Our area is pretty tough

Sounds like a good week. Its strange on mission, there doesn't seem to be enough time to do everything, but at home, the days seemed to drag on and months seemed as years. I bet the missionaries are coming from everywhere to get there hair cut from you. I am sure your name is passed around the mission like crazy. what you said makes me excited about Liberia and Sierra Leone (Liberia has a new mission president called so will get to open up again soon). I cant wait to see those places open back up.

Our area is pretty tough. There are very negative thoughts about our church in Tema, and a lot of anti doctrines floating around. All but two of our investigators have come in contact with anti doctrine and said they don't want to meet with us. One woman we talked to last two weeks said that she prayed about the book of mormon and said that her answer from god is that she shouldn't read the book and 'that Joseph never saw god. It looked just as Joseph's first vision, where satan tried to stop Joseph from seeking the truth, but in this ladies case she was stopped, and wasn't able to see the glorious light that would fill her life with purpose, answers, and motivation and peace. I think she was just scared... But how great are the blessings for those who search ponder and pray. Now a days when I read I'm trying to ponder more when I read, and not just skim over material. Its been super sweet. It has cleared all doubts and keeps me seeking for more knowledge and peace. 

I remember the first few times that I heard strange or bad things about the church. The fist was in fourth grade. I don't remember why, but our teacher was giving each of us tea, for some reason I can't remember. But I knew that I wasn't supposed to drink tea (thank you primary). The teacher asked if anyone had a problem with drinking tea, and I looked to Max Moncur and I remember Max looking at me, and we both stood up as courageous as we could be, and said that we don't drink tea in our church. The teacher asked us what church we go to and we said we were mormon (now here comes the part about obscure views about the church).  Our teacher then told us that it was because of caffeine that we didn't drink tea, and the tea she gave us had no caffeine (now I know that its not because of caffeine, because there is nothing said in section 89 about it and there is no commandment breaking in drinking coke.) 

I didn't know anything about caffeine and I don't even know what tea it was... but now a days I do know why I don't drink tea. Because the prophets have told us not to, and I see that as spoken by god for the benefit of me. I know that the latter day prophets are called of God and receive revelation, because I have searched the Book of Mormon and it truly testifies of Christ and teaches the fulness of his gospel. 

The world may have their view about the latter-day saints, but they will never such happiness know until they see how God views the latter-day saints, and they read the book of Mormon. No matter the case, even as small as two boys who don't drink tea, we can know what is right if we seek Gods direction and search ponder and pray about the Book of Mormon.

This week I will see Tyler Scheossow and I am stoked for that.!!!! 

Yes the nights are terrible if we don't have light, but thats part of the adventure. I am the same weight and the same height. The only difference is tat the meat that was on my arms and my chest and now flab on my stomach,.... but I will reverse that before I come home. I am 70 kilos and 5'8" (155 pounds). I will be ready for Pedros! 

For the Mother's day phone call: I am pretty sure tat the phone call will work the same as last time. I don't know if I will be able to Skype... 2:00 pm should be okay. My church ends by 1. I am also excited to call home.

whelp next week okay. 

elder beckett

PS - mom here is a note for you from sister stevens. 

Please say thanks to your mum for me and tell her that i love her like my own mother, and am so much grateful for her making me feel love and support for some one that I have not even met before, and tell her that my mum says thanks as well. My family and I love her so much, please tell her for us and we love you too, and we hope to see you one day in Sierra Leone. Much love 

I love how much new missionaries rely on the lord

Hey Mom,

haha looks like a fun day at church.  Yeah the small tongan that I have hear sounds dificult. I used to be able to bare my testimony in Krio well, but now sabi em small small. Twi no way, Twi is dificult and we dont use it like we used krio.

Its good to hear that you got to see jeff.

Sounds cool with school. So I have to live on campus? I wil talk to the others about who I will room with.

The week was pretty normal (for west africa). Although there were some pretty interesting things that happened this week. An indian family moved into our compound this week, and it makes it the weirdest compound I have stayed in. Our ladlord is white, who also stays in the compound with his Ghanian wife, there are 4 LDS missionaries and an Indian family. Makes for a great mixture of culture.

I got the packages that you sent and the scriptures. Thank you so much. The envelopes were funny and nice. I went on an exchange with an elder who is 3 months on mission and it was great, I love how much new missionaries rely on the lord. I also got a letter from Sister Ferral. The dear elders were fun. Its nice to hear about Elders Nielson, Sam and Anderson.

