New Companion

Tudo Bem Família :)

Today was transfer day!!! Elder D. Call was transferred and I stayed here in Santo Antonio. My new companion is Elder F. Machado, a 22 year old Brasilero. Super cool guy!! I will probably stay here in Santo Antonio for one more transfer, so until January then I’ll be transferred.

For transfers, they call us Sunday night at the end of the 6 weeks, and tell us if we are staying or transferred. Elder D. Call expected to leave so he had already packed, and I didn’t since I figured I would stay. Which is what I wanted. I love it here. Elder D. Call taught me a lot. And Elder F. Machado will really help me learn the language since I won’t be able to speak any English with him. He’s a stud.

This week went by really fast. I did an exchange on Tuesday with Elder Labrada and Elder Reis. Elder Labrada came to Santo Antonio with me. He is awesome. We have been out in the mission for the same amount of time, but he was born in Brasil so he got his visa right away. He lives in California. He only had to stay 10 days in the São Paulo MTC since he is fluent in both Português and English.  He is a stud! He went to UCLA for three years already. Super smart and way cool. He taught me a lot. One of my best friends out here on the mission!!

Waldivino is doing great! He ended up buying us a pizza after one of our lessons with him.  Messias is ignoring us now. It's a difficult situation. He used to call us all the time to schedule lessons, now he doesn’t accept our calls or when he does he just makes excuses and cancels. We decided to give him time. It was so hard. Marcia even doesn’t know what happened.

We taught this new guy named João. I had such a great experience teaching him.  We were teaching the message of the Restoration. When it got to the part of the First vision, I started saying the memorized, line for line part that Joseph says in his words. I felt the spirit so strong. It filled my entire body and I knew João was feeling it too! Before I knew it I had tears in my eyes and my body started shaking, but I was still able to say it and then explain the first vision better than I ever have!  It was a testimony builder to me that it was true!! João even teared up. He said he felt his heart burning. As did I. It was such an amazing experience. I knew the only reason why the message touched his heart, and why I was able to continue speaking, better than I ever have is because the Spirit was with me. He was guiding the words out of my mouth.

It is so cool being able to be the mouth piece for what these people need. And asking inspired questions.

I love being a missionary. It is awesome. It is so weird, always having struggles and being tired and hungry all the time, but yet so happy. Missing home like crazy but yet knowing I’m doing what Heavenly Father wants me to be doing. Helping others to come unto Christ. It is so great seeing how the Gospel helps improve peoples lives, and helps them know they can turn to God when the have struggles in life and when they are happy as well. I always tell people that this life is not easy. It is hard. But yet, there is so much happiness as well.

I am grateful to be a part of this great work. Whenever I’m really down, and having a hard time, I know I can get on my knees and pray to Heavenly Father. Such a blessing. And I think about all those other guys I know that are out all over the world serving a mission as well. It brings peace. And seeing families grow closer together, and become more loving is such an awesome thing to watch here.

I love you all so so so much!!!! Eu sou grato por tudo. Eu amo vocês mutio!!! Tanto Tanto Tanto.

Take care. Have a great week. Enjoy thanksgiving!!!!! NOSSA!!! I miss the holidays (Nossa means "our" but it is slang for O my gosh) 

I miss yall like crazy!!!!!!! Te amo!!!

Love,

Elder Bean

The city of Santo Antonio. behind me

My zone

With Elder Pedroso, he went home last week. Studdd

Lucas and Gabriel

Saying goodbye to Elder D. Call at transfers

My new companion, Elder F. Machado

We love getting Subway cookies!

I love the Texans, but this just describes how they are playing right now. Dead!!

I Love Teaching the Gospel to People

E aí :)

Eu sou muito bom. Eu sinto falta de vocês muito! Tanto! Tanto! Minha semana foi bom.

I miss y’all a ton!! How is everything going for y’all!!??

It is raining pretty hard right now here. The weather has been nice the past week, just kinda hot with some rain!!

We had zone activities today in Taguatinga with the whole zone. We do it once a transfer, the last Pday of the transfer. We aren’t allowed to play soccer anymore since a missionary shattered his ankle a couple weeks ago. Brazileiros have weak ankles... ha. But we just chilled, wrote letters, had a BBQ, played basketball and listened to music. Its nice getting to relax on Pday so we can work hard during the rest of the week.

I am doing good! Its crazy how even though everyday has its struggles and difficulties,  I am happy and the work is so rewarding. I miss home like crazy, especially during this time of the year. The Holiday season. Me and my companion are gonna try to celebrate Thanksgiving somehow. Just cook up a bunch of food so we feel stuffed or something. Still won’t be the same though. 

This week was really good! We found a new family and they are muito ótimo!!!!! So awesome.  During our weekly planning, I remembered this one girl who had come to church several weeks ago with some less-actives. She wasn’t interested at the time. I had an impression that we should go back over there. We ended up teaching her parents, the two brothers, and her. They are awesome! They are noticing how much more peace and love they have in the home since we have been teaching them.  They are so receptive and we even got the father to say a prayer for us and the whole family on Saturday! He was nervous but he did awesome. 

