Week #86
Kings at "winging it"

Hey everyone I had a killer week this week! Super busy just the way I like it:)

Monday we had a normal p-day. As I already let you know we got a text saying that we were no longer allowed to use Facebook so that was pretty annoying; one because we were suppose to be giving a training the next day on Facebook, two because we had just started using Facebook and spent a week getting it all set up. After that we went to a members house and invited our ami to come over who is progressing but very slowly. We had a good FHE with them all, we talked about the restoration and watched an old video that was made by L. Tom Perry.

Tuesday we woke up at 5am in order to catch our bus (because in Amiens in the mornings there is only 1 bus every hour). So we get ready and we are out the door waiting at the bus stop...then we both realize that we had forgotten our train tickets in the apartment! So we sprinted back up to the apartment hoping that we would make the bus, but the bus already passed... So we went back upstairs lost not knowing what we should do because our train left in 18 minutes. Then we get the idea to put on our running shoes and our rain jackets (because of course it had to be pouring rain) and we decided to sprint to the train station with our dress shoes in our backpacks and dressed in our suits. The train station from our apartment is about a 30 minute walk. We managed to sprint there in 15 minutes! Then we printed off our train tickets at the kiosk and got on the train as the doors were closing. We had a layover in Lille, then took the train to Belgium to have zone conference. Zone conference was good it was a little weird and you could tell that a lot of the trainings were done last minute because everything got changed the day before (due to the change with Facebook). We gave our training (pretty much on the spot with a little bit of notes) it went really well though. Then the coolest part was that Darios (the guy I baptized in Charleroi) came and visited Elder Powelson and me - he is super awesome. It was super nice to see him. Then we got on the train back to Amiens and got there pretty late. 

Wednesday nothing too big happened. We visited the in-active guy we've been seeing the past several weeks, and just did some missionary work. A sister in our zone broke her camera and she is in a small ville with no repair stores so we took her camera in for her. The dude fixed it in 5 seconds and didn't charge her anything so that was nice. Then we went to the church to contact some people on the internet. 

Thursday started out pretty long because we didn't have anything planned, but then we got a call from a recent convert and we went and visited him. It went really well we talked about forgiveness because so many people in this branch are less active because they're too prideful to forgive someone. After that we had a English/mission preparation class with my favorite members! We taught them how to pray in English it was cool. Then gave us each a gift, they made us our own custom tee-shirts with our own saying that we made up on them haha. They are so awesome!!! Later they took us out to eat dinner at a super good chicken restaurant.

 

Friday we did some missionary/ less active work. Then we just had weekly  planning so nothing too interesting. Called a bunch of people. We had a branch council meeting. It started off good then at the end it was just terrible... it ended with a member yelling at the branch president for treating a lady in the branch wrong. The branch president telling us (the missionaries) that if someone smokes or drinks or has sex before baptism that, in his opinion, its not a big deal and they can still be baptized. We corrected him and shut that down real quick haha. Oh la la this branch...

 

Saturday first thing in the morning we headed to Arras because there is a missionary there who's knee is injured and he can't walk. That companionship hasn't even left their apt in a week! So we did an emergency exchange over there just for about 8 hours then headed home at night because the next day was Sunday. Then around 7pm we get a call from the branch president asking us both if we could give a talk....TOMORROW... we kindly accepted.

Sunday headed to church. We taught Sunday school (completely winged it because our dmp didn't show up) it was on the church of Jesus in the past and it went super well. Elder Powelson and me are kings at winging it ;) Then sacrament came around and Elder Powelson and I looked at each other and realized that we haven't prepared anything for our talks. Luckily Powelson went first (haha) then I had some time to choose a topic and write down some notes. Powelson talked about forgiveness and I went (kinda) on the subject of forgiveness but I talked more about forgiving yourself and repentance. They both went well. After church we talked to members. Then we went to a members house and gave her and her kids a spiritual message. We showed that video about Chris Williams (they guy who's family got killed by the drunk driver) because they had questions on Elder Powelson's talk. Also I invented these burritos I call Beck's Burritos. They're delicious:)

Something crazy that happened to our mission - we had a mission leader call this morning informing us that over 100 iPads were stolen out of the mission home last night! So there will be a ton of missionaries who will not be receiving iPads!!! Can you believe that? 

Well that's my week hope you guys are all individually keeping it real. Bisous! 

-Elder Beck

Week #85

Had Facebook for 3 days

Monday was a great day. We had a normal p-day. Lately we just go get our groceries then we head over to the church and play basketball/ping-pong and do our emails at the same time. Then we bring some missionary clothes in a bag and get changed at the church and wait for the single adults to show up so that we can have a FHE. FHE went good we had an ami there so that was nice. 

