Another week in the Promised Land

Hello. This week flew by again and it was an awesome week.

On Monday after emailing we taught a family and when we were heading over there the power went out over the entire city. It was dark and a little scary. Then as we taught the family it started raining. So running through the rain in the dark up a hill is always fun. hahaha. On Tuesday we went on exchanges with K1. I was with Elder Ercanbrack. He is a great missionary and great guy. He make me laugh. We had a busy day. We had a powerful lesson with a new investigator. He wants to learn more and I feel good about him. Then we had some other great lesson. We taught this guy that had been taught everything by missionaries before, but because the area was white-washed he was kind of lost. He is an awesome guy. We just need to get him legally married and everything will be fine and dandy. It was a great day with Elder Ercanbrack. Learned a lot of new things from him.

On Wednesday we had an interesting day. We had DDM and then as we were coming back to our area, the truck had been slowly getting worse with power and not working well. So we took it to Elder Leibel and we figured out it was the clutch. Don't look at me. It wasn't me that burned through the clutch. I think.ha. Anyways we decided had to go get it fixed tomorrow. So we had a good day.

On Thursday we woke up and had to directly take the car into the shop. We dropped it off and Elder LEibel took us to K2 and dropped us for the day. We had a good day. Even saw two guys talking a nap under a tree, that I swear were dead, but when we passed by again they were gone so, not sure what happened to them.

On Friday I went on exchanges again with K3 because they had 3 baptism interviews to do.The work is great here in Rwanda! I was with Elder Myers. He is awesome and we have too much fun together. haha. We visited this LA and his family. They are a great family and we hope to teach the rest of the family and get them all coming to church. It was a fun day.

On Saturday we tried to have a soccer match, but the members showed up late so we could only have a 20 minute match, but gotta stick to rules. Then we had a good day teaching. On Sunday it was a great day. We had the confirmation for Aline and she brought a ton of her friends and neighbors. It is the best when members bring friends to church. We also had 62 at sacrament so that was good. Then we also had 3 new Aaronic priesthood holders today. Then they fed us some nice food. Even cow intestine. It was actually really good. Then we taught this family. They are Catholic, but the two lessons we had with them have been really powerful and I pray that they feel the same spirit that I felt.

On Monday we did the normal things like laundry. Then we picked up the senior couple from Ethiopia. They are Elder and Sister Johnson. Great people. We took them to the Genocide Memorial and they took us to eat at "Heaven". So it pays off talking the senior couple around. haha. It took all our time throughout the day, so that is why I am emailing on Tuesday here.

Looks like a nice place to eat.

It was a really good week. This week I am ponderizing Mosiah 2:22. (blessings with keeping the commandments) Also a scripture I liked was Alma 41:10 it says wickedness never was happiness. I also found out a scripture in Ezekial 7:19 that talks about how Gold and Silver will never satisfy the soul. I realized that worldly things will never satisfy the soul, but the gospel will satisfy the soul and we will have true joy and happiness from righteousness and not wickedness. I know that to be true. I also know how important members are in missionary work. We need to pray to know how we can help the missionaries in our own wards and branches. Have a great week. 

Love Elder Beck

This is a cow.....see it's intestines

these are the intestines out of the cow

Here are some delicious cow intestines... yummy vittles!

MOM QUESTIONS....

1.  Have you gotten any car or motion sickness?

Not really.

2. You have been out on a mission now for about 4 months or so, in what ways do you think you have grown or changed?

I have become more sound in the scriptures and I feel like I am more confident in sharing the gospel with others. There should be nothing to be afraid of when sharing the gospel. Just share what you know and let the Holy Ghost do the rest. 

3. Does the mission present give you challenges to work on weekly? If so what are they?

I don't know if he gives us stuff weekly, but he is always giving us stuff to think about and work towards. He is a good Mission President.

4. Have you made up any new recipes with the ingredients that are available there?

Not really. I am still not good at cooking, but I am getting better.

Here is Elder Beck with a nice man....maybe he is shopping?

Look at all the fun things they can buy and look at his tie.

Night time skies....I wonder if this is at the "Heaven" restaurant.... it's a mystery until next week.

Patience is followed by......... mom

This picture makes me happy! He seems content. (i'll have to find out who he is with here...maybe the branch president?

