Elder Lofton Q Bean : We Sacrifice for What We Love, and We Love What We Sacrifice For.

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