Lieve vriendjes and vriendinnetjes,
You could consider this week as the week of defense. My heavens people just wanted to argue this week. At least everyday we ran into somebody that was full on disputing everything I believe. Teaches you a great lesson in life: "Never get upside".
Honestly thing about it, you will never have a solid good reason to be upset. A great man said: "You could be upset about it, but you are not obligated to be". Getting angry or even frustrated is always a choice. We are free to choose, never are we forced to do anything. But of course we cannot choose the consequences.
But to answer all the arguments people bring up basically comes down to the follow question: "Do you believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God?". I think every missionary should know this, arguing never solves anything. Will actually bring you farther away from where you want to be or where you want to people you teach want to be. If the Book is true, all I believe is true. If it is not, then everything a believe is not true. Simple but very important principle right there.
So do you want to know if what I believe comes from God, read the Book. But of course reading it merely as a nice novel is not going to do much. Ponder about what you read, consider the teachings that it has. For I can testify that it will bring you peace and comfort in this life, and eternal life in the life to come. Really thing about what it teaches. Then ask God if it comes from him. He will make it know to you, I can promise you that. Please go figure it out, will give you wonderful blessings!
Well time is out I guess.. Enjoy life to the fullest!
Love,
Elder Thomas Bechan
maandag 24 februari 2014
dinsdag 18 februari 2014
St Lucia 21
Lieve vriendjes and vriendinnetjes,
I feel that I am close to God. As a missionary we have a lot of little rules on what to do and also what not to do. It's quite the intense schedule I can say. I wake up every morning at 6.30am study two hours and go out, come back for a hour of lunch and then stay away till 9pm. Then I come home, plan for the next day, write in my journal, make nightly calls to fulfill my leadership responsibilities and go to bed at 10.30pm. Every single day, you can ask isn't that tiring? Of course it is, I am dead tired every day. But then comes the more important question: why do I do it? Think about that, I could decide to go home anytime. Nobody is forcing me to be here or to do the things that I am expected to do. So why do I do it?
I feel that I am close to God, that's why. I can testify that the moment I will stop being as diligent of a missionary that I am, I will not feel as much as close to God. Not in a physical way close of course, but in a spiritual way. Then you can say does it really matter that much if I wake up at 6.30 or 6.31? It's just one minute, who cares? It does matter and let me explain why: I promised (covenanted) with God to do so. To you waking up at 6.31 (or whatever time you prefer) does not make a difference, you never covenanted to. I promised to God to be a missionary, to live by the rules he has laid down for me. Not out of fear, nor out of obligation but out of love for Him. It is vital in this life to keep your covenants. I promised to abide by the mission rules, God promised me the blessings that I cannot receive in any other way. When I do what the Lord commands, "He is bound". I feel so happy in my life because I keep my covenants that I made, temporal (mission rules) as well as eternal.
Dearest friends, consider what blessings you have obtained by keeping your covenants. All blessings are given because of the Law that was irrevocably decreed in heaven. Keep your covenants, get that happiness in your life.
Shoot I am out of time.. Oh well, have a good week and ponder on the covenants you have made. Strive to always keep them. Doesn't mean you wake up at 6.30 for you have not made that covenant. But what did you covenanted to do? Then do that, nothing more nothing less.
Love,
Elder Thomas Bechan
I feel that I am close to God. As a missionary we have a lot of little rules on what to do and also what not to do. It's quite the intense schedule I can say. I wake up every morning at 6.30am study two hours and go out, come back for a hour of lunch and then stay away till 9pm. Then I come home, plan for the next day, write in my journal, make nightly calls to fulfill my leadership responsibilities and go to bed at 10.30pm. Every single day, you can ask isn't that tiring? Of course it is, I am dead tired every day. But then comes the more important question: why do I do it? Think about that, I could decide to go home anytime. Nobody is forcing me to be here or to do the things that I am expected to do. So why do I do it?
