"God be with you til we meet again" arr. by Elder Beatty and Elder Marple

Email 6-24-11

A little note from Elder Beatty's sister: I'm trying to get the song that they recorded on here so just be patient :) and I'll figure out a way

Wow its crazy to think that swoosh another week is gone and past.  Its crazy how much is going on around here in the MTC.  There are all the NEW mission presidents here getting training by the quorum of the twelve.  Just this last wednesday me and elder varney had to go up front to pick up an elder that had come in late from the new missionaries and we got stopped and interigated before we could enter the front gate.  And while we were waiting who should drive up in their chrysler but Elder Cook....... It was funny to see how everyone was freaking out when he showed up and Elder Varney and I just smiled and waited while we saw him walk in.  Its sooooo cool to think about how all the quorum of the twelve is here.  Unfortunately Elder marple and I didn't get the chance to play in anything special.  But I hope you got the email that I had sent to you with a recording of one of the songs that we did.  If you didn't get it on your email then its on my email Beatty2010.  It was "God be with you till we meet again".  It sounded really cool when we auditioned for it.

Well whats new this week.  Elder Varney and I got called to be the new Zone leaders in the Branch.  Its not a crazy job.  It just has alot of little things that you have to do like call the branch president every night and tell him about what went on.  And you have to help elders recolve their conflicts with one another.  The only really crazy thing was that we had 24 new missionaries come in this week..... that was the most that the branch presidency had ever said they had seen come in at one time.  Elder Varney and I had to keep them in line and give them orientations about every little thing that we took for granted in the MTC.  We forgot to say alot of stuff but it was alright cuz between both of us we remembered most the important stuff we were supposed to say.  Elder Varney is a good elder.  even though I know we have our problems he always has a spirit i hope to always have one day.

Spanish is coming along good.  I have definately found out what my strengths and weaknesses are.  If anybody has any suggestions for learning to expand your vocab and memorize stuff please let me know.  I'm having a hard time finding a system that works for me in remembering all the words I wanna study.  Anyway besides that things are going great.  Elder Varney and I are really coming close.  I think this new calling has really reinforced his desire to stay determined.  Before he would often times go off to lala land and leave me stuck in the muck of things.  But I really like how through this calling i am able to gain even more leadership opportunity and growth.  This is an entirely new area of leadership that I really haven't ever been a part of before.  Its all about love and being at peace with God and I realize now that it is very important.  I hope that I can still apply it to my regular leadership stuff when I get back from my mission because it makes everything you say so much more powerful.

Well like i said this week is when all the mission presidents come and its really cool cuz i think today we get to hear from one of the quroum of the twelve.  I hope it is Elder Holland.  He just really throws it down when it comes to the spirit and what needs to be said.  We have watched multiple talks about his testimony of missionary work and the power it has in changing the lives of the people we teach.  I can't wait to get a peace of that thrown at me. 

Our investigator is doing awesome.  We taught him the 1st half of the 2nd lesson up to the atonement.  Its awesome to see how his understand is changing about religion and about god.  elder Varney and I had an awesome session with him and we asked him to be baptized.  He thought for a second and then he said that He wanted to search the book of mormon and pray to God about it first.......... Elder Varney and I were like (Choir Singing) AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH... mana words from heaven.  You always want your investigator to look for the truth in the BOM.  when they do you can never go wrong.  Thats just how it goes.  We are planning on taking on another investigator later this week.  We know that our responsibilities have increased with being the ZONE leaders but we want to get as much practice in as possible in truly finding out about your investigator.  Becoming to know how they feel and what they need, not what you think they need, knowing what they need in their life to truly come unto christ. 

This week we have had one of the elders in our district really struggling with Spanish and with the Gospel Principles.  He is a 23 year old young man from New Mexico.  He already has his major in math and is going to work on his bachelors when he gets back.  One of his huge problems is that because he is a math major he wants to know why everything is the way it is.  I really wanted to help him because without learning to understand that we can't know everything how will he be able to progress in the gospel and in Spanish.  I was searching and i found a scripture in 2COR 5:6-7  it roughly says.  While we know that we are at home in the body we are away from the presence of God.  We walk by faith not by sight.   

