Laatste Barbados

Lieve vriendjes and vriendinnetjes,

Right now I am typing up my last email to all of you. Man time has
flown too fast. Wish I could turn back time and relive all of it
again.I love being a missionary, I love it. If only I could help you
understand what I feel about my mission your heart will overflow. And
now it's coming to an end, gosh that's weird. Doesn't feel like that
at all, feels as if I can keep going for years.
This week was wonderful, it has been a great blessing that the Lord
has given to me. Everything was just perfect. This entire last
transfer has just been perfect, wouldn't have had it any other way. My
companion Elder Smith is wonderful, I love that guy so much. Miracles
have just happened, all according to faith. The thought of ending this
brings tears to my eyes. O how I wish I could go on. But to everything
there is a time and season. This weekend Khalil got baptized, was a
wonderful experience, a true testimony builder that the power of faith
exceeds all. Worked hard and felt the Spirit, I love that feeling.
Feelings of happiness, excitement, joy and peace is a consistent part
of my life. I know that all of this are gifts that the Lord has
granted unto me. I testify that God lives, I feel that with every
fiber of my body. My entire being knows it. Had the opportunity to
bear my testimony in church yesterday. Everything I have been teaching
these last months is true. God truly does love us, and He will
forever. He reaches out to us, now it's up to us to embrace Him.
Cannot believe this is already my last week, man that's tough. Words
cannot describe what these experience means to me. I would sacrifice
the world for the experience that I have gained. Nothing compares to
it, absolutely nothing. In my mind I cannot understand how a young men
can deliberately decide to not go. If only I could give them a part of
what it means to me, then they would change their minds one time. My
mission is everything to me, it is the best thing I have ever had in
my life. Without a doubt, without comparison.
I don't know how I will serve back at home, without my wonderful
West-Indian people. But I'll guess I will have to figure out
something. Maybe I can get everybody to start speaking Bajan or
something.
My dear friends, I know that God lives. I testify of that with all my
heart. You can have what I have, I desire that you gain this. This
knowledge coupled by this extreme sense of peace/joy. Let's call it
peacoy for lack of an existing word.
Well guess I'll see you soon then..
With love,
Elder Thomas Bechan

Barbados 15

lieve vriendjes and vriendinnetjes,

No time this week sad to say, but I'll wirt more next week Monday. The week was great and the work is sweet. Love being a missionary, love to serve my God. Love being among my people, love teaching his gospel. simply love all I do. Do you love all you do? You should! Find joy in all small things, spend some time with your family and kids. Happiness comes by doing the right thing, especially the small and simple ones.
Have a good week,
Love Elder Thomas Bechan

Barbados 14

Lieve vriendjes and vriendinnetjes,

Life is so good, can't understand people that say a mission is hard. Of course the physical labor is tiring, have been tired for the last year straight. But hard? Not at all, it is so rewarding. I feel such an amazing happiness in my life. God's Spirit dwells within me freely, every week my happiness just increases. An experience I had this week was impressive. As you people might know I am coming home pretty soon (sadly enough, if you ask me) but I felt at the beginning of the week that the Lord needed me to help somebody get baptized while I am still here. What that impression I needed to just go work. The Lord had a work for me to do, so I tried everything within my power to get it accomplished. Nothing seemed to work out this week though, people weren't progressing towards baptism at all. World Cup is also a big distraction though! Gosh Sunday afternoon nobody wanted to listen to us for all where to busy watching the game. So nothing seemed to work out. But I knew what I felt, and I knew I have the faith sufficient to do what the Lord expects of me. Then the most incredible thing happened. Sunday an investigator that, due to future commitments, wasn't able to be baptized in the time frame I am still here. The Lord just changed that up, now he is good for baptism at the end of the month. Faith is so powerful. If you feel that you need to do something, that's god telling you to do it. When you get that impression, work for that. The Lord will always grant unto you power to do whatsoever is expedient unto Him, but only on the condition of faith. Show your faith, doubt nothing, and then you will recognize the Lord in your life. Doors that appeared to be locked down, will magically open. The Lord will provide.
With love,
Elder Thomas Bechan

