February 24, 2014

Good to hear everything is going well at home haha. It’s odd to me to
hear things have started and are over so quickly. Dance and
basketball. I swear just last email I was being told that Carlie was
going to be Clara in the Nutcracker and now that's long gone. Time
flies! This past Friday I hit 6 months. Can you believe a quarter of
my time here is already up?

I am so excited to start hearing everyone's calls! Ahhh So cool. Soon
we will all be wearing this black name tag, Just in different places!
Hopefully they all come here to Uganda!

 

 

 

Africa

It was hard to say goodbye to the friends I had made in Mukono. The
hardest was old man K. He was the old man I'd been teaching. Ah
poor guy almost cried when I told him I was leaving. He bore a
testimony to me that I will never forget. He told me a few months back
he was trying to rededicate himself to church but just couldn't
understand a lot of things namely the Book of Mormon. He said he
prayed hard and long that he would be able to understand. Then he said
I came along. He said he had never learned so much from a missionary
before. He said that I had been the answer to his prayer. The last
part of best of all. He said before I came around he hated reading
from the Book of Mormon because of how frustrated he would get. Now he
said he loves reading it. And I find him reading in his house time and
again.

 

 

 

I am so so grateful for the role I was able to play in that man’s life.
I hope he is able to pull his less active children back to the church.
His finally testimony made all those struggles worth it! I am going to
miss that guy. Hopefully that wasn't the last time to see him.

So like I said I've been transferred.  So on
Thursday the APs came and picked me up and took me to Ntinda (Near the
mission office). I stayed there for the night. The next morning I took
a shower in their apartment.. That was my first shower in 6 months.
You have no idea how much I miss standing in the shower. Ah! It was so
nice! After that I load my stuff into the senior couple’s car and we
drove 5 hours to Lira Town. So far I'm liking it! But man I'm
in the bush! This is deep Africa! Some of the people here are
literally living in Mud huts with grass roofs. Also they don't speak
Luganda up here. They speak Luwa or Luo (not sure what it’s called yet).
So all the Luganda I've learned is useless up here.
They greet by saying "Apio" The reply is "Berr". So
It’s time to start learning another new language ha.

So so hot! And there isn't a lot of food. Not that people are
starving. It’s just there isn't a lot of food options. All they have up
here is beans and rice.. yay.

My new Companion is Elder A. He is from Zimbabwe. He is just
reaching a year on mission. He is a good guy, and a hard worker. We
should do well this transfer. The apartment we are staying in is not
bad. I have a lot of cleaning to do but at least this one has a good
shower. I've been showering twice a day just because I love it so much
haha. Down side of this one is it has a small kitchen, no closet for
our clothes, and no washing machine. Yup, I'm washing my clothes by
hand. It’s humbling to say the least.

 

Love you

Elder Bennion

 

 

 

 

February 17,2014

Sorry so short I have a ton of emails today. Shannon, Taven, Grandpa B, and Bro. Davenport.

 

I definitely am feeling better at this point. I was frustrated I think

just because I had the weight of the whole area on my shoulders, I’ve

had no companion dang it. I know this is the lords work, he is doing

it his way. I know that my efforts are not wasted, someone is always

blessed by service.

 

 

Africa.

 

So only one story. My Uganda Visa expired last November so I’ve been

illegal in the country for a while. So I get a call Tuesday night from

the mission office telling me that in the morning I would be driving

to Kenya for visa work. So the next morning I hop in the Van and they

drove me and a few other missionaries all the way to Kenya! 6 hour car

ride one way, it sucked! But I did get to go into Kenya! So now I have

Kenya stamps and a Kenya visa in my passport. Also while I was there I

bought a Kenya Soccer Scarf. It’s pretty sweet!

 

I got a new companion for the week. His name is Elder A. He is

from Utah. I really like him he is funny. However He is one of the

Elders just waiting for an Ethiopian Visa, which he got, so he will

probably be leaving tomorrow ha. Found out just seconds ago I am being

transferred up north to Village. I will be in Lira this next transfer!

 

 

I love and miss you all so so much! Everyday I am thinking of you guys

back home. The blessing our family has received through the gospel are

my motivation to spear it to that even people here in Africa can have

the happiness that we experience every day :)

 

 

Elder Bennion

 

 

 

February 10, 2014

This week is the last week of the transfer, so I should know my new

Comp or Area next email. Elder M is gone. However it

means that I'm back to sleeping on the ground getting eaten alive by

mosquitos at night..  My sheets do alright but some still get to me.

