Sick...yuck!

AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! J AND D ARE GETTING MARRIED?!?!?! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU FOR TELLING ME!!!! I feel like I'm out of the bubble down here in Eau Claire! Oh my heck. I started screaming I'm so happy!!!! :):):):)

Ok, wait, who did Buzz go to Sadie Hawkins with? I WANNA KNOW EVERYTHING.

Soooo... I won't take too much time. BUT. It was a good week.

*I am addicted to milk. Yes, me. Eliza. WHAAAAT? I drink glasses and glasses of it all the time. It must taste different or something down here. And the butter. And cheese. Great. See ya when I'm 500 llbs. 

*I was pretty sick this week. I had a fever, I was dizzy and nauseous... The Elders gave me a blessing, and my ward mission leaders wife took care of me :) Sister Napolitano. She's the best. She took my temp, bought me some sprite and applesauce and called multiple times a day to check up. We weren't able to leave the house from Friday night until this morning :/ ugh. Not fun. 

*I'm getting a cold sore. Yippee! 

*I'm gonna go buy my hefty coat in about an hour, soooo... I justed wanted you to know that... I hope I have enough in my account, because I have to get it regardless. There are already flurries in the air! :/

This week we met with a sister, a convert . She invited us over for some apple pie. She shared her story. It KILLED me. Absolutely killed me. 

I won't go into too much detail just for the sake of you not to ball your eyes out, but when she was 3, her parents sold her for prostitution, and according to her, she remembers, as a 3 year old, praying to God to have her parents stop doing what they were doing. What struck me was how did she even know who God was? She was only 3, and her parents obviously didn't teach her anything about her Father in Heaven. From day one, she just seemed to have been so in tune with the other side. 

Anyway, she went into detail how absolutely horrible she was treated until she got married when she was 27--to an abusive husband. Her life has been horrible from the get-go. 

She is now living in a nursing home, she's only in her 50's but, she is so beat up and has so many health problems that she isn't able to properly care for herself. But she said with the most sincerity, "Life is the best it has EVER been." 

I cried and cried and cried when she shared this with us. It really put into perspective for me how BLESSED I have been. I know that you, mom and dad, would say that to us kiddies constantly growing up: "Do you know how blessed we are?" our replies, "Uh-huh." Well, I really really understand, more than ever now, how BLESSED I am to have grown up in the loving arms of Sam and Sarah Beeson. I really cannot thank my Heavenly Father enough. I can't thank you and dad enough. 

I am speaking this Sunday on a favorite General Conference talk. I'll email/mail it to you next week. Until then, have a lovely week. I think of you all very often and pray and pray and pray for you. Loves. 

xoxo.

Sister Beeson

Yeah, I never want to be sick again without my mom. That was tough. But, Sister Napolitano is Grandma Gaye to the T!!! So that was nice.

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 I'm so glad you all made a 'get away.' Fall break always seems to come when you need it most. How is dad? I've been worrying about him lately. Us missionaries talked to the Eau Claire bishop yesterday, and he just looked like he had SO much on his plate; I couldn't help but think about dad. You're the PERFECT companion for him, mom. He wouldn't be able to do what he is doing without your love and support--GUARANTEED.

Well, this week just FLEW by. I feel like my mission is going faster and faster--just like people would always tell me. We had a BAPTISM! My first! I don't know if it really counts since I only taught them once, but hey. :) M and A got a knock at the door December 2012-- the month I opened my call! And here they are, a year later, members of the church. :) It was a beautiful baptism, and Sister Fisher and I did a musical number (arrangement of 'I am a Child of God') it went well! 

Something that I have noticed since being here in Eau Claire is that I feel a LOT more in tune with the Spirit.. I don't know what has happened, but I find myself in lessons with words literally flying out of my mouth that I know for a FACT is not Eliza. It's suuuuper cool. 

Also... every district meeting, we role play. I HATE roleplaying with everything inside me. Why? Because the feedback I ALWAYS get is, "BOLD BOLD BOLD! BE MORE BOLD!" and it has always made me feel like a crappy missionary. BUT.

This week, my first district meeting in Eau Claire, we roleplayed. And I decided to take the advice I have been getting for the past 5 months and put it to action. 

I roleplayed extending a bold invitation to be baptized, and to attend church to an Elder who I came out with. He went first, and did awesome. I went next and was nervous--because of my past roleplaying experiences. BUT I did it. And I realized that whole 'words-flying-out-of-my-mouth' thing again. He looked at me after the roleplay and was SHOCKED. He kept saying how amazing I did and how he felt the Spirit so strong and loved how bold I was. WHAAAAT?! That made me feel like a hundred bucks. ( I'm not trying to brag, but it's just awesome how much the Spirit has overcome my words!) 

I met someone who is related to an A.F. friend here. President Squires is related to Jennifer Squires (the gal who was in the little graduate group who attended the temple and did little mission lessons together) so that was cool! The ward is different, it's good. Just different. I'm still pretty homesick from Med Lake, but Eau Claire is slowly growing on me. :) 

One last thing: In March, Sister Fisher and her previous companion, Sister Cartwright tracted the apartment buildings that we currently live in before they lived in them. They met a gal named K who didn't come off too interested. She was nice, but definitely didn't want to listen. Well, a little while later, the sister's moved in and became neighbors with K! They were always so nice to her, and so she'd even come by and visit them on occasion. Well, these sister's started to do 'teaching evaluations' (practice teaching lessons) with K. The more practice lessons they did, the more K felt the Spirit. She said every church she has attended has not given her the 'structure' she wants/needs. When the sister's committed her in their practice lesson to keep the Word of Wisdom, she did. When they asked her to read chapters out of the Book of Mormon, she did. She is CHANGING. She had a REALLY rough past, but through keeping these commitments, she is noticing the changes in her life and has decided to devote her life to God. Although we are K's friends and neighbors, we notice that she recognizes us as true representatives of Jesus Christ and as people she can trust.  We are teaching her about the Law of Chastity tonight, soooo... wish us luck! :) 

I'm learning to love being here. It's so different, but it's something that I'm coming to understand how much I NEED to be here. Serious.

