Christmas

Hey everyone! i didnt really have a chance to email on this last pday cuz of Christmas so we are doing them now a little late! i hope everyone had and amazing Christmas! I know I did. let me tell you how it went

Christmas eve: We did grocery shopping and took some much needed naps and wrote letters. WE then got together with the the zone and played ultimate dodge ball! i lost every time haha. We then went over the Allen's house. Thats where we spent the rest of the night. We had dinner (home made pizza) and played games. they gave us stockings with little goodies inside it was awesome. The elders in our district and zone leaders came over too. It was really fun. That is also where I called my family! We did google+? IDk whats its called the Allens set it up for me haha. But it was so great to talk to my family and see them at the same time. We got to talk for an hour! I was a bit emotional when we had to end it but it ok... in may we can talk again! haha.

Christmas: We spent most of the day over with the Goodnough family. They are so amazing! They truly made us part of the family. They gave us stockings with really awesome stuff inside like sock monkeys, headbands, socks, makeup, little things. They not only did that they gave us alot of Christmas presents as well! we each for PJ bottoms, hats, embroidered pillow cases... it was amazing!  then we just lounged around for the rest of the day. We made 7 layer dip, cookies, just little snakcs to eat. later we sister took a walk to visit the Warrell family for a bit and see how they are doing but we then returned to the Goodnoughs home and helped make diner and ate with them. Christmas was so awesome!  the people here really like to take care of the missionaries and make sure to make us feel welcome and like part of the family. It something I was worried about because I just got transferred and wasn't sure I would have the time to make the connections with the people but I had no need to worry thats for sure. Sis Goodnough looks and reminds me of mom so much it crazy! so funny and crazy and all over the place... just like me too! haha. So this family I raise elk and thing like that so i will send some pics... but two of them are just pets and will come up and kiss you and its awesome! i want a pet elks now! haha

I also shoveled snow for the first time yesterday! haha the elders had fun watching me and taking pics haha. But things are going great so far. Yes I miss my old area but I haev come te realize why im here. I have things to do and things to learn while im here. Heavenly father has brought me down to build me back up even stronger and better. That i know for sure.

Well I got to get going now but i love you all! and I hope you have an amazing New years!!

Love Sister Lemons

Opening presents

Goodnough parents

Bull elk used for breeding

With Bonnie the Elk, a family pet

Feeding Casper the 4 day old calf



Hermana Morales and Zitting and Me!



Reburg Temple

Shoveling snow for the first time ever

Transfers/What a week

oh man what a week! It started off really good and then took a nose dive and is now working its way back up there.

The main news of the week is that we got transfer calls. I wont go into details about how we got them but know it was not good. So I found out that im being transferred up to REXBURG! I'll be serving on the BYU-I Campus! When I found out and how I found out though I started to cry. Im really sad to be leaving my area and the missionaries I serve with and around. Im also gonna miss the Visitor Center but I will most likely go back see that im VC called. Its just a really hard pill to sallow. Im sure once I get up there it will be fine.. Its the anticipation that's killing me. But it will be like ripping of a band aid.. It will hurt at first but after it will bet alot better. After that our whole week was thrown off a little bit because we had to make so many adjustments.

Ok so on with the rest of the week even though it seems so small compared to transfer news. I got a package from my BFFFE AMY! its a 12 day of christmas thing and I love it! so Far it been a blast from my childhood past! all my favorite snacks and things I grew up with on guam! Its made me a little home sick but I love it so much! the only thing I have been stingy with and wont share is the Aloe juice.. of course cuz its heaven in a bottle! haha I cant wait to see what else there is though! thanks so much AMY! I LOVE YOU!

I also got a package from Anthony, Sia and kids! I loved it! lots of little things to keep me entertained haha. thanks for thinking of me guys =) Mom and dad... your Christmas card with the pedigree chart... all my fellow missionaries find great laughter in the fact that Im all ALONE (I have no posterity) haha and the fact that you put a CRAZY pic of me on it.. lol they want copies of it to put in their journals haha... its super funny when I show it to people cuz they make me carry it around to show other missionaries. So this past Thursday we had a gift exchange with the other set of sisters on Friday after we found out that I was gonna be leaving before Christmas! We all have matching socks and are gonna wear them on transfer day together. Sister Keith gave me a Blanket and little things like glow in the dark stars the kind you put on the wall, mints, nail polish. It was great! so much fun! we then went to lunch with the Spanish elders for the last time before I leave. 

