This week.

I think that this email is going to be kind of boring, sorry. There's not much to report that I can think of...

Let me check in my journal! Which, by the way, I made a goal with my new journal to write A WHOLE PAGE EVERY NIGHT. It's tough, but I've been doing it, and it's the best! It forces me to reflect on my day a lot more and actually share my feelings and progress instead of just giving a laundry list of what we did.

Anyway...

Oh, I restarted the Book of Mormon, this time with a fresh copy. Rather than marking what stands out to me, I'm marking scriptures that coordinate with each of the five missionary lessons. I LOVE IT. It helps me focus my study and I am finding scriptures that I never even knew existed, despite having read them many times. Also, I'm starting to understand why we emphasize so much reading the Book of Mormon from beginning to end, even though some of the most doctrine-dense chapters are further in. Because 1 Nephi teaches the whole Restoration beautifully! And 2 Nephi the Plan of Salvation!

Light bulb lit.

On Thursday we washed our car by hand at a member's house, which was fun. It had been completely covered in bright green pollen, but now it's gray again. Welcome to Virginia, where the pollen falls like rain.

Speaking of rain, though, the summer thunderstorms have started up again. My favorite.

On Friday at district meeting we did an activity where we had to write the seven sentences that we would send to our families if we were about to die and that was all we could say. Mine were:

1. I love you.

2. Jesus Christ is our Savior.

3. The Book of Mormon is true.

4. Only you can choose your destiny.

5. God is in control.

6. Be loyal to the royal within you.

7. See you in Heaven :)

It was cool! Those really are my most cherished beliefs and what I would want my loved ones to hear from me.

Don't worry, though. I'm not dying.

That's about it. Nothing too exciting to report, but it was a good week.

Oh, I got a super cute poster from the youth! Here it is.

Also some bunny ears from my Easter package from Mom/Megan, and have I mentioned that I have a new obsession with nightgowns? I got this one from the thrift store for three dollars and I LOVE IT. Most comfortable thing ever.

Anyway, tell the youth that I adore them and this poster makes me so happy every time I look at it.

I LOVE YOU!!!

Love,

Hermana Bennett

The Lord works in mysterious ways!

An experience from this week:

April 17, 2014

This morning I finished the Book of Mormon again and decided to take Moroni's challenge and pray about it, even though I've done it multiple times before. As I was reading the last few chapters I felt the Spirit strongly and thought, "Wow, if I'm feeling it now it's going to be so strong when I actually pray!"

I finished reading and then went into the bathroom to pray because that was the only place I could think to go to be alone. I knelt down and prayed, asking Heavenly Father to help me feel the confirmation once again so that I could testify with power that it is true. Expecting a powerful feeling, I waited. Nothing. Hmm.

I prayed again: "Heavenly Father, I know that the Book of Mormon is true, but please help me to feel it right now." Waited. Nothing.

Weird.

I felt good, but no big chills or warmth or pounding heart or anything.

I went back into our study room, sat down, and prayed once more: "Heavenly Father, I don't understand. I'm doing this for my investigators. Why am I not getting an answer?" Into my mind came Doctrine and Covenants 6:22-23: "Verily, verily I say unto you, if you desire a further witness, cast your mind upon the night that you cried unto me in your heart, that you might know concerning the truth of these things. Did I not speak peace to your mind concerning the matter? What great witness can you have from God?" I realized that, like Oliver Cowdery, I was looking for an answer that I had already received. He had given it to me before I even prayed - the strong Spirit that I had felt while I was reading.

So that was cool, but it gets even better.

A less active couple that the sisters are working with fed us all brunch today, and after eating we taught them the restoration. The sister expressed the concern that she has prayed about the Book of Mormon but hasn't felt like she has gotten an answer.

Right there I was able to share with her that the same thing had happened to me that very morning, and that maybe she was already getting an answer - it just wasn't in the way she expected.

Coincidence?

I think not.

Straight talk.

I don't have much to share this week, so I want to direct my comments to all those who are considering going on a mission or wonder what it's really like.

I was raised in the Church, and my whole life heard returned missionaries say, "It was the best of times and it was the worst of times." "It was the hardest and most rewarding thing I've ever done." I would hear this and think, "I'm sure it was hard and I'm sure it was wonderful, but let's not be so dramatic and cliche. It could not have been that bad or that good."

