Strange Dreams Again!

Mom,

   thanks for the picture of guilherme and of the rose growing from the concrete. unfortunately i dont have his address.

   thats a shame that kristi isnt letting him be baptized but actually logan can sign the baptismal record still. it says the person that is responsible or parent can sign it and hes the parent also so he can decide that. 

   elder denna and i made a goal to baptize 8 people in his last 3 weeks so pray for us, were gonna need it. 

   you mentioned that jared is a cop again but i dont understand why he suddenly changed to that again? i thought he didnt like it.

    dakota is all set and ready to go, just sit around and wait. tell him to read the book of mormon in the meantime. or watch the first 6 seasons of the office and old james bond movies like i did...

    i heard that christina is gonna be baptized?! you all need to buy preach my gospels and throw down people on your preach my gospel. make goals and what nots of how many people you wanna baptize an stuff, fill up your preachs!

    weve got a mom and her 11 year old son to baptize for this week, there giving problems but well work through the difficulties. 

   not much to say but this week passed by really fast and the mission is awesome! a couple nights ago i dreamed that i killed a shark in the middle of the ocean using the melkezidek priesthood, it was insane. i think im going insane. love you all!!!

- Elder Bennett

  thats diego that got baptized. thats elder denna being a fubeca holding a baby behind me so i took a picture. out of nowhere this member threw his son in elder dennas lap and said, watch him for a second! 

         

 thats a cake we baked and thats a dirty dog that followed us on a sunday for about 5 hours. we found it fitting since i call e. denna a dirty dog haha

Dad,

  i went to the doctor last week and he said its something in my meniscus but he doesnt know for sure so this thursday ill do an x ray thing and see.

   pres. genaro has already said that im not gonna stay in this area after this transfer and hell move me to an area thats a lot flatter. thats awesome though that christina set a date for baptism!  love you dad, keep strong!

- Elder Bennett

Death of Guilherme Justino Ferreira Bueno, "Little Bear"

Mom,

i loved watching the video of him opening his call! haha he looked like a little boy on Christmas morning! im very grateful that he is going, hes an awesome example to his family and to all of us! berlin germany has got a BIG problem and its name is Elder Aust! vamo que vamo!!!

  german is the only language on this whole entire planet ive wanted to learn!!! the next couple years are enormous for the family. can you feel the work of the Lord! can you all feel the Lords Hands sculpting the whole family! aunty sheryl wants to go to the temple, do everything possible for her to enter there! a member once told me that people get baptized because the testimony they have of the restauration of the gospel, but people stay active on there testimony of the plan of salvation. i know that when she can see with her own eyes the powerful and extraordinary sealing ordinances made in the temple, she will return. i know that uncle Danny is prepared and that he only waits to be sealed to his family. uncle Danny has to be crying tears of joy to see his son going out to preach the gospel! he only waits for his ordinances to be done!

   dakota recieved the melchezidek priesthood also, now stuff just got real. sounds like home life was fantastic this week and everyones happy, i almost cried watching the video! its really cool to watch people open there calls! when riley opens his were going ape! i want fireworks and backup dancers.

     the branch had a party on saturday, the theme was western, let me just say that jeans, cowboy boots and square dancing is where im supposed to be in my life. im going square dancing after the mish, and i will also be turning into a cowboy. this is all.

