Lieve vriendjes and vriendinnetjes,Yet a next week has flown by hasn't it. Have very limited time today but just wanted to say that life is wonderful. Because I make it wonderful! You know people say: "you are what you eat", I kind of look more at it like: "you are what you think". The sciptures plainly teach this principle "As a man thinks in his heart, so is he". Be positive, smile!Love,Elder Thomas Bechan
Christmas in March! Got to love this mission
Lieve vriendjes and vriendinnetjes,Was a rough week I have to say. But what makes things worthwhile is charity. Not for any random reason Christ taught this to be the greatest commandment. There is nothing more important then showing love. For a wise man once said "They that show not love, are they that do not love". Ponder about that for a little bit. What acts of love have you shown lately? Do you say to people you love them? With this quote in mind, why would that be something important? Honestly just love one another, I can promise you it will make your life full of sunshine. What holds you back from showing love to somebody? Is it embarrassment? Or maybe somebody upset you? Take the following inspired words in consideration: "Never let a problem to be solve become more important then a person to be loved". My dear friends, take away the obstacles that prevent you from showing love. Bridle your idle foolishness, so that God can fill you with his love (Alma 38:12).
Love,Elder Thomas Bechan
Lieve vriendjes and vriendinnetje,Today is yet another Monday, time goes by too fast. Makes me almost afraid of blinking my eyes. I think everybody who ever served a mission will agree with me on this one: It's the best experience I have ever had in my entire life. As missionaries in my zone describe it: "I radiate happiness", I feel happiness. It's really hard to describe how it feels, even impossible I think. Unless you experienced it before, feeling the Spirit of God working trough you is something you can only understand if you know how it feels. Otherwise it's like trying to explain how salt tastes to somebody that has never tasted salt. Please try it, you cannot. That's kind of the same with the Gospel. You need to experience it! me telling you what I know is not going to help you. As missionaries we invite all day long. For only then can you taste salt for yourself. By just looking at a spoon full you're not going to understand the taste, nor by trying to smell it. Same with Gospel. By watching me you can see the beauty it brings into my life. By reading how happy I am, you may think it really works. But only when you taste will you know for your self. So go do something, read the Book of Mormon, go to church or even as simple as pray. Just do it.Well that's all out of time I guess! Know that I love all of you!Love,Elder Thomas BechanOne more thing that makes this mission the best in the entire world: in march it still feels like Christmas! This week I received a package from my wonderful homeward Zoetermeer! You brothers and sisters are the best! Made me feel like it was Christmas all over again. Really loved the card, thank you very much!
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
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
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
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 happenLove,Elder Thomas Bechan
