Cycle of the Mission.. ha ha life too really!

Hey family! I love ya'll TONS! =]

This has been one of those life-changing weeks. I feel that I have learned and grown so much, and am on the up-swing of things again. It's so weird - I feel like I have had lots of ups and downs on the mission. It's like I'll go through these mini "trials" (they seem like trials to me, but when I look around at others I feel like I am going through nothing. Yet sometimes things still seem so hard!), lasting anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. Each time I have one of these depressed/discouraged/hard times though, they each seem to be harder than the last, but the Lord also lifts me higher than before too; and I feel much more enlightened and happy than previously. Does that make any sense? Well, this week has been the latter end of a hard time. But, I do feel like the Lord can now lift me higher and build me back up after feeling like I have fallen down and realize how I am nothing without Him.

My birthday was great, I enjoyed the letters and notes wishing me well! Thank you all so much :) Other than that it was a normal day ha ha. By normal, I mean another fantastic day in the mission field of working hard, giving my all to the Lord all day long, and then coming home and crashing in bed (after the nightly routine of things). By the way Mom, please check my account because I've had to spend some money on groceries and stuff moving to this new area. Sorry about that. Let me know if I'm coming close to the balance or anything like that!

So Friday we had a special mission conference. Or, I should say, a "revelatory experience." It was so neat! Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum (that word looks weird to me.. eh) of the Twelve Apostles came and spoke to us! I was taught so much by the Spirit. In preparation, President Hall had us read "Ask in Faith" and "Seek Learning by Faith," both by Elder Bednar. They are wonderful talks, and I would invite anyone to read them. I can't say everything that I have learned, but I feel like a changed person. I know that Elder Bednar is an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ.

He also spoke to us Sunday at the Deland Stake Conference! It was amazing there as well (oh, and we got to go to the Saturday Adult Session too =]) Some of the main things I have learned are that we are agents and not objects - we are to act and not simply be acted upon; learning by the Spirit and helping our investigators learn by the Spirit; more about how "Faith is the principle of action and power in all intelligent beings;" and most of all about the Atonement of Jesus Christ. That is the thing that has been most meaningful to me - learning about the Atonement.

Dad, I specifically remember you always talking to our family and teaching us not only about the cleansing power of the Atonement, but about the enabling power of the Atonement as well. I think I caught a little bit of it when you were teaching us, but it never really hit me until this week just how important the Atonement is in our daily lives (funny thing is - I am constantly having things brought to my remembrance (John 14:26) that you and Mom have taught me since I've been a child). I never quite understood (and still don't even come close) what it meant to be able to turn to the Savior to draw on Him for strength. I have, however, come to know much more than what I did about it. I have learned for myself. I think that's what every single one of us eventually has to go through, and will continue to go through in this life, in order to really understand and know how to use the Atonement - it isn't really until we become pushed to our limits spiritually, physically, mentally, emotionally, etc., that we then have nowhere else to turn but to the Savior and His Atonement. That is when we can finally start to grasp in just the tiniest way of what Jesus Christ really has done for us all. I feel like I have used the Atonement in the past, but not nearly in the way I will be from now on. Two of the main parts of the Atonement are to "put off the natural man" and also to "become a Saint through Christ." There is no other way that is possible but through Him. I really learned a lot this week from the Lord.

Elder Larsen is doing great! He is a great missionary. He is super funny too ha ha. We are really focusing on finding people right now, because we have no teaching pool. We weren't really left with any solid investigators when we got here, so that just means the Lord has more for us to find! Finding is fun, although hard and scary sometimes. It's alright though, because the Lord is with us. That's all that matters - His will be done. We don't need to worry about anything in life really, as long as we are trying our best to do the will of the Father. He will take care of the rest. I think I stress and worry and over-analyze things way too much, but I'm learning to just have more faith in the Lord and putting all of my confidence and trust in Him.

Well, I need to write President Hall now, but have a great week! I hope Nate's play went well, and anything else that was going on! Sorry if I forget things... I'm not very good at keeping up on the home life. :P That's fine though, as long as I know that you are safe and happy, then the Lord will take care of the rest. I've got wheat to sift ha ha! Just know that I do love and care about you all immensely!

love,

Elder Andrew Beckett