Tessa in Zimbabwe

Monday, May 22, 2017

Still here in Bindura! Happiest ever.

Hello family and friends,

Transfer news:

I am staying here in Bindura and my new companion is Sister Namugenyi from Uganda. She is a super sweet and humble sister from my MTC group. Saying goodbye to Sister Nafula was very hard. I love that girl and please keep her in your prayers as she is returning home without the greetings of her mother.

This week I have a story. We were leaving an appointment late one night and I felt a prompting to turn left instead of right. Sister Nafula and I were led in the same direction. We then passed one of our investigator's homes, Jeremiah and greeted him. I asked if his mother was around so that we could ask permission for him to be baptized. We found her and asked her, she said yes. Then we asked her what church she went to and she mentioned John Mazoe. We invited her to come to church and she goes, "oh yes, I have been plenty of times. I am a member." There are conflicts in her family because her husband does not allow her to attend The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. We told her we would teach her husband. This story is an example that shows when we follow the spirit and open our mouths, miracles occur. I am so happy to start teaching this sweet family.I am blessed to still be here in Bindura to take part in this miracle.

I have learned so many things on my mission, but something very important and dear to me (that I know I always preach about) is love. It is the first and greatest commandment and we know that we cannot enter into the kingdom of God without the attribute charity.I have learned to love people fully, regardless of how they treat me which can be a hard thing sometimes. As human beings, we do not like others to demean our worth or make us feel small but we must remember that how we treat others is a reflection of ourselves, and we are all God's children, The hardest to love need love the most. I am thankful for being here and learning so much each and every day. I am thankful to be a missionary and that Heavenly Father allows me to even though I am far from perfect. I love the people and Zimbabwe. This gospel is true. We need to apply it in our lives or else we are nothing.

Pictures coming next week.

Packages and letters:

65 Enterprise Rd. Highlands Harare Zimbabwe.

-the easiest way for me to receive packages cheap & fast is by using padded envelopes. :)

Love,

Sister Beckstead

Happy Belated Mothers Day!!!!

Hello family and friends,

HAPPY BELATED MOTHER'S DAY!

Yesterday was amazing. Even though the network connections were terrible I am so happy to have been able to talk and see with my family. I love them so much, they are the best!

I am not emailing for so long today, just came on shortly to send a few photos. Just know I am very happy and working hard here in Zimbabwe. I am always grateful to be serving our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Will respond to personal emails next week.

Pictures:

Wayne & I, baptisms of Mercy and Ladin, my companion's birthday, mormon helping hands and gotta love sweet gifts from members.

Love,

Sister Beckstead

Find Yourself Through Him.

5/1/17

Hey family and friends,

To be honest it has been a long and busy week. Tuesday the Bindura Zone traveled to Harare for our zone conference. Wednesday, Sister Nafula and I stayed in Harare for exchanges in Chitungwiza. Thursday, we traveled back to Harare and the rest of the week was normal missionary work in Bindura.

As I reflected and reviewed what I should share today, my mind and heart kept pressing towards faith. Faith is never constant, it is either progressing or digressing. We all know what faith is and how to define it but today I want to talk about faith in ourselves. I read a conference talk earlier this week entitled, "You Can Do It Now!" Here are some parts I liked:

"We can feel so burdened by our failures and shortcomings that we begin to think we will never be able to succeed."

"No one likes to fail. And we particularly don’t like it when others—especially those we love—see us fail. We all want to be respected and esteemed. We want to be champions. But we mortals do not become champions without effort and discipline or without making mistakes."

"We acknowledge that your path will at times be difficult. But I give you this promise in the name of the Lord: rise up and follow in the footsteps of our Redeemer and Savior, and one day you will look back and be filled with eternal gratitude that you chose to trust the Atonement and its power to lift you up and give you strength."

In zone conference, President Mkhabela defined a goal as "a commitment without a guarantee of success except faith." While this is relating to missionary work, it can also relate to us personally. I know that if we try our very best each and every day (and I mean our very best), our eyes are focused on eternal goals, and we are committed to our Savior, we will have success. Follow in His footsteps. Do the things Jesus Christ did when He walked on the earth. Learn about Him in the scriptures. When it gets hard to press forward, remember, faith is always pointed towards the future. Fill your time with things of eternal importance like blessing the lives of others through your talents, callings and actions. As we become more like our Savior Jesus Christ we will find ourselves because He has the attributes that make someone truly beautiful.

I love and miss you ALL....
BUT........ just one favor.............
I would love to hear from you all. Just a short email with how life is going and maybe some pictures. I would really appreciate it!!

pictures:

1, 2, 3, 4- zone conference!

5-brother Ngonisa, our ward mission leader doing some stone work.

6- chipage drying to prepare for the grinding mill

7- the areaaa

Love,

Sister Beckstead

Monday, April 24, 2017

Power of PRAYER.

4/24/17

Hello family and friends,

This week my companion and I prayed for new investigators and Heavenly Father miraculously answered us. We went to go teach Bruce (recent convert who just got baptized on Saturday) and he had seriously 7 friends there for us to teach, all very interested in the gospel.We didn't even ask for referrals, they all just randomly showed up. Anyways, we taught them "The Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ" and at the end of the lesson, told them to pray about it. Later in the week we followed up and went and asked them how they felt when they prayed. Ladin answered, "when I prayed Heavenly Father put all those things you taught us in my remembrance again then I thought it must be true if I am remembering all this again through the spirit." POWERFUL. Heavenly Father wants to bless us!!!!! Ask for help!!!!!!

