Hey Family! (August 10, 2016)

Hey!

So weeks here at the MTC are pretty similar in schedule--but a lot of different things can happen! Thanks for the "Dear Elders"--I appreciate them! It is so nice to hear about things at home :) The Korean is coming...slowly, but improving! It is so different from English! But I am enjoying it. It is a blast to work on a new language. I love love love teaching! Teaching with my companion is a little difficult sometimes, because we aren't always on the same page, but we have been getting better and better and I am learning a lot. I especially love TRC, where we teach BYU students. It is neat to teach real people, focusing on real needs.  One cool thought my teacher shared with us this week is that even though we feel like we aren't teaching "real" investigators sometimes, is that the teachers often talk amongst themselves and share how strengthened they are by the missionaries lessons--that because we are representatives of Christ who are teaching His Gospel, we often inspire and strengthen them. It is neat to hear that!

Elder W, President P (our branch president), and me

Yesterday at the Tuesday devotional, Elder Neil L. Anderson came! I was on row five, so I was as close as if he spoke in our own sacrament meeting basically! He is such a good man. He exemplified the characteristics of faith, hope, and charity. I felt his strength and love. His wife spoke first; I noticed the tenderness and love with which he treated her. She was very Christlike as well.  At the end of her testimony, she said, "I bear witness that my husband is an apostle of the Lord." That was a powerful testament to me! There is something special about a spouse's witness.

For me personally, I have been working on faith lately--faith in the Savior, in His Atonement, and in God's plan for each one of us. Faith in the Book of Mormon. Faith that God is with me even when I don't realize it. Faith was the greatest message that I received from Elder Anderson. He said that years ago, Elder Oaks visited his mission when he was a mission president. Elder Oaks shared this advice:  "Be clean, be obedient, be busy." He said that those things will help us to be good missionaries. I love that advice! And as I have tried to live it, I have gained a testimony of it. Towards the end of his address, Elder Anderson said that, most importantly, we all need to believe in miracles. He said,
"If you will be clean,
If you will be obedient,
If you will be busy,
Keep the flame bright,
You will see miracles. 
In YOUR mission. 
Where you are.

There is no question whether or not the Lord can work miracles; the question is whether we have the faith to be a part of them, and whether we are sensitive enough to the Spirit to follow God's will. Will I be a part of that?

The dried squid Allie sent to me!

My district and I all eating the squid...first it tasted like beef jerky, then it tastes BAD. It smells like fish food flakes!

This week, one day before I began personal study, I knelt down and prayed that God would help me to know whether or not the Book of Mormon was the word of God. I had faith that he would answer me; and I closed my prayer and continued kneeling, but no extraordinary feelings came.

Not dissuaded, I stood up,sat at my desk, and began my personal study of the Book of Mormon. I read for a few minutes, and as I read the various doctrines of the book, the Spirit testified to me of how good, how pure, correct, and truthful the doctrines of the Book of Mormon are. The Book of Mormon is God's word. I know it to be. But it wasn't until I began reading, and had been reading, that the Spirit testified to me of the goodness and truthfulness of it. I felt so much love in my heart for this book which strengthens us so much.

These guys know Kaycee!

Super nice elder in my zone--he gave me some chopsticks!

I love you all! I hope things are going well! I would love to hear how things are going. :)  Mom, thanks so much for the Olympics update!  Keep them coming!  I love love love the Olympics!  I love you all!  Also, ALLIE!  I shared part of your last email with my district (Mom printed it out and sent it to me).  Thank you for sharing your testimony! It strengthened me.

I have to get off soon, but I will try to hurry and send pics.  Love you all!

Elder Nate Beckett