Well, it is. It is that bad and it is that good.

First, let's start with the "worst of times" part.

The mission will humble you. It will take a big giant magnifying glass and place it right over your weaknesses, not only for you to see, but also for your new 24/7 companion to see. It will make you acutely aware of every character defect you have, and it will hurt.

For example, before my misison I thought that I was a nice person. I smiled at people on campus as I walked by, I was patient with the new cashier in the grocery store, and people generally knew me as nice.

Insert 24/7 companion.

Patience, kindness, and empathy out the window. After a few days with a person, I start to notice THEIR character flaws, and they annoy me. I'm never outright mean, but I get grumpy and sarcastic. And worst of all, I go silent.

Oh, that's another thing I'm bad at: communication. Other struggles: self negativity, motivation, following the Spirit, street contacting, and, oh yeah, fitting into my clothes.

I'm flawed, oh so flawed.

So that's the first thing the mission throws at you. You're somewhere between 18 and 25, you think you have yourself figured out and you're pretty great, and suddenly you realize that you're scum. Worse than scum. The scum between scum's toes. Like Moses, you say to yourself, "Now, for this cause I know that [I] am nothing, which thing I never had supposed." (Moses 1:10)

Then you throw companion relationships into the mix, which I don't even want to go into. Two imperfect people working together imperfectly in an imperfect world. Just remember: "It's not always rainbows and butterflies; it's compromise that moves us along." Your companion will drive you nuts. They will snore, loudly. They will lack motivation. They will get grumpy. They will check out in the middle of lessons. And guess what? You will, too, and they will be just as annoyed with you as you are with them.

So you're dealing with yourself and with your companion.

NOW throw in the actual missionary work itself. The days are long and exhausting. You have to step outside of your comfort zone to talk to people on the street about Jesus, of all things. You become too emotionally invested in other people's spiritual welfare, only to seem them give up and fail. You struggle with the language. You go weeks and weeks without teaching a single lesson and all of a sudden that faith you thought you had is by the wayside, withering among the stony places (Matthew 13).

Am I being clear enough? Missionary work is HARD. It's the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. If you're considering a mission, do not go into it thinking that it will be an eighteen month to two year vacation away from real life. It is not. If you only want to get away or you feel obligated to do it, don't go. You will hate it and your companion will hate you.

But don't let me scare you TOO much. If you have a testimony, if you love the Lord, if you want to help other people improve their lives, if you want to be a better person, friend, sister, mother, father, or member of the Church, GO ON A MISSION.

Why?

Because it's worth it.

It is oh, so worth it.

Being a part of another person's conversion is the most beautiful thing I have ever experienced. As you teach people about their Heavenly Father, who loves them and wants them to be happy, you will see the light of Christ increase in their eyes. You will grow to love them more than you thought you could ever love a complete stranger.

Every time you are transferred to a new area, you will meet people that you can't imagine living without. They become part of you and you will never, ever forget them.

More than the effect that you have on other people, though, is who YOU will become.

I don't even know who I was before the mission. What was important to me? What did I believe in? What did I think about? Did I even have a testimony? I know that I did because I had the faith to leave everything I knew behind and dedicate my life to the Lord for a year and a half, but I feel as if I didn't even exist before I got here.

If you allow it to, the mission will change you. With each of those newly noticed flaws, you will be given the opportunity to turn to God and let Him help you change it. And He will. It's just like how it says in Ether 12:27:

"...if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficent for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them."

Because you are alone and entirely dependent on Him for support, the Lord becomes your best friend. It's not that He loves you any more than He did before your mission; it's just that you are suddenly much more aware of and dependent on Him. With your invitation, He makes you who you could never be on your own.

You are still very flawed, and with each day you become more aware of your flaws, but you change and progress. You become converted. Converted and changed from a natural man or woman, a lump of raw materials, to a spiritual being, a piece of art.

That's the power of the Gospel.

"O, that I were an angel, and could have the wish of mine heart, that I might go forth and speak with the trump of God, with a voice to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people! Yea, I would declare unto every soul, as with the voice of thunder, repentance and the plan of redemption, that they should repent and come unto our God, that there might not be more sorrow upon all the face of the earth." (Alma 29:1-2)

I truly feel this way. I wish that I could fly above the trees and speak to all the nations about the wonderful restored Gospel of Jesus Christ!

