Transfer 11 Week 1 - June 2, 2014

Hey Family!

This week was super busy. I was able to go to Philly on Monday to say goodbye to some of the sisters that I came out with, so that was kind of bitter sweet. But at the same time I was just so grateful that I could be out here and I wish I could stay forever! I really am having such a blast in the Lords work.

Well Tuesday I was able to get my new companion. Her name is Sister Hanson and she is from Seattle. Super funny too, and I'm already having a blast with her even though it was so crazy to only be with Sister Earl for just one transfer. And I do feel like I am going to miss sister Earl. She was probably one of the best companions ever to really help me stretch and experience someone so Christ-like was just super special. 

But we are excited to be here and to work. Each day we continue to see miracles. 

One of our investigators Vickie has really progressed this week as she has been reading from the bom. That really is the main key in the conversion. Without gaining a testimony of that they just won't come to know everything else that we have been teaching. So I'll have to let you know how that goes with teaching her the rest of the way.

It was fun teaching the Stretch family who will be getting baptized in about 2 weeks. We went to their house and asked a ward member to come with us. It was our first time getting members there, and the lady that came brought her 2 teenage daughters. The lesson we were teaching was the law of chastity...that was fun. Afterwards the dad was like, oh I didn't know that you taught that I thought it was something that the bishop would have to talk to you about! But they are doing great and are excited about learning! :)

On Sunday Shalise was confirmed. And then after church William was baptized. I was able to talk at his baptism. I had never gotten to do that before but it was fun because I shared some things from my own baptism that I remember personally. For example, some of the feelings, the tears as mom cried, and the talk that Aunt Joe gave where she used a hard boiled egg and marked on it for when we sin. But as we are baptized that is washed away and we have the chance to have that renewal every week! So grateful for this gospel. I loved Williams baptism. It was probably one of the sweetest ones I've been able to participate in and it is probably because of the changes that he has made that just mean so much. I still remember what he said a few weeks ago when we were able to go over the interview questions with him. A few of them were..

Question 1" do you believe God is our a Eternal a Father?"
Answer 1 "Yes, absolutely."
Question 2. "do you believe that Jesus Christ is the Sin of a God, the
Savior and Redeemer if the world?
Answer 2 "yes, with all of my heart! I wouldn't be doing this if I

didn't know it was true for myself."

He really is just so awesome, and has such a powerful testimony of Jesus Christ! At the end he was able to bear his testimony and he was crying as he thanked me and sister earl for teaching him and bringing him this, and then for everyone in the ward for supporting him. That was something special was that he knew the love that the ward had and it was real from the very first time he entered the churches doors! He had never been baptized before and he is 56 and just knew that it was something he knew he needed and always wanted and had been waiting a long time for! He was so happy he could do it and just kept saying thank you and he knows it is true! it was the most beautiful baptism ever! He came out of the water and turned and waved to all of us! :) Later that night he told us that his girlfriend was like "i didn't know you cried?" and he said he didn't either. He then told her "you're next!" Already a pro missionary! 

But family I do love this gospel and it means so much to me! I am grateful to be a part of this great work. Hope you guys know how special is to serve God and to search for those opportunities each day!

Love you

Sister Chalet Beames

Transfer 10 Week 6 - May 26, 2014

This was such a great week. My companion, sister earl, and I were able
to see so many miracles. It was a blessing to be able to work with the
people here and to help them progress. The saddest part was hearing
that sister earl is no longer going to be my companion but that we
were only able to spend one transfer together. It was super lame
because we saw so many miracles everyday and were having an absolute
blast sharing the gospel with everyone that we came in contact with.
I'm kind of nervous about the transfer but I know it will be for my
benefit and to help me grow more.

One of the great miracles of this week was Shalise getting baptized.
It was such a special day for her. When she came out of the water she
just kept saying thank you so much, and I feel like a five year old.
She bore  super powerful testimony about Jesus Christ and how he has
lifted all of her burdens and that she actually feels live because of
him. It was also really cool because she was supposed to be baptized
last week, but because of stake conference we had to push it back a
week and then we were going to do it Saturday night but she felt
overwhelmed and we thought it was going to be another week. We were
super sad because we didn't want to get complacent about pushing her
date back and forth, but it was so good to finally get it done. And
something special she was able to realize afterwards was that she
needed it and she even said that she was beginning to think that she
didn't need it. Which just goes to show how the adversary really does
try and stop the lords work from progressing. But even though he is
powerful and tries his hardest, we know that god is more powerful and
that he will always pull through if we just believe because he loves
us and wants us to succeed.