Tuesday we started week 2 district meetings. In our mission when you are a ZL, week 2 you have to go to everyones district meetings in the entire zone.  We started in St. Quentin. It's a pretty diverse district, 4 Canadians, an Elder from Eslavador, Louisiana, Florida, and then Elder Dayley and I. Elder Dayley is in my zone! After DM we came home and visited a less active. Then we went to the church to set up our mission Facebook accounts. I had to deactivate my old one and make a new one. Our mission is pretty strict NONE OF YOU GUYS CAN ADD ME. Only people in our sector.

Wednesday was another good day! We went to the DM in Arras (our normal district) it gets kinda tiring hearing practically the same trainings everyday, but they are all on how to use Facebook for proselyting, it's pretty fun. Then we went home and did some Facebook'ing it's actually pretty fun finding friends and stuff like that! Then we taught English/Mission prep class at the church and it was really good. They gave a bunch of Facebook referrals so that was legit!

Thursday we went to the final DM in Calais (a ville right next to England) it's always cool going there because it's next to the ocean. Then we went to St. Omer to do an exchange. It was cool. I was with Elder Wilson for the first time. He goes home in 4 weeks (random fact we have 3 Elder Wilsons in our zone and a Sister Wilson it's weird) but we had a good exchange. We found new amis and taught people. It was awesome. Then we did a kebab challenge and all got sick haha. 

Friday we finished our exchange in St. Omer. Then we had a little layover in Lille so we walked around the train station for a bit, its a super big city! Then we headed back to Amiens. Saw a less active guy right as we got home. Then taught another one of our amis. Later we did more ZL online data.

Saturday we had a random conference call, talking about the zone conference subjects... we are giving our trainings on Tuesday. I thought that was a little last minute...but we are talking about working with members and progression sheets. We skyped the other zone leaders that we we are having a conference with to distribute tasks. I taught my first lesson on Facebook that was cool! Then we went to a super less active family's house and we did a family home evening with them. It was interesting... 

Sunday we went to church. My favorite members actually gave us a ride! Then they gave me a b-day present. They gave me a super nice tie, I was spoiled. They are so nice. Church continues to be interesting... I was pretty bummed because Sunday was the Fete de Musique (music party) where like everyone in France dedicates a day to music and people play on the streets everywhere. We didn't get to go to anything because we were so busy :/. We made our training. Over all it was a good week! Thanks for your emails love you guys!

-Elder Beck

P.S. ONE MORE THING. So we just got a text from the First Presidency saying NO MORE FACEBOOK FOR ANY MISSIONARIES IN THE WORLD...so that was fun having facebook for 3 days. haha 

Week #84

iPads

Tuesday we had a pretty fun day. We went and picked up my birthday package at a members house and some letters so that was an awesome way to start the day! Then we went and visited some of our amis. Then Elder Powelson took me out for dinner for my birthday. We went to Buffalo Grill idk if that exists in the states but it's just a BBQ place. It was super good, my first steak in a year and a half!

Wednesday was my b-day!!! I'm 20 now!!! I feel so old haha. But we went bowling in the morning and it was super fun. We played some pool as well, it was  a blast. They gave us some free games too so that was neat. Then my fave members took us out for dinner at the nicest restaurant in Amiens so that was awesome! It was soooooo freaking good too, easily the best meal I've had on my mission. Then they drove us home.

Thursday we went and visited a less active guy who is nuts. We didn't have too much time because we were taking a train to Paris at 4ish. So then we headed home and got everything ready to spend the night with and for mission council like the stats of our zone and stuff like that. Then we got to Paris and we went to one of my fave places called Chipotle which is totally american but it's super good. Then we headed to Torcy. I stayed the night with Elder Johnson because he is my homie. 

Friday we went to mission council and..... WE GOT I PADS!!!!! Finally. And I got to see a lot of my mission friends so that was awesome. But definetly the biggest thing that happened was that we got iPads. So far only the ZLs and STLs have them but our zone will be the first to get them on June 23rd so we are looking forward to that. Then we went home and went straight to branch council meeting (the first one I've had since I have been here) it went really well. Now let's just hope they do something about it. 

Saturday we had our district leader training meeting. It was good we had no time to plan it so we just winged it and it went pretty good so that was lucky! Then we went and visited some members one of them living in Longeau a ville about 30 mins away from Amiens it was my first time going there. Nothing too special though. We went to a retirement home... it was blast. Taught this 85 year old member, but it was nice she gave us a referral! Then we did some contacting pretty much for the rest of the day and tried setting up our iPads, it's freaking hard. 

