Elder Lofton Q Bean : Transfers - Staying in Gama as a Zone Leader

Heyy,

I don’t have a lot of time but I'll try to write down some great stuff that happened this past week! :) So today was transfers and I stayed in Gama as a Zone Leader. My new companion is Elder Willardson! He will be with me for the next 5 weeks until he ends his mission. We are gonna have a bunch of success together. And the other zone leader with me is ELDER PREATOR!! One of my best buds out here!! I’m so stoked to have him here in Gama. He will be with Elder Barusso.

This week started off on last Monday, about 10 of us missionaries went to Santa Maria and ate a bunch of pizza with coca cola at a members house there. She wanted to make pizza for us!! I think she made over 20 pizzas and had about 8 things of 2 liters of coca cola. It was a blast. The rest of the week was difficult but ended on a high note!!! We had a couple people tell us they didn’t want to be baptized on the 29th of November anymore. That was hard on us. There is this awesome lady we are teaching who would have been baptized but we found out the day before she isn’t legally married. But on Saturday, I had one of the most proudest/specialist moments on my mission!!!! Rogerio got to baptize his wife Jhennifer!!!!!! It was so spiritual and one of the most incredible experiences in my life. Rogerio was so honored and felt so privileged that he could perform the ordinance. He bore his testimony at the end of the baptism and it was so powerful. Had everyone in tears. He basically told his life story and how he found the church, then left the straight path and started doing things he shouldn’t. Then he got married and prayed with his wife Jhennifer to find the truth where they could raise their family. Then I found him on the bus and the rest is history!! Their family means so much to me. I feel so incredibly grateful to Heavenly Father that I was privileged to get to know them and be a part of their life/family.

I love being a part of this work so much. I realized how much I have grown this week. On Saturday night after the baptism I felt so overwhelmed with joy and gratitude. I know that this work is true!!! On Sunday I got to confirm Deborah (a baptism from the other missionaries) and be a part of the baby blessing for Bryan Arthur (Rogerio and Jhennifer´s baby). That was so awesome!!

I love it here and so grateful for the blessings that I have received. I love and miss y’all so much!!!

Elder Bean