Meeting Awesome People and Having Opportunities to Share the Gospel

Hey so this week was pretty good overall!

Monday we had a Pday activity as a zone at Dierkes Lake! That was way fun and I am sending a bunch of pictures from it! Had fun FHE at the Garbett's with the Brunings! Love those two families.

Got to meet the Webb's new dog, Kronk, this week! He is a full shar pai! He is black and he is the cutest puppy haha. (Mom I want one and I know how to get one for cheap!) lol. They are doing awesome and Diara's due date is March 8th but the doctors say it could be any day now! They said we are gonna be one of the first people they call when it all goes down and they want us to come into the hospital to see them when that happens. I love them! They are so awesome and we are really close. Considering he is only 21 and she is 19 they are right about our age! We also have Tea Time with them at 3:00 just about every other day. (Herbal Tea so it's okay ahha). 

We spent some good time at the Wrights the past couple of weeks! And she asked us to give her boys Seneth and Isaac priesthood blessings! I felt pretty honored to do that since her husband, Dave, is not a member so he couldn't. He is such a great guy though! 

Had a good lesson with the Storeys. It is a Part member family. She has a goal to go to the temple with her son Colton (13, who we are starting to teach) in May! We committed Colton to baptism and he said that is exactly what he wants! Way cool. We have 4 people set for baptisms this month already! They might end up rolling over to next month but we will see! 

Camille/Al are doing so great. Yesterday at the regional stake conference broadcast, Elder Nielson of the Seventy spoke on "Burying our weapons of rebellion and committing to 'change' and 'become' " I thought it was so great and it really impressed on Al a lot! All that is left before their baptism is marriage! Which the baptism is now scheduled for March 14th! 

Cool experience: We received a call from a lady out of town to go help her mother who recently had surgery. (non member) So we went over and she was the nicest lady, her name is Trish Warmack! We went out back and chopped wood for an hour or so and had fun doing it! Ended up finding out later that night through a member that lives next door and helps out Trish too, that we had made such an impression on her that she called all of her kids (nonmembers also) and told them about us. That brought me more joy than anything else this week. Serving one of God's children and making an impact on her life. She invited us back anytime we feel like it so we are gonna make a point to go every week! 

Last night we went into a part member family's home for dinner! The member, Jen Nelson, went through the temple a couple months ago and she is so nice! Her husband is not a member and in fact is the brother of Johanna (who I mentioned in a couple emails I think). He seems open, and he is going through a rough time with a recent death of his nephew. We ended up giving him a priesthood blessing! It was so great and they invited us back anytime!

Met some awesome people and had some great experiences with having opportunities to share the gospel. We have so many promising potentials! 

I love and miss y'all!!

-Elder Bean II

Elder Brown that just got home from serving with
my brother, Lofton, in Brasilia Brazil 

Pday activity at Dierkes Lake with the zone

Elder Risley, Openshaw, Brown, Me; the inVESTed crew

Family Home Evening with the Garbett and Bruning families

Doing the Work

Had some great lessons this week with Camille and Al! They are progressing great and their baptism has been moved to March 7th to allow more time for marriage and stuff! The Webb's are progressing too and we had a very spiritual lesson on the Atonement. He said he learned so much more and it all made sense. I think it really helped Colten apply the Atonement to himself more personally.

Burnt a tie this week for my 6 month mark!!! haha. The other day we went on exchanges and I went with Elder Vanleeuwen and we went to Jackpot, Nevada (yes it’s in the mission) and that was a fun experience. We got lost in the Nevada desert at one point ;). 

Elder Kevin Brown from Lofton's mission came to Buhl with his family and took us out to lunch! They are fun and he gave me stuff from Lofton!! He said I am just like my brother hahah that's the best compliment ever!!

We had some other great lessons and had fun with some awesome families this week. There is a new Chinese restaurant in town 'Kim Long' and it is super good! Kinda like Panda Express but better!! :)

Talk to y'all next week! Love and miss y'all

-Elder Bean II

Good night Idaho

With Brian Bradley at the Hutchinson's.  He just returned from serving a
mission in Lubbock Texas. His twin brother is serving in this mission.

Hutchinson's farm

Burning a tie to signify 6 months on a mission!

With Elder Vanleeuwen

Transfers - Staying in Buhl with Elder Bunker!

So glad to be staying in Buhl with Elder Bunker! Things are going way awesome here. Just some awesome experiences with our investigators, less-actives, and even some great members! Feel like we have been inspired to do a lot of things and great rewards have come of those things!

We have been teaching Camille/Almon(Al) a lot and they both have baptismal dates for February 28th! I am excited and Saturday they agreed to drop all addictions and things against the W.o.W and are planning on getting married soon! We see Al just about everyday cause he is home a lot (finding a job right now) and he needs the support and loves us coming over! We read 2 Nephi 4 with him and he loved that one and after we left he texted us all day about he is receiving his answer and that chapter really helped him and hit him hard. He is so receptive it is awesome! They also came to a baptism Saturday for other Elder's in our District and they liked that! Then they both came to church Sunday and thought it was great and we all went over to the Schofield's for lunch and it was great! The Webb's came to church too and to the Schofield's afterwards. Found out Colten Webb doesn't actually have records so he technically is not a member, so we would have to teach him like an investigator! Which is probably good because now he can have a fresh start. 

    So we went to go contact this family (Cook's) and they used to have missionaries in the past until one of them ruined it.. but we are trying to get back in the house, so we parked down the street and this guy down the street comes out to talk to us and find out he is "All-Denominations" but is a less-active member. He invited us over for dinner and he said he appreciates what we do and that he believes in the LDS beliefs, just doesn't believe in having a set religion. Then we talked to the Cook's and he said he would give us a call or text when we has work off next! So that was two good things in like under 20 minutes ahha. 

