So much to talk about, so little time

Okay first off THANDAR AND ANGUS ARE GETTING BAPTIZED! This thursday and they are sooo excited! Will send pics for that.

No baptism for Hank unfortunately, me, my comp and his wife all fasted about it and felt it was best to give him some space. The Lord will work on Him on his own time! We'll just keep giving him some love :)

In other news we found a super awesome Samoan family- the Malaga family and they already know our Bishop and a few others in our ward. Some of the husband's family are members even and live in Utah so that's pretty neat. We just had a lesson with them the other night about the Plan of Salvation and OH my goodness. The spirit is so good. The Mom, Va just lit up when we told her about her forever family and the temple. She was a bit distant at the beginning of the lesson but the Spirit worked on her. We invited her to pray and ask Heavenly Father if it was true and she said yes. Then we asked her what she's going to do if she finds out it's true. And she said, "Well what else? Join your church" So yeah that's pretty freaking fantastic. We have another lesson with them tonight. I'll let you know how it goes!

Another one of our investigators is named Stephanie. At first we started visiting her and thought she was Less Active but TURNS OUT she's never been baptized and wants to come to church. #Blessings. The field is white ya'll, ready to harvest in Canberra.

I'll end with something I learned in my studies. Me and my comp studied John 21, "Lovest Thou Me?" there's a really awesome talk about in by Jeffrey R. Holland you all should read it. But to summarize, after Christ was resurrected and after Peter denied Christ 3 times, Christ asks Peter "Lovest thou me?" 3 times. Now Peter was a fisherman and that's where Christ found Peter for the first time, fishing. And that's where Christ found Peter again at the end of John. If you read between the lines you can see Christ saying, ya know, "Why are you back here fishing Peter? Have you learned nothing from these miracles and my ministry? I don't need a fisherman, I need disciples" "Lovest thou me? Then feed my sheep" 

If we love the Lord, why do we go back to our daily routine and do what is comfortable? This earth life was planned for us to change and grow! To change and be more Christlike! Easier said then done, but it HAS to be done. Otherwise what's the point right? He needs all of us to be disciples. 3 Nephi 5:13. 

I love you all so much!!

Ofa atu!

Sister Beck

P.s. We had some fun last PDay! We had a zone Pday at a festival called Floriade. So beautiful! Also in Oz they call restrooms toilets haha. Like, "can I use your toilet?" Pretty strange ha. Oh and the sisters gave me a surprise little party on my birthday! I am loved.

Pictures from Sunday, September 25th

Kayla at church on Sunday and with a nice member, Julie Keaton, who sends me pictures.

Will you all still love me if I weigh more than 400 pounds when I get back?

Ya'll the food is divine, but the Poly's think I have 5 stomach's or something haha. So funny, they all tease me and tell me "get ready to gain weight Sister Beck" The members here are great, they treat the missionaries like royalty down under! 

Okay so I don't have much time #lifeofamissionary 

Two things: We have 3 investigators who might be ready for baptism...THAT'S RIGHT! One is named Hank, he's from Holland, his wife is a member, he's been going to church for years BUT he has alzheimers :( so sad. Last week he accepted to be baptized, had a date, and was so excited..next day he forgot everything and didn't want to be baptized. PLEASE PLEASE PRAY FOR HIM. Our mission president gave us permission that when he says yes to baptism, have the font ready right there and then and Bishop will baptize him. Haha pretty crazy right? We're meeting with him on Thursday(WHICH IS MY BIRTHDAY..ahemm. Can you say best present ever?) So yeah pray for that to happen, not for my sake, but only because he doesn't have much time left. 

Next thing: Thandar. She has 2 kids, single mom, got out of a bad situation with the husband, and accepted baptism last night for September 30th!! Her boys are a little hard sometimes and never sits still. But last night in our lesson I could feel and see the spirit working on them and calming them down so Thandar could focus. It was such a blessing. 

Anyways the work is DEFINITELY moving in this part of his vineyard. The work is sooo so white. I feel so blessed to be here. 

Love you all!

Strength and Honor.

Sister Beck

 Photos a sister in Kayla's ward sent us!

Finally in OZ!!

Alright ya'll for those of you who ​​didn't know...I didn't fall of the face of the earth the past few weeks, and if you didn't notice I wasn't emailing...go repent haha jokes. I had to return home for medical reasons BUT I AM IN AUSTRALIA AND IT'S AMAZING.

