6.25.12

Dear Family,

Well I guess first I’ll answer some of Dad’s questions.  Well, thank you so much, Dad for the letters you have been sending. They do mean a lot to me. Everything is going good here in Caribou and yes I do live above a store. The store is called The Cubby. It's a thrift store, kinda. A member, Bro. Johnson, owns it. So yes that’s where I live. It is a nice apartment, not dirty, not too small and it is a nice place to live.  

And yes everyone we do have a car - ha.  It’s a Suburo Impreza 2011. It’s a nice car. I haven't driven it yet. Elder Harris is kinda prone to driving it I guess - ha.  But someday I’ll drive it and I’ll make him let me - ha.  Elder Harris is a great companion, He is from Smithfield Utah, and has been out a little over a year and a half. He has just like 6 months left. Caribou is nice and very spread out. Our area goes to Preque Isle, and Fort Fairfield and Limestone and even Ft. Kent is in our area, but we hardly ever go up there. There is just one ward here for that huge area, so some people drive an hour or more to get to church in Caribou. The members are awesome. They help out so much!  We are the only missionaries in the Caribou area, the nearest missionaries are in Houlton, and actually I think I’m going on an exchange with them on Tuesday.

So, things here are going well. We had an investigator family come to church yesterday and they seem ready to be baptized. The parents do drink coffee but we haven't talked to them about it yet.  They are very nice and have 3 girls who are 12, 10, and 7.  I love teaching them.  We also meet with this girl is so funny and so happy all the time. We've only had a couple lessons with her and things are going pretty smoothly there. So we'll see on that one.  There’s also some more that we are teaching and its fun and they seem to be accepting the gospel well. The people here are nice and fun to talk. Most are set in their ways and hard to teach.  There are a bunch of hicks here, and they don't really have a thick accent, but some do say words like, idea, as idear, which is weird and stuff.  So some do talk like hillbillies, but pretty much the accents and the way they talk is pretty similar to me, so it’s not that hard to talk to people. 

I am getting better at the lessons. I’m not the best yet but I keep trying and I’ll get it done sooner or later - ha.  Our mission president is actually getting switched this week, I believe. So I’ll have a new Mission president, President Levett or something like that.   So that’s kinda cool, I guess.  Well I’ll talk to you guys later.  Thank you for your prayers and thank you for all that you guys do!!

I love you all,

Elder Beckert

6.18.12

Dear Family,

 

Haha wow! I can't beleive that your guy's tent blew away at the Trek! Thats Hilarious, i wish i was there to see that ha. And if it was me i would have just slept in the car the whole time and not even in the tent ha.  Sleeping outside is not my forte ha. 

 

At the MTC we watch a movie about the Pioneers, i think it was called The Legacy of Faith or something like that.  It was amazing to see what those people went though and how hard the times were and im so happy that you guys had the oppertuninty to go and see what that was like first hand, and i hope it was a great experience for everyone. 

 

I love that quote from Elder Holland as well, it is an honor to be out here serving my mission and i know that if i live the teachings of Christ and if i am exactly obeident then i will find those who want to come to the Gospel and are ready to be baptized, i know that with all my heart, and am trying my hardest to work as hard as i can and to be exactly obeident so i may find those who need the Gospel in their lives. 

 

Well life in the mission feild is great! Theres so much to do everyday and sometimes i just want to lay down ha. But i love every minunte of it! It is exciting to be here and to be doing the lords work everyday, i cant think of a better way to be spending my time. 

 

The people here in Caribou are great! They are awesome in every way, some are very colorful ha.  But they love talking to us, but most here are very set in their catholic ways.  Some don't even know why they are, but some are afraid of change and have a hard time comminting to another church where they grew up their whole life in one church.  So sometimes it gets pretty difficult and hard.  But these last few months the Elders here have been working hard and have found alot of people ready to here the truthfulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and its a blessing to be able to teach some of those people. 

 

Elder Harris is a great guy, he works hard and keeps me being obiedient, he is an amazing companion, and hopefully i will get some pictures out to you guys sortly, but he is great to be around and is training me well. 

 

I do need some things from you guys.  I need another suit, i guess that the call packet was supposed to say like 2 suits, and so i do need another one, because we do wear jackets alot, so if you could send me another suit that would be lovely, I don't really care what color, maybe just a black one, but you guys can make that call.    I also need some CD's, some spirtually inhancing, lovely to hear, feel good music.  I was on LDS.org at the MTC and i saw this music, i think it was under the youth section or something, and it was called ARISE, i think.  It was awesome!!! I want that music and other music that sounds like that. Music that lifts the soul, but doesn't make me fall asleep haha.  So please if you could send me that stuff, and anything else you think i may need or want.  

 

YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST!!!!!
love you all, and miss you all, but mostly love you all very very very very much.

