Monday, March 28, 2016

WEEK 28

This week was really good! We met a lot with all of our baptismal dates and we got into contact with a family that we kinda lost track of last week. Also found another family who is Catholic but they accepted us in and said they had always wondered what our message was. Taught them and they all accepted baptismal dates! Super cool. The moms step mom was Mormon so she always felt a connection with it. They basically just go to church because the Grandma makes sure everyone goes. We did our best in all our lessons to emphasize coming to church and when Sunday came around we had 6 investigators awake and ready to come! But only 2 did. So that was frustrating but the 2 that came are solid and will be getting baptized on the 10th! So that's awesome. We haven't been getting fed very well in this area because it's a small branch and there are 3 sets of elders. But the weather is nice! The people are funny and nice! And we teach a lot so the mission is awesome. 

Having a lot of success and all is going well! Not too much has changed. My knee is feeling 100% so all is well! Hope you all have a great week!

 Love Elder Bennett

Monday, March 21, 2016

WEEK 27

This week was awesome! We set a few more baptismal dates and had a lot of super powerful lessons! I forgot to mention that last week at church we had a crazy homeless guy show up who walked in, walked to the front sideways chanting "Peace, peace, peace" showing peace signs. He tried to get up to the pulpit but our branch president had to escort him out. Good old memories in the SWLA Branch! 

During the week we got a referral from our branch president and she was super prepared! She had been to church a lot and wanted to be baptized! Basically all we have to do is teach her the lessons and she’s good to go. 

All of our investigators look solid! We were expecting a ton of people at church!.. But no one came. We don't know what happened! We talked to them all on Saturday and they all said they were excited to come and would be there! But no one showed up. So that was rough. That's gonna be our main focus now is getting everyone to church. Otherwise they can't progress. Hope you all have a great week and all goes well!

  Love Elder Bennett

 ST- Agency. As missionaries we can do all we can to help people progress, we invite them to church and remind them. But it all comes down to them choosing to come. It's the same for all of us. We have church leaders, Apostles, a Prophet, parents all teaching us what we need to do to attain happiness but it comes down to us choosing to do it. Act!

Monday, March 14, 2016

WEEK 26

      So this week I was again super tired at night so not gonna write a book this time haha. We had an awesome week though! We set 6 baptismal dates so almost 1 a day! Been meeting more and more golden people! The struggle is getting them to church. We had 4 come to church which is the most this branch has seen from our area but our goal is to get 10 at church by the end of the transfer. 

      We had a crazy Sunday morning though! We went to our investigators house to wake them up for church and they weren't going to be able to make it and as we were leaving the lady downstairs starting cussing at us and them and saying a lot of rude stuff for no reason and our investigator is a security guard and he came out with a handgun and they were yelling at each other so we just basically ran away haha. Went to church and just before sacrament meeting they called us apologizing for everything and so we asked if they would come to church again and they said yes! So our branch mission leader went and picked them up (A couple and 2 kids) and brought them to church! And turns out Kenneth (the dad) already knew Brother Beltran so that was super cool. They loved church and said they are going to come every week! 

      We got a mini missionary named Kevin on Friday who stayed with us till Sunday evening. He was super cool! Got to drive him and 2 others back to Palos Verdes at 5 o'clock. During the week we met a lot of cool people. We got a referral and went to her house, she invited us into the backyard and she was from Rochester New York, had gone to the hill Cumorah pageant, and wanted very badly to read the Book of Mormon! Super golden and we set a baptismal date with her for the 10th of April. We have seen a ton of tender mercies like that of finding super prepared people. Now we just need to capitalize on it and get them baptized in a few weeks!

      Elder Clarke is a party. Easily my funniest companion haha. We are exercising every day so hopefully I'll get back into shape! I'm loving the mission and just grateful each day that I'm out here. Love you all and hope you have a great week!

   ST- In missionary work we should always look at non members as our brothers and sisters. We have the responsibility of sharing the gospel with our "siblings" who are ready to receive it. That's been a huge focus in our mission. Find the prepared people. Hope you all will reach out to a person this week and try to plant a seed! Pray to know who it is. 