  The Stake President (Pres. Ackerman) and the High Councilman over missionary work (Bro. Bowman) took us out to lunch Tuesday to show their appreciation and to apologize for some things that happened last week with the stake. I loved it though and they are two awesome men!! Then we got a call from Sis. Nelson and she gave us a referral to go help this lady out. She also said she wants us to start coming and teaching her husband who is a non-member. So we go see the lady that night with Bro. Lloyd and find out her name is Johanna, and she is recently divorced, her son (21) died a couple months ago and she is going through a rough time. She has two daughters Sally (20) and Bailey (16). Johanna said that they would all like to meet and have us over. Just being over there with her I could almost see how desirous she was to know there was hope. I could just see the miracles that the gospel could work in her life and I felt our Savior's love for her. I am excited to start teaching her this week and I already have an awesome conference talk prepared to give her that I think will help her a ton. 

   Also we taught this other family Saturday, The Wilders. Sis Wilder and her son Nephi Ellison are members (less-active due to work) and Bro. Wilder is a Seventh Day Adventist. Also Nephi's girlfriend Megan is not religious at all and she is having a rough life. So we taught them and the Spirit hit so strong the whole lesson. I could definitely tell they felt it and recognize that their Heavenly Father does love them.

  Met this guy, Tom Bush, while tracting and he walked us around his house and inside his house showing us all his cool stuff and pictures (I think he isn't all there, but it could of been the meds he is taking, cause he seems very chill and open guy) he invited us back too ahah. (Inspired Tracting works!!!....sometimes lol).

Not much else to say other than the Lord is directing his work and we are doing our best to be his instruments! I am witnessing some amazing things happen and this area has improved so much in the short 3 months I have been here. I have come to know my relationship with my Heavenly Father is one of the most important things. Knowing him and feeling his love make everyday a blessing and easier to bear my burdens. I love my Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ and I know he lives and he loves us. He wants to come to us, but we must exercise our agency and come to him! I love y'all and wish y'all a good week!!

Much Love, and Happy Late Valentines Day-

Elder Bean II

Heading out to do service

Sacrifice for The Lord Will Definitely Bring More Divine Aid and Blessings

Week was awesome. Every week gets better and better!

So we played a ton of volleyball last pday which was awesome. Then we ate with the Garbett's for dinner before heading back to Buhl! Remember them from my last area? They are awesome and we are going over there again tonight! :) Went to the Webb's and the Hutchinsons that night and they are super awesome. So Colten and Diara Webb just make my whole mission worthwhile. When we were there Monday night he said that ever since we have been coming around he notices the Spirit more and more and his whole life is better and it is changing. He has a lot of respect for us and they definitely show it. It really makes me feel so good when I see people like this. I love them. I have pure love for them. 

The whole week was overall fun and great. A lot of great moments with some awesome people. Friday, Elder Risley came and did exchanges. We had like the best day ever. We taught some awesome lessons, Papa Kelsey took us to see alligators haha, we tracted and found some people, took pictures on a random couch, went out to Castleford and visited people. hah the whole time we had a ton of fun. Then at night we had an awesome talk. We talked about some of the struggles I am having and it helped so much. He has 3 months left so he definitely had some great advice for me. And then he challenged me to do some things to help and over the past three days I have noticed a drastic improvement. It has been such a blessing and a miracle. Sacrifice for the Lord will definitely bring more divine aid and blessings. 

Colby's baptism was Saturday! So great. Us 8 missionaries (sisters didn't make it) sang two musical numbers while they changed and it invited the Spirit in so much! Everyone loved it ahah. Then we stayed for the Stake Youth Baptism's and saw Kinzie get baptized! She is a Morgan and we have been teaching her a couple times and they are a fun family! Then we saw Cameron Gorrell be baptized and during the confirmation Bro. Gorrell called out like 8 people to come stand in and then told us to come stand in too cause we looked left out haha. It was funny. They are a fun family too! Then we went to the Morgan's "Afterparty" and had some great food and then played football with Kolton, Keegan, and Kolby... everyone in their family's have "K" names. Ken Morgan is the dad and his kids are Kolton, Kylie, and Kinzie. Then their cousins have K names too. It is kinda cool. Then we went to the Webb's again and helped them with this puzzle of Jesus walking on the shore! It is an awesome picture and so much fun to do that with them. Then it was Georgia Hutchinson's birthday yesterday so we went over and had Chinese food! It was fun cause Tyler, Tonie, and Korby came up from Utah.

Sunday was great! Camille came to church with her son Gabe and the Webb's came too! Colton said he liked it a lot, which was awesome to hear. Then we went to Mark's and gave Andrea a blessing (they went to the emergency room at like 2 in the morning cause she is in pain, they don't know what is wrong yet). We went to the Webb's again and they fed us pork chops and mashed potatoes!! It was soo good. They are amazing. They said they wanted to feed us to thank us for all that we do. We have such a good relationship with them. They want us to come over everyday but they know we have other obligations too. They just love the Spirit that we bring into the home. He definitely has struggles right now and we are helping him overcome some stuff but he is coming so far. His heart is in the right place. I have some pictures with them too! 

It was an awesome week. Love it here and love the people. I miss and love y'all!!! Take care fam.

-Elder Bean II

Mission conference with Elder Ballard. He's in the center of  the pic, third row.

Made a scripture case out of cardboard and pictures.

Friday with Elder Risley

Alligators in Idaho

With Papa Kelsey

When you see a random couch in a field, you have to take pics

It's been springlike weather in Idaho this week!

Diara and Colten Webb