   well the big story here in apucarana this week is that there was young boys walking on the sidewalk on tuesday and a big diesel truck came out of nowhere killing 2 of them instantly and the 3rd was able to get away. the truck was going uphill when the motor just died and the truck started going downhill and the driver lost control and killed the little boys and destroyed the wall behind them. it was ugly. one of the boys that was killed in this freak accident is Guilherme Justino Ferreira Bueno, our little recent convert. we baptized him in may. he was only 9 years old. we were shocked when we showed up in the neighborhood and everyone was in the street talking about it, we asked some lady on the street and she told us that it was little Guilherme. we couldnt believe it. we had just been at his house on sunday when we taught him and his friend and he said the last prayer. we told him that one day he was going to serve a mission and that hed baptize a ton of people and he said alright ill go. he was loving the church, everytime we saw him he always asked if thered be church on sunday. he gave a lot of trouble to sit still in church but when there was a hymn to be sung, he was there singing, little bear loved the hymns haha. we called him little bear also, that little devil cussed everyone out in that neighborhood and everyone loved him for that, sometimes hed say really funny things though. he never once swore at us, he was always really respectful to us. his mom asked us to sing at his funeral, so we sang God be with you till we meet again, im pretty sure we even showed up on the local news also. we got invited to his burial service also, it was really cool his grandma, who is randomly budhist, saw us and said, guilherme got baptized in your church and he was liking it alot, im grateful that he baptized in your church. it was such an awesome comment! we printed out the pics of the baptisms and gave them to his mom, grandma and other relatives. people wave and honk at us more now because of the hymn we sang at the funeral, i feel like im a part of the community here, i love these people alot. brazilians are cool. ive got the pictures from the accident and his funeral, we also dedicated his grave site and left a picture with him, he was our little bear. i found solace though in the ressurrection and Atonement of Jesus Christ. good thing we baptized him so young huh, thats why we baptize children because we cant put off the day of repentance!

 

 

 

 

 

Dad,

im proud of everyone! lifes in cloud nine these days it seems! the zone is baptizing pretty well lately so were pretty excited about that.

   dakota is going to berlin then, good thing hes been taking german all high school cause thats gonna be a rough language. before he gets home ill be speaking german with him i promise! hope that everyone is staying safe there, my little recent convert died this week, a diesel truck hit him, it was a really tragic and crazy story this week but everyones already moved on. my knee has been bothering me a lot this last week so im going to the doctor to do an x ray to see if theres a serious problem. sometimes i wake up in the night with so much pain like last night but ill get through it. apucarana is the highest elevated city in the whole entire state, its literally built on mountains which means that im always going up and down hills. its the down hill that kills my right knee. like i said, the Lords got something prepared though!! love you a ton dad, dont tell mom about the knee, she blows any small thing out of proportion haha. - Elder Bennett

 

November 14, 2013 my elder will return!

Mom, 

hahaha its good to have boys on all sides of the world. i think i might go to europe also for a little bit to make friends there also that way i can have eyes on most of the planet! i thought that was funny what riley and dakota did at efy haha! thats my boys!

     whatever day his call comes i still wont find out until next monday. blessings from the mish!

  ya im still zl with elder denna. its cool. me and elder dennas will be friends eternally. he just has some beliefs that i dont agree with, ya know he just sees the way in a different way then me. he sees byu idaho and i see byu provo. mom are you friends with his mom? tell her i said that i dont like her son.

    the picture from last week only one person there was a member, every single one of those people wants to be baptized but they live 2 buses and 2 1/2 hours away from the nearest church in another city, one of there freinds/ relatives is serving a mission and passed the reference to our mission and seeing as how our mission doesnt have any couple missionaries theres no way to open the church up there. yish, theres at least 100 baptisms within a years work there. the church will probably show up there in about 5 to 8 years. remember that older couples, when youre holding your granbabies in your arms theres people in other parts of the world that want to go to heaven but cant because youre sittin at home holdin your granbabies.

     elder kellog got home?! that makes me next to go home. im daddy elder now?! ooo myyy gosh...

           this transfer the secretaries will call me to ask what airport i want to land in on november 14th of 2013, which is this year, stop smiling mom, im gonna get off in the fresno airport or is there one that gets me off closer to the temple? (temple marriage joke, anybody?... anybody? ;D)

   ya ive met the genaros, i think sister genaro is a 16 year old girl sometimes cause she so spunky. there a lot different then the tavares, not even close to the same actually. not better or worse, just different. the work still remains!