I just finished The Book of Mormon and it seems each time I do, my gratitude and testimony of it grows. I know it is true every time I read it. I am trying my very best to follow Thomas S. Monson's counsel and read it every single day, and I encourage you to too!

I had a big smile on my face in sacrament meeting yesterday. We were singing the opening hymn and I look outside the window and there I see Bruce running to church fast so he wouldn't miss his confirmation. Love that kid and his obedience and righteous desires.

I love you all! :) Everything is great out here in Zimbabwe, can't complain!!

Pic 1- cute kids

Pic 2- How sadza milie meal is made:Dry the corn out, take it to a grinding mill and make sadza!!

Pic 3- First paragraph of my email.... Bruce and his friends we are teaching.

Pic 4 & 5- baptisms

Pic 6- chicken feet and intestines.

Pic 7- nature

Love,

Sister Beckstead

I Know That My Redeemer Lives!

4/17/17

Hello family and friends,

#BecauseHeLives

It was one moment in a hundred million. It was a choice made out of the greatest love. It was a morning following the darkest of days. It was the most magnificent miracle. It was the greatest event in all history.

It was for you.

It was because He loves us. It was because we couldn't return on our own. It was because it was part of the Plan.

Because He lives.

We will live again. We can be happy. We can be clean. Because He lives, we can be free.... of sin, from death and we will live with our Father again.

Mosiah 16:6-8

6 And now if Christ had not come into the world, speaking of things to come as though they had already come, there could have been no redemption.

7 And if Christ had not risen from the dead, or have broken the bands of death that the grave should have no victory, and that death should have no sting, there could have been no resurrection.

8 But there is a resurrection, therefore the grave hath no victory, and the sting of death is swallowed up in Christ.

I know that Jesus Christ paid the price for each and every one of us. His grace is sufficient for all, so we must repent. We should not act like repentance is a chore, it is a gift. He suffered so we don't have to suffer as much! Through His Atonement we can also be comforted by the assurance that we too, will rise again. We will be forever families as long as each and every one of us stays true to their temple covenants. I know that our Savior Jesus Christ lives. He loves us.

He lives, my kind, wise heav'nly Friend.

He lives and loves me to the end.

He lives, and while he lives, I'll sing.

He lives, my Prophet, Priest, and King.

He lives and grants me daily breath.

He lives, and I shall conquer death.

He lives my mansion to prepare.

He lives to bring me safely there.

Hymn #136

I love and miss you all. I hope you had a fabulous Easter Sunday and had time to reflect on our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Love,

Sister Beckstead

Standing Up Inside

4/10/17

Hello family and friends,

Transfer news came on Saturday and I am staying here in Bindura with Sister Nafula!! This will be Sister Nafula's last transfer on her mission before she leaves to go home so I am very happy I get to be with her.

I love two of our investigators Sister Faith and Eunice. They are very faithful daughters and always coming to church every single Sunday. They both will be baptized soon. We started teaching them in English only, and to our surprise it has been better this way. We used to teach them with a translator but we decided to lead by example and as we have gone to teach them in faith, praying for a spirit of understanding, they have been able to understand our words and the message. I know this because they are able to recite back to us what they learned from the message in English. It truly is a miracle.

Bruce and Lloyd are also some of my favorite young men. They are so humble and pure in heart. Lloyd cracked me up a couple weeks ago. He asked me if I would be the one to baptize him... then I realized we need to teach him about the priesthood! haha!

Diligence is currently a Christlike attribute I am working on. Being diligent is deeper than just doing what you are supposed to do all the time. It is staying on one path and not wavering, being sincere deep in our hearts when we keep the commandments. Throughout our lives, we need to prayerfully realign ourselves & reflect and improve. It is a constant effort to live the gospel... we must know the gospel and LIVE it!

General Conference was powerful. I noticed it talked a lot about the Holy Ghost, charity & love and reading the Book of Mormon every day.was able to watch all sessions except the Priesthood on Saturday and Sunday. I absolutely loved Renlund's talk... that was my favorite. Also, Grant S. Palmer about loving each other and "Then, Jesus beholding Him, loved Him." I think I also loved that one so much and am kind of biased because I have met him here in Zimbabwe at a stake conference and he is SO kind.

Well this next week we have many baptisms to prepare for this Saturday. Very, very excited for these precious souls to make sacred covenants by taking upon themselves the name of Jesus Christ. I know that He lives. He suffered those pains so that we could repent and not feel pain so long as we come unto Him. Even after we have been baptized, we must continue to follow the Gospel of Jesus Christ and have faith, repent of our sins, and partake of the sacrament weekly. It is important to do so. This is how we can endure to the end and be welcomed into our loving Father's arms.

I love you all! Have a wonderful week.

Pictures:

1: This baby has cried every time he has seen me since I first came to Bindura. He finally let me hold him this week. I am happy Sister Faith allowed us to continue teaching her even though her baby thinks I am evil. Hahaha.

2. went a little crazy with pass- along cards this week! woohoo!

3. It was sister anyango's birthday this week!

4 & 5: The Fabulous District.

6: Had a blast washing cars this morning. Lets say I sprayed my companion just a few times with the hose... :)

Love,

Sister Beckstead