Email 5-28-12

Hey everyone how you all doing?                                                                                                                                   
 
Wow what a week. It just feels as if I was just writing everyone explaining the crazy change that we had. Being a zone leader really is what it sounds. It really is great being able to think about other missionaries and how to help them. We have a ton of great elders in our zone as well as 2 companionships of sisters. They all work really hard and try their best to help people come unto Christ. Some of them still need to work on one thing. BEING HAPPY!!! It’s been great to be called to be a zone leader, because I really get to see the personal progress of all the missionaries in my zone. A lot of them I can see are working hard, but they lack something. They try to help others come unto Christ, but they lack one type of feeling, happiness. We as members of the restored Church of Jesus Christ should be the happiest people on earth. Because we have that peace of mind that comes through knowledge. This last week I was in a lesson while doing divisions and we were talking about the family. I felt the need to talk about how my family was the most happiest family on earth. Not because we are the richest, or the smartest, not that we are perfect. It’s because we are living the gospel of Jesus Christ. That is the only way that we can get true happiness. When I was talking about my family it made me feel so grateful for the family that I have and the success that I have through the faith and support of my family. I thank my Heavenly
Father every day for every single moment that I have been able to share with my family, because it has helped me become who I need to be. Thank you all.
 
We really have seen some miracles this last week. Elder Richards, I guess has been teaching a guy named Sergio for about 2 months and he just hasn´t gotten his answer. We talked with him the last week about how the Holy Ghost is going to respond to him. We also watched that talk online by President Uchtdorf about waiting on the road to Damascus. It was soooooo powerful. It was perfect for what Sergio needed to hear. After that we talked about the Sacrament. What really it means and how sacred it is. We challenged him to pray during the sacrament about whether he should be baptized and if this was the true church. He did. He told us later that he felt a feeling of peace and love while he was praying and that he thinks that it was God answering him. It was super funny because after he said that we were going to invite him to be baptized but he already knew it was coming. It was super funny. He has a date for this Saturday and we are going to continue preparing him for that date. We are praying and working super hard to know what we need to do to help him. It’s so amazing that the Lord is just letting us know through his spirit what we should do. Really we do nothing, we only obey. Another funny moment was when we were talking about prophet with a recent convert. She is an older lady and of course is a little forgetful. She is bedridden. We started talking about how we have a prophet today and we told her ¨hey, Ortencia, we have a prophet in our days¨ It was super funny her response. ¨How nice¨ its as if that is just another piece of information that she has to put into her brain to try and remember.  It was a good moment for us to laugh.
 
We have struggled a little bit this week when it has come to our other investigators. They all have received their answers that the Book of Mormon is true, that the church is true, but they didn´t want to change. They said that they have already gotten their way of worshipping God and don´t want to change. It was super hard for us, because no matter how much we tried to explain that they needed to follow God in God´s way, they wouldn´t budge. It made me super frustrated when I think I’m explaining something super simple and easy to understand yet they don´t understand. It has been a good growing moment for me to recognize that all I can do is teach simply and rely on the Spirit to convert the people. We have dropped those people but we plan on visiting them a little bit down the road to see if they will progress.
 

Wow it sounds like you guys are just full of new adventures that are going to fill up your whole summer. It sounds just like me and my new adventures that I’m getting here in Paraguay in my new area. It’s been a little difficult but I am getting adjusted to the ¨City life¨.  It’s a lot different teaching the gospel to people here. They have different needs and different desires than those that I was teaching back in the campo. But it just goes to show that no matter what our problems are or what is going on in our life. The gospel is here to help in every situation. I’m just really really excited to keep moving forward with my awesome companion.

Well I gotta bounce. The church is still true. I know it is. I love you all and hope you have the spirit with you to help you during this entire week. Just keep smiling and keep moving forward.
 
