Week #54

Elder Cook 

Hello everybody! 

Tuesday was a good day! So in the morning and afternoon it was pretty hard, we contacted for 5 hours and no one talked to us. Then at night time we did some porting and more contacting - we taught 3 people and met some really cool people on the road. We ported this building with all English speaking Africans (this building comes into play later in the week). 

Wednesday was EPIC. So we got this referral from the church named Iren Man (no lie, a legit referral and sounds like Iron Man) and we had an RDV with him at St. Denis. On our way there we met this guy named Caesar he was really cool. He said he would come to church (spoiler alert he didn't) but anyway there was a big accident on the trains and it took  Iren Man an hour to show up...so we waited outside the train station next to four Jehovas Witnesses for an hour and it was freezing! I wanted to peace out super bad. But then he shows up with his friend named Sam. We take them to the church in Paris on the Road St Merri and we teach them and it's all in English they don't speak French. We taught the Restoration and it went super good and the spirit was really strong. Then ...drum roll... we fixed 2 baptismal dates with them for the 28th of December! First RDV it was really cool. I felt like I was in Mexico for a second;) But I don't remember what else happened that day, other than 10 Elders stayed the night in our apartment because of what happened Thursday...

Thursday was awesome as well Elder Cook the apostle came to our mission and spoke to us! We had to wake up at 5 am though so that kinda stunk. Elder Cook talked for about 5 minutes about the Spirit, then he just opened up the conference for question and answer session. Only one person got to ask a question because it was really hard question to answer, but he did a good job. He was a super nice guy. Also the WHOLE mission was together all 300 missionaries. That hasn't been done for like 10 years! So I got to see everyone that was cool. After we ate at a members house and taught one of the sister's amis.

Friday we did some good ole' weekly planning. We also found this cool lady named Patricia. Then we went to La Défence to teach this guy named Billy. It took us forever to find him but when we did we taught him the Restoration on the top of the stairs of the Grande Arch - it was pretty cool at night time. I would send a pic but I have no room. It was a good lesson as well!

 

Saturday we had samedi sports. Then we ate. Elder Karl was in Paris so we ate with him so that was cool. We met this cool family from Versailles that aren't members, but they asked if we could teach them.Then we taught Betty with our DMP. We had to move her date though because she hasn't been taught everything just yet. Its for 7th of December! So pray that it goes through. 

Sunday was pretty crazy. So 6 amis said they would come to church...one came (Betty) so she's my favorite. Then when the second hour rolled around they asked me to give the lesson with a 2 second heads up. So Elder Brockbank and I taught the lesson. We just did the Restoration. Then in sacrament this guy bore his testimony (because he was asked to share his testimony for a little bit because he was moving) for 45 minutes!! It was crazy. All the Amis fell asleep. haha. Then we did some work.  

Today! We went to the Sacre Cœur it's probably one of my favorite sights in Paris. We didn't get to go on top, but it was still cool. 

Love you guys thank for everything you do for me!

-Elder Beck 

Pics:

-MTC District 13 months later

-Elder Karl and Me

                                               

Week #53

New fridge 

Hey everyone! 

Tuesday was my last day with E. Rodo. Betty (our ami with a date) invited us over to eat with her. We ate with our DMP...and we ate soooo much food. Then we taught her the Plan of Salvation. She is such a boss she cant wait to be baptized! After we did some finding. Then went over and ate with this awesome Tahitian family in the ward and they made organic chicken it was the best meal ever! It was the ladies birthday, so there was birthday cake and it was just a blast!

Wednesday was transfer day! I got to see Jackson Carson. That was super cool! Got to see a lot of other good friends too! Met my new comp Elder Young. He's a good guy from Layton Utah. Also met the other new Elders Williams and Brockbank they are awesome as well. All really hard workers! After we had DMP meeting and it was really good.

