Face to Face Q&A with Elder Bednar-Apostle of the Lord

Elder Beal,
Tomorrow is an exciting day for you! What a wonderful blessing to not only be taught by an apostle, but to be face to face while hearing him bear testimony of the Savior. I bet he has a great personality. Might even be funny. So happy for you. So glad you are serving a mission and can be blessed by awesome experiences like this.
Malachi's team lost to brother Idiart's team on Saturday. The game was great. Our boys aren't used to losing so it is a good lesson for them. Nauvoo is sweet and peaceable as always. Camilla is working crazy long hours and celebrates one year with Jayden tomorrow. Sariah is trying to figure out her plans for post graduation. She passed her Springboard so it should be smooth sailing for her at this point. Christian and Aleesha moved into the new house this week and Sorin is learning how to paint the outside with his dad. They are so stinkin cute!
Dad and I are just trying stay balanced in the midst of all the chaos. My scripture for this week is found in Mosiah 7 the final verse.  This gives me great hope that no matter what we might battle in this life, if we seek the assistance of the Savior we can be strengthened. Repentance is always necessary and always possible.
I would love to hear about your week with your new companion and Elder Bednar's visit.  I love you more than my words can say. I love watching your videos over again and again.
Love,
Mom

Hola Padres!

This week was awesome and yesterday with Elder Bednar was amazing. He taught us by our questions and then after we asked him questions he would say, "can I ask you a question", and then he would give us a question, every question that we answered was correct, because it was from the spirit and what we felt and thought. It was truly inspiring to talk to an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm glad that I studied and prepared so I could be spiritually ready. At the end of the meeting he asked us if we noticed anything that he talked about and why. He talked a lot about our future and about the kids that we will have and how we will have to learn to take care of them and watch over them. I asked him why and he said to me open up your scriptures and go to Mosiah 8: 15-17 which says: 

15 And the king said that a seer is greater than a prophet.

16 And Ammon said that a seer is a revelator and a prophet also; and a gift which is greater can no man have, except he should possess the power of God, which no man can; yet a man may have great power given him from God.

17 But a seer can know of things which are past, and also of things which are to come, and by them shall all things be revealed, or, rather, shall secret things be made manifest, and hidden things shall come to light, and things which are not known shall be made known by them, and also things shall be made known by them which otherwise could not be known.

After that he said I'm a seer and a revealator and I can receive revelation for you.  It was an awesome meeting and I was lucky to be there. I love you mom and I'm so thankful for supporting out here on my mission, a lot of missionaries don't have that support. I give my love to the family, Moroni

Mother's Day Anticipation for the call

May 7, 2016

Moroni,
We are super excited to talk to you!!!! Love you lots!
Mom

May 8, 2016- prior to the call

We wonder if our connection would be better if you FaceTime Malachi's iPad.
His address is:  melloguy@rocketmail.com
Nauvoo is going to FaceTime Karlita at the same time so she can join us.
Love you!

May 8, 2016- moments after our Mother's Day call which ended abruptly, cutting us off and we could not reconnect :(

Moroni,
It was so wonderful to visit with you!  I am so proud of you and love you very much! Thank you for being such an amazing, obedient son. Sorry we could not say goodbye, but I am thrilled for the time we spoke!
Love,
Mom

His response which broke my heart:

I can hear and see y'all

The next day was our scheduled email communication, well I write on Sunday evenings as he is 9 hours ahead of us and he responds on Mondays:

Elder Beal,

It was so fantastic to visit with you today!  I loved seeing your smiling face and hearing your testimony.  You are truly a treasure to me, and I am so thankful that you are sharing the gospel with your brothers and sisters in Spain.  It was great to hear how much you love the people and how some of them remind you of friends and family back home. I will send some photos of Rick that I got this week in a separate email.  If I understood you correctly, it sounded like whoever has your lost/stolen iPad is logged in and that is why you can't send emails and pictures and videos.  It would be funny if it was in your luggage in Madrid.  Let me know if there is anything I can do to help.  It seems like that should be an easy fix. 