    im gonna send some pics to show how the week was, dont have much to say for this week except the 2013 efy soundtrack that i got off the church site and baptisms! now that i think of it we baptized these two on wednesday actually, what a coincidence. these two little brothers that we baptized just might be the firmest baptisms that ill have on the mission. here in 7 to 8 years i wanna see them on missions. these are some special boys, and the branch already loves them a lot! hey mom can you send me a picture of a rose growing out of the concrete, dont ask why, just get me a photo of this please. :D the other day we were teaching a recent convert and his friend about prayer and fernando that one kid we baptized super crazily, said ya every night i thank God for my life and God always responds to me, " your welcome :D" i was dying of laughter. its nice when you these people become your best friends! im going to eat two subway footlongs for lunch this week, ya im a hungry boy. love you mom and cambria. - Elder Bennett

Dad,

ya the church basically only grows off of the sacrifice of the members, whether it be an hour with the missionaries one week to teach someone or a couple giving up six months so that the church can extend to a city its never been to, all depends on the humility of the members giving up there time that was actually already given to them by God and just returning a little portion of it. the church is only as strong as its members.

  thanks for the words of encouragement! its wierd thinking that im already coming to the end. i cant believe it. its driving me insane. you have that feeling inside of you sometimes like you need to give even more, do a little more, be a little better, baptize a little more. its something that drives every missionary insane. ive got to give a little more and be a little better! theres many more people to baptize in the next 4 1/2 months! love ya dad!

       - Elder Bennett

SERMON FROM ELDER BENNETT

Mom,

    I’m staying in Apucarana and I’m staying with e. Denna. this is e. Denna’s last transfer also and seeing as how it’s very rare that mission presidents will take both people out at the same time, I’ll probably stay this transfer with e. Denna then another with someone else and then be transferred to go die somewhere in another zone. Basically I’ll probably stay here at least another 3 months. Who knows maybe I’ll stay here until the end...

     i absolutely hated that paragraph about the surgeries. I’m never coming home now! I don’t know for sure if I’ll need to get surgery on the knee or the gall bladder, schedule the dr’s appointments and we will see what they say. geez this woman doesn’t play any games!

    It’s like that little present grandma Bennett gave to me with a dog and a cat laying together and it says, love isn’t love unless it’s shared. :D

