Dear Friends and Family,
One month down already! Where has the time gone!! It has been so amazing though. This week was incredible, I loved every second of it. We got new roommates since our other ones left. Their names are Elder Castro and Elder Ivo. They are super awesome and nice. One of them hasn't been to the temple, so he is super excited for that. Also I get new companions for splits every week. I was in a trio this week but it was way good. They had me teach the whole restoration by myself in Portugues and I killed it. The gift of tongues is so real. Our lessons with irmao oliveira and irma passos are going really well. I love them all. One time irmao oliveira told Elder Goodell that he done goofed up a aron. It was so funny.
Every day I do work outs for soccer and to stay in shape, ha a lot of sprinting and a lot of hard work. We are really good friends with this other companionship who are the zone leaders for the other branch. Their names are elder Southwick and Elder Dix. They are super funny and so so nice. Elder Southwick made faces at us while Elder Allen and I were on the stand. Elder Southwick wants to go to Byu when he gets back and can play the piano by ear and by theory. It is so cool.
Thank you for my present mom, it was so amazing. Elder Allen and I use the speaker everyday. On my birthday I got sung to by all of the brazilians during dinner and breakfast and all day hahaha. They all love doing those kind of things. Also my district surprised me with cake, ice cream, small candy presents and a birthday card. It was such a good day and I love all of them. During actividade fisica I talked with irmao oliveira about soccer and the future I have in soccer and it was so cool because his whole family loves soccer and so does mine ha! I am truly blessed by the Lord down here.
The language is going great, it is way hard but I know if I work hard the Lord will bless me. I don't teach with any notes though. I teach based on what I know in Portugues and what comes from the spirit. It is so cool. Also thank you to everyone who wished me a happy birthday too!! I thought about you all.
I was able to say a prayer in Portugues at a devotional in front of everyone in the ctm and the mission president. and apparently I sounded fluent even though I am definitely not hahaha. The ctm mission president complimented me too.
I found Brazilians going to my mission!!! Their names are Elder Oliveira, Elder Bacelar and Elder Todrigues, I love them already. One of my favorite things from this week was a talk by elder Holland we got to hear. He said this, we need to promise our devotion to the Savior, we need to do what he does, say what he says, and act how he acts, that is what it means to come unto Christ. We need to be prepared to feel how he felt, and to give our lives to our missions and to the Savior. I plan on doing just that. because I love this gospel. i know all bad things must come to an end and our for our experience. Read d&c 122. It is an amazing chapter about Joseph Smith and how he was in liberty jail and the lord comforted him. We just need to lay it all on the line. eu sei que este evangelho e verdadeiro. eu posso sentir isso em meu coracao. com todo meu coracao eu sei que jesus cristo vive. eu vou dar minha vida para o evangelho de jesus cristo!!!!!! EU AMO VOCES!!!
ps good luck to Carter, Brodee, and Marcus as they enter the mtc! Also everyone who went to high school with brady cook and I, would know that we screamed we want the train a lot haha and Brazilians here scream like that and it reminds me of it so much haha. We are going to go out contacting on the streets after this, we aren't allowed to do it after dark. We hear gunfire all the time at night.
That makes me so happy to hear about my friends. I miss them all but they all do so great things and they will be amazing missionaries. I am glad Christopher had such an amazing time. I sent him a photo in the mail. What is his email? That is really cool to hear about Brodee, and also that story with dad. I love him so much and he inspires me. Thank you so much mom. I love you tons and miss you a lot and your advice. Thank you for everything.
I saw Mitchells mission presidents wife today and she is so awesome and way nice. I dont know if she sent you the picture but it was cool. That is so awesome about Cherry, Tami, Christy, Ruby and the others. Tell them I love them all so much and they are such big parts of my life. Well I love you so much mom. Tell Chris I love him more than anything too. and tell dad he inspires me everyday and I talk about him everyday and I love him so much.
Elder Bestenlehner
The pictures were taken with Mitch's mission president's wife, Sister Fernandes at the Sao Paulo Temple. :)
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