Its been an emotional week but thats what I signed up for right? They say get comfortable with being uncomfortable... lol cuz as soon as you do they uproot you and move you away haha. The Lord knows more than we do though and I know that there is a reason im going to Rexburg to serve on campus. I intend to find out why. Im just trusting the Lord and doing what He tells me to do. Thats the whole reason im out here. I love you all had hope you have a great week! stay awesome

Love Sister Bekka Lemons

VC Sisters matching socks

VC Sisters gift exchange

Mustaches?

With the Christus
According to Bekka it is the only one you can touch

again

Somehow she was an accomplice in helping hurt his knee

Air hug

Sister Lemons and Elder Bishop

Silly string attach



Silly string was a Christmas gift from Anthony & Sia



So this week... hmm where to start! we didnt have alot of time out in our area due to some medical issues and things like that but we still had a very interesting week! So this week We got in a minor fender bender. We were trying to go to this christmas program and While trying to park sis Keith decided she wanted a pull through parking place so I wouldn't have to back her latter (very thoughtful of her) but in the process she misjudged the space she had and how big our car was and how sharp she was turning. We ended up hitting the back passenger door on the bumper of the truck next to us. So our night turned into filling out a bunch of paper work. and leaving them with all out info and stuff like that. But the people never called us or the mission office so IDK what they will end up doing.

So as for medical my eyes pretty much SUCK!! But there has been some new ideas thrown into the loop so we will see what ends up happening! Sis Keith started have chest pains and so they sent us to the doctor for her and turns out has has a cold in her chest and just has to wait for it to go away. boo...

I had the opportunity to go to Zone Leader Council this week. Sis Keith goes all the time because she is the VC trainer which is like zone leader for the VC sisters. This time they asked her and her companion to go and thats ME!! lol but it was really fun and nice to hear things before everyone else! While there they called a new AP!! lol whats funny is We had had lunch with him like 2 days before and. And the AP that called before this new one we had had lunch with him before he got called as well! lol Its a big joke now not to eat with sis keith and Lemons because we will curse you with becoming an AP. haha its funny! lol but we love this elder he is gonna be great! super chill.

Last night we had a Fireside for all the missionaries to bring their investigators to and anyone who wanted to come. It was the same musical program we had at Zone conference! so we had to go and help with that but we also had some people are teaching come!! lol so great! they loved it and we were so glad they came!

This past week we have been getting Christmas presents from our dinner appointments. Its so thoughtful of them to think of us while we are away from home. made us cry a little bit each time. 

But today we did Christmas shopping for out companions! there were two sets of us sisters so we went on splits and gave ourselves a money limit and got gifts for our comps! its exciting! lol Sis Keith and I also got Christmas card made! so I will be send those out to those who write me! so if send me mail! well thats about it for now! everyone make sure your doing your spiritual CPR (church,pray,read). 

Sister Lemons

Sister Lemons hiding Kruck style from Emperor's New Groove

Elder Kubie blowing out candles

what a face

Love Sister Lemons

on of our fellow missionaries had a birthday he turned 22 and we threw him a little surprise birthday! it was so fun and he was so happy! lol his name is Elder Kubie and I just love this kid!

Christmas is Coming

The Christmas Season is upon us! But luckily there is not snow yet!! I will take that snow being gone for as long as it wants! haha This week has been a good one. We got ALOT of work done! our numbers this week alone were better than our last month!WE had alot of nights off from the VC and we made sure to really use them! We are teaching this new guy named Richard who is kind of Buddhist. But at the same time what he believes to be true is stuff we know to BE true! lol so we are really excited to work with him! I strongly believe he will accept the gospel. He is amazing.WE also met with a Native American lady named Carol and we set a dunking date with her! It nice because sister Keith and her can really relate cuz they are both Navajo so its awesome! She is getting baptised the 15 of this month so we have to work fast but she is totally ready! We are super excited to continue going head strong with our teaching and lessons.

