Working hard... WWW & How is the day?

Entebbe Missionaries!

Hello. This week was awesome. We had an awesome time and it was also Wilford Woodruff week (www) where we work extra hard and to the last second looking for people to share the gospel with. IT was good, but tiring.

So on Tuesday it was awesome. I was on exchanges with Elder Myers. He is a good friend and we just had a nice day. Taught a ton of powerful lessons and just had a good time. We taught Juma the blind man and we laughed like nothing all together. IT was awesome. Laughing is awesome.

ON Wednesday, I was able to go on exchanges with Elder Shelton this time. We had a nice day. Got surprised with food from an investigator and dropped a Book of Mormon off at another investigator and he was really really happy to get one. The BOok of MOrmon brings happiness into our lives. Read it!

ON Thursday, it was a long day, but we got a ton of things done. I was so tired though. I literally wanted to sleep on the road.... But it was awesome. We met some really cool people and are definitely seeing the blessings.

On Friday was another really nice day. We had some insanely spiritual lessons. It was a lot because of a member that came with us. It was just awesome. It made me grateful to be on mission.

On Saturday was a good day. We had a family history thing at the church it was good, but a little disorganized. We are working with a lot of different members right now and things are picking up with members. SUnday was awesome, but disappointing. A lot of people that I felt really good about didn't come to church, but there were some that did come. The ward is doing well. The problem is getting people consistent and ready for baptism right now, but the work of the Lord will progress.

Today we had a fun zone activity and just made and ate a ton of food. It was fun.

This week I was a little down because it feels like we are working so hard and so many things seem to be moving forward and then there comes a lot of disappointments.... Which was getting me down after church on Sunday, but then we were visiting an investigator and I shared a scripture in Alma 36:3 and we had a really good discussion on it. I think it helped me more than the investigator because it is an awesome scripture. Alma is teaching his son Helaman to trust in the Lord through everything and he will support you through anything and everything. What a great lesson to teach your son or to anyone. Trust in the Lord! don't doubt, don't give up, but if we trust in him we will progress we will accomplish great things and the lord will be with us every step of the way. Let us trust in him and everything will work out. We trust him by being grateful, being prayerful, and being obedient and diligent no matter what! Have a great week.

Love Elder Beck

Mom Questions....
1.  What's something that we as a family did to influence you to be a good person?

Something the family influenced me was staying together and having unity and also supporting everyone through everything no matter what. IT is important!

2.  How big of an influence were leaders, coaches and friends on you? In preparing you to be who you are and to serve a mission?

They were a big influence on me. I didn't have that much personal preparation, but somehow I was still prepared enough to come, so it had to be those around me.

3. Pride was a topic of discussion  this week.  How does pride prevent us from progressing? Is pride an issue in missionary work?

This week I studied a talk about Pride by President Benson. It is a really powerful talk. Pride blocks the spirit, knowledge, change, unity, and many other things which are essential to moving forward and progressing. It is something that is really really big on mission and in missionary work. Pride is not easy, but we can control it and get rid of it in our lives.

4.  What is a common saying in Uganda that you don't hear in Idaho? Like we might greet with... howdy, hey there,  what's up? What do you say there?

How is the day? How are we? .......Nothing much different! 

Usually just bad English grammar and probably won't make sense in the States, but it does here. haha. 

Also... THEY GREAT MANY TIMES HERE. 
and not just one HOW IS THE DAY....., but maybe like 3 or 4. hahahahaha

Being a goof ball!  ha ha ha ha  - - love it!  this is the only pic he emailed this week

18 months down!!

ELDERS Beck and Anderson with the cute children

Hello. This week was awesome. Officially hit 18 months on mission and I officially passed my sister and dad in time spent on mission. I am feeling really good about myself right now and receiving even more blessings.... haha

African sun

This week I went to Kajjansi on exchanges with Elder Shelton. It was a fun day. We enjoyed. had some really nice food ,felt the spirit and had a crazy dream... It was fun though. Wednesday we had a really spiritual District meeting on becoming Christ-like and it really motivated me the rest of the week. Also had a really nice day.

