Elder Lofton Q Bean : Finding People to Teach in Itapoã

This week went really good!!! I miss Gama a lot and the people there. The people that I was teaching and the members of the church there. I’m so grateful for the time that I spent there and the friendships that I made!

But I’m also grateful to be here in Itapoã and to be meeting some amazing people here and helping these great people!!! I love this work so much!!!! The Gospel is true!!!!

So officially, President Gaertner and Sister Gaertner returned home. We now have President and Sister Lundgren!! They got here on Saturday and we will have a mission conference with them tomorrow!!! They are from Washington and brought their 15 year old son with them! I’m gonna miss the Gaertner´s. I'll miss them and all that they did for me but I'm really looking forward to getting to meet President and Sister Lundgren!!!

We have been teaching this awesome couple for the past week. We will visit them again tonight!! Raimundo and Ivaneide. They are a couple in their mid 30s that are planning on getting legally married in a month! Raimundo is a member who is starting to come back to church. Ivaneide isn't a member, yet!!! haha I have really grown to love them!!! Raimundo is such a stud and someone that I would love to just hang out with and Ivaneide is so special and really wants to know Christ and learn more about him and read the scriptures! They always have dinner for us after the lesson so that is a bonus and her foood is amazinggggg!! :) haha. We met them, because Raimundo´s first Sunday back to church was my first Sunday in Itapoã!! So we got his address and marked to meet with them. It was funny cause we got there like 15 minutes late (cause I did an exchange with Huntsman) and they were so nervous we wouldn’t show up!!! haha it was so awesome cause most times, people forget or are shocked that we actually do show up. but they were looking forward to it!!!! Raimundo had me write him a message in his Book of Mormon and sign it.

We are also teaching this dude, Augusto, who is 13 years old and wants to be just like Neymar Jr. (the soccer star player for Brasil). As does every kid here in Brasil, but he is like obsessed!! haha he even dyed the top part of his hair to be like Neymar. But the kid is wayy freakin good in soccer!! Like he has potential to go pro for sure in Brasil and maybe even in Europe!! Yesterday I had a heart to heart with him. He had accepted a date to be baptised but I wanted to see if he really wanted it or just was going to just cause. It was super awesome and spiritual! I was pulling off sports analogies like crazy!!! haha one of the things I told him is how so many athletes of the World grow close to God with their lips but are so far with their hearts. They honor God during a Game, and then after the game they go and break the commandments without even thinking twice. But I told him how he, had the potential to change all that and be a star soccer player and also a true disciple of Christ. Someone who honors God after a win or a lose, and doesn’t fall into doing the things of the world like many celeberties and stars have. He is only 13 but he has so much potential to help others through his talents and example. One thing I have noticed is that the youth here have to grow up a little bit faster than others. so many of them are pretty mature.

Augusto wants to get baptised!!!! He knows that, to be the best futebol player in the world, you have to work your butt off and work hard everyday, and to be baptised and be a valiant son of God, you have to work your butt off and work hard everyday!!!

They are a lot of great people here that we are teaching!! the members are supportive and awesome!!

BRASIL vs. COLÔMBIA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Friday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I LOVE YOU

Love,

Elder Bean