Monday, October 25, 2010

Email to Sam

Sam's email:

To Elder Beckstead

Yesterday I went to the BYU football game and a BYU  soccer game BYU wun both games. Hurry!

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Trevor's reply:

I am assuming this is sam. So Kia Ora Sam. I am glad you got to go. Keep cheering for me ok. Keep doing good in school ok.

Love You tons,
Elder Beckstead

Email to Korin

Korin's email:

Hi Trev,

I'm so sorry I didn't get to write to you last week. I had a headache so I came home and slept. Opening night for the play is on Wednesday Nov 3. It is really soon and I'm a little scared. Mom finished my costume and I wish you could see it. On Friday last week, I went and stayed with Tara at her apartment. We got to babysit Mady. After that we went and saw despicable me. It is so funny. I hope we can get it. Than we went back to her apartment and slept. We slept in till 10. It was great. She dropped me off at the BYU stadium. Xane, Sam and I watched the game and BYU won. Than we went home and I got in the car to go to the photo shoot for the play. than we came home and saw the girl that Xane asked on a date. We had dinner with her and than we went to the BYU womens soccer game. It was fun and the San Diego State goalie got a red card. BYU won.Today it has been really rainy. I don't like it.

Love you,

kornish pixie dounuts
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Trevor's reply:
Kia Ora Korinny,

No worries on the missed email last week. I am glad to hear from you this week. It sounds like a good week for you. Keep track of those movies you see that are good so I can see them when I get home. Way to go, BYU in both sports. Xane asked a girl on a date. Are You SERIOUS? No way. Good on him. Keep tara company for me will ya. Thanks.

Keep doing what your doing and good luck with school and especially the play in a week and a half.

Love ya tons,
Elder Beckstead

Email to Dad

Kia Ora Dad,

Thanks for the insight on the iron rod. I just couldn't help thinking that an Iron rod would have been nice climbing lone peak. Or I guess decending lone peak. Anyways, that is very cool. Clinging to the word of god is the greatest things we had do to get closer to our heavenly father. Those three people preparing for baptism are doing well. Two are ready for sure and the third is getting there. I am kinda worried about him but it is in the lord's hands now whether he gets baptized or not. We will do all we can of course but we'll see.

This week was also better with lessons. A lot more people kept their appointments and we taught a ton of lessons this week. It was very exciting. I love teaching lessons and it is much better being busy rather than slow.
Well I hope things are good back home and even though I miss you all, I know I am where I am supposed to be.

Love you tons,
Elder Beckstead

Email to Mom

Kia Ora Mother,

It sounds like you had a very busy week doing one thing the entire time. My goodness. Well I am glad you are done with two of the three costumes. Although I am kinda worried that life gets harder after the mission. The mission is hard enough. I am glad you had fun with Xane and his date. It sounded fun.

It is good over here. We have 3 baptisms this week we are preparing for and it is going to take a lot of work to get there. Our investigators are doing well. I can't believe I have been here for a month already but at the same time I can't believe it has only been a month. It has felt like forever since I got here. The weather is getting warmer which is nice but it will soon be really hot. I am going to burn so bad this summer if it is as bad as everyone says. Or I going to run out of sunscreen by december. Anyways, it is nice to have warm weather and not rain.

I had a crazy experience this week. Two actually. On monday I had the opportunity to eat two dinners, or it was my first time. I did ok until dessert at the second house. I ate two thirds of it and then went into the bathroom and threw up. They didn't make me eat the rest of dessert thank goodness but I hope they don't know that I threw up either. I don't know how I will survive with the islanders in Auckland. I will have to pray for hollow legs up there. I also had the chance to have raw oysters. It was disgusting. Very Very salty. I knew I didn't like seafood, but this just confirmed it 10 fold.

Anyways, I good over here and I hope you are all doing well over there.
Love You tons and miss you tons as well.
Love,
Elder Beckstead

Monday, October 18, 2010

Hey From Gisborne

Hey from Gisborne.

This week was a crazy week down here. Last monday was p-day and we played Risk as we are doing now. Then we went to the YSA FHE and taught a lesson. It was great.

Then tuesday came and we had district meeting. We learned about how better to get our investigators to church. Then my companion took off to Auckland with the Zone Leaders for a leadership training thingamobob. So I went with the other elders in our zone down to Wairoa. It was interesting because we got to use the training we had in District meeting on an inactive lady that hadn't been to church in over ten years. We got her committed and actually taught her a lesson the next day. It was a good experience. Wairoa is about an hour south of Gisborne.

Then arrived Wednesday. We were still in Wairoa and went and visited most of their investigators. The elders I was with were Elder Manning and Elder Petty. They are both great elders. We did teach several times and actually helped with a service project in the morning. I didn't have my work shoes with me so i had to wear a pair of Elder Manning's. We also had the privelege of giving a blessing. That night after PEC we came back up to Gisborne.

Then came thursday. Elder Petty had a meeting at the stake center so Elder Manning and I went to some of our investigators by the church. Only one was home and we set an appointment for later. Then we collected Elder Petty and off we went to the Investigators in our area. We went to almost all of the ones I could remember and it was a hard day. Several investigators dropped us and we hadn't taught a lesson. After lunch back at the flat in which we made pasta Elder Petty said a prayer that we would get to teach a lesson. We went and taught the Maats who were getting baptized on saturday. We taught them and I got to meet the cousin that had gone out of town. It was a good lesson but I kept praying that we would get another lesson in. We went around and another investigator dropped us. It was frustrating but we kept our heads up and kept going. We finally tried one of the people i had talked to on the street the week before. We got in the door and were able to teach them. It was a major miracle and a great experience. The lady I talked to was in her twenties and hadn't anything to do with religion before. The mother in law was catholic and she actually helped us out in teaching part of the lesson. It was very interesting but wonderful.

