Semana ciento: Free And Easy Down The Road I Go

Semana ciento:

Free And Easy Down The Road I Go

Quierdia familia,

It has been a really good week out here. We have been really busy and having to run all over the place! I hope Bug got my package. I didn't get an email from him. Mom, I will be sending home a box with lots of stuff soon. I figure it is just less of a hassle to send it all and that way I don't have to worry about it at the air port. Just be careful lifting it. It is REALLY heavy.

Tuesday was a strange day. At 1:30 pm I went to the temple with President and Sister Leonard, Elder Lessie, and Sister Houle. It was a great experience to go through and feel the spirit after a rough few days. After going to the temple we went to President Leonard's and had dinner. I ate probably the biggest steak I've ever eaten in my life! We had steaks that were 16 oz and other good food. It was fun to look through picture books and see pictures of when I came into the mission and see other missionaries that are already home. It has been neat to be apart of the fabric of this mission since almost the beginning. Elder Lessie's parents drove up from San Diego and he went home with them that night. It was strange to see that because that will be me in a few weeks. The best part of the night though was getting to go to the visitor center and meet up with Elder Wright and Elder Ayala. Just after six hours of not working I was ready to get back out and hit the streets. I love being a missionary!

After the departing missionary activities I was ready to tear it up. We tracted a lot in the afternoon Wednesday and in the night we had several good appointments.  We had seven lessons on Wednesday and four on Thursday. On top of that we found seven new investigators this week (five on Friday), which we really needed. Being in a threesome has been a blast! (That’s where there are 3 Elders who work together instead of just 2 Elders) I didn't think it would work very well teaching but somehow the fluidity is there and we are teaching well together. It has taken some getting used to not talking so much but I always am willing to change if it means we can become more effective teachers. Elder Ayala just makes Elder Wright and I die laughing all the time. Elder Ayala and I have now been companions for three transfers and it is great. On Monday he got his haircut and the barber lost the guard and chopped a big chunk out of Elder Ayala's hair. We felt so bad for him but I was crying in the barbershop because I was laughing so hard. This week has been full of good times AND the work is going well. I think part of the reason for the success we are having is because we are having fun. It has been a perfect balance and the days just fly by!

President Chavez's son just got home on Thursday from the Provo Mission. Hopefully he will be able to come out with us to teach. We visited them ten minutes after they got home and he looked like he felt out of place. I can't imagine how he felt.

Sunday was pretty frustrating. We planned to have eight people at church and only one investigator came. I work so hard and they seem so excited to come and then they just don't. It just doesn't make sense at times but I just have to stay confident in the fact I'm doing all I can.

Well I love you all. I hope you are feeling better mom. You never mention how you are doing. Remember to replace fear with faith and pray daily! Vaya con Dios.

Dios es amor,

Elder Bennion

Semana Noventa y nueve: How Can You Respect Deception?

Semana Noventa y nueve: How Can You Respect Deception?

Hola familia,

It has been an interesting week. It has been full of mount of olive highs and gull of misery lows. It is funny how I thought that after a while I would be able to see the curve balls coming but from day one till the end I've learned you have to roll with the punches. I hope all is well back home. I got my travel itinerary this week. It is an odd feeling to have those papers.

The trip to the temple was really good last preparation day. It really does change your week and mindset when you take time to go to The House of The Lord. As it says in Habakkuk, "But the LORD is in his holy temple..." Where else could you possibly want to go than to The House of The Lord to start your week? We had a couple good lessons that night as well. The best was with the Oliva’s family and Angel was able to really help us out. I just enjoy teaching!

Wednesday was pretty miraculous. It started off like any other normal to slowish day. After lunch were trying to contact various people but no one answered. We were sitting in the van and not ten seconds after I said, "What are we going to do?" we got a text from the Sister missionaries in the visitor center saying a Hispanic woman needed a blessing. We headed over to the visitor center and on our way over the Buena Vista sisters called and said they had tried everyone but no one could give their investigator a blessing. Both blessings went really well and were definitely not coming from my thoughts. It was a humbling experience to see Him use us and the priesthood as instruments in His hands. What a special privilege it is to have Heavenly Father's authority as a result of the restored gospel. Who says that if God wants something done he won't just text or call?! :)

The rest of the week was okay until Saturday night at Texas Roadhouse. Elder Wright, Elder Cacia, and Elder Earle got their transfer calls and I had to wait till Sunday night to get mine. Elder Ayala is coming down here to Pineview Spanish to be with Elder Wright and he will be the district leader. Elder Cacia is going up to Nephi to be a district leader, and Elder Earle is staying in Washington English to train. After a long drawn out discussion. I am staying in Pineview Spanish. I was supposed to go to the Red Cliffs Stake to be with the zone leaders but it makes no sense to move with such little time. The branch is really happy that I'm staying and so are the Carpenters.