Barbados 13

lieve vriendjes and vriendinnetjes,

What a week! Man being a missionary is so good. I testify that whenever you do what the Lord asks you will experience blessings. Miracles will just come your way. I love being a missionary, the unique Spirit and vibes it have is so wonderful. Wish I could write down what I experience and that you by just simply reading it could feel what I feel. I testify that God lives, He is such a big part in my life. The happiness that flows from learning truth, eternal truth, is magnificent. My advice of the week is: Repent! Not in a negative way who Bajan's use it, but in a life changing way. Change, you have the power to do that, change your life. Keep His commandments and I promise you, in the name of Jesus Christ, that things will be different. Try it, prove God and see if He will not open up the windows of heaven. One great commandment that results in immediate blessings: fasting. It is a commandment and a very special one. It teaches you to sacrifice, to put aside something of great importance (even necessary to sustain life, water and food), for the glory of the greater blessing. I testify that fasting is a principle of God and it allows you to recognize, receive and cherish God's blessings more fully in your life. "Sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven"
Well time is out again.. Have a good week everybody!
Love,
elder Thomas Bechan 

Barbados 12

 I just love being a missionary it's the best :) No worries about anything it's such a good life! Teaching people, meeting people, serving God, there you got three ingredients to a happy life. The vibes that are on Barbados are amazing, I love the people here so much. It's hard to put it into words what I truly experience. Try thinking about some of the best memories you have and how you felt. Then put it in a row for 2years, that might be a indicator of how I feel. Even walking through the burning sun is a blessing. Had a great experience yesterday of how missionary work brings that joy into life. We took a member with us teaching yesterday. Mainly because his dad told him it would be a good idea. He had been kind of lacking on church and the desire to come was slowly disappearing, so his dad volunteered him to come out with us (great idea by the way). So we showed up at the house and he just walked out without any form of happiness. Checking his watch twice every second, and just not very motivated. Kind of tried to get him excited or to open up. After the first appointment, which went really well, he seemed more excited. Good thing me and Elder Smith are good at being ridiculous and at one point I think we really got him to open up to us. I think he really liked coming out with us. From being unwillingly volunteered to having a great time. When we asked him when he could come with us again his response was: "Any day besides Monday". The Spirit that missionary work brings is miraculous. I testify to you that it is real. I experience it every single day, my life is wonderful. And I see it happen to other people. My invitation to you is to "catch the wave", get excited, it truly is one of the greatest blessing you can have. Do you have a struggling family member who finds it hard to keep the faith? Send them out with the missionaries, they will love it!! Do you feel you could use more God in your life? Or get a boost? Go do missionary work. It is the greatest blessing in my life and I love every single aspect of it 
With love,
Elder Thomas Bechan

Barbados 11

Dear friends and family,

What a week! My last week with Elder Hale, sadly enough. His two years is up, Thursday he'll be back home in Arizona. Really loved serving with him, he is a great guy. New companion will be Elder Randon Smith, he was in my zone in St. Lucia and he is a great guy. It will be wonderful.
Yesterday Desmond got baptized! He is a 72 year old man with a troubled past. But somewhere within those long years he decided to change and turn to God. In a miraculous way we got in contact with him and now 5 weeks later he is baptized. Every single thing we invited to do, he did it. Simply because he truly believed we are send by God and whatever we teach him is God words. He has such fire when he prays and that's how he figured out everything must be true. The happiness that started radiating from his countance grew every single time we would visit with him. It is a great blessing, perhaps even the greatest at the moment, to witness such a miracle happen before my own two eyes. 
I am simply happy. I feel great, nothing in my way. I truly know that the Gospel is true, because of the simple fact that I live it. Only way you can find out if something works, is to try it.I testify that keeping God's commandments is what gives the greatest joy, it truly does. 
This week was just wonderful, that's about the only way to accurately describe it. And we even beat Spain 5-1, how glorious is that. Not that I saw anything of it but it's still great. 
Hope everybody will have a great week! Love and enjoy, that's a key to happiness.
With love,
Elder Thomas Bechan

Desmond Joseph's Baptism‏

Barbados 10

The nine year old

 Deborah baptism

Spending some time on St Vincent

Week was amazing! You know that you are in the best mission in the world when you get flown in to a training meeting. Spend three days in Trinidad to attend the mission leadership conference, it was glorious. 
Made a week a bit short but it was great! Deborah got confirmed and church was great! Hope everybody is doing great! Want to invite everybody to be more grateful. THis Sunday I ended up sitting next to a 9year old in sacrament meeting without any parent around. Had a wonderful time entertaining him. I made him a paper airplane and he was in seventh heaven. If only I could be more able to appreciate things as he does. Would make my life even more wonderful then it already is. Maybe that's one of the reasons why God wants us to become like a child. I testify that showing gratitude allows you to recognize blessings, and also to receive more. Count your blessings, count them one by one, count your many blessings see what God has done!
Till next week,
With love,
Elder Thomas Bechan

 Me and president Mehr

 Our Vincy group

With my boy elder Jex

 Plane to Trini

Eating Trini Doubles