Funny story: We teach a lady named Jane who is currently in a hospital type, assisted living place because she has elephantiasis in her legs and at the moment she’s paralyzed from the legs down from a fall that she had. Anyway, she shares a room with some lady that's like 90 something, and when we were teaching Jane that other lady kept yelling "Nurse! Nurse!...NURSE!" I wish I could record for you how it sounded. Then she would say "Nurse!!! I need a new straw!" We would continue our lesson, then "NURSE!!! I WANT THE WINDOW OPEN!" Hahahaha. It was soooooo funny!!! Sister Lillywhite and I say that all the time. One of these nights I'm going to do it while she's sleeping...."NUUURSE!"
One week down in Ventura, and everything is going well. I feel blessed to have come at this time to Ventura because people are just coming out of the woodwork to be taught. It sounds like there really hasn't been much going on in this area for quite some time, but I know that the work is going to be flourishing soon. We're working hard and are obedient, and the sisters have been doing that for the entire time Sister Lillywhite has been here, so we will be reaping the rewards of all of the labors that have been performed in this area. Sister Lillywhite is so great. I'm excited to be her companion for a while and to learn from her. She's had a lot of experience, obviously, since she's ending her mission at the end of next transfer, so I'm grateful that I've been given the opportunity to be her companion and learn from her before she goes home. I really enjoy being her companion because she's really fun. She's not too serious about the work, but she's just the right amount of serious. She understands how important this work is and does her best while still being herself. I really like that. I think sometimes she makes light of things just to protect herself or to help herself move on from hard things, but it's really great to be with her. She's such an amazing missionary and I know that I need to take in as much as I can from her, especially about being traveling sister. I want to understand how I can help the other sisters in the mission become better and be prepared for all of the new missionaries that will be coming and I know that Sister Lillywhite understands how to do that.
President Castro told us that we're doing a Sisters' Conference this transfer. It will be on the 29th of January. Of course he waited until I became a traveling sister to decide to have one. Well, in all reality, I'm excited. I'm excited that I will be a part of planning it and presenting training to the sisters. I'm mostly grateful for the opportunity because I know that I'm going to grow a lot from it. I just hope that the other sisters can gain at least something from being around me, but if not, it's ok because I know the Lord is shaping me by giving me this calling of being a traveling sister. Our first exchange is this Friday. I thought I would be nervous about it, which I probably will, but it hasn't hit me yet. I'm just really excited. I'm excited to see the other areas of the mission and get to know the other sisters. What I'm excited for the most is helping the other sisters recognize the ways in which they can change to become more powerful representatives of Jesus Christ. I know that if I seek the Spirit, I will be guided as I'm on exchanges with these other sisters and will know how to help them. I just want all of the sisters to feel the burning and excitement that I feel about the changes happening in this mission. We are pushing forward and the vision of having baptisms every month, in each companionship, is possible. I know that. I know that as traveling sisters, we can help the other sisters gain that same vision and inspire them to look high and shoot higher. It's so exciting!
Well, we had a great week as far as the work goes in the Ventura 2nd ward. We had lessons with Ruby, Jane (twice), Kristyn, Jennie, Brother Dumond (less-active), Cheryl, Bob (twice), Sister Ellis (less-active), Jessica, Jose, Sister Rous (less-active), Lisa, the Evangelistas, Krishauna, Jasmine, and the Rabagos (less-active).
It's interesting being in a new area, especially when I'm a little bit familiar with it from when I came while Sister Tippetts was on exchanges. I guess that's a blessing that I'm already familiar with an area...but not that familiar. I felt a little out of place this week as we met with and talked to different people because I don't know any of them and they know Sister Lillywhite so well. I guess that helps me understand what my companions experienced when they came to Moorpark since I knew the area and the people really well. There have definitely been times when I missed Moorpark a lot, but I've been ok. I just remind myself of how I felt when I first got to Moorpark compared to when I left Moorpark. That same thing will happen with my new assignment. I don't expect it to be like Moorpark, but I do expect that I will love the experiences that I have here just as much. The Lord knows what we need and I trust in Him to help me learn what I am supposed to learn from being here. I just need to have patience. That's what it always seems to go back to with me, doesn't it? Patience. I don't know that I'll ever master it, but it does help that I can at least recognize that I need to use some patience and show my faith.
No matter where I am or who I am with, I know that I can be happy if I'm obedient and working hard. I also know that the Lord has blessed me with the ability to feel love for others and I have felt that already here in Ventura. We got to teach Bob this week. Bob lives down by the beach. He's an older man, probably in his 60s, and lives with two roommates. I have been so impressed with him and his desire to understand and learn more about the gospel. Whenever we go over to teach him, he brings out his notebook on which he has written down questions that he has from his studying. He's been reading in the Book of Mormon, he's in 2 Nephi, and he's also been reading in the Gospel Principles book. He understands what he is reading pretty well, because when we taught him about the plan of salvation we said something about how no unclean thing can enter into God's kingdom and when we said that he responded by saying that he had read that in 2 Nephi. That was so great! He accepted a baptismal date and he's mentioned that he knows that's his deadline, that he needs to be obeying the Word of Wisdom and that he needs to be prepared by then. He does have some struggles with the Word of Wisdom, but he's working hard on it. On Wednesday, when we met with him at the church, he immediately told us that he had been cutting down on cigarettes this past week and he had gone that whole day without smoking! That was a miracle! We'll have to check and see where he is at now, but I know that the Lord will help him overcome that. I'm excited to keep teaching him and seeing him grow and progress!
Last night we stopped by a less-active family's home - the Rabagos. They also live down by the beach. Brother Rabago is a lot younger than Sister Rabago. Brother Rabago kind of looks like a surfer guy, but he actually drives truck - maybe he does some surfing on the side. Brother and Sister Rabago each had 6 kids, separately. Brother Rabago's youngest son is still with them, he's a senior in high school and he stayed around for the lesson that we shared. When we got there they dropped everything, they were in the middle of dinner, and had us come in to share a message with them. I hadn't met them before, of course, but as we taught them about prophets, because we told them that Elder Anderson is coming in two weeks for stake conference, I felt the Spirit a lot. Both Brother and Sister Rabago expressed deep gratitude for the missionaries and talked about how when we come we emanate the Spirit and by the time we leave, they feel recharged and rejuvenated. I felt a lot of love for them and felt a desire, especially, for them to come to church so that they can feel the Spirit there. They told us that they really want to come this next week and that they are planning on coming to stake conference, so I hope they will. I know that if they do they will feel the Spirit a lot and be glad that they sacrificed that small amount of time to put God first in their lives.
I'm adjusting to things here, no worries. I really love being Sister Lillywhite's companion, even though sometimes, in certain situations, I do wish she would be a tad more serious. It's been good though. I was in need of a really good laugh, and I laugh a lot with her.
I hope you all have a good week and I hope I hear from some of you soon....Cortney! And everyone else!
I love you!
Sister Bennett
Keep me in your prayers....I so need it, especially now.
Another funny story. Do you know where the Book of Abraham came from in the
Pearl of Great Price? Read the description of the Book of Abraham. I think it's
so funny. "Ancient Records, that have fallen into our hands" - like
Joseph Smith was just walking along and all of a sudden "Oh wow, look some
ancient records have fallen into my hands!" Hahahaha. Hilarious!
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