Busy week

This week was very busy and a lot going on, but still one that is full of miracles. It started off with Elder Anderson and his last few days in Entebbe. Which was good because it means that we got a lot of dinner appointments hahaha.

On Tuesday we got fed by people 3 different times which was nice! But my favorite part was that we were able to go to the airport to pick up the new missionaries when they arrived in Uganda because my companion is training this transfer. So that was cool. We got to talk to President and the AP's for awhile and then we witnessed the entrance of green missionaries! It was awesome. They were just so full of the spirit and so much curiosity and even some fear. hahaha. It just reminded me when I came on mission for the first time. I was so lost......... hahaha.

Airport time. Elder Anderson gets to meet his newbie companion!

 I also got to eat Eba today. It was actually really nice. It is a west african dish mainly.

...pause for education....
Ẹbà is a Nigerian staple food eaten in West African subregion and beyond. It is made from dried grated cassava (manioc) flour, commonly known as garri.

ON wednesday we had a busy day. I had to drive back and forth from Kampala twice. Picking up and dropping off missionaries most of the day. But it was also a tender mercy because we didn't get in an accident, no missionary was forgotten, and no luggage was lost!! We also had some really powerful lesson's with Elder Phiri that evening. By the way. Elder Phiri is my new companion. He is from Zimbabwe. He came on mission one transfer after me. He is humble. He loves cricket. He served in Rwanda in K2 branch. He is teaching me about cricket! He is a great companion. We even pulled a prank on him. We had a member pretend to be an investigator and I started arguing with the member and getting heated and the member told me and Elder Phiri to leave so as we were getting up the member dropped his missionary nametag that he got from his mission. hahahahaha It was funny. Elder Phiri didn't say much, but I think we got him pretty good. hahahahahaha.

On thursday we had a powerful day. Had some great lessons. Even we had a lesson with 3 new people that we met last week. At first they didn't seem interested and weren't paying any attention, but as we taught you could see their countenance change and they became interested and started participating and asking questions. By the end of the lesson they were excited to come to church on SUnday. It was cool to see how the spirit can soften someone and change them! On friday we had MLC. It was awesome and I learned a lot from it.

eating after MLC...yum!

MLC leaders

Saturday we got back into our area and had a nice day. We were in a certain area in the evening and I felt like we needed to go visit a former investigator and so we headed there. They weren't around, but E Phiri started talking to a guy and we eventually were welcomed in and we taught a lesson. It is funny how you can be prompted to see a former investigator, but the reason you are suppose to be there is to find a different person.

Sunday was good. WE had a member take us to a west african restaurant after church. I need to repent about the sabbath day, but we had fufu and had a good time with this member. He is a member from Sierra Leon, but lives in American and works for the UN. He was telling us stories about his mission and was just an awesome guy. YOu meet the coolest people on mission. Then we had a powerful lesson with some LA's and also with a progressing investigator. We are working to have some baptism's on the 11th of  June. Should be good. Had a great week here.

....another pause to become more learned.....
Fufu (variants of the name include foofoo, fufuo, foufou) is a staple food, common in many countries in Africa. It is often made with cassava and green Plantain Flour.

fu fu

fu fu and mcgoo

This week I started the Book of Mormon again and I am planning on finishing it one more time before I get home. But this week I was a bit stressed and feeling overwhelmed. I started reading the first chapter in Nephi. It talks about how Lehi saw and heard many great and marvelous things and how he was overcome with the spirit. Then I thought, wow I am sure he saw many things and was just like what I am I going to do. He was feeling overwhelmed like me. Then I kept reading. He had a vision and read a book and learned more things on what he needed to do and what was going to happen to Jerusalem. Then the first thing he does is praise and thank God for what he has told him and given to him. Then he goes out and does what he knows. He warns the people and teaches them. SO I realized that instead of worrying so much and being overwhelmed I just needed to show more gratitude. Review the guidance from the mission president and do what I know how to do! It answered me directly. I love the Book of Mormon. I know it is true. I know it can help us in our time of need. It can answer all of our questions. and without any doubt it will draw you closer to Christ. So read it, ponder its words, and pray and ask God if it is true. You will fell the Holy Ghost in your life.

Have a great week. Love you.

Love Elder Beckwe (African name or typo?)


...cooking shenanigans.....

nice aprons Elders!!!

eating our home made pizza

muscle pose

Elder Beck , Anderson and ?

selfie stick pic

MOM QUESTIONS TO MOM....
1.  how blessed am I to have a son who wants to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ?
Mom answer....very blessed indeed

2. What is this a picture of?
Mom answer.....I have no idea.  Anyone?

????