This week William was really able to grow. At the beginning of the
week it seemed like he was getting discouraged but we were able to
read from 3 nephi 11 with him and have him close his mind to picture
chaos and all the things holding him down and then afterwards the
relief as Christ comes and invites him to come unto him. It was super
powerful. He has been really working hard on quitting smoking and
yesterday he came to the baptism and he was like I don't know why
y'all are making such a big deal out of this cuz it is only like a
minute and you are dressed in your prison suit! Ha, He is super funny
but Shalise was like your turn next week William! :) He actually asked
us if we had video cameras hiding in his house because it felt like we
called him every time that he even thought about smoking. But now
instead he calls us every time that he gets the temptation. He really
is great and we know that this has changed his life. Each day we see a
change in him.

Well family continue to look for miracles everyday. The Lord is so
aware of us and he wants us to stand together and to lift one another.
One of the families in the ward we have been working with messaged us
this morning and said "We did family scripture last night, and sang
hymns, and family prayer. It was a very good evening. My family has
been so much stronger since we have known you." I know that lord is
helping this family overcome their trials as they stick together just
as I know that same message and basic principles can help the world.
Hope you all are having a blast because I sure am. Be strong. Love
you!

Love sister chalet beames

Transfer 10 Week 5 - May 19, 2014

Family!

This last week was so much fun! We were able to see so many miracles and it was truly a blast being here serving the Lord. It was one of our most successful weeks ever and I can't even begin to describe all of the miracles that we have seen. 

Let's begin with one of my most favorite. There is one particular family in general that we have been wanting to teach. They had been taught in the past and we picked them up teaching again about 2 days before I became companions with Sister Earl. We were mainly just teaching the mom and daughter, but when they were at church one time and said they wanted to do get baptized but that they would even do it with out their family. Me and sister earl were super excited but also sad because we knew that this is something that they should do as a family and it is meant to bring families closer together not tear them apart. By so doing we told her to pray for her husband and so would we. The next time we went over there we invited him in to the lesson and told him that we knew it was important for him to be there and to be a part of it! He said he would take the lessons too and it was amazing to see that he actually had a desire to come closer to God. The next lesson our focus was on getting their son into the lesson. He had sat in prior but wasn't coming to any of our discussions. 

As we asked for the parents to have him come down for a lesson he was angry and not happy to be there. So to say the lesson began with a fight, with yelling, and almost having some punches thrown, but at the end we concluded with a kneeling family prayer. This family has changed drastically in the matter of a week by being shown love and what joy really can be. I am so grateful for the power of the spirit and being able to teach with that authority in order to change lives. It really was a great week, and so many people in this area are progressing. 

Shalise's baptism hadn't happened because she had to work and it was stake conference, but she should be getting baptized this next week along with William! 

We had 7 of the people we are teaching come to stake conference in Cherry Hill over an hour away. That was such a blessing! I am grateful for sweeetly bold commitments and to teach people the commandments. Everyone really has the light of Christ. The invitation to come unto Him is there and we just need to extend it to give others the opportunity to find happiness! 

I hope everyone at home is finding some success and great joy from seeking to share the gospel with those in their paths. 

Transfer 10 Week 4 - May 12, 2014

Hey family! Again it was so good to talk to all of you yesterday! And one last shout out for happy mothers day mom! Love you! 

This week was good. We were pretty busy with an exchange at the beginning of the week and zone conference at the end of the week. 

Our investigators are progressing pretty well to their baptisms. Shalise should be getting baptized this next week and so please just keep her in your prayers! 

As for another one of our investigators we will be doing a stop smoking program with him this next week. He really wants to quit smoking because he knows it is important and will draw him closer to god so that he can be baptized! As well this last week he said one morning he prayed for god to help him quit and later when he was with his girlfriend he saw the ashtray with the cigarette there and immediately the temptation was there for him to smoke. He said that as he went to smoke that he felt this burning inside and got this really sick feeling so he put the cigarette down! He knew that God was answering his prayer. I too know that God hears and answers our prayers and that if we are humble and willing to accept his council or asking things that are right then he will guide us, answer us, strengthen us and lift us up to accomplish the things that he requires of us! 

Another one of our families that we have been working with are doing fantastic! It is great to see when families begin to pray together how their lives turn over to God. Sometimes there is nothing sweeter than seeing that light in people's eyes and knowing that their hearts are changing. 

Elder John H. Groberg once said, "All of us, single or married, are eternally part of some family—someway, somewhere, somehow—and much of our joy in life comes as we correctly recognize and properly develop those family relationships. We come to this earth charged with a mission: to learn to love and serve one another. To best help us accomplish this, God has placed us in families, for he knows that is where we can best learn to overcome selfishness and pride and to sacrifice for others and to make happiness and helpfulness and humility and love the very essence of our character.

