Arrived In Halifax

dear family, friends and everyone else,

I made it to Halifax. 
yesterday I woke up at 3:35am to leave the MTC by 5am. all 70 departing missionaries rode together on one big bus. About half way to the airport Elder Hawkins, Sister Elliott and I got everyone to sing hymns! imagine 70 missionaries traveling to the places they have been called to serve, after having the most spiritually intense weeks of their lives singing "calling to serve him" together... to say the least it was powerful. I loved it. it was so uplifting! 
saying goodbye at the airport was SO SAD! I miss my district so badly! I love them all so much and i hope they are finding happiness and success in their missions. 
as for me and Sister Ott's travel, it was the best and yet the longest day ever! It took three planes to get here, from Salt Lake to Chicago to Ottowa to Halifax. during the Chicago to Ottowa flight Sister Ott and I didn't sit together. I got to sit next to a nice guy from Texas who was about my age, we chatted about life, I got to explain to him why I was going to Halifax and then I bore my testimony to him that Jesus Christ changes people's lives then I gave him a card with "mormon.org" on it. it was awesome! I totally felt the spirit confirm what I said was true. 

arriving in Ottawa was so exciting! from the moment I stepped on to Canadian soil I KNEW I was suppose to be here! Going through customs was such a wonderful adventure! and everything is in french! and the Canadian flag is everywhere (I'm still trying to get use to that). I love it though! after customs we passed by some huge windows and guess what we saw? SNOW! not just any snow, they were easily the BIGGEST and most beautiful snow I've ever seen! seriously, it was lovely! 
the flight to Halifax I sat next to sister Ott so sadly no missionary experiences BUT I got to read the story of Nephi building the boat/ Joan and the whale and gained so many new insights! it was wonderful!

was arrived in Halifax just before 10pm. Pres. Simpson and his wife picked us up, took up to the mission home and then sent us to bed with strict orders to sleep in! so I didn't wake up today until 7:45am (doesn't that sound funny?) anyway, the four of us when to the temple this morning, Halifax Temple must be the smallest and cutest temple ever!
then the Sisters (sister Russo and Huppe) that are serving in Halifax picked us up and took us (me and Sister Ott) to seafood for lunch. by the way Sister Huppe's brother served in the Ogden mission at the time Jayson did! 
by the way, you know you're in a foreign country when you wallet seems different because the color of the money has changed and someone tells you they like your accent, that was a new experience.  
after lunch we received our area assignments, Pres. Simpson had us "open" our assignment just like a mission call, it was funny. anyway, I've been assigned to Truro with Sister Davis. apparently this area hasn't had missionaries for a while and both of us are pretty much new to it (sister Davis has been there 10 days). it is a town of 1500 people and only has a branch of about 70 members and the closest missionary will be 2 hours away. this will be great! :D
I leave at 5:30 tomorrow morning to drive there. 
Facts about Halifax: it is one of the biggest geographical missions and has the smallest amount of missionaries in north America (66). The mission has mostly branches, two stakes and 2000 members. the Halifax mission use to have 210 missionaries in it (they got about 60 baptisms a year) but 2 years ago they pulled out over half of them and the baptism numbers have almost tripled! every area has a car. some areas you have to fly there. we never have Mission conferences, usually don't have zone conferences and only sometimes (every few weeks) have district conferences. 
doesn't all of that sound crazy? don't worry this is where I'm suppose to be. 

I'll try to write you soon to tell you my new address (the President says I'll probably be there for 8 months, so there is no point in sending anything to the Mission office). 

I love you! the Gospel is SO true! I love it! The Lord is so good!

-Sister Bentley

December 26, 2011 pt. 2

Hey!

 

I know the Gospel is true! I love my savior Jesus Christ, I know He lives!

 

I hope everyone had a great day yesterday!

 

I leave tomorrow at five am! I won't land in Halifax until 8:30 pm :( we will stop in Chicago, Ottowa and then Halifa. long day!

 

thanks for your love and support.

 

never forget then the God in Heaven is your Father, He loves you and wants you to continually try to become more like HIm! NEVER STOP TRYING! lean on Him and He will be all the support you will ever need!

