Onward, Ever Onward!

It has truly been absolutely THE hardest 18 months of my life, hoi. Hahah and the most rewarding, FULFILLING, and happiest, 18 months of my life. And it now comes to end (so dramatic aye).

I know with out a doubt, and with all of my heart, that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the only true church on this earth, that it contains the fullness of Jesus Christ's gospel. I know that I would not be able to get through ANYTHING in life without the knowledge of the Plan of Salvation, and that all will be made right through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. We are continually being tested. My faith, and trust has been tested HEAPS the last portion of my mission. I think Heavenly Father is trying to let me learn all the lessons I can before I go home. I know that I will be able to hug my Mission President, President Bingham, and see him on both feet walking again one day, in this life or the next. I'm grateful for what the Lord has had me experience and changed on my mission. I'm going home a different person! I'm now a forever disciple of Jesus Christ!

I love what my brother Garrick said, "Life is full of ends but there’s always a beginning to celebrate at each end!" I'm excited to celebrate a new beginning with you family!

Onward, ever onward!

HURRAH FOR ISRAEL!

Sister Beck 

Pics:

-One last hike (Sister Harmon, we fly home together and were in the MTC together. Been a LONG 18 months!)

-FA Australia! (My cheer coach would be so proud, look at that jump!)

-It's a tradition for the missionaries who are finishing their mission to be "sasa'd" (Samoan beating more or less) by their companion. 

-My hoa had too much fun with it..

-Well for my last weekend as a missionary I was able to go to the Endowment session of my Recent Convert who me and Sister Uelese baptized down in Canberra my first area, it was such a blessing to witness that! Especially after everything that has happened. We've all been through a lot, especially Stephanie, and she worked for it. Had to climb some mountains but she made it to the temple!

-She's so happy!

-The necklace that mom gave me, Stephanie was so excited to wear it to the temple!

-My investigator Jay from Fairfield came for my last sunday! (Her first time at church!!!!!)

-My ward mission leader from Fairfield and his family came to see me :)

-Then my member from Dapto, KIARA visited me hoi! It was overwhelming ya'll

-And then THESE studs came up and trained it to see me, TJ (member from Fairfield) and Irie (recent convert in Fairfield)

-The Maile family :)

-Then Bishop's family, last mean feed with them!

Finding Faith in Christ

The Lord has been blessing me with faith building experiences!

As of late, I've been praying to the Lord trying to develop the Christ-like attribute of Faith.

Well it was a trial of faith last night with our Part member family, Taliai and Mapa. Mapa is a less active who hasn't been active in 48 years (since being married to Taliai). It's very hard to feel the spirit in their house, many bad things have happened there with their family, and most times its hard to even share a message because she talks heaps and isn't that fond of any missionaries sharing messages. WELL lately, the Spirit had told me and my companion that after 48 years (of being exposed to the church), Taliai is being prepared to hear the message, and his time is coming soon to accept the gospel. So we've been pushing and testing our faith. Our message to them was about Faith (ha) in Christ, and we showed them the movie Finding Faith in Christ. Well the beginning of the movie was pretty rocky, Mapa kept talking and interrupting the movie (/Spirit), the movie was scratched really bad. We almost just took out the movie, but something stopped us. And then the movie was clean and the spirit was able to deliver it's message to all of us, everyone was in tears. Tailai was so focused on it. Then our faith was tested again, Mapa kept talking loudly and Taliai just got up and grabbed something in the kitchen, then the movie started scratching again. BUT, as soon as he came back and sat down, IT STOPPED SCRATCHING! The Lord was just slowing it down for Taliai so that he could come back and listen to what was being said. We left when the Spirit was strong, and i could see his desire to walk as Jesus Christ walks and to change.

The Lord works in small and simple ways to bring about his eternal purposes, and nudges us gently until we are fully ready to hear what he wants us to know. 48 years is a long time for someone to accept the gospel, but I know that it was all planned in the pre-earth life. I know Faith in Jesus Christ is the only way towards the end!

I know I needed this experience before I finish. I went home last night, and looked back on my mission and just marveled at how much the Lord has blessed me with all of these experiences, and my testimony as it has grown and formed since the beginning of my mission. I've been truly blessed!

Sorry this is long as, I love you all!

Sister Beck

Pics:

-We went to Tonga!

-Okay it's actually a farm that the Tongans maintain, and it looks just like Tonga!

-President let me go back to Fairfield and surprise my members and Sister Malupo before we both go home! :) It was THE BEST!

