Week 50 1/2

May 28, 2014

(she got a bonus day to write, due to the travel)

I know that God's priesthood authority is on the Earth and I'm so grateful for it!

Also, I went to Ecuador yesterday. We just got off the plane in Tumbes, Peru. It looked like Africa with the short little trees and it was so hot! Then we drove to Ecuador and then drove back to Peru and then flew back to Cusco and now I can be in the country for like another 180 days or something. 

Also, about this past week:

We finally got a house! We have been living with some hermanas here in Puno and it has been fun but also hard because it was a little far from our area. From our house you can see the Lake real well. We kind of didn't have running water for a little bit but now we do so I love it.

We met this 90 year old hermana and we were trying to ask her for directions but she just kept telling us, I'm 90 years old!  I'm the only one that lives here! And she had cotton balls in her ears so I had to talk into her ear the whole time. And she had this long stick for some reason that she kept whipping around and almost hitting my companion on the head. She couldn't help us, but it was awesome because she reminded me of Rafiki.

One day I hit my head on this cement awning overhang thing on a house because I was so short. And it made me bleed! I am way too tall.

Also, I was trying to apply better what true faith is. President Harbertson taught us about how true faith is more than just a wishful thinking--(I hope we can find a family, or I hope it doesn't rain...) but that it is an expectation. When you have a question, seek personal revelation. With this answer that you receive you have to expect (not just wish or hope) that it will happen. At this point in the last week we really only had three investigators that we were visiting actualmente. And we had an appointment with each one of them all in one day. That day I was just praying so much that we would be able to have the appointments and not have any of them fall through. I felt like that is what God wanted for them. Well, the first one fell through but we were excited for the second one with Moises and went to meet the member that was going to come with us. Since he is just a single guy we need another hermana to come with us and we waited for her and called her and went to her house and she just bailed on us. But I was trying to not get discouraged and have faith that somehow, I had no idea how, we would be able to have the lesson. We started walking to his house and my companion asked me what we were going to say to him. I said maybe his mom will be home (we have invited her to listen but she hasn't joined us yet). But I really didn't know. I just remember learning about how discouragement is of the adversary. So we got to Moises house and knocked and I still didn't know how we were going to make this work, just that is was going to somehow. I remember that I told President sometimes I want to have that expectation but that I worry if maybe it's not the will of God, so it won't happen. But he told me we have to seek the inspired answers and then go for them and expect them. And that if God wants something else, it's something better. But I didn't think God wanted our appointment with Moises to fall through. People have their agency but we were dong our part so why wouldn't it work? So I wasn't worried.. So there we were and all of a sudden I just look up and there is this hermana that I have never seen before just smiling at me. The second I saw her I knew she was coming in that lesson with us. We started talking to her. Turns out she is a member of a different ward in Puno and was just across the street running an errand with her husband. She felt like she just needed to come talk to us, as if we were waiting for her. I asked her if she would like to accompany us for a little bit, and of course she agreed. She was so awesome. She just dropped everything and came in and helped us with the lesson! It was amazing and it just helped me see how silly it is for me to worry about how things are going to work out. Because they just are! And it is so wonderful! I am so grateful to Heavenly Father for watching out for us and loving me enough to let us have that lesson. That meant so much to me. 

So it was a crazy week! But a good week! I love you all tons and hope this is a great week for you! Love youuuu!

I Can See Rus- I mean, Bolivia from my house

Week 50

May 26, 2014

Well I can. But we got some legal stuff and I need to leave the country and go to Ecuador and then come back. Today I traveled to Cusco and I'm going on a plane like right now to Lima. I left my hija in Puno in a trio. Hope she'll be okay--but I'll be back later in the week. Plus! Guess who the bus picked up in Juliaca? Hna. Coffey! So we will be travel comps for a couple days. 

I feel like in Puno we just climb 14ers. Except instead of ending at 14000 that's where we start. I am going to have awesome lungs!

