Alright so this transfer was a 7 week transfer (normally 6
weeks) because the MTC has switched to the 3 weeks so we got an extra
week! It was great I have loved working with Sister Trost these past &
weeks and I have learned so much about doing missionary work in different ways
like serving because well it has been rough!
So this past Saturday we got our Transfer call and we had
heard transfer buzz the night before so got our cry's out then... but Sister
Trost and I will be doubling out of the Olympia 3rd ward and switching with the
Elders in the Olympia 4th ward wards.....So I will be moving to the 4th ward
(which will be the same building which is nice) and we were hoping that we
would double in together but sadly not.... I will be getting Sister Kramer and
Sister Trost will be going to Gig Harbor and stay with the companion Sister
Kramer has been training.
Well so its been sad because we have loved the 3rd ward and
they don't deserve Elders but I will be for the best:) HAHA when we told our
Bishop in Ward Council this he threw his papers on the ground because he was so
mad (the Ward has had Sisters for like 5 1/2 years) but this is in the Lord's
hands and I have gotten the answer for myself that it will be
alright. Elder Leber and Hansen will work Miracles in the Olympia 3rd I
just know it!!!
So my new address is:
320 Israel Rd SW #59, Tumwater, WA 98511
We had our missionary Why I Believe fireside and it was
soooo good!!!!! So the Missionaries sang 4 amazing songs together then we had 3
other musical numbers from missionaries. Sister Trost and I were one of them! I
sang Come unto Christ and Sister Trost played the Piano for me! Everyone came
up to me and thanked me for it because they were so touched. One person said
that it made him cry and it just felt so great sharing the gospel doing
something I loved to do which is singing!!!!!!
So also as part of it Recent converts spoke (6 of them) the
last being Rose!!!! It was so great to here her conversion story all together
and some parts I didn't really know about. It was so cool to hear Rose talk
about me asking her to be baptized and It made me cry I was so happy!!!!!
Something I haven't mentioned was that after I asked her I got a little ahead of
myself and said then after your baptized you can do baptisms for the dead!!!
HAHA Sister Krebs gave me a look and I was just like sorry I shouldn't have
said that but then we explained it to her what It was.. Well I guess a few
weeks later she was just so excited to go and do Baptisms for her family and
saw that a few of her family had already had them done but they were able to
find some to take to the Temple and she said it was just the best feeling:)
YAY! after the meeting was over some people came up to her and said that they
were at the temple the first time she went so that was a cool tender mercy!
Well I love the Gospel so much and Change can be scary for
anyone but it helps make us stronger then who we once were!
Love,
Sister Beck
Pic 1 us as the OLYMPIA ZONE!!!!
Pic 2 Sister Krebs and I!!! I will sure miss her and it is
crazy that she will be home on Wednesday! but I have sure learned alot from
her!!!
Well all of these photos are from the Why I Believe Fireside!!!!!
Silly pic (and this is only a third of the mission . . . . .)
Sister Krebs hugging me!!!!
Emil and Anna Pierson were able to attend the fireside - here is what Anna wrote to me about it:
"Yes. It was so beautiful!!! Her solo as well as the choir. Is that a song that she has sung before? Not sure of the title: "Come unto Christ... Let Him in..." She is very talented. One of the recent converts with whom Camille worked closely also spoke. I don't know about a recording. I can ask around. It was in the chapel, so there may not be one. We didn't get a chance to talk with her after. We had given a ride to some youth who needed to get home. It was a fantastic meeting, but was pretty long. Interesting that she is transferring and staying in the stake. 4th Ward is a great ward. They have some more rural areas too.
I thought of messaging you last night, but by the time we got home and got everyone settled... It was so late. It was fun to see her up there. Ever since I learned that she was coming to Washington, I could picture her performing in one of those firesides. (Just from what I knew of her talent from FB). aun has been contemplating a mission. She doesn't turn 19 until next fall. After last night, Emil said, "Lauren should definitely go!!" We'll see... She has a lot of decisions to factor in with school, running, a pretty serious RM boyfriend, etc. I'm sure she'll make the best decision for h
It was amazing to see/hear the testimonies of dozens of young missionaries through song. On the EFY medley--As Sisters in Zion/We'll Bring the World His Truth... They sang... "We are now the Lord's missionaries... We'll bring the world His truth..." So powerful and the sisters held their own despite being outnumbered by the elders about 5 to 1. They sang versions of Called to Serve, Battle Hymn of the Republic, and Amazing Grace too."
Here is also the conversion story that Rose sent to Camille:
I never remember my mom taking me to church, but she always
made sure we were dressed in our Sunday best and I would walk my brother Jack
and sister Rachel 2 blocks down the canal to the Bethleham Lutheran Church
every Sunday to meet up with my grandparents for Sunday school and church
service. That's where I learned "that I was never alone, that Jesus
Christ was my savior and that I have nothing to fear." A motto that
has carried me all through my life.