I feel that I am close to God, that's why. I can testify that the moment I will stop being as diligent of a missionary that I am, I will not feel as much as close to God. Not in a physical way close of course, but in a spiritual way. Then you can say does it really matter that much if I wake up at 6.30 or 6.31? It's just one minute, who cares? It does matter and let me explain why: I promised (covenanted) with God to do so. To you waking up at 6.31 (or whatever time you prefer) does not make a difference, you never covenanted to. I promised to God to be a missionary, to live by the rules he has laid down for me. Not out of fear, nor out of obligation but out of love for Him. It is vital in this life to keep your covenants. I promised to abide by the mission rules, God promised me the blessings that I cannot receive in any other way. When I do what the Lord commands, "He is bound". I feel so happy in my life because I keep my covenants that I made, temporal (mission rules) as well as eternal.
Dearest friends, consider what blessings you have obtained by keeping your covenants. All blessings are given because of the Law that was irrevocably decreed in heaven. Keep your covenants, get that happiness in your life.
Shoot I am out of time.. Oh well, have a good week and ponder on the covenants you have made. Strive to always keep them. Doesn't mean you wake up at 6.30 for you have not made that covenant. But what did you covenanted to do? Then do that, nothing more nothing less.
Love,
Elder Thomas Bechan
vrijdag 14 februari 2014
St Lucia 20
Lieve vriendjes and vriendinnetjes,
My next six weeks I will remain in Castries. Right now I am already serving six months on paradisaical St Lucia. Also realized that I will be returning home in six months and to be honest I am not to thrilled for that. I love what I am right now, I love what I do, I love what I am becoming. Never have I had a better time in my life then what I am going trough right now. Nothing makes me more happy then being a missionary. The lessons I learned and the once I am learning and will learn is something I cannot describe. I can not explain the joy that I feel. I know that Christ is my Savior and Redeemer. then you can think: what does that even mean? He makes it possible to return back to the Father (Savior) and he helps us to want to stay there (Redeemer). That's the great thing of God's plan, he will never force us to do anything. We will be where we are comfortable, we will associate with people that make us comfortable. If you desire to drink and smoke, you will be at a place with people that desire to drink and smoke. If you desire to be with God, you will be at a place with people that desire to be with God. That is how it works in this life, that is how it will work for eternity. You will get what you desire. If you plant thistles you cannot expect roses to grow. For by doing so, you don't want roses. So think about that: "What do you desire in this life?" Do you want to be successful? Do you want to be closer to God? Or even do you want to be happy?
Choose to do so. Make an inventory, where are you right now and where do you want to be? Then change your environment.
Know that I love all of you.
Love,
Elder Thomas Bechan
My next six weeks I will remain in Castries. Right now I am already serving six months on paradisaical St Lucia. Also realized that I will be returning home in six months and to be honest I am not to thrilled for that. I love what I am right now, I love what I do, I love what I am becoming. Never have I had a better time in my life then what I am going trough right now. Nothing makes me more happy then being a missionary. The lessons I learned and the once I am learning and will learn is something I cannot describe. I can not explain the joy that I feel. I know that Christ is my Savior and Redeemer. then you can think: what does that even mean? He makes it possible to return back to the Father (Savior) and he helps us to want to stay there (Redeemer). That's the great thing of God's plan, he will never force us to do anything. We will be where we are comfortable, we will associate with people that make us comfortable. If you desire to drink and smoke, you will be at a place with people that desire to drink and smoke. If you desire to be with God, you will be at a place with people that desire to be with God. That is how it works in this life, that is how it will work for eternity. You will get what you desire. If you plant thistles you cannot expect roses to grow. For by doing so, you don't want roses. So think about that: "What do you desire in this life?" Do you want to be successful? Do you want to be closer to God? Or even do you want to be happy?
Choose to do so. Make an inventory, where are you right now and where do you want to be? Then change your environment.
Know that I love all of you.
Love,
Elder Thomas Bechan
zondag 9 februari 2014
St Lucia 19
Pigeon Point
Lieve vriendjes and vriendinnetjes!