Thursday We had a powerful day. One of our investigators Derrick received an answer that he needs to be baptized so he is set for this sunday on the 26th. On Friday we had lunch with an investigator. Cassava!! gotta love it. 

aaaaaaahhhhhhhhh

On Saturday we had interviews with president and started a mission fast and had a fireside. It was awesome. Sang a nice song. watched a new first vision video that the church put out. Really nice......Also Elder Koopman's Birthday. I have been around him for both of his birthday's......

Nap time

zzzzzzzzzzz

On Sunday we had a nice day except for the rain. It stopped a lot of people from coming to church, but we had some investigators, some white people, and a guy from Uruguay that only speaks spanish. It was an interesting Sabbath. Also we met with the Stake President and the Mission President to talk about how we can work together better. IT was a really powerful meeting. Today we played basketball in Kampala. Really fun. Great week.

  

This week I just realized the importance of Priesthood keys and the blessing it is that we have them on the earth right now. Each of us have leaders around us that hold these priesthood keys and can receive direct guidance and revelation from God. It is amazing to see and such a blessing when we listen and live to what these people say. I can't imagine what it would be like not to have these priesthood keys today. Let us not take it for granted and be grateful for them. have a great week.  Love you..

Love elder Beck

MOM QUESTIONS....

1. when you say you aren't good at spending money ...does that mean you spend too much or you are a tight wad?

It means I am a tight wad.... I feel bad when I spend money and always second guess myself and feel regret and ask myself if it was worth it... yep. But I am spending more money now.... Not sure if that is a good thing or not.

2. Is the truck on the mend?  Is the driving worse in Uganda or Rwanda?

The truck is good. The driving is worse in Uganda by a far amount. It is not easy!....

3.  does it seem weird that you are on the downhill slide of your mission?  It's fun to see some of the missionaries coming home..... Tyson, Brynlee.  We are excited for your return but we love that you are still going strong and working hard and  loving your mission.  How do you feel about that or are you trying to ignore it?  My bet is that we will miss your mission almost as much as you will.  It's a journey, live it well.

  It is definitely in my mind as I am 18 months now, but it doesn't really affect me during the day too much. It makes me realize how fast time is going by and how I need to use these last 6 months smartly and make a huge difference! I will miss mission a lot when I go home.

Having fun with selfie stick.... silly boys

2 for 1. Busy but good! (and the sequel....) We are on fire!!

--someone didn't around to posting last week..... maybe Blake?.... anywho... here we go, 2 wks worth--

BUSY BUT GOOD!!

Hello. SO this week was really busy for us with transfers and truck and MLC, but the lord did really bless us this week.

Tuesday we had to take the truck in because it wasn't going into reverse and that is a problem............ So we got back to our are late ,but still had some nice lessons. Wednesday was transfer day so we had to go to kampala go back to entebbe, go back to Kampala, get some lunch, move some luggage around and finally come back to Entebbe. It was good though. NO one got hurt.

Thursday we finally had a full day in our area and we used it well. WE had a lesson when a chicken came into the living room as we were teaching so the investigator gets up and catches the screaming chicken and throws it out the door........... Only in Africa, yet it feels so normal now. haha.

also we did some finding and we came across some guys and started talking to them. They welcomed us and so we asked if there was anyone else that would like to join us and slowly by slowly they picked sisters, daughters, neighbors, friends and by the end we had like 15 people gathered around us ready to learn. It was pretty cool. It was a nice lesson as well.


ON friday we went to Kampala again to have MLC. It was really powerful! Elder Grant is the new AP and he was awesome. Learned a lot from that! ALso went to a nice buffet afterwards and ate well.

Saturday, we got back to our area. Did some planning for the week and for the transfer. It is going to be a great transfer. We taught some awesome lessons and went to Kajjansi for a baptism interview. I found out if you talk really fast. The american missionaries can understand what you say, but the people can't. It is actually pretty funny...... THey get mad at you because they can't understand.