So this week we had Zone Conference. But along with it we also have a Tri zone talent show and then a Christmas Program. So amazing the program! It was all about Christ life and the Light of Christ and how we can help it to grow inside of us. It was so good in fact  that they are using it for the Fireside this Sunday that the missionaries put on for investigators. We are taking Richard and its gonna be great! But yeah the Zone Conference was really good! Then after that Sis Keith and I went to a Dinner Apt and we found out that  a Bomb had been found in our pros area! haha Yeah right where we work everyday! it was just a pipe bomb but still. Crazy to think about right! and its a blessing we were at zone conference and not in our area when it was found and when it went off. Blessings!

So Sis Keith bought a real Christmas tree and decorations and we had fun putting that up. Our house feels a little bit more like Christmas now. with out little 4 foot tree haha. But it made her really happy and she is having a hard time right now so I'm fine with it=) haha. So remember me telling you about us doing the Elders Laundry well this kid totally paid us back! he was so sweet! He bought us a crap load of really expensive candy and a 15 dollar subway gift card! Very nice of him. way to much candy and we have eaten too much of it already! lol but I have lost 5 pounds so I really don't know how that happened. haha

But thats pretty much all that that has happened. Its just been a really good week. Hard work brings results and blessings! Adn With this Christmas Holiday its just opportunity to work harder and SERVE everyone! I challenge everyone to find littel ways to serve everyone around them.That what Christ live was all about and thats what we are celebrating so what better way to celebrate than to serve? lol i love you all!

Sister ME!

Laundry

I guess i'll just tell you a story of something that happened a few nights ago... So we got a call from our district leader and he told us to go to the zone leaders house cuz they had a HUGE favor to ask of us. This is at 945 saturday night. So we go over and we found out they had broken theirs and the ZL washing machines and asked if we would do their laundry. so they pretty much handed us 5 huge bags of soaking wet clothes. We were up ALL night doing their laundry cuz they had no clothes. We didnt get to bed till 2. We first had to ring out all the clothes and then wash them. There were 5 loads worth of clothes that we later found out then had tried to put into 1 load. Thats what the machines broke! But we had to wash their under clothes as well! so long johns, underwear, socks, etc. Lets just say it was a very long night! 

Today I woke up and my eyes were red again! good thing I had an eye appointment already scheduled. So tomorrow they are sending me in to get set up with a new brand of contacts. So parents expect to see that on the card.

Thats all i have for you right now... I love you all

Sister Bekka Lemons

Today is THANKSGIVING!! So we have an all day p-day. But this morning there was a mandatory service project. We were helping out with a charity race to feed the hungry and volunteered. My station at first was to be the person at the end of the registration line and direct people where to go and to answer questions. ony bad part about that was I was the only person that was not able to stand in the sun so I was SOOO cold! all the other missionaries got to at least stand in the sun =( Thats ok though. It was really nice talking to people there and helping out. Also bonus they had radio stations there and so we got to listen o music =) haha According to our mission pres those opportunities you have like that are "tender mercies" and to enjoy them while they last haha.. his words not mine. Then after that our zone was assigned to take the finish line and cheer people on as they crossed the finish line. We were told our goal was to lose our voice by the time we were done. And for the most part we all did =). I have learned that being on a mission you become SUPER weird and awkward haha but it makes things fun for us. Im pretty sure all the runners thought we were super crazy. But the day started off really well. After that we had a zone activity and played fat bat in a church gym. We could not stay for long but it was fun while it lasted. Sister Keith and I had to leave early because we got invited to have lunch/dinner with a less active and her mom at sizzler. So they took us there and we had really good food. And now im here doing emails. later we have another dinner with a family in one of our wards and we are taking the zone leaders and the District leaders with us because they had no place to go and the family said they could come with us. So its gonna be super fun! After that we are having another zone activity and we are gonna go bowling. Im not totally sure the place will be open but they say it is so we will see. Either way it has been a good day so far and it will continue to be a great day! Its been hard being away from home and family around this time but being with me mission family has helped and made it memorable. I hope you all have a fantastic Thanksgiving. Take this day to reflect back on all the things our Father in Heaven has blessed us with and take the time to really thank him. Stay safe and Have fun! I love you all!