Elder Beck, Elder Brogan and the mystery woman (recent convert?)

Hello! This week has been a good one and I am not sure where it went. It flew by this week.

On Tuesday, we had a busy day and at one of the recent converts we had this Lemon Grass tea. Don't worry it is not against the word of Wisdom. It was actually really good, but super hot. 

On Wednesday, we had DDM in the morning and it went really well. There were some really powerful testimonies and experiences shared. I will have to tell you about them later.(Note to self, ask him in next email) . All I know is that every missionary is where they are for a reason. Even every person has someone they need  to help, we just have to find that person through prayer and listening to the spirit. (wow, that was an amazing sentence from our missionary. Maybe we should listen and pray more and seek.)

On Thursday ,we had a good day. It was rainy and thundery and lightningy in the morning. And by the way the Thunder and Lightning here in Rwanda is amazing. The Thunder especially, never heard anything like it before. It was also a tough day. We got bounced a lot and when we did contacting and tracting everyone was being stubborn or not speaking any English. I try to pull out a little Kinyarwanda and invite them to church, but I am not sure they understand me most of the time. ha. 

On Friday... we had a good day....  (I get the feeling, he had some good days! :) )

On Saturday, we were planning on having a really busy day, but it seemed like everyone bounced us or was out of town and lame stuff like that, but me and elder  Brogan had a really powerful lesson with a family. The spirit was definitely there. 

On Sunday we had a great Sabbath. We got to church and for Sacrament we had 58 at church. It was really good. After the last two weeks of not having as many. We also had 3 Confirmations and A baptism. Aline was the one being baptized. She is the mother of Patience that was baptized a couple weeks ago. It was amazing to see her overcome challenges and let the gospel and atonement of Jesus Christ really change her life. It was an awesome day. We also got fed by a couple that is from America. They are super awesome. Their names are Juan and Jane, not sure on the last name because they don't like being called by it. It was a good day.

This week has been amazing. Me and Elder Brogan are starting to work together really well and hopefully we can keep improving and helping this branch grow even more. This week I have continued to study in 1 Nephi and I have started to take one verse that seems really interesting and really study it hard and to get the true meaning of it. One verse I really liked was 1 Nephi 14:1. really interesting. Anyways i am running out of time so have a  great week. Love you.

Love Elder Beck

Mom's questions - - 

1. Is the temperature stay in about the same? Does it vary with the rainy season? What are the highs and the lows.? Does it ever get really hot or humid?

The temperature is pretty much the same. It gets hotter though in the dry season which is now. It gets kind of humid, but I am not sure because I might be getting used to it.

2.  Do you know what the color of a giraffe tongue is?  

I don't know... blue?  (Google says black, blue or purple)

3. Someone told me the soda in Africa is really good? Is it? Do you drink a lot of water? I'm assuming mostly bottled?

Soda is pretty good, but it seems the same as in America. I drink a lot of soda. I drink a lot of water as well. It is bottled or comes from our filter at home.

Patience, his mom- Aline, Elder Beck, Elder Brogan (and yes, Elder Brogan is from Idaho....Montpelier....woot!)

Patience and Aline

Another Great Week!

His new companion Elder Brogan. Baptism trio! 2 are brothers

Carine and Lambert and Chosen (I'm not sure that is in the right order?)

Hello everyone! This week has been a great week and I have seen many blessings. It was a great week to start off the year.

On Tuesday we had a busy day. Visited many people. 

On wednesday we went on exchanges with K1 again. I was with Elder Osei-tutu again for the day. We had ZDM in the morning and then we went out. It was a tough day. We did some street contacting, but it seemed like no one was interested and didn't want to talk. It was tough, but no effort is wasted and hopefully it plants a seed for the future. Also elder Osei-tutu and I were in a lesson and they were talking French to explain to each other and Elder Osei-tutu knew what they were saying and talking about. He was able to answer their question. It was really sweet. The gift of tongues is real and i love it! ha

On Thursday we had an awesome day. We got bounced earlier in the day, so we decided to move our appointments up an hour. We then got bounced later in the day and I thought it was going to be one of those days, but as we were walking back and thinking what were going to do next, I saw this woman and for some reason I needed to talk to her and it ends up that I had contacted her before and that she wanted to come visit us at the church. She then invited us into her home, where we met her husband and taught them a lesson. Also the husband was only around today because he was sick and was taking a day off from work. They are an awesome family and seem really interested. It was cool to see how everything worked out and that how we got bounced earlier in the day allowed us to meet with that family. It made me remember and realize more of how this is Heavenly father's Work. HIs hand is in this work. It is cool to see. 

