Hola!

Prepare-check, Plan-check, Proselyte-double check!

This week has been so great! I have found that the Lord really does place people in our path. Quite literally sometimes. :) But one example of this is Paul Morgan.

Sister Hedemark and I were looking through potentials in the area book one day and came across the name Paul Morgan. We went to his house several times and he was never home so we thought that we would leave it for awhile. Then we got a text message from a member about a guy who came into the church one day and said that he wanted to be more religious. We got his name number and address from this member and it was Paul Morgan. So we thought, "ok, there is something in this" so we tried to contact him again. Well the number we had was wrong and he was still never home when we went by. So again we decided to leave it for awhile. Fast forward to Sister Whitaker times; we were teaching one of our investigators named Laura and she had a friend named Paul over. At the time I didn't take much notice to it. The next day I really felt like we should try to go see Paul Morgan again. We stopped by his house and it was a miracle because someone was actually home and when we saw who Paul Morgan was we were so excited because he is Laura's friend! He was excited to see us and we set up an appointment for the following day. And he came to church on Sunday! He has had a really hard life but he is trying to make it better and the gospel will be so good for him! It's just like in 1 Nephi when they were trying to get the plates of brass. The first two times they failed but the third time they succeeded. We tried to contact him twice before the Lord actually placed him in our path. He always prepares a way for us to accomplish the work. It is absolutley amazing!

Second miracle of the week is Richard. I stinkin' love that man! He is so determined to be baptised and quit smoking. We actually took 4 lighters from him this week and while he was praying one day he said that he had a thought to give us all of the cigarettes he had on him at the time. We gladly inherited 2 packages of imported Russian death sticks. I felt weird having death sticks and lighters in my possession but we had fun crushing them later that night :) He knows the church is true. You can see it in his face everytime we see him and everytime he comes to church.

Great things are happening in this area and the work continues to move forth. Sister Whitaker is kind of trunky which I think is kind of funny but I will try to keep her busy ;) She doesn't want to go home but she sure talks about it a lot. hahaha bless her. I love you all so much and I love hearing from you every week.

2 Timothy 1:7-9 :)

Love, hugs and fist bumps,

Sister Benson

Alo-ha!

The time has come my family and friends to talk of many things,

Of armour, and faith, and scriptures, of the gospel and kings,

And while the world is going crazy and.........feathered pigs have wings?

I don't really know that poem as you may have already guessed. I tried to change it but................

 

HELLO!!

I realized that by the time this transfer is over I will have spent 1/3 of my mission in Stroud. That's a long time. I love Stroud. We have been doing a lot more finding lately because we desire to teach more people. It's sad to see so many people reject the gospel before they even know what it is about, but at the same time it is a miracle to me how many people are touched by the Spirit right from the very beginning! We have been guided to some amazing people lately. Where their journey in the gospel will take them I don't know...but I feel so lucky to be a part of it. Really, being a missionary is great. I know I say that all the time but I really do mean it. I can't really put in to words how I am thinking it, so that will have to do.

Richard never ceases to amaze me. We have recently taught him about tithing, and the law of chastity both subjects that we were nervous to teach him about.....BUT he is so faithful. he is willing to do anything so long as God commands it. he accepts the gospel so readily because he knows that its true. He feels the Spirit so easily and that has really been helping him to stop smoking. He did not have a cigarette for 5 days! He relapsed a little and had half of one but he felt so horrible afterwards that he recommitted to give it up completely. You can tell that he loves the Lord and I have definitly learned a lot from him. I will be sad if I have to leave him next transfer. But that's a long way away!! So moving on....not literally...but next subject.

We recently started to teach a woman from Zambia studying at the Royal Agriculture College. She is exctied to learn and is anxious to find out if the Book of Mormon is true (IT IS!!!). I am very excited to teach her.