3.  Is Elder Beck hungry all the time?
Mom answer....who knows but sounds like he got fed well and a lot this week!!!!

Having a discussion at another church....not lds

2 for 1.... 1- Mother's Day 2-Finish off the transfer with a bang!

no words needed

5-15-17
Truly a great week!

Things that happened:

We were able to do a little service this week and dig in someones garden. I love it! Most people here don't think white people can use a hoe or dig or weed or anything. It is funny. Also we had a lesson with an investigator and then his freinds all came and joined the lesson. All were interested and asking good questions. I love it when the lord brings people to us. He does it a lot. ha

We had some tough things happen with investigators. One got a job and so that is good, but the problem is that he works on Sunday's now. It is not an easy balance between providing for the family and also putting in the time for God here. Than another family that we now have dropped. They are such a great family. Humble followers of Christ, but they have just had a lot of things come up and have forgotten God a bit. But they will come around again! And the lord will provide a way for everyone to keep his commandments.

We also were able to have some plans change and drop through on Saturday, but as we came together and had the spirit. We had a really awesome day. All things work together for the good of those that believe. Sunday we had an awesome day as well. Church was great. Many people there. SOme investigators missing, but overall we had a great service. Then of course I got to see the family. That was the best! Love you guys and grateful for the support! Then cool story, we had a guy that we just talked to that called us and wanted to meet with us. He is someone that is really searching for the truth. He has had many questions about different churches and wants to know what is true and what is not true. I love prepared people! A great mother's day! 

This week I really loved a district meeting that we had. It was focused on becoming like Christ and developing Christ-like attributes. We are here to come to know and become like our Savior Jesus Christ. That is life Eternal! Becoming Christ-like though is a life time thing. It won't come over night, but by one choice at a time. Eventually we will see ourselves changing as we constantly remember Christ, learn more about him, and stive to do what he did. Really that is what we are all need to do in this life. Christ set the perfect example and his grace is sufficient for us as we strive to become like Him! Have a great week. Love you.

Love Elder Beck

Look at dem horns! oh my!

What's cookin' good lookin'?

5-22-17

So this week was great! We saw a lot of miracles and definitely felt the spirit!

On Tuesday we had a great day. The highlight was the zone finding that we did. It was awesome. We met all together in Entebbe and did some finding around the market. We met some really awesome people and it was fun with the entire zone and different missionaries there. My favorite part though was we went to an inv that was nearby! His name is Juma and he is the blind man! We sang I am a child of GOd for him and also a less active member that was nearby. It was amazing. The spirit was there and I was just happy. Cool stuff. Good people. God is good. On Wednesday we had another powerful day.. We went to Kampala and had a meeting with the Stake president, Mission President, the Ap's, and some other Zone Leaders. It was an amazing meeting. The spiritual prepardness was there and the revelation was flowing. We also did a live video feed to invite people to the Missionary Fireside that is coming up soon and I was the camera man! haha. It was awesome! We have a great Stake President here!

On thursday we had a great day. Met and taught a lot of new people. It is interesting how some people are so receptive while others are not, but the message is still the same and it is true. Some people are ready and others are not. Friday we had a good day as well. We have some really great people we are teaching. One is David Ochen. He is from Gulu and he really loves the church. He has been coming to church for like 3 or 4 months now! He just needs to work on some marriage problems, but he loves the gospel and truly just wants to do what God want him to do.

On Saturday we had a baptism and it was pouring rain, but they still came. It was awesome. Not many people there, but still felt the spirit and everyone was happy! One of them was Ezera. Me and ELder Anderson have been teaching him. He is a great guy! He hadn't been praying in a church for over 10 years until he found the this church! We also had a nice dinner appointment. One of our RC's bought us KFC! Booyah. So nice! I have never had that happen before........

Sunday we had the confirmation of brother Ezera and the Sister misisonaries had 2 baptism's. SO entebbe was finishing off the transfer with a bang! We had a lot of people at chruch as well. The Ward seems to be stronger and stronger every Sunday!

This week I was learning from Ether 12. I love this chapter and I truly love the scripture in it verse 4 I believe. I just was able to ponder and study that verse for awhile. I liked how faith and hope will allow us to always abound in Good works. If we are always hoping for a better world and always having faith in Christ, when would we ever do something that wasn't good? We wouldn't....... So let us increase our Faith in Jesus Christ and our Hope for a better world! Have a great week. Love you.

Love Elder Beck

Baptism!

New convert and Sister missionaries

pday crew....sisters and elders

Elder Beck on the Beck at Lake Victoria

MOM QUESTIONS:

 1.  How are you doing?

Things here are going well. We had one brother baptized and confirmed this weekend. It was really awesome. WE also found some really great people this week and it is the new transfer. Many missionaries moving and coming. So this week will be busy with that and also MLC! Getting the new companion on Wednesday and saying goodbye to Elder Anderson as well. Things are good. 

