THIS JUST IN! SISTER BECKSTRAND IS GOING TO THE OUTBACK!!!!
So this week is transfers and I got a call Saturday night at half
passed 9. It was President Lindsay. He assigned me to be the new
senior companion out in the country area of Kalgoorlie! Kalgoorlie has
only been open to Sister for about the last 6 months. I board a train
today at 3:15pm and don't arrive to Kalgoorlie until 9:50 tonight. I'm
the only missionary taking the trek today so I'm pretty nervous to be
going alone but it is going to be incredible. My companion will be
another Samoan. I'll tell you more about her next week after I've
properly met her and can spell her name right. haha. President said
that he knows I'm a hard working missionary that he can trust to get out
there and get to work. He said he has the greatest faith and trust in
me. I feel the weight of the responsibility but at the same time I
haven't stopped smiling ear to ear since I heard the name Kalgoorlie
come through the phone. The 'R' is virtually silent in the name by the
way. Its pronounced, Kal-goo-lie. The Aussies would say that they
pronounce the 'r' but I can't hear it. I joke that they are sending me
there because I'm the one of the only sisters that could handle the dry
heat. Everyone keeps telling me that it's going to be awful out there.
I think it's just like going home. They are projecting 50 degrees over
the next couple of weeks. That's 122 degrees back home. But it's so
far in to the state that there is very little humidity. That is what
I'm excited for. It's a major mining town. I can't wait to get to go
site see on preparation days. It's been one thing to say that I'm
serving down under but I am really going in to the heart of the
outback! I'm stoked out of my mind. I'm pretty much guaranteed 2
transfers out there. So I'll be there until the end of February. The
Kalgoorlie ward is the biggest in WA. The members love missionaries.
It's going to be amazing. Every missionary I've talked to that has
served out there just raves about how amazing it is. It's supposed to
be all red dirt too. It'll be like going home for the holidays :)
In review for this week,
Last Monday we had our Zone Risk game. Of course I let a
little bit of Beckstrand show and we won the whole thing :) I'll add
some pictures so you can kind of get an idea of what we did.
This month our ward has been fasting for less-active and inactive
members. A different member each day of the month fasted specifically
for them and for us to find and help them. We have seen soooo many
miracles from it. My testimony of fasting and prayer has grown leaps
and bounds this month. We had 2 specific families that I've tried
several times to get in to their house over the time that I've been here
but to no avail. We have been in to one home 3 times this month and we
finally met the mom of the other. We figured out her concern and were
able to invite them to come back and worship with the saints. It was
incredibly powerful. We also reactivated a 20 year old guy named Luis.
Luis and his family are amazing. He has witnessed a super mighty
change of heart and has just blown us away. He helped pick up
investigators for church on Sunday, he met with Bishop Holder, and he
has expressed that he wants to do everything he can to serve a mission,
bring his family back to the gospel, receive the priesthood and get his
family sealed in the temple. I am just blown away by his desire and
real intent. We need more people like him in this world.
The last fun little story I wanted to share was about our lesson
that we had with Eddy this last week. Eddy is 9 and will be baptized on
the 21st of December. We were teaching him about the Book of Mormon.
We decided that the only way we were going to make this lesson fun and
interesting for him was to act out the story of Ammon. It worked! We
let Eddy be Ammon, Sister Terry was his sheep, I was the bad guys, and
his little brother David was the King. It was so perfect because after
he cut off my arms with the remote controller as his sword he got to
teach his little brother how to pray. We taught him that last time and
were hoping that he would remember. He sure did! He said, "You start
by saying Dear Heavenly Father. You talk about your blessings. You ask
for help. and you close in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen!" We were so
proud of him and the growth that we have seen in him. He is just
awesome.
That is it for this week! I love you all and can't wait to tell
you all about Kalgoorlie! :) I'm just about to burst with excitement
about the whole thing. I pray for you all daily and hope you are well.
I loved hearing little updates about Thanksgiving. Once again I'm
eternally grateful for all of you, your love and support.
Much love,
Sister Shayne
These are the maps.
Elder Holyoak was placing his soldiers and I was trying to figure out his game plan.
The
little arts and crafts things are Sister Bailey's defense force that
she made while her companion was doing language study that day haha.
This
is a road map of how far Kal is from Perth. Perth is the major city in
the lower left. Kal is the little city in the top right.
The first time I actually hung clothes on the line. Sister Terry couldn't believe it so she took a picture. haha.
This is for the little boys. Found this box while tracting. Couldn't help but laugh.
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