3/15/2010 A Priestood Blessing

Baptism with JosueElder Contreras Elder Beckstead and Josue

Sounds like it is very hot there. It is for sure summer in Honduras. Jaxon and Stockton went b-b gun bird hunting and sorta missed and hit the window in the Tractor. . . I told him the story about them and the confession. . .(I knew he'd love it-brought back some memories)

Well hey fam, whats going on?
Here in Hondo all is super super hot. And I'm not even in the south. O My Gosh. haha I don't understand why mom wants me to send a little bit of the heat to her. Its not worth it at all really.
As for the weight thing. I'm sending you all a picture today to shut you all up, Im not skinny and I weigh 220. Dunno why everyone keeps telling me that, I'm thinkin it has something to do with Roberts. I saw Elder Brown last week and talked to him for a minute, I didn't have too much time, but we were talking for a second. He had to come to Teguz to get his new comp. I'm not sure what happened but his last comp did something and got a change.
And yes this place is full of crazy bus drivers and taxi drivers. Seriously crazy, its awesome, but safe, dont worry about it mom. OK so last week we were in Burger King for p-day and a bus filled with gringos pulled up. I was like, what the crap, and they came in and used the bathroom and left, but I will tell you all that I have never seen prettier girls in Honduras. hahaha just playin. But yeah I felt sooooo stupid, I'm not sure why but it just felt super awkward.
OK so im gonna send pics this week for sure. Josuè got baptised this weekend and it was awesome. First we went to do the interview on Friday and his wife had some serious problems with an illness. I'm not sure what, but she was seriously close to dying, and throwing up and all that jazz. We offered her a blessing and left, the next day he got baptised and after the baptism he bore his testimony, he said he knew the church was true, then he said that the night before he had almost lost his wife, but the missionaries arrived at his house and gave his wife a blessing and right after the blessing she got better. Not completely, but she just layed down and went to sleep. She was up and walking around yesterday. It was awesome. Something I will never forget. thats for sure.
It is true, about how people really do want to see the gospel fail, I have really gained a strong testimony about that over the last few weeks. People will try and try to cause problems between the missionaries, but this work will never ever fail. The truth is here and we are spreading it, Christ suffered for our sins so that we didn't have to, he suffered for every one of us, and for that we have repentence, this amazing chance to repent from every single one of our sins and keep living life and never remember them again.

I love this gospel seriously with all my heart. It really does change lives and makes things better, no matter the situation from before. I love you all very, very much just so you all know. Ok last thing tell Stock not to worry about it, that kid is awesome, I just imagine the conscience of poor little Jaxon. But yeah how many windows I've broken there at the farm. Some people still don't know about the mischeif that I did there at the farm. It's awesome with little ole Tukker. Me an him had some good times.
Well love you all and peace out
Tell the boys I love them
Elder Beckstead

3/8/2010 Staying Busy

Fam
I'm sooo stoked you got to meet Jonnny, that dude was a stud here in the mission and pretty much my first good friend that I had here in the mission, he helped me through some really good times. (Jonny-Elder Roberts just returned from Teguz and we met up with him the other day-he's a great kid and I am glad he was there to help Elder Beckstead through some hard times)
The work is moving forward, I called E brown(from Hyde Park) the other day when I had a little bit of time and we chatted for a few minutes about the mission, he's super lucky cause his area is super chill and they always have alot of success there. Its super cool.I talked to his comp too and told him the importance of patience. I dont think anyone really realizes how hard it is to learn a language. It's super hard.

Ok but yeah I have 8 min now so I have to hurry.
So the work here is good and the mission is good too. It's hard and I'm super busy every single day and more and more work keeps piling up. But were movin forward and advancing. I can honestly say that my area is improving a ton. It's sooo cool to see success and see the changes in some peoples lives. Honduras is still Honduras, it's hot and humid and very, very active. Pretty dangerous but I won't talk about that haha!!
Tell all my boys (7 nephews)I love them and all that fun stuff. and as for the pics. I didnt get the chance to recieve them. So next week Ok. I'm gonna try to put some pics up but it's just that I have no time, so next week ok????
I love you all very, very much and keep moving forward. The church is true, and we need to spread the word. Keep up the good work and I love you all soo much.

p.s tell jonny im gettin fatter ok???

Elder Beckstead

3/1/2010 Baptism with Sign Language

Hey there fam,
Whats crackin? So the life here in Hondo in crazy as ever. haha I'm lovin it I won't lie. Well tell all the people that I am fine and that I'm still pushin here in the mission field. The work is hard but fun and worth it. As for the heat, well it's hot and yesterday we had an actividad, (which is why I didn't email you all) and I got super sunburnt in the neck. The heat is gettin pretty rough, but you get used to it with time. Lacy got married??? Which one???(Lacy Ralphs??? I don't know who else he could be thinking of) Wo I've been gone a while huh, which means I'll be home sooner than we think.

