20 February 2012

... whenever people ask about my family I always tell them
that the first grand-baby is coming soon, and that she is going to be
just the cutest and that she will be spoiled rotten!
okay so weather this week, it's been so warm! I even didn't have to
wear a scarf the other day! and the day before I started sweating a
little while walking up a hill, which tells me two things 1. I am out
of shape 2. SPRING IS COMING! everyone is shocked! but I'm so excited!
the sun has been shining almost all day everyday...
they changed the sister dress/ grooming site. so if anyone wants to
look on the site and send me fun cloths (especially jewlery and
purses) like this site that would be sweet. you don't have to, just a
suggestion.
http://missionary.lds.org/dress-grooming/dress/shoes/?lang=eng
so on Saturday Sister Davis and i planned and put together our
first baptism. sadly, it wasn't for one of our investigators but it
was for one of the 8 year-old girls in the branch. she had been
wanting to be baptized since she turned 8 in September, her mom didn't
know how (and didn't want put the effort into learning how) and no one
else in the branch took the initiative to do it and so the Sister
Missionaries took care of everything. normally the branch mission
leader would be the one to coordinate most baptisms but he was just
baptized himself 3 months ago and we are in the prosses of teaching he
about the church/ his calling. everything came together in the end but
it was kind of a disaster. Sister Davis and I agreed that now we have
experience for when we are planning for our children's baptisms.
as I as reading the Book of Mormon this morning I came across
Alma 38:9 to me it was saying that true wisdom= faith is Jesus Chirst.
I love this gospel so much! I love that I get to share it with others.
my favorite thing I've experience so far on my mission is seeing
change in the countenance of those we are teaching. seeing the spirit
work in someone really is amazing. and I'm so blessed to get to see it
first hand!!! and I don't do anything, the Spirit literally does all
the work. did I mention I'm so blessed to be here? I love it and I
love HIM who's work this is. I keep thinking "these were times never
to be forgotten" (I'm pretty sure that's a quote from Oliver Cowdery
talking about working with Joseph Smith)
tomorrow is my first Zone Leadership training. it over an hour
away in Newglassgo. it will pretty much be roll playing from 8 am to 4
pm and since Sister Davis and I are the only sisters in the Zone we
have the privilege of roll playing with President Simpson and the
Assistance... I'm kind of terrified.
OH and President Simpson also asked (well really it was more of an
assignment) to speak with him next week in sacrament meeting. I don't
mind speaking but i'm a little bit intimidated to speak with him.

... so Sister Davis and I volunteer at a nursing home on Fridays, and
there are always people there who volunteer their time and talents to
sing and play for the seniors. I always think "Henry and I could
totally do this..." wouldn't it be fun to go sing some old show tunes
for a nursing home?
the work is hard, and the 'numbers' aren't satisfying. but it is the
sweetest feeling to come in after working your heart out all day,
getting rejection after rejection and having no "measurable success"
but then getting on your knees and feeling the Holy Ghost whisper your
work has been excepted by The Lord. up to this point in my life, I
have never felt anything so delicious, so sweet, so satisfying as to
have the Holy Ghost "consecrate my performance... for the welfare of
my soul" (2 Nephi 32:9)

love you all,
Sister Bentley

13 Feb 2012

This is Elicia's district.

13 Feb 2012

things are going okay here. the week went by so fast! today is the
first day of my 2nd transfer. life as a missionary is just crazy. I
can't explain it, just go on a mission then you'll understand.
we've been knocking a ton this week, (and it's crazy to me how many
men answer the door with no shirt on in the winter) and it hasn't been
fun because of the weather! but because of our dillegence and The
Lord's blessings we have a lot of teaching appointments this next
week.
I realized this week that I don't feel satisfied when sister Davis
and I have "good numbers" for the week. what brings me the most
satisfaction is walking into the apartment at the end of the day and
feeling The Holy Ghost assure you that your work has been excepted by
The Lord. When I feel that way, than I'm ezcited to wake up the next
day and knock for 12 hours just as long as it is for The Lord.

...