Rohayhu
 
Elder Beatty

Email 5-21-12

Hello all,                                                                                                                                                           

This last week has been quite the ride of my life.  A lot of HUGE changes have ¨come to pass¨ Its crazy how much one little missionary can learn in 5 days from another missionary who is about to complete his time in the mission and has been faithful to his calling and covenants.  Elder Richards is truly AMAZING.  I can´t really use any other word to describe him as a missionary.  He truly thrives and lives to help other people.  I can tell in his voice, character, and actions that he loves everyone and is trying to become like Christ.  I feel truly blessed to have been called as his companion to be a zone leader and learn from him.  It was really sad leaving my area.  I left behind a lot of memories and a lot of friends and converts.  I know that I left the area better than I found it.  Not only in the aspect of getting baptisms, but the aspect of actually helping everyone come unto Christ.  I´m sad to leave and everyone in that ward will have a special place in my heart.  But, I know that the Lord has something more in store for me this change with Elder Richards.  We are going to see miracles every day.  And we are going to see progress in everyone and in every aspect of the work. We are working so hard.  I feel that I am becoming more like the Savior every day.  Yes change is hard and sometimes we don´t really want it to come.  But really in the end it’s what matters most.  The little tiny things that we are doing to help us come unto Christ and be more like him. 

This week we have seen many miracles.  One is Gilberto.  We were just planning one night.  Oh and by the way when you get to a new area it’s kind of hard for the new guy to plan because he doesn´t know anybody, but we try and contribute.  Elder Richards was just thinking, and he had the feeling to go and track on one alleyway.  So the next day we went and we almost got to the end of the alley and we had clapped all the houses without really any success.  We were about to go back but we got the prompting to keep going further in.  So we kept going and there were two houses in the back.  We clapped the first one and then out comes Gilberto.  He told us immediately to come in and sit down.  We were amazed.  We hadn´t even said anything yet and we were in his front yard.  We started talking to him; it seems that the missionaries had talked to him before on the street but they hadn´t been able to find his house because it was so hidden.  Wow, the spirit really does guide us in the direction that we need to go.  We taught Gilberto about the restoration.  He also came to church on Sunday, another huge blessing.  He still has a few questions and doubts that we are trying to resolve, but really this guy is so humble and so ready to accept the gospel in his life.  He just recently had a baby come into his family, his first.  It’s a perfect situation.  I had to thank the Lord so much for that blessing that he sent us to Gilberto.

We also found many other families that are ready to progress.  They only really just need to put forth their effort and they will find the peace and love that they are looking for.  Their spiritual strength is so low from the problems in the world that are constantly fighting them.  We are really trying to help them all know that through Christ and the restoration they can find that strength that they are looking for.  It’s really been great for me to understand what a HUGE blessing the restored gospel is.  It can give us such strength and peace of mind that comes only through knowledge and through the Lord Christ.  I hope that I can continue to help these families gain the strength and spirituality they need to continue through all their problems. 

 
We also have been working really hard with the members.  Everywhere we go we have been trying to get them excited about missionary work.  I think that is why President sent me here.  There is a good ward and the members are excited about the work.  Elder Richards really liked my ideas about how we can get the members excited and focused on completing their duties as members. We actually had a sweet experience with one of the youth.  He had one of his friends who was a non active member.  The youth asked his friend if he knew the gospel was true, His friend said that he didn´t know.  So the youth asked the non active member to pray and ask God if it was true.  The non active member prayed and got his answer.  It was so cool to hear that experience, as well as it has been a great example to use with all the members about how missionary work isn´t hard, its only inviting people to come closer to God, closer to the truth.  We have been sharing this experience with everyone to try and get them excited about missionary work.  And until now it’s been working. 