We taught a chinese lady this week. She spoke enough english to have a small lesson. She spoke very well for just learning it in school. It was so strange, or different from our normal lessons with Ghanians. I asked her if she believed in God, and she thought for a second and said that she believes in herself. She had heard about christianity in school, but there are no churches in her part of China but something intersting that I learned about China, is that they love their families. She explained that family is important in China and in many cases, family members who die are buried next to each other. and they keep track of the ancestors very well. So when China opens to the gospel, family history will be off the charts. West Africa is a little different. Many people dont take care of records very well. So family history is hard to track past 3 generations.

I have been talking to James Koroma, the one you met at conference and he wrote to me in Krio, see if you can understand this?

Brother Beckett,

Tenki tenki for way ah yeri from yu.ah gladi tu much way wi be padi to yu fambu den na ya.me na be branch presiden na mesima from 2007 to 2010. Presiden turay na mi dadi en fos tem district presiden. Nor worri anytem yu don yu mishun en kam back home,mi wef go kuck saki for yu en other salone stuff.wi go getam na dem afrika stores.
Dis bein tem ah bi de wok na S&I office with brother charls.
Tenki plenti plenti one mi brother.we luv yu and yua parents so much.

By by .
Bro. Koroma

Direct Translation:

Thank you for hearing from you. I am happy so much to be friends with your family here. i was a branch president in mesima from 2007 to 2010. President turay is my father and my first district president. no worries, any time you finish your mission and come back, my wife will cook you saki for you and other salone stuff. we will get the food from the african stores. Right now i work at the s and i office with bro charles. thank you so much my brother. we love you and your parents so much.

everything is cool.
elder beckett

Its good to be a missionary!

Hello Mom. I have had a nice week. This week we had our zone meeting, and Elder Van wagoner and I had the opportunity to instruct the zone. It was gogd. I was comfortable speaking in front of the zone. Something I would have been afraid to do earlier in my mission. My mission has helped me to structure thoughts and present them. I have enjoyed doing it, and even better is to help others do what is just and right in the sight of god. No greater feelings come than when we are clean through and before God.

Freetown was nice. The movie made me think of my experience of leaving the country of Sierra Leone small. You wouldn't know the difference, but it wasnt really like Liberia or Sierra Leone. The way people talk was like Ghana, the setting was Ghana, the dress was Ghana. hahah freetown is on a mountain, and there is no bridge to get to liberia but the movie was sweet. They showed it at our stake center and some of the actors were there, so we got to meet them.

Zac's pants are sweet, of course I recognize them. What clothes do Ihave at home? Dont worry I will be home soon. I think there is only 3 more weeks until I will call you on Mothers day. I am trying not to keep track of my days left, ifI think about home it will go long. 

At the end of April our mission will combine with Accra West mission to have a conferene, so I will get to see Tyler! I am super stoked for that.

I will see conference in May most likely. 

This week I have come to see success as a missionary. Success as a missionary is not measured as the amount of baptisms that one can see. Success is representing the Lord and doing what he has asked us to do. Success is to have the Holy ghost speak through us. Success is to be obedient. Success is to invite all to live the gospel, through Jesus Christ. Its not every week that we see big miracles and big changes in peoples livees, but small small, the people come. Its so great to be a missionary, to be the one rescuing the weak and fallen, who need help to gain faith to follow their savior Jesus Christ.

Its good to be a missionary.

Elder Beckett

You met my people!

Mom! Happy Easter! Wow thats super cool that all of you got to go to conference, I havn't seen it yet, but I will see small small as I am coming to the cafe, I can get them on lds.org. We will get to see it in about a month hopefully. 

EHH YU DE ENJOY O! YU DON MIT MI PEOPLE O!!!! ( you enjoyed! you met my people) hahah wow that is super sweet! the ones on the left are bro ans sis koroma right? and the ones an the right are bro and sis odei? the two on the left look like salone people and the two on the right look like ghanians! wow am i jelous pa pa!!! Where are they going to school? Where do they live! hahaha yes I know Sister Owusu. I would love a Ghanian dish when I return! Do you know where in bo the Koromas are from? ehhh did you get there information? I want to know them when I come home! Wow would that be fun when I come home! 

We were so excited to meet these wonderful people at Genral Conference on Easter. One couple is from Sierra Leone and the other from Ghana! 

Wow mom sounds like you have had a great week! Brads Easter post looks sweet. Sounds like all things de du fin oba yonda. I have had a sweet one too, we have had some people really be blessed by the gospel lately, easter has been fun too. I got the package from grandpa and grandma Richins. We made pudding and I shared the treats with everyone in the apartment. We got permission to go see the movie "Freetown", so tonight we will go watch it with a few investigators at the stake center. I guess it was filmed in Ghana.

Sweet Easter.