I was just talking to someone that had been in GA this week, they said
it was pretty cold! that's too bad!

honestly, -3 is warm. I'm greatful when it's just -3. the weather this
week has been crazy. on wed it was kinda warm (+5 degrees) and sunny!
on thrusday it was +3 and rainy, everyone said it was 'pouring rain'
but they've never seen a Gerogia rain storm. on friday and most of
saturday it was still pretty mild. then Saturday night/ Sunday morning
I incountered something I thought people only joked about... FREEZING
RAIN... on Sunday morning we woke up to -17 and an sheet of ice an
inch thick on EVERYTHING! trees were frozen in strange directions and
all the outside stairs has become ice-ramps! and sadly here in Nova
Soctia they are 'cancel happy' meaning they look for any and every
excuse to cancel everything! so church was canceled. you know what
that means? we knocked doors all day yesterday! woohoo! it wasn't too
bad. it was a little scary walking on ice all day but I survived.
actually it's kind of a funny story, we had been out for a few
hours and I was cold, and no one was listening, so I was complaining
to The Lord in my head about the weather and how hard missionary work
is sometimes. I then thought/ prayed to The Lord "Father am I even
suppose to be here?!? why aren't things happening?!? Why don't you
just send me some place else if I keep messing things up?!?" I had
scarcy thought that thought when I slipped and fell right on my back.
as I layed on the ground for a moment I realized I was being silly and
I instantly started laughing! Heavenly Father had just knocked some
sense into me. I felt so much better after that! (BTW I slipped on a
non- smooth ice patch of ground, so there was no logical reason for me
to fall)
on that note, sister Davis and I have almost knocked all of Truro...
seriously! we are kind of freaking out about it. we are going to try
to start working through members more.

...

06 Feb 2012

Dear everyone,
I'm cold... you know it's cold outside will your face hurts the
moment you walk out the door!
last night we were knocking in -16 weather with a wind chill of -28!
THAT WAS COLD! we could only be outside for about twenty minutes
before we were numb (even though I was wearing 10 layers and toe
warmers!). needless to say we only knocked for a twenty minutes last
night! LOL!
I was talking to someone from Alberta the other day and she said that
-25 in Truro feels like the -60 in Alberta! so yeah, it's cold. I
pretty much wear ever item of clothing I own every day... okay it's
not that bad. but there have been times while knocking that I think
about my MTC District that went to California and Arizona and I try
not to get jealous.
...
so the Truro Branch just had someone return home from their mission
in Texas. during church he came right up to us to announce with pride
that during his whole two years he never had to knock a door. The
Halifax Canada mission is different from Texas. but it doesn't have to
be!
everyone listen closely to what I'm about to tell you. HELP YOUR
FULL-TIME MISSIONARIES! and I don't mean feeding them. I mean prepare
your friends to except the gospel. don't throw a BOM in their face, to
tell them that HAVE to meet with missionaries or else. live the
gospel! and I don't mean just be good I mean OPEN YOUR MOUTH and tell
people why you have so much peace and happiness in your life. as you
freely and happily talk about the Gospel I promise it won't be awkward
and you will receive the blessings that come from fulfilling YOUR
responsibly from THE LORD to find people for the missionaries to
teach. knocking is a way to find but it is not effective. it takes me
and sister Davis 2 hours to find one person that is willing to let us
come back 5 out of 10 times they aren't home when we go back 3 out of
10 times they change their minds. and out of the 2 that actually
listen 1 lets us come back again and .5 actually progress in the
gospel. most poeple are brought into the church by their friends
inviting them!
I'm so grateful to have the gospel in my life! what a joy! what a
rare blessing to have been taught the only true gospel my whole life!
think about only 15 million people have this message. there are so
many more that need to hear and are willing to hear! we just have to
share with them. (it will only be awkward if you make it awkward)
...
so I've been trying to find some
really dependable snow boots, but they are hard to find in a small
town like Truro...
whoever thought of sending the tacobell sauce was BRILLIANT! there is
taco bell up here but no sauces, it kind of blows my mind! feel free
to always send more of that! ;) thank you so much for the package! as
soon as the UPS truck pulled up I just knew it was from you guys.

