Oi

Thanks for the care package!!!! I”ve been stuffing my face and all that is left is the oreos. Haha.  Saved them for the end ha. Thanks also for the DearElder's. Its nice going to get mail each night and seeing you got one. Even if its just a short message. I miss you all so much. Im starting to get into

the groove of things and the language is starting to click and make more and more sense each day. I am able to study words and phrases and I don’t forget them! Heavenly Father truly does bless and help with learning the language. They always tell us that if we do our part he will take care of the rest. Its true. I will write a little bit of my testimony but I am just going off memory without any books or anything so some words might be misspelled.

Eu tenho um testemunho, Jesus Cristo e meu Salvador e Redentor. Eu sei que O Livro de Mormon e' palavres de Deus. Deus e' o nosso amorosso Pai Celestial.  Eu sei que voce podge voltar e viver com Deus. Thomas S. Monson e' um profeta hoje. A igreja de Jesus Cristo dos Santos dos Ultimos Dias e' verdidara.  O Livro de Mormon e' verdidara. Com batchismo, nos podemos voltar e viver com Pai Celestial. Eu amor o meu familia e amigos. Eu sei que familias e' eterno. Espirito Santo e' o nosso Consolador. Deus abencoas familias. Meu famila e' bencaous por meu servir Jesus Cristo e Pai Celestial.  Eu sou missionario por A igreja de Jesus Cristo dos Santos dos Ultimos dias. Eu tenho fe em Jesus Cristo. Ele o nosso Salvador. Ele vives.  Eu tenho fe que Deus repostas orandos. Eu sei que nos podemos ser limp outra vez. A igreja e' verdadiera. Eu sei que.  Em nome de Jesus Cristo, amem. 

I'm sure a couple words are misspelled but its ok haha. I wanted it to be from memory so it would be genuine. It is so cool being able to speak to people.I am at the point when say thanks I always say "Obrigado", haha or "Oi" for hi. We try to use SYL (speak your language) as much as possible. So if we know a word in portuguese we use it so when we talk its alot of "portu-lish" haha  Marcos was just a teacher for a different district that played the role as an investigator. But starting today we are doing TRC.  TRC is that we will get either an actor that speaks portuguese or an actual nonmember! We have no idea until we knock on the door and find out.  A companionship learning korean  got a nonmember to be actually baptized last week! It was cool, she spoke at our Sunday devotional and had a translator.  She was saying that even though their korean wasn't perfect, the Spirit they brought into the room is what she always remembered when they left and is what testified to her that it was true.

I actually got taught a lesson yesterday that I noticed was a great experience. So usually, I am able to go into the sessions when we teach our investigator as a companionship in a great mood and feeling the Spirit really strong and the words just come naturally and I always know what to say. Yesterday, I was really frustrated.  When we got in the room, I just wasn't feeling the spirit and every time I tried to talk, my words would be all jumbled up and it made no sense. I forgot a lot of the things I had planned on talking about and just couldn't really speak.  I realized later that day that what happened was a blessing. I truly found out for myself, that without the Spirit, I cannot teach these people and help them come unto Christ. I had a heart to heart with my companion and he agreed. Without the Spirit between us, the investigator won't be able to feel it. I know that I can only speakthis language and let others to come unto Christ if I have the Spirit with me. Without it I am nothing. Just useless words with no true meaning.  It was a great experience.

 I love and miss you all so much! I know that Heavenly Father is blessing not only me, but also you! I pray every morning and night that you will all be watched over and protected and I get up afterwards feeling a strong peace that I know He knows. I can feel the blessings I have received from all your prayers. Thank you so much for raising me the way you did, and I was blessed with the best siblings to be an older brother to. I love you all so much and couldn't do this without yall.

Love,

Elder Bean

 All the Elders in his District

  Provo temple in the background

 Angel Moroni on top of the temple

In the Book of Mormon the 2000 Stripling Warriors (a group of young men) defended their freedom and the freedom of their people. "And they were all young men, and they were exceedingly valiant for courage, and also for strength and activity; but behold, this was not all–they were men who were true at all times in whatsoever thing they were entrusted." Alma 53:20 "Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them.  And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it." Alma 56:47-48

 Elder Williams

 Companion Elder Smith