Week 103- ONE WEEK LEFT!

Please Come to Bennie's Homecoming

Heatheridge 7th

Ward June 19th at 11:00 AM

LDS Chapel at 620 E 

Heather Road Orem

We will also gather for an Open House after his talk  

12:30-5:00 at 

Our Home 707 East Cherapple Circle (1780 North) in Orem

He will also have a chance to speak the following week Junes 26th at 1:00 PM Heatheridge Stake Center - Heatheridge Second Ward450 E 2000 N Orem

Second to last P-day...  Holy cow.  It was a good week.  We told you what happened last Monday already, so on to Tuesday.  We had a lesson with L-, and it was quite interesting...  We talked about temple baptisms, and whoever taught him that initially did a not great job because he thought that it opened a portal to the spirit world and bad spirits could escape...  Yeah, interesting guy.  After that we dropped by the laundromat and read some BOM with A- (girl).  We visited with S- in the rehab center after that.  He's recovering well!  He just wants to be walking again.  He's just as faithful as ever though! It's awesome! Then we helped the Chamberlain’s move some stuff from the garage into the shed!  Elder French and Elder Smuin came down to party with us there that night, and spent the night at our apartment! It was so fun!  We all took a peeps picture!  I'll have to get it from Elder Brown and send it.  Then they spent the whole day with us. Wednesday too!  It was especially great because they got to go to the Chamberlain’s with us again!  We taught B- that night.  We finished up the commandments.  He agreed to live them all if he finds out the Book of Mormon is true.  So we committed him to fast about it on Sunday, and find out if it is true.  

Wednesday morning we were supposed to help out with seminary , but we forgot to set alarms!  We showed up a half hour late...  Sister Hale said it was fine, and that we used our freebie day, but I felt so bad....  Sister Hale was really understanding though, it was great.  I love the Hale's so much!

Thursday was pretty enjoyable.  We ran to the Chamberlain’s early in the morning because I had forgotten some stuff there the night before, then we had zone district meeting.  It was a pretty fun day!  We mostly played games there.  Werewolf for trainer trainee meeting, then human foosball for ZDM.  After that I had brought scotch bonnet peppers for all the people that hadn't had them yet.  It was really funny, but also very sad.  I felt kinda bad after.  The Hale's took us to reindeer grill for dinner!  No they don't actually cook reindeer... Dad, I know exactly what you were thinking.  They got us some super good pizzas for dinner,  then we helped out with some of their moving preparation.  Unfortunately we didn't move any animals this week. It was really fun last week!  But I did find a massive spider.  No joke this thing was as big as my palm.  It freaked me out so badly... Ugh.  

Friday was cool.  We got our laundry done at the laundromat and did BOM with A-.  We helped Sister Chamberlain trim some trees after that.  It was a good time.  Then we had dinner with the Walter family.  Mom, if you were to have a third boy what would you have named him?  Because the Walter family have a Benjamin who they call Bennie a Nicholas no they Nick, then their youngest is named Alex, so it was always wired to hear them talk about Bennie, or ask him to do stuff for them.

Saturday was an off day for me.  I don't know why, I just felt weird.  We had basketball that morning.  Then we went to a family history center barbecue with Elder Summit and Elder V.  We ran over a snake on the way there!  Proud of me dad??  We had dinner with K- and J-.  It was pretty fun, we talked about Vivint and next summer, and also how they will be in Utah the 19th of June, so they want to come to my homecoming!!!!!  So cool!  They fly out the day after I do.  I started assembling all my things and getting out my suitcases that night...  Yikes...  Not excited about that stuff.

Sunday ewe got to teach primary!  It was so fun!  Brother Hale had to leave church early, so we got to take over his class.  The 5 and 6 year olds, so it was a party.  Then we dropped by A-‘s after church to unwind a bit, and pretty much all her friends came over they day, so we got to meet a lot of them.  We went to the Gardner’s after that because Brother Gardner is starting a missionary journal to keep a record of all the missionaries that served here, so Elder Brown and I were the first to sign it!  Then we had dinner with the Knight family!!  It was tons of fun!  There are so many people here I'm going to miss so much.

Today we went to the Jefferson Memorial and Ceasar’s house, and are just getting back home.  We have dinner with the Cheney family tonight, and then will probably hang with A- for a bit!  One more email then I'll see you guys!!  Love you so much!!!!

Week 102- It's June

Bennie tried a new method of communicating this week.  He sent us a "weekly" via video that he shared on our icloud album.  Uhmmm..ya! So- basically we don't have much to relay onto you guys this week.

He did have another milestone on his journey at the Mission President's home this week. It is their Farewell Dinner and Testimony meeting.  Each missionary is presented a special WDCN Mission Gold Coin from President Cooke and his wife.  He commented that it was not okay that he was there and it just doesn't seem real to him to be coming home.