Thursday we went contacting at Enghien Les Bains again. Taught some people. After we had a super good dinner with these awesome members, probably my favorite! They also had a bass guitar and they let me play it. We gave spiritual message on faith and it went really well. They bought us root beer which was great..and ate burritos with their family. We got home pretty late too haha.

Friday was a long day. Lots and lots of contacting. Like all day pretty much other than weekly planning. 

Saturday we got a new fridge and stove so that was awesome! They made me pay 55 euros outta no where though. But the church will reimburse me for that, but at first I was super scared. Then we had this district leader meeting with the ZLs - it's  a new thing they are trying to start doing. We make goals n stuff for the district. After that just lots of contacting!

Sunday was a good day. A  guy from the ward made us lunch. We at in the church with him. He is a nice guy. We had an ami at church so that was good. All the rest of the day we were just finding. We need new amis but just cant find any solid people. Paris is Paris. 

Today we actually got to do some fun stuff. I met up with Rodo and Perry and we went to a Boat Museum right next to the Eiffel Tower! It was actually really cool. Then we got to see the tower. But yeah that's pretty much it for this week! Thanks you guys are the best!!! Love you all.

Elder Beck

-Pics

-At the Tower

-Jackson Carson and Me

-The other Elders and Me at the Museum

Week #52

Staying in Paris, new comp. Elder Young

Sup homies. 

Tuesday was a lot of fun. We had district meeting. I gave a formation (that just dawned on me that "formation" might be a french word...if it is let me know) on teaching skills. It was like a boot camp for teaching skills with just a bunch of games, it was pretty fun. The zone leaders came after we divided sectors because we got a new map. It was pretty fun. We went to an American store we found that sold root beer. So yeah, we spent a good amount of money there. Then a bunch of people were coming into Paris for legality stuff and we had 10 missionaries staying in our appt over night - it was a party! And we went to the l'arc de Triumph to pick them up.

Mercredi (Wednesday) we did some contacting. Then went and saw an ami named Alexis, a man who apparently was baptized in Cote Divore in 2003, but his family wasn't so we taught them the restoration. But they don't live in our sector so we had to pass him ;(.  After we went contacting again and found a dude who only speaks English... 

Thursday we went to a cool place in our sector called Enghien Les Bains and did like 8 hours of work there. It was hard, but it was pretty effective! After that we just worked in our sector...don't really remember too much!

Friday the whole day I was in Chartes doing a baptismal interview...for a 9 year old boy. He passed. His family was really nice. So pretty much the whole day I was in a car or on a train. It was long.

 

Saturday we were suppose to get a new fridge and oven because ours don't work. The homie never showed up... Also we had transfers that day. I am staying in Paris and getting a new comp named Elder Young. Everyone in the apartment besides me is leaving haha. They all got transferred to different areas...but they are all still in Paris, it was really weird.

 

Sunday - Betty, the lady with a baptismal date, came to church for the whole 3 hours. Which never happens in France. She is super awesome. We taught her after. Then we just went out and worked passed by Aristides house and taught him the restoration. Then did some more contacting.

Today we were suppose to get the fridge and oven again...but instead the guy shows up with a dryer... so we had to re-put everything back in the fridge again for the 2nd time...super annoying. Elder Perry (the Tahitian) and I are on an exchange right now so its been a fun P-day, did not get to see anything but we just walked around Paris it was a good break. Thanks for all your emails, I love you guys!

Elder Beck

-District Transfer Pic

-Arc of Triumph at Night

Week #51
My 1 year mark!

Hello people, let's jump right in.

     Tuesday. we had Zone Confrence. It  was really good. A lot of good formations. Then the mail came and I got a ton of mail and postcards! I just wanted to thank all you guys for your support! It really means a lot! Then I had to give a formation. I gave it on "spiritual finding" it went well. Then we had interviews and that was good too. Then I went on an exchange with the Elders in Chartes. We taught their really cool ami. After we went to KFC.

