So we went back to our car. And right as were we're getting in the car, he called us, he opened his door, and we got out of the car, and went into his home for a wonderful lesson with him and his wife. It was so good, and the Lord always answered our prayers (Ether 12:6). That's how it works.

This week was amazing, and that does not even begin to cover all the miracles this week. It was so fun, and I learned a ton, and I want to say that I love the scriptures. When you teach from the scriptures by the Spirit, concerns are resolved, problems disappear. And it's the best when you can say, the Lord commands this because of this verse right here (a baptismal interview? Moroni 6:2, we are asked to do that by God). I love my life. It's amazing.

Love y'all!
Kimber

P.S.
This just happened:
Sis. Brumett-D&C 9:8 ...and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you. Yes! I love this scripture!
Sis. Beckstrand-My tablet is overheating.
Sis. Brumett-It's 'cus you have so many scriptures in there (referring to my email).
...
Sis. Brumett-It's bosom is burning!!
Haha 😂 I love her!

Sister Beckstrand

We saw President and Sister Wakolo on the long drive
to Memphis, and Jasmine was in the back seat!

I think this is Sis Vaitai

*Sis Brummett's account:

So, my first week out here in Arkansas, we met an older man named Kevin, but haven't been able to see him since. When we tried to visit him, he wasn't home, so we moved on. But, Kevin kept coming back to my mind every once and a while, so this week, we went to see him. He was home! We asked if he remembered us, and he said "uh... yeah!" (He said it like "no duh," it was hilarious!) We talked a little more, and I asked if he remembered anything we had talked to him about. Again, "uh... yeah!" We talked some more, and the Spirit said to ask him to be baptized. I was thinking, "We haven't even taught him anything about the gospel yet!" But, I listened to the Spirit and asked him. Guess what his response was....? "Uh.... yeah!" Haha I love this man! Now, he is loving the Book of Mormon, and says he feels so good when he reads it! (1 Nephi 1:12)

We also got another beautiful tribute email this week:

My wife are serving in the office at the Arkansas Little Rock Mission and we attend church in Little Rock, where your daughters are serving together as ASL missionaries.

Yesterday was our stake conference, and we arrived early to sit and wait for the meeting to begin.  As we waited, your daughters were there practicing to present a song during the meeting, and so we had the privilege of hearing Sister Brumett sing and Sister Breckstrand sign this lovely song, ‘Love One Another’.  They were accompanied by the piano, a violin, a cello, and a flute.  What a blessing to us to hear them sing and sign that beautiful song, done in English and Spanish probably 6 times with the practice and then in the meeting.  The practice was for the instruments, not for their performance. The angels in heaven could not have done a better job.  We are still touched by the memory of both of them. 

Thank you for raising such fine young women and supporting them as they share their great talents and their testimonies with the people here in Arkansas.

Sincerely,

Elder and Sister Hartzell