Gifts of the Spirit

E aí

I miss y’all so much! Everything is going good though for me!! I’m doing great. The weeks seem to be flying by faster and faster each time. Its crazy!!

We met this awesome couple, Waldivino and Carina (sounds like Vol-G-veen-YO). He works at a shoe store, that is where we met him. My companion had to buy new shoes, and Waldivino just came up to us and asked if we could come over to his house some time. He had been going through a lot of difficulties, and wondering what his purpose was here on earth. It was perfect!  We have taught him twice already this past week and he went to church! He loves it. He asks a bunch of questions which is awesome and really listens intently. After our first lesson I asked Carina if she would pray about our message and see if it was true. She was excited and said Yes, I will!! Then I asked Waldivino and he just says I can already feel that I believe what you taught me. But yes, I'll still pray. haha It was so cool.

We have continued to teach Kalistony. He is so awesome. The dude has a serious man crush on me haha. Its funny though. He is married and has a 10 year old son. He loves what we teach him, and he continues to read the scriptures and pray.

Messias has been really complicated this past week. He hasn’t answered our calls which is weird. He usually calls us making sure we are coming over.  But hopefully we will get a hold of him this week.

One of the things I have really tried to do better this week is think in Portugûes. I use to have the habit of just translating in my head what people would say into English. But it just takes too long.  So this week I have really tried to just think in Portugúes when people are talking and not think in English. It is much better. It was hard at first but it is alot easier now. I even have caught myself while I’m reading the scriptures or just thinking, I'll be thinking in Portugûes. Pretty crazyy.

I have had such a great opportunity to have so many great, spiritual experiences, and even some that I can´t really talk about. It is one of the most incredible feelings finding someone to teach, and feeling like you have known them before. Such an incredible feeling knowing I talked with that person in the pre-existence and probably told them I would come find him in Brasil and help him find what he needs, and what I have been blessed to have.

This week I got called "Alemão" a lot. (German)  People will be like "Oi Alemão, fala ingles" (Hey German, speak English.)  I just reply "Eu sou Alemão, então Eu falo Alemão. Não falo ingles." (I’m German, so I speak German, not English." haha.

We taught some lady in the park the other day. Right after I say my first sentence, she just says You’re not Brazilian are you. ha.

Even though it isn’t even close to being perfect yet, my Portugûes gets better every day. And every Monday, it gets harder and harder to write and email in English :) haha

One of the coolest experiences is when I will study certain scriptures in the morning during personal study, than later that day or even a couple days later during a lesson with someone, I will remember that scripture that was perfect for their situation that could really help them out. I know that it is the spirit bringing it back to my rememberance.

This week we also moved into our new apartment, the one right above it. The landlord wanted to redo the one we were living in. We got an upgrade haha. We finally found out where all the cockroaches were coming from. When we were moving the sink, we found a big hole in the wall with at least 20 plus roaches. 

I ate chicken heart for the first time this week! to be honest, it actually is pretty good. ha. We met a guy named Johansen who moved to the U.S. when we was 18 (he had been waiting on a visa since he was born). He lived there for like 7 years, even in Houston for a little bit, and then just recently moved back. He is so cool and speaks fluent English. So the other night on our way home, we was hanging out at one of those "BBQ to go" places where several pieces of meat on a stick. He called us over, and then asked me if I had ever had chicken heart. I said no so he went over and just bought me one before I could say no. It was wayy better than I thought. Seriously was actually pretty good. 8 little hearts on a stick.

I love being a missionary and getting to help people better their lives. It is so rewarding and its so true that when you serve others, in turn you end up serving yourself and bettering yourself.

I miss y’all like crazy! Everyday I think about y’all! I know that I can pray to my Heavenly Father when times are hard and I’m really missing home. It is such a blessing to be able to have that communication with our Father in Heaven.

I know this work is true. My testimony of the Book of Mormon and Bible has grown so much since I have been here. I am so grateful for the Gospel in my life and being blessed with the amazing family and friends that I have.

I love you so much!!!!

Love,

Elder Bean

What I saw while walking home from church, so cool, futebol.

The stands are on street level and the field is underground.   

Sky while walking around Saturday night.

Moving into our new apartment upstairs from the previous one.

My desk set up, the new apartment is the same layout but way better!

Night sky view from my apartment.

Kalistony, one of the people we are teaching.

Eu Sou Muito Grato / I Am Very Grateful

Oi!!