Waldivino is still doing great. We are going over to his house tonight to teach him about the Plan of Salvation. He loves the gospel. I love how he asks a bunch of questions. He is able to get his questions answered and it helps us know that whenever he doesn’t understand something, he isn’t afraid to ask it. 

They built a subway just down the street from our apartment!! We go and get cookies during lunch a lot!! 

Então, this is the end of my second transfer in the field. Next Monday is transfers, so the beginning of my third. My companion will most likely (99% sure) be transferred since he has been in Santo Antonio for 3 transfers. I will most likely stay here for one more transfer, until January 6th.  I’m starting to really love it here in Santo Antonio. I will probably have a native Brazileiro for my next companion. It will help me perfect my Portugûes for when we get to skype on Christmas!! I can’t wait!!!! so stoked!!!!

This week should be a good one! I’m doing exchanges with someone in our district on Tuesday night. I’ll either go to Taguatinga or stay here with someone else for a night. It’s cool going on exchanges. 

This is my last official week as a "Greenie". After this week I’ll just be a regular junior companion. Last week, for part of the training program, I had to do the most part of our contacts and teaching. And I had to do the phone calls in at night. I learned a ton. I feel so much more prepared now. It is so cool being able to communicate to people and teach the Gospel in another language. 

I had my first dream in Portugûes!!! Super crazy. It was half English, half Portugûes. I woke up with a huge headache but remembered the whole dream. haha 

I gave a talk in church yesterday. Both me and my companion did, and then Gabriel gave his farewell talk. He leaves in like 2 weeks.  I did pretty good! Everyone was impressed with how much better my Portugûes is getting and they could feel the spirit. That’s what is important. Even if the people can’t understand me perfectly, the Spirit and power behind the words is what they will remember.  I accidently said "Eu sou gato" again instead of "Eu sou Grato." I feel like I say grato but it sounds like gato I guess. 

I am addicted to rice and beans!! Holy cow. haha. We eat it everyday, and if we go a day without eating it I started craving it sooo bad!! haha  Feijão e arroz (sounds like ah-hoyce)  Beans and rice. The hamburgers here are really good, they put a fried egg, corn, and these like mini mini fries on the burger! sooo good. 

I love teaching the gospel to people!! Getting to help these people grow closer to Christ, and help them better their lives is so rewarding to watch.  Every time we teach, my testimony is strengthened. As the Holy Spírit is testifying to the people what I am saying is true, it is testifying to me as well. And so even when the reject us or say they don’t want our help,  I walked away with a munch stronger testimony and it helped better me!  

I am so grateful for y’all!! I couldn’t be out here if I didn’t have the love and support from home that I do! It keeps me going and knowing that even though it’s hard being away, in the end it will all be worth it. Heavenly Father has blessed me with so so soo much. The least I can do is give him these two years of my life, as a "Thank you". Even these two years aren’t enough to Thank Him for all of my blessings that I have in my life. I look at the way these people live. And it humbles me. There are so many things I miss at home, but I can sacrifice two years away from my comforts, to help others grow closer to Christ and gain a knowledge that families are eternal. It isn’t easy, being away from y’all!! But with it being hard, it will make it all more worth it in the end!

I love you all so much!!!!  

Take care. Enjoy life. Smile. Make it a great day. Say hi to someone on the street. Serve others, even if it is as simple as buying someone their favorite candy. 

I am so grateful for all of you. I am so grateful for Heavenly Father´s love and for how much he has blessed me, and more importantly y’all for me being here. He knows its not easy. He sent His Beloved Son to die for us. To atone for the sins of the world.  He knows that me being away, is not easy. But in the end, it will all be worth it!!!! 

EU AMO VOCÊS!!!!!!!!

Amor,

Elder Bean

My talk :) I said other stuff too but this is what I wrote down

Bom Dia Irmãos e Irmãs. Eu sou grato por minha oportunidade para falar a vocês hoje.

Meu discurso é sobre "Todo Membro é um missionario"

No livro de mormon, 3 Néfi 5:13

read verse

Nós somos discípulos de Jesus Cristo. O Filho Amado de Deus. O nosso Salvador. Quando nós fomos batizados, nos tornamos representantes, ou discípulos, de Jesus Cristo.

Há mais de 80,000 Elders e Sisters que estão vestidos de plaquetas missionarias.

Porém. Há mais de 15 milhões de missionarios da Igreja de Jesus Cristo dos Santos dos Últimos Dias. 15 milhões de missonarios.

Por Que???

Porque, nas palavras de Presidente Benson, um profeta de Deus, "Todo membro é um missionario!!"

Como representantes de Jesus Cristo, todos nós precisamos que a plaqueta missionaria esteja gravada em nosso coração.

ás vezes é difícil compartilhar o evangelho com nossos amigos e familiares.

Em Doutrina e Convênios, 100: 5-6  

read verse

O Espirito Santo vai nos adjudar a saber o que dizer.

