I'M MOVING TO SCOTLAND!

Hello my beloved family and friends,

There have been many miracles this week and many exciting occurrences and events which I would like to share with you. The beginning of the week was rather bland. 3 of our investigators with baptismal dates disappeared off the face of the planet (which means John was NOT baptized on the 3rd of July) and we have not been able to contact Him (or any of the others).

Several enjoyable things have happened though, and I know that the disappearance of those investigators has been their choice. On Thursday of this week we had an exchange with the Elders from Mullingar. Right now Elder Dickerson has a "mini-missionary" who comes out just because we need temporary companions for 1-2 weeks. His name is Brother Redmond (he's 15, haha). I thought it would be humorous on this exchange to go and tract Avondale road with Brother Redmond... but I decided instead to follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost and as a result we were let in to teach a nice Indian lady. So that was good.

During this exchange something insane happened though. Elder Mecham began to make a waffle berry pudding in one dish. At the same time Elder Dickerson began to make a banoffi pie (kind of like a banana cream pie, except better) in another dish! Then I somehow got it in my head to make spring rolls! Thus there were 4 missionaries all gathered together in the kitchen, rolling spring rolls, deep frying them, all whilst eating banoffi pie!

We took the waffle berry pudding to the Decusins to eat dinner with Sigfrid. What we ate for dinner was PIGS HEAD! As in, a pig’s head (in case there was any confusion). We had bought it Wednesday and gave it to Sigfrid who washed its face, shaved it's chin, brushed it's teeth, and cleaned the pigs head as you would before you eat it. He then baked it so the skin was extremely crunchy and actually tasted quite good.

I ate an ear; that was pretty exciting for me. Elder Dickerson and Elder Mecham both ate an eye! After that, the rest of us each had a little piece of the brain. Elder Dickerson almost threw up while eating the eye (it's on film) and threw up just a little bit in his mouth while eating the brain. According to him it was FAR worse. I thought it was the most disgusting thing ever! It was like a film that coated your mouth and you couldn't swallow it without a drink... enough description though...

After that pig bonanza we came home and slept. The next morning we arose early and caught the 7AM train to Dublin where we had the first Zone Conference of the Scotland Ireland Mission! We also met President and Sister Griffiths, whom I know and the spirit bore witness to me, are called of God. It was a very good experience for me and I learned that the piercing fire (of the spirit) we feel at church (or at Zone Conferences) can and ought to be carried with us always. He posed the question "How much time do we spend in fasting and prayer, so that we will have the spirit of God?" (Alma 17:2-3). It was a really good question and my prayers have become much more sincere.

He announced different policies and arrangements that would come with the merger. One of those is that Transfers call (when we’re transferred to a new area) will come on Sunday and you will move on Wednesday. Unless you live in Sligo, then you come in the night before.

So after this really good Zone conference I came home and I have made several commitments to myself. Ways that I can improve and work harder.

Sunday came. It was fast and testimony meeting and the spirit was so very strong. The Testimonies were so good, and even our less active Ed McPhillips got up and bore his testimony. I was proud of him.

After that we taught Ed at his house and after meeting with him we taught Geraldine (our investigator who slept in and missed church, but still came to meet with us anyway, a rare occurrence) at Caroline's house (our recent convert). It was a good lesson and I am glad because Geraldine seems to be "bonding" or learning better from the way Elder Mecham teaches.

After Geraldine's lesson we walked home for our dinner break. We threw a whole chicken in the slow cooker we got from the Mayrs before they left. We also threw in some potatoes and carrots. We were kind of just messing around and we realized that the chicken wouldn't be done in time so, yes, it has been cooking all night until this morning when we awoke and turned it off J

After our seeming less pointless break (why did we cook a meal a day in advance I don't know, but it was fun) we traveled to see a potential who gave us a note through the door (rather than opening it) saying that she wasn't interested

After our encounter with her we traveled to an estate known as Crozon Park. It is a very nice place which we just started tracting recently. We went by some potentials who shewed us away. As we were tracting from a point at which we had left off the Thursday before, I turned to Elder Mecham and exclaimed "I want to teach someone the gospel who will accept it!". The next door a lady from the Congo answered, named Joan, and let us in to teach her about a Prophet of God on the earth today. After teaching her she said she loved everything we taught and believed it. She did have some questions -as she put it "my only question mark is the Book of Mormon"- about the Book of Mormon and we told her we would come back with our bibles and show her where it talks about the coming forth of the Book of Mormon. She was extremely receptive the whole time and I must say she was a blessing from God.

I had a very poignant experience while teaching her because of the way I felt. I had been praying for a Christ-like Love for the people whom we would teach. More specifically everyone, especially those people on the doorstep who would not be interested in anyway, or would contend with me and say that Joseph Smith has exalted himself, etc. (I tend to get a little hot under the collar with them).

During our lesson with Joan I seemed to have this growing love and concern for her eternal welfare as I saw her searching for truth. As I felt this love I had the Spirit prick my heart and testify that this was just a small, small portion of the way the Savior feels for these people. It was a very special moment for me.

On the way home Elder Mecham's bike broke and so he walked his and I peddled in circles (sometimes quite literally). Luckily we were close to the flat and it was mostly downhill so he just rode on it and didn't peddle.

Upon arriving home to the flat (within about 15 seconds of entering it) we received a call from Elder Wheat (one of the Assistants’ to the President from Scotland) who asked if we were ready for our Transfers call! Of course we were!

So, to keep you waiting no longer, Elder Mecham will be remaining in Sligo and will still be the district leader. Elder Frye will be coming here to replace me.

As for me, I will serve the Lord in SCOTLAND! I will be serving on the west coast of Scotland in a little Port town that starts with an "E" but I was too excited when I heard Scotland that I didn't listen to the rest of what he said J

My new address will be:

Elder Beacham

Scotland/Ireland Mission

51 Spylaw Road

Edinburgh, EH10 5BP

SCOTLAND

You can send packages and letters there.

I love you all so much and I must tell you of one last miracle which occurred this week. President Walsh (of the Sligo Branch) was traveling to England and upon my request he stopped at Costco and bought me Costco muffins! They aren't quite the same as home, but they are just as big and they have very delicious flavors over here (the chocolate is SO MUCH BETTER! the poppy seed not so much).

I will be bringing the extra muffins to Scotland with me. With any luck they will have a Costco near where I am serving

I love you all so very much

-Elder Stephen C Beacham