Sister Bekka Lemons

The whole districk helping at the run

Sister Lemons and Sister Keith

Bekka and ???

Elder Bishop (the Brit in American Flag pants)

no water

So this week has been eventful!

So we started off with having our last hang outs with elders going home with lunch on Tuesday and then breakfast on transfer day Wednesday. It was so sad to say goodbye but we know change is good and needed to grow. but along with transfer day we got a new district leader. He is from England so when we found out he was our new leader we kept saying "the Brit is coming!" haha He is way chill and super funny. He also is really good and taking care of us sisters. Texting to make sure we all get home safely (we all lie in the ghetto) and making sure we have everything we need when we dont feel good. Just a really good guy but knows how to have fun and work hard at the same time. I will send a pic of my new district! but in the pic i look horrid! we also found out that day that we had no hot water! so for 3 days we hade no hot water cuz our water heater was broken! we had to go over to the others sister house everyday to shower haha. so we just looked so awful those days cuz we had no time to do anything.

This week we look our DL and had them help us with some service in our ward. We were painting a members house and it was so fun. I almost fell off a latter but thats ok =) ON Sunday there was no church anywhere in Idaho because of the Boise temple re-dedication  It was so awesome to be able to be apart of that! Good mission memory. Was a little hard to explain to our investigatory why there was no church and why they could not go to the re-dedication. But its ok they understood after a bit. Speaking of investigators.. that girl we are teaching Erin who had a date no longer has a date. Its ok though we felt good when she was telling us she was not ready and wanted to wait until her legal issues were closer to being taken care of.We will get a new date when we meet with her on Wednesday  Se still has a desire to be baptized we just need to work at her pace and thats ok! She is still golden. She is going through so much crap right now and is still understanding that this is the way the Lord wants things to go and is very understanding! I just love her. 

This Thursday is Thanksgiving! We are having an all day P-day that day! That morning all the zones in IF(Idaho Falls) have a mandatory service project we have to go to. Thay have something similar to the turkey trot here and we ahre going to volunteer and be water passer outer or anything else they need us to do. People here are CRAZY! its so cold! why would you want to run in this? oh well they can do what they want... all i know is i get a free tshirt out of this! haha that makes everything better! After the service Project we have a zone activity and we are gonna play football. haha its a must. And then we can have dinners with families or do whatever. Shop, email. etc. Its gonna be fun!

This saturday i get to put my contacts in! Im so excited! Im so tired of glasses! I have worn nothing but glasses for 4 weeks. Pray that this time the allergy wont come back!

Well thats about it for now! I love you all! 

Sister Bekka Lemons

RIP old district

Helloooooo new district

Transfer #3

This weekend we had transfer calss! yeah its that time again...CRAZY!!! this past transfer has gone by SOOOO fast! But the good news is that Sister Keith and I will be together for another Transfrer in the same area! WOOHOO we were super excited and could not stop screaming =) Time has gone by so fast!! been out for almost 4 months now and soon i will only have a year left! man oh man!

So this week has been pretty good! nothing to interesting happened other than transfers are coming up and our zone again is being torn up a bit. But thats ok cuz change is good right?! But its crazy the longer you haev been out the more attached to the other missionaries you become and its hard to say good bye. some of our REALLY good elder firnds are going homw in 3 days and its hard but we are so happy for them. they are freaking out a bit and are a little scared but we know they will be great! This week sis keith lost her camera nad we had no idea were it was.. so afte a day and a half of looking nad praying we found it outside a members home we had dinner with and it had been siting int eh snow for a day and two nights! and we are pretty sure we rean over it with our car! but it still works!! haha speaking of snow! its so dang COLD!!! it has not been over 35 the last 3 days and its gonna continue to drop! we have a some snow too! The part that really suck is that the sun leavs too =( so its all grey outside and just makes you feel sad and you want to see the sun!

Last night we had dinner with some members named the Meldroms (we just love this family) and they totally admited to wanting to set me up with their son!! This son Is normal there when we eat with them but he wasnt his time so now i have the feeling its gonnabe super awkward when we go over! Weird Sister Keith could not stop laugh at me when we left the house! And funny part is that we are going to their house on thursday to do service! haha oh well its just funny... im not interested.

