The Gospel Brings Blessings

This week was really good!! We got to meet President and Sister Lundgren!! They are so awesome!! I could already see how much love they have for us missionaries and how much they want to help!! We had a mission conference and they both spoke and then walked around and talked with all of us! They have a daughter that lives in Lubbock so she thought it was awesome when she found out I was from Texas. 

We have been visiting Raimundo and Ivaneide still!! Gosh they are so awesome!! It's the best getting to go over there and feel the Spirit really strong during our visits. Raimundo´s testimony that he bares after each lesson is so powerful!! He wants to stay firm in the church now, get married, and then someday get sealed in the temple!! He is such a stud and wants to have everyone in house a member of the church. They have a little grandson who is like 8 months. He is like Raimundo´s "prodigy" lol. He wants to raise him in the church and have him serve a mission in South Africa! hahaha Ivaneide is so awesome too!! She really wants to get baptised and stay on the right path!!

They came to church and they brought 6 more friends and family with them!! They have seen the blessings that they have gained from the Gospel and now they want to share it!! I have grown to love them so much!!

We have found and met a lot of new families this week. They opened up to us about their life problems and different things they have dealt with and are dealing with. It made me so sad to see what they have been through. Things that I never imagine that could possibly happen in my life. And then they ask me for help, me: a 19 year old kid, what to do! I haven’t had anywhere close to the kinds of struggles and hardships they have gone through. I’ve never been married, never had kids, etc.  That is why I’m so grateful for the Spirit and how it can bring thoughts and words to know what to say that God would have them hear. Its really sad hearing some things that people have gone through. 

Another guy we have been teaching is Maicom! He is a 20 year old guy who has a 2 year old son named Gabriel. Maicom is awesome!! We marked a baptism date in August!  He is a super cool guy who has been through a lot in his life! 

We had a confirmation for Yuri yesterday in church, a 13 year old kid. He asked me to do it! He was baptised the Sunday before I got here, but hasn’t been to church until yesterday. Their family has been going through a lot. The mom left them, and the dad just blames it on everyone. It's been hard on Yuri. He plays video games on the computer for seriously, a minimum of 16 hours a day. I don’t blame him for it! he feels like his world is crashing around him and he can’t talk to anyone! His dad doesn’t really care. Me and his dad have had some good talks/arguments! I am so grateful for the parents that I have been blessed with!!  But the other day, I sat down with Yuri and we got a piece of paper and made some goals. (I made him sign the paper to show that he was willing to do it, it was legit!!)   The goals were he could only play 5 hours of video games everyday (this is a sacrifice big time for him), has to read 1 chapter a day of the Book of Mormon, has to visit a friends house at least 3 times a week (since he never leaves the house), has to go to church!!

I was so proud of Yuri cause he is doing it!!  He is a good kid and I feel so bad for the things that he has had to go through. 

For the Fourth of July here in Brasil they had fireworks!!!!!! :) YEahhhhhhh. But it was because Brasil beat Colômbia 2-1, not because of the independence of the USA!! haha  Everyone here is going crazy about how Neymar Jr. can't play the rest of the Cup because of his back. Yesterday on the way to lunch, we walked past a construction site with about 20 drunk dudes. They started going crazy, doing Brasil chants, and pointing at me yelling "Alemão! Alemão!"  (German! German!).  It was funny at first then got a little annoying. I asked one of the guys,  What would a guy from Germany be doing here in Itapoã?  He didn’t know what to say. ha. Everyone thinks that I’m from Germany. The game tomorrow will be tough but I think that Brasil will pull off the win!!  Tim Howard, the goalie for the US, is a beast and played lights out for the US. No one here thought they would make it out of group play but they did!! Just missed a couple of chances to put the ball in the net! 

I hope y’all have a great week!!!!  

I love you!!

Elder Bean

Raimundo and Ivaneide! They are awesome, I love them.
Brazilians don't like to smile in photos, even though
they are happy and smiling otherwise.