This was and awesome scripture that touched his heart.  I told him that even though the gospel has all the questions to everyin sing answer we can think of.  Sometimes God wants to see how faithful we are in believing his words..... that as we walk by faith and not by sight we can grow in our love for him as he helps us understand all things.  I wish you could have seen the turn around in this missionary.  Now he is not questioning the Lord or the teachers about why spanish is the way it is or why gospel is the way it is.  He has truly come to be humble before God.  And seeing his example wants me to be better.  It makes me want to not waste a minute of the Lords time.  because I know I have been called of the few that are chosen.  I have been chosen to preach the gospel to the people of Paraguay.  And I know that as I walk by faith and not by sight I can know the Spanish.... I can know the words that I need to say in order to change the lives of everysingle person i come in contact with.  How?  because I know that god knows them.  I know that god knows what I need to say in order to show them that they need to return to gods love.  and I know that as i am humble and search for the truth with god on my left and on my right, he will help me know what to say.  I know that he will give me in that very hour the words I will say (DC11)

I am truly grateful for all of you that get a chance to read this.  I can promise you that no matter what problems you are going through in your life, no matter how you feel, no matter how confused you may get,  God is there for you and he will answer your problems.  All we need to do is sincerely search and ask for help.  I love you all and am thankful for your support and your prayers.  The gospel is true and I know that fact with all my being.  KEEP THE FAITH, NEVER GIVE UP, NEVER GIVE UP THE TRUTH

Yo amo mi familia mucho, para siempre!  estoy feliz para la oportunidad a sirvir! 

Love- Elder Beatty

Write your missionaries! Email 6-17-11

Hola Como esta?  You don't know how many times I hear that per day.  Its almost funny.  Some of the things that have been going on here lately is that I just keep chuggin along with the language.  I am getting to the point where I can almost say anything I want to in Spanish but its hard cuz I have to think about what I want to say then congegate the right verb and all that jazz.  It can be a little frustrating sometimes when you are trying to stay focused and speak fast.  Its all good though.  I really hope you guys like gettin a little spanish in my letters.  Thats awesome that you guys are going to try and learn to speak spanish with me.  Its actually very very easy.  You just have to take the intiative and only speak spanish.  That has to be the hardest part.  It can be soooo easy to just speak english whenever you want.  You have to discipline yourself and be strong. 

 

This week was pretty cool.  Elder Marple and I made up another arrangement for a hymn that we auditioned for on Thursday.  We made the arrangement to Praise to the Man.  It was a pretty legit cello and Piano arrangement.  It was also way cool cuz we got the President of the MTC to come listen to us audition and he said he thought it was so awesome he wanted to hear it twice!!!!!!! I can't wait to get the chance to play it in a huge devotional so that I can help people feel the spirit that music can bring so easily.  Its awesome the effect that music can play in the lives of someone who doesn't understand how simple it can be.  Its simple but beautiful. 

 

Just to let you know mom I do get your dear elders.  Sometimes they may be all weirdly arranged and not in order but don't worry i can figure them out.  its good to hear how everyone is doing and how they are growing throughout the summer and stuff.  I hope you guys have a good summer and can stay focused on having fun.  I wish so bad that I could go on that trip with you guys.  It sounds like so much fun.  You will be seeing stuff that I may never get to see and thats way cool. 

 

Just a shout out to anybody who reads this email.  Please send letters to any missionaries you know.  I wish I would have known how much of an impact letters can be in the daily life of a missionary.  It can either make or break your day.  I challenge you to take some time out of your day to show the support you have for a missionary and write him a letter about your day.  Nothing long but something that just shows that you care.  We could all use some more lovin no matter who its from or in what form it comes in.