 Anyway, this is an exciting week ahead of you; being taught at the feet of an Apostle of the Lord is such a marvelous blessing!  He is Nauvoo's favorite apostle.  I know you will be dedicating extra time this week studying his words and preparing yourself to be inspired by the power of the Holy Ghost during your visit with him.  You must not delay in writing down that very evening all that you learned from him and every impression that came to your mind. Especially write how you felt.  I do not expect you to share all your thoughts and feelings with us, but you will cherish this journal entry for years to come.  Be obedient in this counsel.

I love you with all my heart.

Love, 

Mom

Hey Mom it was really good seeing everyone yesterday also. I'm just bummed I didn't get to say goodbye. Its okay though at least I got to see you. I've been thinking a lot about what you and Dad said. I have a testimony but I want to be better. In the last conference, a lot of the prophets talked about finding Power. For some reason I want to find more. I want to fill my mission with service and Love. I want to be like Christ and Peter I want to give my life for the bearing of my testimony and I want to do it with power. I know that I've been given authority, but I'm not exercising it as bold and strong as I should be. I don't know but something needs to change in me and I think its just around the corner. I love you Mother and I loved talking to you, thank you for being there and supporting me. Love,

Elder Beal

He bore his testimony to us in Spanish during our Mother's Day FaceTime call.  It was so powerful.  One of my children got a video and someday it is my hope to attach it to this post.

Elder Bednar

Elder Beal,
It is crazy that your mission father has died (Returned with Honor). I read a little bit on his blog, and he only served in four areas! He really loved his mission, and was able to show his parents around for a week when they came to pick him up. Tell us all about your new companion. Where is he from? Does he speak English? Are all of the missionaries serving there from the states? I hope the two of you get along well, please tell us his name.
Earlier this week, I watched a few clips on YouTube where Ellen Degeneres sets up a scene where someone needs help from strangers. After the stranger stops to help for a minute, they reveal that they are on her show doing the 'cash for kindness' segment. It amazes me how many people would walk by or refuse to help.  The people who stopped amaze me, as well as remind me of you. You are good at being aware of the needs of others and helping.  As I was mowing the lawn yesterday evening, a smile crossed my face as I thought to myself, "if you were here, and saw me mowing, you would simply walk up and take over for me."  That part of your personality is admirable. You rarely ever share the stories of who or how you've helped. Perhaps they seem like no big deal to you, but they can be game-changers in people's lives. So keep obeying those prompting and helping others as directed by the spirit. I have no doubt that as you do this blessings will flow into both your lives. Mosiah 2:17.
I gave my first lesson in Gospel Doctrine today, it was strange because for the last 2 decades I have always been with the youth and children. I rarely even get to attend the adult classes let alone ever teach. Thankfully, I was among friends. They actively participated and had wonderful contributions that made me feel uplifted and edified. This will truly be a testimony growing experience for me.
 I don't have any new pictures to send this week. I didn't do much but Malachi went camping with dad on Friday then Saturday afternoon he was a rock star at his soccer game. He is really improving! I am super excited to visit with you next Sunday, my eyes fill with tears just thinking about it!
I love you so so much!
Mucho gusto amore,
Mom

 Hey mom!

This week was really más o menos. I had a lot of fun with Elder Morris but I'm still sick however I'm l getting better. I've been thinking of how fast my mission is going because it feels just yesterday I was in Vigo talking to y'all. Anyways I'm really excited for two things, one I get to see your wonderful faces and the other thing I'll send in another email. I love you all and I'll see you on Sunday with FaceTime at 9:30 am there and 5:30 pm here because the islands are an hour difference form Madrid, its an 8 hours difference between us. I love y'all and nos vemos el Domingo.

