Hey Family!
How was everyone's week? I hope you are all doing so great!
I am so glad to have such a wonderful family. I feel your support a lot and
when I am going through a hard time, I remember that there a lot of prayers
that are said on my behalf and that gives me a lot of comfort and strength.
This week we ate dinner with the Zierenber family. They have
11 kids and all of them have been married/gone through the temple. That's two
more than our family has, so I know we can do it! I really loved hearing about
them and about how all of their family is doing really well and are so strong
in the church. That's how I see our family in a few years. I can't wait for that
day when we are all sitting together in the celestial room at the temple! That
will be Mom's best day!
This week I've been reading in Alma. I love Alma. He is just
such a great missionary! I love Alma chapter 5...well let's be honest I love
all of those chapters about his missionary work. Alma is just so aware of the Spirit.
He is also declaring that the Spirit of the Lord caused him to say the things
that he's saying and he knows, through the Spirit, that the people understand
what he is teaching.
Well, I don't have much time. Here's the update!
We taught Stephanie and Gavin Matweyew this week along with
Mathew, Nancy, Kelsey, Anthony, Tyler, Heena, Annette, the Caudels (less active
family), and Tonya, Caitlyn, and Kayli.
Our lesson with the Matweyew family was interesting. We taught them about the gospel of Jesus Christ. Gavin was really paying attention and he learned a lot, but Sister Matweyew was so tired from work and moving into their new house that she was basically falling asleep the whole time. It was hard to teach when she was falling asleep. It made me feel like we weren't doing a very good job of keeping it simple and short. Gavin really enjoyed the lesson, however. He asked a lot of questions and I think it was really good for him because he said that he was really excited to be baptized. Zach, the oldest son, actually sat with us for the lesson, too. That was really awesome! He even participated in the lesson. As we asked Gavin questions, Zach was trying to help him or Zach would just answer the questions himself. Courtney wasn't home when we taught them, so I hope that she'll be home for our lesson with them tonight. Even though Sister Matweyew seemed to not be paying close enough attention, she told us that she really enjoyed the lesson and she said that she was grateful for it because she felt like she really needed it. The problem is, that the Matweyews haven't come to church the last two weeks. They didn't come yesterday, and they said that they would be coming for sure. It's hard for us to help them prepare to be baptized if they aren't making it to church each week. Sister Matweyew also hasn't really been reading in the Book of Mormon, but she said that she really wants to. She said that a lot of times at night she would think about it, but then get distracted by something else that needed to be done in their new house to get them settled in. Tonight, we're planning on teaching them the restoration again so that they can understand why it's so important for them to gain a knowledge of their own that this is Christ's church. I pray that they'll be able to feel the Spirit a lot, because I know that as they keep their commitments and get baptized that they will have so much more peace in their lives, and they really need that right now.
Nancy didn't show up to her appointment on Tuesday morning, so on Saturday we stopped by her house and she was home cleaning, as usual. She wasn't doing too well. She told us about a situation she is going through with some man that has been stalking her and keeps calling her and harassing her. The whole situation has made her depressed and she didn't look good. We talked to her about prayer and about how she can get comfort from her Heavenly Father in those situations when she is really down. She told us that she had been praying, but hadn't been reading in the Book of Mormon. I told her about how there were a lot of times at BYU when I was feeling down or alone and when I opened up the Book of Mormon and just read a few verses or a chapter that I felt weight lifted off my shoulders and I really felt comforted. We read with Nancy from the Book of Mormon and invited her to read whenever she was starting to feel sad or down. That night, Nancy came to the Relief Society broadcast with Sister Tolliver and we rode with them. The broadcast was so good! Nancy was so happy by the end of the dinner and the broadcast. The sisters that we were sitting with us were really great with her and made her feel very welcome. The talks that were given in the broadcast were perfect for Nancy and for me. They really focused on how the Savior knows us and how we are not alone. I love how much each of the speakers talked about the atonement. I felt the Spirit a ton during the conference, and it was a much needed boost for me. Nancy came to church yesterday, as well. She finally went to the first ward and Sister Tolliver (who is actually in the 2nd ward) was nice enough to go with Nancy to the ward that she is supposed to be in. Everyone was very welcoming and I think Nancy really enjoyed it. During the 3rd hour in the 1st ward, Sister Wilkinson and I actually helped Brother Pierson (the ward mission leader) teach. Since it was the 5th Sunday, they had a special meeting on missionary work. Sister Wilkinson and I taught about the importance of members in missionary work. I felt theSspirit a lot as we taught and I think the members received it well.
