Lovin' the MTC!

Hello everyone!

This is Elder Beckstead reporting in after 1 week at the MTC.  It has been very different, but very enjoyable. There has been a ton going on and I LOVE it.  I am staying up on the main campus until next Tuesday (Aug 20th), when I get to leave at 2:30 AM (meaning I basically leave Monday night).  I am excited to be learning new skills to take out and apply as a missionary in Kansas.

Elder Beckstead and Elder Chung

My companion's name is Elder Chun.  He is a great Elder from California, who is also 1/4 Chinese, and 1/4 Hawaiian.  What a combination!  He is amazing as are the rest of the missionaries in our district.  In total, there are 6 Elders and 4 Sisters.  Also interesting to know is that all of us in the district are headed to Kansas except for two of the Elders who are headed to to the India Bangalore mission.

MTC District

It has been pretty cool to be taught up here. Role plays are great because we take them super seriously, and I am confident having seen how the Lord can provide revelation through them.  It has been amazing to see the growth of the other missionaries, who at first were really timid and had no confidence starting a gospel conversation, and now are just rolling with the Spirit like no other.  Plus, the teachers are providing new study techniques and ideas that neither of my trainers ever did, so I am learning a lot too.

MTC District at the Provo Temple

We have already had some trials in our district that have caused some serious stress.  On the first day, Elder Hisler got sick, and Thursday they had to take him to the emergency room.  He then stayed in the ICU until Saturday afternoon while they got him under control.  He is type 1 diabetic and getting sick completely messed with his blood sugar, so it took a while to get it back under control.  That was a wonderful reunion when he was able to return to his companion. Also, a couple of the role plays have been somewhat disturbing for the missionaries.  Elders Rees and Sharma got an investigator who refuses to feel the Spirit, always joking it off, while Sisters Gurr and Judynever got in the door, but got yelled at.  Thank goodness the Lord is strengthening us and helping us!

Yesterday at devotional we had Elder Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles come and speak to us. I was in the choir (which was HUGE) and it was a super neat experience. His entire talk was about prayer and how the Lord will often give us the answer of no answer so that we will grow, followed by wonderful feelings of success. We are to act and he will bless us so much! And, if the decision we make is not correct, he will warn us before something too bad happens. He also told us that if we fail in a lesson, try again having learned something, and we will be blessed of the Lord--he used Nephi getting the gold plates as an example for that. I sure thought that was amazing.  The district review afterward was amazing too, and about half of district cried openly as they bore their testimonies (yes, I am guilty of that), while the rest cried more subtly.  I think we used an entire box of tissues.

The Day Elder Beckstead entered the MTC with the only girls allowed to give him a hug!

Anyway, things are still going great! Thanks again for everything!

Elder Beckstead