E aí :)
Tudo Bem?? Como está :)
Eu estou bem. Mutio feliz
para tem o opportunidade para email vocês!!! :)
Esta semana foi bom. Tenho
muito bom experiencias. Eu sinto falta de vocês muito. Mas, Eu amo vocês
muito!!!
Dang, what a week!! How are
y’all all doing??? I miss y’all a ton!!!
My new companion, Elder F.
Machado, is a really cool guy. Machado means "axe" in Portuguese. So
I call him Elder Axe. ha. He has helped me a tonn with my Portuguese. This week
has been the biggest improvement that I have had. I realized that I spoke a lot
of English with Elder D. Call, more than I should of. It was mainly my
fault though. It was just easier. But now its only Portuguese all day, everyday
unless when I’m helping Machado with his English.
I’m so tired right now. ha.
Today we had to leave the apartment to catch a bus to Brasilia. My companion
wanted to be in the choir for the mission conference. I wasn’t planning on
doing it but had to go with him. Learning to put my companions wants above
mine, preparing me for marriage :) lol. But when we got there I decided to do
it, and I’m glad I did. It was fun. Mission conference is on the 17th. It is
really spiritual singing Christmas hymns. I got to see some people that got
transferred out of my zone, and also got to see Elder Kesler which was cool! He
is the director and in charge of the choir. But over 4 hours of buses
today has drained me out ha.
I learned the importance of
word pronunciation this week. haha. Ok their are two words, coco and cocô. Coco
means coconut and cocô means poop. I just learned cocõ this week ha. The only
difference is that with "coco" when you say it you put the emphasis
on the first "o" because it is the second to last vowel. With
"cocô"you put the emphasis on the last "o" cause there is
an accent. Unless a word ends with L,U,Z,I,R or an accent in the word, you put
the emphasis on the second to last vowel. Anyway, I was eating some pudding
cake at a member’s house and it was good and tasted like coconut. So I asked
her "Irmã, este é coco?" (This is coconut?) but I put a really
strong emphasis on the last "o" so I really said "This is
poop?" haha I didn’t even know the word for poop until then. She
looked shocked, but then laughed and realized what happend. haha. I’m glad she
was cool about it and didn’t get offended. haha Then she explained the
difference. I didn’t even know another way to say "coco" existed, but
I do now :) haha
Waldivino is doing good,
except having trouble wanting to obey certain commandments. But he believes the
Book of Mormon and the church is true. Hopefully it will work out with
him.
This week was awesome! Had
some awesome experiences. One of them was last Tuesday, we committed Elielson
and Geralda to be baptized on the 14th!! It was awesome. But the cool part was
the dream she had on Saturday night, the day before going to church. She told
us the dream on Tuesday. Blew my mind.
She was walking, and went
inside into this beautiful building that she had never seen, or been inside
before. On the way to the building she passed by beautiful flowers and scenery.
When she walked inside, the room was clean and beautiful and had
hallways going different ways. As she looked one way she saw a beautiful bouquet
of flowers. And just beyond the flowers was this happy couple. They were
smiling, full of joy, and just seemed happy. She had never seen them before in
her life. Then she woke up feeling really peaceful.
The next day at church, she
walks into a building she has never seen before, except for in her dream. She
sees a bouquet of flowers, and just beyond it was this happy couple she had
seen only once in her life, in her dream!!
It was so cool hearing this
story. She recognized it as an answer to her prayers!! I was so amazed. It is
so cool being able to take part in these kind of experiences.
This past Saturday in
general was awesome! Wow!! We left the apartment at 11 to go teach a
lesson before we had lunch. Lunch was at Miro´s, a BBQ for Gabriel´s farewell
party. But not even 5 minutes out of the apartment we are walking down the
street and this older man comes around the corner. He is extremely dirty and
had only one leg. He hobbled around on two, old, broken down, wooden crutches.
He looked really beat. He came over to us, and never once asked for money. He
fell to his knees in front of me and asked me to give him a blessing. He referred
to us as "Jesus Men" and he knew we could help him. So, in the
middle of the street in Santo Antonio, I put my hands upon the head of this
poor old man and gave him a blessing. One of the most powerful experiences I
have had. The man started to cry. It was so powerful I don’t even
remember specifics that I promised and told him. But I do remember telling him
about his difficulties now in this life, and God will be waiting for him with
open, loving arms when he returns to Him and he will be at peace, with no more
difficulties. It was such a powerful experience. One I will never forget. This
poor humble man. I didn’t have any money but we gave him a Book of Mormon and
some information. As we walked away I truly felt like a representative of
Christ. Christ would heal people through the streets and help everyone. He
loved those that were looked down upon by the world, those with afflictions and
diseases. It was such a humbling experience for me personally as well. I was so
grateful that I had prepared. I never would of thought something like that
would happen.
What was cool as well was
during my personal study that morning, I felt prompted to freshen up, and study
words for giving a blessing. I didn't know it at the time, but now I know that
it prepared me for something that would happen in an hour from then. So
cool.