We had another really wonderful lesson with Tyler this week! He is so great and so elect. He told us all about going to the Young Single Adult ward in Westlake. He loved it there and he said that he couldn't wait to go back next Sunday. Sadly, he got called into work yesterday so he couldn't go, but he was really mad about it and said that he was going to make sure his bosses never did that again. He's awesome. We taught him about following the prophet. He told us that it really makes sense to him to have a prophet on the earth and he said that he would go online and read a talk by President Monson to prepare to watch General Conference this weekend. He told us that he doesn't have any support from his friends and his family about being baptized. He talked about how they didn't know what they were talking about because they had never learned about the church for themselves. Tyler just has such strong faith and he's a really great guy. He said that he isn't just going to take someone’s opinion on things, and that he knows how he's felt as he's met with us, gone to church, and read the Book of Mormon. He was just so happy as we taught him, and he said that he felt like he was on some high ever since he went to church that past Sunday. We reset him with a baptismal date of October 27 and we're most likely going to pass him off to the YSA elders this week.
Anthony, who we got as a referral from the Spanish elders when they went to contact a referral we gave them, is another great investigator. He is the 16 year old who we met last Sunday, who is a cousin to Cody - the kid who shared the gospel with Tonya and Caitlyn. We met with Anthony two times this past week because he really wanted to. On Wednesday we taught him the Plan of Salvation. Each time we've met with him, he is really quiet at the beginning of the lesson, but by the end he is really energetic, happy, and asks a lot of questions. It's neat to see how he reacts to feeling the Spirit. He has prayed at the end of each lesson as well, and he always talks in his prayers, about how he's grateful for how he feels as we teach him and the happiness we bring. That is so cool! The Spirit has really been working on him and he is so open to it. He read between each visit we've had with him. He told us, when we met with him on Saturday, that he read for a while right after we taught him on Wednesday. The best part of the week in regards to Anthony was yesterday morning. Anthony was planning on going to Cody's house and staying overnight on Saturday so he could go to church Sunday morning with Cody. Tonya had sent us a text that night asking about Anthony (because she knows him through Cody) and if he was going to church because Tonya wanted to give him a ride. We then figured out that Anthony hadn't gone to Cody's house like he had planned to, so on Sunday morning we went over to Anthony's apartment, with Tonya so she could give him a ride, to wake him up for church. When we got there, his mom opened the door and said that she had just dropped him off at Cody's house. Anthony had gotten up and ready on his own and had his mom take him to Cody's house! That was so great! Anthony said he really liked church and he spent the entire day with Cody, Caitlyn, and Kayli. He actually came to our new member lesson with Tonya, Caitlyn and Kayli because he was still with them at that point. That was interesting, but he said that he really liked it. I'm really excited about teaching Anthony, but we still need to get him to have his mom sign his permission form. Cody said that might be a problem, but I've been praying a lot for her heart to be softened so Anthony can learn.
We were supposed to teach Heena on Wednesday, but she got caught up at work and forgot that we were coming. We were planning to teach her next week, but on Saturday as we were following what we planned for the day I really felt like we should go visit Heena. We went to her house and knocked a few times and no one was answering. I was really confused, but then as we were about to leave, Heena opened up the door. She fed us Indian food for lunch that she made and we were able to read in the Book of Mormon with her. She kept talking about how we always have such perfect timing because she was about to go take a shower and she wouldn't have been able to hear us if we hadn't come then. It was really good because we were able to talk to Heena about church and about what was holding her back from coming. We realized that she just doesn't want to go and feel like everyone is trying to make her be a Mormon. We talked to her about doing a church tour this next week, and she said that sounded really good. I'm not exactly sure why we needed to see Heena right then, but I'm glad that I listened to the prompting from the Spirit so we could see her that day.
Yesterday we went to 2nd ward for sacrament meeting, and it was fast and testimony meeting. The Bishop was conducting so he bore his testimony, and after he finished he invited the new converts to come up and share their testimonies in the meeting as well as the youth. Tonya got super nervous! A few other people got up and bore their testimonies first, but then Kayli was the first of our recent converts to get up and share her testimony. I felt the Spirit so strongly as she shared her testimony. I just felt so much love for her and I felt so grateful that she has been baptized after waiting so long to receive the blessings that come from being a member of the church. She has such great conviction and while she was standing up there sharing her testimony she looked like a missionary. We always tell her she should go on a mission, and I think that she will. She will be such a great servant of the Lord as a missionary, and I know that she would just touch the hearts of so many people. I was getting kind of emotional as she bore her testimony and I just felt really proud. She has already grown so much more since she's been baptized. It really seems like everything is coming together for her in her life. She is more confident now and she's so much happier. She reads in her scriptures all the time and is so willing to share her testimony with others. Her testimony is simple and so powerful. I am just so glad that the Lord allowed me to serve in Moorpark at this time so I could teach Kayli and see how the gospel really blesses people. Tonya shared her testimony as well and I was sure that Caitlyn wouldn't get up because that's not something that she would really ever do. Surprisingly, she did get up and share her testimony. I almost lost it then. Her testimony was so pure. The best part about her bearing her testimony was how happy she looked up there as she shared it. Tonya has told us about how Caitlyn is just steadily changing and jumping into the gospel. Tonya told us how Caitlyn has changed the goals she has for her life and how she is recognizing what's really important to her and what she really deserves as a daughter of God. I love those three. I think I say that every week, but I really am so grateful that I have been able to teach them.
