July 23, 2012
The title
of the email is what Sister Wilkinson, my new companion, says totally explains
me. I am not ashamed to share the gospel with everyone because I know what I
believe. I was thinking about it and she is right. I love the gospel, I love
being a missionary even when it's hard, and I love being a representative of
Jesus Christ. Even if when I walk up to someone I have no idea what I am doing,
I am still going to talk to them because I am not ashamed. I want everyone to
have the opportunity to hear about the gospel, I want to say that I have done
all that I can. (Romans 1:16 - mark it. Ha)
Mom, I’m sorry
that I don't really respond to questions that well. It's just that I have a
limited amount of time, so I try to let you all know what I am doing before I
run out! Ah! I will try to be better. Cortney looks so cute in all of the
pictures she sent to me from Aqua. I showed them to all of the missionaries
emailing here with me and they all said that she looks like she is really fun!
I said, "She is! She's my best friend, duh!" Haha. Probably not the
response they were expecting, but it made sense to me. I also got pictures from
Nan of her and Solon’s photo shoot with Uncle David. I showed those to everyone
as well and they just think that Brandice is so gorgeous. I am pleased to say
that they even said that I look like her. Oh yea! Anyway, they kept saying that
I have a really good looking family. Yep. I do. Also, Ammon looks so old in the
pictures that Cortney emailed me! Does he quaff his hair? It looks good Ammon.
Also, I got your email, Ammon, but I am planning on writing you back in a
letter. I will do my best to do that soon, I just don't have enough time to
email you back. I haven't gotten those skirts yet, mom, but I will let you know
when they get here. I think I would still like blister block, yes. My shoes
don't really bother me, but I haven't worn those ones with the heel like at
all, so I was waiting for blister block to start breaking them in. I can't remember
if I ever answered you about having a car. All sisters drive cars, and that's
how it will be for the entire mission. Also, tell Cortney thanks for the pics,
but I want words, too. Also, can I use the Garman GPS that we own? Will you ask
Dad? We had one that an Elder was letting us use, but he is being transferred
so I don't know what we're going to do anymore. Think about it. I will take
good care of it, but I've heard it's nice to have a GPS.
I am now
with my new companion, Sister Wilkinson. She is the sister that I was with
whenever I went to Ventura, so she isn't really "new" to me. She is
just officially my companion now. We did a weird transfer. Normally we would
have transfers tomorrow, but because I was with Sister Tippetts we switched
yesterday so that Sister Tippetts could be in Ventura today to help with a new
sister that is coming in. I said goodbye to her last night. It was fine for me.
She officially leaves the mission on Wednesday. I am really excited to be with
Sister Wilkinson. We both have a burning desire to work hard and improve. She
has been here for 6 months, so we're both new missionaries which is great. I
think it's good for me, because I know Moorpark so I will kind of have to lead
her as she gets to know the area. That will push me to be better because I have
more responsibility, kind of.
Mom, you
asked about the wards. I really love both wards here. The members love us even
more than we love them. They haven't had sisters here since like 1985, so they
are just eating us up. Our dinner calendar is already full through August,
which is great but kind of scary. I am working hard on only eating one helping
at each home. The members are all great about missionary work, so we spend a
good amount of time with them. I really love Sundays because I get to feel the
spirit so much, and the ward members just build our confidence so much! I'll
have to tell you more about specific families later. I just really love
Moorpark. Actually, it was really hot here the past few days, so I haven't loved
the weather, but I do love Moorpark. haha. And don't worry mom, I put on
sunscreen every day. I haven't been burned yet! Are you proud??
Now for
an update on my people -
This week was the best week yet, because Wendy was baptized!
We were able to meet with her once during the week to finish the lessons and to
talk about her baptism and set it all up. That was good for me to see what
needs to be done to get everything ready for a baptismal service. The baptism
itself was a really good experience for me. It was so wonderful to see what it
looks like when a person progresses in the gospel and is converted unto
baptism. At her baptism, Brother Wright, the old mission leader in the Moorpark
1st ward who played a big role in helping Wendy, spoke on baptism. I really
enjoyed listening to him talk about how important faith is. I felt the spirit
so much as Wendy was baptized by her fiancé Craig. It was a great experience
because it was also Craig's first time baptizing someone. After she was
baptized, Wendy just had a glow about her. She literally looked brighter.
Sister Tippetts spoke about the gift of the Holy Ghost, because Sister Wright
had gotten bronchitis. Sister Tippetts gave a really good talk as well. Wendy
was then confirmed yesterday at church, and I was so excited for her. Baptism
is so important, but it really means nothing without the second half, the
baptism by fire through receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. I love Wendy so
much. She had been a rock for me as I have been going through adjusting to
being a missionary. Whenever I was having a hard time and was able to teach
Wendy, I was quickly reminded of what the purpose is of me being here. I am
here to help others build their faith in Christ. It was just a wonderful day on
Saturday as well as yesterday, Sunday, especially because I just love Sundays
as a missionary. I love being able to partake of the sacrament and feeling the
spirit when I attend church. I am grateful that the Lord allowed me to be a
part of teaching Wendy, and that Heavenly Father trusted me enough to have the
spirit with me as I taught her.
