Elder Beck's African Adventure: First full week in Gulu

Birthday Mac n Cheese for Mack...num!

Welcome to our compound apartment!

Hello. It has been a great week here. It has been tough. Especially with no phone, but Elder Grant and I have been able to manage the whitewash. We have some great families and hope to find even more who are ready for this gospel.

Tuesday. We did some service in the morning. We filled and carried some Jerry cans for an investigator in the other branch. It was good. Then we went out tried learning more of the area and met with some different Recent converts. It was a hot day but a good day. We went out into the village pretty far. It was beautiful with the sunset out there. It looked fake. It was great!! Missionary work in Africa is the best.

On Wednesday we had some great appointments. With some great families. Sunny and Jennifer. He is an Indian that married a local girl. Sunny has been to the church and he says he feels Gods presence there. His wife hasn't come yet, but she will come soon. They are a powerful family. Saw a lot of naked babies and kids running around today. ha.

Thursday we did some service again getting Jerry cans and bringing water for a family. The guy showed us pictures of him going to Salt Lake city for a medical thing and he got to meet Elder Bednar. That is awesome. We also helped a family crack peanuts or g-nuts as they call them here. It was fun. Great family, but super staunch in their religion. We also got lost today trying to find an investigator. I was surprised .....it was our first time getting lost so far. hahaha.(apparently they get lost a lot!)

Friday we met with some less actives and met with a powerful family and had a great lesson with them. They are not legally married, but that is ok. It is something we and the branch can help them with.

Saturday. We did some finding in the morning and we met this guy that grew up in England. He had a sick accent. He didn't come to church but he was an awesome guy. haha. Also celebrated my birthday with mac and cheese and cookies. I also opened my package and I love the socks! I wore them on Sunday and felt great! We also had a great missionary activity where the members bring a friend. We played some games and watched the Testaments. Super powerful movie. The spirit was there. I almost cried. hahaha. (he's sensitive, I love that quality in him). Then afterwards we talked with this guy and bore super powerful testimony of Jesus Christ. The spirit carried with us after the movie. That is why the church puts out those videos. They are powerful and bring the spirit into our lives. Go watch a few of the videos or movies this week.

Sunday. We had a great sacrament service. 53 this week. A lot better than last week and I gave a talk in church. We also went to branch council. It was long but I saw a lot of powerful members that want to strengthen the branch so much. It was great. Then the Chatfields and the APs (assistants to the president) showed up. We made some Tacos for lunch. Then when we went out there was this insane storm that came. It looked gnarly from afar and it came quick. It rained hard for like an hour. It was also supper dark after the storm. Me and Elder Grant were stepping in mud holes and puddles all the way home. We could not see anything. haha. It was a good day.

The GULU CREW
Taylors, Elders harding,?, Beck, Grant, Chatfields
Elders Quinton, Magawa, ?, ?

Today we had zone conference. It was really great. Learned a lot and had a ton of spiritual food. I wanted to take a nap afterward. haha. We also ate at a nice restaurant. It was fun

It has been a great week. Not a lot of teaching, but still great. Great things are gonna be happening here. I read in the Bom this week in Mosiah. I was reading about King Benjamins address. It is like general conference. I learned some great things from it. How we need to prepare ourselves to learn from General conference. We need to have the same spirit that the people speaking have. We need to have Spiritual impressions as we watch physically and spiritually listen. I know you already watched it, but as you go back and study really prepare yourselves a strive to receive personal revelation when you study it. Also something that stuck out to me in the New Testament is 1 Corinthians 4;20. It talks about the power that is different. I have noticed that on my mission. That the church of Jesus Christ of latter day saints has power in it. It is something you can feel and see. Whether it is the power of the priesthood or the power of the Holy Ghost. It is there. Notice it your lives. Anyways have a great week. Love you.

Love Elder Beck

Mom questions....

1. Tell us more about Gulu and your companion.. Elder grant.

Gulu is good. It is not as big or as developed at Kigali but it is nice. It is a kind of isolated like Rwanda and I like that. It is not as clean as well, but it is good. The branch is good. There are a strong group of members that will be good to build from. The people are also darker here than in Rwanda. It is probably because there is more sun here. Elder Grant is well. He likes basketball. He is from Bountiful. He is a great missionary and we are good friends.

2. Do you still take a malaria pill every day?

I take a malaria pill most days still. (does that mean he sometimes forgets?!!?)

3. How about bugs and spiders and snakes? Have you run into anything that seems a little scary?

I don't see many snakes or spiders, quite a few bugs but nothing to bad.

4.Tell us about the Taylor's.... I've read their blog. They seem very involved and excited about their service. How long have they been there?

The Taylors are great ...they are really awesome. They've sacrificed a lot to come out on mission and they are making the most of it. They are really powerful. They don't eat meat though.(we are meat eaters!) They love the people and they are being moved to a new area so we will be getting a new set of senior missionaries the Grundy's. They seem cool as well, but will definitely miss the Taylors a lot.

Dear mom, I am glad that natalie got the letter. (he sent Natalie a nice letter and some big bucks...500 francs....65 cents! ha!0 Make sure she keeps that nice. I am excited for Brennan (he's getting a mission call). Way to go poky.(vb and baseball). I do not believe that Alexis (cousin) is already coming home and that stuart (cousin) is gonna have a baby. That is insane! Time flies. Things are going well here. Thanks for the love and the support. You are the best mom ever!

Love you

Love Elder Beck