 

Well sleep isn't getting much better.  I got some medication from the doctor and everything went pretty well.  except some nights I would "accidentily" take it too early and soo i would be all drugged up about 15 minutes before I would have to go to bed.  I would say some pretty interesting things.  It was good to get a good laugh out of all the elders in our zone and to help them lighten the mood a bit. 

 

Our progressing investigator is doing alright.  Manuelle keeps reading the book of mormon and he prays about it but he hasn't recieved and answer yet.  We keep challenging him to keep reading and praying about the BOM and Joseph Smith.  It hasn't been easy and I just wish he could just understand everything we tell him.  Usually we end up getting the doctrine wrong or he doesn't understand a concept fully.  I end up just bearing my testimony alot which is good cuz i think it helps him understand how important all the things we teach him can be.  One thing that was weird this week was that we started teaching him a lesson and we forgot to start with a prayer.  You could totally tell the difference.  Nothing went right in our lesson.  The spirit didn't testify of anything we said and nothing felt right.  I certainly have learned that lesson now.  That without the spirit we are nothing.  We are just another voice in the world.  But when we have the power of the spirit on our side having the investigator feel the truth through the spirit everything we say seems to make sense and have a purpose. 

 

Things are going great with me and Elder Varney.  we keep on getting close everyday.  we certainly can work on our spanish a little more thought.  but its ok.... we push eachother and want the other to work harder.  Its probably because we are both so competitive and don't want to be the one that slacks.

 

I wish you guys could feel that spirit that we have here in the MTC.  Its awesome to be able to come so close to the Lord and Jesus Christ as I constantly find ways to help people see the love that God has for them.  I know that through the love of God we have been put on the earth for a reason.  For us to become like our Heavenly Father.  It is his purpose to bring to pass the immortality and eternal happiness and life of man.  I know that we all have agency in our lives.  As we choose to follow the examples of Christ and have those Christlike attritubes in our lives we can feel His love for us.  We had a devotional from Sister Wixum the General Primary President for the Church.  It was kinda weird to be hearing from a primary teacher so most of us went into the devotional a little iffy.  She had us sing this primary song that really hit home to all of us missionaries.  I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  I know who I am, I know gods plan. I follow him in faith.  I believe in the Savior Jesus Christ, I follow His ways.  I 'lll do what is right i'll follow His light. His truth I will proclaim. 

 

I know that I do belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  I know that God has a plan for us and that through faith in that plan we can return to live with Him again.  I believe that as we all strive to be like the Savior Jesus Christ in posessing charity we can want to best for everyone and learn to love.  I know that we have been called to preach his gospel.  To share the light that God has created through the prophet Joseph Smith to the rest of the world.  I love you all and am so thankful for your support and love.  Keep the faith and never give up.

 

Yo amo mi familia todas las dias para siempre.

 

-Elder Beatty

Email 6-10-11

Well here i am again typing about as fast as i possibly can to try and fit as much information into a 30 minutes period.  actually i got on my email today and who should i have an email from but the great and wonderful Elder (Jacob) Stout.  He gave my name a try on the email system and he got it right.  it was awesome to hear from him he got his first baptism in the field i'm so pumped for him.

 

well my week in a summary would have to be nothing less of epic.... if only you guys could comprehend all the things that are going on here in the MTC non stop..........  six hours straight of spanish class mixed with eating meals and studying.  its a good kind of feeling though that you keep busy and don't stop working.  We have awesome elders in our district.  All of the teachers in our zone and all of our leaders envy our district because normally it takes a district the full 9 weeks to truly come together and form love for eachother.  We did it in 1!!! :D  We have three Hermanas in our districto.  Amamos ellos mucho porque trean el espiritu mucho durante clase y todas dias.