On Monday we taught Sister Olie Hamm. She was baptized in March and we realized that she hadn't been receiving the new member lessons. We taught her about the restoration with an emphasis on the priesthood. It was a really good lesson and I was personally able to learn more about the priesthood that strengthened my testimony of its importance. It was also good for me to participate in teaching a new member lesson so now I know what should be done for teaching Wendy those lessons.
We taught Cristina and Eric on Monday as well. It is always interesting with them because they come with a lot of questions, which is good, but it isn't usually about the things that we've taught them. They have asked us about polygamy and about gay marriage, and they do ask questions as we teach them lessons but it is hard to keep them on track as we teach. We planned on teaching them the restoration on Monday, but first we had Eric give an overview of the plan of salvation to Cristina because she had missed it when we taught Eric. After he did that, we started teaching about the restoration and it was good. They understood everything we were teaching but they still would get off topic and we'd be randomly on a tangent about who knows what. That is a goal that we now have with Cristina and Eric, we need to get to the point quickly so they can't take off running with another topic. They invited us to come over on Friday to have dinner with them and teach them again for Sister Tippetts last time with them. Friday was great. We ate with them and then we were able to teach them the entire restoration lesson. As I shared the first vision with them I really felt the spirit strongly, especially as I looked at Eric. I know that he felt the spirit strongly. After I finished bearing my testimony about Joseph Smith, we asked how they felt as I shared Joseph Smith's experience. Cristina then talked about how it made her feel warm and remember how she felt when she had faith in God, but that it was like a movie. It makes you feel good but isn't real. Then when we asked Eric he went along the same lines as Cristina by talking about past feelings and how he had never had the type of feelings that we've talked about. That was a bit frustrating, because I know he felt the spirit as I shared the first vision, but he didn't really understand that we were asking how it made him feel at that moment I guess. He also said that while I was sharing it, that he was thinking about things that he had read about Joseph Smith on mormon.org or lds.org and how it was interesting that we don't share all of it. Cristina's mother was actually sitting in with us as we taught, and she was very receptive to the message. They all agreed to read in the Book of Mormon and pray about it. Afterward we felt kind of sad because we thought it had gone so well because we felt the spirit so much, until they started talking about how they felt, but then we remembered that they had both prayed before that appointment, even Cristina had who doesn't believe in God anymore. I have faith that the Lord will work with them and help them to have a desire to read in the Book of Mormon and find that it is true. If that doesn't happen while I am here in Moorpark I will be a little sad, but it will be ok because Heavenly Father knows what's best for them. I just need to trust in Him that they will be taken care of. I am really grateful for both Eric and Crisitna. I really love them so much and am happy that I am able to continue teaching them.
We got a new investigator this week named Delfy. She had been taught before by the elders, a while back, and we had gone over and talked to her husband last week who accepted a Book of Mormon. When we went back to see them the husband didn't come out, but Delfy sat down with us outside and we taught her part of the restoration. She said that before she had trouble with Joseph Smith, because she thought that we worshiped him. As we taught her the restoration she was able to better understand that he was a prophet and that he restored the church, he didn't start a new church. She said that it made sense and we invited her to pray about Joseph Smith to know if he was a prophet of God. Delfy is really struggling because she is having some difficulties with her son. She reads in the Bible everyday and is looking for help in her life. When she said the prayer after we taught her, she prayed that Heavenly Father would help her to know what she should learn from us coming to see her. That was really great to hear, because at first sister Tippetts and I were worried that she just wanted to meet with us so she had someone to talk to about her son, but after she prayed our fears left. I think it is so remarkable how Heavenly Father helps us to have a greater capacity to feel love for others. I really felt a great desire to help Delfy, and I know that the gospel is what is best for her at this time.
We taught Heena Patel for the first time this week, as well. She was the woman that we had knocked on her door and she wasn't home, but as we were leaving we went to talk to a lady at the mailboxes and it was Heena. She is an Indian woman who is very open and really wants to learn more. We taught her about the restoration and both sister Tippetts and I talked afterward about how strong the spirit was in her home as we taught her about it. She told us after we shared the first vision, that she felt peace as we told her of Joseph Smith's experience. She said that it felt the same as when she had opened the Book of Mormon, because when we first met her we had promised her that whenever she was feeling lonely or sad, that if she would open the Book of Mormon and read even one verse that she would feel peace. She said that when she heard the first vision that she felt that same way. She is so great! She is definitely a searcher, and I am so grateful for the blessing of having met her at those mailboxes. What a miracle!