Sunday we had an awesome day. A lot of our investigators came to church, but they all left before the last class. Priesthood and Relief Society get kind of boring........It was good though. Mary got confirmed and is really doing well. We got fed lunch. Really nice. We have some baptisms looking good for the 19th of March so that is awesome. Things are good right now. We did some window shopping today. Negotiating here is not easy. They want to rip you off........    It makes it fun though. haha.

Something I learned and like a lot this week was something that was said in MLC. That we don't need to be mechanical. We shouldn't just do the same thing over and over and just go through the motions. TRYING SOMETHING NEW AND FUN. ASKING THE LORD WHAT WE CAN DO BETTER.  It can bring joy and happiness in our lives and especially the spirit. The lord created us to be creative and to be different. Don't get stuck in the same old rut. Make things new and fun, but LET THE SPIRIT GUIDE YOU. I testify that the spirit will guide us in our lives. Have a great week. Love you.

Love ELder Beck

Elders at MLC

cool painting

WE ARE ON FIRE!!!

So this week was great. Missionary Work is going well.

It started out on Tuesday that we got bounced a bit in the late afternoon and we were again wondering what to do, so what did we do..... We prayed and asked God what we needed to do. I felt like we needed to go to this area and Elder Andersen felt like in that area we need to go to this specific place in that area. We did some finding, but got shut down at first and then when we were about to go to our next appointment we decided we were there for more than just that and we contacted one more house and the people we met we are teaching now a husband and wife and a brother to the husband. Crazy. It is so simple. Pray and ask God and he will guide you. It is always the last person you talk to. haha.

Also on Wednesday we had a really nice ZDM as a zone. The Unity is awesome right now. I also sang were all in this together with dancing for a training so thank you sisters for watching High School Musical..... Let us say it caught the attention of the missionaries, but definitely never doing it again... haha.  (What in the world, He sang in front of other people?  Awesome!)


ON thursday we had exchanges. I was with Elder Mambou. He is from Congo, but lives in South Africa. Really fun day. Great missionary. The lord is bringing people to us and it seems like our investigators are bringing people to us to teach. It is awesome!

Sunday was a great day. We had a ward conference which was really nice. A lot of powerful people from the Stake came. It was good for the investigators. We are doing a lot of great work. We are just getting a lot of people close to baptism, but something is holding them back. We are getting a lot of cool people right now and we are praying to find a way to get them to become official members. IT is fun. Elder Andersen and I have been looking back and seeing how everything seems to work out and how we find and teach people. It is amazing how everything seems to work out together and it is not us, but the Master putting it together. It was an awesome week.

This week the theme for the conference in the Ward was... Obedience brings blessings. It is so simple, but yet we sometimes forget about it. When we are obedient and put God first. Whether on the Sabbath or tithing, or anything. The Lord will bless us and provide for us. It is so simple and it ALWAYS WORKS! IT is a divine law. We will never not receive blessings when we keep the commandments. Obedience brings blessings. Have a great week. Love you.

Love Elder Beck


MOM QUESTIONS...
1. What do you think of your cousin makell going to czech slavak mission and speaking slavak?

I think that is sweet! I couldn't do that.......... But she is a lot better than me so she can handle it. Missions are awesome! It will be a great mission but not the best because she is not in the UKM...ha ha

2.  Have you been to a funeral in uganda?  How are they different or the same as in the US?

I have been to one in Rwanda, but not Uganda. It was different because they recorded and took pictures of everything. They had a camera in the face of the family crying their eyes out as the person was buried that seemed weird. Also they have pastors pray and do weird stuff. I like the USA Church ones better. 

3.  If you had a lot of money in Uganda, what would you buy?

UMMmmmmmm. I don't know. Nice food....... Clothes........ GO a see cool things....... Get cool paintings............ I am not really sure... I found out that I am not good at spending money.......

4.  Birthday package going out this week?  need anything specific?

Neutragena face wash.....Candy......... Cake mixes......... Frosting........Beef Jerky.......A bag of Sunflower seeds flavored.... Just suggestions

5.  Have you bought any clothes over there, if so , what? 

I bought some african pattern shirts. I am probably going to buy a custom suit. Maybe some other things. Clothes are cheap here.

