Missionary Monday - 1st Week in Marshall

July 22, 2013

Missionary Monday - 1st Week in Marshall

New address is:

I pretty much went on a tour of Michigan to get down here to Marshall. The transfer van went from Mt. Pleasant to Lansing to Grand Rapids to Kalamazoo to Battle Creek where I met E. Farris and E. Bean and then they took me back to Marshall. FYI, Michigan is freaking beautiful. Its hard to tell how big a city is because of all the trees. You can only see a few buildings at a time and then there is a wall of trees. It feels super secluded wherever you go.

My first day we had dinner with the Ruz family. They are super cool. He is from Chile and he served in the same mission that Stevie did, but like 10 years earlier. Then we taught a guy named Bill and that guy is hilarious. He was stocked full of anti though. Hopefully that was just a one time occurrence. Then the next day we went back to the Ruz's to help dig a hole for their septic tank and then after that we went to a member named Bro. Young to help him move some stuff. We ended up having a great discussion about the gospel. It was awesome. I love him, his house, and his yard. He is actually in Utah now for a while. His wife works at IHC in Murray and they are trying to sell their house to move out there. So he is living alone in the house in the woods until it sells and he can go be with his wife in Utah. He called me yesterday from Utah to tell me that he just drove through Taylorsville and he wanted to inform me that it was still there in case I was wondering.

Met most of the Branch yesterday at church. The building is beautiful. Then after church we went knocking doors in this neighborhood that had the sweetest houses ever. Amazing yards, new houses, and super secluded. Retiring in Michigan is definitely an option for me.

You probably heard Scott came and took us to lunch. That was sweet. It kind of reminded me that you all really exist. It kind of popped the bubble you feel like you are in as a missionary.

BREAKING NEWS: Remember my boy Duane? That wanted to reform the Catholic church? I guess this week he went to the Catholic church and got a really bad feeling so he turned around and drove the 15 miles to go to our church! And stayed the full three hours! I know you don't have a great concept of Duane, but that is a freaking miracle. It makes me wish I would have taken a picture with him, because I kind of wrote him off.

We have interviews with President Hess tomorrow. I'm really looking forward to that. Hopefully by next week I'll have a better handle and vision for how the missionary work will be going in Marshall. I have a lot of work to do. Thanks for everything, have a good week. Read your scriptures.

Elder Beck

Photos - Cecilia and Darnell.