Another miracle that happened this week occurred when we went to teach the Eaton family. The Eaton family is very interesting. They are the family where the mother is a convert, who actually just went through the temple last Monday, and two of her children were baptized (Bianca and Marcos) but one wasn't (Carlos). We went to meet with them, because we've been teaching Carlos and have been trying to reactivate Bianca and Marcos, but only Bianca was home. This was a miracle, because Sister Tippetts and I had been talking about how we wanted to meet with her alone but we didn't know how to go about doing that. We wanted to meet with her because when we taught her the restoration she expressed that she wasn't sure if there was a God. She felt like there was a higher power, but didn't know if that power is actually God. As we talked with her and she told us about her experiences and why she got baptized I felt so much love for her. She is a daughter of God. She has gone through really, really hard things. She got baptized for the wrong reasons, but even though at first I was taken aback by her story and was a little upset about why she got baptized, I still felt love for her and felt a burning desire for her to know how much Heavenly Father loves her. I don't know what difference it will make to Bianca at this time in her life to have talked with us that day, but I know that there was a reason that things worked out the way they did so that we could teach just Bianca. I am so grateful for that miracle that we were blessed with.
One thing that has really been ingrained into my mind from the start of my mission is the importance of the spirit in everything that we do as missionaries. I am working hard to be worthy of the Lord's trust, and I am continually striving to feel the spirit working through me - meaning that I am trusted by the Lord. I have learned so much already on my mission, and now I am learning how to focus on a few things at a time. I realized that one thing that I really need to focus on is others. I need to lose myself in the work. I am too concerned with my weaknesses and how it is hard sometimes to be a missionary, and I know that as I focus all of my attention on others that I will love this work more, and that days will fly by as I really focus on my purpose as a missionary. I also have learned some great things about declaring the gospel this past week and am excited to implement those things when Sister Wilkinson and I declare because that is a focus for me this transfer. I want to improve my declarations; I want to teach with power as we talk to everyone. I am so grateful to be here serving in the California Ventura mission.
On Monday we taught Sister Olie Hamm. She was baptized in March and we realized that she hadn't been receiving the new member lessons. We taught her about the restoration with an emphasis on the priesthood. It was a really good lesson and I was personally able to learn more about the priesthood that strengthened my testimony of its importance. It was also good for me to participate in teaching a new member lesson so now I know what should be done for teaching Wendy those lessons.
We taught Cristina and Eric on Monday as well. It is always interesting with them because they come with a lot of questions, which is good, but it isn't usually about the things that we've taught them. They have asked us about polygamy and about gay marriage, and they do ask questions as we teach them lessons but it is hard to keep them on track as we teach. We planned on teaching them the restoration on Monday, but first we had Eric give an overview of the plan of salvation to Cristina because she had missed it when we taught Eric. After he did that, we started teaching about the restoration and it was good. They understood everything we were teaching but they still would get off topic and we'd be randomly on a tangent about who knows what. That is a goal that we now have with Cristina and Eric, we need to get to the point quickly so they can't take off running with another topic. They invited us to come over on Friday to have dinner with them and teach them again for Sister Tippetts last time with them. Friday was great. We ate with them and then we were able to teach them the entire restoration lesson. As I shared the first vision with them I really felt the spirit strongly, especially as I looked at Eric. I know that he felt the spirit strongly. After I finished bearing my testimony about Joseph Smith, we asked how they felt as I shared Joseph Smith's experience. Cristina then talked about how it made her feel warm and remember how she felt when she had faith in God, but that it was like a movie. It makes you feel good but isn't real. Then when we asked Eric he went along the same lines as Cristina by talking about past feelings and how he had never had the type of feelings that we've talked about. That was a bit frustrating, because I know he felt the spirit as I shared the first vision, but he didn't really understand that we were asking how it made him feel at that moment I guess. He also said that while I was sharing it, that he was thinking about things that he had read about Joseph Smith on mormon.org or lds.org and how it was interesting that we don't share all of it. Cristina's mother was actually sitting in with us as we taught, and she was very receptive to the message. They all agreed to read in the Book of Mormon and pray about it. Afterward we felt kind of sad because we thought it had gone so well because we felt the spirit so much, until they started talking about how they felt, but then we remembered that they had both prayed before that appointment, even Cristina had who doesn't believe in God anymore. I have faith that the Lord will work with them and help them to have a desire to read in the Book of Mormon and find that it is true. If that doesn't happen while I am here in Moorpark I will be a little sad, but it will be ok because Heavenly Father knows what's best for them. I just need to trust in Him that they will be taken care of. I am really grateful for both Eric and Crisitna. I really love them so much and am happy that I am able to continue teaching them.