ON Friday we had a good day. We visited Patience and Aline. Son and Daughter. Patience was just baptized and his mother hopes to soon join him. We gave him a shirt and a tie so he could look really smart for his confirmation on Sunday.because he didn't have one. He was really pumped about that!  It is cool to see the joy and the unity that has come since we started visiting them. The gospel will change people. I know that to be true. 

ON Saturday we had a very busy day. We had 3 baptism interviews and they all went well. I also had to clean the baptism font for Sunday, so I rolled up the sleeves and the pant legs and got busy. by the way, it was the cleanest I have ever seen the water and font on Sunday.....Not to brag or anything. 

On Sunday we had a great day. We had 3 baptisms. They were for Carine, Chosen, and Lambert. It all went well. . The 2 boys are brothers. They are all really awesome and it was a great experience for everyone. We only had 37 at church this Sunday so I don't know what is going on exactly, but very soon it will be back up to where we had it before. Patience was confirmed and I gave him one of the ties you sent me The water was cold, but the spirit was warm. Their testimonies were great. The food was also very nice after the baptisms.... It was an awesome day for me.

This week i saw many tender mercies and spiritually uplifting things. Also for me I have been studying a little in the New testament in Luke. Something I liked was in Luke chapter 6. It talks about loving your enemies and doing that which you want done to you. It is a very awesome chapter about loving everyone no matter what and serving everyone. Something else i learned was in 1 Nephi 2. It talks about how Lehi taught his sons about his visions and what he learned. The first thing Nephi did was go to the Lord and ask with a desire to know. We also see that Nephi did this many other times as well. We see that Nephi was able to stay firm in his faith and testimony and his brothers Laman and Lemuel were not. What I think is that it was because they never gained their own witness. their own testimony. So what we need to do is get down on our knees and ask our heavenly Father and gain that witness and that testimony. If you already have a testimony, still get on your knees and confirm that testimony. that is the only way that we can endure to the end and stay faithful our entire lives. It has been a great strength to me to continually confirm and strengthen my testimony from asking my Heavenly Father. Thank you for the support and the emails. Have a great week!

Love Elder Beck

MOM's QUESTIONS......

1. What is it about Ammon that you admire?

With Ammon, i admire his courage and his faith. he went into the Lamanite people with no doubt and had to beg his father to allow him to go into such a place. It was a death sentence for most any Nephite to go to the Lamanites. He went there and could of been prideful and become great, but he knew his calling and what he went there to do and he served. He is a great example to me. and everyone.

2. How can we become more regular readers of the scriptures as a family?

Maybe think of the reasons why you would read as a family. Look at the blessings that come from it. Then set a goal. Set a time and how long. Then just do it...

3. What are some of your favorite things about Africa/ rwanda?

Some of my favorite things about Rwanda is the people. They are very friendly and very loving. Also how they are funny. They expect me to know everything about the USA, but I say it is a really big country I don't know everything that is going on. The people also are very humble and don't need a lot to live. They Love God. On Sundays it is not very busy because everyone is at church or at home. They are great people.

Thanks for the questions and I hope that you have a great week coming up. Thanks for the update about everyone and I love you.

Love Elder Beck.

on the way up Kigali Mountain

View from Kigali Mountain of Kigali on p-day.

I can't beilieve it is 2016 already

Hello! I can't believe it is 2016 already. Time to start writing 2015 and then have to go back and write 2016. haha. For me it was a really good week.

On Tuesday we had a busy day. I went on splits with K1 because Elder Osei-tutu was still having to stay at home. SO me and Elder Erckanbrack went to our area. We went to visit this investigator and his family, but we got there early so we did some street contacting. I talked to this man. He is a very nice person  and seemed very interested in the church, so he invited us to come visit him and his family. Really cool how just a few minutes early allowed us to be able to find  him. We stayed in my area for the afternoon and went to K1 area in the evening. We got bounced by this one appointment and were wondering what to do and this woman came up to us and said there is someone who wants to read the bible with you and so we taught this man the first lesson. It is always nice when the lord brings people to you. ha. 