          It’s like you said, God wants all of us to return to live with him. So why do some people think that we can put the essential ordinances of salvation off for tomorrow! Today is the day to perform the ordinances! Are we so blind to not see that somebody CAN’T enter into Gods Kingdom unless they are baptized? when Jesus says that someone will be condemned if there not baptized by someone holding the priesthood authority of God He wasn’t telling a joke, He wasn’t lying, He wasn’t telling a half truth, He said that someone that isn’t baptized cannot enter into the Kingdom of God! YOU WONT GO!!! it doesn’t matter if there 8 or 80, if they lived good lives or if they had a lot of faith, you won’t be seeing them in the Kingdom of God. When Jesus has said numerous times in all scriptures that the day of His coming is at the door. He isn’t saying that its tomorrow or its next week or its next year, when someone’s at the door you answer it NOW! NOW is the time to repent and be baptized, not tomorrow or next Wednesday! In this very moment! i don’t want to ever hear another person tell me that someone needs to be "prepared" to be baptized. there does not exist in the scriptures anywhere where one has to have knowledgeable preparation in order  to baptize someone, the ordinance of baptism requires a humble heart, a broken spirit, a desire to take upon yourself the name of Christ, and a promise or COVENANT between that person and God (that we cannot judge, because we do NOT know someone’s heart) that they will keep the commandments. The only reason that some time back someone needed to receive all the lessons or flip chart things 30 years ago before they got baptized was because the church, meaning the members, were not ready or trained to receive such a high number of converts at one time. i don’t ever want to hear about how in some other time, they only baptized " real converts" or people that had "testimonies" . No in your time you weren’t ready to receive as many converts as the church is ready to receive today! In my time the church is ready to receive this many converts, in my time God wants baptisms more than ever because His day of coming is at the door! In my time, the church has enough programs, quorums and leaders that are ready to receive this number of converts, if not why would the Lord allow us with this great privilege to have missionaries leave earlier for missions and not stay in the mtc as much time. Think of it, they cut the mtc time down by 7 days for people that already speak the language. Why would God do that? Because He wants, and h e needs every single moment that we can give to Him to baptize His Children! He does not want us to wait till next week, or tomorrow He wants them to be baptized today, right now, why else would He take 7 days away, one week?! He knows we don’t have time to wait anymore, not even one more single day! People need to be baptized today! The ordinance of Baptism does not ask for knowledge either, it asks for humility. It’s an ordinance of obedience, obedience is the first law in the Heavens, and God wants somebody to submit to His Will. I’m pretty sure in 3rd Nephi Jesus says that the new covenant is that someone needs to submit there will to Him, literally give everything that they have, all their dreams, wishes, desires, acts, even their thoughts must be given to Him. Knowledge never falls into this category, obedience does not ask for knowledge, it asks for humility! Who is better, someone with much knowledge, but breaks a couple of the commandments or someone that is of little knowledge, yet they keep all the commandments such as baptism! Only the humble will be saved in the end! There was an American elder that was born and raised in the church that got here in the field and did not know that in the joseph smiths first vision  he saw Jesus and God in the sacred grove, yet without this knowledge this elder was still on the mission because his humility was greater than his knowledge. can you imagine how ridiculous that would be if someone said to this young elder, " o you can’t serve a mission cause you didn’t know this." how foolish would that be, it’s because just as baptism requires a humble heart, so does the mission, actually so does everything in the Kingdom of God, He can’t mold a pride fully stiffened heart, it must be humble and soft! Jesus always sought the humble of heart, and was always accepted by them, how many prideful yet knowledgeable people accepted Him? None, those all crucified Him! Jesus asks for the humble of heart, with a broken spirit, people that want to take upon them His name, and remember Him always and keep His commandments! D and C 20 states clearly the people that are ready to be baptized in these our days, and it never anything about some sort of knowledge or how many times someone needs to go to church, or who they know in the church, how will they come to church, if they have a real testimony or real intent! Willford Woodruff, a PROPHET of God, was baptized on the SAME NIGHT that he met the missionaries and then later he went on to be one of the most FAITHFUL followers of Christ ever to live on this earth. How can we judge someone if they will stay active or if they have a real testimony or real intent? We can’t! And it’s a sin if we do! God the Father and Jesus Christ, our Savior have invited EVERYONE on this planet to HUMBLE and SUBMIT there will to them and be BAPTIZED. Where in the scriptures does it say that we can also decide if they are ready? Baptism is such an essential ordinance for salvation, why would God give us the power or authority to decide when someone’s ready, it’s His ordinance that He created, He is the only one that decides if someone’s ready and when! And He’s already spoken numerous times and in every dispensation, "REPENT YE REPENT YE AND BE BAPTIZED IN THE NAME OF MY BELOVED SON." "pride is the great stumbling block of Zion, i repeat, PRIDE is the great stumbling block of Zion." if we as members do not let our pride down, and humble ourselves before God, how are we going to baptize our brothers and sisters? We must share the gospel with every living creature, we must persuade them to submit there will to God and be baptized, but how can we persuade people to give there will and submit to God when pride fully we hold our own, clenched in our fists. Give it up! Give up everything you have to God, you will make of yourself a mere man; He can make of you a God! and when the missionaries come to you with two kids that have humble hearts, and that want to be baptized you go behind there back and stop the baptism because you think that there not ready cause there only 10 and 11, when an 8 year old sins it’s the same as an 20 year old sinning or a 50 year old or little Rose that’s your 80 year old neighbor, either way and at whatever age after 8 years old you must submit your will to God or you WILL NOT ENTER INTO THE KINGDOM OF GOD. This week i will visit a lady that will reap what she sewed. Love you mom!

