Elder Beach Minnesota Minneapolis Mission: Week 4 in Lake Nokomis

A big hello to all my fam, friends, and coaches back home, at school, and serving around the world! Hope you are all doing well and enjoying life. Spring is kinda in the air here, so we are hoping to see some warmer weather soon. I’m sick of the cold and snow and nastiness of the end of Minnesota winters. ️ I’m ready for some sunshine and warm weather haha.

Monday was p day as usual. We had basically a zone p day at the Hicken's. Beforehand we went to some hockey store so Elder Peterson could check out some hockey gear and all that. I got a good insight to how people feel when I take them to look at football stuff. I don’t know much about hockey and don’t particularly enjoy skating or anything, so I was just walking around and had no clue about anything. I figured most people probably feel the same way when I take them to Dick's Sporting Goods or something to look at football gear. So, good insight for me there. After that we watched the "Singles 2nd Ward" at the Hicken's and then the whole zone showed up, so I played some basketball with a few guys and most people watched "Coco". They said it was good, so I’ll have to watch it when I get home. After p day we did some tracting and found a Jewish lady that took a Book of Mormon and said we could come back this Tuesday. Hopefully that pans out. We had another lesson that was really weird with the Ludwigs. They said they believe you need to be baptized as an infant or else you go to hell. I just testified to them that little children are saved through the atonement of Jesus Christ and they they went off on some huge rant about how faith is a product of baptism. We believe that faith in Christ leads us to be baptized and follow him. They think faith comes after you're baptized and is a gift given to us by God. We can’t do anything to build our faith. We either have it or we don’t. They have such skewed beliefs of what the gospel of Christ is. It is really sad, but they aren’t willing to listen or “experiment on the word”. So I don't know what else we can do. I invited them to read 2 Nephi 31 because that explains the gospel of Jesus Christ about as plainly as you can get it.

Tuesday we went out to Waconia’s district meeting and interviews. The district meeting was super good! Afterwards Elder Peterson and I did some stop bys in the West part of our area and then hit up some Subway for lunch. Then we had a lesson with Steph! It was really good! She has read through almost all of 1 Nephi, so that was sweet. We somehow got talking about the Godhead and how she thinks God is some mystical thing and doesn’t have a body. She believes in the trinity basically. So we read in Genesis 1 where it says we are “created in the image of God.” We shared the first vision, some other scriptures, etc. Then she’s like, “No, God is God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost all together, but they’re all separate.” I was like, “So you believe that we are created in the image of God, right?” She’s like, “Yes.” I was like, “So how are God and Jesus Christ the same being? Did God's arm just break off and come to earth and become Jesus Christ?” She didn’t really know how to answer that. She just went off on some super confusing tangent that we are like God because our body, brain and spirit are like the trinity. They’re all 3 separate things, but all the same. It didn’t make much sense. I’m so grateful for the knowledge we have about the nature of the Godhead. People are so confused. It’s sad! God is literally our Father in Heaven with a perfected, glorified body of flesh and bone, and Jesus Christ is literally his son, glorified and perfected as well, with a body of flesh and bone. The Holy Ghost is the comforter, the testifier of truth, and that purifies and sanctifies us after we have been baptized and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. They are 3 separate beings but one in purpose: to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. We were supposed to have dinner with Brother Shaffer on Tuesday night, but he couldn’t make, it so we hit up some Subway and McDonald’s for Elder Peterson haha. I also went to the chiropractor and it was really good! The dude was super cool and we talked about missionary work and how I’m out here for 2 years and then playing football when I get home. He thought it was pretty cool that I gave up 2 years to come serve a mission. It’s been worth every second! Elder Peterson got the VIP treatment there too, and they had him chill in a massage chair haha. So it was really good! Tuesday night we did some stop bys and knocked some doors and I don’t recall finding anyone solid or getting in contact with anyone haha. Oh, we also helped Sister McClain haul this futon bed thing from her shaggin’ wagon to her house. I don't know how they got the bed into the van in the first place. The back door didn’t even open, so we somehow got it out the side door and into her upstairs bedroom. It took like 45 minutes to do that haha, but we managed somehow.

