Hey everyone!
Sorry this will be short!
We had a baptism on Saturday. I did the confirmation on Sunday. It was amazing. Our branch president showed up 20 minutes late, so it's amazing that we were able to have the confirmation.
I prayed way hard that he would show up so we could have church and a couple of minutes later he came. It was awesome.
I gave another missionary, Elder Utai a blessing last night because he was way sick. He felt a lot better right after the blessing, but today he isn't feeling too well again. Hopefully he gets better.
We got 2 new bikes finally. But it doesn't help a whole lot because there is a bridge that is out that we have been able to walk/ride in a boat across so far, but there is no way we could get the bikes across.
I got an e-mail from somebody else with my same last name today!!! He spells it with 2 n's at the end though, that's how mine used to be spelled. Way cool! I'll send the email he sent me. Anyway, I love you guys!
Love, Elder Beilman
Oh, and I don't eat a whole lot of Fijian food, because they are super poor and don't have enough money to feed the missionaries, but I did have fish a couple of times. It's just in this area that I'm in that the people are really poor. My companion said its the poorest area he has had on his mission.
So the only thing you have to worry about with sending a package, is the postage. I don't have to pay to pick it up. Just probably don't send anything expensive. I talked to my companion and he said he hasn't had to pay anything to pick up his packages up.
*Below is the letter Clayton received from a guy at Dixie univ. with his same last name:
_____________________________________________________________
Bula,
I saw your picture on the wall of the institute in St George and I just had to write you.
I had always thought that the only Beilman(n)s that were members of the church were my immediate family since it isn't a very common name and my dad was a convert to the church and none of his siblings are members. I am interested in hearing about when your family joined the church. I am also into genealogy so it would be great if I could get some of that information too. Even though the spelling is a little different we could still be related.
It is also cool your in Fiji. I was there about 2 years ago. If you happen to end up in the ward in Nadi tell everyone hi for me. They may remember my mom Donna better since she has been there three times and I have only been there once. Too bad you can't go swimming, the waters great all year around. I suppose that is why I got sent to Peoria Illinois for my mission. I probably wouldn't have made it 2 years without swimming (no one wants to swim in the Mississippi river). At least I didn't have to drink kava for two years, it is gross. If you haven't had the pineapples yet go get some, they are the best I have ever had. Go get some strawberry Oreos, too. It is too bad we can't get either in the USA.
Well I don't want to take up too much of you preperation day so I'll stop here. Don't let the fijian's relaxed attitude and "Fiji time" get in the way of the work. That is especially true for the bishop you mentioned. He should know better.
Don't get eaten,
Eric Beilmann
_____________________________________________________________
Elder Beilman
Sunday
Fiji first letter! March 23, 2014
Hey everyone!
I flew in on Monday morning. It was a way long flight, like 10 hours and I only got like 3 or 4 hours of sleep. And when we got here, it was like 6 in the morning so I had to stay awake the rest of the day or I would have been jet lagged so I was way tired when we got here. But the first day, we got our sulu's (man skirts) and they are so nice! It is pretty hot down here so its nice that we don't have to wear slacks.
The area where I'm serving is called Raki Raki. It's on the main island but pretty much at the north-most part of the island. We are in a bicycling area, but 2 of the 3 bikes are broken, so we walk a lot! It's pretty hard though, we have a really big area, sometimes it takes like more than an hour to walk to the house we are going to. It's an area considered "bush" which kind of means there are gravel roads and farms and wooded areas. The town raki raki is really small.
My companion is way awesome! His trainer was Brother Stock, who was one of my teachers at the MTC so its way cool. My companions name is Elder Leota and he is a fantastic missionary. He is teaching me a lot.
My first lesson that I taught was to the chief of the village!! It was kind of nerve racking, it was the very first time my companion talked to him too, so it was really crazy. we are meeting with him today so it should be good. We have like 14 Investigators right now and we are super busy. The big problem here in Raki Raki at the branch is that our branch presidency isn't doing their calling very well.