Sunday we went to church and we had some amis that came so that was awesome. It was one of their first times coming and he really liked it! Elder Powelson gave a talk and it went really good. No one in this branch knows how to give a talk so he requested that he give one to show them how to do it haha. Then we weekly/transfer planned and did iPad stuff. 

Week #83 Birthday #20

Hey everyone! Thanks for all your birthday letters and wishes - you guys are great! I had a good week!

Monday we had a normal p-day. Nothing special except there was a problem with Elder Powelson's email. He didn't get to email so that was a kind of a bummer but we got it all worked out so it works now. Then we had a family night with the single adults. I gave the spiritual message, I shared some scriptures that I like. D&C 121: 1,7-8 and a few others. They seemed to really like it so that was good!

Tuesday we had district meeting in Arras. It was good, it was pretty much just a testimony meeting because we are in week 6 and some people are going to be leaving. Then we came back to Amiens with the Elders in Arras and we did an exchange. I was with Elder Orton again. It was lots of fun. Then all four of the missionaries went to a members house and we all ate diner over there. It was a lot of fun as well. 

Wednesday we finished our exchange. Then we got cancelled on so that was a bummer, but we then dropped off some keys to this place for the old missionary couple apartment. We taught our ami with a member and that went pretty well. She is from Nigeria and its pretty hard to teach because she speaks no French and her English isn't much better. But she is reading (trying) so thats good at least she holds her engagements. Then we had a telephonic rdv with the stake presidency in Lille to work on our branch.  

Thursday was a really fun day. Had had some RDVs in the morning, three actually, and every single person flaked on us so that was a pretty tough way to start the day. But then we just went contacting and it went really good. Then we did our 2nd English class and it went super well again, we talked about time, alphabet and read out of the BOM. After class a few invited us to eat at Valentin's moms house and they invited his less active sister and we got to know her so that was really good. We gave a spiritual thought on Exodus 4:10-11. Its about having trust in God. 

Friday we were pretty busy so we didn't get to weekly plan. We had to go pick something up at the church in the morning. Then we went back home and finished our studies. We also went and saw a member and talked about the Spirit World because he had no idea what it was (way to go old missionaries!) Later we got caught in this GIANT rain storm, and before the storm it was so hot so I was just in a short sleeved shirt - we got soaked! Then we went home and we continued to make the plan we are doing to keep our branch together. Hopefully it works!

Saturday nothing too big happened just lots of missionary work! 

Sunday we just did our weekly planning after we went to church. We started putting our plan into action this week, so we have a lot of RDVs with members so we are hoping its going to work!

Love you guys thanks for the emails!

-Elder Beck

Week #82 Ping Pong & Pancakes

Hello everyone - I had a great week this week! 

Monday nothing special happened on p-day. After we had family night for the single adults at the church. We gave the spiritual thought on being kind because this branch is needing more kindness:) This transfer we have had 7 people go inactive because of member to member relations...it's got to stop.

Tuesday we did an exchange with the Elders in Arras. I was with Elder Wilson he is a excellent missionary. We found a bunch of people. Then we had a branch activity that we set up called a PPP. Pretty much we play ping pong, spiritual message, and we make pancakes. It went really well some people brought some friends. 

Wednesday we finished up our exchange. Then we did some zone leader reports on all the missionaries in zone so that took a while. We had a some RDVs later in  the day. A young man in our branch is going on a mission and so is his girl friend soon so we started doing a mission prep/ English class for them. It  was the first time and it went pretty  good we are going to continue to do it every week. Later we had another RDV with a recent convert. 

Thursday morning we just did some contacting. Then we had our AP exchange. I was actually with Elder Hall this time so that was cool. Throw back to high school! We went contacting for a bit found a new ami and she is pretty cool. Then we ate diner with those guys made some J-dawgs! We also went and saw a recent convert who almost went less active this week. We had a pretty intense lesson, we had to rail him on Tithing because he doesn't pay it. So that went pretty decent. 

Friday we woke up early to go to Lille where we had our Zone Conference. It went really well, all the trainings were pretty good. Ours went great:) President said it was the best he'd seen so far in my interview and we were the last ones so that made us happy. It was on Engagements. We were in Lille the whole day. We had interviews after - they went good. Powelson and me asked if we could stay together until the end of our missions haha, they said they'd think about it :) We ate at KFC and took a train home with the Arras Elders and played monopoly deal on the way home! Funnest game ever.

Saturday nothing too much happened. We saw Celine that was our last RDV with her because she is going back to her home town this week. Then we started our weekly planning and did some pass-backs. 

Sunday we went to church. We started creating a plan on what we are going to do to reactivate some people. I talked to the stake president in Lille to keep him up to date. We have a RDV with him this week. Then we stopped by some members here. This week we are going to work on the members a lot! Thanks for your emails love you guys!!!

-Elder Beck