We learn that friends and neighbors come and go but family is forever, and as we learn this, we find that we are eternally our brother’s keeper and we begin to realize how much help we need. How we should thank God for the opportunity of family prayer!

Listen to the admonition of the Savior in Third Nephi: “Pray in your families unto the Father, always in my name, that your wives and your children may be blessed.” (3 Ne. 18:21.)"     

-Taken from his conference address April 1982 The Power of Family Prayer. https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1982/04/the-power-of-family-prayer?lang=eng

 I encourage each of you to read this talk. I promise as you draw close to Heavenly Father through fervent prayer that he will bless you individually and as families. I love you all!

Well family, looking forward to another great week! 

Love, Sister Beames

Transfer 10 Week 3 - May 5, 2014

Beames Clan!

How the heck are ya? I love yous guys! Just thought I would give a Jersey hello! 

Things here have been sooo good! Man I love it! 

This week was super busy but we are getting so much accomplished. It was probably one of the most rewarding weeks of the mission. We were able to have five of our investigators with a baptismal dates at church this week. It just felt so good to see each of them come and to know that they all have a testimony and are looking forward to their baptisms and making a covenant with God. 

Something that was super cool as well is when we extended 3 of those baptismal dates, one of the ladies that we are teaching, Evelyn, just said "I'm ready now!" and then when we had asked another individual after teaching the restoration he said that he felt so good and that he would be baptized. He said it almost felt like he was just baptized when we asked him because it felt so good! 

Oh how I just love to be able to see the gospel bless so many people's lives. 

Our investigator Shalise is also so awesome! I absolutely love her. On Sunday I bore my testimony and she said it made her want to get up and bear hers too. Which would have been awesome but they closed the meeting like one after me so there wasn't time. But she did end up bearing it in Relief Society. She absolutely is so great. She will be getting baptized on the 18th, even though she is so ready for this next week (except it is mothers day and too many things going on for the ward to do it)! So please keep her in your prayers. She is funny, and says some crazy things sometimes. For example, "you're like mary! you have got a baby Jesus roasting in your oven!" and "we gonna be sippin' and tippin'...sippin' holy water and tippin' noah's boat!" 

She really has been quite a pleasure to teach and to see the 180 change that she has made in her life as she has come to know God. Another great child of God we have been working with is William. He too has been making so many positive changes in his life. He reads from the book of mormon every day and then calls each time we see him he follows up on what he learns to be proactive. Today he called us to tell us that he finished the first book of Nephi and really loved the last chapter. He said that he feels so good and that "it just cuts down to the nitty gritty, and so you know what you are supposed to do!" I don't think I could have received any wiser of a comment than that about the Book of Mormon. 

Well I love you all! I hope that things are going well and that each of you are drawing closer to Christ as you read from the Book of Mormon. Just how they were able to be with Him and personally know Him when He walked with them in Jerusalem, and when He appeared to them in the Americas and allowed them to come forward and to feel the prints of the nails in His feet and His hands, that same promise is for us that we can personally know Him! He loves us and wants us to come unto Him. As we read and study we can know him and what He did for us!

 1 Nephi 15:24 And I said unto them that it was the word of God; and whoso would hearken unto the word of God, and would hold fast unto it, they would never perish; neither could the temptations and the fiery darts of the adversary overpower them unto blindness, to lead them away to destruction.

That is one of the scriptures I read this week with an investigator so I thought I would share it with you. Continue to let the scripture fill your lives. I love you all and know this work is true. It is powerful and I hope each of you are taking part in it!

I look forward to hearing from each of you this week! Happy Mothers Day to all you mom's and future moms! :)

Love Sister Beames

Transfer 10 Week 2 - April 28, 2014

Family!

What a beautiful week has it been.

This week we saw so many miracles with the progression of our
investigators. Another lady we have been working with said that she
wants to be baptized and it was such a blessing to be able to see the
light in her eyes a she has come to know the truth for herself.
And for another investigator as we taught the wow, we were able to see
how it was easy for him to accept and commit to live. This is because
as he has come to have a personal relationship with god and that he
really is his child, his plan has become real to him. The Book of
Mormon has become such a powerful tool in all of our missionary work.
It really is the greatest tool in conversion as individuals gain a
personal relationship with Christ.

If I could describe my experience being out here it would have to be
somewhat related to my experience with the temple. I love it and it is
a place I wish I could always be. I have looked back recently and read
through my journal with my endowment experience and I thought today I
would share that with some of you!