 
It’s going to be great here in my new ward.  We have a lot of people who can help us in sharing the gospel.  It’s been great to see that it doesn´t matter where I go that the gospel is still moving forward.  There isn´t any place in the world were the gospel can´t touch the lives of the people and help them become better, have more united families and be clean of all their sins.  It truly is a boulder that can´t be stopped and it will not be stopped.  The Lord is our captain.  And WE WILL WIN!!  I love you all and hope you have a super fantastic week and can feel the spirit every day.  I love my Savior, I love His gospel and I love this work. 

WHO ARE YOU SHARING THE GOSPEL WITH?  WHO ARE YOU GOING TO BRING TO CHURCH THIS WEEK THAT ISN´T A MEMBER?  If you don´t know, pray about it. Pray for opportunities to share the gospel and I know that the Lord will place someone in your way that is ready to change and find Christ. 

Rohayhu paraguay!!!!! Rohayhu mi familia

Elder Beatty

Email 5-14-12

We got to Skype with Presten on Saturday.  After a few technical glyches, he got his end working.  What a fun time we had together as a family (Ashli skyped in from Logan).  Chatting and laughing and hearing his strong sweet testimony.  Did this mother good to see his cute happy face and to hear his voice.  It was a great Mother's Day!!

Hey everyone,

Sorry there isn´t really much to write except for what I told my family.  Sorry for those of you that didn´t get to participate in the call.  I’m sure you all would have loved to hear my voice, but not everyone can be blessed such. Ha ha. 

The baptism on Saturday went really really well.  I was kinda stressed when we got to the church earlier that day and the people there told us that there wouldn´t be any power and so we would be having the baptism  in the dark.  I had no idea what to do.  I was trying to think if we could go to another chapel and get it done.  But we had already told all the members where it would be and when.  And then no one would show up in the other chapel because it would be super far away.  But in the end everything went really really well.  The power came back on.  The tank for the font was drained because there was no power to fill it during the day and so we had to baptize her in about a foot and a half of water.  I got it done though.  It was just a little weird.  But hey SATAN didn´t stop this little girl from starting her spiritual journey toward heaven BOOOYAH.  Other than that nothing much to report.  We are working with the girls little brother and he will probably get baptized this next Saturday.  We are going to be sure and have the dad baptize the son so that there can be a stronger relationship between them two.  It’s been a little hard to teach this kid but by the looks of it he will end up getting baptized.  It will be a sweet job for Elder Dockstader to complete once I’m gone.

  

Oh ya,  I woke up this morning and was just saying my prayer and  it was like 632 and then the phone goes off.  We just got a new phone and so we don´t have any contacts at all.  So we saw the number and I was thinking well who is calling this early.  I answered the phone to hear ¨Hola, Elder buen dia.¨ It was President Callan.  Ha ha I didn´t know what to do or think.  So I just kind of grunted to let him know that I was there.  He began to tell me that there would be a spot that I needed to fill as a Zone leader and asked me if I was ready to fill that position.  I told him that I would.  So it looks like I’m leaving from Ytororo.  I will be heading more into Asunción to be with an Elder Richards.  I guess my true jungle visit will have to wait for a little bit longer.  I´m super excited to be a Zone leader but I’m scared as well.  I know the Lord will help me fulfill my calling as I rely on His strength and be humble and ready to learn from my companion.  Thanks everyone for your support.  Now we are cookin heheh

Rohayhu

Elder Beatty

Email 5-7-12

Well I´m sorry folks but this one is going to a short one;seeing that I will be calling my family this weekend.  hahaha

This week truly we have seen many many miracles and heartaches.  Its such an emotional rollercoaster.  I don´t know what to do sometimes to get back the feeling in my feet. haha  

We have found a super awesome family.  They are so nice and so loving.  All they want is to have a happier family and they are gonna get it.  The mom´s name is Maria and the dad Luis.  The 2 daughters are called Monce and Nadia.  They are really nice and aren´t too bored by listening to 2 guys talk about God.  We taught them about Jesus Christ and his ministry.  It was super cool because they understand and are so eager to learn more.  It will be exciting to see what goes on when we teach them about the restoration.  