     Wednesday finished up my exchange. Then we taught a cool guy named David on the road.

 

     Thursday was my year mark. yipee!. It was weird to think that a year ago I was in the MTC because I feel like I just left. I had to confidentiality report calls because I'm DL. Then I interviewed this man for Baptism. He passed and he was super happy.  I went on an exchange with Elder Perry and we taught a less active family, they were nice.

     Friday was Halloween.  We didn't do anything. We were supposed to go see a member, but they cancelled.  We had to weekly plan. Then at night time we had to do missionary work so we tried contacting.... it was a fail. We also did phone calls, but no one was answering. That will be the last Halloween as a missionary.

     Saturday we had to help clean the church. Then we played Samedi Sports. It was fun. After we tried visiting a member, but they weren't home. We ate McDonalds. We had to go to the church and prepare for the baptism.

    

     Sunday we had church and a baptism.  We had an ami at church so that was rad. The baptism went well. It was a great week.

Today a member wants us to come over and hang out with him. So that's  why I'm on so early. Talk to you guys next week thank for the emails. Love ya!

Elder Beck

Week # 50
2 baptismal dates

Hey guys! I don't have a lot of time this week so Imma keep it short! *

     Tuesday we had District Meeting and I gave my first formation to the district. It was about faith and comparing it to a muscle and how we can exercise it. It went good. Every one is spiritualy swell now :) My bed broke that night.

     Wednesday  we had a  DMP meeting and it went pretty good.

     Thursday lots and lots of work. Contacted for like 8 hours and barely saw any success but that's how it goes sometimes.   We ate our guts out at a members house, she is fixing my pants for me so that was nice.

     Friday weekly planning.  I went on an exchange with an elder live with named Elder Burno.   We went over to an Italians members house. He was really nice and made us really good food.  Our spiritual message went over really well with them.

     Saturday we played soccer and stuff. This was one of my fav days on the mission, but i have to keep it short sorry! After that we went and taught Betty and Vanessa the Gospel of Jesus with our DMP. The RVD was super great and we fixed 2 baptisimal dates for Nov. 30th. I'm super stoked for that. Keep em in your prayers. It was Elder Rodos birthdays I got him tie. (orginal) A mexican family threw him a fiesta it was a blast. Honestly they are so cool. Then we just kicked it all together for his b day. 

     Sunday was good. They are busy for DLs because you have to call everyone in the district and ZLs. We ate at a members house that night... it was.. great. We talked about missionary work. It was a good week.

Life is good.

Love,

Elder Beck.

 Here are some photos of my week. busted bed.

Me talking on the phone

Week #49

Paris district leader

 This week was pretty cool and crazy.

      Tuesday we had District Meeting.  Elder Karl gave a formation on Engagements and it was really good. Then Elder Karl and I went on an exchange. We started off by teaching an ami that we found last week named Aristide. On the way to his house we taught a cool guy a good lesson. When we got to Aristides house we taught him a little bit of both of the Restoration and Plan of Salvation. Then invited him to baptism and he accepted! So that was awesome!!! After Elder Karl and I went contacting and took cool pics with my Polaroid camera.

     Wednesday it was pretty much my year mark because I go home Oct. 15... So got that over with:) It was cool because I was with Elder Karl still and we went to a mexican food place and ate lunch. Then we were suppose to teach a lesson to a lady we found last week named Ines, but she cancelled. After that we got our legality stuff figured out. Then we contacted at La Defance and got Haagen Das ice cream ;)

     Thursday I don't really remember what happened... But we taught 2 lessons that day... We had to cancel a RDV because our member had to cancel and we can't teach single women without a member. Later that day we picked up Elder Karl at Chatlet because he came back into Paris for legality the next day.