He shared with Brad a bit of the testimony he bore that night.  He said that he has gained a greater appreciation for the principle of obedience.  He has gained this appreciation over the two years as he has had times when he was not so obedient, or selectively obedient, to certain mission rules.  He suffered and found that this was a very low point in his mission experience.  In time, he recognized his attitude and disobedience and made a huge change to be more obedient and observe all the rules.  He has been able to see such a difference in his attitude, his happiness, and blessings.  As he has been training Elder Brown these last few months of his mission, Bennie says he has been trying his hardest to share this perspective and wisdom to benefit his "greenie" in his upcoming mission experiences.   

Today marks officially two weeks until he is home! We are busy doing little projects to make his homecoming great!  

Love you all- Michele

Farewell Dinner

Gold Coin

Week 101- “A Bible! A Bible! We have got a Bible and there cannot be anymore Bible!”

Please Come to Bennie's Homecoming

Heatheridge 7th

Ward June 19th at 11:00 AM

LDS Chapel at 620 E 

Heather Road Orem

We will also gather for an Open House after his talk 12:30-5:00 at 

Our Home 707 East Cherapple Circle (1780 North) in Orem

He will also have a chance to speak the following week Junes 26th at 1:00 PM Heatheridge Stake Center - Heatheridge Second Ward

450 E 2000 N Orem

Okay, late letters, so it’s a quick letter...  Sorry!  

Tuesday we had a lesson with LL- in the morning.  I feel like it's sinking in with him, so progress is being made!  The Gourleys had us over for lunch! It was super fun!  I love going out to their house because it's right on the beach of the Patuxent River and everything is so pretty there. One thing it did this week was rain.  Like, a lot.  It's been raining for almost a month straight.  It's like Washington State over here. We dropped by Brother Heath’s for a while to do some administrative stuff after that, then we went to A’s to read the Book of Mormon. We had dinner with The Hale's after that!  It was super good--peanut butter and jelly!  Sister Hale had such a hard time feeding the missionaries peanut butter and jelly, but it was so good!  

Wednesday was also pretty good.  Looking back this week was pretty busy.  Dang. We did our laundry that morning at the laundromat, and read the Book of Mormon with A- some more.  She doesn't like reading it by herself, so I'm hoping spoon feeding her a bit will get her to appreciate it.
Sister March had us over for lunch that day!  It was pretty fun. We've been sharing 2 Nephi 29:3 lately, where it talks about the Gentiles rejecting the Book of Mormon by saying, "a Bible! A Bible! We have got a Bible and there cannot be anymore Bible!"  Missionaries quote that a lot when people slam the door on us.  We read it a couple weeks ago and it really reaffirmed my testimony of the Book of Mormon though.  Go through and read that chapter if you get the chance, it's a pretty good one! (https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/2-ne/29?lang=eng)

We went to The Chamberlains after that and taught B-, then we had dinner with them!  Elder Blood and Elder Smuin came too!  It was so fun! 

Thursday was mostly meetings again.  Then Brother Hale took us out to dinner at Bert’s 50s diner, and we got to go see a couple of their Amish friends after that!  

Friday we did our studies in our hammocks at the church!  It was so much fun!  It was cool to be outside and studying too.  Then we went and visited a returning member, Sister G-.  She has 4 dogs.  They're very eccentric dogs.  By the time we sat down most of the dogs liked us, but one of them, it's name is Shady, growled at us the entire time we were there!  We went and did service at The Chamberlains after that! Planted a tree, pressure washed some steps---good times.  For dinner we were taken out to dinner at Panda Express by The Sponaugles.  

Saturday was pretty enjoyable.  We played basketball at the church, then we were going to help The Hale's start moving their animals, because they're moving soon, but we got rained out.  So we went and helped Brother Palmer start tearing apart his basement instead!!  It was pretty fun! Ripping paneling off the walls and breaking closets down!  So fun! Then we went and did more Book of Mormon with A-.  

Sunday was quite eventful... As always we had ward council at 7:30 AM.  This week’s main agenda item was planning sacrament-meeting talks.  Well, I kind ducked behind Brother Grange as well as I could until we were just about done.  We needed one more talk for June 26th, so I sat up
pretty confident I was in the clear.  As I sat up Bishop made eye contact with me, and asked, "Will you be here?"  I told him, "I'll be in Utah..."  So they promptly switched one of the speakers from the 12th of June, and put me there instead...  So yeah.  I'll be speaking three weeks in a row based on what you told me today Mom and Dad!  I got to bless the sacrament though!  It had been almost a year since I'd done that, and the last time I did it was in sign language!  Then we went to The Chamberlains!  I love all of The Chamberlains so much! I seriously could not have asked to meet better people out here than I have.. It's so awesome.  I cut Spencer's hair again!  He asked for me to make it like mine; I hope he likes it.