   Love Elder Bennett

Monday, March 7, 2016

WEEK 25

  Monday
Well for pday we went to a park and played soccer/bball which was super fun! We had a talk black guy ask me if I would play him in 1 vs 1 but our mission has a rule that we can only play with other missionaries.. So that stunk. Wish we could! Then we went back to the branch building and said our goodbyes, then went to Justin's and Desirays, and Elder Stevens said his goodbyes. We found out Desirays main concern and it's leaving her church. She has mixed feelings about abandoning it. So that's going to be tough to resolve. If anyone has a scripture, talk, video, anything that could address that let me know! 
   Tuesday
Today Elder Clarke got here early in the morning then we said goodbye to Elder Stevens. Elder Clarke and I went and got a bunch of cleaning supplies and deep cleaned the apartment this morning and it feels so much better! Celestial. The kitchen was nasty before. Then we went to a few appointments that fell through but we met some super awesome people! Went to a referral and he wasn't home but his brother was and we got a return appointment with him and taught a short lesson! Also while we were walking a lady pulled up beside us and asked if we would pray with her and then asked if we would please come teach her and her son! So cool! Saw Justin and taught him the restoration again and he is super excited to go do baptisms! Elder Clarke is awesome by the way. Super funny and our personalities are almost identical! Gonna be an awesome transfer. 
    Wednesday
 So today we went and met with the lady who stopped us yesterday to say a prayer, we taught the restoration and she accepted a baptismal date for March 27th! So cool. We also found a referral who is super prepared and another potential who is golden! Gonna be setting a lot more baptismal dates throughout this week. Elder Clarke is awesome at talking to people! I've learned a lot from him already. Super awesome missionary. We then had Correlation meeting which went really good! Brother Beltran gave his usual "Beginning of transfer" rant/motivational speech haha. He is so awesome! This transfer is gonna be 7 weeks long and our branch (3 companionships) has a goal of 7 baptisms! So gonna we are pumped to go and do! It's amazing the miracles we have seen in just these past two days. Main thing we need to do now is get members out with us. 
   Thursday
Well today was crazy. I had a senior companion training at 12-2, the Elder Clarke had a MLC training from 2-4, then we had to drive a few missionaries home who were on bikes, then had weekly planning, dinner, and by then it was 8:00... So we called referrals/potentials and got a few appointments set! Hopefully tomorrow we can be out working all day. Felt super tired after all the meetings and being in the car. Bonus is I started my jump program again! Hopefully that will help me stay in shape haha
   Friday
Well my legs were dead today from my jump program haha. Felt like an old grandpa walking around. We had district meeting this morning and afterwards we made Desiray a birthday cake! Then we went and street contacted/found referrals and had a good time! Elder Clarke is hilarious. It's a party! We had to go to get a mini missionary down near Hollywood but he cancelled on us! So that wasted a lot of our day, then we went to see Donna and that went pretty good actually! Then saw Desiray, gave her her cake and sang happy birthday. We got to talk with her mom and sister and they really opened up! Gonna take all 3 of them to the visitors center next week. Gonna have to move Desirays baptism back a bit. She's so close! 
    Saturday 
Annnnd my legs were dead again today. We had a lesson with Justin again today and had him teach us the plan of salvation! Went super good and he is pumped to do baptisms for the dead! Then we had an awesome lesson with a couple name Desere and Kenneth. Taught the 3rd lesson and they both accepted to be baptized on the 27th! It was super cool. Then we went and had a quick lunch at a restaurant called "Church's Chicken" and had 3 people start talking to us! One said she was a descendant of Joseph Smith and had been meeting with missionaries before, the other grew up Mormon and the last one was a guy who was super interested! Got all their info and told them where the church was. We will see what happens! Then we went around finding potentials and referrals. Super tired. Stake conference tomorrow so been trying to get rides for our investigators! Guess we will see how it goes. 
    Sunday
Stake conference was really good today! Only Desiray was able to come to church though. She really liked it! All went well. We are going to move her baptismal date back 2 weeks. She says she wants to shoot for then. She says she wants to know more first. Afterwards we went out with Brother Beltran and tried to see a few less actives and potentials but didn't have too much luck. But we went and saw a new investigator and set a baptismal date with her! She is an awesome old lady. Completely understood the need for the correct authority. We set a total of 4 baptismal dates this week. Gonna be teaching lots of people all week so gonna see more and more miracles! Man we are just super tired. It was a great week though! Excited for this upcoming one. 
  
Well we just got rained on this morning. Actually had thunder and lightning! Stopped raining now but lots of clouds. About to go play basketball/soccer at the church! Hope you all have a great week! 

   Love Elder Bennett