Not a lot of time this week, we went to Pigeon Island today. so kind of fort thing on st. Lucia. Was nice to see. Kind of like Nieuw Amsterdam. This week was a good week! Church here is just growing, attendance is about 70! When I just arrived it was about 40 so! It's wonderful, witnessing God's Kingdom growing and blessing peoples life. Great lesson I learned this week: "Ask and you shall receive". Truly it's that simple. Whenever God promises it will fulfill. Ask in faith, try it. Whether it is a desire or question or even something as simple as "I need a ride". Ask in faith and you shall receive. But then how do you ask in faith? What is faith? "hope for things which we not see, but which are true". Truly believe that God will answer your prayer, expect it to happen. Don't demand a time or place, but only expect it to happen. Then you will see miracles occur in your life. Then God's hand will be noticed, and faith will grow. This week was fasting and after fasting you eat and drink plenty. Then you go out, but Sundays you don't buy anything and your far away from your apartment going about the Lord's business. And that just makes you feel so tired. So we were walking home, from far, like 30 minutes and I was just done, out of energy. I thought o please let somebody give us ride. 4 seconds later a investigator passes by in his vehicle wondering if we need a ride! Isn't life just wonderful. So have faith, ask and expect it to happen
Love,
Elder Thomas Bechan
dinsdag 28 januari 2014
St Lucia 18
Lucian Bread
Lieve vriendjes and vriendinnetjes,
I learned a valuable lesson this week. I did a trade-off with a Elder in my zone who has been struggling because of lack of succes. He expressed that he really tries to be obedient to the rules lately but that he is still not seeing baptisms. Made him question whether it is all worth it to follow the rules. I was able to help him understand that that's not why the Lord asks us to follow his commandments and his plan. The Lord doesn't want you and me to keep the commandments to only bless us. Of course He gladly wants to give us blessings to see us happy and to make our day. But I came to a personal believe that's just a side-purpose. I believe his main purpose is to change us. To become like Him, to be sanctified and purified even till we are like he is. We shouldn't do obedient, we should be obedient. Receive blessings by keeping the commandments will help us to allow God to change us. When we receive a reward for something we are more likely to do it again. Please brothers and sisters, keep the commandments. Experience the power of God's Spirit that will polish your character.
We also had a baptism this week! Silas is the name, he is amazing. Very sensitive to the Spirit. He is reborn, I can see that at him. He is a new person now and he is feeling the blessings of it.
Crap out of time..
Well have a good week!
Love,
Elder Thomas Bechan
I learned a valuable lesson this week. I did a trade-off with a Elder in my zone who has been struggling because of lack of succes. He expressed that he really tries to be obedient to the rules lately but that he is still not seeing baptisms. Made him question whether it is all worth it to follow the rules. I was able to help him understand that that's not why the Lord asks us to follow his commandments and his plan. The Lord doesn't want you and me to keep the commandments to only bless us. Of course He gladly wants to give us blessings to see us happy and to make our day. But I came to a personal believe that's just a side-purpose. I believe his main purpose is to change us. To become like Him, to be sanctified and purified even till we are like he is. We shouldn't do obedient, we should be obedient. Receive blessings by keeping the commandments will help us to allow God to change us. When we receive a reward for something we are more likely to do it again. Please brothers and sisters, keep the commandments. Experience the power of God's Spirit that will polish your character.
We also had a baptism this week! Silas is the name, he is amazing. Very sensitive to the Spirit. He is reborn, I can see that at him. He is a new person now and he is feeling the blessings of it.
Crap out of time..
Well have a good week!
Love,
Elder Thomas Bechan
driving to baptism
Love baptisms with waves and ting
Silas baptism
st lucian daycare telly-tubby
maandag 20 januari 2014
St Lucia 17
Daniel's Baptism
Lieve vriendjes and vriendinnetjes,
Was another great week. Being a missionary is the best, everything I do just gives me happiness. This week no time.. But we had a baptism! Was the BEST. Want to invite you to ponder for yourself why you decided to get baptized. Just ponder on that and see how that blessed your life. If your not baptized, go find out why you should, it's the start of great blessings in your life.
Peoples take care! And know that I love you.