Today was really eventful!  We went bowling with The Roses,one of the senior couples down here.They also took us to lunch.  Right as we were leaving the Syracuse vs. Maryland quarter final lacrosse game came on!  We were headed out the door, but I got to watch the first three goals...  It made me miss lacrosse championships so badly!  When is the actual final?  Will I be home?  We also went frisbee golfing again today!  This time in the middle of a thunderstorm!  It was so much fun!!  Anyway, that's week 101.  Three emails left! 

Love you guys!

Hammock Studies

Week 100- Breaking into Triple Digits

Breaking triple digits over here!!  That's so crazy.  Anyway, I'll go through my week this time pretty good, because last week was kinda garbage- (meaning we didn’t get an email from him last week.)  So, here we go! 

Monday we went to Arlington.  It was pretty fun, just kinda rainy, and cold...  Then we had dinner with The Chamberlains!  Elder Summit and I did because Elder Brown and Elder Vermuelen forgot to take their phone on their trip to Point Lookout. That was part of the stress that added to not emailing so great on Monday, we were trying to locate two missing persons.  They were fine, just so no one worries. 

Tuesday was pretty awesome.  We had a lesson with L-.  We're going through the priesthood, like super in depth right now.  It's been pretty fun for me to study and learn about, then teach it too.  Then we had lunch with The Granges.  It was super good, pancakes!  They had this stuff called lemon curd, which was pretty much like liquid lemon bars. So good...  We went to the laundromat and read the Book of Mormon with A-.  We contacted a couple of our new move-ins after that.  It wasn't very successful; but it was good.  We had dinner at home.  Then we all went to Tara Gardner’s house.  It was pretty fun.  Her kids were so funny that night!  Savannah was getting on the couch and getting on Elder Brown’s back and playing with his hair.  It was funny. 

Wednesday, I had a kinda frustrating night, but well get to that.  We went and read the Book of Mormon with A- again.  Our goal is to try and get her to appreciate it. She has a rough time with scripture reading.  Then we went and visited with SW-.  Then we had dinner with The Bowies.  It was so good!  And their house is so cool!  It's in the middle of the woods on Dr. Samuel Mudd Rd., the same Doctor Mudd that treated John Wilkes Booth leg after fleeing DC.  He came right through our area.  Zekiah swamp is just down the road!  We went and gave a blessing after that, and then went to Cafe Rió with A-(boy).  It was tons of fun.  A- is so cool!  I love this area so, so much!  Then frustration came.  Basically, the traveling trainers wanted to come into our area, but they didn't tell me about it, and I was having a hard time with them thinking they didn’t need to contact us before they set up appointments in our area, so I was really upset. I wanted to totally lose my cool.  But, I found a constructive solution. I went on exchange with the zone leaders that day, so I didn't hinder the spirit with my feelings.  So yeah.  It was hard; but I think I have learned how to handle things constructively.

Anyway, Thursday we met with M- in the morning followed by Zone District meeting.  It was pretty fun actually.  I felt a little stress because the zone leaders had asked me conduct a zone council where we discuss ideas to create more zone unity.  It was really intimidating...  But I think it went okay.  We were able to get lots of interaction and feedback, so that's good.  Then I went up to Anacostia with Elder Jenks.  He's from Othello, Washington- dad (Brad served his mission in Eastern Washington)! Where all did you serve around there?  When?  It'd be cool if you ran into his family somehow. I felt really special because I was able to be on exchange with him on his birthday!  We arranged for the two of us and a few other companionships went out to dinner for him.  I got him dinner for his birthday gift!  It was a really fun night!  Finally, we got to do some Anacostia contacting!  Woohoo! 

Friday was awesome.  We got a car wash that morning as we drove to help out Elder Brown and Elder Hill and Elder Summit and Elder Vermuelen with service.  Then we pounded some pizza!  Elder Brown and I took a nice drive after that to cool off a bit from how frustrated we were the day before.  Then A-(girl) took us to Ghengis Grill for dinner. 

Saturday we played basketball, and went to The Chamberlains for most of the day. That wasn't originally the plan, but people kept cancelling on us. We did have a lesson with – J (young daughter) after a long hiatus because of J- and K-’s wedding. 

Yesterday was cool.  Church was fun.  Then we had a lunch dinner...  Mid-day meal at The Cottles. They made waffles with buttermilk syrup!!  I missed buttermilk syrup!  Then after that we went up to Why I Believe at the visitors center.  It was my last one.....  So weird....  I don't like it.  It was really fun because I got to see lots of old friends, but still just really weird because it was my last one.  

Today we woke up early and did sunrise pics at Calvert Cliffs.  Then took a nap, and went shopping.  Then had dinner with the Nichole's!  They're so awesome!  Then A-(girl) wasn't feeling well, so we stopped by to see if there was anything we could do for her.  Now we're just hanging out at home!  Love you guys!  See you soon!

Calvert Cliffs