Hermana Beck's Weekly Email - General Conference in Las Tomas
I'd like to say that this week left me speechless, but I actually have a lot of words to say. Let me bring you up to speed...
Monday me and Marcelito were running around like chickens with our heads cut off trying to get everything ready for her to go home, and then we had to make it to 2 "goodbye" dinners in two different areas and then run to another area for a third dinner and sleepover with the girls in our zone. The next day we sent H. Marcelo off and I stayed in a trio with Hermana Hartman and Hermana Mondaca for a few days until my new companion arrived. Wednesday night we had another sleepover with our zone to watch the zoom call. I was curious who would be joining me here in Rio San Jose, until President casually said that for "safety concerns" there will no longer be sisters in Rio San Jose (that checks out) and he whitewashed it again with Elders.
So the next morning after staying up all night talking to Hermana Hartman (3am conversations are dangerous, we know way more about each other than we should now) I packed up my whole life and hopped on a bus to Antofagasta. I'm serving in La Portada in a ward called Cerro Moreno, which in English means "brown hill." That about sums up my mission. Our ward is currently famous for having 20-25 friends attend church each week... no pressure, right?? I'm also senior companion now, and in charge of the mission's social media page. Our house is two minutes away from the beach, and like 10 minutes from the temple! My companion is Hermana Moreno from Chile, she's awesome. I actually know her grandparents! They live in Hospicio in the ward I was serving in.
I already love it here in Cerro Moreno. We've seen nothing but miracles since the minute I got here. We didn't get to watch much of General Conference, but it was still easily the most memorable conference of my life. Sunday we were literally sprinting up and down hills of tomas gathering people to come and see. There's a friend here named Hermana Teo who isn't baptized, but opened up her home (also a toma) for all the people in las tomas to come watch the Sunday Afternoon session, and she made hot chocolate and crackers for all the strangers gathered around her TV. I can't explain how special that session was, watching conference in las tomas as a missionary with a bunch of friends who are searching for the truth. Afterwards we put our friend Severa on date for baptism! Her kids were baptized last week and she's excited to follow their example.
Although I understand that it wasn't safe to stay in Rio San Jose, I can't help but feel like I failed a little bit. That sector was a disaster when we got there, and after knocking every single door, asking members for help, talking to every single person on the street, and following all suggestions from mission leaders, we still didn't have success. If I wasn't gonna stay long enough to make a difference, I wonder why God didn't just let me stay in my first area, where I felt like I was really helping people. It makes me think of Elder D. Todd Christofferson's story of the currant bush. I felt like I was flourishing and the Gardner cut me down to nothing. I don't understand why, but I have complete faith that some day I'll say, "Thank you Mr. Gardner, for cutting me down. For loving me enough to hurt me." Watch this video to see what I'm talking about:
Ending with a Florida Man style count:
Completos eaten: 6.5ðŸŒ
Tears shed leaving Arica: 0 chao
Borrachos (druggies) befriended: 4
Farm fresh eggs left for the elders: 24
Megabeds slept in: 3
Minutes it took to pack up my whole life: 50 (I'm getting faster!)
Hours from Arica to Antofa by bus: 12
¡Arica Siempre Arica!
Hermana Beck
