Semana 51: Tracting In Utah Is Considered Trespassing?
Oiga familia! I don't even know where to start right now. I guess for starters I have had one week in Price so far and it has been one of the most "different" times I have had in my mission so far. Here is a little information about Price: Price is a mining town of about 10,000 people. The people here are different than anywhere else I have served. Price, unlike most settlements in Utah, was not founded by Latter Day Saint pioneers. Instead it was founded by coal miners and oil prospectors. The area that we cover is gigantic as well. We cover all of Carbon county and Emery county. This is a brand new area for Spanish work so we have spent a lot of time finding this week. It is a little frustrating at times because I was able to spot a Hispanic house and car easily in St. George but out here every one's house/trailer looks the same. I feel like I was on my game in St. George and now I'm on another planet out here. I guess everyone is a little more "country" if you know what I mean. We cover little towns out here that are just like Randle! It makes finding people difficult pero asi es la vida aqui. I'm definitely not accustomed to the simple life, yet but that is why God gives us challenges. "My people must be atried in all things, that they may be prepared to receive the bglory that I have for them, even the glory of Zion; and he that will not cbear chastisement is not worthy of my kingdom." (D&C 136:31)
My first full day here we drove about 45 minutes out to a little area called East Carbon. It was snowing hard and this was the first time I've seen snow in the mission field. The English speaking Elders were following us out there to get to know the area and they were sliding around. Having not driven in the snow for a long time, I was worried we would get stuck out in the sticks, and freeze in the car for the night. haha Luckily we made it home safely and things were okay.
Price has a lot more anti-Mormons than anywhere else I've served. Even in St. George where there are many non members I only had a handful of people be extremely rude. There is a trailer park in Price that we were tracting and the manager said that we can only be there if we have an appointment. She said if she sees us tracting she will call the police for trespassing. Never in Utah did I think that would happen! It didn't phase me though because these people need the gospel. The next day we saw where this woman lived. I saw she still had her Christmas lights up so Elder Noriega and I knocked her door and offered to help her take her Christmas lights down. She was pretty shocked I'm sure but I knew we were doing what Christ would do even if she hates us. "And ye shall be ahated of all men bfor my cname’s sake: but he that dendureth to the end shall be saved." (Matthew 10:22)
In the midst of all this new adventure the Lord has managed to use us as instruments and do just as President Leonard told me to do, get my paddles out and just start the area. We started out with one person to teach and now we have five. It is a far cry from the 20 people I was teaching in St. George but hey, that is why I'm here. We have already invited people to be baptized and they have accepted. If it all works out we should have a miracle baptism next week when this area hasn't had a baptism in over a year! I'm not going to lie, I miss St. George but I know the Lord has a lesson for me to learn out here. There were brothers and sisters in the pre-existence I promised to bring the gospel to them. While in Ephraim John Bytheway gave a talk and I remember him saying, "Bloom where you are planted." At times God plants us in nutrient rich soil, other times we are forced to grow in dry arid climates. In either case God knows us and will never set us up to fail. As Nephi said, "I awill go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no bcommandments unto the children of men, save he shall cprepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them." Time to go work. I know my Savior lives and this is His church. Never forget that. Vaya con Dios.
Dios es amor,
Elder Bennion
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