Oh my ankle is doing better too! yay!

I know i say this alot and i will probably continue to say it alot but I love being on a mission! The lord knows what he is doing and there is a reason im out here freezing! I love you all!!

Sister Bekka Lemons

Fake Blood

Companions

Scary

Borrowing the Elders bikes

Love the headband

Sisters Lemons & Keith with Elder Jenkins

Amazing

This week has been a REALLY good week! I will start from the beginning.

 So this may sound silly but sister Keith and I got matching Comp watches! they make us super happy! haha and they look really nice! this other sister broke her watch(I may have been apart of the breaking process  and I let here have mine so i needed a new one anyways. 

So later this week we got news that sister keith and i were going on exchanges with the sisters in Rigby. Sisters here rarely if never go on exchanges. Sister Keith and i were chosen by mission press to kinda go in under cover haha. these sister have been having a hard time getting along and we were sent in to figure out why. but the other sister had no idea why we were going on exchanges. It was just really awesome to be the ones president felt could handle that situation. It was a very interesting experience thats for sure! the sister i was with has had alot of issues in the past getting along with other sisters and I could see why. I let her know right away i was not one to be pushed around so we didnt have too many problems but she is does power struggle. Needles to say sis keith and i were glad to be reunited at the end of it all. 

This Sunday I had a nice surprise! Nearly scared the poo out of me but My cousin Jenni decided to stop by with her boyfriend scott. I was really awesome to see someone i knew! Funny thing though scott doesnt really know what goes on on missions or rules and tired to hug me and i had to do some ninja dodging moves haha... but it was still really nice to see them =)

sunday was fast and testimony meeting... sis keith and i may have fasted to stay together one more transfer haha. but the one thing that really touched me was there was this little girl who got up to bear her testimony and had me crying by the end. Her testimony was so strong and the spirit was so strong. she was saying how her mom was about tho have a major operation but that she knows no matter what happenes she must hold to the rod and continue on the path to live with  her heavenly father again one day. Amazing. 

So monday was a regular day and pday was pushed to tues due to the elections. but we are really glad it was. After our dinner apt sis keith and i felt we should go see an investigator named Erin so off we went. This girl is so golden.. before we ever found her she had been reading the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith history and watched conference. so we get there and start talking and teaching and right in the middle i felt like i should bear my testimony and promise her blessings of strength and comfort about what she is doing. Then right after Sister Keith and I looked at each other and knew it needed to be asked. We then asked her to be baptized and told her a date and she said YES!!! she said she knows this is what she needs to do and knows that what i said with the blessing that she will be helped through this process cuz she is going through alot right now! AMAZING experience! spirit was so strong. 

So I may or may not have hurt my ankle today. We were just volleying a volleyball but the grass/lawns/fields here in Idaho are so uneven! and i just hit a mound of something and down i went... super swollen and bruised but Im no stranger to this type of thing so I will watch it and see what happens . Good thing i guess is that its not my surgery foot. But before that a few of us went bowling today! so fun!! Broke 100 with out bumpers!! haha

Missions have higs and lows but this week (besides my ankle) was a high week! Lots of work to be done even here in Idaho. Im grateful to be here and I love the challenges that comes with being on a mission.

Sister Bekka Lemons

Sister Kuhns, Sister Keith, Sister Bushman, Sister Lemons

Going Bowling

Happy Halloween

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!! we didnt have pday this monday just in case you forgot and we have a full pday today! the day actually didnt start off very good but it has had a very nice ending and is gonna only get better.

Yesterday was another sister in out disrict and who also works at the vc birthday! so we went to red robin to celebrate! sorry for the big charge dad but sis keith forgot her wallet and our missionary card for some reason has not been filled so that why i had to move some money over.. part of the reason we had a bad day too! They normally put the money in  a day or tow before the first of the month but for some reason they didnt so no one was really able to grocery shop or do ANYTHING! yeah we are all super frustrated! but thats ok... brush it off... we will just starve till next week =) I was also able to get warm winter boots today! i will still need to take them into a repair shop to see if they can make the calf's bigger cuz i have linebacker calf's! But they are super awesome and were a really good price.

