That is soooo awesome that our basketball team took state!!!!!........................................ I¨m sooo happy for them. I bet it really was the celebration of the century. That is soooo coooool. I hope that now they can take state in Track and Field!!! A Triple Crown!!!!
Well, it was a good week. The two girls from the familia Bareiro got baptized. It all went well in the end. Like in every baptism there are those little things that Satan tries to do to stop it but we all jumped over those hurdles and just kept chuggin along. I know it may be hard to believe but baptisms are those times when I lose the most hair. But I think it will be worth it in the end. Elder Bingham performed one of the baptisms. He was soooo scared. When he was doing the ordinance he was talking way soft, we had one of the youth in the ward do the other baptism. It really was a super spiritual experience for Elder Bingham. Him being able to see that really all that work and stress and praying really does pay off. I was super happy for him. We got some investigators to come to the baptism so it was sweet that they could get a taste of that spiritual experience. It was raining the day of the baptism so we were super scared that no one was going to come but it all ended really well. We had a member make a sweeeeeet awesome apple tart that everyone loved so that was a good way to end it. The stupid thing was that we gave our church key to the other elders because someone stole theirs and they left during the baptism so when the baptism was over and everyone left, we couldn´t close the church and so we had to wait like 2 hours for the other elders to come back and close the church. Oh well we got the baptism done. The girls got confirmed on Sunday and the family was super happy. Now we just have to get the Divorce rolling for the parents (from a previous marriage) so that they can get baptized.
Here is a funny moment this week… we were eating lunch with the other elders at the bishops house and we were sooooo full of oily noodles and so we didn´t want to eat anymore. Elder Bingham had gotten a huge plate that was a little challenging. He didn´t finish eating it all and so the Hermana came and said ¨Elder there are starving kids in Africa who would die to eat that food.¨ and I said ¨ya there are missionaries too¨ everyone laughed because really it’s the truth hahaha
This last week we have kinda hit a bump in the road in that we haven´t really been finding many new people to teach. It’s a trap that most missionaries fall into very often in that they are sooo focused on the investigators that are progressing that they forget that they may find themselves without many investigators and no one to teach in the end. We have made a new effort in the week that is coming to really focus on finding new people and just talking with everyone.
I don´t know why sometimes I still think its scary to talk to people. Having already talked to what seems like thousands of people while I have been here and I still think it is a little scary. I thought that for sure I wouldn´t be scared anymore but there is always that moment right when you see someone when you have that doubt that you shouldn´t talk to them. It’s Satan. He is trying to do everything possible that we don´t have success and that people don´t find the truth. Good thing that we are armed with the testimony of the truth. We just have to open our mouths.
I´m starting to get a little scared for Elder Bingham. He really hasn´t gotten sick yet from the food or from the water or from anything. I don´t know if I should be worried or amazed. Because usually your body gets destroyed from the food the first couple times no matter how strong of a stomach you have but I guess he must have a stomach of iron or something along those lines because it doesn´t even effect him at all. It’s rather crazy actually.
I wrote this letter to the young men in our ward and so I thought I would share it with you all because I think it rings true for everyone...
Dear Hurricane 3rd ward young men,
¿Que Tal? This is a shoutout from Elder Beatty reporting from Asuncion Paraguay mission. I am hoping to get to know each of you a little better upon my return home, but I thought a letter would suffice for now. I have been about 9 months in the mission and I love every second of it. I thought I would write a little about how I feel as a missionary. Being a missionary is the experience of a lifetime, yes maybe even better than winning a state championship in football and basketball. J
It is the time for you to shine. Just like when a coach will put you in the game, you’ve got to do your very best. You’ve got to play with all your heart, might, mind and strength to come out victorious. Whatever the sport may be; chess, swimming, track, bball, football, baseball, hockey, when you get in the game, you play your heart out. One tiny aspect that people often forget about sports and athletes is that the athletes put in about 5-7 hours of practice for every 1 hour of game time. If an athlete doesn´t practice, when it comes to game time they won´t do very well no matter how talented they are.
It’s the same with the mission. The mission is game time. It’s the time to put your whole heart into it. But, if you didn´t put the practice in before (going to church, reading the Book of Mormon, Praying, going to the temple, going out with the missionaries) then how can we play with all our heart?
I ran track so I like to think of it this way… the 400 meter is one of the hardest races that there is for a sprinter. It requires endurance and speed. Those people who had speed would start out just great but in the end they would die because they didn’t have any endurance. The people who had endurance would finish the race well, but they just never had enough “ump” to get past the guy in front of them.
We are all running the 400 and no matter what, we will finish. If we condition do drills, and PRACTICE, we will come out on top and be successful. To finish well, you've got to practice, practice, and practice. You all can do it. We are all on the same team, the Lord´s, and He is our quarterback. We will win! The end of the game is not in question, but the Lord is calling YOU to enter the game and catch the winning touchdown, but you have to prepare, and practice.
I challenge each of you to begin “practicing” now. Little by little you will be able to finish the race! I love you all and hope all is well in the 3rd ward. You have my prayers and faith.
Even if we have served missions we need to prepare for that moment that we WILL have to share the gospel, to be put in the game. We ALL can prepare. I love you all and hope you have the spirit of the Lord with you this coming week.
Elder Beatty
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