One day we contacted this lady. I felt like we should just knock on her door. She anwered but didn't really want to talk. We talked to her about her family and then she was just like, well okay. Can we talk here? Yeah! She told us she has terminal cancer, and she is really worried about who is going to take care of her son when she dies. We came back later and taught the Plan of Salvation and the spirit was strong and awesome. We also talked a little about the priesthood.The next time the elders came back and talked about faith and how faith without works is dead. She understood super well and the elders gave her a blessing. All they knew was that she had terminal cancer, but in the blessing, they said God wouldn't have given her her family if He didn'

t know she could take care of it. She was also blessed to be healed as she takes part of the ordinances God wants for her. It was so cool! 

Anyway, that is the coolest thing that happened this week. I will have to fill you in on more later! Love you tons! 

Week 49
May 19, 2014

Hey Guys!

This week was great! I know that the Lord has been preparing people here to specifically recieve us here in this area. 

Okay, so we had some lessons with Moises from our area book. For whatever reason he wasn´t quite ready to get baptized when the elders were teaching him a month and a half ago, but he´s ready now! His fear was that he would get baptized and then lose his way, because he has friends that are memebers but that aren´t doing great things right now. When he said that he just reminded me of Grandpa Davis who said if he was going to be a member, he wanted to be a good member. Moises has a lot of desires to be a faithful member, and even wants to serve a mission! He is 25 right now but you can go until you are 26, right? I hope so. We have had three lessons with him and he's doing great for his baptism on the 31st!  We were pretty excited and he already passed his baptismal interview and everything.

This week we were walking up a certain street and an Hermana stops and asks us if we had just passed by her house to visit her. We had been looking for some people in the area book on that street but I had no clue who that Hermana was, but it seemed pretty safe for me to just be like, yeah! She asked us if we had time and of couse! We visited her and found out she was Agustina . I thought she was a member and was surprised when we found out she wasn´t. We wanted to share something with her but she told us her family would be home soon. So we waited and were able to have a lesson with her and her husband and two of her kids. They are a wonderful family! The Hermana wants to have an eternal family. They aren´t married but I can see them being such great members of the church. We talked about the law of chastity and asked them to put a goal to be married. The Hermana said we convinced her husband that the other missionaries could never convince. I don´t really remember what we all said but I guess we said the right things that the Spirit told us. And we had just finished when the zone leaders knocked on the door. They said they wanted to introduce the family to the new sisters in the area! It was funny because the Lord had already guided us to their house first! I really do feel that the Lord has prepared specific people for us. And it´s awesome!

Sorry no fresh pictures. But Hna. Valverde sent me these and maybe you haven´t seen them before. Oh AND! Dante and Flor Katherin were baptized yesterday! Hna. Valverde told me that Dante´s less active dad we were visiting too was able come to the  baptism. Afterwards, Dante bore his testimony about how much he has changed and how he wants to share the gospel. I wasn´t there but I am so happy for him! And Flor Katherin was nervous and cute and I didn´t get to hear too much because my calling card was up. But so happy!

Also, Hermana Olivares (my old companion in Ollanta) is in my zone now. She says Rajoo and Luz Marina are doing great. Also, Gimena who I worked with is finally making the choice to be baptized. And a family I visited a couple times but mostly the elders did, are getting married so they can be baptized! Wohoo for planting seeds! It reminds me of a scripture that talks about never tire of doing good works. Not a single good work is in vain! So keep working hard in the work of salvation and being awesome. 

Love you guys tons! 

Hermana Beckstead

They say that Lake Titicaca is quite large

Week 48

May 12, 2014

Well it is. And I'm in Puno! My new area includes the shore of the lake and just goes up and up. So yeah.

I said my goodbyes Tuesday. Here is the sweet Family Farfan even though the hermana wasn't there. They didn't know I was going to have a transfer but they just randomly decided to make what I had told them was one of my favorite meals. Just because they remember details like that and are so loving. Hermana Farfan cried and told me she wanted me to keep working with her less active husband. But I know the Lord will send him the missionaries he needs now. Planting seeds!

Then we got trained by President Harbertson so we can train. The new missionaries came in and they gave me the daughter I"ve been waiting for! When President put us together I couldn't help myself I was just like we are going to be tall together! and everyone heard. She is almost 6 foot! She is from California and is Hermana Hunter. Just two tall gringas taking over a new sister area in Puno! Adventure! 