Tell Kade that he better get going soon or hes gonna regret it. It's so much better to leave for the mission right off the bat than to wait. (I told him that his cousin Kade told me he wants to go next Feb so he can snowmobile first-he could go in Nov.) Unless he wants to hang out with Zac,(brother that will return in March) that would be good. So you'll never guess what happened to me the other day, A missionary in my district had a baptism and I had to go give the person an interview, but this wasn't any normal interview, the kid was deaf!!! wow talk about a struggle. Just imagine me over there trying to communicate in three languages. haha It was sooo hard but I finally finished it and the dude got baptised the next day. It was awesome, his best friend, and another deaf person, baptismed him, and he did the baptism prayer by sign language, haha it was pretty hard to find some witnesses though. Then I'll tell you something pretty cool too, right now we are teaching a 40 year old man that we found contacting one day, this dude is incredible. The only person I have ever seen that actually listens very well and reads frequently the Book of Mormon. He's getin baptised the 13th of March and I'm super stoked for that. But yea thats whats I got for right now. The towel is my comps I dunno where he got it, but he got it, haber donde.(he sent a picture home with a picture of a flag form USA and one from El Salvador it's posted on this blog!) I recieved my shirt, and thank you very much for that. I love that package so much, but its true, if you just send the money instead I could put it to better use for things to bring home. but yeah thats what I got for the day, You all have a great week and I expect good things Monday saying that the Boys won state!!
Alright peace out
Elder Beckstead

Part of a letter to Chelsi-his sis!!

Chelsi and Tate
GO TO CHURCH CHUCK, (chelsi's nickname)
I could tell you some things about the gospel that would make you go to church forever, but wait a year ok. And get your butt to the temple ok?? I wrote you last week but I guess you didn't get my email, sorry man. That makes me feel kinda bad but its all good. But yeah I didn't get your pic, i'm not sure why but try it again. and yeah maybe in just over a year you can all come get me, but that all depends. I'm not sure I want you all to come. Well love you and peace out.
Elder Beckstead

This part of the blog I will dedicate to Chelsi and Mitch. Chelsi love's Mitch more than life. She is very close to him and relied on him a lot. They are best friends. This has been the hardest thing she has ever had to do. She swears she needs him much more than the people in Honduras-haha A day does not go by that she misses him. He bears his testimony to her a lot. Our family has learned when you send a missionary- a son, an uncle, a brother, a nephew, a cousin, a grandson you sacrifice. . . .until you send a missionary, you do not even understand. It has been good for her(she don't think so) and our family to have this experience. She had a baby while he was gone and that was hard too!!! Hang in there Cheltz!!! We really are being blessed!!!

2/22/10-Getting "HOT" again!!!

Elder Beckstead with companion Elder Contreras

from El Salvador

Looking over the city
I only recognize Elder Roberts(with the ball)
Elder Beckstead on the end!!

WOW TYSON RALPHS IS HOME-then Zac then Jesse then all the others, Then me.(kids in our ward and others that went to High School with him) haha It's all good I don't mind the mission at all right now. haha But yeah the life here is still the same, and as for that Jonny dude, he was probablly one of my better friends in the mission and helped me through some pretty hard times. haha Yeah so I can honestly say that he was an influence in my mission. (his friend from Boise that he met on the mission)I hope the teams do good there at state. haha I know they will make it, its in our blood being West Siders. As for the gym thing, do me a favor. Don't buy it or send it to me, save the money and put it into my account. I need it.(I asked him if he wanted an iron gym for his birthday??) haha The money they gave me last change went away really, really fast. Its just paying for food here kills me every change. And wow, softball is starting, thats freakin crazy. Well just think, next year when softball starts I will be very, very close to being home. haha super cool. And as for Hondo, right know is is really really HOT. haha I'm dying and my comp is dying too, he complains so much about the heat, and he's from freak El Salvador. But it's nots that bad, when May is over with, the temp will calm down again I think-or Hope anyway. As for the mission, all is well, were still workin and tryin to convert people. haha I'm in a very small area that only had 14 baptisms all of last year, so its pretty hard but I'm thinkin we can increase that number a little bit, or I hope anyway.The work is true and the Iglesia is too. Keep on truckin and moving forward. The mission is really amazing, and i'm pretty sure all the young men should go. Its seriously worth it.
Well peace out
Elder Beckstead
p.s gimmi an update on the missionaries that are gettin ready to leave from home.

