Elder Lofton Q Bean : Little Bit of Winter in Brasil, it's "Cold" & Baptism for Augosto!

What a week!!! to start off, today was transfers!! and last night at about 10:00, I received a call that I would be staying and that Elder Rykestili was transferred. Today I got my new companion, Elder Fernandez!! He is from Bolivia (a country in South America) and has 5 months on the mission! He speaks Portuguese with a sick Spanish accent. Hopefully I can learn a little bit of spanish from him! ha I am really stoked about this transfer with Elder Fernandez!

So last week on tuesday I got a call from the assistants, saying that a missionary was coming to join with me and Rykestili in a Trio until Monday. That he was arriving in 15 minutes. Elder Figueiredo! He was transferred from one of the areas that is 14 hours away so they brought him back a week early. He has 3 months on the mission and is an awesome dude!! It was sick being in a trio with Figueiredo and Rykestili, we had a blast this week!!!

We are getting hit by a cold front or something cause this entire week has been freezzinng cold at night and in the morning. been having to use a sweater! but I aint complaining!! It’s better than the killer sun!! ha

I did an exchange this week with the zone leaders, so I went up to Sobradinho with Elder Beaty for a day!! I had a blast there. It was an awesome area and taught some great people up there.

On Saturday we had a Baptism for Augosto!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was awesome!! I felt honored when he asked me if I would perform it! It was incredible and an experience I never wanna forget. It was so funny, while we changed clothes, Augosto was goin crazy. He had "pre-game" nerves and was going crazy since he was so excited and nervous!! Right before we got in the water, we had a like a pep talk, and then he told me how grateful he was for all that we have done for him, we bro hugged then entered the water!! Augosto is such a stud 13 year old!! He couldn’t stop talking afterwards about how awesome he was feeling!! The Spirit was so strong and I was so happy for him and that I’m able to be a missionary!!! And then on Sunday, I had another proud moment, when I walked out of a meeting at church at 8:20 in the morning (church starts at 9) and Augosto is already there! showed up all by himself and was super excited to receive the Gift of Holy Ghost!! His family is super supportive of him! His family loves us and they are gonna start coming to church. When we told Augosto about not drinkin coffee, his mom was funny and told him he would never have another drop and went and bought a bunch of leite (milk) and toddy (chocolate powder). haha. Isso aí!! He invited us to his nephew´s 2nd birthday party! it was really fun. The coolest thing though, was really seeing the difference in Augosto. He is a changed kid. You can see the Spirit of the Lord glowing through him and how he just acts different!! It is awesome and made me so proud to see how much of a change he has made in his life!

I also gave a talk in church on Sunday for 20 minutes. It was an awesome experience and it really made me realize the growth I have made here on my mission, as a missionary and in the language. My first time I gave a talk in Brasil was in my first area when I was with Elder D. Call. I wrote the talk down word for word so I wouldn’t mess up speaking Portuguese and I could just look down and read it! But now, it was totally different. It was like I was speakin in English. I was asked to talk, about the Example of Ammon (the great missionary from the Book of Mormon). I only had written down a few bullet points, and a couple scriptures. But about 10 minutes into the talk, I just sent the notes aside and let the Spirit guide what I would say. It was incredible!! Many things I hadn’t planned to say, I ended up saying but was exactly what I needed to say. I prayed so hard before I got up there and as I prepared it that the Spirit would guide my words. One thing I have really learned on my mission, is to rely on Heavenly Father and not just on myself or my own abilities. I am so grateful that I have learned that, because before the mission I didn’t turn to Heavenly Father in many times that I should of. And in all things that I did!

This Gospel is awesome!! I love teaching about Christ and bearing my testimony to these wonderful people everyday and feelin the Spirit so constantly in my life. I know this work is true, it isn’t our work, but it is God´s work!! And we are his servants. All of us are workin together in the Lord´s vineyard!! and it's a blessing!!

A igreja é verdadeira!! Nunca esquece disto!!

Elder Bean