Oh How Great The Plan Of Our God (part two)

Dear Family,

The Truth: God's Plans are a lot better than mine. 

Three stories of three tender mercies that are part of God's Plan

Juan: We are teaching Juan, Lety's (member) husband. He has had many missionaries who have taught him but because it is difficult to stop smoking. He smoked 3 packs of 30 every day and when I knew him(quite a while after), he was down to one pack of 15. But when we went to eat with Lety on Friday she told us he is down to 3 cigarettes a day. A childhood habit is miraciously disappearing and very quickly too! His work sometimes makes it difficult to visit him or that he can go to church but he came to church without us needing to say anything! Let's see where this story goes...

Side note: Lety is friends with Pinos bishop's wife and Hna Dana (Bishop Robles' wife) was the one who introduced her to the gospel- SMALL WORLD:

Mara Montes Morales: We were running a little late to a ward activity (talent night) when we ran into Mara. I noticed as we were passing by that she was doing everything in her will power to talk to us (she was a little nervous). She asked us who we were, what we do and asked if we wanted a tour of her house (the oldest house in Colonia Quintas). It was a little weird, but we accepted her invitation and she told us that she wanted us to come back and share our message. I was a little shocked but I know its God's tender mercies.

Tere: Amiga of Hna Tere whom we live with. She came to church willingly and accepted to hear our message and also accepted the invitation to be baptized. ... WHAT?! It almost felt too easy but I couldn't deny the sincerity in her answer.

This week has been a week of tender mercies coming after four hard weeks of no movement or progress in our area. Things changed and changed dramatically. God taught me valuable lessons and expanded my vision of trials and how his hand is everpresent in our lives.

The moment when we decide to follow God's Plans and not our own is when we see that everything is so much better- sunshine or rain.

Hermana Beardall

The Morning Breaks

Dear Family,

It was great to see you guys yesterday!

This week has been very interesting. As a missionary you have the blessing to know a LOT of people. This week my companions and i have been looking for new investigadors because we have almost nobody to teach.

Let me tell you a few things that happened to me this week.

1. We met a women named Consuelo. She called me her prophet and told me I had this light about me that illuminated her mind. I took this as the opportunity to teach her about prophets and the restauration. 

2.We met a woman named Pueblito. she has a little shop where she sells food and cleaning products. I understood what it means to be humble and happy in our circumstances when I saw that her store could use some help so that people buy from her. She is a strong woman.

3. Old investigador - Rosa Maria. She is the bluntest person I know and I absolutely love it. I love how she says how she really feels and how it really is because it makes it easier to teach frankly how things are in the gospel and talk honestly how she can apply and live the gospel. She could be a toughy to teach but I know she will accept the gospel soon.

There are many experiences that you can have with people and it brings so much joy to share the gospel with so many. Some times its hard because people have hard lives, but when they begin to live the gospel its like the sun rising over the mountains and filling the valley with light. There is no better cure for their problems than the gospel. 

see you later alligator,

Hermana Beardall

sorry I lost my cable in the house and can't send pictures this week but I promise I am taking pics... :)

animo en el servicio celestial

FAMILY:

First week in Quintas. 

My new companion? Hermana Morales from Layton Utah.

I was listening to the Priesthood session of General Conference and something that M. Russell Ballard said has become the theme I have chosen to have for this change and for the rest of my mission. He says,

"We need your whole heart and soul. We need vibrant, thinking, passionate missionaries who know how to listen to and respond to the whisperings of theHoly Spirit."

This week we had a day that went completely in different directions than we had originally planned. We found a less active who had just moved into the ward and we got to see her face and excitment light up  and burst when we told her that we wanted and needed her help and participation in the ward. Her name is Jill. She came to church this past Sunday.

Also, when we had nothing left to do and thirty minutes before we had to head home we had the impression to go and visit some less actives. When we got to their house, the first thing that was said was, "I am so glad you sisters came, I was waiting for you!" 

