Week 10: God Must Have A Sense Of Humor

 

Hola mujeres y caballeros! Ha cido loco durante esta semana pasada. Muchas cosas cambiado para mi.

I wasn't able to write last week with the change in schedule at the MTC. They are trying something new so I wasn't able to get time to email. Since, so much has happened I'm just going to summarize my last week in the MTC to a few things. The greatest thing that happened was being able to see Richard G. Scott of the 12 Apostles speak and then the following week Dallan H. Oaks of the 12 spoke as well. To be in the presence of an apostle is unlike anything else. You can tell there is something special about them when they walk in the room. The MTC really was a great place looking back on it. Yes, I was completely ready to leave by the time I got out but now I realize how nice it was to have an environment free from worldly distractions where I was able to learn and grow so much. I know I took that time for granted and now that I'm in the field I realize how little time you have to study.

 

Now, there is two reasons for this weeks title. The first reason is because the night I was preparing to leave the MTC I set my alarm for 3:15 am. I was supposed to leave at 4:00 am and I though that would give me plenty of time to leave. My alarm ended up not going off and I woke up at 4:30 am. I was in shock! I was running around like the family on Home Alone when they woke up late and about missed their flight. Long story short, I made it to the airport, made a couple phone calls, and literally RAN to my gate. The gate was closed but some how the man let me on and I made my flight. It was so great getting to St. George. As, I'm going over to meet my mission president I see a man in a cowboy hat and a lady with him. I did a double take and it was my Grandpa Bennion and Aunt Crystal!!! :D I think I hugged grandpa eight times or so. It was so great to see him! If you read this grandpa I would love copies of the pictures! Side note: It is really cool being in Utah. I have been told by multiple people how special my last name is. I guess there has been a lot of important Bennion's in church leadership positions, at BYUI, and the President of Snow College in Ephraim was a Bennion. I was lucky enough to ride with President Leonard back to the mission home. I know I'm going to sound like every other missionary but I HAVE THE BEST MISSION PRESIDENT! You have no idea! There is just something about President Leonard. He is full of wisdom, he treats you with respect/ doesn't talk down to you, and he just made me feel comfortable around him for the short time I was with him. On top of that he was a dentist so I CANNOT WAIT to learn more about that from him. The mission home is beautiful and it is set on a golf course. I cannot believe how many golf courses there are in St. George! After we had interviews we went over to the stake center where we got oriented and met our new companions. My companion's name is Elder Brown. He is from Philadelphia but originally lived in England till he was 10 so he has a bit of an accent. He also attended BYU for a year prior to his mission. I don't think I could have been matched up with a better trainer. Elder Brown is a very hard working and diligent individual. He is obedient 100% of the time and I admire that because it helps both of us hold each other to higher standards. I have a firm belief in the blessings that come from being obedient. The area I am serving in is... EPHRAIM UTAH! I found it funny how in one day I drove an hour north to Salt Lake City, flew south to St. George, and then drove all the way to Ephraim. I believe Ephraim is only an hour and fifteen minutes or so from Provo. We cover 5 stakes and the cities we cover are; Ephraim, Manti, Moroni, Fountain Green, and Mt. Pleasant. It really is exciting. I cannot wait for the day I get to go through the Manti Temple! It is a magnificent Temple. You can see the Temple at night from the north end of Ephraim which is a good 8 miles away. It looks like a brilliant castle up on the hill. Currently Elder Brown and I live in a church owned house across the street from Snow College in Ephraim. Unfortunately they are tearing it down, along with all the other houses on the block to make a gigantic stake center. We don't know where we are moving yet but it will be within the next few weeks or so we have been told.

 

It is strange living in such a small town. I feel like I'm in Wyoming and the cabin isn't too far away. There are actually sheep farmers that live in cabins just like the one in Wyoming but they are even smaller than the second cabin up there. Most of the people living out here are farmers. Lamming is one of the main jobs Hispanics do out here. It seems like I'm living in a Serta bed commercial because everywhere I look I see sheep. It is amazing how many people live in the "trilas" out here. It has really humbled me to see the conditions people live in even though we are in the United States. My heart goes out to them and I love them even more because of their hardships. I have met several families and within 30 minutes of knowing them I love them like my brother or sister. It is because of that love that I want to share the gospel with them. I want what is best for them and I know without one single doubt in my entire being this is the restored church of Jesus Christ.