Come unto Christ
Come unto Him
And by His grace be made holy again.
He's calling YOUR name.

He's waitng for YOU

With arms open wide.

Come unto Christ.

(2014 Mutual Theme)

I could go on and on and on.

If you have any sincere desire to go on a mission, seek the Lord's approval, and then GO. It's not for everybody. Some have other callings. But if it's right for you and you have the opportunity, you will never regret it. Will your whole mission be fun and easy and full of baptisms? Probably not. Most of the time you will just get through every day and sometimes you will want to go home. But each one of those days will add up and soon enough you will have created THE BEST TWO YEARS (or 18 months) OF YOUR LIFE.

Just do it. Take the leap. Be not afraid. Trust in the Lord.

Love,

Hermana Bennett

A great week!

We had a great week around here. Here's one highlight:

More puzzles!

This is Sister Burr, one of the sisters that we live with. She and I share a puzzle addiction. Between Monday and Sunday we solved these three and two and a half others, all within our time before studies, during lunch, and after planning at night. So fun. It's nice to have something to do at home that helps me relax and get my mind off the work for a few minutes.

Another great one was interviews with President Baker. I think I've mentioned this before, but we have personal interviews with him every three months, and at the beginning he always says a prayer for you. Just hearing him pray is one of the most faith-building experiences I've ever had. It is so powerful. After that we get about ten minutes to talk. It's short, but somehow within those ten minutes he always manages to answer my questions, help me receive revelation, and make me feel sustained, appreciated, and supported. He is the BEST.

We also saw a small miracle in West Point. We don't have any investigators (like, ZERO), so we have been spending almost all of our time finding. On Friday we drove to West Point to do some finding. We prayed to be led to those that were ready to listen, and then got out of the car and started walking around. About fifteen minutes later we passed ago that looked completely American, so I asked him, "Do you know if anybody that speaks Spanish lives around here?" He said, "I do." Woah! Ok! Turns out he was Puerto Rican. We had a great discussion with him about the Book of Mormon and he is open to us coming by again this week. What an answer to prayer. Heavenly Father directed us to him and him to us and we found each other!

Here's a picture that we took in just after that experience. So happy.

And finally, General Conference! Was it not AMAZING. I got so many answers to questions and the Spirit was strong. I can't remember who said it right now, but one of the apostles talked about charity and how by loving other people we can help them to develop faith and confidence in Heavenly Father's love. This is something that I believe really strongly, so I obviously loved it. Also Elder Holland's talk when he bore testimony. He is so bold. I want to be like that someday. And Elder Uchtdorf! Ugh. It was all just so good. Is it really over already?

We watched the last session in a member's home, the Taylors, and guess where they are from? Emmett! And BSU fans. For obvious reasons, they are my favorite family in the branch...

:)

Go Broncos!

Despite not seeing many visual results, it was a wonderful week and full of miracles. Heavenly Father is so very kind.

I LOVE YOU!!!

Love,

Hermana Bennett

Sick week...

Well, the news of the week is: I was ill.

Monday night my throat started hurting during the evening, but I figured it was just allergies and tried to sleep. By the next morning, though, I could feel that allergies, it was not. It wasn't anything serious, just a pretty intense cold, but it kept us inside for the better part of the week.  Because of that, not much happened.

One really good news is: I finished a whole journal! This is only the second time I've ever filled a whole journal, and definitely the fastest that it's ever happened. You can thank Hermana Brugman for really getting me into the habit of writing every night.

Other than that, there's not too much to report. Let me see if I have any stories in my handy dandy FULL journal!

Yes, yes I do. Lucky you.

On Thursday we went to West Point to see Ramiro, our only Hispanic member. He is hilarious. He told me to tell me cold "que se vaya, en el nombre de Jesus." (to leave, in the name of Jesus) Well, I didn't really want to do that, so I just said "vete" (leave) and then moved on. He obviously wasn't satisfied with that, though, so when he said the closing prayer, he did it for me - commanded my cold to leave in the name of Jesus. Haha. He also told me to eat some cinnamon with some sugar and that would make it better. Hispanics. Gotta love 'em.