When I was 7 my mom married my stepdad - who was very
charismatic, especially to outsiders but not so much to his new family, he was
not a nice father and did not believe in God. On the few times the
grandparents would pick us up for church - life was very uncomfortable when.we
got home, to the point that we stopped going. But even through those 10
years my brothers, sisters and I still said our prayers, and when things got
rough we would chant Jesus Christ is our savior we have nothing to fear.
At 18 I forged my mother's signature and joined the Navy. I
remember saying "hallalula free at last, free at last". 3 years
later got married, hid my past from my then husband, had 3 beautiful children,
whom I read to daily from the bible and raised them in the Methodist church. My
then husband rarely attended. After 30 years our marriage ended, he got the
calling to become baptized into the Russian Orthodox Church. He kept
trying to "save me" by bringing me into the fold. I did go to
his baptism and to a few services over the few years - but that was not what I
wanted.
3 years later I married non-practicing Catholic. While
we were dating I went to a few services with him and then also on my own.
Guess you could say I was on a quest. But was quickly disallusioned.
The concept of confessing to the priest didn't settle with me - especially
after said priest was arrested on grounds of molestation of children, the very
secret that had haunted me from the age of 8 to 18. I thought I was freed
from that nightmare, that God had washed me clean. But when I heard that that
very priest who I had made my confession to was guilty of the same evil. I was
shattered. I've always felt that confession was between me and God - and
I didn't need to give any man power over what was heavy on my heart - that God
was all I needed. Bob spent 8 of our 10 years of our marriage in and out
of hospitals. Just before he died he told me not to worry - that he was not
afraid and that soon he would know everything.
After his death I went to live with my daughter in northern
Virginia. For the first 6 weeks I was there I church hopped trying to
find the right fit for me. I landed in the southern baptist church.
The church was so filled with the spirit and the congregations was so
welcoming. I fell in love with them, joined the Wednesday morning Wonder Women
Mission. Studied the gospel, helped with tacking quilts, volunteered in the
nursery and decided that I wanted to become a member and have the full
immersion baptism.
In preparation I contact Al (my first) asking for
forgiveness for not being enough for him, and for whatever else I did or did
not do to cause the void In our marriage. I also told him that I forgave
him for all things. He acknowledged my offering, but didn't offer a request
back to me, which truly I never expected - at least I cleared my
conscious and I was good with that. Well so I thought until upon further
reflection I became very upset. I lifted my arms up to heaven and asked
God to help me, that I did not think I could really ever forgive Al, that I had
lied, and that I needed god's help to truly forgive all or at the very list
help me to forgive myself, that I couldn't carry that burden any longer.
The eve of my baptism I had a dream:
I arrived at the church for my baptism when I realized that
I had not brought a white t-shirt and white shorts to wear under my baptismal
robe, I was all befuddled and began to cry. The pastor came to me and
asked what was wrong and if satan had gotten to me. I told him about the
missing shorts, but that no no I really wanted to be baptized. Then my
mother appeared to me who had died 20 years prior. She said "Rose you have
to forgive your father", I said to her "mom I already did - that I
let go of a rope and 2 pink balloons lifted up to heaven."
When I woke I felt so much peace- realizing that God had
lifted the heavy burden of not only Alan but also my stepdad.
The next morning during Sunday service I was baptized. And I
have to say it was one of the blessed moments of my life. All this being
said. When I got home Al called me and accused me of blastame, that there can
be only one baptized for redemption of sins, And since I was baptized as a baby
in the Lutheran church that basically I was going to hell, basically ruining my
blessed day. Feeling really upset, I called David who I had been talking
long distance with since January and told him of my dilemma. I had been
talking to him about church and my decision to be baptized and he was very
supportive - then out of the blue he said he was Mormon. SILENCE. Then
commenced telling me about the Mormon church and their stance on baptism and
that he was a priest holder. Holy moly that was a lot to take in.
He just told me to pray on it.
That night I went online and downloaded the Book of Mormon
on my kindle and began reading. I continued to confide in David and he
was always there with an answer.
As our relationship progressed, religion became more and
more prevalent in our discussions. I started to share our conversations with
the baptist wonder women and friends and family, which cumulated into more and
more negativity towards the Mormon faith. I found myself defending the
Mormons with what little knowledge I had about their faith. After awhile
I just kept my thoughts just between myself and David.
When David proposed in October I told him that my faith was
important to me and that I wasn't going to just give it up in order to marry
him. He agreed, he said his was important to him also and that we would
work it out. Said he didn't want to change me that we would find middle
ground.
We decided that in January we would be married in our home
officiated by his wards bishop, with full disclosure that I was not a
Mormon. We had an interview with Bishop Tolman at our home regarding the
ceremony and preparations were being made. In the interim, sister
missionaries were coming to our house twice a week to share the gospel along
with sharing a few meals with us. We even invited them to attend our wedding.