So there isn't a lot of good leadership. The 2nd counselor does almost everything, and he didn't even show up to sacrament yesterday because he is fed up with the branch president not doing anything. we were supposed to have a baptism yesterday morning, but the branch president cancelled it because he wasn't prepared. It's really sad, because the investigator Paula is doing awesome, his aunt and uncle are members and he lives with them, and they didn't come to church yesterday, but Paula walked all the way! It is a way far walk too, like an hour walk at least. He is 15, but we are going to do the baptism on Saturday, so hopefully everything works out.
We have a couple of other investigators that are doing way good too, we are going to invite one to be baptized sometime in the next couple of weeks tonight after we teach our lesson. But the only problem with teaching is that we have to have permission from their parents if they are under 18 and if they are married, their, spouse. And a lot of the husbands won't let their wife be baptized which is really sad. There is one investigator named Shyal that wants to be baptized, but her husband said he will leave her if she does so its way sad. Anyway, I have to go now. I'll attach some pictures.
Love, Elder Beilman
-Oh and the people here are super poor. It's way sad. Most of their houses are made from cement blocks and metal. It's crazy. And they sit on the floor all the time. It's hard to get used to that, but I'm getting there. Oh! And the food is kind of gross, not going to lie. But I'm praying that I'll start liking it because I don't want to be disrespectful if I don't eat it.
I flew in on Monday morning. It was a way long flight, like 10 hours and I only got like 3 or 4 hours of sleep. And when we got here, it was like 6 in the morning so I had to stay awake the rest of the day or I would have been jet lagged so I was way tired when we got here. But the first day, we got our sulu's (man skirts) and they are so nice! It is pretty hot down here so its nice that we don't have to wear slacks.
The area where I'm serving is called Raki Raki. It's on the main island but pretty much at the north-most part of the island. We are in a bicycling area, but 2 of the 3 bikes are broken, so we walk a lot! It's pretty hard though, we have a really big area, sometimes it takes like more than an hour to walk to the house we are going to. It's an area considered "bush" which kind of means there are gravel roads and farms and wooded areas. The town raki raki is really small.
My companion is way awesome! His trainer was Brother Stock, who was one of my teachers at the MTC so its way cool. My companions name is Elder Leota and he is a fantastic missionary. He is teaching me a lot.
My first lesson that I taught was to the chief of the village!! It was kind of nerve racking, it was the very first time my companion talked to him too, so it was really crazy. we are meeting with him today so it should be good. We have like 14 Investigators right now and we are super busy. The big problem here in Raki Raki at the branch is that our branch presidency isn't doing their calling very well.
So there isn't a lot of good leadership. The 2nd counselor does almost everything, and he didn't even show up to sacrament yesterday because he is fed up with the branch president not doing anything. we were supposed to have a baptism yesterday morning, but the branch president cancelled it because he wasn't prepared. It's really sad, because the investigator Paula is doing awesome, his aunt and uncle are members and he lives with them, and they didn't come to church yesterday, but Paula walked all the way! It is a way far walk too, like an hour walk at least. He is 15, but we are going to do the baptism on Saturday, so hopefully everything works out.
We have a couple of other investigators that are doing way good too, we are going to invite one to be baptized sometime in the next couple of weeks tonight after we teach our lesson. But the only problem with teaching is that we have to have permission from their parents if they are under 18 and if they are married, their, spouse. And a lot of the husbands won't let their wife be baptized which is really sad. There is one investigator named Shyal that wants to be baptized, but her husband said he will leave her if she does so its way sad. Anyway, I have to go now. I'll attach some pictures.
Love, Elder Beilman
-Oh and the people here are super poor. It's way sad. Most of their houses are made from cement blocks and metal. It's crazy. And they sit on the floor all the time. It's hard to get used to that, but I'm getting there. Oh! And the food is kind of gross, not going to lie. But I'm praying that I'll start liking it because I don't want to be disrespectful if I don't eat it.