Wow this week flew by so fast!! The fastest week I have had so far. I’m starting to get in the rhythm of things and getting use to life here. I miss yall like crazy though!!!! But don’t worry about me, everything is going good! :)

We have 5 people with baptism dates!! Messias, Domingas/familia, and Johnny. Messias is supposed to be baptized this Saturday on the 9th!! But last night, as we were teaching him he said he felt like he was having doubts and not feeling ready yet. I told him about how before my mission, and even during the first few weeks here I felt like I wasn’t ready and prepared for it. I was, doubting myself and if I could really do this for two years. And even though it is still hard being away from home, I now know that I am meant here and this is where Heavenly Father needs me. Sometimes we just have to have faith, and know that it will get better. Whenever I have had doubts, or am missing home really bad, I can pray to Heavenly Father and He helps me by helping me feel peaceful and comforted.

When we walked away from Messias´s, I could feel the Spirit so strong. He is still deciding on either this Saturday, or next week, or sometime later. It really felt like we had just endured a battle. I was so worn out. I have seen Heavenly Father work in the lives and hearts of people so much throughout my mission so far. But I have also seen how the adversary, and Satan influences for the worst. That Satan really does not want Messias or other people to be baptized or follow the example of Jesus Christ. 

On Halloween, Me and Elder D. Call felt like we had to celebrate somehow. ha. I bought an orange tie and he wore a black tie, so we would at least look like Halloween. Here they don’t celebrate it but they still have a name for it, Dia das Bruxas. So we bought a big bag of candy and we made a goal that we would eat it all that night so we would go to bed having that sick feeling from eating a lot of candy haha. I passed out some candy to kids as we walked around too. We had a family home evening activity at some members and we brought Danilo with us. Danilo received the Priesthood last week, he is doing awesome!!

We have been teaching a lot of people this week. I love just going up to people on the streets and just sharing with them a message about their Heavenly Father, that they are children of God, and that Jesus Christ is their Savior. I love seeing these people´s moods just change, and they are smiling and happy.

The language is getting a lot easier. It is still hard for me to understand the people that speak super fast or that mumble. Those people usually don’t understand me too well either. Ha. Older people still have a hard time understanding me. Teenagers, and younger adults usually seem to understand everything I say. It is so cool being able to communicate in a different language. 

My testimony of the Gospel and of Jesus Christ is strengthened everyday. I am seeing more and more the blessings I have had, and continue to have in my life. There are so many times when I am feeling down and missing family and home, that He just picks me up and I feel better!  I am so grateful to have the opportunity that I have to serve a mission here. I have become more grateful for the things I had back home and starting to appreciate more of the little things. For example, I took for granted being able to walk around my house and take a shower without sandals :) ha. Now I have to! ha. 

I have gotten to try a lot of new foods. The fruit here is amazing!! I also like this type of sugarcane. It looks like wood. You chew on it and suck the juice out and then you spit out the wooden part. Cow heart has the same texture and tastes just like hot dog. haha. And I really like tomatoes now...  I really feel like I have been blessed to be more willing to eat things and like things I normally wouldn’t have. I hated tomatoes.. now I really like them. :)

We were eating at someone’s house the other day and she goes "Você gosta de Gato" (do you like cat) But the word for "Rat" is Rato (sounds like Hato).  I swore she said "Você gosta de Rato"   I was thinking to myself.Wat?? I just ate freakin rat!! haha it was funny.

I bore my testimony yesterday in church. So "Grato" means grateful. So I would say "Eu sou muito grato" (I am very grateful)  Now my companion thought I said Grato but some youth in the ward thought I said "Gato"   Gato means cat but also a word they use for "Cute". So they thought I was up there in church saying "Eu sou muito gato"  (I am very cute!) haha

I just joked with the youth afterwards when they were telling me this, all I do is testify of the truth anyways :) haha  I really need to work on my pronunciations. 

There are a lot of German descents in Southern Brasil, so I always tell everyone I am from southern Brasil. No one believes me though cause my accent is too strong haha.  Last week these girls that we passed by in the street wanted to take a picture with me since I was American. I told them I was Brasilian but they didn’t believe me either.

Being a missionary is hard, I still get frustrated when I can't say what I want to say, but it is so rewarding and I know it will bless these peoples lives, as well as mine and family´s!!

I miss you all soo much!!! Thank you for all your prayers for me. They have helped so much. My motto is "Just Do It" :)  just keep on truckin.

I love you!!!!!!!  Familias são eternas!!!!!

Amor,

Elder Bean

With Luan

Subway in Taguatinga

In Brasilia outside of one of the stadiums for the World Cup.

Museum in Brasila

National Congress of Brasil

Brasilia with Elder D. Call, Redd and Grisham

Drinking Terere at Elder Redd's and Grisham's apartment.

Eating carne on a stick, they have these stands all over town
selling meat on a stick for 1 real (50 US cents)

City view of Santo Antonio do Descoberto

We ate at Mary Donalds, it was good!

With Miro, he was the ward mission leader. He and his family
have made me feel so welcomed and loved here.

Love getting letters!!

Eating at Gula's...our favorite restaurant!

When we go out to eat, I bring my "Tonys"

With Danilo on Halloween night.