His other email with the exciting news:

April 24, 2016

President Pack

Dear Elders and Sisters,

We hope everyone is well. We have great pleasure to inform you that we will be blessed as mission to receive a visit from Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. The meeting will be held on Saturday, May 14 in Pavones from 16:00 to 18:30 hours. All missionaries of the mission, except the Canary Islands are invited to this meeting. The missionaries of the Canary Islands have a special meeting with Elder Bednar on Monday, May 16 in the chapel of Las Palmas from 14:00 to 16:00 hours.

We must prepare ourselves spiritually for this great opportunity. We ask everyone to be seated reverently at least a half hour before the meeting begins. We will send information about your trip to Madrid and Las Palmas to have this information available. It is a blessing to share this experience with you.

Fondly, President and Sister Pack

New Companion

Elder Beal,
I hope this week finds you feeling healthier than last week.  This was a very busy week here. Camilla went up on Monday with Jaden to Tokettee Falls and swam in the freezing cold water. Collin stayed with us while he was visiting friends in Oregon. It is always a pleasure to have him around. Camilla and Malachi went with him to Tokettee the next day to hike a few falls and enjoy the hot springs.  Malachi was playing real live fruit slice Tuesday night and we ended up in the ER for several hours, in fact it was one hour for each of his five stitches. Most of it was just waiting, 10-15 minutes was with the doctor. Thankfully, it appears he did not lose any movement ligament function or major nerve damage. On Thursday, Nauvoo passed her drivers permit knowledge test without missing any! I feel safe and relaxed in the car when she drives. Friday night your dad and his friends went motorcycle riding. They sure see some beautiful places in our valley! Saturday was EP prom, Sariah and Nauvoo went with a group and had a great time. They each looked stunning. Today I was released as Primary President. I feel at home in primary, I guess it is time for me to grow. I am one of the new Gospel Doctrine teachers. Also my final semester of Pathway through BYU-I started.

How is the sister you invited to baptism doing? Life altering decisions can be difficult to navigate. I am glad you and Elder Boyd get along so well. Sister Dabel sent me some pictures of Jared for you, but I am still working on getting some of Rick. I sent him the last batch of pictures you sent and he is glad to see your doing well and flabbergasted at how quickly his two years are dwindling down to nothing. He left on Sariah's birthday, so that leaves him with six short months.
I love you and am really looking forward to visiting on Mother's Day. Your financial clerk has the needed proof of payment and said you would be issued a new iPad. Do you know the details of our visit? Skype or FaceTime? Saturday or Sunday? Time? I am super excited!
Love always,Mom

Tokettee Falls

Prom

Elder Dabel

Elder Dabel

Malachi- soccer 

Nauvoo-Drivers Permit!

Malachi's Stitches

 Hey Mom,

This week has been really good and bad, Fuerte has been really good but pretty hot. We had transfers this week and Elder Boyd got transferred to Vigo; my first area! He is a Zone Leader there now, because my dad in the mission, Elder Howard died. (That is missionary lingo for -He honorably returned home after serving his full two-years in Spain) Elder Boyd is one of my favorite companions and I'm gonna miss him. Anyways I am getting a new companion from Madrid and he will bring me my new iPad. I will send you a ton of photos next week and a long message! I love you guys and Malachi is crazy! I miss you guys a lot. And I will be FaceTiming y'all! but I don;t know when, but we will.

 Love,

 Elder Beal 

Invitation to baptism

  Hola Sweet Mama! 

This week has been pretty good! I got pretty sick the past two days though. But I'll get healthy soon! I have had a lot of fun this week transfer with my companion Elder Boyd! Its going to be hard to find another Elder like him, that loves Psych. Hopefully, we stay together for a while longer. Today I finally found my Micro Chip, so I will be sending some more photos! We did some splits the other day with some of the members, and I got the chance to ask one of our investigators to be baptized and she accepted. So hopefully she will keep it. I love the members here they are some of the best I've met. We are only a Rama here but someday we will be a ward. I love the weather here it is so amazing to see sunny days every day. It's crazy being on a mission because the time flies, I don't know if its the same at home but I have almost seven months here! Loco. I miss everyone, all the the people in the ward and the family. I hope no one moves while I'm here! I send my love to everyone and I'm grateful for them! I love you mom and I am so exited to see your beautiful face!  I have been thinking about Gavin and Rick lately, its been a long time since we've been camping together and I hope that there doing good. I love you Mom and Ill see you in a bit. 

