Good things happening!

Hey it was a solid week here! Continuing to have great things happen.

Janice is doing so great! Baptism will be in March, hopefully we don't get transferred next week so we can still be here! She came to witness two baptisms last week and she loved both of them.

Rene is doing well, if things work out he is going to be baptized this Saturday!

We have really been gaining a lot of member trust in the wards and it has been really cool. Getting more referrals and opportunities to teach! I really hope Elder Payne and I stay together next transfer! I will let y'all know what happens next week!

Love y'all,

Elder Bean

Me, Elder Payne, Sister Boyce

Me, Elder Payne, Sister Samuelu

From Darkness to Light

So I won't be writing much today, but things are going great in Idaho.

Janice is really progressing great. Her conversion is such a sweet experience to witness. God really loves her and she has felt that from the Spirit for sure. She bore her testimony and witness to us in two lessons this week, and her countenance continues to brighten :) She came from a very rough life in darkness, and now she is full of the Spirit of light. 

I have developed a deep testimony of God's love and His Spirit! Mainly through seeing Janice and her experiences and the changes she has made. God really does want all of His children to succeed and we all have such bright futures ahead of us! I have felt more of God's love in my own life now in knowing He truly has a perfect plan. Life is tough though, bad things happen, and we all face adversity. It is through the gospel that we maintain peace through those moments and that we can with a 'surety hope for a better world' (Ether 12:4) 

We all are in darkness at times! We may not immediately reach the 'light', but we progress from darkness to bright light in small increments. Sometimes so small we may not notice, but if we will choose the light we will always be on the path to true joy and happiness! 

Love y'all!

Elder Bean

Many Miracles this Week

Dear Fam and Friends!

It was a turn around week for sure! We experienced many miracles in our work. Very very busy week for us! 

#1 Janice

We had met her at Salvation Army, doing service a couple weeks ago. She called us Monday and wanted to meet with us. We taught her 3 times last week, and by Sunday at church her countenance had changed so much. When we met her we saw despair and sorrow, but now she is full of hope and light. The Spirit changes people in a very powerful way. I have developed such a love for her and her little 4 year old girl, Olivia, who is so funny and outgoing! Janice is set to be baptized on the 20th, however she might be moving before then to another missionaries area.

#2 Rene

This guy Rene, called the Mission and wanted to be baptized. When meeting with him we find out that he has been investigating 5+ years and is finally ready. He is set for the 20th as well. He got up yesterday and bore his testimony! It was great.

(****Another investigator, Samuel from Congo, also got up and bore a powerful testimony yesterday!) 

#3 Josh/Corie

Josh and Corie have investigated in the past, but while we were there we just got to know them and their lives. By the end they had tons of questions that they wanted answered, and they said they are ready to be 100% honest with the missionaries. We went back and taught them and answered a majority of them, and they loved it. The Spirit was very evident in this! It had softened their hearts and allowed them to be open, and we were able to have the words to say and the questions to ask them.

With everything we are staying very busy! Robert/Kinsey are back in town so we are picking up that again!

I have such a love for this work, and seeing people change through the Spirit of God and how much joy and light that is brought into their lives because of it! This is the only way to true and lasting happiness! 

-Elder Bean

With Elder Payne my newest companion

The sister missionaries in our district

Time is Flying

Another week gone! Whoever made up the phrase "Time Flies" really did know what they were talking about!

Despite a lot of challenges this week, we still made it great. We were able to go to the Temple on Tuesday and had a great Stake Conference this weekend. New Stake Presidency due to the Stake President going to be a Mission President in Chile in June! 

We taught a family from Congo yesterday! Bishop McKee and his family are mentors to them, and they came to Stake Conference with them too. The lesson we had was awesome, Samuel the dad knows English pretty well. He was a pastor for a Christian church in Congo and Uganda. When we taught about Joseph Smith he got really interested and said "If you have a book about this I will read it to know it is true".... perfect intro into introducing the Book of Mormon to them! Very sweet and fun family! 

Joy! This is not just joy for happiness, but Joy as in the person! Very sweet lady that is going through some tough stuff in life. We had lunch with her during the week and taught her in Bishop Maxson's home yesterday! Very powerful Spirit there and she accepted to be baptized when she knows this is true and receives that answer! I could really feel how much God loves her and has prepared her for this.

We are still figuring out how to balance working in both wards especially since the boundaries don't touch so we have to cross another ward, which uses time and miles!

I love this work and we have a busy week ahead of us. We have set some high expectations in faith that things will come together :)

Love y'all, Elder Bean

Before Elder Leon left with Austin, he is going on a mission to Turkey in a couple weeks.

 

Austin's siblings

With Brother Gearing a recent convert.

Matching Peruvian ties thanks to Elder Leon with Elder Maggard and Elder Dickerson

Busy Busy Week!!

Elder Payne my new companion is great. We have a lot going on here in the 10th ward, and now also the 24th ward! I really enjoy this area!

