Sunday, October 29, 2017
No Jesus. No Peace. Know Jesus. Know Peace.
07/24/2017
Hey family and friends,
Hey family and friends,
Another AMAZING week here in Zim. What a shocker.
This week we had zone conference. As a mission, we have been focusing on The Restoration and The Book of Mormon. I love President Mkhabela's words, "You have power in your hands. Walk tall and stand firm for this is the truth."
I love the Zimbabwean people. On Tuesday, my companion and I were driving in the car and we saw a little boy crying because he had fallen off his bike. We turned back around to go and help him but others already had helped him. Another time this week we were at a member's place and neighbors would come over and ask for food like millie meal to make sadza (the staple food) and she gives so freely and generously to everyone even though the economy is rough right now.
Our area is blooming! I just want to touch on a few inspirational investigators we are teaching at the moment.
Violet: We met with her for the first time and she completely opened up to us and told us she felt like a "lost sheep." Violet was concerned she has been baptized so many times and started questioning herself wondering if it was a sin, but she just wants to know the truth and stick to it. Definitely prepared.
Precious: Very sweet 16 year old girl. We taught her the Plan of Salvation and I asked her a question I said, "What are you going to change in your life now that you have this knowledge about God's plan?" She simply said, "I need to change and be baptized."
Hahaha we had a baptism disaster on Saturday. The water stopped coming out of the hose when the font was about halfway full and the water needed to be heated because it was wayyyy too cold. So, we brought our little kettle and tried to heat up the water. The baptism for Fortunate was a success at the end because the water came back later on!
I love this poem. Mother Teresa put this on the walls of an orphanage she established in Calcutta.
"People are illogical, unreasonable and self-centered.
Love them anyway.
If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.
The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.
Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.
Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway."
No effort is ever wasted! :) That is something I have learned even in missionary work. Keep doing good works because others will glorify our Father in Heaven.
P.S. late email we were having fun playing with elephants and lions today. Pictures coming soon. Sorry if I cannot respond to everyone's personal emails today.
I love you all! Have a wonderful week!
Picture 1- Elder Sink from Las Vegas, Lone Mountain Stake.
Picture 2- Gweru zone
Picture 3-Fortunate's baptism
Picture 4-This guy was trying to cut down a tree and it fell over and knocked a wall out at our chapel. Hahahahhahah dangerous.
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Love,
Sister Beckstead
Powerful Week
07/17/2017
Ah! Ah! Ah! This week was powerful.
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Ah! Ah! Ah! This week was powerful.
Our best finding idea has been tracting, surprisingly. Every investigator that came to church Sunday were people we went and knocked on their gates and shared a message with them in their homes.
There are also many funny times in the area because Sister Smith is just as blonde as me so sometimes we end up walking around in circles. "Everything just looks the same to me!" "Me too!" Hahaha.
Investigators:
Hloymai (Ndebele name) has come to church the past two Sundays! We found him by contacting him on the street and I am so happy he is progressing although he does not speak much English. He is a powerful YSA.
Nomatter and Syprian are also great. Nomatter just moved to Gweru after a separation from her husband and is trying to do her best taking care of her two children. Syprian is her little brother who is a character.
Shingie is a funny kid who doesn't want to get baptized because he thinks he won't be able to be a rapper anymore. We realize there is a different underlying concern of which we are trying to discern. We asked him what was most important to him in life and he mentioned it was his family, I hope the Plan of Salvation can touch his heart deeply.
Fortunate is getting baptized this Saturday and she is even sacrificing to miss a wedding just to be baptized. She has been coming to church for a lonngggg time, her boyfriend is a member but she only wanted to learn the gospel from missionaries when she was sure this was the true church.
I was reading a talk about regrets. The 3 biggest regrets in life when someone is coming towards parting mortal life is:
1) Not living up to their potential. becoming who Heavenly Father really wants them to be.
2) Not spending enough time with their loved ones
3) Waiting to be happy, not finding joy in every circumstance.
Choose one thing and work on it so we can truly become all that we are destined to be! Men are that they might have joy! This mortal life is a much shorter season in the grand scheme of things than we think, yet the choices we make determine our destiny. "Let us choose the harder right than the easier wrong." -Thomas S. Monson.