the church is just so different here.
I mean it's the same organization and gospel but the people... are
just so Canadian...
Canadians are seriously the most indirect people I've ever met!
communication is so bazaar, no one listens to each other and no one
takes the initiative to actually DO something they would rather sit
around for hours and TALK about doing it. seriously! Branch council
will run for over 2 hours, and nothing will have been decided or
delegated! last Sunday we were in the meeting for 2 1/2 hours before
the Progress Record was even mentioned! and no one ever looks at the
handbook.
BUT there is hope, the Lord has had 5 young families move in from
places where the church is stronger and these families understand how
the church is suppose to run, so I'm hoping they will be able to help
get everything straighted out!

love you,
Sister Bentley

30 January 2012

 this week has been crazy. I do not have words or time to explain everything, SO I'm going to pull a 'jessica' and tell you the best thing that happened, one bad thing that happened and the craziest/ funniest thing that happened.
good- the best thing was that one of your investigators came to church and liked it!!!!
bad- on Tuesday after district meeting the office couple told me and sister Davis that everyone from the district was coming to our apartment to put together new desks and drawers for us! it was so nice, but it took all day! sister Davis and I couldn't leave, because there were people/ Elders in our apartment! so we had to cancel our appointments for that day! and some of our appointments we couldn't get a hold of so we pretty much stood them up... it was so frustrating! but it was so nice that they all stayed and helped because it would have taken just me and sister Davis forever!
Crazy- for the past two weeks our car has been making funny noises. so on Friday we called Elder Foley (the Office Elder) to ask what he wanted us to do. after doing some research he informed us that the only place that would be able to fix our car was in Halifax! Elder Foley insisted we bring the car to the office to get a new car on that very day, even though the weather man said it would snow. and so we once again had to through out our plans for the day and drive to Halifax in the snow! we left at 3pm and didn't get back until 7:30 pm. it was quite an adventure. Sister Davis drives in snow very well.

I also just want to say that I love my mission president, President Simpson! something happened this week that gave me a testimony that he is inspired and that The Lord has called me to be here because President Simpson needs to be my mission president. I liked President Simpson before and I thought he was a good and smart man but now after what has happened, I love him and he IS MY MISSION PRESIDENT, and I am grateful to be one of the few missionaries (66) that serve under his direction! in the handbook it says "your loyalty is first to the Lord than your Mission President, then your companion..." I now feel that is how my loyalties are. (remind me in 16 months and maybe i'll tell you what happen.)

I think that's all I have for today, Love you
Sister Bentley

Jan 23, 2012

I'm doing fine. this week has been hard, hard, HARD. we had a lot of
investigators drop us (even after reading the Book of Mormon), we had
lot of people yell at us, we had a lot of tracking in -12 weather...
and barley any sleep, and an ear and backache. I'm gonna be honest,
there were moments this week that I considered what it would be like
to go home. then I remembered Jesus Christ, the rejection He faced,
the people that yelled and spat at Him even though THE SON of God was
standing right in front of them! and then I would remember what HE has
done for me... how could I turn me back on someone who loves me enough
to pay for my dumb, thoughtless mistakes?
well... I can't. I love HIM too much to leave HIM and HIS great work behind.
I love FATHER in HEAVEN as well, I know HE is there.