God needs us vibrant, thinking, passionate, and knowing how to listen and respond to the whisperings of the Holy Ghost. He needs us to be this type of missionary and member to help those who we know to be lifted in their trials and confusion. 

There is a work to be done and we need to be what God expects us to be.

Sorry I don't have much time this week but we will be calling be calling home Sunday from 6 in the afternoon (mexico) or later. I was planning at 7 here in mexico...

I love you,

Hermana Beardall

Leaving the Pines

Dear Family,

Yesterday we had changes. My companion Hna Guevara is going to stay here in Pinos and I am leaving the Pines and heading for Quintas (in Querétaro).

I am going to be in another trio with Hna Talbot and I am going to train a new Hermana. I will find out tomorrow who she is and what her name is. I am more than nervous and excited for a completely new adventure. 

Something beautiful about these changes is that one of my converts Josefina in Colinas now lives in Quintas ward bondaries!! I will be able to see Josefina again!!!!!

The most exciting news about this week is that well, Hermana Irene is progressing rapidly. I can't believe all that is happening and how excited she is to share the gospel with others and to invite people to her baptism. She has had many trials with her boss who wants her to work on the day of her baptism and with her mom that doesn't want her to get baptized so soon, but the miracle about all of this is that she is more that determined to be baptized May 16th. I wont be there but I don't have to be there to be proud of her for all that she is changing and doing to be happy. 

Until next week when I will be in Querétaro,

Hermana Beardall

next week I will tell you about our actividad misional here in Pinos....

luchando hasta la lucha eficaz (fight the good fight)

Hola mi familia,


This week I read a scripture that gave me another perspective to enduring to the end. In the story, Ammon and his brothers find king Limhi and his people. They are held under a heavy law by the Lamanites and they want to escape from bondage. The words of king Limhi to his people after Ammon and his brothers came to help go like this:


O ye, my people, lift up your heads and be comforted; for behold, the time is at hand, or is not far distant, when we shall no longer be in subjection to our enemies, notwithstanding our many strugglings, which have been in vain; yet I trust there remaineth an effectual struggle to be made. (Mosiah 7:18)


I realized that many times we see that our struggles have been in vain and we have accomplished nothing or better put, we didn't accomplish what we thought we would. At times we begin to question God why couldn't we do it if we were doing everything we could to be obedient and we were doing everything that should have guaranteed the results that we wanted. I love what king Limhi teaches his people: there remaineth an effectual struggle to be made, or in other words NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO GIVE UP.


This week I saw that the effecutal struggle had finally came to pass with one of our on and off investigators here in Pinos. Maybe you remember me mentioning the name Irene. Whelp, here's the news: Irene has two weeks attending church and basically invited herself to be baptized.

Seven months of vain struggles and one effectual struggle that has results of a changed woman who has willingly accepted the gospel to bless her life never crossed my mind as an experience that I would have in the mission.


If you don't believe that God's timing is better than our idea of timing let me tell you that God's time is infinitely better than our own. If you think about it, He was the one who created time and we as humans with a wristwatch think we can control God's creations. God doesn't ask us to control time, He simply asks us to keep on struggling until we have discovered and accomplished the effectual struggle.


Thanks to all who shared their favorite talks. I hope you enjoy something from the conference every day this week.


luchando,
Hermana Beardall

ENJOY IT.

Dear Family,

Greetings to all.

This week we had divisions with our sister training leaders and guess what? I got to work with Hermana Noh! She only has one change (6 weeks) left and she goes home (ahhh how weird). I enjoyed every experience she shared with me and it made me realize that the mission is SHORT. Time is limited and you have to use ever bit of it working hard trying to bring the salvation unto all you possibly can. To be honest, 18 months is short but I am not going to let that keep me from finishing strong and enjoying every minute of it. To be hones, I am sincerely enjoying every minute of my mission. 