6. We had a lesson on Grace this Sunday.  I am amazed and in awe of Grace. It is for all and enables us to become all that we can.  We don't earn heaven but learn heaven through grace...to become like the Savior. The talk for the lesson was recent one by Uchtdorf and then one by Brad Wilcox.  What are you studying?

 I am glad you read that talk by Dieter f. Uchtdorf because I read that same talk. It is a really good talk and I enjoyed it a lot. I am going through Uchtdorf's talks for the last few conferences right now. The words of modern prophets and apostles are becoming my favorite to study right now.....I will study that talk again and more about Grace.

TRANSFERS!!!!! Just enjoying life right now :)

Elder Anderson and Beck on the equator

service project

strike a pose Entebbe missionaries!!!

So this week was great. Transfers.... I am staying with Elder Andersen. Elder Brogan my former companion is coming to entebbe. So things are good right now. We are looking forward to another transfer.

This week was awesome. So some cool things that happened this week was on Tuesday we were going to do some service for a member, but they bounced us, but as we were getting bounced there was this guy who asked us if we needed any help so of course we wanted to share our special message with him so we shared with him and his brother. We needed to be there at that time, just not for what we originally thought.Also another time all our appointments were bouncing so we decided to pray and after I felt we needed to go to the church, SO we headed there, we checked inside first no one, but just outside the church was a guy and his friend sitting in the shade and we taught them. The lord is in truly blessing us and guiding us if we just rely on him and turn to him.

We have this one investigator that is super funny and annoying. He is always asking weird questions and always wants us to bring foreigners for us him to meet and we just say we can't do that. haha. Also Juma the blind man is doing well. WE are just trying to figure out how to get him to church, but he loves us and he loves the message we share.

We also had a really nice baptism on Sunday for sister Mary. She was very happy and everything went well even though the water was cold. haha. We are excited for her. It was a really nice Sabbath except Elder Andersen was a little sick......... but better now.

Mary and company

what the croc?
or
the croc pot

 

For P-day we went to the croc farm and the equator. It was awesome. We got to hold baby crocodiles. and Feed a huge one a chicken, There is apparently one that ate 62 people when it was in the river. Also got to ride on a ferry across part of the lake that was cool. It was a fun day. Looking forward to this day. We have a busy week with transfer and MLC, so we are hoping to find some time for the missionary work this week.

"I'm looking for my 63rd human meal...yum yum!"

Oh look, Elder Beck wrestled a baby croc
Maybe he'll bring one home for his sisters

Chicken on a flimsy stick...time to feed the croc

 

Lurking croc.... ready to pounce

This week I really liked Alma 7 when it talks about the atonement and change through the atonement. Jesus Christ really did suffer everything already, We just have to come unto him and lay aside every sin that easily besets us and get baptized and if we are already baptized then partake of the sacrament and make that commitment never to do it again and always follow Christ. The atonement can help us with anything even when we think it can't it can. SO pray and ask for that help and you can guarantee it will come and you can change through the atonement of Jesus Christ! Have a great week.

Love Elder Beck

MOM questions...

1.  Ok, we might need more stories about what makes you laugh.  I cracked up about the can't breath laughing episode that reminded you of dad..ha ha.  and the fact that you think eryn's blanket looks so hot!  (it's thin and she is freezing in the colder temps down in the basement).  Do you miss the cold and snow?

I will try to think of some more of those stories............ I do miss  the cold and the snow a lot. 

2.  Eryn is considering golf and natty tennis for a spring sport...... which would you recommend?

Both of those I enjoy playing and want to play when I get back. I have played golf on mission, so I would have to go with Golf

3.  you seem to be eating a variety of different foods lately.... mexican, ethiopian, etc... is there a certain food that you get all the time that you're ready to take a break from?  (the ward missionaries requested NO MORE PIZZA .... haha... they are pizza'ed out!)

We always get rolex or kikomando a lot or rice and meat. SO getting mexican food or kfc or ethiopian is a real treat. We don't have the funds to go there everyday......

4.  what do you see when you look into the eyes of the people you teach?

