Elder Bean's Mission Scripture

Elder Bean's Mission Scripture:

Alma 26: 35

35 Now have we not reason to rejoice? Yea, I say unto you, there never were men that had so great reason to rejoice as we, since the world began; yea, and my joy is carried away, even unto boasting in my God; for he has all power, all wisdom, and all understanding; he comprehendeth all things, and he is a merciful Being, even unto salvation, to those who will repent and believe on his name.

Saturday, March 16, 2013

Feb 25, 2013 Photos and Commentary

We had another baptism yesterday, and it was an absolute miracle! Mara was praying to receive new work, and on Tuesday last week, found a new job.  While she was thanking God on the bus on her way home from the job, she saw Elder Nielsen and me walking down the street. She suddenly had a strong confirmation that she needed to be baptized! She has been investigating for about a year. So HAPPY for her!  :)

Mara's baptism.

Thanks for the package of goodies!

Saw this on the street...Band is everywhere!


Worn out shoe inserts!

We walk so much!  Shoes just don't last as long.
I am in Hermana Oppes' ward.  This is a picture of a picture of her son
when he was serving in the Woodruff's mission.  Small world!!
Life is super good here. I am constantly thinking about the possibility of leaving this wonderful area.  I´ll find out next Monday (March 4) if I stay or if I go...

The ward is working with us alot, and we´re meeting new people everyday. The work here is really starting to take off.  It's wonderful seeing the momentum, and a little sad that I might not be here to enjoy the fruits. But hey, that´s a mission, and I'll go where called.  :)  Meanwhile. . . I' m sooo happy!

Feb 18, 2013 Photos

Note:  Elder Bean's handwritten blog posts take much longer to get to me than the photos he uploads.  Though he does not send pictures weekly,
he does send them fairly often.  Here are some photos sent Feb 18.


Big, dark rain clouds over Sao Paulo.

Caught in the downpour!  Elders Nielsen and Bean.














Fernanda's Baptism.

A little party celebrating Fernanda's baptism.

Feb 11, 2013 “They Come, They Eat, They Leave”

 So this week, we were at one of our lunch appointments, with the familia Dantes, and I realized that they were the first lunch appointment I had here in the field.  I remembered how scared and inept I was, not being able to speak, or understand, feeling tired and apprehensive, just following my trainer and trying to pull myself together.

But!  This visit, three months later, was such the opposite!  I was talking and talking, making jokes, bearing my testimony, eating with gustou, and afterwards giving a spiritual message with confidence and a smile!  I was so grateful to see the difference, and to be reminded once again, how much God loves me and all of us, and how He helps our efforts. 

Also, it is wonderful to be constantly reminded how much you all support us missionaries.  Thank you for your letters:  Elders Andrew and Matthew Woodruff, Hermana Bean (so cool my twin is a sister missionary!), Miriam (it’s awesome you are getting Bro Pearce for seminary—great teacher—tell him hi from me!) and family, plus Rachel Arteta...and a package from Rosemary Merrill!  Que Alegria!!  Thanks so much.  The love is real ;)

This next part I might subtitle:  a division, a debater, a death and a dream.
 
A division:  We had a division with the zone leaders this week.  Elder Nielsen with Elder Groesbeck, and me with Elder Nagueira.  It was so great!  Elder Nagueira is a Brazilian who has been out 1 year and 7months, and knows that he is a servant of God—and a representative of Jesus Christ.  He has such excitement to spread the Gospel message!  He talks to everyone (like literally everyone!), and talks about the importance of baptism in the first contact.  He said to me (I’m translating from the Portugues), “Don’t ever let fear stop you.  Close your eyes and continue.”  I had a great day with him, and I already know my mission is going to be different because I learned so much from him during this division.
A debater:  I understand something about my companion, Elder Nielsen.  He was on his school’s debate team, and it rubbed off a little on his personality.  This is why he is so bold and direct when teaching, and why he can help guide our investigator to understand what they’re feeling and thinking, and why he can identify what their concerns are.  He’s a great man.  We are working well together:  He knows Portugues  grammer really well, and this week, a light bulb turned on in my brain about the different tenses (incomplete, present, indicative, imperfect subjunctive, conditional, future subjunctive, past participle, etc., etc.)!  Yahoo!

