Week 26: "24 Hours"

May 19, 2014

Dear Family and Friends,

I really feel like I had some important things that I wanted to say in this weeks email. There have been a few things that I've pondered that I felt impressed to share....And now I can't remember any of it.

Which brings me to my news! I'm exhausted because the last few days have been transfers!

So the news is that I get to stay in Bel Air Ward (hallelujah) BUT, Sister Roundy is being transferred, and now I have a new and humbling opportunity to train a new missionary coming in! Right now I'm on exchanges with Sister Goldethwaite, and we'll find out who our new companions are tomorrow afternoon. Crazy eh? I'll either get to train a Sister from Tonga or another Canadian Sister! I'm excited, and a little nervous, for the opportunity. I have a lot to learn. 

We've had a wonderful week! Our investigator, Patsy, finally decided on a baptismal date! June 28 is the day! I am so excited for her.

 

We also visited a particular less active Sister in our Ward who we brought cookies to yesterday. We ended up talking about emails, and she talked about how the other week she realized that we probably talk to our families about her in our emails. She wondered aloud a few things that we might say about her in family emails. We laughed over that. And now I'm writing about her to you. She's awesome.

 

I love teaching people who truly and deeply are looking for the truth, and are willing to put in their end to keep commitments and come to know for themselves rather than taking our word for it. It's the most rewarding work I have done out here. I know that those who sincerely are seeking for truth can find it in this Gospel. We began teaching two such people this week, two friends of a member in our ward that we've gotten to know and become friends with over the past month. I'm so glad I'm blessed enough to stay in this area to continue teaching them. 

Well, my mind just went blank. I guess that's all that is meant to be about this week. Thank you all for being such an inspiration to me! I really do love you. Most of all, thank you for all the prayers.

 

Love,

Sister Bennett

Week 25: "Surreal Deal"

Dear those that mean the most!

Well, it was pretty crazy for me to see a lot of your bright, beautiful, smiling faces yesterday! It was like glimpsing into another life. But honestly, it was good to talk to you! I feel like I had everything, yet nothing to say. I apologize for my missionary awkwardness. :D 

To those who I didn't see: I hope all is well, and I love you! 

I'm looking forward to today. There are a few people on the mission that truly feel like family, and we get to spend time with a few of those people today! I have a few "Sisters" out here. Even though they have families of their own, and even kids around my age, I'm used to my siblings being 10 or more years older than me, so we call each other sisters. :) We are having a Zone party to celebrate the end of the transfer at a members house, who essentially has a playground in their backyard - forts, swings, volleyball courts, trains...and there are going to be crepes. And bacon. And excellent company. I'm excited. 

Things have really been progressing in Bel-Air. We're getting more and more teaching appointments! A busy missionary is a happy missionary. This morning we got an MRI for Sister Roundy's knee, so hopefully we'll find out results soon. 

I wish I had crazy stories for you, but I'm afraid there is a lack of poisonous snakes, wild animals, dangerous geography, or other such things in Boise. I've had a few dogs bark at me? I'm in mortal peril of being fed too many desserts? I hopped over a fence once because I thought we were locked out of our house? That's about as exciting as it gets. 

Once again, Happy Mothers Day! Couldn't have done it without all the wonderful mother figures in my life. :)

Love,

Sister Bennett

Week 24: "Quack Quack"

Dear Family and Friends,

I hereby dub this email as "Quack Quack" in honor of Sister Roundy. She does a daffy duck impression extremely well, and I get to hear it rather often. She's adorable. She just laughed at me. 

We checked out her knee at an Orthopedic office today. It's gonna be another week, folks, till we get everything figured out. They need to do an MRI on it. Until then, press forward! 

Fun moments of this week: 1) We continue to work with our investigators, and we get to work with some fun, spunky individuals. We started off slowly in this area, but it seems that within the last couple weeks our work with investigators has multiplied! We are really seeing some of our investigators progress. And in terms of finding, we seem to be consistently adding to our investigator pool! We even got a Turkish copy of the Book of Mormon that we gave out to a family we met in an apartment complex in our ward. 2) We go into Heritage (an assisted living facility) often to work with people there. Well, there are a couple older gentleman that like to sit on a bench outside, that enjoy saying hi to us. Well, yesterday I decided to get to know them better. Their names are Richard and Stan. As we went to leave, Richard called out, "One more thing! Did it hurt when you fell?" I was puzzled. I fell? When? I would. That's embarrassing. Then I asked him, "When did I fall?" And he replied, "When you fell from Heaven." Ha! 3) I don't wear many really girly colors. We're talking bright purples, pinks, teals etc. I just tend to shy away from those, and wear darker or earth tone colors. Well, I was given a dress that includes all those forbidden colors, and I received more compliments on it in a day than on any other outfit on my mission. Oh dear. Does this mean I need to be more girly?

I really love studying the New Testament! I'm particularly impressed by the ministry of Paul as accounted for in Acts. Now he was one bold missionary, and an incredible example of a Disciple of Jesus Christ. One day I'm going to be well-versed in all books of scripture. I've loved the opportunity to really study the scriptures in-depth here on the mission. 

Heavenly Father has helped me grow so much. I think that oftentimes in my life lacking confidence has been merely due to a mental block rather than my lack of ability. I've seen that time and time again. But I know that as I've followed what I know the Spirit wants me to do, and also as I've sought to fulfill duties within the church, Heavenly Father has helped me move past those mental blocks. That has significantly helped me in all areas of my life. I guess Heavenly Father likes to in a sense throw me into deep water, just to help me discover that I already know how to swim, and that if I want, I can get even better at swimming. :) I've found as I've followed what he wants me to do, I've grown so much more than if I was on my own. 

Well, you know the drill. I love you, good luck, remember who you are and what you stand for, and all that stuff. xoxox. ;)

But seriously. I love you.

Sister Bennett.