      Friday was crazy. We had to do legality so we woke up super early and did 2nd year legality with Elder Karl and another cool kid named Elder Powelson. We all came in at the same time and are all homies. It took for ever but we got accepted ;) Long story short. Then we went to the hill that they take us to the first day of our mission. We took a bunch of pics there. It's super cool. After that was done we ended up being 1hr late to our RDV we had with a member - the trains were slow because someone died or something on the tracks. So we went over to their house and ate super fast. Then Frere Futuka left with us and we went and taught Betty and Vennessa (the people with a  son on a mission) the RDV was epic! The spirit was super strong and they both accepted baptism! This week we are fixing a date with them!!! And because of the slow trains we didn't get home till late!

     Saturday pretty much just played soccer. We did weekly planning nothing else was really too important...

     Sunday was crazy. So we had church and it was pretty good just really loud.  An American couple came to church from Alpine they were super cool. Then went home and just called people. We had a RDV with a family from America and France, their names are Scott and Audrey they are soooo awesome! They made us super good food and gave us root beer haha. Our spiritual message was on missionary work - the spirit was really strong. They are going to share the gospel with their neighbor. Later on Sunday I got a call from President and he tells me that Karl is getting transferred. Elder Karl is goingto be  DL in another ville . I am now the Paris district leader, so that's new.

     Today nothing cool happened, not going to lie. We just got lost and I had to make a formation for District Meeting. We were suppose to mini golf...

 Love you guys!
 Elder Beck

 -At the Hill where we first arrived as missionaries (2 pics)
 -Random night time pic in Paris

Week # 48

Lucky #3

This week was so rad.

     Tuesday we had district meeting. We had to make the main meal so we had a burrito party. Also Elder Karl gave a formation about how to be a Ninja Turtle missionary. It was pretty funny. We got home and fixed a bunch of RDV's with amis. Then we went contacting and it not was very successful until on the train ride home - we sit down next to a lady reading an English Bible. So I start talking to her and she was super interested! We have a RDV with her for the next week! She is from Nigeria. 

     Wednesday we left the apartment, literally took 2 steps and contacted this lady with her daughter and we started teaching her a little bit in the rain. Then she is like "can you guys come over to my house and share this message I don't live too far away!" We were like heck ya we can. So we walked home with this lady and taught her the restoration and invited her to baptism and she accepted! But the bummer is that we have to pass her to the sisters because she is single.  We have an RDV with her Wednesday. It will be the last though. Then we picked up Elder Karl at the gare because he was going on an exchange with the other elders. We ended up getting two dudes phone numbers which was cool.

  

     Thursday haha literally one of the funniest moments of my life. We ended up watching this movie called Charley. It's a church movie but it's pretty emotional. At the end literally everyone was crying...but me...and it was the funniest thing ever. Then we went and contacted and taught some peeps. We talked to a guy from NYC.

     Friday. So this was cool. We go contacting, contact 3 people, teach 3 lessons and get three phone numbers! We were on fire! Then we weekly planned and got some kebabs to celebrate. We taught Betty, the lady who has a son on a mission. Her 30 year old daughter came too who is super interested. We taught them the Restoration and it was super good and spiritual. They'll for sure get baptized in due time.

 

     Saturday we had samdi sports and it stunk cuz it was raining.  There was a huge ebola scare, but I think it's all good. St. Ouen was crazy because it was France Vs Portugal and we live 5 mins. from the grand stadium. Our area we SHUT DOWN! It was crazy how many people were there! 

     Sunday was fast Sunday and it was really good. Also I made a plan for the ward to work better with the missionaries. It's pretty simple, but it was like gold it worked suuuper well. The ward loves us now:)  We put it into action for the first time this Sunday and it worked really well. Also a random family showed up to church and we got to teach them! Then we went porting and we got let in by a super cool dude! He is from Togo and is super interested! We have an RDV set up with him tomorrow! The sisters are having a super hard time in our district so pray for them! But yep that was my eventful week thanks for all your prayers and even better emails haha love you guys :)

-Elder Beck 

-Random Pics!