From that experience I said, "This was a beautiful experience. I am
grateful for the experience I was able to have and I know that the
blessings and covenants that I make and keep in the temple are sacred
and real. I would give up all worldly treasures to be close to The
Lord and in his house, the promises in the temple are eternal and are
worth more than anything else! ...it was  a very sacred experience,
and I know that everything that was told and from what was learned it
was so divine. I knew more of how the atonement worked and that it
really is the lords house! Being in there I felt so clean. I don't
remember how I felt after I was baptized, but that would be one way to
describe the feelings present with me this day.

"I felt so clean and the desires of my heart were never to sin again.
But because I know how imperfect I am or of my weaknesses I therefore
know how much greater of a responsibility I have to work hard
everyday. And to apply the gift of the atonement in my life to always
be ready to enter the lords house. To always be worthy to participate
in the most sacred covenants. Working my whole life to make it to the
temple as I have learned in my youth, the temple feels like home. It
is somewhere everyone should work to achieve, and I am excited to do
the lords errand and bring others this great news!"

By sharing this I just wanted to express how grateful I am for my
mission. I have been reflecting a lot this last transfer and everyday
has truly become a temple experience. Each day i really do have the
desire to work hard and to be better. I am grateful for my Heavenly
Father, and for my savior, Jesus Christ. This is the most important
work I could participate in. It is the work of saving souls.

Love you all!
Sister Beames

Transfer 10 Week 1 - April 21, 2014

Howdy family!

How was everyone's Easter? It was really great here. All week we
focused so much on Christ as we really wanted everyone to feel his
love a they prepared for this special Sunday and the celebration of
his resurrection.

This week I was able to get a new companion. Her name is sister earl.
She is from south Jordan Utah, and she is one awesome chica with very
little muscles (there is a story behind that lol) She really is great
though and has such a great testimony.

Our first day bringing her here we were able to stop by a potential.
There was a man named Edgar that had met with the missionaries
probably 7 years go. When we came back for the return appointment we
had with us a Spanish member. It was such a miracle because otherwise
he probably would not have let us in his house. This was because he
was busy and right when we got there and were walking up the driveway
he was starting to tell us that, but then he recognized her and so we
were able to go inside and share a message of the restoration. It was
such a blessing. His son sat in on the lesson too and at the end of
the message was begging his dad for us to be able to come back!
Hopefully we will see this family again soon!

Church was a miracle. We were able to have 4 of our investigators come
to church. And they really enjoyed it. This ward is great for
fellowshipping and making everyone feel important, needed, and loved.
All of which are so essential for those entering a church building to
have in order for their conversion. One of my investigators, William,
was so excited and he said that when we first met him it was actually
surprising because he usually locks the door on church people, but he
knew that the message we shared and the spirit we carried was
different. He loved church and appreciated that it was more reverent.
The spirit truly has a way of touching people.

Something that was great as well about this week was we were able to
show a lot of people the 'Because of Him' video found on YouTube, and
I encourage if you haven't already to go check that out. It truly was
a such a wonderful thing to be able to share with others. It was a two
and a half minute video that brought the spirit so quickly and allowed
for others to reflect on how the savior has played a part in their
lives and how they are able to relate to the message we share.

Love you all!
Sincerely, Sister Beames

Transfer 9 Week 6 - April 14, 2014

Hey family!

How are things going? Things here are swell. Transfers are
happening this Tuesday. My companion is the one leaving and I'll be
staying. Address will be the same so keep sending me love letters!
Mucho gracias!

This last week we did two different exchanges. The first was in
Linwood. It is located right above my first area in cape may.
Something that was cool about that was closer to the end of the
exchange when we were getting ready to head back to our areas. We had
been at the mall having accountability and we were about to leave when
I recognized this kid who was working at the cell phone kiosk there. I
stopped, turned round, and went and waited in line for about ten
minutes so I could talk to him. So here is the miracle.... His mom was
someone I had been teaching when I was in cape May and she had a
baptismal date. But shortly after I got sick and came home she had
moved and the sisters never had her address. I was able to talk with
him and he gave me the new address which I was then able to give to
the sisters for them to go see her! It was pretty awesome!

Second exchange I went to Woodstown. This was special because I was
able to go with sister Williams. She came out one transfer after I did
last year and when we were both goldens missionaries we did an
exchange together. It brought back the memories of how awesome we
thought we were as two new missionaries feeling like we were taking on
the world. She recalled to me on the exchange how she remembered
writing in her journal back then that someday she thought we would be
companions. Maybe we weren't companions but we were still able to go
on another exchange with each other to relive the good times. She will
complete her mission with this next transfer. I sure do love and
appreciate serving with her!