Enjoy the sun, go swimming and eat drink a slurpee from 7/11.
I love you all! Miss you as well.
Pictures:
On Thursday we were picking up a member Fadzai for a lesson but I briefly mentioned how tomorrow would be my one year! To my surprise, her sister Patricia baked me this very beautiful and delicious cake for my "1st" on mission. Totally a kind act! :)
We went to the Zimbabwe Military Museum this morning! Learned a lot.
Love,
Sister Beckstead
Monday, July 10, 2017
1 year
7/10/17
I hope everyone had a great 4th of July! America!!!!!
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I hope everyone had a great 4th of July! America!!!!!
Gweru is seriously the opposite of Bindura so it's a funny change. On cloudy days here in Gweru, I feel like I am back at Rexburg putting on my scarves and fleece lined leggings. It is COLD here.
With the missionary work itself, Sister Smith and I are starting from scratch. We have been trying to find people to teach but the best solution we have found is to ask members for referrals because people in the streets aren't too receptive to our message. On the bright side, we ran out of Restoration pamphlets this week so that's a good start! haha.
With the missionary work itself, Sister Smith and I are starting from scratch. We have been trying to find people to teach but the best solution we have found is to ask members for referrals because people in the streets aren't too receptive to our message. On the bright side, we ran out of Restoration pamphlets this week so that's a good start! haha.
This next week I will be hitting my year mark as a missionary here in Zimbabwe. I am grateful and will continue to serve with all strength and vibrance!
Pictures:
1- Red, white & blue
2-this guy offered to give us a ride on a push cart, we accepted his offer
3-zimbabwean food!!!!!!
4-we found a cool bakery in town with cupcakes so I was pretty happy
5-Sister Smith and I woohooo
Love,
Sister Beckstead
The Best is Yet to be.
7/3/17
Hello family and friends,
Ahhh. Many tears were shed and heartfelt goodbyes were said yesterday. I have been transferred from Bindura to a new area called Mkoba, Gweru. The Chipadze branch members told me, "We just want you to love and treat the people of Gweru just the same way you did to us." The goodbye is rather painful but I realize it is because we had a very special bond there and it's good to love even though goodbye's hurt.Hello family and friends,
My new companion is Sister Smith which is so cool because I was in the same house as her when I was being trained and she is a good friend of mine.
Pictures:
1. I love this girl so much. I am going to miss Sister Namugenyi.
2.Saying goodbye to Bindua in a photo.
3. ma sistasss.
4.woohoo love these people.
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Love,
Sister Beckstead
Rescued
6/26/17
Hello family and friends,
This week we focused on seeing some less active members of the church. Sister Love was one of them. She told us about how when her family was going through a hard time grieving over death, no one went to visit them from the church so she felt forsaken and alone. She was offended and hadn't gone back. I shared with her how the church is like a hospital, we are all sick in our own way but we go there to be healed. Also, how the church and its doctrine are perfect but the people are not perfect. Sister Love was very happy that we came to visit her and she said, "I was lost and now I feel rescued." That really touched my heart and reminded me that we need to find those lost sheep, God wants all of His children back no matter how long they have been lost, or the reason why they became lost.
I love these verses from Alma 31, as they are trying to rescue the Apostate Zoramites.
34 O Lord, wilt thou grant unto us that we may have success in bringing them again unto thee in Christ.
35 Behold, O Lord, their souls are precious, and many of them are our brethren; therefore, give unto us, O Lord, power and wisdom that we may bring these, our brethren, again unto thee.
Love you all! Xoxo
Pictures:
1) I got my hair plated just for fun and it looked terrible hahaha then I took it out that same night.
2) oh, rats!
3) Ok, now this is pretty cool. So Elder Dube of the Seventy grew up in Zimbabwe, served a mission in Zimbabwe, and was also a mission president In Zimbabwe! This week I met one of his converts! I had to take a picture with him, anyways it was way cool haha.
4) just a selfie with Elder Banks & my companion, Sister Namugenyi.
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Love,
Sister Beckstead
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