Week 3: "I Want to be a Missionary Now!"

12/9/13

Dear Family,

MERRY CHRISTMAS SEASON EVERYONE! I admit, I've always been a bit of a Scrooge. Christmas season just wasn't my thing. Maybe it was the snow, I'm not sure. But now I'm so excited for Christmas!! Christmas music makes me happy, lights make me happy, and most of all - Sharing the beautiful message of the life and gospel of Jesus Christ! It brings so much happiness and joy to people - and that's what Christmas all about. :) Talk about a mighty change of heart, eh?

So I hear it's bitterly cold and thus miserable in Canada. (Ha, just kidding.) It's cold here too. Brrr. I don't like it, but that's ok. It makes me all the more grateful when people let us in!

Every time we get rejected, I think of the Alma and Amulek cartoon, and that makes me laugh a little on the inside, and even more motivated to do work! Hello, my name is Alma. *Slam*. Hello, my name is *Slam*. Hello - *Slam* He- *Slam*. So good.

I try to sing as much as I can! Luckily my companion is a singer too, so we are a musical household. We want to go caroling as we tract before Christmas, to share the beautiful Christmas message. Speaking of, we want to make cheap and simple but cute ornaments to give out as we tract - Ali (or anyone else!), do you have any ideas you can send me, and the approximate cost?

People like to feed us well. Apparently this mission is known for people gaining 30 pounds. Eeek! That will not happen to me! I'm pretty diligent in working out in the mornings, and I try to eat superbly healthy (Spinach salads for the win.) so I'm determined that that won't happen to me. I want to leave the mission better than I came out.

We have some pretty amazing people to visit and teach. The mission is unlike anything I really expected it to be. I've learned that it's important to work hard and have the spirit, but it is also important to de-stress and have fun! The mission is like real life, except for the fact that we are called and set apart as representatives as Jesus Christ, and thus we do all we can to fulfill that calling. How great is our calling! :)

We had a baptism in our area, a ten year old girl named Savannah. :) My companion and I put the program together, and also sang a musical number, "A Child's Prayer." Also, our area is pretty poor. We get to visit some great families. We even visit some less active ex-convicts! I love them. 2/3 of our ward is less active, so we're going to have to work on that.

My first lesson ever was amazing. Two people who didn't know much about religion but really wanted to learn about the Gospel came in. We taught them about the Restoration, and then my companion asked them if they would be baptized, and they said yes! The Spirit was so strong. I wasn't expecting to see a miracle like that so early in the mission. We still have to teach them the rest of the lessons, but I'm really excited about it. One of them, Michael, said that he had been searching for religion his entire life, and this is the most truth he's ever found, and that he feels really good about it. Katie said she felt really good about it as well. The Spirit is the best and only teacher!

I have an amazing trainer, Sister Allen. She is a hard worker, and we get along really well. We have fun together. Luckily she doesn't think I'm too weird. Yet.

I really want to learn Spanish! I live with two Spanish Sisters, and there is a family that is our neighbors, the Martell's, who are the ultimate missionary family. They are good friends with all of us, and feed us all the time. It's a young couple, and the wife, Kayla, is from the Dominican Republic! So cool, but that means I need to learn more Spanish to talk with her more!

Oh, another random event. We were walking home one evening when randomly a twenty-something year old man came up to us, and was like, "hey, do you have one of them bibles?" We were like, "uhh, you mean a Book of Mormon?!" And he was like, "Yah, I want one!" These things just don't happen! He apologized because he thought he was bothering us, but we told him he wasn't at all! We gave him one, along with our number and a pass along card. Hopefully he reads it! That book changes lives. It's changed mine.

Well, there's nothing much else I can think of to say about me. I love you my familia! I hope you aren't bored to tears with my letters, and I hope they aren't too long! I like getting real mail too. :) Good luck getting ready for Christmas and everything else, and remember the true meaning of the season!

Go and Do - What can I say more?

Love,

Sister Rachie Bennett.

P.s. A good friend of mine nicknamed me "Diva." I thought that was super ironic. :P