Me and Elder Gonzalez, he's from Argentina, one of the areas dad served.

Celebrating the 4th of July

Elder Huntsman taught me how to make peanut butter cookies.

The church building in Itapoã. They just rent this building until the church can build one.

Family Home evening on Sunday, celebrating Rykestili's 21st birthday, we had cake!

Finding People to Teach in Itapoã

This week went really good!!! I miss Gama a lot and the people there. The people that I was teaching and the members of the church there. I’m so grateful for the time that I spent there and the friendships that I made!

But I’m also grateful to be here in Itapoã and to be meeting some amazing people here and helping these great people!!! I love this work so much!!!! The Gospel is true!!!!

So officially, President Gaertner and Sister Gaertner returned home. We now have President and Sister Lundgren!! They got here on Saturday and we will have a mission conference with them tomorrow!!! They are from Washington and brought their 15 year old son with them! I’m gonna miss the Gaertner´s. I'll miss them and all that they did for me but I'm really looking forward to getting to meet President and Sister Lundgren!!!

We have been teaching this awesome couple for the past week. We will visit them again tonight!! Raimundo and Ivaneide. They are a couple in their mid 30s that are planning on getting legally married in a month! Raimundo is a member who is starting to come back to church. Ivaneide isn't a member, yet!!! haha I have really grown to love them!!! Raimundo is such a stud and someone that I would love to just hang out with and Ivaneide is so special and really wants to know Christ and learn more about him and read the scriptures! They always have dinner for us after the lesson so that is a bonus and her foood is amazinggggg!! :) haha. We met them, because Raimundo´s first Sunday back to church was my first Sunday in Itapoã!! So we got his address and marked to meet with them. It was funny cause we got there like 15 minutes late (cause I did an exchange with Huntsman) and they were so nervous we wouldn’t show up!!! haha it was so awesome cause most times, people forget or are shocked that we actually do show up. but they were looking forward to it!!!! Raimundo had me write him a message in his Book of Mormon and sign it.

We are also teaching this dude, Augusto, who is 13 years old and wants to be just like Neymar Jr. (the soccer star player for Brasil). As does every kid here in Brasil, but he is like obsessed!! haha he even dyed the top part of his hair to be like Neymar. But the kid is wayy freakin good in soccer!! Like he has potential to go pro for sure in Brasil and maybe even in Europe!!  Yesterday I had a heart to heart with him. He had accepted a date to be baptised but I wanted to see if he really wanted it or just was going to just cause. It was super awesome and spiritual! I was pulling off sports analogies like crazy!!! haha  one of the things I told him is how so many athletes of the World grow close to God with their lips but are so far with their hearts. They honor God during a Game, and then after the game they go and break the commandments without even thinking twice. But I told him how he, had the potential to change all that and be a star soccer player and also a true disciple of Christ. Someone who honors God after a win or a lose, and doesn’t fall into doing the things of the world like many celeberties and stars have.   He is only 13 but he has so much potential to help others through his talents and example. One thing I have noticed is that the youth here have to grow up a little bit faster than others. so many of them are pretty mature.

Augusto wants to get baptised!!!!  He knows that, to be the best futebol player in the world, you have to work your butt off and work hard everyday, and to be baptised and be a valiant son of God, you have to work your butt off and work hard everyday!!!

They are a lot of great people here that we are teaching!! the members are supportive and awesome!!

BRASIL vs. COLÔMBIA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Friday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I LOVE YOU

Love,

Elder Bean

Elder Huntsman, from Austin TX!!

My Companion, Elder Rykestili from Brasil

Elder Matheus, super funny awesome Brasilian 

11 months on my mission!!

View from the apartment

Back at the apartment after Brasil beat Chile!!

Made brownies on game day, thanks for sending the mix!!

Fear No Man in Itapoã

Bom Dia Americanos :)

Eu estou ótimo!!! Estou muito animado por o jogo hoje!! NOSSA vai ser muito legal, estou pensando vai ser 4-1, Brasil!!!! COPA DO MUNDO!!!!!!!