As we were walking away my
companion, just looked at me and said that I was speaking with such power, with
no accent and saying words I had never said before. It was such a
powerful experience for me. I will never forget that old, poor, humble man, and
having faith to ask for a blessing in the middle of the street. Falling to his
knees, begging for help. Very humbling experience for me.
That night, we went to
teach a man named Woess. He wasn't home but his parents, and his disabled sister
were. Domingos and Aldsena are his parents, they are in their 60s. All I
remember about Aldsena from our previous visit was that she is very catholic
and wanted to preach to us, haha. But anyway, we were sitting there teaching a
lesson. Then Aldsena just goes off on this huge sermon and saying all these
things. I couldn’t even pay attention. I was getting such a huge headache from
trying to understand it all. She was like yelling at us practically, and I just
said a quick prayer in my heart to know what to say. It came to me, and when
she paused for a moment to catch her breath I asked just a simple question. "
Irmã, como você sabe A Biblia é verdadiera, a palavra de Deus?" (sister,
how do you know the bible is true, the word of God.) She stopped talking
and it went straight silent. She was thinking and the Spirit then entered the
room and softened her heart. She just answered simply, and very quietly, that
she had read it and prayed about it. It was perfect! I then answered her
saying she was exactly right! And told her that I know the Bible is true
because I read and prayed about it as well, and that I did the same thing
with the Book of Mormon. I know the Book of Mormon is true because I read it
and prayed to Heavenly Father. And He answered my prayer. I know that both are
true words of God, that with both we have the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus
Christ. Her heart was softened and we continued to teach her. She and her
husband both had worries about what would happen to their families in the next
life, when they died. I was able to testify to her that families are forever!!
That she can be married to her husband forever. I then told her how when I find
someone to marry, I will love her so much I will want to be with her forever!
Married not just for this life only, but forever!! Aldsena´s heart was
softened, she had tears and looked to her husband and smiled and asked if he
would want to be with her forever. He agreed and even had some tears. It was
such a great experience. I was then able to tell her she just didn’t have to
believe me and take my word for it. But that she can pray to God, and ask if
our message is true, so she can know for herself that both the Book of Mormon
and Bible are true words of God and that families are forever.
Her attitude had changed
tremendously, because the Spirit was able to enter and touched her heart. I
never had spoken so much before in a Lesson. I was just going on and on and not
even realizing where the words were coming from. I really felt like I was just
speaking English.
Aldsena even said my Portugues
was beautiful for a white boy from America :) haha
But as we walked away,
Elder Machado was so impressed. He told me how when I teach the words sound
perfect, I don't have a thick accent or anything.
It increased my testimony
that I can only do this with the help of Heavenly Father and if I have the
Spirit with me. I can't do it without it!! I can't.
Whenever we are just
walking or talking in the apartment my Portugues isn’t all that great, It’s
enough to communicate but not great. But when we teach, and the Spirit is
there, it is all fine. I am so grateful, that by learning another
language it has helped me rely on the Spirit more and Heavenly Father's help
than just my own abilities and knowledge.
I am so grateful for these
experiences. I realize now how much I need to be here on this mission. Not just
to help people here, but also to help me! I thought my relationship with
Heavenly Father was good before I came here, I was wrong! It has been
strengthened so much since I have been here and I really feel I can rely on Him
and go to him in prayer whenever. About the good and bad. When I miss home, and
when I am grateful for what I have. About everything. I truly know, that
for me to become the person that I want to be in life, and the son, older
brother, husband, father, and friend that I want to be, I needed to be here on
this mission now, at this point in my life! I truly know that it is necessary
for me personally. I am so grateful to be here, and serving the Lord as a
missionary.
I feel so honored to get to
put on the missionary badge, with the name of Jesus Cristo everyday, as well as
the name Bean. I hope that by the time I return home, the badge will be en-graven
in my heart.
My companion has been
having some problems and I prayed on Tuesday that my example would help him try
to make better decisions and help him out. On Sunday, he bore his testimony
and talked about that experience in the street and experience we had Saturday
night with Aldesna. He said that it strengthened his testimony, about how when
I have the Spirit with me I am speaking like a whole new person. It
touched me a lot.
I love you all so much!! So
grateful for your love, support and prayers.
"We sacrifice for what
we love, and we love what we sacrifice for"
I love you all so so so
much!!! I am so stoked to get to skype on Christmas!!! Caraca I am stoked!!
(caraca is Wow)
Take care, hope you have a
great week. EU AMO VOCÊS!!! Muito :)
Love,
Elder Bean
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| Gilson and Valdirene, I taught my first lesson in Brasil to them. When I first met with them I couldn't say much in Portuguese. |
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| Ward mission leader |
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| "King Pelé" |
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| "Thanksgiving dinner" with Elder D. Call before he was transferred. |
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| "Thanksgiving dinner" with Elder Machado at Gulas. |
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| In front of the church. |
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| Being a dork at a school playground that a member owns. |
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| Horse taxi |
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| Eating my breakfast, PB sandwich at 6 a.m. headed to Brasilia for choir practice. |
