Transferred to Pukekohe

Kia Ora Mother and Fam,

Ok, to start off the email and to clear up some confusion, I like butter on one half of the bagel and cream cheese and jam on the other half. <<see Kristin's email below>> That would be the best as long as you didn't put the two halves together. Ok, now that that is out of the way, to answer you second question, in a minute.

Thanks for the 21 day challenge. <<also see Kristin's email below>>  It will be interesting to try out since it is the start of a new 6 week cycle with hopefully no change in sight. Maybe. Anyways, yes I will try that as we meet with members.

Ok, enough suspense. Yes, I got transfered, actually double shifted, out of my last area of Papatoetoe. I am now junior companion again to Elder Battsagaan from Mongolia. We are in Pukekohe which is farther south of Auckland although it is still south Auckland, kinda. We are in a car which I am very grateful for and I am the designated driver. Fantastic.

We had a baptism this past weekend of a girl named Ashley. She is pictured above and seems really great. My new ward seems good. Something else interesting about the area is that there is a companionship of sisters as well in our ward. They live right up the street from us. So we get to work pretty closely with sisters as well and that also means that there is a good possibility of the ward splitting soon.

Well I am doing well and am grateful to be in this new part of New Zealand. Tell Xane that in our area is a place where are mission has a challenge at an ice cream place that is called Pokeno's. Well that is the city anyways. The record is either 15 or 19 scoops on one double cone. It is nuts and I am not going to try it, but it is pretty cool it is in our area. Their ice cream is good too. I definitely need to start excercises heaps.

Well, I love you heaps and am grateful for all you do for me.
Arohanui,
Elder Beckstead

Love you!!!!!!!!!!!

On Sun, Aug 28, 2011 at 3:49 PM, <krtxk@comcast.net> wrote:
Kia Ora Trev,

Did you know we think about or talk about you every day?  Here is a perfect example from this morning.  We were eating bagels and cream cheese in shifts.  Dad and I were the first shift and I was adding jam to my cream cheese. Dad asked, "who else likes to add jam to cream cheese?  It's Trevor isn't it?"  I replied that you really liked to eat your bagel with butter.  He didn't remember that nearly as well as I did and we discussed it for a few more minutes.  Later, when Xane and Korin were eating during the next shift, Dad asked who is it that likes to eat jam with their cream cheese?  Xane immediately said " oh, that's Trevor.  He loves it that way" and Korin without missing a beat said, "No he doesn't.  Trevor likes his bagels with butter!"  I burst out laughing and Dad had to explain to them that we just had the same conversation with exactly the same "gender" answers.  Xane and Dad - and Mom and Korin.  Oh man, it was so funny and I am still laughing about it as I type.

Have you had the crazy news?  Tara is headed to Billings, Montana mission for another little while until her Brazilian Visa gets here.  We all believe she will eventually get to Brazil but now she's headed north before she goes south.  She's a titch nervous about her clothes.  They are ALL very fine for "living on top of the equador-ish", and she doesn't have a thing to take to a cold weather environment.  So far, they have been perfect for this hot Utah summer at the MTC, but Uncle Jeff said today that in Montana they are already starting to see days with the high only in the 70's.  We all know the Lord will take care of her!  She leaves on Tuesday.  (She gets to take the "scenic" route to Brazil:)

All the kids finally made it back into school.  Xane continues to ride his bike, while Korin is actually riding the bus in the mornings and afternoons.  Sam and I continue to go to Orchard at a leisurely pace barely making it before the bell rings at 9:15 am.  I've already gone in this week to steam desks in his class.  The teacher said, "The desks are all clean for the beginning of school. You don't have to come yet."  I said I didn't mind and it would start getting me in the habit.  Brother!  I started steaming and the things were "surface clean" but the towel came away absolutely filthy.  I even had a chance to show the new principal.  Wouldn't it be wonderful if they actually bought one for the school?  I also got to attend the temple twice last week - after the crazy summer I needed it!!!!!! Dad also got to attend twice because he went with Korin and Xane to do baptisms.  The last two weeks they were the first ones there in the morning and were home by 5 minutes after 6:00 am.  Now that's fast!  But BYU starts tomorrow so there is no way that will continue.

We had Stake Conference this weekend and the theme was in building our faith.  Today President Webb's talk was  all about "The Lord wants us to be Happy!"  He was so tender and emotional when he told us that too. He said, "some of you don't believe it for your own lives, but I testify that the prophets have called the Lord's plan "the plan of happiness" and he wants YOU to be happy."  It was a great two days and we are grateful for incredible people who are willing to share their experiences and testimonies of how the gospel touches their lives.  Last night a couple from the Mt Timpanogos Temple Presidency spoke and then today a couple from the Utah Provo Mission Presidency spoke to us. They were both wonderful but I specifically wanted to share President Blacker's message with you.  I think you will love it.
He spoke to us of Two Words - Be Kind.  Be is the action word and Kind is a 4 step process.  K= to know.  Know and understand the gospel and then take that knowledge to make a difference in someone's life.  I = invite.  There was an older sister being baptized and she was questioned why it took her so long to join the church.  She answered, "Because no one ever asked me."  So invite, our ask someone to attend church, or ask if they would like to know more, etc.  N = do it NOW.  Be missionaries almost every waking hour of our lives.  And D= Daily prayers.  He told of a story from missionaries in their area when he was raising his family, with the 21-day program.  (I thought of you because you just had transfers and whether you were affected or not, it sort-of starts a new 6 week cycle without change, so you could start this today and have some amazing success before you have transfers again).  When you meet with members (or even interested investigators), ask them to pray for 21 days in a row for someone they know who could be a referral to meet with the missionaries and receive the gospel.  Be a little more kind and see the golden opportunities to be a missionary that are all around you.

Okay, this email is starting to get longer than long and I suspect you don't have too much more time left so I'm signing off.

Question of the week - how did transfers affect you, Elder Beckstead?  In your companionship, your district, and your zone.

Love you tons and tons,
Sending hugs and kisses galore!
Mother