Love,

 Moroni.

Also If you could send me some photos of Rick! that would be awesome. I love you Mom.

Elder Beal,
Right after church today I sent you a nice email with a couple of videos. Just now when I sent the request from Bishop I saw that my letter from earlier is not in my sent box or my drafts! I will do my best to recall what I shared.

Today Bishop asked me to update the ward on your mission. The ward family loves to hear about the people you serve and how you are growing in the gospel. Thank you for sharing your interactions with people and your experiences with us. I am thrilled to hear that after six months in the field ringing timbres, someone opened their door to you. I am more impressed that you keep on ringing. Don't ever stop. I am so grateful to have the gospel in my life and the knowledge that my family is eternally connected through the power of the priesthood in a temple of God. That would not be possible if Missioneros serving in my are way back in 1985 chose to stop. Now I know they had the assistance of a ward family who befriended mine and that is an essential part of a successful conversion to Christ so I pray your ward or branch will reach out to their friends and help connect them to you and your companion so that you can assist in connecting them to Christ.

Your dad gave a nice talk in the White City ward today. He started it off by making a correlation from Malachi's soccer game on Saturday, which they won 5-2. He sent you a copy in a separate email.  We went up to Elderberry Flats earlier this week for an evening of roasting dogs, mallows, and banana boats. It was so lovely to escape the daily grind for a few hours and reconnect with God's great creation we call Earth.

Today my parents celebrate their 44th anniversary. Your dad made some fantastic steaks on the Treager and we had lemon bars for dessert. It is also my grandmas birthday today. She turned 85!

I can't remember what else I updated you on in the first email. I know it didn't like that I was sending two videos so I will send them separately this time. I love you and am so proud of you. I am thrilled that you are reading the Book of Mormon in Spanish now. Certainly that can be tough to learn a new language. I have no doubt whatsoever that when you bear testimony of Christ with the power of the Holy Ghost that it doesn't matter the language as he will place words in your mouth and the listener who is ready will feel the prick and piercings of it in their heart. Keep up the good work, keep us posted on your happenings.  I hold my breath each week to get your emails. I love you!
Love,
Mom

Oh I forgot when bishop was here  earlier he said something along the lines that the more diligently you serve the better your wife looks will be. :)

Ring the Timbre (doorbell)

Elder Beal,

It seems so amazing to me that 6 months have passed since you left!  You are accomplishing great things and much is happening in your life, but it feels like the same ol, same ol stuff here. Let me think for a minute I know there has been some excitement! The barn at the back of the Ogle's property caught fire.  It is the one you can see from the back of the high school.  Thankfully, they did not have anything in it and it was far enough from their house to not have been a threat to their family.  Unfortunately, the owner whom they rent from lost a lot of her stuff in it. 

Brother Shultz joined dad, Jeff, and Erik this Saturday on an afternoon ride.  I included those pictures for you. 

Malachi had his first soccer game of the season and he mowed the whole front yard by himself.

Subway is working Camilla some crazy long hours, she is getting 45+ hours each week!  

Sariah and Nauvoo are killing it on the golf course, both of them taking first place and breaking their PR.  My mom is one of the assistant volunteer coaches this year.

I only got one math problem wrong on my final exam for math, one week off then writing begins with a new semester.

Christian and Aleesha put an offer on a house to buy in Texas, I included a picture of it.  I am super excited for them!

Enough about here.  What is new with you?  

Who are you and Elder Boyd teaching right now?

Do you share your piso with the other set of missionaries in the photo from the last email you sent? 

Are you being fed by the members? 

What kind of service to you do? 

Is there a family that we can pray for?  

I know you had to leave one bag behind at the mission home, which was hard then, but do you now feel like you don't really miss it or do you?

Did Elder Howard ever teach you how to convert fat ties to skinny ones?