So we just got done playing soccer early this morning!! After watchin some World Cup games it makes me want to be a soccer player, haha! So today Brasil vs. Camarões will be played here in BRASÍLIA!!!! At the Stadium about 20 minutes by car from where im at right now!!! So pumped!!! 5:00 tonight!!!

It's in the morning right now, but people in the streets are already getting excited and blowing horns!! haha The World Cup experience is so legit here!!

Last night I was able to see the final period of the USA vs. Portugal game... wow!! Two golaços (way awesome goals) by the US but then Portugal just has to put one in during extra-time with only like 30 seconds left.. muito triste! but Everyone here was talkin crap about the US sayin we would get killed!! So I get super defensive about it and I get mad ha :)

This week here in Itapoã was awesome!! The first couple days were rough, and I missed Gama but now I’m gettin in the hang of things here and finding my way around. We found 5 new investigators this week and marked a baptism date with each one!!! We also marked a date with this guy named Luiz, whose two sons got baptised last week. He is way cool, one of the few Brasilians that actually wants the USA to do good!!! ha

The members here are way awesome!! The Bishop served a mission in California and him and his family are way cool! All the members made me feel super welcomed here in Itapoã!! The church here is a rented out 3 story building that I think was an apartment complex before or something. But it is renovated really nice!!! Itapoã doesn’t have a "chapel" yet because its not a legalized city, so the church can't build a chapel. But I love it here!!!. So we do our baptisms and stuff in Paranoa, about 10 minutes away on bus. The people really are awesome here!! I just don’t like it when some people hate on the states! makes me bravo! (mad) lol

It’s way sick living with two other missionaries. It’s alot of fun!! but tonight we will watch the game at a members house, with Pizza, brasilian food, coca cola, and hot chocolate so it will be a blast!! :)

I love yall a ton!!! I’m eating a protein bar right now from the package that Grandpa gave to Elder Koelikers mom. apple pie flavor :) that’s wats up!! haha

So there is this challenge that Elder Lant gave me to do, FEAR NO MAN.

I did it a couple weeks ago in Gama. A lot of pastors here like to preach a message on the buses and then demand money and people give them money. So for the challenge what you have to do is go to the front of the bus and preach about the Book of Mormon. So I decided to do it. So with a bus packed full of people, I walked to the front and talked about the Bible and Book of Mormon. I had to yell cause of the noise outside!! It was incredibly awesome!!! like an adrenaline rush!!!

I said my message for about 3 minutes and about why I believed it to be true and then I demanded "Who wants one" 

I said how it was free cause you can’t put a price on it. And that I wouldn’t accept money cause that is wrong!!

 5 people raised their hands!!! I was able to give 3 out and noted the addresses of the other ones. I passed the reference to the sisters where they work. I heard that he is progressing and wants to get baptised!! whooop.  I felt like an idiot getting up there, but afterwards it was like a spiritual high :))) it was sooo awesome and legit!!!!! really powerful

So this week we also had a farewell conference for President and Sister Gaertner! They return home this Saturday!! It was so hard saying goodbye to them!! I love President and Sister Gaertner and I’ll miss them so much!! I learned so much from them and their example to me!! 

tchau tchau,  eu amo vocês!!!

Pictures are from the last week in Gama and the first week in Itapoã

With Elder Lant, wearing our Zone t-shirt 

Futebol in the streets

In Gama watching the first World Cup game!!

After Brasil won the first game we had to go home and put on our jerseys!!

There are so many cars with the flag on them, some are even painted on.

Saying goodbye to Sowards when he left for home.

With Labrada, and Sowards

Church building in Gama

 Lamôni had me sign and write a message on his football :)

With President and Sister Gaertner

With the Bishop of the Gama ward

My district from the MTC, still missing 2 guys

Saying goodbye to President and Sister Gaertner was so hard, they
are amazing and I am so grateful to have them in my life!

Saw my old companion, Elder Lima at the farewell conference