One Year Older & Wiser Too #20

Hello family & friends,

 I know it's super early in the morning back in the states and not everyone has gotten around to it, BUT THANK YOU FOR THE BIRTHDAY WISHES. I feel very loved even though I'm all the way in Zim. Thanks for making my day wonderful and putting a giant smile on my face.We are going to the mountains soon to have a lunch picnic then tonight I am making Mexican food & we are celebrating with cake and ice cream.  . 

I know that it doesn't matter if we are having a bad day, bad week or a bad year if the center of our lives is Jesus Christ. There is much to be grateful for and we can find joy in our circumstances because of His Atonement. I am grateful for this gospel that constantly uplifts those I am around. I get to witness people's lives completely changing every single day and it is the most beautiful thing. Allowing others to feel God's love for the very first time in their lives, there is nothing better. I never said it was easy, I just said every day out here is worth it and there is joy in every day. 

I love you all! Have a great General Conference weekend. I hope I get to watch it soon. 

-- 

Love,

Sister Beckstead

A Week of Celebration

Hello family and friends,

Celebration #1- Went on exchanges to Chitungwiza in Harare..... I GOT TO BE WITH SISTER WALBECK. It was the "Walbeckstead's" all over again. I really enjoyed being with her, she always teaches me so much when I am with her. She is full of love and so kind and friendly to everyone!

Celebration #2- The baptisms were beautiful on Saturday. I have never seen happier baptismal candidates.... Their testimonies were sweet. Rongai said, "I am so glad that I am finally baptized. I know this church is the only true church because everything they teach changes lives, I have seen the change in me. Am glad that I had wonderful, patient teachers." Aww. Yvonne was other candidate and is only 9 years old but her cousin was there who is a member and she was soooo happy that her sweet cousin was finally getting baptized.

Celebration #3- Our stake had a giant Relief Society celebration for 175th  year and it was so great. There was a spiritual part, then funny skits and tons of refreshments! 

Celebration #4- Sister Ngonisa and Sister Jili's birthday!!! #marchbabiesarethebest :)))

Celebration #5- My companion and I were teaching these two mam's named MaiAnesu and MaiEunice. We stopped seeing them for awhile because they weren't really progressing. We both felt impressed to see them because we kept thinking of them so we went to see them and it turns out that they both came to our district conference the week before. We didn't see them because there were so many people but they even came to church this week and we are so happy that we followed the spirit! 

I love Bindura so, so much! This is my favorite area I have served in yet! I love this gospel and I know it to be true from the bottom of my heart. I know that as we feel God's love for us we will want to share that with others. Spread love!!!!

I love and miss you all! 

-- 

Love,

Sister Beckstead

Spiritual High

Hello family and friends,

So I apologize for not writing an email last week, things were so, so hard here with the internet and I just got frustrated but I have a lot to say this week!

We have two amazing investigators right now that really stick out to me so I want to write a little bit about them.

There's Rongai. Rongai came to church with one of his friend's. He said his friend was a good example and wanted to be like him. So the day he came to church he said he felt really happy and the spirit confirmed to him it was the true church. Rongai hasn't missed a Sunday since!! He is so sweet to my companion and I, he always says, "In my prayers I thank God for giving me good teachers of the gospel" then yesterday he said if he passes his baptismal interview this Friday, he will throw a party for us hahahaha. 

We met Shepherd on the side of the road and invited him to church. Then felt impressed to teach a street lesson to him. So we did. He came to church the next day. His life story really is amazing. He shared how he was so bitter and angry when his dad left them and in result, lost faith in a living God. "Later on in my life, I had to stop being stubborn and realize that there was a God because if God created me, then God is there." Shepherd said that with a laugh. When we extended a baptismal date to him, he said, "If Jesus Christ was perfect and needed to be baptized, then I really need to be baptized because I sin a lot." !!! this guy is so ready for the gospel!

Fun Things:

1. I ate crocodile last week. Sister Buthelezi and Sister Anyango cooked it for us. It was amazinggg.

2. Sister Nafula and I jump roped with kids in the area and I felt like I was a little middle schooler again jumping and playing around. The kids loved it.

