Recently found May 15, 2013 letter: "Mother's Day and 14"

In going back through old emails, I recently found three letters sent by Elder David Bean via missionties.com that somehow I overlooked.  The news is more than a year old, but I will post them anyway.  

Happy one year mark, Elders Andrew and Matthew Woodruff!  Parabens gente.  E dificil comprender, e triste/feliz saber que nossas missoes estao passando tao rapido . . .vamos usar esse tempo bem, e nossa reuniao sera tao boa!  Eu amo voces, ate logo meus amigos e irmaos.

The time is going by so fast. . . sometimes I close my eyes and think about that wonderful/dreadful airplane, and I can see, smell, and feel the ride home.  It's crazy, people.  So a ton happened this week:

The two boys we've been teaching were finally baptized this week!

Hurrah for baptisms!

I gave a 15 minute talk in sacrament meeting that was horrible!

Hurrah for bad Portuguese grammar!

And, we finally, after six months, got to go to the temple again!

Hurrah for Israel!

It was really special to go back to that sacred building.  I insisted that my companion take his suit jacket - it was right to show our respect for the House of the Lord.  While there, I got to see my zone leaders from beloved Osasco: Elder Groesbeck and Elder Young! :)  And at the temple I saw two irmas (sisters) from my previous ward: Irma Natalia and Irma Mara! :)  I sent my love with them to spread to the ward Nova Granada.

Elders Young, Bean and Groesbeck

After the temple, we slept over at the mission home, cause my companion needed to renew his visa at the police department.  It was great seeing Elder Nielsen again (he's the financial secretary).

Interesting fact:  Two of the seven companionships in our zone were robbed this last week. Wild, huh? (Mom, don't worry!)

At the mission home, I got letters from Grandma, Anne A., Elder C. Santos, Miriam B., and a ton of people from my home ward!  Thanks, Alyssa R., Alex C., Mica S., Rachel M., Bryson H., and Sister Anderson! :)

But the BEST part about this week was...MOTHER'S DAY! :)

  

I got to call my mom, my brother Jonathan, my grandma and my twin sister, Sister Emily (in PR).  Oh man, it was so good!  It doesn't seem that long ago that I was talking to them on Christmas Day.  Wow.  Anyway, it the best thing to see them all - especially my twin.  I didn't think I'd be able to talk with her, but I got her skype call and it all worked out!  For a little while it was a three-way skype, but we found it worked better when it was just a two-way.  I am so grateful for my wonderful mother, brother, grandma, and other family members - for all the love and support they give me. Missions are hard - but so worth it!

Okay, let's wrap up this week with one last story:  At the last zone meeting on Tuesday, we discovered that an elder in the zone has 14 days left before he heads home, and that Elder Robison has 14 weeks until he heads home, and that Elder Bean (your's truly) has approximately 14 months until I arrive home.  Wow. Crazy sauce.  It's passing by so fast.

Love you all!  Be safe!
Love, Elder David Bean