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

Recently found May 6, 2013 letter: "Cap Nap . . . Sem Gato"

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.  

So, y'all, this week just flew by, and we're about to jump into another one, so here's what's been happening on this end of the world:  I finally got Mom's package of shoe inserts and beef jerky!  Yahoo!  And I got a letter from Sister Maren Young! :) Thanks!
So...
1) My feet reek.
2) Milk here is horrible:  it's like -5%!  Mom, you couldn't live here for long periods of time!
3) Our baptism fell through again.  Still need to increase obedience on our part.  I'm telling you, people, that we need to be obedient to receive the blessings. "...When ye do not what I way, ye have no promise."
4) We had a division with the district leader and his companion on Wednesday.  I was with Elder Matthews from Heber, Utah! :) He's super cool.  We worked hard, ate pizza, taught well, and I laughed at the mistakes he's making in Portugues - cause they're the same mistakes I was making when I arrived in the field.  Also, I got to bear several powerful testimonies-just pure baptizing testimony!  It was legit.  I even cried a little when I felt that two people really needed to be members of the church.  They accepted my invitation to lean more and return!
5) Today was P-day.  I took a cap nap without the cat.  And I wrote a lot of people back!  Que alegria!   P-day...so wonderful, so short, so needed.

So yeah, sorry, don't have a ton to say... but the mission is great!

Love you all!

Your friend, Elder David Bean : )

Recently found April 29, 2013 letter: "Forward March! And Step!"

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.

I'm excited to work here in the Jacana Zone with other missionaries.  The young men in this ward are really cool.  They love to help the missionaries teach, do contacts, etc.  I am remembering the amazing ward secretary of my first area, Fabio (I miss you, Fabio)!

So, more news:  I saw a Brazilian marching band this week!! : )  So legit.  I was dying with happiness and joy.

Well, what else?  Despite falling asleep while standing up on the moving bus, finding a bunch of part-member families with sad stories, our baptism falling through, a majority of our visits falling through, getting bitten by a dog bigger than I am, and desperately encouraging obedience in all ways at all times, this week did not dampen my high hopes for this area!  Yes, folks, I'm still excited!  I'm dead tired, but know that with increased obedience we can qualify for miracles.  Sacrifice brings blessing.  (Thank you, Dr. Fullmer, for teaching me this.)

It was my companion's birthday today!  It was "so good!" Tao Bom!  The ward had a surprise mini-party for him with a cake.  It was nice.  He "dies" in only three months - meaning he will finish his mission that soon. Wow.

So, one last story:  we were riding the bus, early inthe morning to go and get some investigators to church, and as we were ascending the mountain, the valley to our right was full of mist and clouds, and as we were climbing higher and higher, it looked exactly like flying above the cloud bank on an airplane.  I imagined what it will be like leaving on a plane for home...trunky! It was crazy.  And it's gonna happen sooner that we know it, people.  Just wait and see.

Well, that was it for this week in a nutshell.  Love y'all! :)
- Elder David Bean

July 4, 2013 Timpview Marching Band seniors!

Note from Elder Bean's mom:  Anyone who knows David well, knows that he has a great affection for the Timpview HS Marching Band!  On July 4, 2013, after marching in Provo's Freedom Parade, the band's seniors gathered outside the band room to send this enthusiastic greeting to Elder Bean (who, along with Zachary Giddings, was their drum major their freshman year!):

Special July 4 greeting to Elder Bean!

July 1, 2013 May I have your wallet, please?

Note from Elder Bean's mom:  On June 29, 2013 I received an email from Elder Bean's mission president. It read:

Dear Sister Bean:

Thank you for preparing and sending your son, Elder David Bean, on a full-time mission.  He is a fine young man, and Sister Martins and I are delighted to have him in the Brazil Sao Paulo North Mission.

We need you to contact your bank to cancel Elder Bean's debit card and ask for a new one.

Unfortunately, in a metropolitan area like Sao Paulo's (the third largest in the world), sometimes unpleasant things happen and missionaries are not immune to those.  A few minutes ago Elder Bean and his companion, Elder Torres, were robbed in the street and lost their wallets.  There was no violence, and both missionaries followed the standard Church policy for such incidents.

Elder Bean is fine--he called me just a couple of minutes ago from another phone (the Church-issued cell phone was taken as well)--and he sounded calm and in peace.

When you have a new debit card for him, please . . .  [The rest of the email was about how to send the card through FedEx for greater delivery security.] 

Elder Bean explained some details on Monday July 1:

We were on the bus when a young man stood up and pulled out a gun.  His buddy started collecting the cell phones and wallets.  But no one got hurt.  Actually they were very polite, saying things like "Be calm, please" and "Just give us your wallets, please."  I'm okay, and presidente has already given us a new cell phone and some money to live.  It was a real blessing that nothing super bad happened.  I love you, and I know that your prayers and the Lord are protecting me.

June 2013

[Note from Elder Bean's mom:  Elder Bean's emails in June were briefer than usual.  He spoke of simple things, asking that some church materials be sent to him for certain members and missionaries, soliciting prayers on behalf of the work, and always expressing his love for his family.  He mentioned needing to write letters to his president, getting kicked off the computer, having trouble sending pictures, and wanting, but not having, enough time to write longer letters home.  I assured him that although newsy letters are nice, we are happy to see his focus on the work.  We are all so proud of him.  Below is an exerpt from a June 24 email home: ] 

June 24, 2013
How are you guys?  Life here is great.  This week I finally understood, and put in practice, the concept of short lessons - which help our investigators progress.  We had 26 new investigators this week!  More than I've ever had.  It was great. :)
We've also been having lots of riots here 'cause the government raised the prices of the bus fares!  It's exciting and cool that the people actually do something: they stopped all the traffic for hours and hours this week.
Yes, Mom, I did see the missionary broadcast last night from the Marriott Center. It was really cool, especially seeing people I knew!!!  I loved it. [Elder David's brother, Jonathan, sang with the combined missionary and local members choir.]

Mairipora Photos

Elder Bean stands in front of Mairipora, Brazil.

Elder Bean with a papagaia!  

Elders Torres and Bean starting another day!

View from the elder's house in the morning. Beautiful.