I've Been Extended

See ya in a few ;) I love you!

-Elder Andrew John Beckett

Hey family! That last email was a trick :P I will write a little more than that. (Gotcha Dad ;)
I have some news... I have been extended for 2 more years in the FOM! So, I'll see ya in 2!
What if? Man, that would be exciting but hard at the same time. I really really love being a missionary. But, at the same time I REALLY really love and miss my family! It doesn't seem possible.. I've never felt like I have such a split personality. Half of me is dying to stay here and continue working, and the other half knows that I need to come home and start life. WeiRd...
Well, I don't really know what to say. All of the news/stories/etc. I'll just tell you in person =] I think I'd like to share my testimony and some of the thoughts I've had lately. Oh, but before I do that, I'll reply to some of the things you said in your emails.
Yes Mom, that schedule for Wednesday sounds wonderful. I am fine with whatever as long as I get to be with you guys! Oh, and as long as we are to bed by 10:30 ;) I am nervous but excited to see everyone! I've never really been one to like attention on myself, and I already feel such love and support from everyone even remembering that I'm coming back! Ha ha thanks.
No, I won't be offended by those T-shirts. I think that's great :) I know the kind of people you are! And I love you no matter what! This is going to be super crazy seeing how Nate and Allie especially have changed! Since they are in that teen time where you grow a lot... oh man. Hopefully I've grown up at least a little! I still feel like a kid.
I know that the gospel has been restored! We have seen some wonderful miracles this past week. I am so thankful to Heavenly Father for His goodness and mercy to us, His children. The Book of Mormon is the word of God, and is the best source for learning more about the Atonement of our Savior, Christ the Lord. He lives. This is His church upon the earth today, and nothing can stop it. The work is going forward, and gets better each day! What a blessing to be a part of that. I am so thankful to have been in the service of God for 2 years, it has truly been the best experience of my life. I can't describe or explain fully why, but I know that I am forever different because of the things I have learned and experienced here. I love you all so much! You are the best family in the world. See ya soon!

love,
Elder Andrew John Beckett
p.s. If you are curious about my schedule over the next few days, I will give it to you:
Monday- Pack, send off my package, clean the apartment, weigh luggage, pray, cry, etc. Today we have an appointment @ 1, and another @ 6! The appointment at 6 is with a wonderful lady we are teaching named C. She is feeding us dinner too. She is an angel. After that I will be getting my hair cut at a member's in the ward and then coming home.
Tuesday - Finish packing up whatever else, drive to the mission home, President's Interviews, Lunch, departing missionary meeting, temple session, dinner, testimony meeting, sleep.
Wed - Head to the airport @ 9:30 a.m., Catch a plane at 12:10 or so... until I see my FAMILY!!! WOOT! I love you all SO MUCH and can't wait to see you! Just to give you a heads up I think I might stop and take a picture before running up to hug you so I can remember the moment =] LOVE YA!!!

Yikes, 2 Years?

Oh my heck. Oh my heck! OH MY HECK! I just won $1000 dollars! Remember that
Mom? ;) Ha ha I don't know if it was exactly like that, but that was
classic. Sometimes I feel like saying "Oh my heck!" I am going to see my
family soon! I. Can't. Wait.=)

This has probably been one of the most trying weeks of the mission, in
several ways. Yes, you are right, there are a lot of mixed emotions. And
stress. And just wanting to do everything perfect, working until you just
pass out on the plane home from exhaustion. And fear. But, that's life,
right? We just keep going on with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and the
Holy Ghost's help. The Lord is seeing if I will be faithful to the end. I
will :)

Yesterday in church I was praying and thinking about things, and just some
of the major lessons I've learned on the mission. I want to share 2 things
that I feel I have been taught:
*First*, we are given what we have so that we can bless Heavenly Father's
children. Whether that be spiritual gifts, personality traits, talents,
abilities, finances, whatever - we are who we are, and we are how and where
we are, so that we can be instruments in the hands of the Lord. That is why
we have been blessed with the gospel, the greatest truths anyone could come
to know - because we will share it. We must! We haven't been given the many
blessings we each have from God to just sit back and enjoy them ourselves
and be happy and think how great we are, but so that we can help others. I
am so thankful for the great blessing it has been to reflect and ponder and
pray about the circumstances I find myself in during this mortal state. I
have tried to evaluate how I have used the blessings God has given me. Have
I done good? Have I done bad? Have I sought to bless the lives of others,
or simply sought after personal gratification and recognition, fulfilling *
my* wants and desires rather than being like the Savior - "not my will, but
thine, be done." He gave all that He was and had to bless us. That is why
Christ could bless so many people - He had so much to offer. He was
perfect, the very Son of God. He went below all things so He could overcome
all things. He was given all that He has because He was willing to give it
all away. I believe that the Lord will bless us with knowledge, power,
influence, etc. as fast as we learn to use them for the good of our
brothers and sisters.