Our lesson with the Matweyew family was interesting. We taught them about the gospel of Jesus Christ. Gavin was really paying attention and he learned a lot, but Sister Matweyew was so tired from work and moving into their new house that she was basically falling asleep the whole time. It was hard to teach when she was falling asleep. It made me feel like we weren't doing a very good job of keeping it simple and short. Gavin really enjoyed the lesson, however. He asked a lot of questions and I think it was really good for him because he said that he was really excited to be baptized. Zach, the oldest son, actually sat with us for the lesson, too. That was really awesome! He even participated in the lesson. As we asked Gavin questions, Zach was trying to help him or Zach would just answer the questions himself. Courtney wasn't home when we taught them, so I hope that she'll be home for our lesson with them tonight. Even though Sister Matweyew seemed to not be paying close enough attention, she told us that she really enjoyed the lesson and she said that she was grateful for it because she felt like she really needed it. The problem is, that the Matweyews haven't come to church the last two weeks. They didn't come yesterday, and they said that they would be coming for sure. It's hard for us to help them prepare to be baptized if they aren't making it to church each week. Sister Matweyew also hasn't really been reading in the Book of Mormon, but she said that she really wants to. She said that a lot of times at night she would think about it, but then get distracted by something else that needed to be done in their new house to get them settled in. Tonight, we're planning on teaching them the restoration again so that they can understand why it's so important for them to gain a knowledge of their own that this is Christ's church. I pray that they'll be able to feel the Spirit a lot, because I know that as they keep their commitments and get baptized that they will have so much more peace in their lives, and they really need that right now.
Nancy didn't show up to her appointment on Tuesday morning, so on Saturday we stopped by her house and she was home cleaning, as usual. She wasn't doing too well. She told us about a situation she is going through with some man that has been stalking her and keeps calling her and harassing her. The whole situation has made her depressed and she didn't look good. We talked to her about prayer and about how she can get comfort from her Heavenly Father in those situations when she is really down. She told us that she had been praying, but hadn't been reading in the Book of Mormon. I told her about how there were a lot of times at BYU when I was feeling down or alone and when I opened up the Book of Mormon and just read a few verses or a chapter that I felt weight lifted off my shoulders and I really felt comforted. We read with Nancy from the Book of Mormon and invited her to read whenever she was starting to feel sad or down. That night, Nancy came to the Relief Society broadcast with Sister Tolliver and we rode with them. The broadcast was so good! Nancy was so happy by the end of the dinner and the broadcast. The sisters that we were sitting with us were really great with her and made her feel very welcome. The talks that were given in the broadcast were perfect for Nancy and for me. They really focused on how the Savior knows us and how we are not alone. I love how much each of the speakers talked about the atonement. I felt the Spirit a ton during the conference, and it was a much needed boost for me. Nancy came to church yesterday, as well. She finally went to the first ward and Sister Tolliver (who is actually in the 2nd ward) was nice enough to go with Nancy to the ward that she is supposed to be in. Everyone was very welcoming and I think Nancy really enjoyed it. During the 3rd hour in the 1st ward, Sister Wilkinson and I actually helped Brother Pierson (the ward mission leader) teach. Since it was the 5th Sunday, they had a special meeting on missionary work. Sister Wilkinson and I taught about the importance of members in missionary work. I felt theSspirit a lot as we taught and I think the members received it well.
We had another really wonderful lesson with Tyler this week! He is so great and so elect. He told us all about going to the Young Single Adult ward in Westlake. He loved it there and he said that he couldn't wait to go back next Sunday. Sadly, he got called into work yesterday so he couldn't go, but he was really mad about it and said that he was going to make sure his bosses never did that again. He's awesome. We taught him about following the prophet. He told us that it really makes sense to him to have a prophet on the earth and he said that he would go online and read a talk by President Monson to prepare to watch General Conference this weekend. He told us that he doesn't have any support from his friends and his family about being baptized. He talked about how they didn't know what they were talking about because they had never learned about the church for themselves. Tyler just has such strong faith and he's a really great guy. He said that he isn't just going to take someone’s opinion on things, and that he knows how he's felt as he's met with us, gone to church, and read the Book of Mormon. He was just so happy as we taught him, and he said that he felt like he was on some high ever since he went to church that past Sunday. We reset him with a baptismal date of October 27 and we're most likely going to pass him off to the YSA elders this week.
