My name is Sister Bennett: I Am a Missionary: Week 40: "Well, We've Started"

August 25, 2014

Dear Y'all,

This week we've walked. And walked. And walked. And honestly, it's been the best. I hope I always am blessed with companions that love to walk.

One day we were walking. And contacting along the way. At one point, we pass a 30 or so year old walking his dog. Sister McClellan called out, "I love your dog!", and immediately came the almost snide reply. "Do you love your GOD?" We didn't know how to react! I said, "absolutely!" and Sister McClellan paused, and said, "Clever." What was funny though was how he said it. If you've seen the animated Book of Mormon series, he sounded exactly like Laman and Lemuel! Oh the irony.

Oh! We also saw Orlando Bloom riding a bike down the street. Both of us stopped, and did a 180 degree turn, because we weren't sure what had just happened. :P Well, it was at least his doppelganger. Crazy.

I feel like on the mission, just when you start feeling confident in your ability to talk with people, is when the Lord puts you in an area where people are more prone to reject you. Well, that can't get me down. :) Not this Sister. There is so much potential here! At least in Hillside. Hidden Springs...is being prepared. The great thing is the members are SUPER enthusiastic about doing missionary work. The not so great thing is...there's not much work. Yet! I love being in that ward though, especially to learn from some people we come in contact with. We found a great street contact - a lady who was almost baptized when she was 18, but didn't because of outside pressures. We gave her a Book of Mormon. :) Also in Hidden Springs, we had a community Family History Event. It was successful. :) We were able to share the Family Proclamation with some people there. Our ward mission leader is now coordinating it so that we have a Family History Night monthly. It's was held at the Merc - kind of the town center, with a restaurant, a pub, grocery area and a public room. The kids often play outside of it. The Merc is all the hype in Hidden Springs.

I think the key to Hidden Springs is just finding opportunities to serve and get better known in the community, since it is so small. Unfortunately, some people reject service because they think our intent is to convert them. Not so, we simply want to serve any way that we can, but you can't tell that to people.

In Hillside, we have a few people that we're working with. I LOVE any teaching opportunity that we have. After every lesson, we leave an invitation or a commitment. Last lesson we had, we taught the law of Chastity, and extended a commitment for our investigator to live it, to which he replied, "Holy cow!" I've never had that reaction before! He wants to live it though. :)

At the beginning of that said lesson, I felt prompted to show the video "He Will Give you Help," because he was struggling with the death of his best friend's brother. It turned to be the perfect way to begin the lesson. I'm so grateful for the Spirit in this work. We would be completely lost and futile without it, that's my sincere testimony.

Last night I was woken up at 11:11 by a HUGE thunderstorm. I was tempted to watch it, but I was so tired I just fell right back asleep after closing the window.

I think the highlight of my week was watching the Broadcast of the Meridian Temple Groundbreaking. L.Tom Perry has been expected to come for the last few months (he was to attend a stake conference of the last stake I served in) but David A. Bednar ended up being the one to come, because of personal matters Elder Perry had to attend to. The Spirit was so strong! Since coming on a mission my appreciation and love for temples has multiplied. I love the feeling I have when I attend the temple, and I'm so grateful for that opportunity, especially on my mission. Oh, and our Bishop (who had tickets) took two of our investigators! They loved it. I think my favorite part of the broadcast was when they did the symbolic shoveling of the dirt for the cornerstone. You could faintly hear Elder Bednar say, "Well, we've started!" The Meridian temple should be built in 3 years.

At first I was bummed that I got transferred two weeks before an apostle came to my old area, but I don't feel that way at all anymore. I'm glad I'm here. I've been so happy, especially serving with Sister McClellan. We should be sisters. AND she has the same fashion sense as I do.

I could say I don't love you. But that would be the worst lie I've told in my life.

My recent scripture of the day is JOHN 10: 9-10. Oh, and if you haven't read Jesus the Christ, you should. It's incredible.

Until next week!

-Sister Bennett

P.s. Pictures to come!

The First Few: We got to attend the BOISE FAIR! We got a ticket free - because we pushed residents of a nearby Assisted Living. Esther and I had a grand time.