Nós precisamos ter a coragem para compartilhar o conhecimento que temos. O conhecimento de pura felicidade. Para adjudar nossos irmãos e irmãs. Para adjudar outras pessoas a se aproximarem a Jesus Cristo.

No livro de Mormon, 3 Néfi 12:16

read verse

Seja uma luz para pessoas. Para o mundo. Seja diferente! nós temos o conhecimento do evangelho. Nós temos o conhecimento que nós podemos voltar a viver com Deus e Jesus Cristo e as nossas familias para sempre! Para eternidade. Seja um exemplo para o mundo! Até quando estiver difícil, compartilhem o evangelho com seus amigos e família. Seja um exemplo para eles. Á medida que você servir ás outras pessoas, Deus te abençoará

- testemunho

Gifts of the Spirit

E aí

I miss y’all so much! Everything is going good though for me!! I’m doing great. The weeks seem to be flying by faster and faster each time. Its crazy!!

We met this awesome couple, Waldivino and Carina (sounds like Vol-G-veen-YO). He works at a shoe store, that is where we met him. My companion had to buy new shoes, and Waldivino just came up to us and asked if we could come over to his house some time. He had been going through a lot of difficulties, and wondering what his purpose was here on earth. It was perfect!  We have taught him twice already this past week and he went to church! He loves it. He asks a bunch of questions which is awesome and really listens intently. After our first lesson I asked Carina if she would pray about our message and see if it was true. She was excited and said Yes, I will!! Then I asked Waldivino and he just says I can already feel that I believe what you taught me. But yes, I'll still pray. haha It was so cool.

We have continued to teach Kalistony. He is so awesome. The dude has a serious man crush on me haha. Its funny though. He is married and has a 10 year old son. He loves what we teach him, and he continues to read the scriptures and pray.

Messias has been really complicated this past week. He hasn’t answered our calls which is weird. He usually calls us making sure we are coming over.  But hopefully we will get a hold of him this week.

One of the things I have really tried to do better this week is think in Portugûes. I use to have the habit of just translating in my head what people would say into English. But it just takes too long.  So this week I have really tried to just think in Portugúes when people are talking and not think in English. It is much better. It was hard at first but it is alot easier now. I even have caught myself while I’m reading the scriptures or just thinking, I'll be thinking in Portugûes. Pretty crazyy.

I have had such a great opportunity to have so many great, spiritual experiences, and even some that I can´t really talk about. It is one of the most incredible feelings finding someone to teach, and feeling like you have known them before. Such an incredible feeling knowing I talked with that person in the pre-existence and probably told them I would come find him in Brasil and help him find what he needs, and what I have been blessed to have.

This week I got called "Alemão" a lot. (German)  People will be like "Oi Alemão, fala ingles" (Hey German, speak English.)  I just reply "Eu sou Alemão, então Eu falo Alemão. Não falo ingles." (I’m German, so I speak German, not English." haha.

We taught some lady in the park the other day. Right after I say my first sentence, she just says You’re not Brazilian are you. ha.

Even though it isn’t even close to being perfect yet, my Portugûes gets better every day. And every Monday, it gets harder and harder to write and email in English :) haha

One of the coolest experiences is when I will study certain scriptures in the morning during personal study, than later that day or even a couple days later during a lesson with someone, I will remember that scripture that was perfect for their situation that could really help them out. I know that it is the spirit bringing it back to my rememberance.

This week we also moved into our new apartment, the one right above it. The landlord wanted to redo the one we were living in. We got an upgrade haha. We finally found out where all the cockroaches were coming from. When we were moving the sink, we found a big hole in the wall with at least 20 plus roaches. 

I ate chicken heart for the first time this week! to be honest, it actually is pretty good. ha. We met a guy named Johansen who moved to the U.S. when we was 18 (he had been waiting on a visa since he was born). He lived there for like 7 years, even in Houston for a little bit, and then just recently moved back. He is so cool and speaks fluent English. So the other night on our way home, we was hanging out at one of those "BBQ to go" places where several pieces of meat on a stick. He called us over, and then asked me if I had ever had chicken heart. I said no so he went over and just bought me one before I could say no. It was wayy better than I thought. Seriously was actually pretty good. 8 little hearts on a stick.

I love being a missionary and getting to help people better their lives. It is so rewarding and its so true that when you serve others, in turn you end up serving yourself and bettering yourself.

I miss y’all like crazy! Everyday I think about y’all! I know that I can pray to my Heavenly Father when times are hard and I’m really missing home. It is such a blessing to be able to have that communication with our Father in Heaven.

I know this work is true. My testimony of the Book of Mormon and Bible has grown so much since I have been here. I am so grateful for the Gospel in my life and being blessed with the amazing family and friends that I have.

I love you so much!!!!

Love,

Elder Bean

What I saw while walking home from church, so cool, futebol.

The stands are on street level and the field is underground.   

Sky while walking around Saturday night.

Moving into our new apartment upstairs from the previous one.

My desk set up, the new apartment is the same layout but way better!

Night sky view from my apartment.

Kalistony, one of the people we are teaching.