So... this week... has been so fast! I can't believe it's Monday
again! and I CAN"T believe it's the 23rd! holy cow! Mission life is
strange that way. the minutes usually feel like YEARS but the weeks
are like moments! it's crazy.
we started teaching a man named 'Denver' this week, he is from
Jamaica. he is just what you might expect from a Jamaican, dreadlocks,
Bob Marley posters, everything! I love him! when we taught him about
the restoration his eyes get really big and said "I need to know if
this is true!" we are teaching him again tonight, i'm looking forward
to it.
My companion, Sister Davis, is awesome! she is completely
organized in every way, she is a total nerd, and she loves the gospel!
I'm so grateful for her! I don't want another companion, or another
area for that matter.
so crazy story! last week Sister Davis was telling me that her
family loves eggs, spam and rice for breakfast. she talked about how
much she missed it! (the Canadian version of spam is called "Kam" it's
apparently not the same)
and then on Sunday in our "feed the missionaries" basket there was
spam! she we tickled pink! it just goes to show that Heavenly Father
is always listening and that He wants to bless us.
I still think canned meat sounds gross...
so I still can't believe I'm in Canada! it's so strange, every once
in a while I 'realize' that I'm in Canada and I always wonder how on
earth I got here.
so the Truro Branch has a goal of becoming a ward by the end of
2012. and so the Branch Pres. is really trying to get people to start
becoming active members of God's kingdom, he asked sister davis and I
to speak on obedience in sacrament meeting. (before I continue the
story I should tell you that we listen to Gen. Conference talks on CD
that sister davis burns. and this week the theme of the CD was 'Elder
Holland' and so all week we've been listening to him calling everyone,
especially the priesthood to repentance. he is so EPIC, I want to be
like him!) so yesterday i stood up to speak and I quoted from memory
the 121 section of the D&C starting in verse 34 to the end, but
changing the words a little bit to say 'they' instead of 'he' ect. and
then, I don't know what came over me but I said "brothers and sisters
a marvelous work is about it come forth in Truro. if you aren't with
the work you are against it. IT WILL COME FORTH WITH OR WITHOUT YOU.
if you want to go from being 'called' to being 'chosen' then you must
wake up and do something about it, before it is everlastingly too
late."
I think I had been listening to too much elder Holland... I don't
know what good it will do but we'll see. I'm always worried about
being too forward here, but it is too late now...

thank you all for your love and prayers!
Sister Bentley

January 16, 2012

this week has been crazy. first lets talk about the weather. on monday
and tuesday it was a normal -2 or -3, so cold but no big deal. then on
wendseday it snowed a TON and then on thursday it was -25! NO JOKE!
and then on Friday it was +8 outside and rained like crazy... it's
been nuts. today it was -15 (not including the wind chill).
we had most of our appointments fall through this week so guess what
we did? we went knocking in -5, -11, -25, and +8 with a ton of rain.
yes, it's been a... fun... week.
not that I'm complaining, The Lord has still blessed me so much!
sister Davis and I are constantly being guided to people who need our
help.
this week I had my first in-field district meeting. it was
interesting. there are only 5 companionships in the district and 2 of
them are senior couples. so we role played, talked business. I we
asked to stand and bare my testimony. it was nice but I do miss my MTC
district and I'm a little jealous they are all in warm places. but I
know this is where the Lord wants me to be, so I'm holding on and
moving forward.
we got 2 new investigators this week! Doug and Marylin Jordan. they
are an older couple, but they sure don't act old. I love them! we
knocked into them, and Doug told us how he knew there was a God and
that Bible was the word of God but that the Bible wasn't prefect. We
testified of the Book of Mormon as being complete truth, he was very
intrigued and invited us to come back. so we went by their house on
Saturday night. they were both home, but Doug was only in a bathrobe,
SO AWKWARD! after he got decent, we taught them about the restoration
and the Book of Mormon and what it means for them that there is a
prophet on the earth again. Doug cried when we recounted Joseph
Smith's experience of the 1st vision. they both had GREAT questions!
after the lesson we committed them to read the introduction and pray
to which Doug replied "you think I'm ONLY going to read ONE PAGE
before you come back? I plan on having most of it read!" so
incredible, I know he is going to be so blessed! and I'm so blessed to
have been there to witness the spirit work within him.
Heavenly Father is so real! He is so involved in our lives. I really
don't do anything here in Truro but witness miracles.

so my back has been hurting a ton (to the point that I could barely
bend over) it's made even getting out of bed in the morning hard, let
alone everything else missionaries do. so one night I knelt and prayed
my heart out to have the pain go away. the next morning, I got out of
bed without a problem! it was so exciting! my back isn't pain-free but
relying on The Lord has made it better. if it's possible would
everyone mind praying for my back/ body to be able to do all I need to
do? if you could, I would appreciate it.
we had interviews with my mission president this week, he is so
awesome! he is all about working hard but not killing ourselves and to
focus on goals for baptism but remember that success in missionary
work is not baptisms but desire to serve.
so quote of the week: we were knocking a neighborhood, we were
talking to a older man at this door about restoration when he randomly
said, "well you two have got to be the prettiest preachers I have ever
seen!" it was so abrupt, we laughed about (aboot) it for a while.
I'm going to try to get better gloves, and earmuffs today.
thank you all for your love and support,
Sister Bentley