This is It. (July 9, 2018)

Last week was great! I will show you some pictures later. We were able to meet some great people this week:  DW  and K, and GJ. 

DW is 20 years old, studying on his own. He is a ping pong master and really kind and fun to talk to! He attended a church with his parents growing up but just found confusion because of the variety of churches on the earth, and so he stopped attending anywhere. We were able to naturally share the message of the restoration, and continue to hope and pray he finds the answers he needs. 

K is awesome! He is a 28 year old Korean who loves music. We were able to teach him the plan of salvation. He understood really well, and also accepted a baptismal date for August 19th! Then he came to church and stayed the whole time, and participated really well. He was so cool. He seemed pretty sad when I left; I was sad to say goodbye too but maybe I can skype in for his baptism!

Then yesterday, my last night of the transfer, we went and ate dinner with GJ at his house. GJ is the nice older man who Y from the ward referred to us. His wife prepared an awesome meal, Korean grilled pork belly, and we had a great time just talking. Their son is learning English, so he and Elder B are going to meet this Saturday. We sang them a song and were able to pray before we left.

Well fam, this is it! Sure love you all and see you tomorrow. I am so grateful for the sacred time I have had to live here, to love the people and culture here, and draw nearer to my Father in Heaven and His Son Jesus Christ. I know they are there and want our happiness. 

Love,

Elder Beckett.

July 2, 2 018

Hey family:

Last week was good!

One of our PIs came to family night with us to the home of the J family, the stake president's family. It was great! His american name is K, but he is Korean. He said after, "Wow! That felt like it was my own family, it was great!" So that was neat :) We had a nice dinner, spiritual messages, then played "signs" all together.

We also met another kid, D who has now received the first 3 lessons! He is progressing well and a lot of fun!

We went on a couple exchanges last week. I went with Elder D, as well as Elder G. They were both a lot of fun. Very diligent and good Elders.

One highlight! At the beginning of last transfer, Elder J and I were partnered up in the proselyting activity during the Zone Leader Training Meeting. We went out for 30 ish minutes. At the end of the activity, we met a kind student named Y. He lived in a different area, where my former companion, Elder M is serving, so we met 2 days later with Y and Elder M and his companion, and had lunch, then introduced them. They hit it off well, and started meeting. Yesterday Y was baptized! It was so neat to go see his baptism, and to have had the honor of playing a small part in the process of his conversion. I knew that God led us to meet him, and I was grateful for Elder M and his two great companions, Elder G and Elder H, who taught Youngoon in a fun way, as will as simply. He loved them! 

One cute story: Last week we happened to see Y on the street. We asked him how meeting with the missionaries was. He said, "It's good, they teach me a lot of fun things!" Elder B asked, "What are they teaching you that is so fun?" He said, "The law of chastity, the wisdom... no coffee, and alcohol, and all that stuff!" And was just so enthusiastic about learning the gospel! Great kid.

Today I was reading Moroni 10 doing a pmg activity. I loved verse 7:

"7 And ye may know that he is, by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore I would exhort you that ye deny not the power of God; for he worketh by power, according to the faith of the children of men, the same today and tomorrow, and forever."

I know that God really does do miracles today, like he did long ago. He works in power if we just have simple faith! He has a perfect plan!

Love you all!

Elder Beckett

PS I can probably email a little next week.

June 25, 2018

Hey fambly!

This week was so fast... 

We were able to go on a couple exchanges with a couple awesome teams! I went with Elder M from Iowa and Elder A from Utah! 

This is Elder M and I in the back of the train to Daegu

On Tuesday with Elder M we met an older man on the street who had a nice round fedora-type hat. We told him we thought that it was a nice hat and then he invited us to his house to sit in the cool indoors for a bit. Confucianism is pretty important to him, but we were able to talk a little bit about God, and he said we could come back again! It was really cool to see his house and how he meticulously prepares this special tea-- it was a cool traditional korean experience!  He even had a cool little garden greenhouse on the roof of his apartment and he gave us some peppers and edible purple leaves from it, haha, to wrap up rice and meat in when you eat.

We also were able to go visit a man who was referred to us by Y, a brother in our ward who Allie served by on her mission! The man is about 70 and is really nice, so we are planning to go back to teach him again.

On exchanges with Elder A, we saw a group of older fellers playing Korean chess, called jangi. Elder Alikes that game, so he challenged them to a game of jangi!

Then that night we met E! Did I tell you about E? He is a miracle man from South Africa, originally me and Elder A met him 3 transfers ago and taught him the restoration, then were unable to contact him until Elder B and I suddenly met him on the street again! Well he is doing well, we visited his house and had Milk Tart, kind of like a South African pudding, and read the Book of Mormon together. So that was neat.

I went back to my second area, Sangin, on exchanges and met S!! He is an awesome member there.

We also have another cool kid we are teaching named D. He is friends with the youth in our ward and is accepting everything really well. He came to church yesterday!

Then on Saturday we were doing a zone proselyting activity and I saw this guy and felt like I should talk to him. So I did! And just gave him an English pamphlet and walked away. But I felt like I should have talked to him more, so I went back. He was super nice and I got his number, then he texted me and called me that night saying it was nice to meet. Well we just invited him to church and he came for all three hours! So that was cool! And we will meet again on Saturday. His name is S, and he is 25.

One thing I am continuing to feel more than ever is how important each individual is to God. Each person is on their own path, their own journey back to Him. I think there are times when our individual path is very clear, but sometimes it can be confusing. We may feel more like we are wandering, not really sure if there is even a path to follow or if there is anywhere worth trying to go. Nobody has the exact same path as anyone else; each person has different hills and turns, different burdens we are required to bear. But our paths do intersect, even join up sometimes. Sometimes  we have the opportunity to walk with others, to help lift and relieve their burdens, encourage them along the path, maybe even show them the right direction to go when needed. 

As we seek to help those around us on this path by serving and ministering, we can find sources of inspiration and example in the life of Jesus Christ, who said ,"Behold I am the light; I have set an example for you...Therefore, hold up your light that it may shine unto the world. Behold I am the light which ye shall hold up—that which ye have seen me do. Behold ye see that I have prayed unto the Father, and ye all have witnessed.

 And ye see that I have commanded that none of you should go away, but rather have commanded that ye should come unto me, that ye might feel and see; even so shall ye do unto the world" (3rd Nephi 18:16, 24-25).

I have been blessed with motivation and desire to be a better person as I have studied the life of Jesus Christ! I love how he turns no one away. We shouldn't either. I am grateful that even when I take wrong turns on this path, I can get back on through repentance and just by continuing to do my best! I hope we all do our best not only on our own journey but to lift others around us. I know as we do so God's power and Spirit will flow more freely into our lives.

Love you all!

Love,

Elder Beckett