Week 2 in Villavicencio

Week #64
3/23/15
Well, the transfer is over, and our district is staying the same. So I will get to be with Elder Carrera for another 6 weeks, at least. So I´m pretty content. Our area is huge, and President told me that when things get better with the ward here, he will put two more missionaries in the ward. 

Well, we found a bunch of new investigators this week. One cool story is how we met Norberto. We were riding to our first appointment last Monday night, and just before we got to the house, I noticed a sign for a shop that shanged tires for motorcycles. Then, a moment later the pedal of my bike fell off. I had felt it begin to wobble for a minute, and then it fell off. We couldn't find the bolt in the street, so we went to the shop I had notices to see if he could help me out. We met Norberto, who put on a bolt so my bike could work until we went to the bike shop. So we contacted him, and we returned on Thursday for the first lesson. We taught him the restoration, and it was a really special lesson. He told us he had gone to a christian church before, but had fallen away. He showed us real desires to find God again in his life, and committed to read the Book of Mormon, and pray about it. It seems God directed us to him, well at least to me it does. So I left that lesson pretty excited. 

On Tuesday night we were filling out our teaching records for the lessons we had that day, and we got a call from ´Piamonte 2´, my old area. About 3 weeks ago we received the instruction that we can´t call missionaries in other zones, so I wondered why they would be calling us, from my last area. I picked up, and Elder Rodriguez, my last companion greeted me. He told me he was calling for a reason, he had news. María Eugenia had died that day. Everything kind of stopped. I didn't know what to think. She never got out of the hospital, and he didn't tell me why it had happened. I just didn't know what to think. I felt really amazed at the sequence of events. She was baptized, and confirmed. Just after her conversion she left church because she felt intense stomach pain. She went to the hospital a day or two later, and didn't get better, and passed away about 3 weeks later. I feel so privileged I could have baptized her. And saddened that a dear friend was gone. But, I do know God´s plan is perfect.

This week I have learned the importance reading the Book of Mormon has. Ive seen that if investigators are reading the Book each day, they'll go to church. So I want to focus a lot more on helping people find the way to read every day. I know it was because I began to read daily when I was 13 that I gained a testimony of the Book of Mormon, and I love reading. I know it is truth, and convincing evidence of the restoration of the gospel. I want to invite everyone that reads this letter to make a greater effort to read the book of Mormon daily. 

Not much else super significant has happened this week. Ive had a bunch of great spiritual experiences that I cant write out, but I know God lives. Riding a bike is fun, and I like being able to zip around faster. I love this work, and I love this city. Its cool seeing lots of palm trees again, reminds me of home. 

Thanks so much for reading!

Elder Beck

Some pics of what its like here, my district, and me with my bike. we got really wet one day. It began pouring RIGHT when we left an appointment, so that's one picture, and our area map, to show that I have half the city, well basically.