This week was full of service. We did alot of service for our elders. they have just been having a hard time so we played mom a few times and helped them help themselves. Along with giving them some food cuz they had none.

But its was a good experience. This week has not been to eventful it seems like. I Feel like sometimes i just have the same things to share every week and nothing new really happens haha. Sister Keith and I have started a new Diet! She has 6 months left so we are doing her 6 months to sexy before she goes home! Im all for losing weight =) So far so good too! Last week I had to go to the eye doctor AGAIN! He thinks i my be allergic to my contacts so before he prescribes me a new brand he has me putting these drops in for 4 weeks and having me only wear my glasses. So Its not that im to lazy to put my contacts in. But the drops sting like no other and they look like im putting milk in my eyes.. they also make a bad taste in my mouth cuz its all connected . yuck! but if it will fix my eyes im willing to do it! Today we had lunch with the elders in out district and out zone leaders cuz it was elder goodalls year mark! so his parents sent him some really good bbq sauce and Brisket. After we played ninja and it was just super fun! Later we are going to a park to meet up with some other elders to play some games and then tonight... MOVIES!!! we get to watch movies just as long as they are G.. so we are watching Kung fu panda and Emperors new groove!... we are all so excited!... well thats all i can think of right now... but never a dull week here on the mission! Always looking for new people to talk to and teach! we have a few new progressing investigators and we hope to have some dunking dates set up soon. i love seeing people make that change in their lives and choose to come unto Christ and better their lives for the better.

Something I have found Im pretty good at is the tough love part of teaching and the Love love part is there as well but it seems like here alot more often you have to use tough love =( But i love love EVERYONE! have a great halloween everyone and I hope to hear from you all soon!

Love Sister Bekka Lemons

Walking!!!!

ok so not a whole lot happened this week but i did have some firsts! So our area is HUGE!!! and we dont have alot of miles for our car so to save on miles we decided we would tray and walk some of our area this week. not sure how successful it was but we dont have much of a choice with our limited miles. But yeah it pretty much took us like an hour and a half to see like 6 people cuz they are so far apart! and then we had to walk back to our car (or run). We had some where we needed to be but we were like 2 miles away.. yeah we pretty much ran the whole way back to our car. Man running in the cold is NOT FUN!! speaking of cold its suppose to snow this wed! im hope not but we will see what happens!

We also had interviews with our mission president this week. that was good! took alot of our day up but thats ok it was needed. This man is so awesome! he takes the time to let you know how much he loves us and listens to what we have to say. just a really good man. We also had a ward fall activity this week that we were part of. we helped pretty much put alot of it together. It was fun! we got to know alot of the ward that way and were able to invite alot of the less actives and non members in the area. there was a really good turn out too! had to get out more tables and chairs. It was great!

So during interviews mission president told me/us that we would all be training at some point because of the age change  so to start preparing for it. Our mission capacity has gone from 180 to 250! so we are gonna be getting ton of new missionaries SOON! Sister Keith said she told president that im ready to train! WHAT!?!? haha that scares me!! but Im ready for whatever is thrown my way! Its just cray to think about! I have not been out very long but i could be training really soon! so pray for me that i wont mess up the new missionaries too bad haha.

I still cant believe im on a mission! sometimes i wake up freezing cold and tired and wonder "what the HECK am i doing hear?!" But then something amazing and i get reminded why im here. I have learned that I may not know everything but i know enough to teach by the spirit. There is a Mormon message called I know enough so everyone should look it up! I watch it at the VC when im having a hard day and no one wants to listen to me. in fact watch all of the mormon messages they are so inspiring and you always feel better after watching them. They are great visual lessons for us missionaries =) but anyways I just keep getiing reminded why im out here in the freezing tundra of idaho and i dont want to be anywhere else. Please keep me and my missioanry efforts in your prayers as i keep you in mine.

Well thats all for now! i Love you!!!

Sister Bekka Lemons

Elder Whiting the newest area 70
And Bekka

At district meeting

Still at the meeting

and still at the meeting

Autumn's baptism

Potato bench

The falls for which Idaho Falls are named

Idaho Falls Temple

Idaho Falls

Sister Lemons & Sister Keith