I see people who are humble and loving and also some people that are confused and not understanding what is most important. But overall good eyes.

5.  have you had any animals attack you?

We had a dog bite a member. A crocodile tried to bite Elder Shelton. SO I have been protected pretty good. So I am happy with that.

MORE PICTURES!!!!! woot!

Where's Idaho?

AmI I really here?

On both sides of the equator

Equator hops!

something about how water flows on the north hemisphere

flowing opp on southern hemisphere

not sure...someone google this!!

 

workout center..... boxing.... yo Adrian!!

Church and nice warm baptismal font..... or maybe coldish

hey...this is our truck....so nice and clean

crossing the waters.... to croc farm?

what? goshen?  I thought that was in Utah

Home sweet home Dad...ok maybe it was
goshen, UT elementary.... but still..
pretty cool, huh?

This transfer is flying. ... service, eating clay, baptism, on being thankful

Elder Osei-tutu and Beck moving the rabbit cage.  (He looks happy but it makes me miss him)

Hello. This transfer is flying by. I can't believe it is the last week of the transfer and we will be getting transfer news on Saturday night....... WHo knows what will happen, but me and Elder Andersen are hoping to be staying another. THis week was also another great week.

On Tuesday I was on exchanges with ELder Osei-tutu. He came into my area. He is from Ghana and he came on mission the same time as me. We were both in Rwanda at the same time and his birthday is APril 9th! Crazy. It was also our third time going on exchanges together. SO we are good friends and we had a nice day. The Lord brought more people to us to teach and we had a really fun day. He loves soccer, so we talked about that for most of the day. We also did service for a guy. We carried his rabbit cage to a new location. It was good. ON Wednesday me and Elder ANdersen went to Kampala to be on exchanges with the AP"s and the other elder's there. I was with the AP's Elder Malaza and Elder Dean. They are both awesome guys and  have a fun time while doing awesome missionary work. They are bold. We had a nice day.

Thursday we got back to Entebbe just after lunch in kampala(we had some nice mexican food) and we got to work. One of our investigators was eating a rock looking thing and she said it was clay. So we asked if we could try it and we did..... It tastes just like dirt....... SO it was disappointing. haha. We had a nice day though. ON friday we also had a solid day.

ON the weekend we had some ethiopian food with the Ethiopian Americans. IT was good. Definitely got to go try it. We had a powerful day. A lot of bounces, but a really nice day. SUnday was awesome. We had a nice sacrament attendence, we had a lot of investigators at church, and we have someone progressing to baptism this SUnday! Her name is Mary, She is a good person. She loves the Hymns. Ate some free Mandaze! Worked with an awesome Member named Dan! Just a really nice day. For p-day played some basketball. Realized I am out of shape in terms of running...........

This week I was studying about Alma's people escaping and going back to Zarahemla in the book of Mosiah. These people were truly converted. When they were in bondage to the Lamanites they never doubted the Lord and when they escaped they didn't forget the Lord, but actually thanked the Lord and right after that Alma received the impression to continue because the Lamanites were following them. What if they forgot the Lord and relaxed and became prideful. They would have been captured again and be in the same place they just escaped. Even in our lives we do something great or we follow the spirit or we see a miracle and we sometimes relax and forget the Lord and think that all is done, that we are good. But we need to continue to listen to the spirit and thank and remember the Lord always, continually. If we do, we won't miss out on important things we need to know and follow.

Love you. Have a great week.

Elder Beck

Entebbe wild life

Elder Beck loves food!  MexIcan food?

Hello lovely Lake Victoria 

MOM QUESTIONS. ....

1.  how are the shoes working out that we sent?

  

The shoes are nice. I used them today to play some bball and I use them for the gym everydaY


2.  Tell us about something that made you
 laugh out loud this week

We have an investigator named Juma and he was telling us about people that want money instead of the gospel and he started laughing so hard, like when dad laughs so hard he falls over and is barely breathing. haha. It made me laugh so hard. haha. Also I was on exchanges with Elder Dean and we were street contacting and there was this Nyabo(girl) that blew him off when he tried to talk to her so he was like "OHHHHHH, OHHHHHHH, OOOOKKKKKK, We got a hot shot here..... Look out!" It was funny

3. How goes the kick boxing (and neat that you are teaching your instructor)? do you go there every day?

It is only boxing, not kickboxing, but it is going well. I am enjoying.