     - Elder Bennett

Dad,

Thanks for the support! Ya I’ve realized that you and the family must be pretty busy in places that don’t have much internet access, but it’s alright go enjoy life! i searched that talk on lds site and i decided I’m going to study it for this week, sounds like a good talk.  i was really hoping to read where Dakota would be called to but i can wait one more week. take good care of him for me! The mission is a pretty special experience. I’m staying here in apucarana this for this next transfer with e. denna again, were going to cut a mean rug this transfer! :D

   i was sad that someday i would have to return home and not be able to be an elder but I’ve been thinking a lot lately on the people that pass by me every day in the real world and ill have just as many opportunities to share the gospel, just depends on the way we see it. i really liked that video that they showed in the broadcast about that family where everyone shared the gospel in their own way and with the everyday people they pass by but the difference is that they looked at their lives through Heavens eyes, seeing people as possible baptisms. i love this work and just cause someday i won’t have a name tag on anymore doesn’t mean the baptisms stop, once a baptizer always a baptizer!!!   we need more missionary couples in the world, look at this picture, it’s us in some other city about 2 hours away from apucarana and this is all people that would be baptized there but how would we ever start a group or a branch there if we don’t have a priesthood holder that’s experienced and can lead them. This city is so golden also! Imagine, if our mission had a missionary couple, send the couple there open up a group and i can guarantee you that in 2 months there’s 50 people baptized there easy, this dinky city is full of elects!

              love you a ton dad, thanks for all the support, its better to have a home team rooting for you always!

    - Elder Bennett

The Church is My Life!!!

Mom,

bass lake is such a blessing in my life. my goal is to one day buy that cabin so we can go up whenever we want during the summer, probably wont happen though. im suprised at how not sad or missing pres. tavares i am, he served his 3 years and hes on to living the rest of his life.  i dont know pres. genaro yet but ill meet him tomorrow, were gonna have that training thing in londrina tomorrow. he showed up last night and already has meeting with the leaders, his life for the next 3 years will be nothing but go go go and serve serve serve! i saw that riley is getting to be a strong young pup, tell him my kids will be stronger then his and let him know the rule still stands, older brother always wins in the end.

    i hated clovis north, buchanan is better. to bad i played for the wrong school.

   transfers are next week, so next week i could be emailing you to tell you im staying in apucarana. anything could happen though. ya e. denna is cool but most of the time we have too much fun.

         my wife will be pregnant next bass lake trip.

  wherever dakota goes hell be awesome!!!

 i finally had the chance to see the conference on sunday. best thing eveeeerrrr!!! i found myself crying multiple times from the great stories of missionary work but i didnt let anyone see cause when the lone wolf cries he cries a lone. hence the name. i decided im gonna keep all the commandments, get married in the temple, have a successful life aka be rich and serve a ton after the mission just so that i can be called to serve a mission again as a mission president, i cant wait til me and wife are like 70 years old to get back out in the field, i gotta get the missionary tag on as fast as possible after!! i love this work! theres nothing else that matters then the work of salvation!

   this big guy named junior gave a talk in sacrament meeting and he said many times i hear members say, " the church plays a big part of my life!" he got real close to the mic and then said in his big black man voice, "what?! the church plays a big part in your life?! ...no! the church is your life!" i felt the Heavens open in this moment and realized that even i before the missoin would say that to my friends when they asked about the church. sometimes id reply that it plays a big part in my life, or that its the most important thing in my life and just the other day i had been thinking about that, how much greater that life is when we give it away to the Savior. now i know that the church is my life, and its a better life!

  e. denna is doing his online application to byu idaho right now and when i saw i started booing him loudlyin this computer place, such a terrible trunky thing to do. im gettin old on the mission also. its a very wierd thing.

 that lady we baptized last week, her nephew got baptized this week. i forgot to tell you, her name is mariluz, we met her on thursday at 7 at night, she was baptized on friday at 7 at night, shes super firm also, such an elect daughter of God!!! love you all, promise ill send pics next week though but this week i dont have any.   - Elder Bennett