Wednesday we had district meeting in the morning and then helped Sister McClain put together the bed we hauled into her house. So we and the Spanish Elders did that and got it all set up for her. Her grandkids were there and they thought we were hilarious for some reason. So that was pretty funny. After that we had a quick lunch and went on a spirit walk and stopped by a bunch of people. We gave out like 3 Books of Mormon to people we street contacted and met who lived in houses that members used to live in. We found some good potentials, so that was sweet! After that we stopped by this town home complex to stop by a few potentials. We stopped by this guy named Michael who had been taught once like a year ago. He let us right in and we had a really good restoration lesson with him and gave him a Book of Mormon and set up the gospel library on his phone. He’s a truck driver so he can listen to the Book of Mormon on road trips. He was such a nice, humble guy, and I hope we can keep teaching him. He’s gone a lot because of driving truck, but he said we caught him on a day where his truck was in the shop so he was home. After that we had dinner with the Showleys and they’re sweet. Sister Showley actually went to CMU in college for swimming! I didn’t know that until they asked me where I was going to college and I said, “Colorado Mesa University.” Sister Showley was like, “I swam there back when it was Mesa State!” So we had a pretty sweet conversation about CMU during dinner haha. After dinner we had a lesson with Theodes and it was really good! He read 2 Nephi 31 and told us he was going to tell us to not come back and then decided to read the Book of Mormon. He enjoyed it so much he decided he wanted us to keep coming over. His son is a member in the Blaine ward and we’ve tried to reach out to him because Theodes wants to talk to him before he makes any major commitments with the church. Theodes is doing pretty good though, so we are seeing him again this Wednesday.

Thursday we had the Spanish district meeting in the morning because they had to make like 1700 tamales for the TC 1st ward fundraiser on Friday haha. So we had district meeting, weekly planned and then Brother Shaffer took us out to Subway for dinner. He told us how he used to be a wild child and some of the stories he was telling us were pretty crazy haha. After that I went out with Brother Barleen and visited the Soogers. They are less active so we stopped by and got to know them a little. They basically shared their whole life stories with us so we were there for literally almost 2 hours. They had like 16 cats and one of them had caught a mouse and and they all were just circled around it and would swat it and chase it around haha. Pretty entertaining to watch. Anyway, I shared the Joseph Smith story and first vision and Brother Barleen invited them back to church. They were there on Sunday, so I’m a believer in this program to rescue less active Melchizedek Priesthood holders. It’s been working wonders in our ward so far. After that we met back up at the church and headed home.

Friday we did Zone comment sheets and leadership recommendations in the morning and then accounted with the APs. Then we went to the Minneapolis VA to do service there. We hadn’t been yet with the other district, but we went this week and it was a party haha. All the old guys LOVE the Sisters. All the Elders come walking in and they’re like, “Where’s the girls? We want the Sisters!” Haha there’s a couple of them that just love flirting it up with the Sisters and it’s hilarious. They had a musician come and sing some songs and play guitar from the 60’s and 70’s. The dudes loved it. They were all singing along and having a grand old time. Then this little group of people came from the Joe Smith American Legion post and did a couple Christian songs that were super bad. Like not bad songs, just really bad performance. Then they basically told everyone that they were all saved and Jesus loved them. I got a weird feeling they were just talking directly to us. It was really weird. We then got to serve them root beer floats and socialize for a little bit. They’re really sweet old guys haha, and I’m excited to keep helping them have some company this upcoming week. They really enjoy us visiting them! After that we did a spirit walk and didn’t have a whole ton of success talking to people, but it’s all good. Not every day you find people! After that we had dinner with the Ramseys and then had a lesson with the Olsons. They’re a less active couple who live up in the Northeast part of our area. They live in a super ghetto part of Minneapolis and Elder Hickman had no clue who they were, so we texted them and they’re like, “Yeah! Come over Friday night!” So we got there and ended up sharing President Nelson's talk about the Book of Mormon with them and invited them to watch conference this upcoming week. We each were able to share our testimonies of the Book of Mormon and of living prophets with them. I’m very grateful for prophets and apostles on earth today! We definitely need them. After that we had like 45 minutes, so we finished up Zone comments sheets and then right after we finished the APs called and said we didn’t need to do them this transfer. So that was kinda frustrating because we would’ve had about another hour to proselyte, but oh well!