We visited Familia Villafuerte this week, well actually only Renata. We talked about general conference and she told us how her desire to be baptized, to be member of God's church had grown. We decided to talk with her to see if there was a way that she could receive permission from her parents to be baptized. In the end, we decided that we were going to fast and that they were going to ask for a signed letter from her parents, giving her permission as well as Mauricio her brother to be baptized. We are hoping and praying that they will be able to be baptized this weekend!

Today with Maria Dolores we learned how to make Pan de Naranja or Orange Bread. Maybe it sounds weird but it is absolutely delicious! It is basically a cake- maybe the picture shows better that my word how delicious it tasted. We have more confidence with Hna Dolores and we see that she enjoys our visits cooking or learning the gospel- both of them equally enjoyed.

Two short things to finish:

1. My favorite general conference talk this week was Jeffery R Holland's talk. I invite you to read it.

2. I want to hear which talks were your favorite and a favorite quote from the talk. 

Whelp. Gotta go. I hope you know I love you all!

Hermana Beardall

Easter Sunday

Beautiful spring flowers in the trees here in Celaya

G I R A S O L E S. (sunflowers)

Dear Family,

Before I say anything, I just want to let you know that I am extremely grateful that because of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ, I AM TRULY HAPPY. 

This week has been a beautiful week full of skin-burning sunshine and beautiful "Diosidencias" as Hna Womack says ( or Godly coincidences in English).

NUMERO UNO: This week we finally visited M D. She let us enter her house and we taught her in preparation for the General Conference. At the end of the lesson, she invited us to do an Family Home Afternoon with her niece A S who is currently less active along with her three sons. We readily accepted the invitation, surprised and more than happy to participate. 

I loved it. I watched as M D took control of the event, assigning the opening and closing prayer, choosing the hymn, and participating immensely in the lesson. I watched how her excitement made her less-active family members begin to participate, the rebelious teenage sons listening closely to what was being said (even if it was a few minutes here and there :) and A willingly accepting our invitation that they could join us in the conference. The way everything unfolded couldn't have any more perfect and it was clear that the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ really is a guide and blessing to unite the family. 

NUMERO DOS: La Conferencia General de La Iglesia de Jesucristo de los Santos de los Últimos Días. Once again, I watched the conference in Pinos Ward (and for those who were asking, I watched it in Spanish). I can't believe it has been 6 months since I started here in Pinos. The members ask me if I want transfers but with a firm NO I enjoy every moment I can be here in Pinos.

Anywho... General Conference. R came to the conference with her sister E but because M was embarassed because he forgot his sunday shirt, he didn't come (He is 11 yrs old and the most animated person I know to come to church... but only when he has his Sunday Shirt :) D came to the conference too! I was so happy to see everyone that came but even more to see our investigadors there. I was praying so hard that there would be atleast one talk that caught their attention and gave them the answers they needed. And you know what? I think God heard my infinite prayers :) 

I honestly can't think of ONE talk to share with y'all but I will share snippets of a few talks that I like- Things I learned from one of the speakers. One thing that really struck my mind was the talk by Quentin L. Cook. Crazy enough, I had been thinking about sunflowers all week long and to hear Elder Cook talk about sunflowers caught my attention. I am not exactly sure if these are his exact words because it could be personal revelation or errores in the translation from spanish to english, but I liked this idea: "That which will protect us and guide us is our righteousness." Being obedient and righteous have the blessings of protection and direction. Like the Girasoles (sunflowers) having our mirada (sorry I can't remember how to say this word in english) set on Christ, our spiritual growth and strength is clear. As sure as the sun will rise every day, Christ is always there. His light is bright and possible to find and follow.

I hope General Conference was just as wonderful or more for you as it was for me. 

Thank you to everyone who has been my teacher and example in learning and living the gospel. Because of the gospel I AM TRULY HAPPY.

HAPPY HERE IN PINOS,

Hermana Beardall