July 24, 2017 Why I Served a Mission

I never fully understood why missionaries were so happy amongst rejection and being away from family and friends. In the bitter cold or humid heat. Why they were happy even though they looked like they had nothing remotely to like. Why they were alright with waking up at 6:30 am and working until 9:30 pm? So many things that would have some of the brightest and most knowledgeable people on this earth questioning and even laughing at them. But now I get it. I believe the secret lies in the scripture Mark 8:35. "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall  lose his life for my sake and the Gospels, the same shall save it." Or even find it!

It's selfless service, selfless love, Discipleship, simply turning outward instead of Inward that keeps even the most exhausted missionary driven to do the Lord's work. President Hinckley's Father spoke the truth  when he wrote to Pres. Hinckley on his mission, "Forget yourself and go to work." I've found the greatest happiness I've ever felt from just forgetting myself and caring for those I come in contact with. But with that comes disappointment and heartache that produce even the saddest tears. Seeing those I want the best for and love so much come so close to receiving some of God's greatest blessings. Motivation always seemed to fill me though as I remember my Savior who never gave up. Loving parents who taught me to look up and to keep going when disappointment comes my way. Sports coaches, General Authorities, Best friends, the world's greatest missionaries cheering and encouraging me to get up when I fall, and to keep pressing forward.

Iv'e had 11 companions and served in 8 areas. With those 11 comps and in those areas came an unwavering testimony, the most knowledge and intelligence I've ever received, and a changed heart. I fully understand my place and purpose in this life now that it had to do with Christ's words "Feed my Sheep" and "Cry Repentance." Seeing people become better acquainted with Christ and tasting of his goodness has brought me great Joy. Whether it be seeing someone pray for the first time, someone understanding a principle of the Gospel, someone entering into the waters of baptism, or helping someone go to the temple all made it worth it for me.  

I've taught athletes, lesbians, Ex gang members, Hell's Angels, prostitutes, people from so many different diversities, atheist, satan worshipers, etc. Iv'e taught old and young, rich and poor, the wise and the unwise. I've seen it all! I've learned so much from these people that I will never forget! Crazy stories and experiences were obtained these past 2 years. From companions lighting fireworks in our study offices to getting accused in front of a bunch of members of a religious group called the 12 tribes! Drunk and very high people trying their very best to hold a conversation with you, to challenging missionaries to food competitions that end up throwing up in public! Or even strange people or strange events happening right before your eyes that you thought would only happen on TV or something. I knew from Day 1 on my mission when a random hobo, who only knew a lick of English, stopped us on the road and tried to get into our car multiple times that it was going to be a adventurous and interesting mission! And I was right!

I've gained a strong testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith. He sure did go through a lot for this church. He still gets accused and laughed at today. There is so much Anti and so much hatred that I've seen towards God's only true and living church. Many people trying to tear down it's members, tear down the Book of Mormon, doing whatever it takes to make one believe that it's a hoax or a fraud. That it was made up and that Mormons are delusional and so on. If so much ridicule and hate towards this church from so many people isn't a sign of it's truthfulness, I don't know what is! Satan himself knows it's true and he's doing his best to convince people not to believe. But God's church will Prevail! It will continue to grow! God is on our side and with him there is always victory! 

The scriptures are the word of God and that includes D&C and the Book of Mormon. Answers to so many questions can be found in the scriptures. I know it for myself! One more thing before I end the email. One great and huge benefit of going on a mission that I had not realized before coming out, was the amount of true friends I would receive. Eternity long friends. I only truly had a couple before coming out but now I have many. Friends I can count on and trust of which are companions, families and individuals I've met in different area of my mission, church leaders, and other missionaries friends. For those of you reading this know who you are and I thank you with all my heart! I thank everybody for there support and encouragement. It's helped a great deal and has even saved me at times from breaking down or giving up. So thank you! 

This email will be continued next week which will be my very last pday! There's to much to talk email about the mission. 

Info about this week: Elder Kaku is really cool! Kind of a weird transition, really it always is when getting a new companion! But he's a good guy! He is from Ghana and Nigeria! His dad was a mission president in Nigeria so that's pretty cool! We've been able to see a lot of less actives. The ward has a 15 names list that focus on those that need help so that has been really helpful! Some hard core service for some new people in the ward. Cutting down branches and trees and putting into the chipper.. it was pretty hard but it was good. He appreciated it! Got some people inviting us over for dinner that never have for a very long time! So that's always nice! Bishop even invited us over for dinner! We are getting places here! I've really enjoyed Owen sound. It's a great place! 

Well my fingers hurt.. haha I can't wait to see you guys! I love you all!