Saturday we had a lesson with the Iversons! Brother Iverson got baptized last November and he’s doing pretty good! He’s got the Aaronic Priesthood and is still working really hard to stay off the coffee and cigarettes and is doing really well with that! We shared some of Elder Anderson’s talk called, “The Voice of the Lord” from last conference. We invited them to prepare themselves for conference by getting some questions ready that they could come into conference with. We promised that each of those questions would be answered for them. We also talked about how the new prophet is called and what happens in between prophets. So it was a really good lesson. After that we stopped by a few people and knocked some doors for a while and didn’t find anyone really solid. Then we got to go to Cottage Grove for Camerson Forsberg's baptism. Elder Peterson taught him while he was there. Cameroron is really cool and I was so happy for his decision to be baptized! It was awesome. That took up the rest of the evening, so that’s all for Saturday!

Sunday morning we had the stake report meeting with Brother Patterson (Bishop Patterson from Minnetonka) and President Barney and the STLs. We’ve blown our goals out of the water this month compared to last month, so I’m super proud of the missionaries in the zone. They’re doing awesome! After that we showed up to church just in time to sing in Sacrament meeting. It ended up being really good! I was pleasantly surprised haha. After Sacrament I talked to Corwin Morton for about a half hour before we had to go to the Cottage Grove Sacrament meeting so Elder Peterson could confirm Cameron. Corwin is the dude in our ward that we went to the VA hospital with. He’s a chaplain for the American Legion and was in the army for like 10 years or so. He’s a really cool guy and has quite a few physical disabilities but hasn’t let any of them stop him from achieving his goals. He’s a determined guy! I just got to know him and just visited with him for a while. The Hermanas and Spanish Elders and Elder Peterson were just chilling and talking and Corwin was just sitting by himself in the foyer, so I felt like I should go talk to him and we had a great chat. I’m glad I did. Then we went to Cameron’s confirmation and then came back and had lunch really quick and headed out to do some stop bys. We got in contact with this less active couple named the Tranfeldts. They live in Hopkins in this super rich area. Nobody knew them, so we stopped by and they were home and let us right in! They’re from South Africa and Botswana (both are white people though) and Brother Transfeldt is a Doctor and is super loaded. They travel a ton and have family in Memphis, South Africa and Oregon. They both joined the church in their teen years and I don’t think have been active much since. They’re really awesome though, and we set up a time in a few weeks to visit them again and probably reteach them the missionary lessons. They’re awesome! Super nice people. Then we had dinner with the Parsons and that was super good! I found out Sister Parson has type 1 diabetes as well. So that’s pretty cool! Brother Parson told us how his son met his wife on his mission and all this stuff about how they emailed each other on their missions and then got married like 5 months after they got home. Good stuff. After that we tracted and contacted for like an hour and half and gave out a few Books of Mormon. We met some really stupid people, so we were both a little frustrated by the end of the night, but we had some cool experiences following impressions to knock certain doors and talk to people out on the street. I love following the spirit, even if nothing happens. It just makes me feel like I did what God wanted me to do! It’s awesome.

Well, it’s been a week! Time is clicking by like crazy. Less than 3 months till I’m home. Pretty nuts. I’m so grateful we have General Conference this upcoming weekend. It is truly an amazing time of year where we can hear the words of God's chosen representatives here on earth. The words they speak are so powerful and benefit us so much as we apply what they tell us to do. I have a strong testimony of that from personal experience. I’m grateful that God loves us enough to call those men to share his word with us, to reveal the mind and will of God concerning the things we should and shouldn’t do to keep ourselves free from the muck and filth of the world. As many in the past have done, I simply invite you to “Come and See” if the message we have isn’t good and true and of God. I testify that we are led by a prophet, Russell M. Nelson, and that each of you can know he is a prophet by reading the Book of Mormon and praying to ask your Father in Heaven to know if it is true. Also, listen to President Nelson’s words. Apply them. I promise they will bless your life and nothing but good will come from them! Thanks for all the prayers and support! Couldn’t do it without them. I’ve never been more worn out mentally, physically, and emotionally in my life, but I love what I’m doing here. Love you all and hope you have a great week!

Much love,

Elder Beach

#MavUp #10