 

don't expect me to call from the Airport tomorrow, sorry.

 

love,

 

Sister Bentley

December 26, 2011

So I'm writing again because it's my P-day and i can.

 

Sorry I didn't see this email earlier dad. I think out of everyone I've received emails and letters from yours are the most suprising, I'm not sure why. maybe I'm just not use to having a lot of time to talk to just you. I'm also sorry if I gave anyone the impression I was leaving/ giving up. I am not a quiter and I've received a special assingment from the Lord to go to Halifax, I know better than to give up. Satan would love for me to give up and turn back but I know I will be betraying the Lord doing so. yes, the last three weeks have been the hardest time of my life! I've seen the ways I've grown from them and I LOVE it! I'm actually more worried that I'm going to stop growing so fast when I get to the feild! I would hate that! I want to be everything the Lord has for me to be.

 

I know the Gospel is true, I know Jesus Christ lives!

 

after I wrote yesterday my distict went on a temple walk, when we were walking back I randomly fell. I have NO idea how that happened. but it was pretty bad, very painful. my first thought when I fell was "Oh no, how will I serve the Lord with a broken ankle." "I can't have a broken ankle because I need to leave on tuesday." and then my very next thought was "whatever your plan for me is Lord, I except it."

I'm fine, I'm just a little sore and have a bloody knee and ruined leggings but I found that moment interesting because it helped me learn about myself. I want to do the Lord's will. I love Him. He is my everything. He raises me up to be so much more than I could ever be on my own!

 

There is an Elder here in my district, Elder Yarmak, he reminds me of you ALOT. he is so smart, logical and presents all of his ideas well. he and I have had many deep doctrinal disussions. he is very soft spoken. I'm greatful he is here. I'm greatful for you dad. I'm greatful for your love of the gospel and how much it inspired me from a very young age. I'm greatful for your logic and understanding. I'm greatful for your patience for me and others. I'm greatful for your example of always trying to be better, to know more and to draw closer to Jesus Chirst. 

 

I love you dad, 

     Sister Bentley  

Merry Christmas!

I were told just this morning that we would be able to write our famlies today.

 

this week has been wonderful!I can't tell you in what ways I have grown but I so have!

last night we (all 2100 missionaries) watched a reinactment of christ's birth. and then we got to  watch a chirstmas carol! and we all sang christams song together! it was wonderful! best christmas I've ever had!this morning all the sisters in my room woke up early and opened gifts together (thank you by the way!) and then we got dressed and watched music and a spoken word as an MTC. it was awesome! and then Elder Bednar came a presided over a sacrament meeting composed of 2120 missionaries, 66 elders blessing and passing the sacrament all together in one room! it was AMAZING! he then spoke to us for two hours about Christ.

 I know Chirst lives, He is very real. I know He was born of humble brith and rose to become the king of kings and lord of lords. I will repeat, HE LIVES. I love Him with all I have, He is my Lord and Masster. He is the way, the truth and the light. no man comes to the Father except by HIM. this is more than just a hope, I know He is Rreal, I KNOW HE is risen and that He has preppared a way for all of us! Trust in Him my dear family and friends. He knows you He suffered and died for you! never forget Him, He never forgets you! if you were the only person on this earth that had made a mistake He would have still come to earth and paid the price for YOUR sins because of how much He loves you! I will gladly seal my testimony with that of Joseph smith's in the 76 chapter of the D&C.

  my dear firends and famliy I beg you to ssreach for HIm, come to know Him! start today, get on you knees and ask with your whole soul if He is there and if He died for you! I know He will answer in His time. Search for the answer in the Book of Mormon, fill your soul with it's words, you won't know how hungry your soul is until you start to feast, you may find that you have been in despret need of the bread of life!  and that you have never really sprirtually  eaten. He LIVES! please take me invitation to come to know HIM you won't regret it! if you think you know Him , continue to seek HIm out, through the Atoneomet me are always able to progress you become more! when you recieve this knowledge then christmaas day will become 1000 times more meaningful! He really does live, wich means you are not lost, and not alone! just rely of Him and all our sins and sorrows will be taken.

 

                                                love to all,

 Sister Elicia bentley 

Dear everyone!