Highlights:

#1 "Spirit of Elijah" 

Had a Mission + South Stake meeting to discuss how to combine Missionary Work and Family History work! It was great and we are starting to use Family History in the work more! 

#2 Brian and Janine

They are a really neat family! Part-Member family that we started to contact. We went on splits and I went with Trenton (Ward missionary) to go and visit them. We had a great discussion. They had questions and we all just opened up the scriptures and studied and discussed together. There was a powerful Spirit in the home, and their questions were so sincere! They are busy for the next couple weeks, so hopefully that Spirit does not leave them before we get to go back!

#3 MIRACLES at night!

Just a note: Miracles always happen in the last hour of the day. Most of the time after 8:30. I guess that is why diligence is so important! It was 8:30 and we felt like we should knock this house that we have knocked like 4+ times and the people have not been that interested. Well at first they said no. But we kept talking and their hearts must have been softened in that moment because they let us in and we shared a message with them and they had really good questions about life and death, so we basically unfolded the Plan of Salvation, God's plan for families here on Earth. Left them with a tabbed BofM and we have an appointment for this upcoming Saturday!

I love this work. I love the Savior and the 'freedom' he offers us. I love being able to share this message and invite others to experience the powerful spirit and happiness that comes through following the Savior! This is THE only way to eternal life and true and lasting happiness. I know with all my heart. My testimony has been deepened through my experiences and the power of the Spirit in my life. 

Love y'all!

Elder Bean

Teaching Aki, he is from Eritrea, Africa. He has a strong testimony of Jesus Christ.

Saying goodbye to Elder Leon

Emailing alongside my new companion, Elder Payne

Sister Weiler, Sister Boyce, Elder Payne

God really prepares His children to receive His word!

Transfer week! I am staying in the 10th ward and we are also picking up another ward: the 24th ward! That was where I served in my first area!! I am excited to be back there too :) My new companion is Elder Payne, Elder Leon is going home to Peru.

Neat Experience #1:

While on exchanges with Elder Herbold, we got out of a lesson and it was 8:30 and pitch black so we weren't exactly sure what to do. We walk down the street and just felt like we should knock this door (only lit up one on the whole block). We took a different approach though! When the person opened the door, we said "Hey Michael Tackett, we are here for our visit!", the person then told us that we had the wrong place, so we said "This is *** 3rd Ave N right? and he said "No this is *** 3rd Ave. W, but my name is Michael too". long story made short, we actually got in the house and met his girlfriend (they are in their 20's), and shared a Book of Mormon with them! Planning on going by this week for another visit too!

#2

Saturday Elder Leon and I had planned to tract at 3, so we prayed and asked where we needed to go. Immediately we got a phone call from this guy named Joshua, and he had gotten our number from other missionaries. We went and taught him and his friend Shawn. They both came to church on Sunday too and we have an appointment with them tomorrow also. Miracles do happen! As we taught them I felt so strongly how prepared they were. They both moved here from Nebraska/Iowa recently. 

So just another cool thing: Raweya and Ali gave us an English Qu'ran and I read small parts of it, as to not offend them. It was interesting. As we have taught them they keep saying that the Book of Mormon is very similar to the Qu'ran and even that Mormon's are similar to Muslims in a lot of ways. I see what they mean now! They believe in ALL the prophets. Bible, Qu'ran, Book of Mormon, Dead Sea Scrolls, you name it and they believe it. 

However their only belief that is different is that they do not believe Jesus Christ to be the Son of God. That is the MOST foundational belief of ALL Christianity, including Mormon! The knowledge that Jesus Christ really is the Son of God, and that he really did suffer everything for us, so that we are set free, is so important to know! It changes everything. It brings new peace into our lives. I love our Savior and I love His gospel, and how blessed I am to be able to be out here sharing this message with these children of God that are so prepared in many ways to receive this message!

Have a great week

Love y'all,

Elder Bean

Robert and Kinsey

Harris Family

Sometimes You Face Adversity, but the Lord Will Get You Through it!

Hey!!

Just an update on my life right now:

We faced a lot of adversity this week with different situations and problems, but we are getting through it! 

We have the goal for Kinsey to be baptized this Saturday, she wants more knowledge, but she is so ready! She has a lot of faith and desire and that is all that is required! Had a really neat lesson last night and we read Alma 32 with them. 

Went out to visit people with Austin, who is an 18 year old that is about to go on a mission. Ended up getting pulled over (in his car), but the cop had mercy on us! Probably saw the name tag and knew it would basically be a sin to give us a ticket. Haha. "no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing". #ProtectedWhileOnTheLordsErrand

I had the opportunity to be in Buhl for a day last week! It was neat to reconnect with some people I taught and get the missionaries back in their home! 

We have an exciting week ahead of us. Picked up some more investigators (lots of Muslims) Elder Leon goes home next week so stay tuned on who my new companion is! I am 99% sure I am staying in this area next transfer.

Love y'all!

-Elder Bean