Samuel the Lamanite--Round 2

Hello family! I love and miss you like crazy (as usual). This was a tough week, and I really felt the devil trying to get me down and discourage me. After the trials come the blessings though right? If I just keep enduring and doing my best then everything will be ok. It was kind of a crazy week, and we met some real jerks. It's kind of hard - I constantly feel like everyone (not you, just people of the world) hates me. They don't even treat us like people... it's sad. I've found a little trick that helps a little sometime though :) If I bring up my family as we are talking to them or say something about my little brothers or sisters then they sometimes see that I'm actually a human being. It's great.

Apparently I still sleep talk. Elder Stock (it's "Stock" not "Stocks" lol ;) tells me every couple of nights that I was talking again. Apparently I can also lie in my sleep (both ways ha ha). He woke up to me teaching a lesson one night. He said something to me and then I was like, "Oh, sorry, I was teaching a lesson. I didn't mean to wake you up." He asked me if I was really awake and I was like, "Yeah! Of course I am." I wasn't really awake, and I have no recollection of that. I told him next time to record what I say and start asking me crazy questions or something. At least I'm not sleep walking or yo-yo-ing or anything like that (remember that time? :P)

Oh, hey! Thanks for the package. The cd's are great, although I do already have the Day of Celebration & Motab songs. But thanks a bunch! I love the Christmas CD. If you send another one could you please include Relient K's "Oh Holy Night?" I love that version. I also love that talk and am looking forward to reading the Conference Ensign! The subscription will be awesome as well! Woo hoo! :) Thanks to Rick & Janell Phelps also for a wonderful Thanksgiving package! It was stuffed full of deliciousness and a nice note. My companion and I have been enjoying great snacks all week.

Alright, so you are probably wondering about the subject of this email... heh. Well, please don't call the mission president, police, or anyone over here to do anything. It has all been taken care of. Pres. Hall told me that if he were me he probably wouldn't mention it to you guys, but he didn't tell me not to. So, since you are my family that I trust, please don't call anyone or worry or anything like that. The Lord protects His missionaries, and I definitely felt that this past week.

Here is my journal entry for November 23:

"Elder Stock and I were out tracting this morning on a road less than a mile from our house, and we got to the last house on the road. It was kind of a country road, and as we were getting closer to the house a man stepped outside. We were about 30 feet from his house. This man was in his 60's, and he was pointing a shotgun straight at us. What the? He asked us what we wanted and we told him we were sharing a message about Jesus Christ. He asked us if we were the ones who left literature on his porch. I told him, "No, that's not us. We don't do that." Then he said, "Well you need to get the *#!! off my property. And I don't mean walk. You better run!" All this time he was pointing his gun right at us, head level.

I told him, "Alright, we are leaving. Have a nice day!" and started turning to leave. As we were leaving I was like, "Are you sure we can't do anything for you?" Lol I think it was mostly out of habit (we always offer service to everyone even if they reject us), and partially because I couldn't believe that this was happening and that this guy was serious.

Well, he said, "Yeah, you can do something... RUN!" and he cocked his gun and started walking towards us. So we keep running to get off his property, and he SHOOTS his gun! We kept booking it until we were a good distance away. Now I have officially looked a loaded gun in the face as well as been shot at. I don't think he was aiming at us because we weren't peppered or anything, but it still wasn't very fun."

Interestingly, the Spirit told us we needed to leave when he said to leave, but I didn't ever feel like I was in danger or going to get hurt. It definitely made me think though. I'll tell you what, it really makes you evaluate your testimony and whether you believe this message is true or not when something like that happens. Good news, the Church is true. Yep, it is! So, that is why I am a missionary in the Lord's service. I am doing the most important thing that I could be doing right now. I am willing to give everything to the Lord. I sure have a bunch of weaknesses, faults, and shortcomings, but the Lord knows. He just asks for my best effort and will make up the rest if I give Him that. I am thankful to know though, that the Lord DOES protect and watch out for us. Btw, good luck to that guy - we stirred up quite a bit of dust off our feet as we were running away. He probably would have been better off if he chose to have us walk instead :)

Thanksgiving was great; we were able to go to the T's house for lunch and the B's house for dinner. The food was delicious. We weren't able to go to the Thanksgiving service with JE because her friend's mom was in the hospital and she was helping her out. That was a bummer. Especially because she hasn't answered our calls since then and so we don't know what the deal is.

A, P, and W. have been avoiding us it seems. We have called them time and time again and left messages, but no answer or reply. We have stopped by their house, but everytime we have they aren't home. We are giving them the benefit of the doubt though and not giving up on them. They weren't at church last week because they were sick, and this week could have been just because they were out of town. We hope.

Sister G is still not coming to church.. :( She invited us over for lunch after church and we had a great lesson with their family. We had the kids teach her the Plan of Salvation, and we just helped out when needed and kept the lesson moving in the right direction. It was a wonderful lesson and the Spirit was there.

We are also teaching L. and M.S., Brother JB (branch Mission leader - he's the man :) sister and brother-in-law. We will be teaching them lesson 3 tonight at the B's and having dinner. We are really excited. They have been reading the Book of Mormon, and M. seems to be gaining a testimony. We are going to invite them to the Christmas Devotional on Sunday. Another wonderful opportunity they have here is a "temple tour" where you can go to a little devotional they do every week in Orlando. They pretty much teach all of the lessons in it and explain the importance of temples. I have been to one once since I've been out, and that was my first night here. It is an awesome thing and the Spirit is always really strong! Hopefully we'll be able to get them there.

Well family, I want you to know that I sure love you. It is really hard being away from you for so long, and not being able to call or see you whenever I want. It is hard when the devil discourages me and gets me depressed. But, you know what? There is a reason I am away from you guys and learning to deal with my weaknesses and the devil and getting doors slammed and shot at and people yelling at you. The reason is because what we have is of eternal value and significance. The importance of the gospel of Jesus Christ far outweighs any earthly matter. It is much more important than my personal wants and needs; this deals with the salvation of mankind. How wonderful is our Father and His Son! They love us so much.

It is weird being a missionary - I read a poem about that this week called "Highs and Lows" or something like that. Basically it talks about how you've never felt so close to Heavenly Father, yet never so far. You've never been so happy, yet never so sad. You've never had so many trials, but never learned so much. It contrasts many different things like that. Let me tell you, it's true lol. Missions are hard. It is such a wonderful thing though. I really am learning a lot and growing into who the Lord would have me be. It is nothing that I am accomplishing for myself, except for the fact that I'm doing my best to be obedient. All that I am is because of God. He blesses all of us with every good thing in our lives. We always need to remember that. I loved President Monson's talk on gratitude - he talks a lot about that.

Well, my time is short. I love you all! Please don't worry about me, I am doing better than ever. The Lord is blessing and watching out for me. I pray every day that He is doing the same for you. Keep your chins up and never let the devil get you down! Just like in the pre-existence we can overcome him by our "testimonies of Jesus." He is our Savior and Redeemer. He lives! Keep the faith, kia kaha!

-Elder Andrew Beckett