Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Baptism

This is a picture I forgot to post of the McKenzie family (first part of Dec 2010).

Monday, December 20, 2010

Transfer to Te Awamutu - New Companion (Elder Mayer)

Kia Ora Mother and Dad,



This week has been crazy. The week started out with a sick companion. I had to trade off with one of our recent converts of 3 days and drop elder Tham off at a members place for the day. He has tonsilitis or however you spell it and couldn't speak very well at all on Tuesday and Wednesday. It was a good day and we got a lot accomplished. Then on Wednesday, we got transfer calls. I had been in Gisborne for 3 months and elder tham for 4 1/2 months so everyone thought he would leave. Not the case. I got the call to transfer up to Te Awamutu and Elder Tham is once again training for the last transfer of his mission. All of our recent converts were sad especially the Maats. So, Wednesday and Thursday morning were spent saying goodbye to everyone. Thursday afternoon we hopped in the car and drove up to Auckland. It was raining and of course no tarp, so my suitcases got wet. Luckily everything inside was ok. We had transfers early Friday morning and I met my new companion Elder Mayer. Then we had mission conference which was half conference and half Christmas get together. It was quite good.



Friday night we headed off to my new area. I am in the Hamilton Zone and in the Temple View District. My companion is the District Leader and our district meetings are in the Visitors Center. We are supposed to do temple lights this week so I will tell you how that goes next week. Everything with the move has been great and I did receive the packages. Thank you for everything and I am looking forward to opening the gifts on Saturday. Thanks again for the emails mom and dad. They are great and I love to hear from you.



Ok about that phone call. I will plan to call you at about 2 pm New Zealand time on Sunday which is about 6 pm on Christmas day your time. Sorry about it being so late but I have church until 1 on sunday. I will call the work phone first and hopefully that works. Have it all set up by 5:30 at the latest just in case I get home early. Can't wait to talk to you.

Love you tons,
Elder Beckstead

P.S. That is the most chocolate I have ever seen in my whole life. It is going to take me forever to eat it all and I will probably be taking it to district meeting as well. Thanks again. Oh and the pants both work. Now I just have to wait to use them. We have a car in my area now so we don't have to ride in the rain so they will be perfect for winter. Thanks and love you.

P.P.S. Thank everyone else again as well for me. Grandma and Grandpa, the kids, mum, and the Smiths. Thank you thank you thank you

Thursday, December 16, 2010

News for 2nd week of December

Sounds like an eventful day at the least. Also eventful in the basketball season. Besides not being able to play the piano very well and aching now and then the finger is fine. Still bent but nothing I can do about it so yep. Nah, I would rather spend the money used for surgery on money for my mission. Good luck with the decision for Xane.

No I still haven't met Elder Levin but I haven't met very many of them. Also, he might be in the Wellington mission. I will let you know about when I am in Auckland. Transfers is this week and we find out on Wednesday.

I also wanted to ask about the phonecall as well. Let me know what time on Christmas eve and which phone number I am calling. It has to be just a phone call not skype unfortunately. Sorry dad. It will be Christmas eve for you so let me know when for sure and then the phone number as well. We will finalize that next week.

This week was very long. I was sick all week with a variety of different things and am still sick today. It started as a cold. Then I lost my voice for three days. Then I had no energy and a really bad sore throat and now it is back to a cold. I don't know what is wrong with me. Neosporin did not work this time and yes I did try it. But we did get three baptisms accomplished. The fourth is now pushed back to April so probably I wont be in Gisborne. Nothing else significant happened this week though so now it is transfers week and we will see how that goes.

Love you all tons and thanks for the emails.
Elder Beckstead

Package arrived safely and email rules

Kia Ora Mother,

Yes the package is here it is just in Auckland at the moment.

The mission rules on email is I can receive them from anyone but I can't respond to any except from family. So cousins, Aunts, Uncles, Grandparents, and family is ok but no friends. I can email you and have you forward the emails to the people as well. It just has to go through you. That is the rules as far as I understand them.

Anyways, thanks for the package and I hope to get it this weekend. I'll let you know next week how that goes and where I am.

Love you tons,
Elder Beckstead

Monday, December 6, 2010

December Sabbath

Kia Ora again mother.
 
I am glad you are feeling better. Sounds like an eventful week and I am glad you enjoyed the Devotional. I'm sad I missed it. No I haven't met Elder Loomis and I wondered where Elder Smith went. Elder Tham trained him as well.
 
This week did go much better although there was a hickup as well. We had four baptisms this week. The Mckenzie family. We were supposed to have shaz as well, but a complication came up. For sure next week however. This next week is going to be a doozie with a four baptisms and a wedding to plan for. And then transfers is the 17th so that is added stress. Anyways, it will be great.

I love you tons!
 
Aroha,
Elder Beckstead

Friday, December 3, 2010

Kia Ora Whanau

Kia Ora Whanau,

An update from the land of the Kiwis.

I will forewarn you that this week was one of the hardest I have experienced yet on my mission. Satan is working tirelessly down here in Gisborne and we are feeling the effects.

To start of the week, two of our baptismal candidates dropped off the radar. One lost his desire to stop or give up the things of the world, and the other revealed a court date in two days from now that she might go to prison or get a home detention bracelet. It was a depressing start to the week. Our third baptismal prospect looked hopeful until we received a call Thursday night informing us that her Nan (Grandma) died. So she was up the coast, out of town, all weekend. So all three were unavailable for baptism this week.

The next thing that happened started on Wednesday. Elder Tham woke up with a headache but didn't think anything of it. As the day progressed we went on trade offs and then when we traded back, Elder tham was mostly out of it. We went to our next lesson and he crashed the entire thing. So the next appointment I canceled and I took him home and put him to bed. All day Thursday he was in bed. Friday he stayed in the flat all day as well. He only slept for part of the day but was still out of it. He still isn't recovered totally to this day but at least we were able to work a little bit on Saturday and Sunday.

A few good things that happened was that the media campaign started and we had a miracle find and lesson with one of those. We walked in and taught her about the book of Mormon. We even got her to pray and receive and answer that it was true. However, we went back for our next lesson and found out that she had called us and told us to not come back. We tried to figure out why and she said that she wasn't going to consider the book of Mormon the word of god. She told us the scripture that says nothing shall be added or taken from the bible. That is an annoying scripture but we couldn't do anything about it. Another bummer. Another good thing though was that we have four solidly set people for next week. We have the baptismal program all set up and now it is a waiting game as well as keeping in contact as best we can. They live forty-five minutes away by car which is kinda hard to get to on a bike. Phone calls will have to suffice for the time being until we see them on Thursday.

So that was our week. Exhausting to say the least. Anyways, it is done and gone so now we can focus on this new week.

I love you all and am grateful for all the prayers and support sent my way.

Aroha,
Elder Beckstead