Each Life That Touches Ours For Good

This is my last mission entry.

I apologize for my lack of blog posts recently.  As some of you (or all of you, depending on what my mother has shared from her letters) might know, we have had a mission Christmas devotional that I have been preparing for, and this last week we performed.

It was incredible.

I don't think I have ever participated in a more spiritual devotional where people testified so clearly through the music they performed. Every song seemed to build upon the last, until we reached Elder Murray's incredible arrangement of Joy to the World which was performed by all the participants in the program. (That includes three violins, two flutes, a viola, a cello, an organ, and four-part choir, by the way. It was a LOT of fun to conduct.) Four measures in, I could feel the Spirit so strong, pushing us forward in the performance. The song built and the choir hit every entrance just right - it was incredible.  At the end of the song, the choir sang out their final "joy!" followed a measure later by the instruments to fill out an incredible chord, and then there was silence.  During the closing prayer, I could hear sniffles throughout the entire congregation.  I was probably the worst offender, though, sobbing on the stand.  I don't think I was too loud.   No one said anything, at least.

The entire performance was so moving, so inspired, and so exactly what our mission (and I) needed.  I was caught between grinning and crying for the rest of the day as I said my goodbyes and reflected on what had happened.  Elder Hurst did wonderfully singing "O Holy Night" (and singing two A4s to boot), "In the Bleak Midwinter" bore incredible testimony of giving ourselves, consecrating ourselves, to the Savior, and every piece in general just brought the Spirit so strongly.  Especially Joy to the World.  I was so happy.

The next night we took all the small groups to the Olmstead chapel in the Bronx to perform at their Christmas open house.  It was a humble evening.  There were about as many missionaries there as members (they have a lot of missionaries there, like Chinatown), and the numbers performed by the ward were not necessarily in tune, but they were honest.  The people were bearing their testimonies through song, which was incredible.  I was especially touched by a man who was not even a member of our church, but wanted to participate in some way.  He asked if he could play his trumpet and sing for us.  I don't remember the song, or even the tune, but I do remember the Spirit that entered the room as that man bore his testimony of Christ to us.  The entire night was so sweet, so wonderful, all because the only thing any of the performers or listeners were there for was to bear testimony of the Savior.  I hope I will see many more Christmas programs like that in the future.

Along with the Christmas program, we have been fitting in as much missionary work as we can.  I love being a missionary so much, and I have learned so much in the past year and a half.  I am incredibly grateful to my Heavenly Father for giving me this chance to serve in Chinatown, NYC.  This place, these people, and this work are where I have had many of my most cherished memories and experiences.

At the end of one's service in our mission, the elders and sisters commemorate the returning missionaries' service by singing "Each Life That Touches Ours for Good."  I have grown to love this song, and I think one verse in particular applies to the friends I have made here in New York:

What greater gift dost thou bestow,
What greater goodness can we know
Than Christlike friends, 
Whose gentle ways
Strengthen our faith, enrich our days.

To the many people I have met, and to all who have supported me over my last year and a half, I love you.  I love my mission.  I love the closeness I feel with the Lord.  I am grateful for the chance I have had to grow closer to my Savior and to know of His love for each of his children.  I know He lives, and that His work and His glory really is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man (Moses 1:39).  Thank you, all of you, for helping me to have this experience through your actions and prayers.

With love,
Sister Beer

Transfers! And the verdict is...

I am staying in Chinatown!  Yes, dear readers, this means I have been a Chinatown missionary my entire mission.  Not many missionaries can say that they have stayed in the same apartment building for 14 months.  I have served in the three sisters' areas in Chinatown, and will finish in my current area with Sister Chan and Astle.

In other news, Elder Murray has returned to 唐人街.  (That means Chinatown in Chinese.)  Good thing, too.  I have been needing another music brain to help me handle this Christmas program. :) I am super happy he's back.  He's probably one of my favorite people.

Today is the first day of my last cycle on the mission.  It is going to be a crazy one.  With normal missionary work and the addition of a Christmas program, my companionship is going to have to stay on it's toes!  (I had a nightmare last night that consisted of a mission choir with no tenors. I was quite distressed.)  

That's all for today.  The rest of P-day awaits!

Love you!

Sister Beer

Christmas in NYC

So...Christmas in New York City is probably one of the most magical things ever.  I have had the most wonderful week!

Last Friday was our Mission Christmas Devotional that I got to organize.  It went very well.  People all seemed to really like it, and the musical numbers all sounded lovely, especially Elder Murray's piano solo and the flute/piano duet Elder Foley participated in.  The speakers were great as well.  Sister Morgan read The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey, which some of you may remember I was in a stage production of last year.  As she read the story I kept seeing Annadee and David Morgan acting out the parts of the Widow McDowell and Jonathan Toomey.  It was awesome.

At the Devotional, I saw some awesome people, including Elder Witbeck from my BYU theater days, and Sister Broderick, who is one of the coolest people ever.

My favorite talk was by President Morgan, however.  He spoke about the gifts that were given to Christ by the Wise Men when they found Him in Bethlehem, but he did it in a way that I had never heard of before.  He compared the three gifts to three of the crucial gifts Heavenly Father has given to all of us.  The gold, which must be purified for it to be of value, is representative of Jesus Christ, the pure Son of God.  Frankincense can be compared to the gospel.  It is derived from the sap of a tree that can grow on anything, even solid rock.  We have been told today that the gospel of Jesus Christ will never again be taken away from the earth.  Myrrh is representative of the Atonement.  In order to make myrrh, sap must be taken and dried from the myrrha tree.  It has to be cut to the very center, and a deep red sap emerges from the trunk, which reminds us of the suffering of the Savior in the Garden of Gethsemane.  It was a really cool talk.  I love hearing President Morgan speak.  Every time I do it reminds me of what I need to become as a missionary and who I want to be long term.

