They Say Pictures Are Worth 1,000 Words

Sometimes I don't have a whole lot to say, but here are some pictures. I am happy, love this gospel and so grateful to be serving God.

Pictures: my lovely companion and I, bundling up in warm clothes some days, hiking today... :)

--

Love,

Sister Beckstead

Michael Jackson and Cats.

Hello family and friends,

I want to start with a funny story. On Tuesday we get into our investigator's home. He has a tiny cat and my companion is TERRIFIED of cats so she begs him to put it in the next room and he shuts the door. The lesson begins, everything is fine. Halfway through the lesson, the cat appears near my companion's feet and she screamed so loud I didn't even know what was happening. Turns out the cat crawled through the open window back into the room we were in. Hahaha.

So our investigator Bright was baptized on Saturday. Jeremiah, his little friend who we are also teaching wanted to be baptized so bad but he was not ready. He comes to primary every week though, is only 11 and does not speak good English but can understand it pretty OK. We were asking him the baptismal interview questions and to the question about Joseph Smith he goes, "Joseph Smith saw God walking in the forest." We had a pretty good laugh at that. Cute kid.

We were teaching these two YSA aged boys and one is named Johnson and the other Mike. During the closing prayer of the lesson my companion accidentally said the names of "Mike and Jackson."  MICHAEL JACKSON!

On Saturday after the baptism we were walking back to the chapel after lunch and this drunk man asked if he could pray for us. We kindly told him no thank you but he insisted. He gets down on his knees in the street and puts his hands high in the air.... interesting moments in Zimbabwe, my friends.

Brother Dzapasi is amazing. He is this sweet sekuru (grandpa) and we have been teaching him for a couple weeks. He is retired so he spends all of his time at home playing with his grand kids. He came to church on Sunday and we were so happy. He wants to be married and baptized with his wife soon! When we taught him The Plan of Salvation I think that's when it all clicked for him and he realized that this gospel is true.

Faith is still an investigator that has been coming to church since January. We are working with marriage issues still because her husband is never around and refuses to come to church even for one sunday to announce her marriage. She amazes me and is still faithful and hopeful that God will provide a way for her. Our branch president is going to try talking to her husband soon, so we are hoping soon she will finally be baptized.

Basically, I had yet another amazing week. I am working hard and enjoying my mission with my awesome companion Sister Namugenyi. Woohoo. We are celebrating our 11 months soon this month!

Pictures.

1- exchanges with Sister Burt.

2-our nightly workouts in the house are intense! woo.

3-Bright's baptism!

4-african BBQ 

5-our feast on saturday night before fast Sunday

-- 

Love,

Sister Beckstead

I Feel Alive Again.

5/29/17

Hello family and friends,

I don't think I have been so happy or as eager and energetic to go out and work since my training. This week has really been so amazing and I am loving my new companion Sister Namugenyi and we are working harder than ever. It is a blessing to me and a miracle. Today, we showed up at the internet cafe and our District Leader, Elder Tu'ua goes, "You guys disappeared off of planet Earth since Monday!" Basically...

Sad news:

Sister Namugenyi just came from Kuwadzana, the area I was trained. I always talked about this one investigator old man named Sekuru who we ended up baptizing. He was the sweetest, most peaceful & gentle person. One of my favorite memories of him was walking past his front yard seeing him in a lawn chair reading The Book of Mormon. He said, "When I read The Book of Mormon, my heart jumps up and down so I know it must be true." He was very sick when I left Kuwadzana and died in March this year, just 6 months after his baptism. I was really sad when I heard this but at least he died with the best thing, the knowledge of the gospel.

Investigators:

Simba- has been coming to institute for 3 months now but decided he wants to be taught. We taught him the Restoration this week and about The Book of Mormon. After I bore my testimony of The Book of Mormon he said, "wow, I hope I can have a testimony like that one day!" We promised him that he could as long as he reads, ponders and prays. He accepted a baptismal date on June 17 and said he already knows this church is true.

Sister Chigariro- someone we have been seeing on and off for the past 4 1/2 months.. we always tried to teach her but she never came to church. We taught her about how faith without works is dead on Thursday and she came to church on Sunday. SHE HAS NEVER COME TO CHURCH SINCE I HAVE BEEN IN BINDURA... THIS IS AMAZING MY FRIENDS.

On Sunday in our investigators/recent converts class we had a testimony meeting after discussing about The Restoration. It was so powerful to hear those testimonies and touched my heart a lot. I am so thankful for this gospel of Jesus Christ and that a humble, young boy of only 14 years had enough faith to believe that Heavenly Father answers our prayers.

Talk to you all next week! 

-- 

Love,

Sister Beckstead