We also taught the Franco family again this week.  Really it makes my heart ache when we go and the mom doesn´t believe.  She lost 2 babies at birth.  She is super confused about religion because she has had soooo many different religions come to her house.  It makes me sad when she says that she can´t accept Joseph Smith as a prophet because it sounds crazy.  We explain over and over that prophets always were the way that God has worked and that today, we have all the teachings and covenants to help us have an eternal family.  But she says she just can´t believe.  AHHH  

Oh Ariel and Tanya the couple that we have been teaching since January, they found out that Ariel’s wedding when he was 15, might not be valid and so they might not have to get a divorce.  They can get baptized and married.  That would be sooo coool.  We are praying and hoping that the paperwork wasn´t valid so he can get baptized with his children and marry his wife to form a complete family.  That would be sooooo cooool.  Lots of other stuff has happened but sorry I gotta wait to tell the fam.  I love you all and hope you have a super awesome week.  The church is still true!!!!!

Elder Beatty

Email 5-1-12

Hello all.  You will have to excuse if I don´t get a lot typed today.  My fingers are freezing and I will try and type as fast as I can.  This week a cold front moved into our area and it has been pretty cold.  Don´t get me wrong I have gladly accepted the cold and I am very happy for it to be more cold.  But the cold does have its downs.  We have really been trying to find new people to teach this last week.  Its been a little tough this far seeing that everyone just locks themselves inside their house and doesn´t want to talk but it has been fine besides that.  

As far as investigators that have been progressing we have Kevin and Perla.  It has been a little difficult with them as far as their mom goes but other than that we have been progressing just fine.  We have been teaching them and they have been coming to every church activity that we put on.  Its really cool to see that they aren´t really scared of the church and what is there.  We didn´t get them to come to church this last week because their dad had to work and couldn´t bring them.  Other than that they have been coming along great.  It was kinda funny because we taught them yesterday the word of wisdom and their mom had a bunch of people over drinking and smoking.  It was cool because they would look at us and say that the people weren´t following a commandment of God.  It was a really cool spiritual moment for me in seeing that the spirit had already testified to them that they knew it was wrong to smoke and drink.  Its also been a great spiritual builder for the dad as well.  Him being a part of the spiritual conversion of his kids.  At first it was kinda hard because he would ramble and just go on and on about spiritual stuff that the kids didn´t need to know.  

I just finished the BOM for the 3rd time in Spanish and it is truly awesome.  I can´t believe that I didn´t love that book since birth.  It is more than just a book that can teach us good things.  It is a spiritual journey.  We make a promise when we begin to read it.  We make a promise within ourselves to apply its teachings.  We feel the spirit testify of the truth of the words in every sentence and every time that the prophets teach us.  It has been a great friend to me in times when there was little hope as well as a sword in combating evil and proclaiming the truth.  I accompany the testimony of the prophet Joseph Smith, that a man can bring himself closer to God through the Book of Mormon then any other book that exists.

I also had a HUGE spiritual confirmation that really the spirit is there to help us.  We were teaching at a family home evening with one of the families that are in our ward.  As we sat there and shared our thoughts I was thinking about some of the goals I can put to make me a better missionary to help me become more like Christ.  As I began reviewing these goals the spirit touched my heart.  The more I thought about the things that I wanted to accomplish to make me a more consecrated missionary, I felt a burning in my heart that I can´t describe.  It came strong strong and strong every time.  I know that it was God telling me the things that I need to do to make me a instrument in his hands.  I know that they Holy Ghost helps us know what to do when we study things out in our mind.

THE LORD GIVES US THE DRIVE TO BE BETTER. SET THE GOALS! PÙT FORTH THE EFFORT!  WE WILL FIND MORE HAPPINESS AND JOY THEN WE EVER THOUGHT POSSIBLE.  I love you all and hope you have the spirit always in your lives.

Rohayhu

Elder Beatty