2.  Are you still taking a malaria pill every day? Because I know now you're not taking any vitamins… Ha ha ha.

 Honestly.....No

3. Are you going to leave most of your stuff in Africa? You might as well leave clothes or other things in there that someone else might need.

 Ya I am planning on leaving most of my things behind, but I am not thinking too much about that now.

4.  What is an example or description  of an effective missionary?

An effective missionary is obedient, hard working, listen's to the spirit always, doesn't waste time, and open's their mouth always!

5.  What is something that you learned this past week that has made a difference in your life?

I learned from the story of Daniel. It is probably my favorite or one of them in the Old Testament. When the King needed to interpret his dream. Daniel did not doubt, but he believed and he went with his companions and they gathered together and prayed for help from God. Then they received it. I learned that when we have the faith of many people together we are a lot stronger and able to do more than if we are just by ourselves. Unity is important.

clouds for cloud addicts

Clouds + sun = fun!

Lake Victoria at sunset

Loves me some purple sunsets -n- clouds and a tropical tree!!

WOW! (Word Of Week) = "AWESOME" The Church is true!

Raymond's baptism

Hello!

THis week was awesome!

It started off, I was on exchanges with Elder Brogan (my former companion from Bear Lake). It was an awesome day. It was also a really rainy day. We had some really awesome lessons especially with Raymond. He is the one that was baptized this Sunday. He just understands so well and is really one of the most prepared people I know. Also got some departing advice from Elder Brogan who is going home in like 2 weeks from now! (wonder what that advice was?) 

Then on Wednesday I was able to go on a run with Elder Brogan in the morning. It was awesome. Uganda is a great place to run in the morning! Really beautiful!Wednesday was kind of a so-so day. Not sure why, but the rest of the week made up for it.

Thursday we had Zone Conference. It was a really amazing Zone conference. The spirit was different. It was so thick you could touch it! haha. But really Kampala South Zone is the best! Then we came back and just had powerful lessons in the evening! We even taught a new guy named Robert. This guy is awesome. He is someone who has been searching for the truth and the right place to be for a while. He loves to learn and he is the one who contacted us. The lord is truly awesome! Friday. We had a good day. We had some weird bounces and stuff, but everything ended up really well. Celebrated Cinco de Mayo by having chili and tortilla chips!

Kampala South Zone!!

Saturday was just straight up awesome! It started out with Elder Anderson going to do a baptism interview for the other guys and I was with Elder Obeng. We had a super nice lesson with some brothers and they even came to church the next day! And they want to come again next week! Then we did some finding in an area we had gone before but felt like we were just on the verge of finding someone. We go there and the second person we talk to invites us in and we had a really nice first lesson. Then our next program we met a new guy named Godfrey. This guy might be the most humble person I have ever met. He was just willing to listen and he wants to learn more and he has an awesome family and works hard. He has so much potential. Problem is that he works on Sunday......... Darn............

Sunday was just another awesome day. We had a great Church service. No Rain - -  so more people came. Then we had 3 baptisms in the ward! One on our side and 2 from the other missionaries! IT was really awesome and I was just a happy camper that day! Raymond is a great person and was really happy about his baptism! Then we had a really good lesson with a semi less active member and we brought another semi less active member with us and it was just an awesome lesson. One of them shared their conversion story of when he was in Abu- dabi? Somewhere in the India area where he found the church. Cool story! For P-day we had a zone activity it was really awesome. WE made a rap as a zone. Beat awesome!

boxing and singing about the gospel of Jesus Christ. It was

Truly an amazing week.

What I liked from the scriptures was in 3 Nephi when Jesus Christ is telling us that we are the salt of the earth and we are the light of the world. He says that it is given unto us..........  That means we have been foreordained to be the salt and light of the world! We were given great responsibilities and knowledge before we came here to the earth! Now, we just have to be obedient and we can achieve that calling! Each of us have great things to do here that God needs us to do! Have a great week. Love You.

Love Elder Beck


CLOUDS FOR MOMMA!!!!  FOR MOTHER'S DAY!!

....wispy

....bold over vegetation

Mom questions....
1.  Skype or call?  Time?  I'm sure you'll give us the deets

I am planning on skyping, I am not 100% sure with the time because I don't know when you have church and when you guys will be around. Backup plan if skyping doesn't work is I will just call, but I am hoping it will work. It should.

2.  What touched your heart this week that u wouldn't mind sharing?

This Sunday I felt a different spirit in all the meeting. Many people were there. Investigators were there. the lesson's were really good. Then the baptism's were awesome. Everyone seemed happy. Everyone seemed at peace. I was just happy...... Singing the hymns with all our heart and just getting a simple confirmation that yes...... This is true!

