Saints

Hello everyone! I feel like p-day was not that long ago. This week just flew by! 

Wednesday we had zone conference up in Miami Lakes so we woke up nice and early to get ready and be there before 9. Traffic in Miami is a hit or miss. Sometimes it's good, sometimes it's backed up 2 hours. Well, luckily the other sisters called us early enough to let us know it was backed up so we left the house at 7:20 to make the drive that should take 25 minutes and got there at 8:52. We were taking back roads that I didn't even know existed. Sister Hammond is quite the navigator :) Zone Conference was really good! We talked all about members. President Hinckley once challenged the church to double the number of converts every year and the proceeded to explain that the only way to be able to do that is through using our members! So we talked a lot about how we can be more member minded missionaries to help our members become missionary minded members. When missionaries and members can unite in God's cause, so many things happen that wouldn't be possible before. So I have a challenge! If the missionaries text you or call you this month to ask if you can go to a lesson or anything they may need, make the time for them! You will be helping with God's work :) The drive home from Zone Conference was a lot longer than the drive there. We were supposed to have a lesson with our friend Destiny but she had to go to class so we had dinner with Sister Nilsen and Katee and then headed to institute where we talked about the character of Christ and how we can all do better to become like him. 

Thursday we were kinda all over the place but we spent most of the day down in Homestead. There is a Miami Dade campus down there so we checked it out! We found a new friend named Amy who is super cool! But after we found her we were walking around and seriously every corner we turned there was another security guard. It was a little bit frustrating so we went and had dinner with Grant instead at Cracker Barrel. Dinner with Grant is always the best and we always end up laughing so hard about the weirdest things. Best times. 

Friday we headed back up to Plantation for MLC. We talked a lot about accountability and how we can apply working with members. Being an STL is cool because we get to be the eyes and ears of the mission with the Zone Leaders to help President Garns get things done. There is a lot of room for improvement in this missionary and I am grateful that God has put me in this position so I can continue to grow. We didn't get home till about 5 from MLC because we came with some of the other Sisters so we once again got stuck in traffic. That night we went to UM and met another new friend named Sharae. UM is a pretty big school so it is really fun to talk to the freshman who are new to this whole thing. It makes me think of a year ago when I was new to this whole missionary thing but the longer you work at something to know how to do it, the easier it becomes. When we give our weaknesses to God, He will always give them back as strengths. 

Saturday we started at Miami Dade. I love working in the morning because the Spirit of campus is a lot better because people usually aren't as stressed but it also isn't near as hot ;) But I do love this heat and the humidity and the wind and the rain and just everything about Florida. After Miami Dade we had a little zone meeting and then we headed to UM. When we got there though there were about 25 buses lined up and everyone was in game day getup. So because everyone was leaving to the game, we left to go knock instead and then ended our night doing our studies.

Sunday we had Stake Conference. We didn't have a General Authority come but it was still amazing. A year ago this week is when Hurricane Irma hit. It was really cool to hear experiences about it. It also was a testimony to me that no matter what hurricanes hit us in our own personal lives, we can always survive! Sometimes we get beat up more than others and sometimes it takes longer to rebuild but we always come back stronger in the end. We knocked after and then headed home for some studies and then Kevin picked us up to take us up to Plantation for the Face to Face with Elder Cook. There was a potluck before that our branch always goes to and this time we got to go! Most of the active members in the branch were there so that was really fun :) I loved the Face to Face. If you didn't have time to watch it on Sunday, as soon as you get a free hour this week, sit down and watch it. The last couple weeks I have been reading the book "Saints" and it really is full of soo much information. I loved how he said that the early church was a church of young adults. It really helped me understand my importance as a missionary at this age and serving in YSA right now. I know that this is Christ's church on the Earth once again, restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith and I know that the Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ. If it isn't a part of your daily activities, make it one! I have a challenge for all of you to start this week. I did the math and if you will read 4 pages of the Book of Mormon every day, or 2 chapters, you will finish it right before I get home in  February. I know for me setting a certain date to accomplish something helps me to do it. So if you aren't reading it right now, I invite you to start. I promise you that God will bless you for making time for him every day and that you will feel an abundance of his love for you in your life. 

Keep being awesome. Keep smiling and keep moving forward! Keep going to the temple and never forget your divine potential as sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father :)

All my love,

Sister Beckstrand

Florida Sunshine: Tan lines! I have officially been touched by the Florida Sun and I have the tan lines to prove it! I love it :)

Zone Conference with my awesome comp Sister Hammond

And the long drive there lol

Penny's update...At the potluck Sophie ran into one of her very first members that she met back in Hialeah. Freddy!  He was the one who kept me updated all through Hurricane Irma a year ago and kept me sane!  As soon as Freddy saw her he hurried and took a picture of them together and sent it to me.  Then they took a bunch of silly ones.  I was grateful that they got to reconnect!