August 4, 2013

Woot! Half way into the transfer with heaps of miracles placed in our path. It’s moments like these that make everything worth it. My wonderful core experience with God was being blessed with an incredible investigator, Daniel. We met him at the beginning of July and we had a great lesson and I was really excited and grateful that we had found him. But then we really didn't see him much after that. So I thought oh well I guess he's not ready, but we will try back later. So this week the traveling sisters were here and my companion and another sister saw him, and made an appt for Sunday (yesterday). We went back on Sunday and we taught him the Plan of Salvation. Towards the end of the lesson I really felt the presence of the Holy Ghost. It was so strong and my heart was pounding, and the thought came to my mind, over and over again, to invite him to be baptized. So you know what I did? :) I invited him to be baptized on the 24th of August. And guess what!! He said Yes! I was ecstatic. You could see this huge grin on my face. The first time on my mission when someone has said yes to baptism and actually meant it. After we left, my companion immediately said a prayer of thanks and gratitude for Heavenly Fathers help in that lesson. I'm still amazed. I'm so grateful that I am striving to be obedient and worthy, so that when those opportunities come I am ready. I'm not saying I'm perfect, not even close. Sometimes I wish I was because this whole life process would be a lot easier, but I am really trying.

 

Coffs Harbor

In my process to become a transformational teacher I really have been striving to use the scriptures in every lesson. Because I mean, who can say it better then the prophets and Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. The scriptures truly are so powerful and they give witness and truth to everything we teach as Missionaries. Or I guess more like we witness to the truth of the Book of Mormon. One lesson with a Less Active, we read the conversion story of Alma the Younger and how he acted on his core experience with God and he became the better man because of it. Another wonderful chapter in Romans 8 (thanks to my wonderful mom for sending that to me) talks about all the things being possible with our Heavenly Father. I love the comforting words of the scriptures. They are way better teachers then I will ever be. 

This week we really tried to be better about going out and finding people to teach. Because nothing happens on the mission until you find someone to teach. And I can't say that I always loved finding, and I think the biggest thing that holds me back is my fear. Whether it’s of what the people will say or if I'm afraid that I won't be able to say the right thing. I don't know. But we just decided to go finding and that feeling of fear crept in. You know just like in the scary movie when the scary music starts playing? That’s how I felt. And of course it wasn't that extreme. So I said a quick prayer that I wouldn't be afraid, and it totally worked. I was basically running from house to house being like who can I talk to next? And something else we have really tried to do is teach and testify from the very second you meet them. It really helps to give them no time to wonder what we truly believe. One lady we talked to said "well if your interested, I have a true copy of the Bible you can have." We told her that we had a Bible that we know to be the word of God,  and she said, "Oh that Mormon book?" And we said we know that's the word of God as well, but we read the Bible as well. They work together. She looked surprised, told us thanks but no thanks. But we were supposed to meet her, and we planted a seed so that maybe one day someone will harvest it.

 I truly am stunned at how much my Heavenly Father is truly in this work. He leads us to people, and we teach them and miracle after miracle continue to happen. I'm so grateful to be a missionary. We had Zone Training Meeting on Saturday and the Zone Leaders did an excellent job. One thing that I loved is what one of the Zone Leaders said. He said "If we truly understood how much a person truly needs the Atonement, we would shake HELL to get there." It made me think of the saying "Be the kind of person that when you wake up the in the morning Satan trembles and says oh no she's up again." The truth of the Gospel will go forth across all the earth, no matter what Satan does, and I want to be on the Lord's side. I'm so grateful that I was called to serve a mission here in Australia. I know this Church is true! I know that God lives and that he is in every second of this work. I know that there are people all around us prepared for this Gospel, we just have to get out there and find them. 

Love you heaps!

Have an INCREDIBLE week! 

I'll see you soon! 13 months left. I can't believe I have already been on the mish for 5 months. It feels like 2 seconds!

Love Sister Benjamin