2/13/2010 Training Elder Contreras from El Salvador

Thats sounds exactly like Honduras actaully.(I discribed to him how I heard Honduras was from a Mom who picked up her son in San Pedro Sula-men standing in front of stores and and resturants holding rifles, everyone plays chicken at the intersections because there are no rules and few signs or lights. Tiny homes with no real roads. There is no glass in the windows or screens, and clotheslines everywhere. Kids playing in the streets, dogs barking, music playing, people yelling out their open windows, women washing and throwing their dirty water in the street.) I did get changes so that is something brand new. Tuesday night I got changes and so yeah, In this moment I am training a brand new missionary, his name is Elder Contreras and he is from El Salvador, he's brand new and I have to teach him almost everything. haha But he is really cool. He talks super, super fast and pure Spanish from El Salvador, haha so I have alot to learn with him. He says a lot of words that I don't know still, haha but im gonna learn them. For example, the other day he said Compa tengo que echar la araña, that means I have to throw out the spider, haha but from El Salvador, it means I have to pee. haha something neat. And about Elder Roberts, he was one of my best friends in the mission, So I'd say yes add him on facebook. He was a hardcore missionary and very succesful in his mission. So yeah search for him alright. and write him and what not. But yeah, Love you all and peace out until next week.
Elder Beckstead

A baptism the same day as Jaxon

This is the Guitar he bought from a man he is teaching.Mitch with a boy he is teaching-looks like a normal teenager with his cell phone!!

Having Pizza with some members and friends

Had a baptism Feb 6, 2010
The same day as Jaxon his nephew!!

Beach in Cedeno Honduras
Hola fam que hay de nuevo aha en los unaiy. pues si, aqui todo tranquilo, teniamos un bautismo el sabado cual fue bien especial, ya ahi tambien llegò un investigador lo quien estamos enseñando, el es un marero y tiene unas marcas en su cuerpo de tiros. este man es bien bien serio. pero despues del bautismo, èl me contò que el habia tenido sentimientos bien fuertes, o sea el espìritu santo estaba testificandolo de la varacidad de la iglesia. increible. pero si creo que el serà bautizado.But ya thats about our baptizm. It was tight! (So the little buggar made me transcribe!!! Thanks to Gricel: Hello Family, What's new in the United States? Well here everything is calm, we had a baptism on Saturday which was very special, and an investigator went and which we are educating. He is a gang member and he has marks on his body of gunshots. This man is very serious. After the baptism, he told me that he had very strong feeling. I mean the Holy Ghost was testifying the truthfulness of the church. Incredible. But I think he will be baptized. But ya thats about our baptism.
I was super heated aout the super bowl too, I was hoping so bad that the Colts would win, but like you said, thats how it goes sometimes. but yeah this elder batschi has done divisons with me a few times, he's a nice kid, but like you said, a lot of people here in the mission are completely different than me. I've said this a few times in the mish:"I love the kid, but hes kooky in his way and i am kooky in my way" haha they are all awesome people here, but man, some of us have just completely different personalities. haha as of right now I havent recieved the valentine yet, but I hope it has some pictures. haha of girls maybe?? haha just playin...............sort of. As for changes, I kinda wanna stay in this area for a while, I'm liking the situation that we have here, but the last missionaries were kinda lazy and did nothing, so me and my comp are pretty much opening this area. Well more or less I think. I'm not really sure what happened to be honest, but all I know is that this was a hard area to enter, but its all good right now, its fun to try and set up a new missionary system and see if you can have success with your ideas.
Don't you even worry about the cold, its already over with. As for the ties, NO, I like my ties my shirts and my pants, Why would I burn them??? They need to last me two years anyway, well hopfully. I already know that im gonna need to buy a new suit before I come home. Fortunately they are pretty cheap here. I think??? But yeah, I'm gonna buy a guitar here, haha and hopefully learn it when I get home, but im teaching a dude that makes guitars, so its hand made and it only costs 100 dollars. haha so if you all wanna help me out to buy it, you should. Ill send you all a picture of it here soon. Hopefully. Well about my experience so far, haha its good. I love the mission I just miss the whole family. But i'm here for a good cause and i'm doin the right thing. So yeah that's a good thing. And for the heater situation, haha our houses dont have heaters, or air conditioning. We just have blankets and on hot nights a little fan that blows on us. So yeah thats about it. All is well here, the work is moving forward always. As well as my testimony of the gospel, the work is true, the church is true and we really are saved by grace, after we do everything posible. I love you all sooooo much and want you all to be safe for the next 2 years waiting for me. OK??? (it's down to 15 months, but who's counting???) Well peace out and thank you all OK
Elder Beckstead