We were able to set two baptismal dates this week with William and
Shalise. It is going to be exciting, and I look forward to posting
more of my adventures and stories.

Well family, as always, continue to look for miracles.

Love you all,
Sister Chalet Beames

Transfer 9 Week 5 - March 31, 2014

Hey family,

Another exciting week here in the PPM. At the beginning of the week we
were able to go on an exchange with the sisters in Cherry Hill. It was
really cool because before we met with them my companion was able to
tell me about the sisters and who I would be on an exchange with and
things that she might be struggling with. So I was able to make that a
goal on the exchange to focus on those things. So in one of our
lessons with our investigator, right after the sister bore her
testimony I paused and pointed out to the investigator how strong the
spirit was when that sister bore her testimony. I then bore testimony
of how when that sister talked the spirit bore testimony to me again
that the message we are sharing is true. I know that it helped our
investigator, but later that night as we were preparing for bed the
sister thanked me and said that was one of the first times on her
mission that she has felt confident. Which was exactly what my
companion had told me she had been struggling with.
It was just a powerful witness to me of the influence we have with
others and our calling to lift others up and to strengthen them. As we
prayerfully strive to help those around us The Lord will guide our
thoughts and actions so when the time is right we will know just
exactly we are supposed to do.

When we were finishing the exchange we were able to meet a man named
Edwin. He was working at McDonalds and seemed to be interested in
talking to us as we ordered our meal. I told him that if he had a
break soon to come over and talk with us. No more than two minutes
later he came over and was able to talk to us about his journey. He
expressed how when he around the age 18-19 he had really been studying
and trying to build a relationship with god but finally things got so
hard in his life that he decided to let god go. It was so sad to
listen to this man as he told us that he said a prayer for about five
hours ending his relationship with god as he told him that he loved
him but he was going to move on from him in his life. I know that he
still deeply loves god, but my heart is still screaming out to him
that he was doing it wrong. When times get hard, don't quit. Don't
turn away from god, and don't ever think that you can do it on your
own. At times of struggle or hardship are when we need God more! We
expressed our love for him and told him that god still loves him. He
was so surprised and asked,"do you really think so?" I think his
perception of what the adversary would have him believe is so sad that
he thinks god would never allow him to return after he turned away.
There is a lot of hope for that young man! I'll have to let you all
know how that goes meeting with him again!

This last week at our mission leadership training with the zone
leaders and mission president there was a guest speaker that talked
about getting investigators and those we are involved with to be
excited about family history work. They talked about how this
encourages the spirit of Elijah to be able to turn the hearts of the
children to their fathers and the hearts of the fathers to their
children. She also mentioned how that spirit of Elijah is created when
we are able to do proxy work for them in the temple. I then pictured
in my mind how for a whole yr before my mission I went once or twice a
week to the Provo temple to do baptisms. It is hard for me not to get
emotional thinking about that because I have such strong spiritual
feelings that were created with that my own experiences in the temple.
This is significant because too of what mom shared with me in her
email this week, of which I will share an excerpt with you all.

"I have been getting on familysearch.org with Connor. Last night I was
up late getting things corrected and put in the computer. Today,
Connor and I went to the temple, and they helped me print off
Grandma's card to do all her work except marriage sealing. It was
really emotional when they handed it to me, and to know it was right
there in my hands to do the work now. I kinda lost it for a while. I
could hardly get dressed I was crying so much! I am going to have to
schedule to get it all done in the next couple weeks. If you were
here, I would have you do the baptism."

This experience mom shared with me was perfect because of what took
place at the leadership council. For example I was praying last night
and thinking about grandma and grandpa as I occasionally do that they
can see the missionary work that I am doing and that their hearts can
be prepared to accept the gospel. I really have felt a sense of
closeness with them as I've been here serving The Lord. So last night
I was thinking how I would write home and see if I could get someone
to send me a family chart or something because I know that not a whole
lot of family work has been done and I was planning on creating some
type of spiritual experience for myself with family history work. But
then it was a miracle as I got online to read moms email this morning
and she shared her experience with me about going to the temple. I
know that god wants us to do this work and that it is important. I am
grateful that he is allowing us to work together as a family to
achieve these goals even though we are on different sides of the
country. But he hears both of our prayers and he too is proud of the
work that we do!

There really is a sweet spirit that we are able to feel as we connect
our family to us from different sides of the veil. It is the spirit of
Elijah, and I just imagine now how much that would really help to
retain our newly converted friends to this gospel. I encourage
everyone to do family history work and to get involved with helping
their non member friends know their ancestors as well.

Well everyone, that's all for now. Have a blessed week,

Love, Sister Chalet Beames