Transfer 11 Week 3 - June 16, 2014

Family family family! I just love you all sooo much. The end...

It was a big week for families. Father's Day and spending time with
one another. I guess I just want to express my love for each of you.
You are awesome and I love each of you.

This was a special day for the Stretch family in the Vineland ward.
The Stretch family includes the parents Kris and Evelyn and their kids
Yonnie and Tristan. They were all able to be baptized. It was super
awesome. Each of them have come to gain a relationship with God in
their own unique and individual ways. It has been truly amazing to see
each of them come to know the truth for themselves and also to see
them progress as a family. We started out teaching Yonnie and Eveyn
but were able to join kris and Tristan. This was super special.
Kris has continually asked us about our missionary work and how we
decide what house to knock on and where we go each day. The day of the
interview Kris told us that he hd been praying that week at work for
some changes to happen and for Gods help. We told him that through his
prayers the sisters were led to his home because of his faith. It was
so cool.
Evelyn as well gets super stressed in front of crowds and I had
promised her when we invited here to be baptized that she would feel
the spirit so strong that day and that Heavenly Father would take some
of those fears away and that it would be replaced with love. As she
came out of the water she turned to the gym filled with 50 people and
gave everyone a thumbs up. At the end she was crying and said that she
was just so happy. She said you're right, I feel great!
Tristan too, I was able to tell him that when Christ was baptized our
Father said this was his beloved son in whom he was well pleased... I
told Tristan that He felt the same way about him. He smiled, and said
really? Thank you! That was cool because Tristan was super nervous
about the whole baptism and if he would even be able to do it or if
they would even be able to get him out of the water because he never
practiced.
Finally at the close of the program Yonnie was able to bear her
testimony. It was probably the best testimony I have ever heard of a
16 yr old girl at her baptism or in general. She bore such a powerful
testimony of how she knew the church was true and how this came
because of her learning what faith was. She shared how it begins with
seconds, moments or thoughts when we can come to know the truth and
through direct thoughts and impressions she was able to understand how
the Holy Ghost speaks to her. She told of an experience at school and
how some kids were talking negatively about religion and how she
directed promptly to speak up and ask them why they didn't have faith
when she wasn't sure herself. They said they refuse to believe in
something when it is just blind faith. She counter acted that with
saying that people have blind faith in themselves when they are faced
with temptations and trials everyday so how can they say there is no
faith. She gave two examples of this 1. when people have tests at
school and they say out loud that they are going to do pretty bad but
really in the back of their minds they are thinking yeah i think I'm
going to do pretty well. Or 2. when people wake up in the morning and
they say today is going to be a great day, but when really the day
just barely began so how would they know. She said it is because of
faith! And she knows that through her faith in reading and praying
that the light she felt is real! It was super powerful. And I am too
am so grateful for this whole families faith. They are incredible.

As I saw this whole family dressed in white as we sang families can be
together forever there was such a reverenced spirit that came over the
whole room. I just want to bear my testimony that when we do what is
right, and as we pray together, study the scriptures together, and
always be grateful to our Heavenly Father for the many things that we
have been given everything will work out the way it is supposed to.

Other than that it was a super busy week. Went on two different
exchanges with sisters in Medford and Cherry Hill. As well a lady that
we have been working with for several months, Vickie, was able to
accept a baptismal invitation. She will be baptized in a lake in a few
short weeks.

Love you all! :) make everyday the best day ever!
Love, Sister Beames