 

I have so many other stories I wish I could share but time is a precious commodity and I have very little of that at the moment. I just want you all to know this is my testimony, I know this church is true, I know that faith, repentance, baptism, and enduring till the end is the only way by which we may reach the Celestial Kingdom and live in the presence of God. I feel privileged to serve my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. There are obstacles we all must overcome in our lives and life is not easy, but all things are possible when we have faith and follow the example of Jesus Christ. Rely on God the Father and His son Jesus Christ. Always remember to love one another. Vaya con Dios.

 

Elder Bennion

 

P.S. If anyone wants to write me a shopping list I would appreciate it. I'm clueless when it comes to shopping for groceries. Sorry mom... I know you taught me better. :P

And the 1st area/assignment IS.......Ephraim, Utah =)

Hi Everyone! This is Elder Bennion's mom, Dayna. He didn't have a chance to write a letter this week, but I did get a phone call from him on Wed. morning 4/27/11 at about 6 am as he was on his way to the St. George Mission office. He flew out of Salt Lake and then directly to St. George Airport. He was supposed to be to the travel office at the MTC at 4 am ... apparently that didn't happen LOL. Cameron didn't hear his alarm, and didn't wake up till 4:30 am. When he called us he only got to talk for about 30 min because he was so late arriving at the airport. It was so good to hear the excitement in his voice. He was really looking forward to going out and meeting new people.
Just today I heard that he was greeted by two special people as he arrived in St. George! ...His Grandfather Rex Bennion and Aunt Crystal Bennion both somehow found out when he was flying in and got to greet him as did his Mission Pres., Pres. Lenord and Sister Lenord. I am sure he was totally shocked! I haven't spoken to him since he arrived, but I hope for the chance to talk to him on Mother's Day.
So, Ephraim is approximately 65 miles south of Provo. The current weather there is mid 60's and they are typically sunny. Cameron will of course LOVE that! Here is a link to the city website http://ephraimcity.org/
Cameron can receive mail a couple of ways. You can still write him at Dear Elder http://www.dearelder.com/index/inc_name/home   but it costs .44 now because he isn't in the MTC, but I think it will get there faster than regular mail since they are located in Provo.
His mission home address is
Elder Cameron Bennion  (Even if he gets transferred mail will get to him if you send it here)
107 S. 1470 E. Ste. 304
St. George, Utah 84790

or Elder Cameron Bennion (  This is his current address )
    85 E. Center St.
    Ephraim, Utah 84627

I know he would especially love to hear from all of you. It's a whole new world for him being out on his own...away from the Missionary Training Center.

Week 8 Yo Sé Que Vive Mi Señor

 ¡Que onda familia, amigos, y amigas! Mi tiempo aquí en el CCM es casí terminado y ¡estoy muy animado por St. George! No sentio como he estado en el CCM or dos meses usualmente. ¡Es muy loco! Espero que hubieran una buena semana. Mamá, diga Kodi a escribir me por favor. Quiero saber como su español es.

This week was pretty good overall. It was pretty uneventful in comparison to some of my previous weeks. I suppose the phrase calm before the storm rings true in this situation. I've stayed busy trying to learn the ends and outs of Spanish. We have basically covered all the tenses in class with the exception of the passive voice and the conditional tense. Now it is up to me to practice using and refining the tools I've been given. I believe there are 12 verb charts with 6 different ways to say that one word in each chart. As you can imagine practice is key in memorizing all these things. ¿Ha Kodi enseñó el subjuntivo y subjuntivo pasado ya? The rate at which we have covered these topics is astounding looking back on my time here. The gift of tongues is so true. I wouldn't be where I'm at right now with out the Lords help. The gift of tongues does not come with out effort though. You mush struggle and have faith that you can do all things which are expedient unto the Lord.

Tuesday evening was great this past week. We did not get an Apostle but we got the second best thing. Ronald A. Rasband of the Presidency of the seventy spoke. If you remember he had spoke last year during April’s General Conference about how missionaries are called to serve their missions. I clearly remember how special that talk was. I had only been baptized a couple of months before Conference and the talks were centered around missionary work. Anyway, his talk at Devotional was awesome. He definitely had a knack for public speaking.