I became more and more comfortable, the more I learned the more I wanted to
learn. Began fervently reading the Book of Mormon and finally came to ask the
lord if the Book of Mormon was true. The next morning my verse of the day
was from Zachariah 4:6 not by power, nor by might, but through the spirit
sayeth the lord. I took this to be my answered, that the Book of Mormon
is true. Having received my answer I kept reading scripture through the
Book of Mormon, the holy bible and reading from the books of the profits. It
was fascinating to me of how much misinformation is out there against the
Mormon faith. Anyway lessons continued.
In early February the lesson was on baptism. I remember
sister Krebs asking me how my week was going. I told her I was on the fence.
That I was concerned about double dipping. Asking if me being baptized
again was redundant, since I've already had a full immersion baptism just a 6
months prior. Sister Beck explained it was a learning process, that my prior
baptism was a beginning, akin to a child learning their ABC, the next step
would be to learning words, then reading a book. If we just learn the
alphabet, but never enhance the alphabet by learning words and reading a book,
we would never grow. It still didn't sink in and I was still clinging to
the fence. Then out if the blue she boldly asked me if I believed that
Jesus Christ is my savior and would I be willing to be baptized on Valentine's
Day, February 14th. I don't know where the word came from, but with full
conviction I was pushed off the fence and said YES. Immediately the room
was filled with the spirit, I looked at David and he gasped and eyes filled
with tears. We all were crying and laughing with joy at the same
time. A very spiritual moment.
The day before my baptism I went for my baptismal interview,
just to make sure I was ready and being baptized for all the right
reasons. During the baptism I confessed to elder Werk, that I was still
concerned about double dipping. That I had guilt about abandoning by baptist
church family. He gave me the most definitive answer that I could have
received. He hold me that God had sent me to the southern baptist church
for baptism in preparation for this final baptism into the Church oF Jesus
Christ of Latter Day Saints.
I was then baptized and confirmed the following Sunday.
A few weeks later I got my temple recommend, worked on my
family tree, picked out my great aunts Louise Schmidt and Frieda Schmidt.
Armed with my temple recommend was going the next day - March 17 to have them
baptized.
That night - I had a dream:
Dreamt I was on my computer working on my family tree, when
an error banner flashed across my computer screen indicating that I was
deceased. I was locked in my family tree and couldn't get out. I said
"what the heck, as long as I'm here I might as well visit my
relatives." I looked up my mom, grandparents and great aunts Louise
and Frieda. We were laughing, joking around having a wonderful time. Then
another error banner flashed on the computer screen indicating that I was
living. I didn't want to go, but was told that I had work to do and was kicked
out of my tree. I woke.
The next morning I headed to the temple for baptisms of the
dead for my great aunts Louise and Frieda. While in the waiting room I told my
dream to elder Pollard, who would be doing the baptizing. Elder Pollard didn't
say anything but I could tell he was thinking about it. When I got
dressed in the white baptismal gown and stepped into the font. I was baptized
for 2 of elder Pollard's sisters, then when it was time to baptized my great aunts
Loiuse and Frieda, elder Pollard said to me that my aunts are very happy. I
couldn't wait to be dipped and it seemed as though I was under for a long time,
but it was ok, cause I could feel the joy of my aunts. After I had dried off
And got dressed back into my street clothes, I was directed to the confirmation
room where 5 gentlemen all dressed in white were waiting for me, along with my
husband for the laying on of hands. Elder Monson asked how I was feeling
and I said wonderful, then I asked if before the confirmation of the Holy
Spirit, if I could tell him my dream, he agreed. So once again I regaled my
dream. Elder Monson touched my shoulder and said that he thought the dream
meant that my aunts have been waiting a long time for me to baptize them - I
was so happy.
On the way home I asked my husband if that was what it is
like in heaven. That our deceased relatives are all lined up waiting to
see if their name had been printed off, if they were going to be baptized next.
A few weeks later I was reading through my email, when a
message popped up saying that I had a temple opportunity. Excitedly I
opened the email and saw my great-great-grandmother Doris Staak was eligable to
be babtized and confirmed - I pushed the blue buttons and the following
Saturday had her baptized.
---------------------------------------
My mom sent a letter to the mission home to find out my return home date. Here is the cool email they got back.
Hi Sister Beck,
Her current release date is June 14, 2017, and that would be a Wednesday. Hope that is helpful. We love your daughter. She is a good, solid missionary. You will be amazed at the Sister Beck that comes home to you. If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to contact me. I am always happy to help in any way that I can.
With Warmest Regards,
Sister Brandi
Mission Secretary
My mom also got a sweet text from Becky Zobell from Camille's ward in Olympia on April 16 saying, "Your sweet missionary is being transferred. :( Her new address is 320 Isreal Rd SW #59 Tumwater, WA 98511. Also she says Happy Birthday to her dad!!!"