I love you all so much! Stay warm and happy! 

xoxoxo

Love, Sister Eliza

Saying goodbye to the family I lived with...they even gave me a Minnesota T-shirt:)

 

Eliza saying goodbye to Grandma GG

Saying Goodbye to some special investigators that I have grown to love

Wiscooooooonsin Cheese!

FAMILY:

Well well well. 

I'm here in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. It could be compared to the Twilight Zone. It really is the WEIRDEST here... I have an odd feeling, not sure why.

Wisconsin:

-Bagged milk.

-Cheese curds (squeaky kind)

-Lawn ornaments.

-Black and white squirrels.

-No Liberians :'(

WHERE AM I?
My companion's name is Sister Fisher. She is from California and is the youngest, and has 6 weeks left of the mish! CRAZY. She is very nice.  She reminds me of Rachel Young, actually.

 

The area is huuuuge. We drove an hour to go teach a gal named Monse. She and her boyfriend speak mainly spanish. So, it's interesting teaching lessons. I'm gonna get my espanol down. :)

How I said, there are hardly any Liberians, which absolutely BREAKS my heart. But the diversity is still pretty big. TONS of Hmong people and Mexicans. I literally feel like I'm in a whole new world. I'm homesick for Minnesota </3 :( But I know I am supposed to be here.

 

My companion isn't allowed to drive because she got in a wreck a few months ago and so she got her driving priviledge taken away. Sooo... I drove from Minnesota to Wisconsin! 2.5 hour drive.

We have an amazing ward mission leader: Brother and Sister Napalitano (TOTAL New Yorkers. LOVE.)

We have a progressing family, and they just got married yesterday and are getting baptized Saturday! :)

Loved conference SO much. It really is so amazing to be here on my mission at this time when we are inching and inching closer to the second coming of our Savior!

We've met plenty of people who have hard hearts and closed minds to receiving the Restoration message.

One instance in particular: Saturday, after conference, we headed out to go see a few potentials. It starts sprinkling, and was SO cold, and we see a family outside of their car with umbrellas and raincoats just standing there. They locked their keys in their car, and were waiting for help. So, perfect opportunity to share the Gospel:) we started chatting, and this man and wife knew 'everything about our religion'--don't you hate it when people tell you what you believe? Well, it came to the point where I could do nothing BUT bear sincere testimony of Joseph Smith, The Book of Mormon and telling him that Heavenly Father loves him. It bothered me that I didn't really have the chance to say everything I wanted to, but hey... I planted a seed, right? We walked away, and it POURED hard. core.

It's definitely gotten to the 'no turning back for warmth' weather. It's chilly. And I got my boots, so thanks mom!

Also got the CUTEST nicest package from Bushmans. I appreciate all the letters and packages, peeps. Thanks from the bottom of my heart!

I love you all and I am praying for all of you everyday. I miss you like CRAZY.

We get to talk in 2 months. :) whoo!

xoxo

also, yes. the relief society broadcast. I died. SOOOO good. I cried a bit. I LOVE this church. Is it true or WHAAAAT.

Hey fam bam!

I know that I say every week is a roller coaster week, but this week was a legit roller coaster week. Monday night, President calls us and said "what would happen to your area/investigators if you left them for a little bit?" "umm... they'd still be solid" "ok, then pack your bags for 8 days, Sister Beeson, you're headed to Bloomington for the week and will be in a Tripanionship with Sister Pead and Sister Edstrom. Sister DuBrueler, you're going to Eden Prairie with Sister Mansfield."

WHAT THEEEE.

So, pretty much that was Sister D's and my last day working together. :'(  because we found out transfers today. soooo sadddd!!! I was really upset. We both were. BUT! It has been fun! We've biked a ton, we had a baptism, and I fell in love with the ward! :)  We were teaching this less active lady who is OBSESSED with breaking the Law of Chastity, so we came up with the idea of getting pictures of Jesus and temples and huuuuge posters with scriptures on there so that she wouldn't have that temptation anymore. Annnnd, so far, it has worked!

I can't hold it in. ahhhh... I'm leaving Med Lake!!! :'( I'm gonna cry. I'm leaving Janelle and Dustin and the boys!!!!!! :( OUUUUCH. I'm headed 2 hours away. To Wisconsin. What the heck. In a place called Eau Claire.(claire...yay:)) kay, see ya.

AHHHH I really am so so so so so sad :( my companion will been Sister Fisher who leaves after this transfer... I heard she's a doll, so that's good.:)

Buuuut, I really can't focus on anything besides the fact that I'm leaving Med Lake and I'm freaking out and I have to drive 40 minutes back to med lake to pack, back to bloomington, and then 2 hours to wisconsin. OH MY LANTA. Missions are too weird. my life can change within 48 hours.

Anyway, glad MB season is going well. I wanna see the show DANGIT. Mom, don't ever hashtag again. hahahaha miss you all and love you. Until next week, my lovelies. :)

Look what I found!! My brothers would LOVE this!

This turtle and Eliza both have something in common...they're both coming out of their shells!