Elder Thomas Bechan
- P-day activities are the best in the Caribbean
- Pirates of the Caribbean (tam-tam-tamtam-ta-ta-tam)
maandag 13 januari 2014
St Lucia 16
Lieve vriendjes and vriendinnetjes,
How are you enjoying life? Is it treating you as wonderful as it is doing to me? I hope so. This week has been amazing. Since two weeks I have a new companion Elder Glade. He has some rough edges but he will get there. I worked so hard this week, it makes me feel amazing. But I also learned a very valuable lesson: "The Lord does not walk on crooked paths" (D&C 3:2). What does that mean? I experience that the Lord uses you and me to bring "to pass the immortality and eternal life of men". He takes me, just a 20 year old (gosh where does the time go), and puts me on a strange island to help souls come unto him. He then leads me, I feel that guidance every day. It is almost tangible, that's how real it is. He doesn't just tell you what to do and then leaves. He stays with you, he shows you the way, you are just merely a tool. It is kind of like a parent teaching his child to swim. Everybody knows that it is very important to know how to swim. But you don't just take your 4 year old and toss him in a swimming pool! You step down first into it. Then hold your child while he is in the water. You tell him how to make strokes. You remain with him till he is capable to swim by himself. But even then I believe you will still keep a close eye on him, just to make sure he is doing alright. God is always there, helping and guiding. Sometimes holding you so you don't drown, sometimes just watching till you ask him for help.
So yes to get back to the walking on crooked paths. The Lord will never bring his work to pass by unrighteous means. That is not in his nature. For only a good tree brings forth good fruits. So if we want to be able to help build the kingdom of heaven, we need to be righteous. The moment you choose (for it is always a choice) to be unrighteous, to willingly decided to disobey. Even if it is just one tiny commandment, the Lord will withdraw his hand in his work. For a good fruit can never come from a bad tree, a banana tree will never ever grow a mango. Then we realize that everything just doesn't work anymore, we repent and become righteous again. Then without hesitation the Lord will continue his work. He did that with Joseph Smith, and he even does it with me, a simple 20 year old. I can testify to you that you will never be successful in doing the Lord's work, till you be righteous. You might see some blessings, but those will only be for a short season. When the Lord calls you to his work (whether it is to be bishop or a second counselor in a young woman presidency or whatever) just be righteous. Then you will see miracles.
Shoot out of time..
Love,
Elder Thomas Bechan
How are you enjoying life? Is it treating you as wonderful as it is doing to me? I hope so. This week has been amazing. Since two weeks I have a new companion Elder Glade. He has some rough edges but he will get there. I worked so hard this week, it makes me feel amazing. But I also learned a very valuable lesson: "The Lord does not walk on crooked paths" (D&C 3:2). What does that mean? I experience that the Lord uses you and me to bring "to pass the immortality and eternal life of men". He takes me, just a 20 year old (gosh where does the time go), and puts me on a strange island to help souls come unto him. He then leads me, I feel that guidance every day. It is almost tangible, that's how real it is. He doesn't just tell you what to do and then leaves. He stays with you, he shows you the way, you are just merely a tool. It is kind of like a parent teaching his child to swim. Everybody knows that it is very important to know how to swim. But you don't just take your 4 year old and toss him in a swimming pool! You step down first into it. Then hold your child while he is in the water. You tell him how to make strokes. You remain with him till he is capable to swim by himself. But even then I believe you will still keep a close eye on him, just to make sure he is doing alright. God is always there, helping and guiding. Sometimes holding you so you don't drown, sometimes just watching till you ask him for help.
So yes to get back to the walking on crooked paths. The Lord will never bring his work to pass by unrighteous means. That is not in his nature. For only a good tree brings forth good fruits. So if we want to be able to help build the kingdom of heaven, we need to be righteous. The moment you choose (for it is always a choice) to be unrighteous, to willingly decided to disobey. Even if it is just one tiny commandment, the Lord will withdraw his hand in his work. For a good fruit can never come from a bad tree, a banana tree will never ever grow a mango. Then we realize that everything just doesn't work anymore, we repent and become righteous again. Then without hesitation the Lord will continue his work. He did that with Joseph Smith, and he even does it with me, a simple 20 year old. I can testify to you that you will never be successful in doing the Lord's work, till you be righteous. You might see some blessings, but those will only be for a short season. When the Lord calls you to his work (whether it is to be bishop or a second counselor in a young woman presidency or whatever) just be righteous. Then you will see miracles.
Shoot out of time..
Love,
Elder Thomas Bechan
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