Well, can you believe it? My MTC batch has finished their missions and are on their way home!
I got to see them on Saturday, because we had a special meeting that we all went to in San Pablo. (Elder Beck and Elder Arden were there, it was awesome!)
Anyway, they all were glowing with the satisfaction that they have served good, worthy missions and with the excitement that they will see their families in less than 4 days!
I am so proud of them and grateful for the opportunity I have to know them! And like I said last week, I am so grateful that I broke my thumb and that I have this extra time in the field. I wouldn't trade it for the world! The best three transfers of my mission start now!!!!!!!!
So this week, we had the most amazing miracles happening. Everywhere we turned, there was another miracle from the Lord. I have come to gain a stronger testimony that as we are obedient and exercise our faith through prayer and fasting, Heavenly Father truly does answer our prayers. For our companion fast last sunday, we fasted that we would be able to build relationships of trust with the members, among other things. Well, it was amazing to me how quickly Heavenly Father answered! We were able to meet with several members and do service for them, work with our ward missionaries, build a great relationship with the bishop and ward mission leader, and create a vision or goal for the combined efforts of the missionaries and ward. It was like magic how easy everything flowed this week with our members. We went from square one to square 5 in just a week! I am so thankful that our mission president encouraged us to fast for 24 hours and I have truly seen the blessings that came from our sacrifice as an companionship.
We had our last exchanges of the transfer this week and it was so much fun. I went with Sister Kinikini and we had a blast. She taught me so much while on exchanges and because she had actually been in our area before, she was able to help us find a long lost referral that Sister Dadivas had been trying to contact for weeks. (Another great miracle)
She also introduced me to many of the less actives in the area so we can go help them become reactivated. But the thing I learned most was what she shared with me in companion study. To make it short, she told the story of the Atonement from our point of view, as pre-mortal spirits watching it all. Here is a bit of how she described it. "We all watched our soon to be Savior of all mankind enter into the Garden of Gethsemane, knowing that this was the moment every living soul had been waiting for... he knew what he was about to do, and we did too. He knelt and began to pray... silence in the heavens, every angel, every spirit, praying fervently for him. But the atonement turns out to be harder than he expects, much harder. With tears in His eyes, He begs the Father that the cup will pass from Him... and our hearts sink. For if He can't do this, no one can. We all, billions of spirits, depend on Him. We pray even harder, whispering, "You can do this, please. We are counting on you." He does continue on, and He completes all the father has commanded Him. we watch Him finish the Atonement, only to be betrayed, to be mocked, to be beaten, and to die on the cross. And all this He did because He loves us, each one of us, individually."
You better believe we were both in tears, emotional baskets after that. I had never heard the Atonement spoken of with such power before. It truly penetrated to my soul, and it felt as if I was remembering that experience, remembering watching it. I know Jesus Christ is our Savior, and He did preform the Atonement. He did it because he loves us. I know He lives, and through Him we can be cleansed. Through Him, we can be strengthened.
Well, I'm about out of time. The last thing I want to say is, we have a family that is preparing for baptism! March is their date! Pray that all will go well!
Love,
Sister Beaumont
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