A Must to see and Hear!

Birthday Celebrations!

Good Food and Good Company

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Our Missionaries love to sing the Mission Fight Song!

This week we held a Zone Conference where our beloved Elder Peck, who once sang with the Tabernacle Choir, wrote a new verse specifically for our mission to the song, "Called to Serve". Thanks Elder Peck for your continual support of the Arizona Phoenix Mission.

A New Curriculum for our Missionaries

The new mission presidents just arriving to their areas were instructed on the "Simplified Curriculum" that has just been introduced. All missions have been given the new lessons and are to begin teaching them to their missionaries. Immediately, we got to work with our assistants and developed a plan. We put together a Mini MTC, for all the Zone and District leaders along with our trainers, and step trainers, so they could be trained and then deploy this in our mission.

Last week we had four straight days of 10:00 am-4:00 pm, where we gathered together and were taught the new curriculum. The changes that will occur are that we will have Zone Conferences and Interviews quarterly. Sounds like it would free up a lot of time?...WRONG. New instruction will be added in their place. Every other month we will have "Leadership Training" mission wide and we will have "Specialized Training", monthly which will help us focus on areas in the mission that need extra attention so that we can be more effective. This will be a tremendous opportunity to accelerate the work throughout the world.

This is just a small glimpse of what our week was comprised of.

Mini MTC Week

On Tuesday morning the missionaries were greeted at the registration desk

and given a new companion for the week and training packets to work from.

Their regular companions were paired with other missionaries to

carry out the work of the day while they were trained. After each day of instruction,

they would return to their areas and companions and deploy that which they learned.

Excited missionaries anxious to find out what the New Curriculum was all about!

Our Wonderful Assistants greeting our missionaries!

Sister Hudson said good-bye to her trainee, Sister Freeman, who would

carry out the daily appointments until she returned that night.

Elder Rodriguez and President Beck ready to begin the meeting.

We taught the Certified Curriculum in the chapel. Each day we would introduce

two different lessons and practice in groups what they learned.

Each day Sister Eager and Sister Clark, with their able assistant

husbands, would prepare a wonderful lunch for all the hungry

missionaries. Thanks for all your hard work sisters!

At the end of each day our missionaries received an object of their

learning. On day four they all received a certificate of graduation

and a large delicious apple reminding them that now they were

all certified teachers for the simplified curriculum. It was

their job to go and teach the rest of the missionaries so that

their teaching skills could improve also.

2 More Groups of Level Five

Elder Grigg, Sister Willardson, Elder Crampton

Elder Tanner, Elder Mackey, Elder Hansen, Elder Marr

Moms & Dad's- They have Arrived!

Arriving at the mission home and feeling the Heat of Arizona are:
Elder Posada, Pryor, Bruening, Catlett, Carlson, Giles,
Hampton, Keele, Martin, Nelson, Troxler,
& Sisters Bunnell, Pilimai, Keelin, & Belnap

!Following the leader through the airport

Elder Catlett soaking it all in

We get a lot of looks at the airport when 16 missionaries trail down the escalator, retrieve their luggage and pile it into the trailer and then pack into the mission van. I guess it is not something you see everyday. It is truly a sight to behold and we are proud to welcome them into the number one mission.

Waiting for everyone to get their luggage.

Arriving at the mission home and feeling the HEAT of 107 degrees.

A hungry crew of missionaries

A Special Group of Mssionaries

Elder Noyce, Crampton, Ulima, Crampton, Hymus and Rider.
Sisters Jones, & Williardson

What will be do without Elder Ulima....as he returns back to Hawaii.

It's time to get goofy!

Today we sent home a very special group of missionaries. It is actually the tail end of our first group of missionaries that came into the mission two years ago when we arrived. I remember it vividly as if it were just yesterday. Actually, three of the group went home last transfer as they were spanish missionaries who entered the MTC earlier and we also sent the original sisters that came with the group home last January as they only serve for 18 months. Sister Jones and Willardson were also amazing Sister missionaries who left their mark on the mission. We wish them all the best as they return back home.

Preparing for Transfers

Much thought and prayer goes into each transfer as we try to put each missionary just where they will be most effective in the mission. It is quite the process as we contemplate the needs of each area and missionary, trying to keep them in their current areas for as long as we can. The Lord truly inspires us as we go through this process. Above is our transfer board with every area and of every missionary on it. When you bring 16 new missionaries into the mission then it becomes a rippling effect as we try to find trainers and companions for everyone.

Elder Crandall, Elder Beames, Elder Westbroek and Elder Hones. Our amazing Assistants. These young men are such valiant missionaries and do a lot of behind the scene work. We truly grow to love each one of them as they serve with the President in the mission.

