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

It's a New Year!!

Great things happened this week!

#1 Teaching a lot of Arabic speakers!

Raweya has been giving us referrals, and bringing people into her home for us to teach. She understands and knows the most English, so she kinda translates to the others. Her husband comes home  soon, and we are going to teach him next week!

#2

We gave Kinsey/Robert and their family a church tour last week, and they came to church this week and enjoyed it! We taught them last night, and committed her to pray about being baptized on January 16th, and we are going to follow up this week on that. 

There is so much happening here for us! We are pretty busy with a lot of different things. Every night I hit my bed at 10:30 pm just exhausted, but it is so worth it. 

My testimony was strengthened this week in so many ways. I realize so much more, that God's plan for us is ALWAYS going to bring us more joy. Even if we don't see it at first, it will. We may want more than anything to be a star NFL player or famous singer and we may think that is what will make us happy, but if God intends on us not being that, then we will be so much better off not being that. He knows us perfectly and wants nothing but the best, so he will put us in a position to be successful and receive the greatest joy!! 

Love y'all (everytime I say y'all up here, someone comments on it ahha),

- Elder Bean

New Year's Eve, watched "The Cokeville Miracle" at the church with 6 other missionaries.

Twin Falls South Zone

Happy Early New Years!!!

A great week of freezing cold temperatures, and lots of snow. Definitely missing Texas now!

Highlights of the week:

#1 Obvious number one is going to be Skyping the family! The perfect lift to keep me going strong!

#2 Aki from Eritrea, Raweya from Sudan, and Kinsey from Idaho

haha Aki is still improving! His baptism will happen in January for sure, he just needs a little bit more of a push!

Raweya is new! We taught her with Bishop and his wife, and it was great. We got her an Arabic B of M, and when her husband gets back from traveling, he wants to meet with us too! She gave us a couple referrals for other refugees that would be open too! I learned a lot about the Muslim culture and religion from her!  She also said she is going to teach us Arabic! Salamalako! (Means Hi) Masalama (means bye) 

Kinsey and Rob are a Part member family, and the lessons have been going great. We brought a member couple with us and they connected very well, and we read Mosiah 18 with them. It was powerful, and when we committed them to come to church, she accepted happily! The Spirit really has been working on them. She is pondering baptism, and we have committed that already, next lesson we are going to set the date!

#3 Christmas Eve and Christmas! 

We were busy with a lot of appointments and teaching (yeah we get no days off in the Lord's work) but it was really great and we spent a lot of time with non-members and less-actives, not just visiting members on those days. (Last Christmas was mostly just active members). 

This week is going to be a super busy week for Elder Leon and I, but we are ready for it. Excited for the new month on the mission!!

Love y'all, 

Elder Bean

#HappyNewYear, make it great! 2016 :)