Elder Lofton Q Bean : It's Awesome Being Able to Work Hard, and Have a Ton of Fun Doing It!

Boa Tarde!!! :)

I honestly forgot that Valentines Day was coming up until y’all reminded me!! haha I’m doing great! Nossa, every week has so many experiences that are amazing!! I remember before my mission, at times thinking about what it would be like. I know everyone says this, but honestly being a missionary and serving a mission is so much better than you can think up before you actually get there. I remember thinking of the experiences I would have and I have had so much better and some I never could of imagined. I am truly grateful to have this opportunity, and to be here serving in Brasil. It is making me and forming me into the man that I need to be. Some days after a long day I just wonder how lucky I am, and how do I get so lucky. I feel overwhelmed in a good way with how much I feel the Spirit and feel so happy. At the end of the day I just got to literally sit back and just take a breath haha. I miss a lot of things back home, but I know it will all be there when I get back. I know I need to be here. Gama is awesome, Elder Tippetts is a stud and we love working together everyday. It’s awesome being able to work hard, but also find ways to have a ton of fun doing it. Sharing in these experiences that we are having together is awesome!

In the beginning of this week I had ingrown toe nails in both of my big toes which was killing me. But we have a member here who is a champ, and she removed them for me!! She’s awesome!! But we continued to just keep on working and it doesn’t bother me anymore which is nice.

I got Grandma´s card from Christmas with all the pictures of everyone in the family and a letter to go along with it talking about each family. That was awesome to read and see! Today we had our zone activities since it was the last Pday of this transfer. We have 3 guys from Texas, Elder Preator from Dallas, Elder Ellis from Houston, and me. Out of 14 people in our zone that’s a pretty good number. ha. We are now allowed to play soccer again!!!! haha so that’s what we did all day so far on Pday. Played soccer and had a churrasco (BBQ). We played 4 on 4 and it ended up being North America verse South America. haha Our team was all Americans and the other was a Brasileiro, Boliviano, Argentino, and an Elder from Peru. We actually held our own, and only lost 9-7. I think I’m better at soccer now then football.. lol. I realized though how out of shape I am now. I was dying. ha. Drinking soda everyday hasn’t helped. Everyone here drinks either coca cola or guarana. Só isto!! Only this :) I’m addicted to coca cola now :) Coca cola is so much better here than in the states.

Even though the Olympics are going on, everyone in Brasil is already preparing for the World Cup. It’s exciting! I’ve only seen about 10 minutes in total of the Olympics since it was on at someone’s house. They are starting to redo the roads here, and build up more skyscrapers here in Gama to make it look better for the World Cup. The stadium here in Gama won’t have games, but will be where some teams will practice. Some games will be played in Brasilia in Asa Sul, about 40 minutes from here. During the world cup, for a whole month and a half school is canceled!! happens every four years. ha. The school year just started here and goes from Fevererio ate Decembro.

All of the People we have been teaching are progressing really well. Nathalia wasn’t able to go to church but she is doing awesome and all those people we taught with her are great too. We actually passed one of the guys to the other missionaries in Santa Maria cause that is where he lives. He is doing really good to with the other Elders. We are going to be having a baptism this Saturday, the 15th for Sarah!!! She is so awesome and we had a ton of great spiritual experiences while teaching her. We also got her mom to commit to being baptized on the 28th. I have a ton of respect for Sarah. She prayed and received an answer that she needed to be baptized. She asked all of her friends at her old church if they would still be friends with her if she got baptized. They all said No, we won’t be your friend anymore. All of them except one person. This young man said that he would always be her friend, no matter what. Cause she has made such a big impact on his life, and he will support her no matter what. Sarah is really strong and is having to give up a lot. Me and Tippetts are really proud of her.

Yesterday we were going out to teach with a member who is 24 yrs old and about to serve a mission. He is hilarious. We were waiting for a bus to get to our appointment but the bus didn’t stop even though Rodrigo was waving it down. So instead about a minute later, he just waved down some car and said for 9 reais take us to this area. Rodrigo just waves us to get in and already acts like he is bestfriends with this random guy. I couldn’t help but laugh. I ended up making conversation with the driver and he says he has seen us walking around before and wondered what we did. We marked to go visit with Him this week and he seems really interested!! Hopefully it will all work out.

Teaching her and our other investigators has been such an awesome experience for me and Elder Tippetts. This may be our last week together since transfers are next Monday.

We have 3 people that we are teaching tonight that we are going to mark a baptism date for the 28th.

I miss you all so much and hope you have a great week. I am so grateful that Heavenly Father is always there for us. I have gained such a stronger testimony about prayer since I have been here on the mission. I know that He listens to our prayers and answers them. I love this work, and I love y’all so much!!!! Y’all mean the world to me and it always picks my spirits up being able to read y’alls emails. Have a great week!!!

Love,

Elder Bean