Saturday was the first ever General Women's Meeting! We watched the broadcast here in the branch building in New Kent, and it was so wonderful. Before that, though, they had a little get-together with waffles and ice cream (random, but delicious) and funny pictures.

For example:

My companion and I and the other two sisters that we share the branch with. They are so fun.

Anyway, the broadcast was wonderful, and it made me so proud to be a Latter-day Saint woman. With all of us standing together we are truly a force for good in the world. I especially loved when President Eyring said, "You are one of the favored few," referring to the fact that as members of the Church we are among the few in the history of the world that have the privilege of the Restored Gospel in this life. What a privilege, indeed! And what a responsibility.

Last night we dropped our only investigator, so pray that we find some more soon!

Tracting here is so different. In West Point there is enough of a city that we can walk around door to door, but anywhere else we basically have to drive down the country roads looking for signs of Hispanics. It's great!

Have a wonderful week!

I LOVE YOU!!!

Hermana Bennett

New Kent!

Well, here I am, in Providence Forge, VA! I never dreamed of being in a place such as this on my mission, but here I am and here I will stay for at least the next six weeks and probably for the new four to five months.

Anyway, before I get into that, here's how my last few days in Elizabeth City went, plus lots of pictures!

Last Sunday we saw Lola! I think maybe I already sent a picture of her last week, but I don't remember. She's the best. And she said that she would start coming back to church! So hopefully that actually happens.

On Monday (St. Patrick's Day) Sister Anderson took us out to lunch at Taco Bell. She's a member that we have spent quite a bit of time with. I will miss her!

Then for dinner we ate with Brother Jackson and his wife, Sissy. She made crockpot chicken taco chili from skinnytaste.com just for me :) It was sooooo delicious and was comfort food to me because I made it like every other week in college. Yum. Poor Brother Jackson though hates anything delicious, so he made a turkey and mayonnaise sandwich while us three women feasted on chiken chili and salad with avocado lime dressing. :) I am so sad to leave Sissy behind. She is great.

On Tuesday the Pendletons, the couple that feeds us lunch every Sunday, had us over for breakfast to say goodbye! They used to own a bed and breakfast in Homer, Alaska, and are so cute. They made us fruit cups, french toast with real french bread, eggs, jowls (a bacon-ish thing made from pig cheeks), and homemade mashed potatoes. Sooooo delicious! Even the jowls. I love them.

Here's Kelly and Nadia Begazo, our only two "Hispanic" children, even though they refuse to speak Spanish. They are so cute. Kelly is my mini-me and I told her that she can come live with me in the west for a summer when she gets older :)

On Wednesday we had dinner with Luz and Pilar, two other Hispanic members here. They are so funny. They made sooooooooooo much delicious food for all six of us missionaries. It was delicious!

 

That dinner was held at Sister Hughes house, who I absolutely adore. I want to adopt her as my third grandma.

I could add more pictures, but I'm running out of time. Grrr and now I tried to put one of Hermana Brugman and I together as companions for the last time, but it won't send. She is hilarious and I miss her guts! We were together for four long, hard months, which made us really close. Leaving your companion is so hard! It feels like we were married and now I had to divorce her and marry someone else. It's weird.

 Other things:

On Thursday I was feeling kind of nervous to leave, and opened up my Book of Mormon randomly. The first verse I read was Helaman 5:47, which says something about, "Peace, peace be unto you, for I the Lord am with you." or something like that. Wow.

Hermana Johnson is training, which makes me a grandma!

And now this:

On my very first night in New Kent we got STUCK IN THE MUD. Bad. Mom, you would have died. We were driving home from a dinner appointment and it was already kind of late, around 9:15. Dark as pitch because there are no street lights out here in the forest. We're going along just fine following the GPS when it tell us to turn down a dirt road. I looked at my companion and said, "Have you driven on this before?" "Yes." So I think, "Ok, well, the GPS is set to take us the route that uses the least amount of miles, so I'm sure this is just a little dirt road that will lead us out quickly." So on and on we drive. Pretty soon I start seeing a few little muddy areas and I say again, "Now are you sure that you've driven on this before?" "Yes, I think so." To her benefit, she's only been in the area for one transfer, so she's learning everything too. A few minutes later I say, "I'm just worried about us getting stuck in the..." we come to a quick stop "...mud."

