I have just been realizing some sweet things!

Hello Mother,

I don't have much to say about this week other than it went really fast. Mostly because we have been working hard. I'm realizing how short my mission is. I will be out 6 months this transfer. Transfer news is coming soon and I'm most positive that I will be staying and my companion will be leaving.The area is growing and we are working hard. We have some good investigators who are very serious about the gospel. One investigator named Aminata is really liking it even though all her fellow work mates give her a hard time about it, she still comes and knows she is going to something that will help her. This area has a lot of people that are against the church. 

So once every three months or so you just get so tired of eating rice that when you force it down your throat it makes you feel sick, and that usually lasts for about a week. This rice sickness hit me this week so instead of eating full plates of rice I have only been eating half or quarter plates. So it was a really a great thing to get two packages, one from you and one from grandma grandpa and uncle Brent. Your package was really awesome! The elders in the apartment and I really enjoyed the talks that you sent and  I'm really enjoying the Famous Amos cookies, the Bell family cook book and the Richins family cook book. Because of the area that I'm in I can really only cook a few desserts, but when I get in an area with a super market it will be better. Grandma and Grandpa and Uncle Brent... thank you for the oatmeal, the letters, treats and the shirt! You really saved me this week. Jana the sweets and the letter were awesome. I loved the Chicklets! I got letters from dad, Rushton Hiltbrand and the priest quorum. Thank you... you guys are really supporting me. Oh and I don't need AA batteries but AAA. Thank you for all the notes and the family card, ... that made the package!

That's sweet, I can't wait to see the river house. (The following comment  from him is a response he had after I shared the following in my email to him this week. " So this week was filled with lots of shopping, shopping and shopping for the river house. We have been doing a big make over and it's looking super great. Sister Gardner and I have been doing most of the decorating and several times we got laughing at ourselves when we were shopping b/c we would be trying to find matching decorations or bed pillows and paint, etc and think about you in Africa dealing with 3rd world problems and we would say geez ... the people in Africa would laugh at our 1st world problems!! Helps me put things in perspective...We are a blessed nation for sure!" )The people here are always looking for money, that is the first thing on there minds really so if they had money they would be doing the same, but yeah, it's not that easy to live here.

What? ..the Sequoia is going??  What are you going to drive the whole family in? Is the Lexus fast? Send me pictures of Zac pole vaulting.

We have been studying the Atonement this week and have just been realizing some sweet things. Without the Atonement what is baptism? The sacrament? The temple? This life? The priesthood? I have come to see that the Atonement is necessary in the gospel. Once people here better understand the Atonement they will better under stand the gospel.

Welp that's all folks!

Elder Beckett