Make it a great week and remember to replace fear with faith. Vaya con Dios.

Dios es amor,

Elder Bennion

Semana Noventa y Ocho: Kings Of St. George

Semana Noventa y Ocho:

Kings Of St. George

Dear Family,

Well another week has flown by. I got the Jesus post card you sent mom. It took till Friday to get here though and you sent it before New Years. Kinda strange. I'm excited the holidays are over and we can get back to a normal teaching schedule. It was hard to make appointments because everyone was busy but things should get back to normal. We had a lesson at the temple visitor center yesterday in the afternoon and I saw The Morgan’s. Sister Morgan said she talked to you. My biggest question though is how did you get her number?

As difficult as New Years was to teach, it was also a lot of fun. On New Years Eve we went to this beautiful new house in the Southgate community of Bloomington Hills. It had gigantic 14-foot glass windows everywhere that looked out over downtown St. George. In one room the light fixture is all hand blown glass just like they have in the Bellagio in Las Vegas. It was impressive! The family made us dinner; brought us ice cream, and we got to watch the Lion King 2 in their theater. I feel so out of place in places like that because I'm used to trailer parks and modest houses but that's what makes the mission fun. After that we had Elder Cacia and Elder Earle with us. Elder Cacia wanted to visit a family up in stone cliffs so on our way home we dropped by. Just to get into the neighborhood you have to talk to a guard at the guardhouse. My voice recordings will explain more but that was a fun night!

New Years day was fun as well. As a district we had an activity at the Stewart's again in Washington Fields. We decided to do "missionary Olympics" but it turned out pretty to be less of a test of who was the fastest or the strongest- it was more of a test to see who could eat the grossest thing. The first game the sisters made up was called fear factor. My name was picked and so was Elder Hawkins so our companions had to join us and see which companionship could drink the most liquid the fastest. It makes me wonder how none of the sisters names were picked? Especially, considering they knew it was made of some sick combination of salsa, applesauce, skittles, hot sauce, and other nasty stuff. I drank the most and got a lot down before my gag reflex kicked in. Unfortunately, I think there is a video of that floating around. Afterwards we some other games but for the sake of time, saving face, and this being public; the recordings will explain it all. We finished Tuesday night though with two new investigators making that a total of eight solid new investigators over the past two weeks! I'm doing what President Leonard asked of me and getting the branch off of life support one step at a time.

Wednesday during the day I felt sicker than a dog. I've been semi sick for a while but it finally hit me on Wednesday morning. Sister Carpenter has been really sick as well and she wanted me to take it easy but it just doesn't work that way out here. We went out and taught in the evening and I'm glad we did it because we invited Nathanel and Ana to be baptized and they said yes! Another blessing is that the Oliva’s family is so prepared to learn. Sister Olivas took her Book of Mormon to Las Vegas over the New Year and read. It has just been so neat to see people start taking baby steps back to return back to the presence of Our Father in Heaven.

Friday was just unreal how good it was. Dinner with Elder Cacia and Elder Earle at Texas Roadhouse was a blast, people were extremely generous to us, our lessons were perfect, and the spirit taught me a lot of things during studies. What more could I ask for in a day? After Friday night I just felt like the king of St. George. To everyone who laughs at missionaries called to Utah...I can just laugh inside. I wouldn't want to be called to any other mission in the world!

Sunday was stake conference and we had investigators come. I think that was a first for me on my mission. I had to basically baby sit for two hours but whatever it takes for our investigators to feel the spirit I will do! I've felt really worn out and fatigued lately from lots of stuff I think. I think having a young companion keeps me on my toes but it also has meant more work. We are going to the temple today, which will recharge my spiritual batteries and keep me sprinting to the end. I've learned so much out here. I love the temple. You don't have to go Israel to walk where Jesus walked, just go to the temple. I love you all. Remember to replace fear with faith. I'm truly livin' the dream! Vaya con Dios.

Dios es amor,

Elder Bennion