-We went to a Ward Baptism and it was full on Mate Ma'a Tonga! Haha, the best.

Heaps of pics

Miracle last night.

It was 8:45pm and we had one of those missionary moments that goes like, 'it's almost 9, might as well go home, and then you feel you shouldn't go home, and then you don't, and then boom, a miracle!' Well yeah something like that. It was 8:45 right, and we decided to visit one last family that we didn't know who was on the ward list. Turns out its a Less Active family who's been wanting to come back to church and the son (10 year old boy) isn't baptized! The dad asked us to share a message before we left, and started opening up to us about getting their son baptized and their family back on track. Their family was actually mentioned in a conference talk a couple of years ago! Elder Syd Going and his wife worked with their family. Miracles that we found them.

Anyways, love you all!

Sister Beck

-I sewed an Elder's coat jacket (yes mom I actually sewed lol), he's this big Samoan kid and as you can see it swallows me up #Polynesians

-These are the eyes of a tired missionary lol or I just could take the flash #18months!

-Food hampers with the Elders! Mission Australia!

The time is far spent, there is little remaining

My last MLC (missionary leadership council, where all the zl's and stl's get together) I bore my dying testimony to the them... and hoi I was full of emotions when I finished and then President calls over to me and says, "Sister Beck..say your testimony in Tongan" Hoi President! hahah so I did, and you guessed it..more emotions. I felt the Spirit really carrying the words out of me and for the first time I wasn't translating in my head what I was saying, I just said it. The Spirit has one voice, and one language. I'm grateful the many ways the Lord has stretched me on my mission, and that includes learning Tongan! And learning the way the spirit works with other languages!

Anyway.....Lots of miracles, Dotty, we are preparing her baptism, we've had to overcome a few challenges with her. We've prayed really hard what is best for her then in a lesson we turned to a random page in the Book of Mormon and it was 2 Nephi 31:21 It was an answer to our direct question! SOOO fingers cross, next week!

Pics:

Some goodbyes at MLC :(

A re-inactment of our first photo we took together when Sister Doig came into the mission :)

Half of our outtake!

Flashback to Fairfield, saying goodbye to one of my favorite familes, Masima family!

Charley and her beautiful half tongan half palangi babies 

My tongan baby neices and nephews :) (WML's kids and sister's kids)

Jay my golden investigator!

Tahine Tonga Still!

Ya girl is still with the Tokos! Didn't see that one coming, but I got transferred to the Tongan ward in Campbelltown :) Another part of Sydney, but more country side than City. Same stake as Dapto my previous area!

Didn't think the Lord would bless me with another Tongan area, but I think he wants to give me another chance to perfect my rubbish Tongan hahah. Or I just wasn't ready for the white people food. Hoi. Heaps of the members here actually know me as that white girl that gave her talk in Tongan in Fairfield ward so that's nice hahah.

The work here is sooooo full on!  And my hoa, S. La'akulu is the sweetest! She is from New Zealand and just on fire!

We have a Bap. Date coming the 27 of Jan. our investigator Dotty is just lovely. One of our returning less actives, Tracy, we have been helping her go back to the temple. I've already learned so much from her in just this 1st week: what it means to truly repent, to use the Atonement, and to look at yourself as Christ sees us. She is a true, living Alma the younger. My role model!

I've learned heaps and ready for another full on week! Ofa atu!

Sister Peki (STILL! thank goodness :))

Pics:

MY HOA! And some rando Maordi graffiti art on an abandoned house (did I mention it's a bit ghetto down here?).

We were doing this Food Hampers Charity thing, where we give out free food to families that are in need and GUESS WHO I SAW AT THE THING? Joy and her family! The one from Bankstown! What a shock that was! I was so happy to see them ALIVE! Lol.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year part 2

Life is just too good.

And for Christmas..who needs to buy a Christmas tree (especially when you have no money) when you can just make one! I had to get real creative, but I was determined to have a Christmas tree haha. This is the best I could do.

Christmas morning we spent with Bishop Folau and his family #Theeeebestttt Mate Ma'a Tonga Brekky (Breakfast) haha. 

And then we kicked it with our other family, the Masima's! They went all out to dress up haha, it's fun being apart of other family's traditions! 

We found this crazy as Christmas Spider, he's got decorations on him and everything! #DefinitelyPoisonous 

And then there was this crazy guy at the train station, he was just by himself closing his eyes and shaving his face.. everyone thought he was crazy but I went to talk to him..one thing turned into another and then he started singing to me in Egyptian! Hahah I was like "ohhh this is new" I had to remember the moment by taking a pic with him.

