Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Staying Focused


Kia Ora Mother,

It is a crazy to hear all the things that are happening back home. And what is even more crazy is that transfers is this week and I only have 6 weeks left. I am honestly doing good. It is my companion that is having a harder time than me. I am focusing on the things we are doing and can do instead of the things we aren't doing and aren't able to do. It has helped me to stay focused. The only trouble I am having is not going crazy.

Not very much happened this week exciting anyways. We didn't have any investigators at church this week but we did have a few less-actives. Our K's are still shot and we don't have any progressing investigators. But I guess that is some weeks here in the mission.

Well I don't think anything is going to effect us during transfers. So my focus is going to be on this area and not going over K's. Also, we are basically completely trusting in the Lord to fill our time because it is almost impossible. We are staying positive.

Love yous heaps.
Elder Beckstead

Happy Birthday


Kia Ora Mother,

Well Grandpa said the same thing about the singing and I told him I would be happy to listen but I need a break. I will have to think about it some more but I already know I don't have too much of a choice in the matter. I might just have to go with Xane on Sunday :) but we will see.

This week was an interesting week for sure. It started off alright and interviews happened on Thursday. It was funny though because I was interviewed three times. The first time President Lekias thought I was going home next week and it was all about finishing strong. Then Sister Lekias told him and he called me back in. The second interview was about my area and staying focused. Then he called me in a third time for a temple recommend. I had asked about it during the first interview and he thought I was going home so he said we would do it then. It was a big mess that turned out for the best. All three interviews took about as long as a normal one, so it worked out. Then we drove back and we were suppose to help this guy milk cows. We got there at the end and just watch him treat some of the cows. We are helping him again this week though which I am not excited about at all.

Yes, I did get the package and thank you very much. It was a good package. I even got to give a couple of the baptism pencils away at a baptism we had this weekend. More on that later.

Friday was an ok day except for the fact that not much happened. We had weekly planning and then a member took us to lunch. Then we had a mini, MCM which is a missionary meeting. We were supposed to stay in Waihi with our branch president but he was with the youth until 10:30 pm. You know how changing plans urcs me but there it was.

Saturday was a very trying day. It was my birthday but that night leading up to it I got very little sleep. Then we got our k's lowered in the morning. Right after that we got a phone call from our branch mission leader stating that our potential set couldn't get baptized because she would be baptized into inactivity. We understood the circumstances but it was still annoying. Also, they asked us to tell them she couldn't get baptized. Then we met crazy people throughout the day. Finally, we were at our branch mission leaders for dinner and he gave me a pretty cool birthday present. Looking back it was an alright day. Just certain events have been challenging.

Then yesterday we had 2 baptisms in the branch. The senior couple in our branch are doing very well and 2 of the girls they were teaching got baptized. It was good to see them get dunked :) I gave them a pencil each so hopefully they liked them.

It was a very interesting week with good and bad mixed in. Our mission president told Elder Cenicola that we were under no pressure to baptize and that the branch is not the best at the moment so we will have to do alot of finding on our own. I guess that is what we will be doing from now on.

I hope that you have a good week and I love you heaps.
Elder Beckstead

Monday, July 9, 2012

Trip to Coromandel and Upcoming Interviews


Kia Ora Mother,

Ok, this week was a crazy week. We were stuck here is this area for most the week because we didn't go to district meeting and we didn't have heaps of k's for much. The only exciting thing we did was go up to Coromandel, sleep on the floor of the chapel/house which was freezing cold, and find out that that area is more dead than this one. Suffice it too say that when I got back yesterday from that excursion I was very tired hungry and grumpy. I am warning you now that I need a few days of sleep recovery when i get home because I am exhaused every day and if you miss sleep it is impossible to make it up. I know you know how it is. Oh well. I will just let my mother fix me up when I return home.

Well, this week looks like an interesting one. We have interviews which I am not really looking forward to at the moment but they will happen anyways. Then the package that you sent is sitting in my district leaders boot waiting for me to collect it. The problem is that he lives ages away. I will get it wednesday for sure. Then of course it is my birthday. We will see if I do anything out of the ordinary. I doubt it but we'll see.

Overall things are moving forward and it is getting closer and closer to September. Ok, your question is a bit hard this week but here goes. The first thing about my companion is that he is very good with bible scriptures. I am terrible with the Bible. So with my Book of Mormon knowledge and his bible knowledge we do alright. Second is that he stops for nothing. That is very irritating sometimes but it is a strength that he has. And thirdly he is from California which I guess is a good thing.

Three things about this area are that it is beautiful. Great scenery all around. Then the second is that the people at least the members are mostly nice. They are happy to see Elders back in the area. Thirdly, I am grateful to have a car again. I am tired of biking and a car is a great relief from that.

Then three things I have learned from my mission president is that first, no effort is wasted. I also learn that from Preach My Gospel. Second is that when we come to see people as our brothers and sisters, it becomes easier to see what they can become and it is easier to talk to them and offer the gospel. Then thirdly, is that we as missionaries need to know three things, how we feel when someone gets converted, how they feel and how the members feel when involved in the conversion process.

Love you heaps and I hope that you have a wonderful week.
Elder Beckstead

Monday, July 2, 2012

Visit from Alex & Package Sent Home


Kia Ora Mother,

It sounds like a fun week back home. I am glad that Alex was able to catch all of yous home. He was very nice to me here in New Zealand and I am grateful for that. Don't worry too much about the birthday package. It will be great. Also, I enjoy getting spoiled but I think I had my turn. You can spoil my kids instead.

This week was an interesting one for us. We started the week sick. Both me and my companion went to the doctors on Tuesday. Then we had a tradeoff with the zone leaders. We were kinda out of it but it turned out to be successful. Then we continued to try and find people the rest of the week. Saturday we had a fun activity. It was an olympic kai night, or olympic food night. There were six countries involved. Cook Island which we were apart of. Chile, Iceland, France, Netherlands, and Russia.

Me and my companion had to wear lava lavas and leis and we sang the Cook Island national anthem. That was interesting. The other groups did theirs as well. Then all of the groups did a dance or presentation from their country. We didn't get involved in that. The best one was the Russian group. It was comprised of all Tongans. There were two families and they did a great job. We had a great night. Oh and then everyone made food from their countries.

It was a pretty good week although we still are having troubles finding people to teach. We have concluded that we will have to tract everywhere. It is not an exciting prospect. Oh well. I guess it is only for another 2 months. I can do anything for two months.

To answer the question. I fasted for people to teach. and also patience so I wont explode at my companion or my leaders. It is proving difficult at the moment. People just do some really dumb things. Oh well. I guess I do as well.

I hope that you all have a wonderful week. and keep in mind something that has helped me this week. No effort is wasted. It feels like sometimes we do things that are a waste of time when we are trying our best to serve the lord. It never is. Someone is always watching and listening even if they do not know it themselves at the time.

Love you heaps.
Elder Beckstead