Stake conference in Africa....Jinja, Uganda!

Sisters and Elders in the Jinja Stake

This week was super nice, but also super short.

So it started with exchanges in Mukono. I had the privelage of being with my beloved Zone Leaders. It was fun. We did some service, which always puts a smile on your face and the one you are serving. Then we had a powerful day. I also got to play some ping pong at FHE. There was this kid that was super good. I almost lost to him. But it was fun to get the old swing back out. haha. (Elder Beck better be ready as we will be practicing and ready to school him! har har) Then we came back on Wednesday. It is always good to be back home in Lugazi. We had a great day. We taught some powerful lessons and even found some powerful new investigators. you couldn't ask for a better day. We also taught William and Justine. they are an awesome family and every time we teach them I feel happy.

the Beck family is preparing to school Elder Beck in ping pong when he gets home!

On thursday we had a powerful DDM and we are really coming together as a district to finish of this year. It is fun. On Friday we also had a nice day.On saturday we had a nice day. We worked with a Recent convert and even his little brother who is 10 went with us and walked with us and taught and found with us the entire day. They are awesome. They are a lot stronger in the gospel than I was at 10. hahaha. 

On Sunday we went to Jinja for the Stake Conference. It was very nice. There were some great talks. President Collings and even a seventy from south Africa came. President talked about the church being on FIRE and how we can be on fire with the gospel. He read through the beginning of 4th nephi and how even here in Jinja Stake we can be on fire just like the church right after Jesus Christ had established it. Then the Seventy talked about listening to the promptings of the Holy Ghost and acting upon it. It was a powerful talk. It was a nice Stake Conference.Then we had a nice Dinner appointment with the branch President. Tender mercies.........

Jinja stake conference.... can you find the missionaries??

Cute family at Jinja Stake conference...photo credit to Sister Collings
quote from Sister Collings..
"This was the largest gathering of Saints I have seen since I came out on my mission. President Collings and I were asked to speak, so we were sitting on the stand, and one by one, bus loads of people were dropped off at the church.  The stake president said that they they had set up 900 chairs, and he was hoping to fill them all.  From where I was sitting, they all looked full.  It was amazing.  We have over 30 missionaries serving in the Jinja Stake, and they are staying pretty bust.  It was so fun to see them scattered throughout the congregation.  At the end of the meeting, several of them introduced us to recent converts, or people investigating the church.  all very happy to be a part of such a wonderful event."

For p-day we went and played some b-ball. Super fun. Also cleaned the apartment because we got told to....hahaha. Also met Elder Cooper. he is from Salem, UT and said he graduated with Makell Spencer (Elder Beck's cousin). He is from Ethiopia originally and was adopted in the US and now he is back! Small world. (very cool!)

This week was a great week and something I really learned was from Jesus Christ's parables in the New testament. In Matthew 25,Jesus Christ teaches us with 3 different parables. the first is about how we need to be prepared for the Second Coming. Then the next two are how we can be prepared. The first is using what God has given us and developing and getting more out of it. Or in other words Progressing! Becoming better and more talented and following Jesus Christ more closely! The next is about the sheeps and the goats and the difference between them is SERVICE. So we need to Serve and progress with what the lord has given us. Then also in Mark ch5 and 6. I love the two stories of Jesus Christ. Where he tell his apostles and also the people to BE NOT AFRAID, ONLY BELIEVE!!  Even Jesus christ can do that in our lives. He can heal us and also calm the storms in our lives if we only believe. Have a great week.

Love Elder Beck

package sent for Christmas...pray for it's arrival

Here's some packages that arrived at the mission home in Kampala

(PS... He's happy and feels at home.... that certainly makes me happy too!) 

MOM QUESTIONS....

1a.  Looking forward to our Christmas skype or call...do you know where you will be?
I don't know where I will be for Christmas. So I don't know if I will be skyping or not. so don't just expect me to skype, but hopefully. This week was a good week. Had fun. We are doing well here in lugazi, seeing a lot of progress here.

1. did you get through watching all of conference?  Where do you watch it at?  do you have access to the conference Ensign?

I watched all of conference and I also have an ensign so don't worry. We watched it at the church.

2. Are you doing anything for Thanksgiving or will it just be another day of thanks and giving?
on thanksgiving I am expecting to have a nice feast. I am going to buy a turkey and have a member cook it. Also make some mashed potatoes and gravy and some rolls. If I was better at cooking I would make more, but I am not so good. hahaha.

3. I'm studying Grace.  i was watching a few talks about Grace....one by Pres Uchtdorf   https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/04/the-gift-of-grace?lang=eng      

and one by Brad wilcox  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLXr9it_pbY       . 

I think we forget how grace is given to all of us. That because of the Grace of God we will all be resurrected and reunited with our bodies..... and that through grace we LEARN HEAVEN not EARN HEAVEN.  Grace is like the refining fire that will help us become like Christ so that we are comfortable and at home in the presence of God.  How it changes us so we will want to be in the presence of God. How grace fills us, it doesn't fill in the gaps.  But it helps us BECOME.  i like that.  Thanks for suggesting we study Grace.  What have you learned about GRACE?

Grace is awesome. We all receive grace in some ways, but we can access it a lot more in our lives. through faith and repentance. Those two simple things can help us to access grace and accomplish things that would never be possible by ourselves. 

4.  Dad performed his first marriage on Saturday.  Did you know that that ability to marry comes automatically with the calling of the bishop.  No training, just a script they are supposed to follow.  Who performs the marriages in Uganda?

i didn't know that. In Uganda the bishop does the church marriage, but really most people are not married. here. Marriage is a mess here in Uganda. i still don't understand it here.

Kim Wacaster BIRTHDAY questions...

5.  What do Africans think of Americans?  Do they like us, hate us, indifferent?  think we are all rich?

Africans think of Americans. It varies slightly throughout, but it can range from thinking all americans are boastful and prideful and don't care about others. Also they think we are all rich. They usually like us, but sometimes.They don't think we know how to do anything by ourselves and they don' t think we eat anything except pancakes. hahaha. But for the most part the people are awesome.

6.   What kind of rights to women have there? can they vote? work? are they considered less than men or equal.  Are there any eligible, worthy, handsome men for me to set Kim up with there? Are there arranged marriages there?

Women they have rights. they vote and work, but they are considered less than men. They are always at home while the husband is gone. Which makes it hard to find families together. They have more of the traditional role as women. Home keepers and taking the children. There are some possibilities, but I can't say I am a match maker....ha ha . Yes there are some arranged marriages here.

FUN FACTS ABOUT THE UGANDA KAMPALA MISSION....

this is Africa...Uganda is in yellow.
Africa is humongous. HUGE!
Elder Beck traveled from the South Africa MTC in Johannesburg to Uganda...
that is like flying from LA to NYC! and you're only halfway across Africa.

This the the Uganda Kampala Mission.
It includes Uganda, Rwanda, Ethiopia and Southern Sudan
Most of the missionaries are in Uganda and Rwanda....only 4 or so in Ethiopia, none in Sudan


 

  d

Kampala Uganda is near the equator...22 miles
Next to the 2nd largest fresh water lake in the world...Lake Victoria.
Look at all the interesting countries around Uganda

 

Kampala is where the mission home is.
Jinja is where the stake conference was this week.
so...where in the world is Elder Beck?
(look for Lugazi..somewhere betwixt the two)