Yep a lot of stuff happening! Pray for Charley this week! Love being a missionary around this time. Have a Happy New Year everyone! Ofa atu!

Sister Beck

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Been a hectic ending of the year, aye! I'll explain through pictures!

The Temple Lights was just beautiful, we had so many people just drive past the temple on the highway and they would see the beautiful picture of the Christus which would intrigue them to stop and see the lights. What a blessing!

Temple + Christmas lights=my favourite things in the world.

Also do yous remember that non member friend of our member who turned out to be a former investigator that I met at a tour I did? Well she came to church that following Sunday! Miracles.

Language study/lesson with our member TJ can be fun when it's next to the city's big Christmas tree! :)

Then we had our Christmas Conference! We all got in our Polynesian (tauvala and tupenu) get up, one of our members made dresses and ties for our whole Zone and even President and Sister Bingham's #FavoriteZone ;)

They are just the cutest!

Then President surprised us with the movie Moana! Me and my hoa were so emotional watching it hahah, such sookie babies.

Straight after Christmas Conference, we went straight to Charley our investigator's wedding! Yeeeah! Bishop married them and this Saturday she is preparing for her baptism :) She looked so beautiful 

Merry Christmas!!!

SANTA IS COMING!!!!!! OH MY GOSHHHHH! Seriously going to be the best week ever I hope we're all excited!

Some news. We had a ward baptism this week and our investigator Charley FINALLY attended a baptism! She was so shy about watching the little girl in the font and I told her to come right in front of me so she could have the best view of it. She couldn't stop smiling though, she's very excited (and more nervous I think) for her baptism. And she's getting married THIS saturday!!!!! Yayyy finally! Been a long way coming for this family to get on track!

Something unique our zone gets to do this Christmas is give tours at the Sydney Temple Lights. They have just been incredible! Especially last night, I kind we have a script to follow and it's long as (literally a book) but I ditched the script and just shared my own testimony throughout the tour and started teaching about the life of the Saviour. And TURNS OUT in one of the tours I gave, our member was in it and her non member friend as well, and she happened to be one of our former investigators (we had no clue, just met her last night). She said she was suppose to be baptized last year, but things got in the way. After the tour she wrote in her comments on the form, "I really loved the tour and learning about my Saviour, Jesus Christ. Especially because I've been feeling lost, and I know now that I can turn back to him again" We're excited to follow up on her :) The tours have been a beautiful opportunity to teach and share the true Spirit of Christmas, which is being in the Spirit of Christ to everyone! Becoming like his example, and Lighting up the World by doing so! 

Love you all and have a Merry Christmas!

Sister Beck

Pics: 

-Saw HEAPS of my old members at the Christmas lights, it was just the best thing ever! This is Mama Taufa

-This is Kiara from Dapto ward! We went crrraazy when we saw each other again! haha love her to peices.

-Lavinia Tupa who got baptized, and the Taumalolo girl who was baptized the day before :)

-Doing our shopping for our little Zone Christmas Party!

"Hola"! And "Malo e lelei"!

Well some exciting news me and my companion have a special assignment to cover the Tongan ward AND help with the Spanish Branch straight after our ward in Fairfield Stake. It is the only Spanish ward in all of Australia, so people come from all over to attend. There's only Elders in the Branch and they need help with the music and some single women LA's, M's and Potential investigators's. IT'S HECKA FUN! Might as well add Arabic, Chinese, and Hindu to the languages we're learning ha!

As you can see it's a bit exhausting for us haha. But whats better than exhausting yourself in the Lord's work and helping more of his children? Let the gospel be preached to all NATIONS, KINDRED, TONGUES, AND PEOPLE!

BUT we will still Mate Ma'a Tonga! (Die for Tonga!) Our Ward mission leader bought us these shirts :) even though Tonga is out of the World Cup (2nd best won the Cup, my country, Australia! Ha!) The Tongans have not given up their Tongan pride! Tongan flags errywhere!

Aaand I'm just kind of in love with them. I'm grateful the Lord has allowed me to serve next to the most Christ-like, loving, and self-less people this Christmas season. Read D&C 84:88-91 and THAT is the kind of people they are. May we all live up the challenge of becoming like our Saviour this Christmas and to LIVE in the Spirit of Christ this year!

That is all from your favorite Sister missionary! Ofa atu!

Sister Beck