June 24, 2013
Dear Family,
Wasn't the broadcast yesterday
wonderful!?!?!? I hope that you all learned a lot from it, because I did. I
really loved how it was directed at the members of the church, because they
have as great - or really a greater responsibility to do missionary work as the
full-time missionaries do. I love how it was mentioned that the missionaries
are there to assist the members with their missionary work...it's not the other
way around. I know that members want to do missionary work, and I feel like the
broadcast should have inspired all members to seek the counsel and guidance of
the Lord on what their role is in missionary work. It's also exciting that the
full-time missionaries are going to be doing work on the computer more. It
sounded a little weird to me because I'm better face to face with
people....because I have red hair...but maybe I can put a picture up so people
see that I have red hair. I think that's what really brings me success here.
Right black heads? hahaha. JK! I think my favorite thing about the entire
broadcast was how often love was mentioned. This work is a work of love. The
whole reason we do this work is because we have a loving Heavenly Father who
wants to have all of His children receive a fulness of joy. If we strive to
love those around us, we will become successful missionaries. I know that is so
true. I hope all of you are thinking about people that you really love who
don't currently have the gospel or have strayed from the church. Reach out to
them in love and I know that the Lord will bless and help you. Who were you all
thinking of as the broadcast was shown? I know that everyone had someone come
to their mind.
Enough preaching. Sorry. It's kind of
what i do.
I have a wonderful companion. Sister
Hegstrom is so spiritually mature. It has become more and more obvious to me
that she really is supposed to be my companion right now, because she can
handle being left with another new missionary and working. She understands the
gospel so well, meaning that all of her focus is on the Savior and helping
people learn of Him. I really have felt a strong confirmation that she is here
to push me and help me to grow. We worked really hard this last week in our
new, fresh area. There's a lot of work to be done, but I'm at ease having
Sister Hegstrom here with me to do the work. I'm just so impressed by her
humility and patience. It's hard, I know through my experiences with Sister Tippetts,
to have a companion who needs to leave and go to meetings which takes up
proselyting time. It's hard at times to feel like you're being left behind, but
Sister Hegstrom is so patient with everything. Sister Burwell and I needed to
meet this week with the other Sister Training Leaders a lot, but Sister
Hegstrom was ok with it and was up for anything. She went right out and worked
with Sister Anderson (the missionary that Sister Burwell is training), without
hesitation, on her third day as a missionary. Then, she came back and was so
excited to tell me about everything that she accomplished. She's also so humble
and teachable. I know that she really looks up to me a lot for everything. She
really trusts me. I hope I can continue to qualify for that trust. I'm just
worried that she feels like she needs to become me. A lot of people say stuff
about me to her and because I have the assignment of being a sister training
leader I'm sure that creeps into her head as well...it did for me with Sister
Tippetts. I'm just trying to help her see that the way I do missionary work
doesn't have to be the way she does it. She should learn from me, yes, but then
adapt it to herself and teach in a way that suits her. She says that she
understands and isn't trying to just become me, but I still worry. Tonight,
Sister Burwell and I are going on our first exchanges. I think Sister Hegstrom
is a little nervous about me leaving, but she'll be fine. I know the Lord will
make up for everything as they go out and work hard together.
In our area this week, we had a lot
of really wonderful miracles. We didn't have very many opportunities to sit
down and teach people lessons, but it was still a great week. The lessons we
had were really good and they were answers to my prayers. I had been praying
that we could have a few real lessons so that Sister Hegstrom could feel the
joy of teaching people about the gospel. She was so happy after the few lessons
we did have and was so positive
the entire time that we were out tracting. She just kept saying "I'm just
trying to 'watch and learn'."
On Sister Hegstrom's and my first day
together in fourth ward, we spent almost the entire day unpacking, getting
groceries, and looking through the area book. We had a dinner appointment that
night, so we went to that and planned to come back to the apartment afterward
to sort through things a little more. Well, when we left dinner I just wanted
to go teach someone about the gospel. I was going crazy! I can't stand going an
entire day without declaring to someone, and I felt like Sister Hegstrom needed
that opportunity right then. Well, I turned to her while we were driving in the
car and said "should we go find someone to teach and baptize?" I was
surprised when she excitedly said "yes!" I had her tell me where to
turn and pick a street to start tracting, so she directed me to a street with a
lot of condo complexes on it. We got out and went to knocking. At first no one
was answering their doors. After a few more doors, a lady opened the door who
was from India. Her name was Gagan and she said that she was Hindu but believes
in Jesus Christ because she had gone to a Catholic school. She hadn't been to
church in a long time, and was actually thinking that she wanted to start
going. We talked to her about the Book of Mormon and the restored church of
Jesus Christ on the earth today. She accepted the invitation to learn more and
we left. That was about fifteen minutes of tracting, but the Lord blessed us to
find someone new to teach. I know that was a gift so Sister Hegstrom could feel
excited about the work. Right after we met Gagan we went back to the apartment.
That was a little tender mercy.
One huge miracle about being in 4th
ward has to do with a man named Sage Ford. I taught Sage Ford with Sister
Lillywhite when we served together in the 2nd ward. Sage and his wife had to
move to the 4th ward and Sage had a hard time being taught by elders for some
reason, so he discontinued having the lessons. When we started looking through
the area book, I hadn't remembered that Sage was here so when I saw his name I
was so excited and so happy! We tried by his home multiple times during the
week but to no avail. Finally, on Friday morning we stopped by and their family
was home. They were busy at that time, but they asked us to come back in the
evening. Sage was super excited to see me and I was so glad that he was still
there! When we went back that evening we talked about where Sage is at
currently. He still believes that the church is true, but he felt too pushed by
previous missionaries. He said that he really liked being taught by me and felt
a connection there, so he felt that God had sent me to come teach him again. I
don't know about that, but I'm glad that he feels that way. The message is true
no matter who is carrying it, so I wish Sage wouldn't have let little things
get in the way of his getting baptized, but it's ok. We taught him the
restoration and invited him to be baptized. He accepted the date of July 27th
and is going to work really hard to not let Satan stop him from getting
baptized, again. He even came to church with us yesterday, with his wife and
baby, and texted us afterward saying how grateful he was that he came. I'm
excited to help Sage. He really needs the atonement in his life because he's
been through a lot. That was such a great miracle!
Well, Sister Hegstrom and I will continue
pushing on here and doing our best to help the Lord in this small portion of
His vineyard. I know that this is His work and that we are so privileged to be
a part of it.
I love you all! Thanks for all of
your support!
Love,
Sister Bennett
P.S. - One of the pictures is of
Sister Hegstrom and I. She is from Twin Falls, Idaho. Did you ever serve there
Nan? The other picture is of Sister Wood and I. She's basically my idol. She
reminds me a lot of Nan. It was hard to say bye to her when I got moved to 4th
ward.
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