Week 36: Lose Yourself In The Moment

Hey mom! I don't have a ton of time today to write a whole bunch about the week and some of the good stories. I figured I would just ramble off a few of the first things that come to my mind. Hopefully some of the pictures will make up for the words that I lack.

It was another great week out here in San Geezy! We we’re super busy like usual teaching and preparing people for baptism. This week Javier and Pearla got baptized. It was great to see them finally get baptized. Javier is just an animal when it comes to reading the Book of Mormon. In one week he read all of 1st Nephi and half of 2nd Nephi. The coolest part of it all is that he understands what he is reading. It has been a great journey to watch them progress and come to love the Book of Mormon. I can just see Javier as an Elders quorum president in a short time. The craziest thing about their baptism was that because of stake conference, which is next week Javier and Pearla received the gift of the Holy Ghost right after their baptism. I was able to give Pearla the gift of the Holy Ghost and what a blessing that is to have in our lives.  Just a few hours earlier at church I gave Juana the gift of the Holy Ghost so it was a day full of giving blessings. Come to think of it I had to give another blessing earlier on during the week. I just love those experiences though because I'm communicating with our Father in Heaven on behalf of someone else.

Well my computer time is about to run out. I better run but this is what life is all about. Helping others come to know their Father in Heaven more fully. Vaya con Dios.

God is love,

Elder Bennion

Pictures!!!!

Week 35: Baptizing Alma Style

Family and friends it has been another great week in sunny southern Utah. Probably the best week I've ever had on the mission thus far. A lot of great things happened this week that helped put into perspective that I am still growing and learning. Imagine that! Sometimes it is hard to see our personal progress or know what we need to improve but this week there just seemed to be a lot of little lessons I learned and grew from. Sometimes we get so preoccupied with the daily tasks we lose sight of different important aspects of our lives we need to improve.

As far as the missionary work is concerned and the mission, I've never been happier! I'm really hitting my stride out here and living every minute of being a missionary. This past week I'm pretty sure we taught more lessons than any other companionship in the mission. We taught 51 lessons, Saturday Elder Hayden baptized a man named Fernando who we both taught in Washington, we had 12 investigators at church, and the Romero family got baptized last night! I had the privilege of baptizing Juana and I cannot describe how rewarding that was. Juana is the grandma of the family and I've never taught anyone as prepared as she was to accept the gospel and be baptized. Funny story about her baptism. I got in the font and showed her where to put her hands, said the prayer, and baptized her. Only thing is I about pulled an Alma style baptism. haha I was neck deep in the water. I pulled Juana back up and Elder Hayden was just smiling. We had been talking about Alma style baptisms before so it made it that much more funny. If you don't know what an "Alma style baptism" is read Mosiah 18:14. :)

I've always had this phobia about baptizing investigators. Maybe it is selfish and petty of me but I never have wanted to be the one doing the baptismal ordinance and getting in the water. I just have never wanted to baptize someone who I thought could one day go inactive. I think I never wanted that responsibility to fall on my shoulders. I also felt that a ward member would be that friend they would always have in the church. I still feel ward members are a first option but when Juana asked me to baptize her I couldn't say no. I just love this family!

As if things couldn't get any better we have a couple named Javier and Pearla who are getting baptized this coming Sunday and a second couple getting married and then baptized the Sunday after that! :D It is nothing short of a miracle to see how many people the Lord has been preparing to accept His true and living gospel. When we read the Book of Mormon, attend church, and sincerely pray to know if it is true there is no way to deny this divine message which I know to be true.

It is through the small and simple things that the Lord brings to pass His grand works. Just as a great oak tree starts from small and humble beginnings. So do we start with a small seed of knowledge which grows over the months, years, and decades which we nourish it. "Now ye may suppose that this is ^afoolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by ^bsmall and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise." (Alma 37:6) It is by the small and simple things which the Lord answers our questions and teaches. One of the greatest blessings of being baptized is receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. It is through the Great Teacher, which our Father in Heaven leads and guides us. Replace fear with faith and remember it is by the small and simple things which God answers our prayers. I know He lives, more than ever. Vaya con Dios.

God is love,

Elder Bennion

P.S. Cameron sent a couple pictures. I will post those later!

Elder Bennion, his Aunt Dawn and cousin Christy! Ya never know who you'll see at Walmart!!!

Week 34: This Is What I Expected My Mission To Be Like

Hey hey hey it's me again. It's been another really great week again out here in the desert. I hope everything is going well back home. Hopefully you got my letter early last week. I know I haven't been really good about writing lately and I don't think this transfer will be any better. I have something like 10 letters I have yet to respond to. Every P-day when I think I will try to write I just don't have time.