A death:  There is a twelve year old boy here who has a genuine testimony of the truthfulness of the Gospel, yet plans to not act on that knowledge because he wants to please his godparents (long story, I won’t go into it). And Aah!  It’s killing me. He’s a great kid: really special.  And he’s so close!  Sometimes I see glimpses of his future as a member of the church: the mission he might serve, being married in the temple, raising his family in the Church, teaching Elders Quorum, etc., etc. AHH! And I just want to die to think that he may miss it because of a desire to please somebody else’s ideas for his life instead of living his future based on his own feelings and choices.  So yeah, while I say I could die, I also need to remember: he is young.  He has a great understanding and capacity—especially for someone so young.  So we continue to work with him, and put our faith in the Lord that it will all work out.

A dream: This whole mission is like a dream, a Matrix—a Truman Show—it’s the “Sao Paulo Dream.”  It’s crazy.  It can’t be real because it’s so good!

Hey, all—Be good to each other. Keep the commandments...“in this there is safety and peace.”  See you.  Love you.  I mean it.  Tchau, tchau. 
Love, Elder David Bean


Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Photos from Christmas: "Too good to miss!"

Friends from "The Chosen" sent Elder Bean a gingerbread man kit for Christmas...





...which inspired Elder Bean to depict Nephi slaying Laban!

Christmas lights along a small street in Sao Paulo.


 

Feb 4, 2013 "From One Soap to the Next"

Sorry, this entry is going to be a little shorter.  Life is good - how can it not be? (Dur!)  We’re walking a lot (like a lot!  See the picture attached if you don’t believe me), the time is going by so fast (I say that every time, huh...must be true!).  You have no idea how fast...).   It’s crrraaaay-saaaaay! (yes, that was a Miriam and Brady reference). 

Portuguese is going well, (but English? Ha Ha -  the Brazilians here know more about English than I do.  They’re teaching me my own grammar...).

Sao Paulo street awash in rain water
 I’ve been kinda sick this last week.  It flooded again in the streets because of the rain, and we kept working out in the cold wetness.

I left my coat at the mission office when I was first
assigned to the Osasco area, and when it suddenly
turned cold, this was the only coat in the apartment.
It's ugly, and has been through many generations of
missionaries, but it kept me warm. 
A big thank you to Mom, Emily and Rosemary for your letters.  Congrats to Rosemary who will serve in Brasil.  And my twin sister has left for her mission!  She’s probably loving it, crying every day (’cause I practically did, Baha), and busy learning Spanish!  I’m so proud of her!  It is so cool she is serving.  For those of you who weren’t lucky enough to hear her farewell, I heard it was awesome.  Also, I know Shane McQuarrie is back from his mission in Chicago, Illinois.  Hey Shane, doing good?  Good.  J  I know it’ll be me in no time.  Ah, I won’t think about it.  I still have 18 more months.

Soap
Well, the work is continuing—just living one soap to the next, day to day.  The most recent work has been with people who have particularly serious challenges (like alcoholism, drug addiction and abandoned family members).  These people, plus a bunch of other people, all need the Gospel.  Remember, my friends and family, how blessed you are, how blessed we are.  God is always ready and waiting to help us.  All we have to do is follow the Savior and live the commandments. 
[See Alma 37: 44 and Matthew 11:30.  Seriously, they are good scriptures!J ]

Hey, I love you. Pray always.  Keep me updated on how life is treating you.

Until next week-- Love, Elder David Bean

P.S.  A funny moment:  A convert asked me this week “Why is the Holy Ghost hot?”  Porque Esprito Santo e quent?  And after thinking for a second, I responded  Melhor quente que frio!  “Better hot than cold!”  J  Baha.