I have changed so much this week! I love it here! I dont want to leave! things arent perfect but the spirit is so strong. (my key board is messing up)

I cant begin to tell you the things that have happened to me this week, that are too sacred. not only to me but to others and to Heavenly Father. I will tell you that Ive been able to see so many mircales! Ive been teaching REAL investigators, helping missionaries and having alot of one on one time with my Father in Heaven.

for Christmas we are having a special guest (no one will tell who it is) we are having a hugh sacrament meeting with ALL the missionaies all together. that 2000 missionaries, one room, 66 preisthood passing the sacrament, and one special guest... this will be the coolest christmas ever!!!!

sister Ott is thankful for the christmas gifts.
I wish I had time to tell you about every single missionary in my district I love them so much! we have all changed a ton since we first got here! it makes being friends with them interesting, since things have been changing so fast! I imagine it it kind of like marriage, your companion is always changing and you love them anyway! something that is wonderful about the Elders in mty disticy to that NONE of them have Girlfirends! they all focus on the Lord and His work! Henry, DONªT get invovled with girls!

this week we have been learning about teaching by the spirit! and its amazing! I can explain how much Ive learned. Ive had so many answers to things ive been praying to understand for years! things are finally coming together for me! (once again too sacred to go into detail about) but it has been unexpected and great! being humble helps you be yourself and relax which helps you be honest and sincer which helps you listen to your investigator and when we listen to them the Holy Ghost will answer through us! true story!

I got to run! have a merry christmas! thanks for the box!

love, Sister Bentley

Sister Bentley's first letter home

hello everyone,

so business first, if anyone is going to send me a package for Christmas it MUST be here by the 23rd of December. also, I will not be calling home on Christmas, there are just too many missionaries here. I don't have my mailing address with me right now but I put it up on my facebook account before I left, it will be under "info" on my profile page.

it's strange to think that I've only been here for five days! I feel very different. my first day here was the longest, hardest day of my life they had us teach three lessons the moment we walked in and they pretty much failed!!!! I was considering calling it quits that day. it was so much to handle in such a short amount of time! that first night I suddenly became aware that I couldn't do this and I was too weak to be a full time servant of The Lord. Then I got a "dear elder" letter from Katie Hatton,  telling me that the MTC is hard but worth it and that it does get better (i'm crying just thinking about it). I'm so greatful for her, and her willingness to listen to The Lord. next time someone sees her please hug her for me! I've taught a lot since then and some lessons have been wonderful! and others haven't...

my companion's name is Sister Ott, she is also going to Halifax. we are the only missionaries in the MTC going there. parently Halifax is a pretty small mission, it only has about 70 missionaries and 6 sister missionaries, so chances are sister Ott and I will be companions again.

I saw Elder Taylor, I was so excited to see him I yelled "ZACH!" it was funny, he has changed. I also saw Elder Tucker I love him! just from talking to him a little I can feel of his goodness and love for the Lord! I've seen other people I know too!

sister Ott and I and one other set of Sisters are the only sisters in our district/ zone. I love the elders in my zone, though they are all VERY 19... and eat more then humanly possible and talk about pokemon way too much! they are all wonderful though! the Lord has blessed me with a deep love for them all! there is one, Elder Hawkins that reminds me SO much of Henry that I can't help but love him even when he says immature things. and the other missionaries in my zone have been called to California AND Tempe Arizona, Tamara's Mission! :D 

I love my teacher! His name is Brother Bacon he just got back from his mission 5 months ago! try to imagine a mixture of Kenny and Brother weisler and you have Brother Bacon. He is AMAZING! I want to be like him so much!

 The Lord has been changing me, I can feel it in everything I do! the 2nd day of class we were talking about the doctrine of Christ and Brother Bacon asked me a question about the missionary purpose and the doctrine of Christ. through my answer I relized that I had been called to not just be a wittness of Christ but the litterally stand where He would stand and walk where He would walk, it was so humbling! and then last night BYU men's Choir sang for our sunday devotional, all about Christ and His ministry. they sang "Jesus the very thought of thee" I wept! I feel such an awe to be called to this work.

anyway, Gospel is true! love you!

Elicia