Thursday evening was pretty awesome. In fact I would probably say it was the highlight of my week... I GOT MY TRAVEL PLANS! I was so happy when I got those. I fly out on April 27th out of SLC at 7:52 am on Delta and arrive in STG at 9:01 am. I guess for such a short flight they pin point the time down to the exact minute. There are 5 other elders and one sister in my travel group. I hope everyone behaves themselves while we are at the airport. I was assigned as the travel leader of our group so I'm at fault if anything goes array. The only bummer is I have to be packed and at the travel office by 4:00 am! Talk about sleep deprivation. :(

Thursday night I was late getting to bed. I felt pretty bad about it. I had spent a lot of time talking to Elder Warlleven. (I probably misspelled it but it means "good life" in German.) He is an Elder on our floor from Germany and he has always been so nice and happy. I just love that kid. He has been getting bullied by some Polynesian Elders and he has been having a really hard time. Luckily the situation was resolved but it disheartens me that Elders can pick on another child of god. ESPECIALLY here in the MTC. 

The other day I was in the cafeteria and it has been crazy how many people there are here from BYUH. The lame thing on my part is I don't remember any of them. I feel bad that I don't remember anyone yet they some how remember me. The Mormon bubble is much smaller than we realize at times. :)

Well I better wrap this up. One more week and I'm on to doing what I want to do most. Preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. I really appreciate all the letters I receive and all the prayers that I am kept in. It really means a lot to me. Pray for me to learn the language so that I might be able to preach according to the will of the Lord. I feel like Moroni in Ether 12 at times. My linguistic skills are atrocious in Spanish. Remember to make today the most glorious day of your life. Serve God, serve your fellow man, and endure to the end. I bare witness that this is the ONLY true church on the Earth today. Pray to know for your self with a sincere prayer in your heart and you will be able to know the same exact thing. Vaya con Dios.

Sincerely,

Elder Bennion

P.S. I love Utah. Bennion is so much more common here. No one messes up on pronouncing my name. :)

Week 7

Voy a la cuidad de Eldorado!

Hola! Estoy terminando con una màs semana aquì en el CCM. (That's MTC in spanish) Esta semana fue bien y tengí unas buenas experiences. Este semana recibir´e mis planes de viaje y estoy muy animo por esa día!

I can't believe Vancouver got snow this past week! I hope Kodi is taking advantage of all the fresh powder up at Mt. Hood. I'm jealous I can't ski right now.

Last Tuesday I had the opportunity to be an usher for the Devotional which was really fun. I don't know what is so special about being an usher but I think I enjoyed it because it is a change from the mundane day to day activities. Things can become boring when you have the same schedule week in and week out. Again we had no GA's come and speak at Devotional. I'm really hoping for one before I leave. I got a package of cookies and it didn't have a return address or a note. I was reluctant to eat them but they turned out to be really good. I still don't know who sent them. I'm assuming the cookie fairy maybe??? :)

I got a good workout in Wednesday. I feel so lazy 90% of the time here. I am not used to sitting still for so long. I go insane from time to time and just want to run. I had the opportunity this week to be a new missionary host. It was a lot of fun to help the new missionaries and reminisce about the day I came into the MTC. Two of the Elders I helped were cool but by far my favorite Elder was Tandric Bench! Elder Bench lived in the same dorm right next to mine at BYUH. He is going to the Arcadia California mission and I'm super excited for him. I just love California. If you read this Eric, I asked him about what you told him... HAHAHA... and he said he forgives you. :)

Thursday was a dificult day for me. I felt like my language skills were not progressing, I was tired, and I was not comprehending the subjunctive tense/ noun clauses. I prayed to my Heavenly Father and he gave me little boost throughout the day. The first great thing that happened was I saw my friend Zach Reeves while I was cleaning a stair well! Seeing Zach was like seeing my brother. When you have been firends for 17 years you basicall are family. I also recieved a letter from sister Bowman. Sister Bowman arrived at the MTC the same week as me but since she is English speaking she is already in St. George. She and her companion have already had one baptism and plan on 8 more this month! I cannot begin to describe how happy I was when I read this and saw her with her investigator getting ready to be baptized. I cannot wait till I have the opportunity to bring people the happiness I have recieved from the gospel of Jesus Christ. At the end of 2Nephi 9:39 it says Spiritually Minded Is Life Eternal= S.M.I.L.E. :) That is what the gospel does for families! It makes them happy and smile. The gift of the Holy Ghost truly is the greatest gift we can ask for and the happiness I have felt here at the MTC is not something I can put into words. I'm changing.