3. The people here in Chipadze really do love us. Everyone greets us all day long: the kids, the elderly, the mamas and even the kombi drivers. "Sister Beckstead! Sister Nafula!" Although a lot of people call me Becky... pretty funny.

4. Learning to drive a car in manual is super fun on Zimbabwe's bumpy roads. 

Our district conference yesterday was so great. The main focus was on marriage and families, which is especially what they want the members to work on here with the temple coming. Our mission president, President Mkhabela also had the opportunity to dedicate our chapel. It was a spirit of the utmost reverence as he spoke in the tongue of angels. I have never heard a more beautiful prayer in my entire life, he spoke to our Heavenly Father as if he was present in the room with us. And I know His spirit was. I relate this experience to when Jesus Christ visited the Nephites in 3rd Nephi and they said the words of His prayer were too powerful to be written down. It was incredible and I testify that the moment we say, "Dear Heavenly Father", He is listening to us. 

I even loved what President Parardzai shared about women in his childhood. He grew up in a society that didn't treat women correct. Women would go to the fields and work early in the morning, come home and cook breakfast, go back to the fields, come home again and cook, go back to the fields, come home again and cook dinner.... then fetch water and heat it up for their husbands to bath. Women pretty much did everything, all the hard work. President Paradzai said, "This kind of society is not anywhere close to OK for Priesthood holders." 

Something that was said yesterday in district conference is something that I want to share with all of you. Don't procrastinate. You are not promised of tomorrow. Do all you can today to hold the hands of the people you love and be with them. Serve those you are with and love them. We shouldn't only serve those we enjoy being around, but everyone. This advice even applies to me as a missionary!!

I love you all!!

-- 

Love,

Sister Beckstead

Ran Mine

How's it going family and friends!

TRANSFER NEWS: I AM STAYING IN CHIPADZE WITH SISTER NAFULA FOR ANOTHER TRANSFER. I'm so happy. She's the best. Two other sisters - sister Buthelezi and sister anyango are moving into our house & we are really excited. Here's one of the many reasons I love my companion. We come home late on Saturday night and we were closing the day and she starts praying and then stops and says, "God gave us baptisms today!!! We have to get down and kneel." 

Yesterday sister Nafula goes, "sister beckstead, you taught me something. The day my mom died and I received a priesthood blessing, you later asked me if I heard what they said. I answered that I didn't really listen. You then told me some special things the blessing said and I know you listened carefully. You taught me to listen to blessings and because of this, I listened to Jacqueline's blessing when she received the gift of the Holy Ghost today, and it said she was going to one day go to the temple and perform baptisms for the dead for her loved ones. When she was baptized yesterday I just imagined her dad (who passed away) getting baptized and it made me feel happy inside. Thank you for teaching me that." 

Funny story. So I had a really bad headache on Saturday, so I took some Advil then I don't even know what happened but I started sweating like crazy, my entire body was wet as if I just bathed and my companion was like what is going on... I mean I was drenched. I still don't know what happened but it was so funny and we still laugh about it. Sorry, kind of gross. I guess it was kind of like a hot yoga experience, without the yoga. 

We went to a part of our area we have never been to called Ran Mine and it's so cool people mine for gold and then process it... We are going back there this week because it is a productive area. 

This week our zone watched the missionary broadcast which was great and here are some things I learned from it:

• Testify of Jesus Christ. Keep His name on your lips. If you are ever unsure of what to say, testify of Him and His doctrines. 
• Are we too concerned about ourselves? Fear disappears when we love the people and forget ourselves. D&C 6:36
• It's not just about baptizing but continuing working with that person, being patient with them and realizing they have their own timeline. 
• None of us are good enough, we just need to be our best. He will make us better than we imagined. 

I know this church is chokwadie (truth)!! I love being here. I love sharing the light and truth. God is good all the time, let me tell you. Only through His strength I know I can do all things. I'm so thankful for the many wonderful blessings in my life, I will be forever grateful for what God has blessed me with and continues to do so. "This is my life and my light, my joy and my salvation, and my redemption from everlasting wo.... (Alma 26:36) Now this is my joy and my great thanksgiving; yea and I will give thanks unto my God forever. (Alma 26:37)"

I hope everyone has a great week like always!! I know it seems like I'm so far away and distanced but I'm only an email away. I love you all! 