Anthony, who we got as a referral from the Spanish elders when they went to contact a referral we gave them, is another great investigator. He is the 16 year old who we met last Sunday, who is a cousin to Cody - the kid who shared the gospel with Tonya and Caitlyn. We met with Anthony two times this past week because he really wanted to. On Wednesday we taught him the Plan of Salvation. Each time we've met with him, he is really quiet at the beginning of the lesson, but by the end he is really energetic, happy, and asks a lot of questions. It's neat to see how he reacts to feeling the Spirit. He has prayed at the end of each lesson as well, and he always talks in his prayers, about how he's grateful for how he feels as we teach him and the happiness we bring. That is so cool! The Spirit has really been working on him and he is so open to it. He read between each visit we've had with him. He told us, when we met with him on Saturday, that he read for a while right after we taught him on Wednesday. The best part of the week in regards to Anthony was yesterday morning. Anthony was planning on going to Cody's house and staying overnight on Saturday so he could go to church Sunday morning with Cody. Tonya had sent us a text that night asking about Anthony (because she knows him through Cody) and if he was going to church because Tonya wanted to give him a ride. We then figured out that Anthony hadn't gone to Cody's house like he had planned to, so on Sunday morning we went over to Anthony's apartment, with Tonya so she could give him a ride, to wake him up for church. When we got there, his mom opened the door and said that she had just dropped him off at Cody's house. Anthony had gotten up and ready on his own and had his mom take him to Cody's house! That was so great! Anthony said he really liked church and he spent the entire day with Cody, Caitlyn, and Kayli. He actually came to our new member lesson with Tonya, Caitlyn and Kayli because he was still with them at that point. That was interesting, but he said that he really liked it. I'm really excited about teaching Anthony, but we still need to get him to have his mom sign his permission form. Cody said that might be a problem, but I've been praying a lot for her heart to be softened so Anthony can learn.
We were supposed to teach Heena on Wednesday, but she got caught up at work and forgot that we were coming. We were planning to teach her next week, but on Saturday as we were following what we planned for the day I really felt like we should go visit Heena. We went to her house and knocked a few times and no one was answering. I was really confused, but then as we were about to leave, Heena opened up the door. She fed us Indian food for lunch that she made and we were able to read in the Book of Mormon with her. She kept talking about how we always have such perfect timing because she was about to go take a shower and she wouldn't have been able to hear us if we hadn't come then. It was really good because we were able to talk to Heena about church and about what was holding her back from coming. We realized that she just doesn't want to go and feel like everyone is trying to make her be a Mormon. We talked to her about doing a church tour this next week, and she said that sounded really good. I'm not exactly sure why we needed to see Heena right then, but I'm glad that I listened to the prompting from the Spirit so we could see her that day.
Yesterday we went to 2nd ward for sacrament meeting, and it was fast and testimony meeting. The Bishop was conducting so he bore his testimony, and after he finished he invited the new converts to come up and share their testimonies in the meeting as well as the youth. Tonya got super nervous! A few other people got up and bore their testimonies first, but then Kayli was the first of our recent converts to get up and share her testimony. I felt the Spirit so strongly as she shared her testimony. I just felt so much love for her and I felt so grateful that she has been baptized after waiting so long to receive the blessings that come from being a member of the church. She has such great conviction and while she was standing up there sharing her testimony she looked like a missionary. We always tell her she should go on a mission, and I think that she will. She will be such a great servant of the Lord as a missionary, and I know that she would just touch the hearts of so many people. I was getting kind of emotional as she bore her testimony and I just felt really proud. She has already grown so much more since she's been baptized. It really seems like everything is coming together for her in her life. She is more confident now and she's so much happier. She reads in her scriptures all the time and is so willing to share her testimony with others. Her testimony is simple and so powerful. I am just so glad that the Lord allowed me to serve in Moorpark at this time so I could teach Kayli and see how the gospel really blesses people. Tonya shared her testimony as well and I was sure that Caitlyn wouldn't get up because that's not something that she would really ever do. Surprisingly, she did get up and share her testimony. I almost lost it then. Her testimony was so pure. The best part about her bearing her testimony was how happy she looked up there as she shared it. Tonya has told us about how Caitlyn is just steadily changing and jumping into the gospel. Tonya told us how Caitlyn has changed the goals she has for her life and how she is recognizing what's really important to her and what she really deserves as a daughter of God. I love those three. I think I say that every week, but I really am so grateful that I have been able to teach them.
I love you all!
Sister Bennett
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