Monday, January 5, 2015

Feliz Ano Novo!! Happy New Year!!


Feliz 2015 para vocês!!!

This week it really hit me that the mission is coming to an end. This is the year to come home and 2014 flew by sooooo fast. It just goes by faster everyday.
Had a really good week this week!!! It started off great with me and Elder Preator giving a 15 minute training in each district meeting to help the missionaries see that they can do way better and work harder, and that the numbers they have been putting up each week aren't acceptable. It was a success and really opened a lot of eyes. We just know their potential is so much higher then they give themselves credit for. We are here to help people come unto Christ and we should go out everyday feeling great to share what we know with others. 
New Year´s was pretty fun. It was hard to work since everything here was closed starting about 4:00 and people were partying it up. But we ended up eating "Pão com Ovo" (french bread with egg) at a member´s house which was fun!  On New Year´s day I went up to Santa Maria Sul to do a trade with missionary in the zone who has been struggling a little bit. It went awesome!! We were able to mark 3 baptism dates and we had a blast. I know Heavenly Father answers our prayers. Right when I got there before lunch, we just sat and talked since he was going through some difficulties and feeling really down about the work. I prayed that we would have a great day and that it would help get him excited to continue ahead! The Lord came through (as always) and the day was awesome!!!  We also were able to help a guy who had some problems. Usually everyday a lot of drugged up and drunk people come up and talk to us. But this normal guy came up to us and looked me in the eyes and says "Help me, I´m thinking of killing myself. Tell me something I need to hear." I just put my arm around this guy and read him a message from the scriptures. He told us how he has a wife and a newborn son. I asked him if taking his life would help out his new son. He answered that it wouldn’t. I told him that if he had faith and stayed strong, that 20 years from now when his son is struggling and having problems, he can tell his son that he struggled at one point as well, but overcame it. He can be an example. He was needing Powdered Milk for his son so we were able to help arrange it for him. Great experience. I could feel God´s love and I felt a convincing principle in my heart that God loves all of us. He loves all of his children and that's we need to love one another. Love your neighbor as thyself.  It made me think later, why is there so much evil and wrong in this world? Why do people judge others and bring others down? Why can’t we all have a perspective that we are here to prepare ourselves to live with God (Alma 34:32) and that we should help each other so we can all reach that ultimate goal.  Then I realized that is what the Gospel of Jesus Christ is about. Helping us become like our Savior and follow in His example.
We are teaching some family members of a recent convert here. One of their family members (who we knew and saw almost every other day) died of cancer at age 52. We were able to testify of Christ, that He is our resurrected Lord and Savior and that we will all see our loved ones again. I asked one of the brothers of Noé (who died), if he believed he would see Noé again. He answered that He wouldn’t remember him. I then asked, "would you like to know and seem him again?" and He answered with tears, "yes, I want to, with certainty."  We then bore our testimonies of the Plan of Salvation and promised him he would see Noé again. that is something I know! With a certainty, sem dúvida. 
We have some awesome things planned for this week since my companion is leaving Gama on Thursday morning and then flying home on Friday. Elder Willardson has been a great friend. I'll be in a trio with Preator and Barusso until Monday for transfers!

I love y'all so much!!! Have a great week and 2015.

Elder Bean I

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