-- 

Love,

Sister Beckstead

Week who knows what cause I am enjoying!!

Hello family and friends,

This week was very busy. We had a zone meeting on Tuesday, then after that we went straight to Harare for exchanges. I was so happy when I got there and Sister Bergen had made Swig sugar cookies!!! Yes! We got back from exchanges on Thursday morning then my companion and I moved into a new house closer to our area on Friday...It was filthy when we moved there so we spent a lot of time this morning cleaning it. Some of the relief society sisters came and did service helping us clean we were so happy.

What I liked from zone meeting:

•"Satan trembles when he sees the weakest Saint on his knees... 2 Nephi 32:8-9" -elder Williams 

•We need to record the feelings of our heart.

•"We need to love one another not just because God said so but because it is the true desire of our hearts. We can't be hypocrites and go and teach people to love one another when we ourselves don't even love our companions." -elder Chirande 

This drunk man came up to us this week & was talking all kinds of crazy and made us laugh a bit. He goes, "I'm a rich man, you know. I got push carts, flee markets and cattle..." then he got all quiet and says, "me goes...." & walks away. 

Last night we had interviews with President Mkhabela and he talked about how lucky we are to be in Bindura since it is so peaceful. I agree with him on that part. On a spiritual note, I loved what he shared with us in 1 Corinthians chapter 4 where it is talking about the apostles doing missionary work. He talked about keeping the faith through our sufferings. These are the verses we read, "For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men. We are fools for Christ's sake, but we are wise in Christ; we are weak, but we are strong; ye are honorable, but we are despised. Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace;" (verses 9-11)

This scripture made me realize how grateful I am to be here. Of course it's hard every day. We walk in mud all day and are dirty- constantly being rained upon. Other days we are beaten down by the sun. We don't get to talk to our families or friends as much as we wish we could and we miss our favorite treats from home. It shows what those who love Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are willing to do. Lately I have learned to have a positive attitude about life and just be happy all the time - it is much more enjoyable!!! Try it!!!

Well, we have a world to save! Let's go! I love and miss you all! I have another busy week (which is the best as a missionary) because we are getting ready for baptisms!!! Yay!!!! 

-- 

Love,

Sister Beckstead

Joy

Hello family and friends!

This week was pretty grand. I cooked sadza on firewood at investigator innocent's house, got called mchina by a group of kids in chipadze all week (do I really look Chinese?) and taught many great lessons with my lovely companion. Our area is really blooming and we hope we can stay at least one more transfer together (week 5 just began) because we are a team.

Jacqueline, Cynthia, Spalile and Grace are some wonderful young women we are teaching and they have been coming to church the past three Sunday's as well. We finished teaching them about the Restoration this past week and extended a commitment to them to pray to know if The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the true church on the face of the earth today. They did pray and we asked them of their experiences. Hearing these experiences made me cry tears of joy and gratitude for this true gospel and to witness others finding it to be true themselves. Here are the responses:
"I always want to go to church even when it's Wednesday I want it to be Sunday."
"I feel happy."
"I prayed and felt our heavenly God in heaven beside me."
"I always want to see you two." (My companion and I)

I can't describe how I truly felt inside when I listened to them describe the feelings of their hearts. It softened my own heart and made me realize I am an instrument in this missionary work. It filled me with joy that is inexpressible. Joy I want every person to experience at least in some point of their lives. Nephi in first Nephi chapter 8 describes my feelings of joy better than I can myself.
"And as I partook of the fruit thereof it filled my soul with exceedingly great joy; wherefore, I began to be desirous that my family should partake of it also; for I knew that it was desirable above all other fruit." (Verse 12)
..." And it came to pass that I beckoned unto them with a loud voice that they should come unto me, and partake of the fruit, which was desirable above all other fruit."
(Verse 15)
"And it came to pass that they did come unto me and partake of the fruit also." (Verse 16)

I am extremely grateful for this gospel. I am grateful for parents who raised me in truth and righteousness so I could be here in Zimbabwe helping others to know of the truth also. As Thomas S. Monson said in this past conference, "We are blessed to have the truth, we have a mandate to share the truth. Let us live the truth." 

-- 

Love,

Sister Beckstead