My trainer is Sister Uelese. She's from New Zealand and is samoan. I just can't get enough of these Samoans ya'll haha. She's literally so celestial. So sweet. She's only been out a couple of months so we'll have greenie (new missionaries) power together!! My first area is in Canberra which is the capital of Australia and we have a sick apartment. Everyone wants to be in Canberra pretty sure because of the apartment haha. We share it with two other sisters, Sister Forman who is from Utah and Sister Mussine who's from Argentina and is the Sister Training Leader. I got a good bunch!

So being a missionary is hard haha. Like uncomfortable hard. My comp is WAY good at talking to strangers on the street and inviting baptism right there and then haha. I got a lot to learn, but I'm so pumped. I've found that lessons are my absolute FAVORITE part, which is funny because in the MTC I was most scared to do haha. I seriously love it.

Today we just had a lesson with a less active member Sister Lupe. My comp told me that it's been years that she's come to church and is not too friendly with the missionaries. But today we taught her and she accepted to come to church this week!! Such a huge miracle. Like I can't even explain it. Not a doubt in my mind that her heart has been softened and prepared for us to teach her and meet with her at this time. 

Another cool experience, we had a lesson with our investigator Thandar, she has two kids and has been so ready to hear our message. She's accepted baptism but is waiting to set a date. In our lesson we brought Ellie who's from our ward and is preparing for a mission AND is Thandar's neighbour!! Heavenly Father is such a puzzle piece maker haha. Ellie's testimony in the lesson was so strong and Thandar could really feel the spirit. Don't ever underestimate the power of ya'lls testimonies as members. It's so true how essential members are in this work. I expect my family and everyone to go out with the missionaries  at least once this week. You've got a missionary out here for a reason, so go do it haha. We're all special witness of Jesus Christ, not just the missionaries. There's nothing more powerful than a testimony.

One other challenge: Read the talk His Grace is Sufficient by Brad Wilcox. This talk is brilliant and that Brad is a genius. This can apply to anyone who is wanting to grow as an individual and who wants to be a better person. My favourite part: no unclean can enter the gates of Heaven, and no unchanged person can enter either. Heaven after this life will not be Heaven unless we have chosen to change and become Heavenly. Through Christ we can seriously move mountains and become who he wants us to be. GUYS IT'S CRAZY THE AMOUNT OF POTENTIAL GOD SEES IN US! Through his grace and his atonement we can become so much more! Don't waste that gift of the atonement! Learn it, study it, and apply it! Watch how you'll grow!

Love you all! 

Sister Beck

Mission President Back and Sister Back​

Trying to be candid​

My trainer is Sister Uelese

The comp right after Sister Lupe's lesson, we were extremely happy after the lesson if you can't tell haha.​

A Brief Trip Home...

Had to come home for a couple weeks for a quick surgery.

The surgery went great, my recovery from surgery was quick. However, I ended up getting a virus in the MTC which kept me bedridden for another week. But I did get to visit my AMAZING sister in Kansas City, TWICE! It was awesome. And now time to get back to work! Goodbye AGAIN, family!

Struggling to find a subject name...

Okay, first off, to start this email...I can't thank you guys enough how grateful I am for the support I've been given through your prayers, emails, packages, and the PICTURES (I love the pictures and videos, makes my heart really happy). I honestly think I wouldn't be learning so much without your support and extra prayers for me. I'm just way lucky to have ya'll in my life. So thanks everyone!

Okay now that the sappy part is over...This week has FLOWN BY! In just 5 days I'll be flying to Australia! Like wut..I forreal just got here. I'll miss not having to worry about preparing meals, the creamery chocolate milk, my companion, my district, and my teachers. It's been a blast here but I'm stoked to leave. 

So yeah the 22nd, we leave the MTC for the airport and my companion found out she is visa waiting in Ohio, Cleveland mission (shout out to you Dal pal), so I was way bummed that she wouldn't be flying with me. We're straight praying that we'll be comps again. 

Hopefully I've told you guys a little about our TRC investigator Hannah. Can't remember. But anyways, she's been the highlight of my 2 weeks here. We had to say goodbye to Hannah last week in our last lesson with her, it was so sad. 

Something that Dad asked me before I left for the mish that stuck with me, was that if I knew beforehand that I wouldn't get any baptisms or maybe 1 baptism throughout my whole mission, would I still go? I thought he was crazy, that would be so hard. But after my experience with Hannah, I would 100% still go. I wouldn't trade anything in the world for this close of a relationship with Heavenly Father and more importantly, seeing the changes happening in Hannah's life. I got to see light in her eyes as she was understand and feeling God's love for her and it was priceless (ALSO I'M PRETTY SURE SHE'S A REAL INVESTIGATOR, not all of the TRC investigators are real, but she totally is. Even though everyone says that.) Anyways, we invited Hannah to baptism and she accepted, we'll see what happens. But working with her has taught me that, no matter what, we're bringing these people closer to God and that's what matters, not the numbers or baptisms. After Hannah realized we were leaving, she cried and gave a beautiful prayer at the end of our lesson and then asked to take a pic. Also she was super distant with us at first and even fell asleep in one of our lessons haha (hurt my soul), so she's really come a long way. But gah! I love her.

