Elder Dallin Beck California Long Beach Mission: Stupid Good Week

Beck Family!

So this last week had to be one of the really good ones. Lots of things went well, and like by well i mean super good. Like stupid good.

To start we helped J prepare to be baptized on Saturday, and he was. Many pictures to follow.

But the baptism was great. He was so ready to do it, and we could just all see it. He has been investigating the church for 3 years since the his wife and kids got baptized. But this was just finally his time to join them. The member that helped us teach him Hmo C got to baptize him, which was an awesome experience. It really was the member that made all the difference, and was a huge reason that jorge decided to be baptized. Members make a difference. Then yesterday Jorge was confirmed in church by the bishop and it was great as well. And after church we had a bbq at his home where he cooked us all the carne asada we could eat. For real, it was just meat after meat, with plenty of sides. so good, so mexican. I am getting back up to my level of heating really spicy things. Not a day goes by that i dont eat at least 1 chili, and i am warming up for something big. Details to follow.

But as good as all of that was, it still wasnt the only good thing. Last night i got to go to the despedida, or departing fireside for the missionaries going home. Zone leaders get to go to all of them to keep the peace. That is a perk to the calling. But anyways, the fireside was really good, lots of really strong testimonies were shared. I also got to see a lot of members from past areas there, who all come to see their missionaries off. I saw people from HB and compton. One of the members i saw from compton was Hna C, my favorite member, and newest grandma. I was so happy to see her, but even more happy to see that person that she brought with her. She brought with her C. She is a 15 year old girl that i taught back in compton, we taught her whole family but she was always the focus. I taught her for my entire 6 months in compton, which included some of the most spiritual lessons i ever had while there. But when i left compton, she seemed like she was personally hopeless, that she would never be able to get away from the things in her life and be baptized. Missionaries stopped going by her after i left, and they didnt go by that family until 1 month ago. Last night at the fireside C told me that she had just gotten baptized, and that is why her hair was still wet. She said that now she was just ready in her life to make that decision to be baptized. It was one of the happiest moments of my life to see her, and to hear that she had been baptized. I felt such a spiritual confirmation about the work we do as missionaries, and how it truly does affect people. Even though it was such a long time since i had seen her, she remembered me, and all of the lessons that we had with her. She said she just kept thinking about all of the things we had taught after after the missionaries left her, and she started reading the Book Of Mormon on her own. And eventually she knew it was true. And that is when she decided to be baptized. I was absoluetly speachless when she told me she had gotten baptized, i couldnt form the words to express how happy i was for her. It was amazing. She also said that she is preparing to go on a mission, that it is all she wants to do in life to pay forward what she knows to be true. Again, i was speechless, i still am. I know this work is true, and i know that we do the Lords work, and because of that people do not forget it. They remember the spirit, and like C did, when they are ready, they can act on it. One of the best weekend i can remember, i just feel so good right now.

I am staying in Pico Rivera for another transfer with elder W, we are going to tear it up here, the field is white in Pico, and we are going to have a great time.

I love you family.

Beck out,
Elder Beck