Elder Beckett in Korea: 1st Week of 14th Transfer (March 11, 2018)

This week was fun! We had the old missionaries leave, which is always sad, but feels right... also the new missionaries came in! I got to drive the new elder back from the airport in Gimhae, which is fun! Korea driving can be intense because the city is just big and crazy, with taxis and city buses, but overall the speeds are slower than the US.

Let me map out my day last Tuesday. At 3:30 a.m., we took our German Elder to the airport! Yeah, I look tired...

8 am: Breakfast at President's house. We took a break on the couch! :)

A candid picture of me at the airport. (more pictures at the bottom of my message.)

We had lots and lots of meetings this week, for training. One every day except Saturday. On Saturday we met one of the new investigators we found last week again (his name is K), and originally our ward mission leader had arranged for a member to come, but it turned out that the member was unable to help us... So we asked our 29 yr old ward mission leader to come, and he said he would! After meeting, our ward mission leader and K realized that they had known each other in middle school! We had a fun night getting kimchi chigae, a kimchi soup, with rice and all you can make fried eggs! We ate a lot of eggs, haha. I always proudly tell people that we raised chickens growing up, so I know how to make and eat eggs. Grantsville pride. ;)

K came to church, and it was good! Please pray for him to read the Book of Mormon and continue learning about the Gospel! And strengthen his faith in God-- he doesn't really have religion.

This week we had all the training meetings, as I mentioned... Well there is a kid in our mission who was called to be a zone leader, and he is really young... being in his 5th transfer, I think? When he walked into the meeting, I could tell something was up. He was just pale-faced, so nervous. I asked if he was sick, and he said he just felt like he didn't belong there.

I had an opportunity to speak at the next meeting, me and Elder Y had a bit of time. I felt like the Spirit kind of guided me what to talk about. President Jeong had told me the day before to not prepare but just follow the spirit. Right before the meeting I was thinking about the young, nervous elder, and I thought about what I could say to help him. I was thinking about a scripture that had been mentioned in a talk that dad had sent me a couple weeks ago. I want to share the message I did in that meeting, or at least a similar one with you all, because I feel like the Spirit was leading me what to say.

There are times in our lives when we are given a calling, an expectation, standard, or goal that seems far above our ability to complete. It can be overwhelming and discouraging. We may want to give up. I was thinking about one example of this, someone who I love and respect. I will show you a picture of him.

This is a picture of President Thomas S. Monson, a prophet of the Lord, who passed away recently. He was called as an apostle at age 33. Can you imagine how he must have felt? Look at the emotion on his face. I can't understand what we must have felt. He accepted the call, and became the great man we know him to be.

We may have times where we are called to a new calling, when President Jeong sets a new rule that may be difficult to keep, or a mission goal that is quite high. We may not think we can do it.

We are very aware of our inadequacies, insufficiencies, and the things we lack. It is not easy. But I know that the Lord will qualify those whom he calls. He knows each one of you. He knows your hopes, and your dreams, and your concerns, and your worries, your strengths and your weaknesses. Trust him. I know that this is His work. I know that this work is possible because of Jesus Christ. And as we place our focus on him, we will be able to accomplish it.

To end, I would like to quote President Monson, in a talk he gave in 2012.

"Courage is the word we need to hear and hold near our hearts—courage to turn our backs on temptation, courage to lift up our voices in testimony to all whom we meet, remembering that everyone must have an opportunity to hear the message. It is not an easy thing for most to do this. But we can come to believe in the words of Paul to Timothy:

'For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

'Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord.'

Love you all! Have a great week! And remember that the Lord is on your side :)

Elder Beckett