Just a reminder to not send any letters and packages from now on cause they will just disappear forever! 

8 days

Forever and Always,

Coco 

"My daughter plays violin..and it is my daughter's violin...a gift from her brother when she turn 15..he always told us that he wasn't good at it..but we found out on Saturday that he play really good.. They are coming tomorrow for dinner..we are going to take them to eat beaver tails and maybe for pizza later." -Sister Cepeda

July 17, 2017 Grandpa Colten Beddes

I'm jealous that you guys are in Myanmar!! I've always wanted to go on that humanitarian trip you guys go on every year! Looks really fun! Hope you guys are safe and having fun and making an impact! Those pictures are awesome! I liked the one with all of the missionaries in it and I agree that dad would make a great mission president. I envision that he would be a lot like Pres. Shields. They would get a long great. You would make a good companion to the mission president too momma! Lots of meetings though! Well, people keep calling me grandpa beddes for how old I am in the mission. People keep reminding me of how much time I have left. You really can't escape from it on your mission! Despite the constant reminders it still doesn't feel real to me. I don't think it will until i get on that airplane. 

 The week was a good one. Been seeing some less active people that love our visits. It's nice to see that people want us over instead of us being a burden. Makes them happy which in turn makes me happy. They came to church too along with the two kids that aren't baptized. It's great that they are making the decision themselves to come to church at such a young age. district meetings are going well. I think the missionaries in my district really enjoy my district meetings. I try and make them not boring haha. We talked about journaling. I was inspired by Grandma Beddes's weekly letter about journaling and I thought it would be cool to have a district meeting about it and plus I needed it too! I'm doing ok with writing in my journal but I know I can write more spiritual things that's for sure. Believe or not but some of the missionaries haven't even written in them for over six months! So it was a good refresher. After district meetings, we all go to Chinese food afterward. Made that a tradition in the district. And then we went to this cool ice cream place that sells a bunch of different flavors of ice creams. I got blue berry and mango. Then some of the elders and I got broccoli and cheese. We all tried it and it was so disgusting. People who worth there probably thought we were such idiots! haha We've had a lot of with the Orangeville elders. Great Elders! We do a lot of things together! We went hiking last pday through some caves and that was fun. Some people got injured but all is well! 

We talked yesterday in Church! It was great, people seemed to love it! I based my talk on Dad's dodgeball talk he gave awhile ago! People loved it and I loved how he tied it into the gospel! I'm more grateful for the Atonement now and understand a lot more! So thanks Dad! If any of you want to learn more about it talk to my dad about it. He'll explain it to you. I just don't have time right now cause we have to get ready for transfers. Me and Elder Roundy are staying together for another two weeks but we will be getting another elder!! His name is Elder Kockoo? Or something like that. I've met him and seems like a great elder! His Grandpa is a 70 apparently so that's really cool! Going to the temple with all of the elders and sisters that are going home! I'm pretty excited to go! I love the temple so much! Thanks for all of the great emails everybody and I can't wait to see you in two weeks as well! I have the greatest supporters of all time! 

Love you forever and always,

Elder Beddes

It was pouring rain so i decided to take a bath since my clothes were soaked haha

world's largest duck! 

Hiking and elder roundy stitching himself haha

July 10, 2017 Remember Whose Side You Are On!

Hey guys!

It was a good week! Time is flying by and I don't like it. Momma said there is 23 days left and I was like what the? I was going through all of my mail (which is a ton and thank you everybody who has written me) and I read some letters in the mtc from family and I felt so blessed to have such great support! It's surreal to think that those letters were written two years ago. Felt like  yesterday I had just read them. Time seemed to have paused for a couple of years and will resume when I get home. But I know that things have changed and it'll be weird!

Found 2 new this week! They are from a part member family! They are two awesome kids that love church! They are wanting to be baptized as well! So that's good news! 

Been working with some less actives that have been progressing! They are feeling a lot more happy too! I can see it! It's awesome to see! 

Went on exchanges with the zone leaders. They are great Elders. I went with Elder Mcdonald. He's the elder I went with last time I had to go to the hospital for 8 hours. He was hoping we wouldn't have to do that again! haha so was I! But we found a couple of people from India who were actually looking for a church. And they want to bring 5 of there friends too! haha so that would be sweet if they all showed up to church! 

We were playing with the ram again. And I fell over and got rammed in the side of my hip so that was sweet. No i'm not hurt but it was a little scary! haha i have it on video and will send it tonight! 

We got a couple of referells from other people as well who want to meet with us! So it's been awesome seeing all of these miracles! I love the mission. Full of them! 

The members are doing great! They are cool! Some member had us come up and recite D&C 4 in front of everybody unexpected. I remembered most of it! I'm grateful we said it a ton growing up in church! 