3.  What is something you'll miss about Uganda and what is something you won't miss?

I will miss about Uganda is the Friendly people and the funny questions they have and theories they have!

I won't miss is the Trash piles.....

4.  Do you see a physical change in people when they embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ?

Ya you can see a physical change. It happens. The soul is the body and the spirit combined. Everything is connected!

......happy  :)

Great week! Rainy weekend but it doesn't stop the work...

Early mother's day present..... African clouds!! Score!

SO this week was awesome.......... we had an awesome day. WE taught two friends of the recent convert Derrick that was baptized a few weeks ago. They are awesome and accepted baptism!! 

Also as we were going home a guy that we contacted came up to us and gave us a paper that had answers to the questions that were on the back of a pass along card that we gave him. That was super awesome! And it was all because we contacted one more person one night last week. And later in the week we taught him and had an awesome lesson with him. No effort is wasted. You never know until you try! Then later in the week we found this new place to go finding and it was on top of this hill that overlooked Entebbe. Really beautiful! and we found a new family and the Mama's name is Angela! Shout out to my mom! Great name!  (woot!! I agree!!)

Also side story...... Everyone here is talking about a Pastor guy who was burning bibles because they used Holy Ghost instead of Holy SPirit.......... People think the Holy Ghost is something evil here. It is amazing how we run into that problem a lot here......

Also during the week a guy called us and said he wanted to meet with us. So we set a meeting for on Saturday morning. Then saturday morning we call him to see if we are still meeting and it doesn't go through the first couple of times. Then I try again later and it goes through and he just says "I will be there in 10 minutes." and at the same time it is raining really hard and usually no one moves around when it is raining in Uganda. We meet him at the spot and he us just soaking! Then he takes us to his home and we share with him. He is shivering as we share. Truly dedicated, but the story doesn't end there. On Sunday, it rained again in the morning. SO we weren't expecting a lot of investigators to come to church that day, but again...... He came to the church early completely soaked! I have not seen that guy dry. haha. It was truly amazing. He is an awesome guy!

Things are going really well right now here in Entebbe the work is progressing! We might have two baptisms this week. SO we hope for that and the Lord continues to bless us. Thanks for the prayers. They are working!

This week I have been preparing a training I am going to give in a Zone Conference and it is all about the atonement of Jesus Christ! And it has really just brought me to a greater knowledge and remembrance of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and how truly great and infinite it was. The talk by Jeffrey R. Holland in May 2015 Ensign ( Elder Holland - Where justice, love and mercy meet  )  is a really great one and I invite all to go and read that talk. SOmetimes the atonement of Jesus Christ becomes to commonplace or it is not front and center in our lives, but truly it needs to be. It is the reason for life, it is the motivation to be obedient, it is the motivation to keep on trying no matter what, and it is the way to immortality and eternal life and sometimes we forget about that! I have been going through many scriptures and talks about the atonement of Jesus Christ and it has really changed my perspective on it! Jesus Christ does live and he did provide the ultimate sacrifice! Never forget that. We can receive power in our lives to overcome anything! Weather small or great! 

Have a great week. Love You.

Elder Beck

Mom questions...
1.  What's the plan for Mother's Day call?

Mother's day might be a phone call......... WE are trying to talk to some members about using their ipad or their computer so it might be a face to face or a voice to voice. I will confirm next week, but I liked the program we used last time.

2. Hey I'm doing book club in May and I choose the book .....elephant whisperer ....about a guy who had a game reserve Africa and inherited away a bunch of crazy escape artist elephants and how he tamed them and became their friend. Did you know elephants are very smart?  AnyWho I was thinking about providing  African food. What do you suggest?

I didn't know that they were really smart. That is cool. Ya that is a great idea. African food is the best! Matooke, Posho, Beans, Rice, Meat chunks in soup, Sweet potatoes, Irish potatoes. Any of that is good.



3. Most missionaries been getting their packages? Or are we just lucky.?

Ya most missionaries get there packages. I rarely hear anyone not getting a package that was sent to them.

4. What is one new thing that you learned about yourself or the gospel this week?

I really learned a lot about the Atonement of Jesus Christ and how truly great it is and how it should be our motivation for anything.

more cloud love from Uganda

On a side note from momma beck....I think sharing this song that was performed at my oldest's institute graduation is appropriate to share here.  It really touched my heart and seems right to add to my son's testimony of Jesus 

Christ and His atonement... I know that my redeemer lives.

(click below to listen to the song Testimony. I promise you won't be sorry.)

Testimony