ON wednesday I stayed with Elder wilson to listen and watch MLC over the computer. It was really good and i learned a lot from listening in. Something I liked was about goal setting. When we set goals and are good at setting goals. We reach our potential and become better at what we are doing faster. I haven't been the best at setting goals in my life and i know that is something I am going to try and improve this year. We also went to a really nice restaurant after MLC. Really delicious (He loves his food!)

On Thursday we had a really good day of teaching. Elder Wilson and I seemed like we really were teaching with unity. Good thing he is leaving. haha. Then at 5 we went to pick up my new companion. Elder Brogan. He is a really nice kid. He looks younger than me and doesn't seem like he is 19, but he is an awesome missionary and teaches really well. I am excited to learn from him and see what we can do. Then we went to a small party that a member was throwing and has some nice food.  (Num Num...there's the food again!) Afterwards we visited a Recent Convert. 

ON Friday we had a window of heaven and found some really powerful people. It was also a really quiet day. I think it was because of New Years and everyone was sleeping.

On Saturday we cleaned the baptism font and visited Patience and his mother. Patience is the one getting baptized. His mother should soon be following him though. We also visited that family that I found on Tuesday. They are really awesome and seem really interested. We also had a big feast at Cecilia's home. She is the Relief Society president in K2. It was really nice. 

On Sunday it was a good day. We only had 40 at sacrament meeting, but we had powerful testimonies and a wonderful baptism of Patience. It was a great experience. It was amazing to see Patience's mother and the happiness she had for her son. I hope she remembers that feeling and follows after him very soon.

It has been a great week. I am excited about the new companion and I am now going for a record for most companions in a mission. haha. I have been reading about Ammon in the book of mormon. He is my favorite person in the book of mormon. The faith and the courage he had is just amazing. What is your favorite Book of Mormon character? Thanks for all the love and support. Have a great week.

Love Elder Beck

FUN FACTS ABOUT RWANDA....

·      (6 missionaries, 3 branches, one truck, one missionary couple from Blackfoot, Idaho).  

     

    Kigali, Rwanda (where he is now has a population of more than 1 million, is the capital and largest city of Rwanda. It is situated near the geographic center of the nation.)  

     

     Official language of Rwanda is English but many speak French, Kinyarwanda, or Swahili. They use interpreters at times but mostly teach people who know English.

The church has been in Rwanda for 7-8 years with missionaries only being in Rwanda for the last 2 years.  Elder Beck is one of about 50 missionaries to have served there.

Elder Beck has been out for 4 months and has had 4 companions, including one in the MTC.  His other companions have been the Zone Leader in Rwanda.  His first companion in Rwanda was from Idaho Falls, (the others from California and Utah).

Most people in Rwanda have not heard of the LDS church.  They are ready to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ and it is not unusual to have a baptism or more weekly.

Mom's Questions:

1. Are you learning any Kinyarwanda or French?  Do they have interpreters at church?

I am not learning any french really, but I am learning a little Kinyarwanda for fun. It is fun to learn it.

2.  What are some of the local sayings and interesting things people say in your area?

They say "supa" for super, we say "you're the best "a lot, they talk a lot with grunts, 

3.  How do you like the truck you drive? Is it new- ish?

The truck is nice. We call it the Iron Stallion. It is pretty old for a mission truck, but I still like it a lot. It is disiel. They could be getting a new truck soon.

4.  How's your fellow missionary who had the appendectomy doing?

He is doing well. He is pretty much full strength and going out right now.

5.  Do you think men or women are more receptive to the gospel message?  Or mixed?

It is kind of mixed, but i would probably have to say men. Women sometimes seem prideful here.

6. do you have time for service work or are you too busy teaching?

We haven't done much service yet.  (At Christmas he said they usually teach 20 lessons a week so they are busy)

Love Elder Beck

Patience and Elder Beck  (I always knew he would find patience on his mission! lol!)

Patience's MOM, Patience, Elder Beck

"supa"