I hope everyone has a good week. I know this time of the year is crunch time for a lot of ya'll. School is almost over and things start to get really stressful. The MTC is no different. With two weeks left here things are difficult for me. When I don't think I can take it I turn to my Heavenly Father and ask for help. As Proverbs 3:5-6 says "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." I admonish you all to do just that. Heavenly Father is amazing and I know His son, Jesus Christ lives. God is love. Vaya con Dios.

Elder Bennion

Here are some links to the talks Cameron was referring to :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwHmjd70cso  Richard C. Scott's talk. This was Elder Bennion's fav. =)



http://www.youtube.com/user/MormonMessages#p/c/7559338FDD487087/8/OBxbEfui6h8   Quentin L. Cook's talk


http://www.youtube.com/user/MormonMessages#p/c/7559338FDD487087/21/6ASimq1BOds  Russell M. Ballards Talk

Week Six: And I couldn't ask for more...

Hasta semana fue
Conferencia General y espero que todo el mundo vieron muchos discursos. Nunca
vi toda Conferencia pero hay es muchos buenos discursos durante sabado. Henry
Bennion Eyring me cae bien. El tiene un gran espiritu sobre el. Durante el
reunion de sacerdocio Presidente Eyring fue muy fracioso. El es mi favorito.
Sorry there are no accents. I don't have time to turn the Spanish keyboard
setting on.

I really hope everyone
was able to enjoy General Conference. I have never watched every talk given
during General Conference but I was so glad I finally had the opportunity to. I
think Conference is magnified as a missionary. There was so many good talks
given, I particularly loved Richard G Scott's talk. It centered around family
and love as did a couple other talks. I loved his talk because you could feel
how much he loved his late wife and family. That is something we all should
strive to do more of. Several other talks that touched me were M. Russell
Ballard's talk and Quentin L. Cook's talk.

This week I will be
going on my sixth week in the MTC. Its crazy how time flies when you are
progressing so rapidly. I am hoping this week will fly by. Next week we get our
travel plans and I cannot wait for that. I feel like I gained a lot of
knowledge this week. My ability to teach gringos en espanol is a lot better, :)
but I don't think it will be a walk in the park teaching native speakers. I had
an opportunity to teach a lesson on the Gospel of Jesus Christ Friday night
with my companion and it was a lesson we had never practiced before so I was
nervous. I said a prayer before we began to teach and I knew I was an
instrument in the hands of the lord. My Spanish was much better than normal, I
knew how to teach the principals of the lesson, and the spirit directed me how
to answer the questions I was presented with. Richard G. Scott once said that
if you actively seek the spirit it will be present even during role plays. I
know this is what happened. I was so happy after that lesson I ended up dancing
all the way back to our residence hall. I did end up getting some funny looks
from other Elders.

My knee is doing
better. President Craig's blessing was of great comfort to me. I still try to
ice it as much as possible but I don't think I will need an MRI. Dr. Brown is a
great doctor and he listens to me what is rare for a doctor. I swear you know
everyone mom! :)

Since I haven't been
playing basketball I've been lifting weights more. They have a "wall of
fame" in the gym for various records and I'm determined to set the bench
press record. I benched 150 lbs. 70 times but the record is 106 so I have some
practice to do before I can accomplish that feat.

Saturday was mostly
spent watching conference. I loved several talks, especially the one by L. Tom
Perry. His talk focused on following the Savior and becoming meek like
children. Children do have divine attributes that have not been tainted by the
world. We all should strive to have the love and faith children have. Try to
show kindness in all that you do, for these are the things which Jesus would
do.

Sunday was spent watching GC as well. We woke up to two plus inches of snow on the ground
though. I was completely shocked because for the three days prior it was sunny
and warm. I took some good pictures and videos of the snow.

I hope everyone has a
great rest of the week. Hopefully Vancouver has dried up some just in time for
spring break! Its crazy school is out in a month! Do great things. God is love.
Vaya con Dios.

Love,

Elder Bennion