Another small miracle is that my new companion is not scary!! A lot of other missionaries, upon finding out who my next companion would be, told me that she was going to beat me up! hahaha I was nervous enough about the change and they made me even more scared of her than I needed to be. I absolutley love her! The Lord knows who our companions should  be and there is definitly something to learn from each of them. Probably the scariest thing going on right now is that I am kind of in charge. She is the senior companion but because she doesn't know the area I am semi in charge. It has definitly been a humbling experience and has made me appreciate Sister Hedemark even more. There is a lot that needs to be done and when there is just one of you that knows what that is, it causes prayers to intensify.

I have learned the art of parallel parking finally. I never had to parallel park until I came here. I tell you what its a good place to learn too because the roads are so narrow it definitly takes some skill. I'm probably not an artist like DaVinci....but maybe Picasso. I'll have it mastered by the time I get home anyway. I also need to take a driving test here soon. So I can get my big kid license.

I really like President Monson's ABC's for an abundant life. That man truly is inpsired. Maintaining a postive attitude is so important. Sometimes it is the most difficult but it really will change the course of our whole day. Just like Pes. Monson said, " We cannot direct the wind but we can adjust the sails." Focus on what you can control. I can't control how many doors get slammed in my face (If I could than it would never happen), I can't control how often it rains (If I could than it would be sunny more often), and I can't even control how people accept the gospel ( agency is very frustrating sometimes) BUT if I stay positive, believe, and take courage in standing up for what is right than I can control whether or not I make it to the promised land. I love ABC's. So simple and basic but very profound at the same time.

I love you all and I hope you enjoy your lives. Having faith in Christ is the best way to live!

Love, hugs, and fist bumps

Sister Benson

HOLY TOLEDO!!

Dearest people,

These last few weeks have been a bit crazy so I haven't been able to right as much as I would like to. I don't have much time now either. Sorry.

We didn't both survive transfers this time. :( Sister Hedemark got moved to Harbourne (Birmingham area). She was excited but at the same time really bummed. She loved Stroud and she has been in Harbourne before. She really wanted to open a new area. But President Ogden said that he really felt like she needed to go back. A lot of crazy things happened this transfer. Lots of changes. One AP and several ZL's were released to train new missionaries. So there was a lot of shuffling around and new areas were opened in a few places so the work is expanding in the best possible way! :)

My new companion is Sister Whitaker from Nevada. She is a hard worker but I can already tell things are going to be really different. I knew this day of change would have to come sometime. I was really sad to see Sister Hedemark go. She was a great mom ;)

We have been continuing to work with Ricahrd and he is making some great progress on not smoking! He doesn't find it difficult at all really. Which I find amazing. Prayer, fasting, and priesthood blessings are sooooo powerful. I love this gospel more than anything. I learn new things everyday and I never knew it was possible to feel this way about anything. Especially a book. (you know how much of a reader I am) The book of Mormon is so inspiring and sometimes I feel the Spirit just looking at the blue cover copies that we hand out to people.

I hope you are all very well and I promise to write more next week!

Love, Hugs, and fist bumps,

Sister Benson

Time is far spent!

Time is short today. We have to catch a train to Gloucester at 11:22 because we are going to play volleyball with the zone!

This past week has been great!

Richard is getting ready for his baptism and I just love that man! When we first started to teach him he kept saying, "when I get the faith......" But the last few times he alwasy says, "I know...." It has been so amazing to watch him grow like that!!!

Miguel is also doing really well despite the language barrier sometimes. We watched the Restoration DVD with him and he said that after watching it he really wants to pray "with more strength". He prayed for the first time with us at the end of the lesson and it was really powerful. He prayed in Portuguese so I didn't really understand what he said but I could feel the spirit. Phenomonal! I don't know if that's correct but oh well.

I. LOVE. THE BOOK OF MORMON! I am amazed everyday at things that I find that are new to me. You would think after a lifetime of reading I would know the whole thing by heart by now but still things continue to jump out to me! That my friends is the power of God. He knows what we need to learn and when we need to learn it. The Spirit is the best teacher! I hope to have a portion of that teaching ability by the time I go home. But it's by the Spirit that I am even teaching. I don't do anything really...but I'm gonna try. :)

That's all the time I have really. Sorry to be so short. But if nothing else, THE CHURCH IS TRUE!!!!

Love, hugs, and fist bumps,

Sister Benson