*Second*, we don't always know why we are having the trials we are having,
but they are so we can help and love our brothers and sisters. Really, this
truth goes back to the first point. Sometimes we may not be able to see the
light at the end of the tunnel. We might feel like we are giving our very
best, trying our hardest to become who the Lord would have us be... yet
nothing seems to be coming of it. Sometimes we even wonder if we are making
progress or just falling into the same old rut, possibly even sliding
backwards at times. We all have down days, we all have problems and things
that we really aren't sure how to handle them. Thankfully, we don't have
to. We have a loving Eternal Father Who is watching over us, consecrating
all things to be for our good as we place our trust in Him and His Son
Jesus Christ. I have learned that at times when I feel like life is just
too much, that is when I really learn how to find access to the Atonement.
It is in those seemingly dark and hopeless moments that we can cry out to
our Father in the name of His Son. He hears us. He lovingly listens,
feeling and knowing exactly what we are going through. He understands.
The Savior understands. I know
they are there to help and lift us if we only turn to them. As we are able
to continue on, receiving strength beyond our own, we are then able to go
forward in faith, lifting others along the way and helping them find
that wonderful, enabling grace.

I know Heavenly Father Lives. I know Jesus Christ is the Savior. I
know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the
Lord's kingdom upon the earth. The Book of Mormon is true, and
evidence that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. The Priesthood has
been restored, and Thomas S. Monson holds all of the keys of the
kingdom on the earth today. Families can be together because of that
sacred sealing power. We will be a forever family! I love you all so
much, this has been quite the journey for me. Thank you for being
there every step of the way; your prayers and letters of encouragement
have really kept me going. It seems like just when I need it the Holy
Ghost prompts one of you to write and say just what I need to hear.
God answers our prayers :) I love you, have a fantastic week! I'm not
sure if we get to write next monday, but probably. Cya soon :P Oh, and
just so you know, this is going to be the BEST WEEK OF MY MISSION! So
please pray that we'll see miracles. We will! We receive no witness
until after the trial of our faith. That was last week, so we should
be good to go... ha ha ;) Love ya!
-Elder Beckett

My beloved Brazilian Companion

Hey ya'll =] Ha ha, I have that subject because Elder Munhoz always calls me his "beloved companion." We have fun together ;) It is a lot of fun having foreigners for companions, and we have been so blessed. We get along great and are truly loving the work.

Question.. what do I bring back with me? Do I bring my clothes? Like, all of them I mean. Obviously some. Just a couple church shirts? Pants? My suit, yeah, but all my socks and stuff? Any other advice or things I need to know?

This past week I was able to attend Leadership Training. It was superb! The mission has progressed so much since I first arrived here. The Lord has really guided President Hall. I am so thankful for him and Sister Hall; I was thinking about it and they really have so much influence on all of us. Their obedience, diligence, faithfulness, attitude, and consecration directly affect the mission. Missions are a beautiful thing, in so many ways. Where else in the world are you going to find 160 bright, healthy, happy, good people who are all working together for the best cause in the world? And each of us love and want to follow the Lord, and President Hall who He has sent to direct the mission. I think that is a miracle in and of itself - the relationship that grows between a mission president and his missionaries.

Unfortunately H dropped us last week. But, we refused to believe it, prayed hard for a miracle, and this week we picked her back up again! H is searching.. please keep her in your prayers, that she will be able to discern the voice of the Spirit in her life. N is also our miracle of the week. SO many miracles.. the Lord is so good to us! She was a former we decided to go by and see. She had been taught and been to church, but I guess the time they came was ward conference or whichever Sunday it is when they just sustain people the whole time. That was her & her husband's experience with church. Well, we explained some things. She believes the Book of Mormon to be true. She believes God has a prophet on the earth. She came to church last Sunday and really enjoyed it! She is soooo cool! Super elect. Heavenly Father has been giving us so many tender mercies and helping us find people to teach in our "new area."

The other day we were biking along and we saw this lady outside. We offered her our help moving her sprinklers and after we did she was like, "When can you come by and teach me?" We hadn't even told her who we are! Apparently she'd been taught years and years ago. And she has a mango tree and gave us free reign to stop by and pick mangoes whenever we would like some! I love mangoes.

In our weekly planning session we got to the step about referrals. We hadn't had any referrals for a long time. We decided to pray for some referrals, and asked which members we should go see to find some. We finished praying, were discussing things, and the phone rings. It was a member from another ward, I think he was ward mission leader there. He told us that his less-active son lives in our ward and his wife is a non-member. He said that she was finally ready to take the lessons and be taught. Can miracles get more specific and exact timing? God is real. Read 3 Nephi 14:9-11... note the emphasis on how we need to ask. Prayer works =]

I love this work. I love the Lord. I love each of you =] I love my companion. He is the man! Friends for life. And beyond! This is going to be the best week of the mission so far! Hope it's great for you too. I love you all!

love,

Elder Beckett