I'm probably busier than I've ever been on the mission. There are days where we have 8-9 set appointments and we don't have time to eat! :) Don't worry, I'm taking care of myself though. Just to give you an idea, the mission standards of excellence is 20 lessons per week. Elder Hayden and I had 38 lessons this week, 12 people on date for baptism, we found 9 new investigators, and 11 investigators came to church this week! It really is amazing to see all the people wanting to learn more about Jesus Christ and His gospel. There is literally so much work to be done in a day we can't accomplish everything we want to but I love it! As grandma would say, sleep when you are dead! :)Up until this point of my mission I thought that I had always had overly high expectations of the mission. After this week I realized nothing is impossible if you have a desire to serve the Lord whole heartedly and are willing to head his council.

We had an interesting night on Wednesday this past week. We were at the Dixie institute building on campus dropping off our fellow shipper for the night. Matt got out of the car and a car full of girls was just pulling out of a parking spot. They must've realized we were missionaries because the lights were on in the car because they smiled and waived enthusiastically. Then we started leaving and they flipped a U-turn and followed us. We drove through parking lots and all over the place and they were following REALLY close. We thought they were going to follow us back to our house but luckily they didn't. Another interesting thing happened this week when we were asked to go give a less active woman a blessing and bless her house because she didn't feel safe in her house. Let's just say sister missionaries gave them some false information about what to do. Sometimes I really think sisters missionaries think they have mujerdocio... they are sweet spirits but at times are kind of interesting. :P

Overall I just really can't ask for more right now. We have a schedule that rivals the President of the United States, I'm seeing miracles every day in the lives of these people I serve, and I'm serving with a companion that is so much like my brother it's scary. :) Now if this is boasting, even so will I boast; for this is my life and my light, my joy and my salvation, and my redemption from everlasting wo. Yea, blessed is the name of my God, who has been mindful of this people... (Alma 26:36) The Lord is really blessing me right now with the ability to be an instrument in His work and I'm so thankful for that. My gratitude for the things that I have been a witness of is enormous. I know that as we ride out the storm and hold out for the brightness of the blessings we receive from the gospel, we will be blessed. Life is good. God is great! And through faith we will be blessed. I'm livin' the dream! Vaya con Dios.

God is love,

Elder Bennion

Week 33: En La Rama Verdadera Una Otra Vez

Hey family! Well it's that time of the week again. This week just flew by. I'm just really happy to be back here in the 28th branch, also known as la rama verdadera. The branch President and the members are amazing here. On top of that Elder Hayden and I just have a blast serving together. We have only served together for a week now but I'd say he is my favorite companion so far. It's sad he will be going home at the end of the transfer. he is from Redmond Oregon but will be at Utah Valley University in the winter. I just couldn't have asked for a better companion.

This week was really exciting because we have a lot going on right now. Two Spanish branches combined this week. Now we cover basically from Dixie rock down to the Arizona boarder and the branch is so big they will probably make it a ward in the near future. We started teaching this family of 5 this week that the sisters were teaching and they are all set to be baptized! Elder Hayden and I thought the sisters were going to cry in district training meeting because they had to give us this family. Sometimes that just happens though. :) Currently we have 13 people with a baptismal date and we just found another family of 6 that has a lot of potential. Just yesterday we had a baptism for Ernesto. It was great to see him get baptized. It just seems like I'm living the dream right now. When things are good, they are really good! The area is on fire with people preparing to be baptized, I love the members of this branch, and it feels like I'm serving with one of my best friends.

Like all things, there is still some things that are hard. Spanish right now is really frustrating me. I think it's because Elder Hayden may be white but he talks like he is straight from Mexico. His accent is really good. Hispanics complement him everyday on how good he speaks the language and how it is rare for a gringo to speak Spanish like he does. I thought my Spanish was getting better, and it is, but sometimes I get frustrated that I don't sound like Elder Hayden! haha I just hope when I'm at 23 months I can be like Elder Hayden. He is my role model. :P

This week I was thumbing through the Book of Mormon and stopped in the Book of Mosiah and I read Mosiah 2:22 which says, "And behold all that he requires of you is to keep his commandments; and he has promised you that if ye would keep his commandments ye would prosper in the land; and he never doth vary from that what he hath said; therefore if ye keep his commandments he doth bless you and prosper you." I know that if we do keep the commandments and do as our Father in Heaven asks of us we are promised blessings. "I the Lord am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise." D&C 82:10 Trials make us stronger and if we endure well Heavenly Father promises us to bless us. He is bound! Make this a great week and replace fear with faith. Fear and FAITH cannot coexist in the hearts of men. Estoy viviendo el sueno real! Vaya con Dios!

God is love,

Elder Bennion