When You Serve Others and Help Others You are Actually Happier, It's True.

E aí minha Bonita Família  :)

Wow this week flew by. The weeks are starting to mesh together now and flow and go by fast. Pretty crazy. It’s almost Christmas!!! Yess. I’m soo stoked to be able to skype. Its gonna be awesome. Dezembro has flown by so fast.

This week we marked a baptism date with Domingos, Aldesena and Luis for the 21st of December!! The lesson with them last Monday was awesome. We decided to teach the Restoration and play the dvd for them about the First vision. It was perfect. Aldesena was having all these questions and then started to say that we were wrong, but after the video was over she was crying. She couldn’t stop saying how beautiful it was and that she felt her heart just burning and trying to get out of her body. The spirit was testifying to her that it was true. All of her questions and doubts were answered. It was awesome.

On Saturday, we went to teach Elielson and Geralda. They were supposed to get baptized this upcoming weekend, but when we got to their house they weren’t interested anymore and forgot all those feelings that they had. It was sad. Its just hard knowing how much the gospel could help better their lives and help their family grow closer, but they choose not to accept it. 

We found Marcelo and Milçon the other day. Marcelo is 21 years old and works a lot to support his disabled dad. Marcelo is such a strong heart. We found them "clapping" at gates (knocking doors) and Marcelo is awesome. He just has an open mind and is willing to try new things. He got really emotional talking about his dad´s accident and wondering if his dad will ever walk again. It was such a great experience to see the light in his eyes when we told him about how someday his dad would be able to walk again, and even run! It may not happen in this life, but it will happen! 

My zone is awesome! Got some great missionaries. I’m glad that Elder Grisham and Labrada are still here in this zone. Those guys are awesome. They have helped me a ton with adjusting, language, and everything. 

Santo Antonio is so huge and far from everything else so we have to take a bus if we want to go to a different city. They have moto taxis and horse taxis here. The other day at a members house for lunch, Alvin and the chipmunks was on TV. She left it on for her kids, but I couldn’t help but watch too. haha. It got me into the Christmas mood.  Yesterday there was a huge brawl at one of the professional soccer games here, its been all over the news and tv. Everyone is super excited about the world cup since they just found out what teams are in Brasil´s group. People are going crazy for it here!! haha It will be awesome to be around that atmosphere in June. We are allowed to watch all the Brasilian games, but we have to at least have an investigator with us. 

In May we are most likely going to have one or two apostles come visit our mission!! It would be awesome!! 

There are so many ups and downs in being a missionary. But even through the difficulties, it is hard not to be happy. It is so awesome being able to work so hard all day and have good things and not so good things happen but still be able to return home each night happy. Knowing that you’re doing the Lord´s work, and even if you’re not having success, He is pleased. 

I am so grateful I made the decision to serve a mission. I am also so grateful I got to go to the Provo Mtc and then receive my visa right away. I remember wishing I could of gone to the mtc in Brasil first, but the people I met in Provo and experiences I had prepared me for being here. My mtc district was the best. I was able to see some family to in Utah before I entered the Mtc which was a blessing!! So grateful for that.  We had some missionaries arrive here last transfer that have been waiting on Visas since February!! I’m wondering how I got mine so fast. My visa was actually commissioned on the day before I got to the MTC. And Elder Keslers wasn’t for until late in August. And people that got the visas in the MTC were sent to the Mtc here. But I know I was meant to be in the Provo MTC and I’m so grateful that somehow I got to finish out my 6 weeks there!  It was awesome and the experiences I had, I will never forget. It is seriously such a spiritual place, where everyone is so happy and excited to be able to serve the Lord.  Man, I love that place.

 I love getting to serve here in Brasil. I am so grateful that I was called to serve here. Helping these people brings so much happiness. It’s true that when you serve others and help others, you are actually happier. It’s true.  It is so cool being able to have so much love for people that you don’t even know, or just met on the streets.

I love you all so much!!! I am so stoked to be able to skype!! I miss y’all like crazy!! Thank you so much for all you do for me!!  I know it isn’t always easy for you, with me gone but the Lord is blessing y’all and me. I love you!!

Love,

Elder Bean