Goodbye Sumterville :'/ Hello Daytona Beach!

Hey family!

Well, like the subject says, I am being transferred. To the Daytona South area, in Daytona Beach, FL. My mailing address there will be:

Elder Andrew Beckett

168 Integra Shores Dr. #303

Daytona Beach, FL 32117

I am sad to leave Sumterville and Elder Stock, but it will be where the Lord wants me. I am excited to go and work there too! Guess what... I will be living in a four man apartment, and in a car-share area for my first time! Leesburg and Sumterville are both two-mans. And full car. I am excited to bike, I hear it's a blast! And... Elder Lancaster Brown, my trainer, will be living in that apartment also! He is a Zone Leader over the Deland zone, and I will get to live with him until he dies in May (missionary die.. not literally)! How cool is that?!? Ha ha I am so excited. I talked to him on the phone the other day, and he told me that our apartment is the 2nd nicest one in the mission, we have the best gym in the mission (Mom, Mindy, Allie - I'm going to get buff! No more scrawny ronnie! ;), and the ward is crazy. I'm assuming he meant crazy in the best of ways :) It will be weird coming from the country to a big city! Also... the only thing everyone has been telling me when I tell them I'm going to Daytona is, "Oh, better stay in your apartment. It's almost spring break there, and girls will be all over the street." Great. That's alright, me and my comp will just wear blinders and own Satan. =] The Lord has work to be done.

Wow, this week has been one of my favorites but one of my hardest as well. I loved it because it was in the fantastic area of Sumterville! What a privilege it has been to come here and learn from and serve these people. I have truly grown to love them. It really didn't hit me how I felt about leaving until yesterday when we were sitting there in sacrament meeting right at the start of testimony meeting. I was planning on bearing my testimony, but I figured I'd just wait until there was a pause, or just go about halfway through the meeting. The first counselor asked me after he bore his testimony instead to just come up after him and share my testimony.
Well, I got up and I couldn't speak! I had to just stand there for a minute and enjoy the moment, looking into the faces of these people that I love so much. I felt like I was leaving home all over again, leaving my family. I had spent the last 6 months of my life here, and learned so much from the Lord while being here. I have no doubt that I was sent here for a reason, and these great people have been such a blessing and joy to serve with. I bore my testimony, thanked them for who they are, encouraged them to keep the missionary work going forward, and sat down feeling an overwhelming love for these people.
By the end of the meeting, I realized that it wasn't just my love that I was feeling for them. I was truly feeling the love of the Savior for them. It was a wonderful, beautiful thing. I realized this as we were singing the closing hymn, "I Believe in Christ," one of my favorites. I felt an outpouring of the Spirit as we sang, and it was almost as if the veil was lessened just a tiny bit; just enough for me to catch a glimpse of how much the Savior really loves me - how much He has done for me. I was brought to tears and couldn't sing as I read the words of the hymn. I don't cry much, but this was one of the few times in my mission so far that I was brought to tears. I know that my Heavenly Father loves me, and that my Savior Jesus Christ loves me too. They love all of us, unconditionally! I have many, many weaknesses, but He patiently guides and teaches me each time I make a mistake - never giving up on who I can become. I am so thankful for the honor and blessing it is to serve as one of the Lord's missionaries. This truly is His work, and He leads and guides everything we do. We can't do it without Him.
I am excited for my new assignment! I know that the Lord has great things He will accomplish as my new companion and I love and serve Him with all of our hearts, might, minds, and strength. I have been thinking a lot about how I am nervous for the unknown. I think that is probably the greatest source of fear - not knowing what will happen or what is going on; what an outcome will be. However, I have also come to the realization that the Lord knows all, from the beginning to the end. He is my rock, strength, and salvation! He will help us as we go forth with faith to do His will. He will lead and guide us through His Spirit to know what to do and where to go. That is something that helps me in the times when I realize just how far I fall short, or how inadequate I am - to know that Jesus is the Christ! He has overcome the world, so why should we fear? We shouldn't. We should just keep going with our faith in our God, knowing that He will provide the way. He always does. He can make up the difference of our shortcomings if we turn to him with full purpose of heart.
I love my life, my family, my mission, and my God. I am so thankful to be here, to know that this is where the Lord wants me at this time. I know He is leading this church through revelation, and what a blessing to have a testimony of that. He has not in the past, and never will leave us alone. He would not do that. Thomas S. Monson is the Lord's prophet on the earth today, and we get to hear him speak soon! How exciting :)

I am so thankful for Elder Stock, he has been such a wonderful companion for me. I have learned a ton from him and we are great friends! I am sure my next companion will be wonderful also, and I am excited to work with him. Well, my time is up, but I love you all! I told everyone this past week just how excited I was to come back with my family and introduce them to everyone. You will love them! When we come back, we'll be going to the Sumterville WARD for church in the NEW BUILDING. I am excited :]

"Keep on keepin' on" as Brother Coleman always says! Have a great week!

love, Elder Andrew John Beckett