Last Saturday I went tracting for the first time on my mission!  (That's right, I have been in the field for three months, and it was my first time knocking doors.)  The Elders invited us to go caroling with them, and Sister Liu and I were more than happy to join them.  We handed out Joy to the World DVDs and had a lot of fun talking with people about the Church and our beliefs.

Monday was awesome.  I will admit I have been a little worried that it wouldn't feel like Christmas, since I'm not at home this year, but when I woke up on Christmas Eve, the feeling was still there.  What's more, it was stronger than I had felt it before.  I was so excited, and the rest of the day just made everything better.  Because we didn't have a Christmas dinner appointment, a companionship of Elders, Sister Liu and I went with the APs (Assistants to the President - a companionship of Elders that help President Morgan with administrative work) to dinner at this wonderful French woman's house.  She fed us a fantastic dinner, then afterwards we had cheese (SO GOOD) and "sweets" (yule logs are going to have to become a thing at my Christmas dinner).  She was wonderful, her friends were wonderful, the food was wonderful, everything was wonderful.

Christmas Day was fantastic as well.  After opening some presents in the morning, and an awesome personal and companion study on service, we went to a member's house so I could skype (!!) with my family.  I love them.  They are so great.  Afterwards we went to a dinner with the temple missionaries that we were invited to Sunday night (after we had already been invited to the other dinner) that was just lovely.  I talked with some of their family, and out of the three young women who were return missionaries there, one had actually served in Taiwan!  We are hoping she will be able to come down to Chinatown and have lunch with us sometime next week.  It was another French style meal, and I have decided that I really like French food.  And cheese. Cheese is good.

The day was pretty magical, and we were able to find ways to serve people along the way.  I am so grateful to be serving a mission in New York, with the people I serve with here.  It is wonderful.

I love you all and hope you have had a wonderful Christmas.  Continue to enjoy your holiday season!

Merry Christmas from the Chinatown Missionaries!

Love,

Sister Beer

Of Music and Miracles

[Disclaimer: Sister Beer wrote this last Wednesday, so her performance has already happened. Her sister is slow and just barely got this posted.]

So, this week was awesome.

This upcoming Friday is our Mission Christmas Devotional, in which several of my district's elders are performing.  (Remember when I told you that we have a piano and a flute performance major in our district?)  I have been enjoying listening to them practice and work on their respective numbers over the past week and a half.  On Saturday I received a call from President Morgan asking if I would conduct the music for the program.  I was told to go to Scarsdale on Monday for rehearsal.  He ended the call by saying "I hear you have a flair for putting these things together," and then said goodnight.  I didn't think much of it.  Perhaps I should have.

When Sister Liu and I got to the rehearsal on Monday, we sat with the other performers and President went around introducing each of us and the part we would play in the program.  When he got to me, he said that I would be leading the music in addition to organizing the program! 

At that moment I realized that I should probably be taking notes.

Over the course of the next few hours, I listened to music, talked with President about speakers and topics, organized, directed, and went through the easiest blocking and tech rehearsal I have ever attended.  It was awesome!  I was actually using the training I have been receiving for the past three years to put together a program that will (hopefully) enrich the lives of the missionaries in this mission.  I am so excited to have been a part of it all, and am looking forward to Friday!

In keeping with the Christmas Spirit our Zone made cookies yesterday that we will be delivering to apartments in our buildings we live in.  It was fun to get together and have a Christmas experience.  Cookies are a huge part of my family's Christmas traditions, so I was glad to be able to make them on my mission!  (For those who are interested, we made gingersnaps, chocolate M&M cookies, peanut butter blossoms, and fudge.)

In other news, after a drought of new investigators, Sister Liu and I decided that something needed to change.  After a few companion studies and an awesome companionship inventory, we decided that we needed to pray for faith to find new investigators.  We started working on that, and after a few days, we found one!  We were so excited.  The next day, another one popped up, and the next day there was another.  By the end of the week we had three new investigators, more than we have had in weeks, and two of them were member referrals.  It was incredible, and we know that the Lord answered our prayers.

I'll let you all know how the program this week goes.  Since it will be after the 25th next time I write you (6 days!!), Merry Christmas!

Love you!

Sister Beer

Kids are the best. No, but really.

Mosiah 3:19 tells us "For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father."  Children are such awesome examples to all of us.  They want to please their parents, their teachers, and the Lord.  This week we had a couple of pretty awesome kids talk to us.

On Thursday we were out contacting and a family walked by.  When we tried to talk to the dad, he just waved us off and was just a little bit rude to us.  His son came up to us, though, intrigued by the two women standing in skirts on the sidewalk.  He talked to Sister Liu:

"What's that?"

"It's a paper talking about Jesus?"

"Jesus?! Whoa, cool! (Grabs paper.) Dad look, it talks about Jesus!"

We didn't talk to the family, but it was cool to see a boy who recognized something his dad missed.

Then again yesterday, we were out contacting and a boy came up to us and told us about how he went to our church before with his aunt and that he like it, and then his dad called him away.  I hope that these kids can someday make contact again with the Church.

The Christmas season is here!  In honor of the season, last night for our weekly District Unity we made gingerbread houses.  I haven't made a gingerbread house in ages, and it was fun to work with Sister Liu creating our masterpiece.  I'm pretty pleased with the finished product.  I think my favorite part is the Abominable Snowman chilling in the backyard.

That's all for this week.  Remember how awesome kids are.  They are such an important part of Heavenly Father's plan, and He loves them very much.  I love you all!

Love,

Sister Beer

P.S. Good luck to all of you people in school with finals. You're almost to Christmas break!