Friday came along and we had a lesson with the Maats and noon. Then the Elders came back from Auckland and I finally got mail from everyone. At least I hadn't gotten one when I arrived in Auckland that first day. After we had lunch and regrouped, I took off with Elder Tham but again it was a really hard day. No one was home. Even the appointments I had set on thursday fell through. It was frustating again. I got my first flat tire and it took two patches to fix. We did have a lesson with recent converts and then dinner with a member. The recent converts were a family named the martins and they are great. They have 11 kids. Only 8 or so are still in the house though. One of the dogs stoll both of our right shoes and it was kinda funny. The dog also stoll Elder Tham's helmet and Elder Tham got a flat tire. Dinner at the members house was kfc and it was good. We also did a friend share and we are trying to set up a Wananga which is like a conference weekend thing where we stay at a members house and eat, do dishes, and teach for a weekend. I hope it works out.

Saturday was conference weekend and it was a very busy day for us. We had to be at the church at 7:30 am to fill the font. We had a wonderful baptism at 10 for Shayna and Chrystal Maats, and Katya McFlinn. A member baptized them and I got to confirm Shayna. It was a great experience although I was really nervous but it went ok. Then we had conference at 1, 4 and 7. They were all great but the one at 1 was the priesthood session and it was different seeing it first. Then we went home. We were at the church almost all day. We did go out and preached by the way for a little bit but mostly we remained at the chapel.

Sunday had a slow start. We studied and then weekly planned for the next week. After that we went to the lunch at a members house. It was very good.We had a roast of somekind. I still prefer grandma's though. Then we went to conference. The first session was great. Then we gave a blessing and one of our recent converts of last july, gave the annointing for the first time. It was his first blessing and it was great for him. The church was then closed because of a health issue and we didn't get to watch the second session. We were going to go out and visit some of our investigators but we found out who had the dvd of conference and went and took it from them. We watched it a little but again were interupted to give another blessing in the zone leaders area. We went to the blessing and then were late reporting to the AP's the weeks numbers. It was crazy day.

So now it is monday and p-day again and we are playing Risk. I love everyone back home and miss them. I hope everything is going great there and things are great here. Love ya tons.
Elder Beckstead

P.S. Some fun facts about here so far. I have eaten Lamb tails and powa. Lamb tails are ok but not really worth the effort of eating them. Not enough meat. Powas are ok as well but I will stay clear of them if possible. Cray fish is weird as well and the prices on everything is astonomical.
Love ya!

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Letter to Grandma & Grandpa B

Things have been going great over here. I even have had 3 more baptisms added to my list and it was a great experience. I even got to confirm one of them. I hope they get some elk as well. It figures that crazy people are still about and yes I have encountered some of those free thinkers over here. Some of them are so funny.

I am in the gisborne zone actually and it has been rather cold over here lately. I wish it would warm up a bit, but not too much. I serve in the Kaiti and Mangapapa areas of Gisborne, but those are just areas inside the actual city of Gisborne. I had the chance to go to Wairoa this week and it was pretty fun down there as well. Whakatane is about 3 or 4 hours from here in Gisborne according to the elders I am with. Gisborne is an eight hour drive from Auckland so I am way out here. I am in the place that sees the sun first in the world. Gisborne is about 20,000 people so not super big. The actually city part is not in our area so we are more in the suburbs type areas. It is pretty out here although more dry than I thought possible at sea level.

I am loving it out here although I miss you all.

Love you and grandma tons.
Elder Beckstead

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Hello Elder

Dear dad,
 
Yes, general conference gets recorded and then we watch it next week in the chapels. I am excited to watch and to bring investigators to watch as well. That is a funny story but when I got to my first area, it was at 9:30 at night. So we planned and went to bed. The next morning was semi-booked though so that was good. I am jealous about the general conference business. I wish I could've gone with you both. It sounded like they were good sessions.
 
I am sorry about BYU, but I hope they turn around soon and win all the rest. I do hope that elk hunting goes well. I request some jerky for christmas as well. Thanks for the quote, I am wondering when my mission will seem to go by fast, but I need to exercise more patience i guess. We have a few more baptisms next week that I am excited for. I actually get to confirm one of them. I hope I do ok.
I love you and miss you and I hope work and life is going well.
 
Love you tons,
Elder Beckstead

Awesome Missionary Mail

Mother,
 
It has been a great week and I am getting along with my companion. He is sick at the moment though. Yes my mission seems like it is going to last for 100 years not 2. Everyones says it goes fast but I want to know when it starts to seem that way. The work is hard here yes and the days last forever. I definitely look forward to each night. Either, or. Multiple emails is great or one email is great too. As long as you write, I am satisfied. For the BOM testimonies, print them out and sent them and sent the pdf file. General conference is next week for me so I am looking forward to it.
 
There were no baptisms for us this weekend but we did have one in our zone. We also have 3 next weekend and I am excited. We did teach 21 lessons this week though. I was proud of that. We are really close with some other people as well. We just need to get them committed to baptism. Anyways, the mission is great so far and I am glad everything is going well back home.
 
Love,
Elder Beckstead