We got a new investigator this week named Delfy. She had been taught before by the elders, a while back, and we had gone over and talked to her husband last week who accepted a Book of Mormon. When we went back to see them the husband didn't come out, but Delfy sat down with us outside and we taught her part of the restoration. She said that before she had trouble with Joseph Smith, because she thought that we worshiped him. As we taught her the restoration she was able to better understand that he was a prophet and that he restored the church, he didn't start a new church. She said that it made sense and we invited her to pray about Joseph Smith to know if he was a prophet of God. Delfy is really struggling because she is having some difficulties with her son. She reads in the Bible everyday and is looking for help in her life. When she said the prayer after we taught her, she prayed that Heavenly Father would help her to know what she should learn from us coming to see her. That was really great to hear, because at first sister Tippetts and I were worried that she just wanted to meet with us so she had someone to talk to about her son, but after she prayed our fears left. I think it is so remarkable how Heavenly Father helps us to have a greater capacity to feel love for others. I really felt a great desire to help Delfy, and I know that the gospel is what is best for her at this time.
We taught Heena Patel for the first time this week, as well. She was the woman that we had knocked on her door and she wasn't home, but as we were leaving we went to talk to a lady at the mailboxes and it was Heena. She is an Indian woman who is very open and really wants to learn more. We taught her about the restoration and both sister Tippetts and I talked afterward about how strong the spirit was in her home as we taught her about it. She told us after we shared the first vision, that she felt peace as we told her of Joseph Smith's experience. She said that it felt the same as when she had opened the Book of Mormon, because when we first met her we had promised her that whenever she was feeling lonely or sad, that if she would open the Book of Mormon and read even one verse that she would feel peace. She said that when she heard the first vision that she felt that same way. She is so great! She is definitely a searcher, and I am so grateful for the blessing of having met her at those mailboxes. What a miracle!
Another miracle that happened this week occurred when we went to teach the Eaton family. The Eaton family is very interesting. They are the family where the mother is a convert, who actually just went through the temple last Monday, and two of her children were baptized (Bianca and Marcos) but one wasn't (Carlos). We went to meet with them, because we've been teaching Carlos and have been trying to reactivate Bianca and Marcos, but only Bianca was home. This was a miracle, because Sister Tippetts and I had been talking about how we wanted to meet with her alone but we didn't know how to go about doing that. We wanted to meet with her because when we taught her the restoration she expressed that she wasn't sure if there was a God. She felt like there was a higher power, but didn't know if that power is actually God. As we talked with her and she told us about her experiences and why she got baptized I felt so much love for her. She is a daughter of God. She has gone through really, really hard things. She got baptized for the wrong reasons, but even though at first I was taken aback by her story and was a little upset about why she got baptized, I still felt love for her and felt a burning desire for her to know how much Heavenly Father loves her. I don't know what difference it will make to Bianca at this time in her life to have talked with us that day, but I know that there was a reason that things worked out the way they did so that we could teach just Bianca. I am so grateful for that miracle that we were blessed with.
One thing that has really been ingrained into my mind from the start of my mission is the importance of the spirit in everything that we do as missionaries. I am working hard to be worthy of the Lord's trust, and I am continually striving to feel the spirit working through me - meaning that I am trusted by the Lord. I have learned so much already on my mission, and now I am learning how to focus on a few things at a time. I realized that one thing that I really need to focus on is others. I need to lose myself in the work. I am too concerned with my weaknesses and how it is hard sometimes to be a missionary, and I know that as I focus all of my attention on others that I will love this work more, and that days will fly by as I really focus on my purpose as a missionary. I also have learned some great things about declaring the gospel this past week and am excited to implement those things when Sister Wilkinson and I declare because that is a focus for me this transfer. I want to improve my declarations; I want to teach with power as we talk to everyone. I am so grateful to be here serving in the California Ventura mission.
Well, the miracles keep coming! Keep me in your prayers,
because I definitely need it.
OH! My funny story of the week! We had the best rejection
yet. We walked up to the door of a house and the door was open with the screen
door closed. We walked up to the screen door and there was a man sitting at the
back of the room at the computer not wearing a shirt. We introduced ourselves
and said we are representatives of Jesus Christ. He then said "I don't
believe in Jesus, so if I talk to you at all I will just be flirting with you.
Now that would just be inappropriate, because I am only wearing my underwear.
I'm just being honest." We then realized that he was serious. He was only
wearing his underwear. We then gladly left his home and took a few minutes to
laugh it out before we knocked on the next door. It was SOOOOO FUNNY!
Hahahahah. I love it.
Have a great week! I love each of you so much!
Love,
Sister Bennett
Sister Bennett
I'll attach a picture from Wendy's baptism. Wendy is the
woman getting baptized and Craig is her fiancé that she met on Battle Star
Galactica!
Haley and Sister Tippetts at the baptism of Wendy.
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