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

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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  

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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

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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