I can't think of anything else really. I was try and think of some things during the week to bring up in my weekly and then I forget. It's frustrating! 

I love you guys! I will see you soon! Here's a quote I love. 

"I have good news for you. The armies of God are larger than the armies of Lucifer. You may look around and think to yourself, “The world is becoming more and more wicked. Satan must be winning the war.” Don’t be fooled. The truth is, we outnumber the enemy. Remember, two-thirds of God’s children chose the Father’s plan. Brothers and sisters, make sure you are fighting on the Lord’s side. Make sure you are carrying the sword of the Spirit."

—Larry R. Lawrence

Remember whose side you are on! Love you

Forever and Always,

Elder Beddes, Coco

"I took the boys to an Amish house...here some pictures.. The Amish doesn't like the picture to be taking..but sometimes they let me do it..she is a very good friend of the family..then we went to another place and we got pies made by the Amish..and also fresh products ..have a great week./..he almost home " Sister Cepeda

 

July 4, 2017 Happy Canada Day and God Bless America

Heyo!

What's up everybody!? How's it going? How am I doing? Oh thanks for asking, I'm doing well! I don't have much to share this week to be honest. It was a slow week. One of those weeks where you kind of just grind through. A lot of things didn't work our way but I'm beginning to really appreciate those days a lot more just because I have the knowledge now that it'll be better. 

We had interviews with Pres. and Sis. Shields the other day. It's always nice to see them. They are always nice and willing to help in anyway! They talked about home and the future which was really weird for me. Still doesn't feel real that I'm going home! We then went to a burrito place afterwards and I got the biggest burrito there and swear it was like 5 pounds and I finished it! I feel so accomplished. I honestly don't even know how I'm not fat. Elder Roundy sees how much I eat at each meal and just wonders how I'm not overweight and I don't have an answer for it. World's many mysteries. 

Canada Day was the other day! We didn't do much celebration but it was a pretty good day. I'm grateful for Canada, it's a great place! I'm grateful to be here on my mission! We went to the Dunning's house. He's an ex marine and a great guy who takes care of some little kiddos. He made us some pulled pork and some homemade ice cream. Strawberrely ice cream to be exact and it was delicious!

The other day there was this bump on a dirt road... well it was more like a ramp than a bump haha! And we were going pretty fast cough cough and we got some major air. "Like I probably got 3 feet of air that time."-Napolean Dynamite. It scared us to death but we landed it and nothing happened to the car whatsoever! Pheww! Then exactly a minute after that there was a porcupine in the road and I slammed on the breaks but couldn't make it in time and we just see the car go right over it. Didn't hit at all but it shot some of it's needles at the car! It was intense!

Well I can't think of anything else really! I love my mission very much! I try not to think about going home and taking my name tag off cause it brings tears to my eyes. Every time I see a video of missionaries walking down the street or something I get emotional thinking I only have a little bit of time left. I honestly have loved it so much, it's been more than what I ever expected it to be. It's been the hardest, funnest, funniest, happiest, saddest, frustrating, and most rewarding time of my life! 

"You only get one chance to serve a mission; it is your responsibility, your duty, to use it to its fullest; to give every last ounce of energy until you collapse in exhaustion at the end of it. All the hardships, all the tears, all the hard work will be looked back upon as the best thing you've ever done, not because you enjoyed it, not because you baptized everyone, but because you gave it everything you had, even when you didn't think you could, and especially when you didn't want to. Live you mission to your fullest, work harder than you've ever worked before. Let people know that this is the most important thing in the world to you... If you do not run until you have nothing left to give, and then keep on going anyway; cry and pray and work and sweat and plead until you are so drained that all you can do is turn to the Lord; if you don't do this, then these people will not come to this joy because of you -- their failure to come to Christ will be partially upon your head. Come out of your mission proud of what you've done, and this experience will bless the rest of your life." -Elder Jeffery R. Holland'

This quote has helped me so much on my mission. One of my favorites for sure! 

 And happy 4th of July! God bless America! My home and Native Land! I'm grateful for the freedom we have in America and for all of the people that have died for America and for me! God bless them and their families

Love you guys so much!!

Elder Beddes

"We Celebrated Canada by helping a family with the grass....it was fun...just us and the missionaries ...Just a little note...Monday it is a Holiday here in Canada..the boys are having PD on Tuesday..." -Sister Cepeda

 

 

"Hi..we took the boys to eat beaver tails...and later the come to my house to help us with the strawberries...they eat a lot ..I hope they don't get a belly pain .." Sis Cepeda

 

 

 

 From Sis Jones:

June 26, 2017 Zone Conference and Covenants

Hey Crew!