Where is Elder Boyd from?

I LOVE YOU!

Mom

 

Hey Madre!

This week was really good! We've taught a lot of people. We have really good goals, but sometimes we can't complete them. We have been doing some tracting this week and we actually have had some really good luck! We ringed a timbre and someone just let us in, she was studying with the Jehovah Witnesses (Testigos), anyways during the lesson she said to us, you're kind of convincing me! Today we are going too play Futól and I'm really excited. Elder Boyd is from Washington but he moved to Utah when he was young. I love you Mom and I'm really excited to see you on Mothers Day!  I cant wait to go on trips with dad after the mission. And Scrap Book with you too. Tell the Family that I love them and the ward too! I Love you and I'll send you lots of Fotos next week! 

Moroni

Hey Dad,

Here are The Donaldson Papers, we are using them here in FuerteVentura to teach by. Honestly, this is the best thing that a Missionary and a Future Missionary can use. Read it when you get a chance. Share this with the Young Men so that they can ACTUALLY prepare for their Missions. Also, Reading Preach my Gospel and The Book of Mormon are some of the smartest things that they can do, I regret not doing it more thoroughly, and it was hard to go on a mission without having that true individual Knowledge and Testimony. Thanks for the example you set for me! by the way I've finished it in English and now I'm struggling through it in Spanish.

Moroni

It is 16 pages of a great talk to a mission zone that I am too technically challenged to add to his blog, sorry!~Kimberly

General Conference

  Hola la mejor Mama en el Mundo!

I really enjoyed General Conference this week it was really spiritual, plus it was in English! There were some Amazing  talks. I took to heart the one by Elder Holland! It`s really good to know that God is always on our side and will forgive us freely! I really liked the talk that Elder Uchtdorf gave about the Family and it reminds me how much I miss mine!

   

      Fuerte Ventura is Awesome! The people here are really down to earth and they are here to relax and have fun. The work is hard but the living is nice, this place is like southern California. Sometimes I wish that I went to a third world country but then I think how glad I am to have a cool Piso and a washer machine! Some loco dude stopped me in the street today and asked me some knotty questions! I told him off in Spanish that I'm waiting for marriage for those things! I love you Familia and I cant wait to see ya'll this Día de la Madre! 

Love Moroni

Elder Beal,
Dad and Malachi went camping Friday night and came back just in time to watch General Conference. They camped up at Elderberry Flats. Malachi cooked his own meal and learn how to set up his own hammock.  He'll be all ready when you come home. I know you used to camp there and have paintball wars with Rick and Gavin and Christian and Colton and Donavaghn and Emerson.  Goodtimes!

Zack and Sarah had their baby:

On Wednesday morning
Elijah (Eli) James 5lbs 15oz
Joined our family!

Darren turned 2 on April Fool's Day. It looks like he loved his cake!!! Super cute! Amazing blue eyes!
Here's a picture of both boys at Easter time. Aren't they so adorable!?! I just wish I could squeeze them and kiss their sweet faces! They are so adorable, I can't wait to see them in person again!

Here are a few Lisa posted on FB of Elder Mapel. I wish I could send you his video. It is super cool how fluent he is in the language. Maybe next month on our call I can play it for you. He is cooking with sawdust.

Here's a picture from Donavaghn's blog. They're not sure why he's wearing a pink tiara, it is a birthday party for his companion. He said the same thing about Easter week -been really difficult with Catholics all leaving town.

Showing off a traditional belt and buckle.

Hope you have enjoyed these photo updates. I noticed they were all about boys!

General Conference was wonderful! Dad tied flies while watching. I thought it was interesting that they pointed out that the savior was both a stepson and a refugee. Lots of people will be able to relate to that. I also loved the concept found in the scriptures about beauty from ashes when talking about the Provo City Temple. And also the restored church from Elder Uctdorf's homeland.
We love you and her so proud of you! Keeping you and Elder Boyd in our prayers. Please let me know if there's anything we can do for you.
Love,
Mom