Here are some of my teachers at the MTC and everybody in my intake.
First meal and sunset. Here, they leave the bones in the meat, so when you eat it, you have to pick out the bones as you chew it, it kind of sucks, but oh well.
Friday
Fiji tomorrow!
Hey everyone!
Thanks for the email! I appreciate it when I get those from all of you.
Yeah, I received the banana bread, thank you! It was way good! I wasn't able to eat much of it, so I gave a lot of it to some missionaries that are going to Russia that I talk to every now and then. Their class is in the same building as mine so they have come over to our class to share their testimony and scriptures and other things in Russian and we share things with them in Fijian.
It's pretty fun here, I will actually miss it! I love my teachers, they are the best! I'm really grateful for the things they have taught me and for the love they have for us. I keep forgetting to ask what I can receive in packages sent to Fiji! sorry! But I am going to send you 2 boxes of clothes that I won't need and a couple of other things that I don't need to take with me so just a heads up on that. I appreciate the love and support I have from you! The next time you hear from me, I'll be in FIJI! Can't wait to get there. Just one more day! I can't believe how fast these past 5 weeks have gone by. Hopefully I'll be able to be able to kind of slow down a little when I get to Fiji and enjoy the time that I have there! I'll send pictures of me in the Sulu when I get them! It will be the best haha! My teacher actually brought some of his in the other day and we got to try them on.
Love you!
love, Elder Beilman
Thanks for the email! I appreciate it when I get those from all of you.
Yeah, I received the banana bread, thank you! It was way good! I wasn't able to eat much of it, so I gave a lot of it to some missionaries that are going to Russia that I talk to every now and then. Their class is in the same building as mine so they have come over to our class to share their testimony and scriptures and other things in Russian and we share things with them in Fijian.
It's pretty fun here, I will actually miss it! I love my teachers, they are the best! I'm really grateful for the things they have taught me and for the love they have for us. I keep forgetting to ask what I can receive in packages sent to Fiji! sorry! But I am going to send you 2 boxes of clothes that I won't need and a couple of other things that I don't need to take with me so just a heads up on that. I appreciate the love and support I have from you! The next time you hear from me, I'll be in FIJI! Can't wait to get there. Just one more day! I can't believe how fast these past 5 weeks have gone by. Hopefully I'll be able to be able to kind of slow down a little when I get to Fiji and enjoy the time that I have there! I'll send pictures of me in the Sulu when I get them! It will be the best haha! My teacher actually brought some of his in the other day and we got to try them on.
Love you!
love, Elder Beilman
March 7, 2014
Hey, this will be a super short letter! Sorry!
My time has come to an end on the computer today.... I feel like it was 10 minutes ago that I got on here. Thanks for the email and the updates on everything.
My time has come to an end on the computer today.... I feel like it was 10 minutes ago that I got on here. Thanks for the email and the updates on everything.
This week we got our flight plans! We leave on Saturday the 15th at noon and board a plane to LAX at 3:30 and land in LA at 4:25 or something like that. then we have a 7 hour layover and board a plane at 11:35 to Fiji and arrive in Fiji on MONDAY at 6 in the morning! We skip Sunday! That will be kind of weird. But we cross the international date line so we will be on Monday when it's Sunday here. its an 18 hour difference.
My companion and I were asked to serve as the zone leaders in our zone. So we will take over on Sunday. It will only be for like 5 days, but hopefully we do a good job. We have 24 new missionaries coming on Wednesday! And we have to give them the new missionary orientation Wednesday night. And we are hosting on Wednesday, too! We got to host on Wednesday this week and it was a lot of fun so I'm glad we get to do it again.
Oh and I did get the package Amy and Royce sent me, can you tell
them I said thanks? I don't have their email or anything. I guess I
should write them a letter soon. I'll try to do that.
Sorry I didn't send any pictures, I didn't really take any new ones this week.
Thank you for everything,
Love you all
Elder Beilman
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