 

Spanish is coming along very very nicely.  my vocabulary in struggling a little mostly because there are just so many words that you need to know and look up.  It gets very boring very fast but i know i need to stay working hard to i don't slack at all...  One thing that was really awesome that all of the elders in our room do is usually we take time everyday and bear our testimonies in spanish.  Its awesome because we can understand one another and we can work on the spanish that we already know.  Its a good break from when the teachers talk in spanish because sometimes they just get rolling and all you can understand is ;alskdjf;lkajsdlkfja;sldkfjsjalskdfj MISSION ;lkasdfja;skldfja;lksdjf GOSPEL a;lksdf;lkajsdl;fkjasd;lkfja;lsdkfjal;skdjf LIFE a;sldkfja;lskdjf;alskdfj;lk INVESTIGATORS a;lskdfj;alskdjf;alksdjf;lkasdjf.  I just can't wait until i have enough knowledge and skill to fully understand what they are saying in their entire conversation because it will help me in my studying and in my lesson prep. 

 

This week Elder Varney and I taught our progressing investigator Manuelle.  He is a poor factory worker from Paraguay that loves his family very much.  We struggled with the first lesson we gave him mostly because we were so scared.  he was speaking spanish so fast and we had to build ours from scratch....... scary........ so the first lesson not so hot.  but the second time we gave him a lesson we were more prepared.  We talked about god's plan and how it includes families being together forever.  We also talked about prophets and the restoration.  It was awesome because i got to share with him joseph smith's 1st vision.  The spirit was so strong.  We committed him to read from the book fo mormon a section in alma about faith.  The third lesson elder Varney and I thought we should focus on the job he as recently been struggling with.  We found a chapter in jacob 2 that talked about seeking first hope in christ before riches.  we talked about the expiriences he had while reading the BOM ( which he loved) we assigned him to start at the beginning and read about nephi and his journey to the promised land.  We also taught him to pray and got him to say the closing prayer.  It was awesome because he said he wanted to know the path to which he could find answers to problems in his life.  And we just gave it to him through prayer and reading the BOM.

 

Well besides our investigator nothing much has changed in our ritual daily life schedule.  I guess one thing that has been pretty exiciting lately has been me and elder Varney tearing it up on the VBAll court.  He has taught me to hit approach and all that jazz...... usually we annihilate everyone......... Elder Varney is a good guy he really focuses on the needs that people have.  Which is good because sometimes i just get rollin in the lessons and just talk and talk.  We make a really good team. not only with sports but in the gospel also.

 

So Highlight of my day yesterday had to be when Elder Marple and I auditioned for a spot in the Sunday devontional musical number.  We played awesome (the song we played was we thank the o God for a prophet* our own arrangement).  The 2 sisters that were listening were the MTC presidents wife and another presidency member's wife. Sister Nally (she really knew music..... like really you have no idea)  She told Elder Marple some things that could help him out on the cello and it was pretty good.  She talked to me about arranging music and how difficult it could be and stuff.  The best part besides having passed and been approved to play in the devotional was that they wanted us to make more.... lots more..... and the best part was that in 1 month there is going to be a mission presidents conference was a ton of mission presidents come to the MTC and President Monson could be there along with several other members of the quorum of the twelve, and they said it was a posibility that we could be playing our number at that conference because the theme is We thank thee o'god for a prophet.  AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH awesome.........  I know that for some reason Elder Marple and I were supposed to find eachother and do what we did.  Hopefully we get that awesome chance to perform for prophets of god and help them feel the spirit as they begin their meeting.

 

wow well besides that everything is fine.  The only thing i'm having trouble getting is sleep.  I really didn't think much of anything about it but i guess its a big deal.  for the last 2 weeks I have been getting on average probably about 3 hours of sleep every night so now i have to go see a doctor to see what my problem is.  but don't worry everything will work out the way it is supposed to.

 

Yo se que mediante el espiritu puedemos ensenar todas personas la verdad.  tengo llamare de dios.  Yo se con todas me corazon.  Yo agradecido por el oportunidad hablar esponal y aprender espanol en mi mision.  yo amo todas el elderes en mi districto.  estan muy bien.  yo amo me familia mucho.  estan mi insperacion y fuerza.  gracias por su amor y fe.