Our trip to the Mesa Temple

We can't seem to keep an Assistant lately. Elder Crandall will be going back out to proselyte his last few transfers in the mission. What an incredible young man he is and we are humbled to have been able to work with him as an Assistant. Elder Crandall is a humble missionary who "lifts where he stands". Always giving his all and helping where he can. We love you Elder Crandall.

New Spanish Assistants

Happy Birthday Elder Beames!

Welcome Elder Bingham!

A Surprise P-day

Good friends to Serve With

Elder & Sister Clark, better known to us as Robbie & Larry, from Cincinnati, have come to the barren desert to serve in the Office of the Arizona Phoenix Mission. Larry will be the Office manager and Robbie will be doing missionary travel and baptismal records. It is so fun to have them around and bringing all their talents to the office and mission. Welcome!

Two Year Mark

This week marks two years of being in the Arizona Phoenix Mission. In some ways it seems like yesterday and in other ways two years is two years. One thing for sure is that there is so little time to accomplish all that the Lord has us to do. So we are trying to accelerate our pace yet put on our brakes to make time go slower. This past week we met for the last time with our Northern Missionaries who will be transferring to the Farmington New Mexico Mission. At our Zone Conference there were a lot of tears shed. I probably took it the hardest because I have never had to say good-bye to so many missionaries at one time. Each one of them holds a special place in my heart. Even though we won’t see them through their mission, we know each will work hard to do the Lord’s work. We told them that the boundaries and the Mission President will change but their purpose will be the same; “to help others come unto Christ”. As we reflect on the many miles we have put on the car going up and down I-17, we have felt much joy in our labors of serving in that part of the Lord’s vineyard. There are so many beautiful sights we have beheld. Window Rock, and Canyon DeChelly, Monument Valley, Lake Powell and the Grand Canyon have all been a part of our mission, not to mention the contrast and the beauty of pine trees and cooler weather in Flagstaff. We have learned to love the Navajo and Hopi people and their rich cultures they have shared with us. We have had discussions in a hogan and watched the Navajo women cook over a fire and make fry bread. All these are memories that are very dear to us. The mission is doing well. The Lord is truly sending us the finest missionaries. Last transfer we received 18 new Elders and Sisters ready to serve the Lord, but probably not ready to tract in 120 degree temperatures. They will adjust. Our missionaries, through their obedience and hard work are finding the Lord’s “Elect”, those who have been prepared to receive the restored gospel, and they are baptizing them. We had 125 baptisms in March as our record month. The beautiful thing is that these new converts are preparing to go to the temple as a family through the teachings of the gospel. As far as our familiy is concerned, Tyler and Sarah flew out to Cincinnati for the memorial day weekend with Sarah’s parents and we put a capstone on the wedding celebration. Tyler introduced his bride to many of his old high school friends and many others that came to support him. It was a beautiful weekend. We were recently blessed to have Tricia and Tracy’s families and also Tiffany come visit us. This was the first time that “Papa” had seen his newest granddaughter, Olivia. The girls actually came for a friends wedding at Lake Powell and we capitalized on it. We met up with Reed, Paul’s brother, and his family and had a weekend of fun. We taught the children an old family tradition game, “Who stole the cookies from the Cookie Jar” and laughed until we were sick. It was so nice to be around the family, as we haven’t had much of that. We haven't seen our other grandchildren since Tyler's wedding in December, but we are grateful we can keep up with their events through skype, which allows us to be a part of their lives. These are all tender mercies of the Lord that sustains and strengthens us. We count our blessings daily as they are so numerous. There are many lessons we have learned in the past few years, which we will share with you when we are through with our mission, but the blessing of being able to serve together as eternal mates daily has been so wonderful. Together, we are doing what is most important and that is serving the Lord with all our “Hearts, Might, Mind and Strength”, and in turn the Lord is blessing our family. Those words have come to life for both of us as we have tried to give our all. Many ask how we keep up with all the travels, schedules, needs of missionaries and planning in the mission. My reply to them is that, “Whom the Lord calls, he qualifies” and he also strengthens. We could not do this without his continuous help and guidance and tender mercies. We are grateful for this humbling experience and opportunity to serve in the Arizona Phoenix Mission. I would like to testify to each of you that the gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored in its fullness to the earth again. That the Book of Mormon is another witness of Jesus Christ. By reading this book and applying it's teachings you will come closer to Christ and have a greater desire to serve him and obey his commandments. We love you all and appreciate all the support you have given us in our calling. Love President & Sister Beck Arizona Phoenix Mission July 2010