Hope for a Better World

10/9/17

Hello family and friends,

Weather here has been rainy mostly and it has been a nice change from the hot African sun. Just a few things from this week:

1) Tawanda is a man who literally thinks he is an angel and he told me that when I get back to America, I need to tell Usher that God still loves Him. 

2) Our car tire got flat by some wire so we went to get it changed and this sweet sekuru (grandpa) reacted in such a heart warming way as we handed him a Restoration pamphlet. He gasped as he looked at the front cover and said, "Oh, the lamb. Jesus left the 99 to go and find the one. He was very happy and held it close to Him and He kisses it." 

I have heard the terrible news of what has happened in Las Vegas and my heart led me to this conference talk from April 2017 by Jeffrey R. Holland, "Songs Sung and Unsung." 

"Someday I hope a great global chorus will harmonize across all racial and ethnic lines, declaring that guns, slurs, and vitriol are not the way to deal with human conflict. The declarations of heaven cry out to us that the only way complex societal issues can ever be satisfactorily resolved is by loving God and keeping His commandments, thus opening the door to the one lasting, salvific way to love each other as neighbors. The prophet Ether taught that we should “hope for a better world.” Reading that thought a thousand years later, war- and violence-weary Moroni declared that the “more excellent way” to that world will always be the gospel of Jesus Christ.⁸"

Know that I am thinking of you all, and praying as well. I am thankful for the gospel and for the light and hope that it does bring. When you are tired, do something for someone more tired. And when you are sad, do something for someone who may have it a bit worse than you. The way we can truly find our own lives is by losing ours in the service of others.

Have a great week everyone.

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Love,

Sister Beckstead