4. Do you have access to a washer and dryer?

I have access to a washer not a dryer.

 

the weeks continue......

Elder Anderson and Elder Beck and THE TRUCK

Hello, this was another great week and we continued the momentum from last week. It started on Tuesday when we went on exchanges with Kajjansi elders and I was with my former companion Elder Koopmans. We had a great time and had an awesome day. Elder Koopmans is hillarious and we found some awesome people. WE are doing a lot of finding in an army barracks. WE are finding a lot of soldiers that are educated, friendly, and with families. YOu could say it is a honey hole........ ON wednesday we had a great day.

ON THursday we had an awesome day and we met with a new guy and he led us to his home where he stays with another family that is legally married and very interested. The Lord is bringing people to us and it is funny to look back and see how all the different things that me and Elder ANdersen decided to do led to us finding and teaching different people. The Lord is truly guiding us and it is His plan. Friday we had a tiring day. First we had Zone COnference in Kampala, so we drove there. WE had a nice zone conference, got fed by president, and me and Elder Andersen were the ones that were running it so we were glad it went well. Then we had to do some other stuff and head back to Entebbe. I was very tired from driving...... Tiring day.

ON Saturday we had an awesome day. We taught the trainer and the boxing gym and his family. They are good people. Sunday was a good day as well. We didn't have some investigators come to church that we thought were going to come, but it was still good. ALso met a new investigator and as we met him and were about to go to the home to teach him a member of the church (or one of the three nephites) that we have never seen before came up to us and gave us a referral right on the spot. Crazy! THe lord is blessing us. TOday we played some games and chilled. We saw a monkey with one arm still climbing trees and stuff. Pretty cool. We have some investigators progressing to baptism. One for the 26th of Feb, and some others for the beginning of March.

This week I gave a training on the D.O.C in ZOne conference and I learned a lot as I prepared for it. Faith, Repentance, Baptism, Receiving the Holy Ghost, and ENduring to the ENd. IT is the only way to receive the Grace and Mercy of Jesus Christ and become clean again (3 Nephi 27;19). I focused a lot on Faith and Repentance. Those two we repeat over and over again throughout our lives. As we try to increase our faith unto repentance and try to change to align with God's will everyday that is when we see a difference in our lives. IT is so simple, but overlooked. It is the only way shown to us by Jesus Christ himself. The Priesthood authority has been restored today and is found in The CHurch of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Have a great week. Love you.

Love Elder Beck

MOM QUESTIONS..

1.  We are getting a lot of flooding here after all the snow and melting with the warm weather. In fact, they closed I86  by raft river for a few days last week due to flooding.  do you get much flooding there?

There is some flooding here, but I haven't heard of it being much of a problem for anyone. They just wait for the water to go away and continue on with life. haha. I have seen a road turn into a river though. Pretty cool and a house be surrounded by water for like 30 foot radius around it. SO ya......

.

2.  Natty is almost done with drivers ed.... do you think she would be capable of driving in Uganda or does she need to be more an expert to drive there? ha ha

Woww...... There needs to be another drivers ed for Uganda. She wouldn't last here...... She would be too scared to even drive. It is also on the other side of the road. Good luck if she ever tries.

3.  How 's the AC working on the truck?

The AC is not to nice right now. It only has been working in the very early morning when we go to the gym and when we don't need it or as we are going home for the night...........

4.How long do you think you and Elder Anderson will get to be companions?

WE are hoping for another one, but we don't know. It is up in the air right now.

5. We fed the Elders on Sunday. How goes feeding of the missionaries in Uganda?

Nice job feeding the Elder's. Missionaries love food appointments. We are good and continue to find a lot of success and have a lot of fun doing it. The Lord is blessing us and helping us find those prepared people.

A gaggle of bodas?

someone get your goat?

Traffic ugandan style