Thursday we took the 7 hour bus ride to Puno. It was super pretty but kind of sad as my Cusco mountains just got smaller and smaller until I'm pretty sure we got to just about the top of them all. But Puno kind of has some hills so that's good. And of course the lake which is beautiful. It's cold but it's supposed to get colder. I got here in time to see the Puno winter in about a month. That's okay. More reason to buy more llama sweaters and tights! 

Then the elders showed us our area a little and we just got to work. We didn't know anybody or anything but we contact a lot. Talk with people in the street. And we are trying hard to visit the members so they can trust us. And so we can help them. Really, as missionaries we are just here to help the members in their missionary efforts, not the other way around. It has been difficult but the Lord is answering my prayers so much!

We have been relying a lot on Him. When we are lost we will just stop on the side of the road and offer a prayer. Then He has been answering them quickly and we just stop again and offer a prayer of gratitude. He has helped us find streets, houses, be protected from a certain evil dog, He returned to me my suitcase that somebody mistook for their own, helped the crazy big bus not fall off the bridge,etc. He loves us so much!

Also, I love the Puno people. They have been described by some as cold hearted, but we have already seen a lot of hearts softened as we talk to them about their families when we contact them. Also, I think they are spunky. The elders took us to meet a reference. And they just keep offereing us alcohol, wine, and coffee. And we just kept resisting and saying no and no and no (well, mostly me, because my hija didn't understand what was happening) and the elders didn't even help me out much. And I'm just like man they are stubborn! But we kept being nice to them. And then they just start cracking up and one of the elders comes out with his camera. They were memebers! hahaha they are just really hilarious! I love them so much already. 

And am excited to keep working in Huaynacapac, Puno. I love you all tons! Have a great week and happy mother's day yesterday to all that this applies to! I skyped with my mom and family yesterday and it was great. Love you guys!

Hermana Beckstead

Llamas de fuego

Week 47

May 5, 2014

I love the scriptures. Llamas means flames. But also llamas, like the animal. The llamas of fire. Love it.

This week was awesome. After a month and a half of work with Dante he just wasn't receiving his answer. But we have had some great lessons just helping him understand who the holy ghost is and how he works. And he got his answer! He is just so happy and he wants to be baptized. He is going to be baptized the 17th. 

Also, we have been working with a young woman named Flor Katherine. She has permission from her parents now and she is going to be baptized the 17th as well.

And with Roxana we set a goal with her yesterday for the 31st of May for her wedding.

These are all people that I love so much and have been working with since the beginning. I have to trust in the Lord that He needed me here with them now for a very specific purpose, and that that purpose has drawn to a close. Although another missionary will have the opportunity to see them make life changing covenants with the Lord, I can have peace in my heart to know that I did what the Lord wanted me to do. The Lord has called me to train a brand new missionary (I´m finally going to be a mom) and while doing so, open a new area for sister missionaries. My new area is called Huaynacapac and it´s somewhere in Puno. This information is all very new to me (I literally found out like 10 minutes ago) and I´m not sure if it´s all registered, but it´s going to be great! I don´t know anything about my companion but I will go meet her and take her to Puno on Thursday! 

Well, so yeah, I can´t think of anything else except I killed all my fleas! I took some good advice and I ironed all my blankets. The good news is that Puno is too cold for the fleas so I will be itch free! 

Also I've grown. I´m 5-10 now. 

But my mind is so scrambled. Hopefully the next email makes more sense but I love you all so much! Have a great week! 

PS. Oh yeah- remember how my sweet Peruvians have a home cure for everything? This was the latest that my companion tried on me in order to help me stop coughing. She filled a baby tub with boiling water, put some manzanilla (chamomile I think in English) and made me kneel over it and draped a blanket over us. So fun! I thought my face was going to melt off. Meanwhile, she took some fun pictures. I´m going to miss her so much. Love you guys tons and have a great week! 

AND. Brother Sinchi and his son received the priesthood.  Yay!