So yeah. I love it here. Wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

"I wish you'd know that you're in the good ole times, when you're in the good times. Someone should write a song about that"...oh wait. I AM IN THE GOOD OLE TIMES (just wanted to say the quote, name that TV show..a.k.a. my fave one)

Can't wait to talk to ya'll at the airport!

Alofa ia te oe aiga (I love you family)!!!!!

We bought mission shirts and they are BOSS.

My bros!

Last night in the MTC!

YOOOOO FAMILYYYY! WEEK 1 IN THE BOOKS WHATS UP WHATS UP WHATS UP

AIGAAAA!! (family in Samoan) That's right Dallas, our dreams came true. My first companion is Samoan!!

Sooo my Preparation Day ended up being Wednesday so we had to wait a week before I could email (which usually i guess doesn't happen but oh well) So i'll have one more of these next wednedsay and then ON TO AUSTRAYLA MATES. So yeah,like i have so much to tell all of you. Buckle up. And they're all random things on the mind, bare with me and my spacey brain.

When we first got here, the ration between elders and sisters is UNREAL. It's like 1 to 18394109348289. I mean girls c'mon! Leaving all the saving of the world to the men?! I don't think so! I don't think so. (Incredibles anyone?) Yeah I still incorporate movie quotes on the daily. Been quoting a lot of office and new girl, the sisters love it haha. Okay so yeah. Before I came here,I thought I knew how to be a missionary BUT I KNEW NOTHING OF THE SORTS. Talk abotu getting beat by the humble stick. Oh and first night,yeah so hard to fall asleep. I laid in bed for straight 2 hours before I could fall asleep haha. 10:30 is soooo early!

Oh and our distict got ipads but we won't get them in the field i'm guessing anytime soon, long story for another time. But yeah so we're allwed to check mail whenever just not respond until P Dayso I've just been watching you guys email me at nighttime while i just itch to email you back haha. Obedience brings belssings right? 

Okay so a little about my freakin awesome Poly companion. Her name is Sister Afatasi, she's from Utah, first couple of days being companions was rough as HECK. but we're  best friends now. I hope we get to be companions again in the field. She likes to make fun of my "large plate" notes (forreal, I've gone through so much notebook paper) and says I'm annoying when I get all stressed and feel inadequate before our TRC lessons hahah. She's so chill and positive  and makes me laugh whenever in a stressful situation WHICH IS LIKE 24/7 IN THE MTC. #blessed We both also have weird eating habits. She puts salt on everything and i put hot sauce on everything. The MTC is so clutch with hot sauce, they're always packin #praise.

Anyways that's all I have time for, sorry this isn't quite the spiritual nourishment email i was hoping to give ya'll. I've learned so much in just a week and i wish i could tell you all of it! But i hate long emails haha.This place is the best and the Spirit is so strong, i love it! Congrats if you made it through the email!

Here's my MTC mailing address. You all know i love letters! make me look cool in front of my mission buddies guys. Also there's DearElder.com, i'm assuming you guys know how to do that. Mom or Jamie can you post my MTC address on FB or somethin? 

Sister Kayla Marie Beck

AUG24 AST-SYDS

2005 N 900 E Unit 62

Provo UT 84602

OH..

an forgive me with my spelling errors, this computer is ancient and keyboard is not the best.

Love you all! Keep the emails coming! They make me so happy!

P.s. get ready for a boat load of pics #sorrynotsorry #yourewelcomemom

Meet Sister Afatasi

The squad. Plus some noob photobombers. Geez I'm short.

Me and Afi (my nickname for her) had to get visa and background checks figured out for her at the Provo police department so we got to do a little field trip there! FREEDOM. Actually it was like our 2nd day so it was no biggy. But I got to see my sweet provo! Only ran into one friend, and he drove us there...haha.

On Wednesdays we wear pink...except that day was Sunday so uh ya.

Also the noob elder photobombing in the back, I apologize, is the only elder heading to Sydney South with us! And he's in a different district. 

Sister Merrill and her favorite students! 

With Sister Gilbert from my home ward!

 

The District.

The District and all my little bros, they're gonna be great missionaries!

And my favorite part of the day is putting on my nametag! I sometimes just look down on it on my shirt and get goosebumps. I'M A MISSIONARY. The feels are unreal.