 

----Elder Beatty

Email 6/3/11

Family,

 

Well week two has finally started to fly by.  It seems that every day the days keep getting shorter and shorter which is a good and bad thing.  It means that the day is finally becoming bearable but it also means that we seem to not have enought time to study and be prepared for spanish and our lessons.  We started our first progressing investigator this week.  His name is Manuelle.  He has 5 brothers and sisters and his parents live in Mexico.  The first time we met was horrible.  Our spanish was all broken, we couldn't stay with our lesson plan.  We were all over the place.  I tried to bring the spirit in by inviting the holy ghost by bearing my testimony in Spanish but that was a no go.  Then my Companion Elder Varney just jumped right in and started talking about the Trinity and how we all have the light of christ within us and stuff that we shouldn't have been saying.  But hey in the end i guess we can just look at it and call it a great learning expirience that we can use to help us grow in the discussions and with our teaching.  After that we decided the most important thing we can do is stay in control of the lesson.  Its really hard sometimes because the investigator is only speaking spanish and so all we hear is something like..... I like......... and i feel............ i can't stand it.......... I want................ hahahaha  When that happens I just get the feeling that maybe i'm missing something important :D

 

well besides teaching things are going well.  I finally got the food situation under control.  I eat oatmeal for breakfast with usually some fruit or a bagel.  Then for lunch I get to personalize my very own chicken wrap.  and I usually get a salad also.  Then for dinner i usually just go for a very light plate of something like chicken.  besides the 2:30 tired feeling that I get after eating I feel that I can go throughout the day without making my companion pass out.  hahaha

 

Well my companion is Elder Varney he is from chandler Arizona where he went to some huge school and played volleyball.  I am actually getting pretty good at volleyball.  Mostly because I can just jump high and block people.  I haven't quite gotten down my approach yet.  But i will admit I have to go play basketball every once in a while so I can feel good about myself.  Don't worry mom I am staying safe and just hitting three pointers in the corner, far away from flying elbows and sprained ankles. :D  Its awesome though I usually do pullups every night and I think my shoulders are actually getting broader... heh who would have figured.

 

This week Elder Marple, one of the elders in my room told me he was going to be auditioning for a musical number to play in a devotional on sunday or tuesday when all the elders in the MTC come together to listen to a general authority or something.  He asked me if I could play with him or accompany him while he played the cello. we started practicing yesterday and it went really well.  We were going to play nearer my god to thee but then i asked him about how good he was at jamming.  We started playing some hyms after I figured out the chord progressions and we were making some really good sounds.  We changed the song to a arrangement of we made of we thank the o god for a prophet.  it is probably the highlight of my whole week in the MTC.  Just getting the chance to forget about all my worries and feel the blessing of music in my life made me feel so good again.  And we were thinking what if we made the audition and then got to play and President Monson came..... Highlight of my MTC expirience!!!!!!!!!

 

I wish you could really see how much I am learning and growing in the MTC.  One of the most spiritual expiriences i had was while I was reading in Moses chapter 1 verse 6.  For the last week our teachers have really been stressing about how if we don't believe that our call is of god, we can't complete the full potential we can in learning to preach the gospel in spanish.  It was mostly because the hermanas in our district are struggling with the language.  When I was reading in moses I changed moses's name with mine.  As I read I felt the love of the lord and the strength he would give me if I continued to exercise faith in him by being obedient and staying true to my call.  I knew then that I have been called of god and that has provided a way for me to become like christ, loving all people and wanting them to legitly come unto christ. 

 

I am so thankful for the opportunity I have to be here.  I am thankful for my companion and the wisdom he gives me.  Thank you all for your support and the love you show me.  I love getting letters from you all and feeling your love and support.  THank you so much. 

 

Amo mi familia.  Yo se que dios es nuestro padre celestial.  Jesucristo ama todas personas.  a travez el epiacion de jesucristo todas personas pueden regresar y viven con dios altra vez. 

 

Thank you all for all you do. 

 

Love

 

Elder Beatty

Pictures from the Airport