Letter to President Gustafson

Dear Mom, 

I am sorry that I haven't been sending enough detail. I am not good with that sort of thing.
Here is this weeks letter to President Gustafson. I don't know whether or not you would want to share this, but at least maybe you would like to read it. 

"Kaicho,

The first things that I am to report to you on are: my responsibilities to represent the Lord in our area, and to obtain His direction in carrying out my assignments and blessing the people here.
"This week I was able to baptize Egawa Etsuko Shimai. It was a great experience. I really had so many people to help me. It was really rough to get this all together, but it is finally started and I feel like I can say that we have done the right thing. I really do love Egawa Shimai and hope that she will stay true for a long time, so that we can meet again in the faith after I have left here. I am so blessed to have been here to help her! I think I will always remember the words I said as I baptized her. What a great blessing!
"The next things to report are the status of the work and my personal progress.
"I have gained a greater testimony of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. As we struggled to know what was right and wrong, and as we worked to find out the will of the Lord, I was really stressed. It was hard for me to have the opposition that we had, but the Savior knows us, and knows how to succor us. In this time of great stress and trial, the Savior gave me support by good friends who care for me, good branch leaders, and even by friends and family back home. I did not know what power and what meaning could come from the loving hands and words of the people around us. Thank you for your support too Kaicho. Most of all, to feel the Savior's approval and love by them and through the spirit, was a blessing without measure. Partaking of the sacrament was so much needed.
"The work will continue here. I have a hope that it will speed up from here on out. I really have felt directed by the Spirit and am excited to know where we will be led.
Thank you for all you do.
Working hard and keeping the rules, love,
Elder Bevan"

Besides those things, I would like to ask if you might be able to send me a filled out "My Family" booklet, for showing investigators about fam. history.. That would be great.
Anyways, love you Mom. 

This week was really great. Thanks everyone for thinking about my Birthday you made it Great!

I think the thing that I want to tell you all about this week was Zone conference. The Mission President comes to all of the zones about once a month and does interviews, zone conference, or training. This week we got to see him come down and instruct us on effectiveness, unifying the mission and other such things. What He said was definitely meant for me. I had been praying to know what I could do to be more effective, and He talked directly on that. It was great! 

He also gave some time for missionaries to come up and give their testimonies and I was reminded how luck I am to be serving here. I love it! I love the mission!

That experience let me see a little bit of why I am working here and why I am working with President Gustafson. He such a great man! i am so glad I can work with Him!

love you all,

Elder Bevan

Prayers are Answered

This past little while I have been working on being selfless, and I've taken a paperback Book of Mormon aside just for that. I am specifically noting the ways it teaches us about selflessness in the margins and with my marking. It has been a wonderful study, and it has strengthened my testimony that the Book of Mormon really is the keystone of our religion. Now, more firmly than ever before, I believe that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, and I am coming to see just what kind of potential it has to bless our lives and guide us to truth.

As I began this study of selflessness I came to see that praying for others is a huge part of acting in a Christ-like, selfless way. Although I still want to improve myself in this way, I have begun to work on it and I have seen the blessings that come of it.

Here is my letter to President Gustafson this week: 

"Well, this week we worked hard, and although we did not see exactly what we had hoped, things have all turned out for the better (far better than I had hoped or thought). As I have prayed for the investigators that we have stewardship over I have seen those prayers answered in miraculous ways.
The example that stands out in my mind most prominently right now is a miracle from yesterday. Lokendera, a Nepaljin investigator, did not make it to church last week and his baptism has been moved twice. I have been praying for him to find work so that the way will be opened for him to receive baptism with all of his heart. Kurita, whom you might remember, and who has a similar situation, also came to church rather unexpectedly. During the sokujikai after sacrament meeting, in what must have been an inspired moment, I thought of asking for Kurita's help with finding work for our Nepaljin friends. He answered with an enthusiastic yes, and all those involved were blessed to see it happen. After all information was exchanged between the parties, Lokendra gave the warmest hug I have ever felt, and I was filled with gratitude for answered prayer."

That's all I have time for now. My love to all!

Elder Bevan