Now when I say stuck, I mean STUCK. Bad. The mud was like a foot deep and we were right in it in this little teeny corolla. And I was MAD.

So I try and try to get us out.. forward, backward, forward, backwrad. Wheels spinning like crazy.

I think, "Well, we got ourselves into this mess, we can get ourselves out." I take off my shoes, step out into the orange mud in bare feet, and start trying to push the car IN A SKIRT. Useless. Utterly useless. I literally started crying. I told Heavenly Father, "I am in New Kent, Virginia, where I don't really want to be. I am tired. I am wet. I am cold. We are stuck. Please get us out."

Finally my companion starts making calls and gets a hold of the relief society president, who calls a man called Brother Adams, who comes and finds us on this random dirt road and pulls us out with his big truck. At 10:15 at night.

Thank goodness we didn't get eaten by wolves.

NO MORE DIRT ROADS FOR ME!

Haha.

Have a great week!

I LOVE YOU!!!

Hermana Bennett

Heading out!

I need to stop loving my areas.

Every time I get to the point where I feel like, "Now I know why I'm here and I never want to leave," Heavenly Father says, "Time's up!" On Thursday I will leave Elizabeth City and head to New Kent, Virginia! I have mixed feelings about it: sad, excited, nervous, overwhelmed, etc. I love the people here, and the thought of leaving them in the hands of other missionaries is devastating. At the same time, getting transferred is an amazing opportunity to start over from scratch and reinvent yourself as a missionary if you want. I know that I will learn things in New Kent that I couldn't learn anywhere else, and hopefully touch some hearts along the way as well.

Let the packing begin.

Other than that, we had a good week. Highlights:

This dress. Essentially it's a polo that goes down to your knees, and I love it with all my heart. Got it at Salvation Army for two dollars and sleep in it every night.

Tuesday we helped our bishop's wife do yard work and paint the inside of their house. So fun.

Funny story on Wednesday. For dinner a member took all six of us missionaries out to dinner at Chick-fil-A (yummmm!). Both Hermana Brugman and I drank 32 oz cups of water while we were there, not really thinking anything of it. Well, about half an hour later we were driving in the car pretty far away from the city when it hit us. We needed a bathroom and we needed it quick. There were no gas stations nearby, so we decided to stop at the closest member's home to use their bathroom. Most awkward door approach ever: "Hi, nice to see you. We have a strange request. May we use your bathroom?" She let us in, though, and then we sat down and talked with her for a bit. Even though it's strange to say, I think we came at a perfect time. She is struggling with some family issues and we were able to share a few scriptures with her and help her feel loved. So... thank you, bladder! If it weren't for you we never would have stopped.

Thursday was Lola's birthday (she's one of our few Hispanic members), so we decided to do something really nice. We made two little signs, one in English and one in Spanish, that said, "Happy birthday! We love you!" and taped them on her door along with some Takis and Mamuts (yummy Mexican snacks) that we bought. She loved it. On Saturday we saw her in person for the first time in like a month and half and committed her to come back to church and prepare to go to the temple in April to do baptisms for the dead. Food never fails! :)Tonight we had the most spiritually intense lesson of my mission with Shelby. She didn't come to church yesterday, so we went in with the intention of telling her (in nicer words) that she didn't do her part to prepare for baptism and we were going to have to change her date or drop her. We didn't really know how to go about it, though, so we prayed and I asked the Lord to make us His mouthpieces because we did not know what to say. Well, prayer works. The Spirit worked through us and was incredibly strong throughout the whole lesson. I saw her cry and truly engage in the discussion for the first time. Amazing.

THE SPIRIT ROCKS.

And finally, these are the two companionships of elders that we share Elizabeth City with, pretending to be asleep on the bishop's couch. They drive me nuts and sometimes I want to punch them where it hurts, but they're also great elders. We have a special group here in Elizabeth City. I will miss them!

Elder Haight, Elder Harbertson, Elder Lainhart, Elder Lechtenberg

Next time you hear from me I'll be back in Virginia! Wish me luck!

I LOVE YOU!!!

Love,

Hermana Bennett