Good to hear all is well! That's excited that Dad is the new Young Men's President!! They are going to love you! And yes get those less active boys out to those activities and back to church! And those pictures are awesome mom! Looks like you guys had a lot of fun! 

My week was good! We had zone conference so we were able to hear from Pres. and Sis. Shields! I love them a ton and I'm blessed to have them hear in the CTM. I was able to see four of my old companions there too! Roundy, Hernandez, Bybee, and Hafen! And a ton of my really good friends there. It was great! What's really weird to think about is that that was my last zone conference on my mission. That was an eye opener. I gave my dying testimony as well at zone conference so that was strange. But it's honestly not even hitting me that i'm going home. 

What else has happened this past week. It honestly feels like a blurr. Building members trust here. We've done some service projects for people in the ward unexpectedly and they loved it! It's great to see their reactions when we did something for them. We dug some holes for this one family to put fence posts in around the garden and holy cow I have never seen such rocky soil in my life. It was hard... reminded me of yard work back at home! 

Another highlight. A Inactive member and his nonmember wife came to dinner with us yesterday at the Cepeda's house. The inactive has been thinking a lot about the church and wanted families are forever dvds. He's got children that are wondering about the church and are wanting to know about this whole families are forever thing. We had a great discussion about the Plan of Salvation. He stopped going to church when he was 19 and has thought about the church often since. He's such a great guy and wants to start coming to church now! So i'm pumped about that and I hope and pray that it will go well for him and his kids!! 

To be honest there was more that happened I think but I can't remember what happened! haha we've been having some good lessons. Meeting some sweet and weird people!! Haha that's always nice! Found my favorite drink of all time at the gas station the other day. Arizona mango lemonade... brought me back!!

I was reading a quote by Joseph Smith the other day. He was talking about the Covenants that we make and how important they are. I'm trying to copy and paste the quote but it's not allowing me too. He pretty much says that we need to take it more serious cause we promised ourselves to God and to Angels that we would keep these covenants!! He threw down pretty much and I loved it. I know this Gospel is true! With all of my heart! God Bless!

Love Forever and Always,

Coco

From Sis Jones: "Look who's eating salad!"

Barrie Zone Conference

Me and Elder Talbot

 

Elder Roundy

 

Cepeda's Farm

 

My apartment!

 

 

 

 Carwash

June 19, 2017 Teaching Simply

Glad to hear that your mexico trip was good! I think it's great that you guys did that! I can't wait to see pictures!! Also good to hear that everybody has been busy in the Summer! Sounds like some great fun activities you've been doing! I can't wait to go to Missouri with you guys! 

This week was a good one! We've been able to see some more less actives in the ward that nobody has seen in a long time. One of them worth mentioning is this guy that is completely blind. He's a cool guy! He was a truck driver all of his life and has been to every state!! He's such a nice guy too and has a testimony of the Gospel! It's pretty interesting how he has seen more than the average person and now he is completely blind! He's grateful he was able to see that much. He has a couple of health concerns that doesn't allow him to come. But I think if he really wanted to, he could come. So we will see what we can do about that! 

Another less active is doing really well. She is the one that wants her patriarchal blessing and want's to go to the temple. She's set a goal to read the Book of Mormon and the bible everyday and she watches church movies a lot. She's doing great and it's great to experience the progression she is making! Her story is really cool. The biggest reason she came back was hearing some church songs that came on when she was trying to kill herself. As she was listening she got an overwhelming feeling that God loved her and she needed to come back! :')

Owen sound is great! The hike last week was great. I don't have pictures right now but I will send them as soon as possible. I've been slacking with the pictures lately. I don't know why but my motivation to take pictures is below average and I should start taking them and repenting of it. I only have a little bit more time left so I need to buckle down! Sorry mom!

Cepeda's and the Jones family are feeding us the most out of everybody! Blessings for them!! They are great and they tease all of the time about my pickiness. But they love me. :) , 

My district meeting was on teaching simply! This is something that missionaries really try and focus on when teaching all people. Over complicating things just opens many doors that don't necessarily need to be opened. And it doesn't focus on what you are trying to teach. It's amazing how the Spirit testifies more of the simplicity of the words that you use!! I've experienced it myself and I know it's true! And plus that's the only way I can actually understand and learn from anybody is when they teach simply! haha 

Any way, I love you all. I can't wait to see you soon!!

Love,

Elder Coco

Canada Toronto Temple

 

Happy Father's Day, DAD!

'Hi...the boys are been with us since 6:30 this morning...we went to the temple together and later they come to help us with the hay...we are making a farmer out of your boy ..later I will send u pictures..I took a lot.' -Cepeda's