From the mission president

Dear Brother and Sister Beckert,
  Elder Beckert has arrived to the mission safe and sound.  We are very
happy he is here.  He is serving in Caribou, Maine with Elder Harris who is
a great missionary.   They should enjoy their time together.  Atlantic
Canada and Western Maine are beautiful places to serve a mission and we
hope and pray that this will be a wonderful experience for your son.  Thank
you for all of your love and support.
 Love,
Sister Simpson
 

6.7.12

Yes i did get your letter from Dear Elder. And yes you did send it twice ha.  I did get the package you sent with the sowing kit and stuff. thank you for sending that.  And well to answer your questions in that letter,

On P day i write letters i send emails i go and lift and go to the temple.  I have to go get a hair cut today, because we have to before we leave the MTC.  I do get to excersise, its almost everyday for and hour and i play basketball in the gym with a bunch of other elders.  Its really fun, i really look forward to that everyday, because i just sit around all day in a classroom or studying so its nice to go and do something physical. 

Yesturday was the last time Me and Elder Wolsey taught a man named Nickson, and he is a great guy, he is from Africa and wants to know more about the church.  He listen to us and said thanks for teaching him.  its hard sometimes because he was so set in his religous ways, but he was so fun to talk to and i had a blast teaching him. 

 

And dont even worry, im way ahead of you on that phone card thingy. im gonna go buy one latter today. And yes i do leave on the 12th i have to be at the suttle by 5 in the morning and then our plane takes of form salt lake at around 8:30 And i'll call you before we leave from salt lake. And i'll be calling you cell phone probalbly. We have a lay over in New York, we should be arriving there at like 12 to like 3, im not completly sure about the times, but i'll call you probaly in that time frame, we have a 3 hour lay over there. then we take off for Halifax and should land there around 10:30 i think.  And i will also call you from there as well.  Hopefully that answers everyone's questions about my travel arrangements. 

 

Yes let Braden write me! That would be so cool to get something from that kid.  And It was awesome to help him out that day when his backpack brock, i thought it was so cool that he trusted me enough to come and have me help him.

 

I auctully wouldn't mind a garment bag. but i dont think i can send home my little bag, i do need it. but i also need a garment bag.  but i think i can use the little bag as a carryon, and then have the garment bad and the suitcase to put on the plane.  So think about that, and write me as soon as possible cuz i do leave on tuesday.

 

And dad, thank you for your letter. And yes there was a cheeck i forgot to send that though.  I will send it to you probably today. 

 

Also what kind of question is "Do you want me to update you on the dbacks and other spots"?? ha. OF COURSE i want you too! Im pretty much dying not knowing the scores of the basketball games or the hockey games or the dbacks games.  So yes, i do want updates.

 

Other than the sports things, im doing really well ha. Im working as hard as i can to know the gospel better and i love teaching it to other people. Whenever i get out of a lesson i always feel so good and awesome.  I love teaching investagators and i can't wait to get to Halifax so i can do that everyday all day!!

 

Love Elder Cameron Beckert

5.31.12

The food is good kinda too much though. I haven't really got sick from it but my stomach has hurt allittle sometimes after i ate.  Its good but not good at the same time ha.  Im sleeping okay, the bed isn't bad it's pretty small and stuff but its kinda comfy, sometimes i just am so overwhelmed by everyting here it's hard to get to sleep sometimes but other then that everything is good. My companion is from Alberta Canada, and he is also going to Haliafax Canada, like 6 people in our distrit are going to Haliafax and i've meet other people here to that are going to Halaifax.  Something cool about Haliafax but auctually isn't very cool is that it does get really cold and lots and lots of snow.

 

 Everything is good here the learning is tough but its okay, the schedule is burtal, its hard to get used to it. but i know that though the lord everything will work out.  I've meet alot of people from Payson i saw Hayden Bryson the other day, and Justin Kilmer is in my zone so i see alot of him, and Zach Evens.  And others that i cant remember right now ha. 

 

Diane sent me a package today and it had cookies and skittles and a letter, so that was cool to get!! I also need you to send me her address so i can send a thank you card, cuz she sent it though some company or something so i don't have he address.  I also need that sewing kit, and the alarm clock, and don't worry about sending the black socks or the mouth piece. 

 

Also something i need to tell you is that here in the MTC i can only have 30 minunets on the computer, so try not to overflow me with emails, cuz i might not be able to get to all them, they said that letters are better. like todays emails are fine i don't have very much and i have plenty of time to write everyone back. 

 

I love being out here on the mission and i cant wait to be in Haliafax, its true when they say that days feel like weeks and weeks feel like days here in the MTC, i feel like i've been her for 2 or 3 weeks.  Im learning lots and the devotionals and firesides are great, we had a seventy member come on tuesday his name was Elder Zswik, and he taught about the importance of the Book of Mormon and it was great to hear what he had to say.

 

Im doing great and i love getting emails and letters and packages form everyone. I miss you all and i love you all very much.

 

Love, Elder Cameron Jason Beckert