 

 

 

Nothing really to talk about this week, no stories. Just doing the

same old same old. I'll be honest, it’s been hard. I talked to dad

about it. I hear all these other Elders in the first 6 month of their

missions had 20 baptisms, and I have 1. Day in day out no one

progressing or keeping commitments. I talked to elder Frakes about it

as well. I told him While I’ve been on mission my testimony of the

Gospel has grown infinitely, but my testimony of missionary work is

just about dead.. I want to see someone accept the gospel and put

forth the effort required for it to bless their life. It kills me to

have people fall away or reject us. They really have no idea what they

are forfeiting. So yes, I’m not proud to say it but I’m getting tired.

But there is nothing I can really do about it. So I just keep my head

up and keep on keepin on. Things are bound to get better eventually,

and if not, then I just say these weren't my two years anyways. I’ll

let the Lord do what we wants with them. I just give it all I’ve got.

 

I love and miss all of you very very much. I can’t believe how fast

time has gone by but at the same time, it’s going slow as ever. About a

week and a half I’ll be a quarter of the way. I pray every night that

others, as well as you at home will reap the rewards and blessing for

my labors. Till next week,

 

Elder Bennion

 

 

February 3,1014

 

Another week down, It’s hard to believe I’ve been away from home for

almost 6 months. I feel like I was still in the MTC last week. Time on

mission goes slowly, but so fast. I’m doing great! Everything is okay.

 

I emailed Elder B. He hasn't received any info. The problem is

that the guy who use to do all the Visa work left, he was way good at

it.

 

You have no idea how excited I am for that package :) yaayyy packages

are the most fun thing on mission! It’s like a Christmas present!

 

Africa

 

Story. So Elder H is a missionary from Mercet California.

He has been in Ethiopia for about 10 months of his mission. Also when he came on mission he

was 320 pound, He has lost 80 pounds on mission! He is a really funny

kid, He has been in my district for almost 2 transfers love him haha.

The last few years he has had back problems and they have been getting

worse. 2 weeks ago he told the mission Doc, and he took him to get an

MRI. Well he has some discs in his back that are really bad and they

decided they needed to send him home.. So about 2 days later they told

him he would be on a plane. That left him no time to get souvenirs or

anything! So elder F and I had to take Elder M in to the

mission office the day before Elder H went home, so we dropped

Elder M at the Mission office and Elder F and I decided to take

out some Personal funds and Buy elder H all the Souvenirs we

could find! It was so fun! We went deep into down town Kampala And a

Member from the Mengo ward showed us a souvenir swap meet. We got him

tons of stuff to take home and the look on his face when we gave him

all that stuff was priceless. That’s why I took out Money last week.

It was so fun Down town Kampala was nuts!!

 

 

So today For Pday we had a tri-zone activity in Jinja. It’s the first

time I’ve been to Jinja It was way fun. We played some basketball, but

mostly I was playing soccer with the Africans it’s so fun to play with

them hahah I’m learning! afterwards we went to a restaurant in Jinja

town called "The Keep" It was founded by an American. So they have

American food. Guess what I was able to order! A Philly Cheesesteak

sandwich, Spicey fries, a diet coke, and a Kit Kat Milkshake! AHHHH

Easily the most satisfying meal I’ve had in the last 5 and a half

months. mmmm

 

Well that’s about all I’ve got to say today. I love and miss all of you

so so much. If I’ve learned anything on mission it’s the importance of

family. I’m so so blessed to have a family like you and I thank God

every night for the life I was born in to. We are truly blessed in all

aspects of our lives. Keep up all the good work! I’ll see you in a year

or so hahahah ;)

 

Elder Bennion

 

 

January 27, 2014

Another week gone. That’s good that Lexie and Brayden will be staying

with bujjajje (Luganda word for both grandparents) Bennion. That would

be fun. I would love living with them hahah.

 

Congrats on finishing those books in the OT. I just started Galatians.

So I’m slowly moving through the NT haha

 

 

New companion. He is temporary. His name is Elder Mukasa. He is from

Entebbe (Uganda) He has been serving in Botswana For the last 7 months

but had to return to Uganda to renew his visa.

 

 

Elder Bednar's meeting was so great! I was literally 20 ft right in

front of him! The meeting was just inside the Kololo chapel. It was

unlike any meeting I have ever heard of or been at. First he was super

funny, cracking jokes! Then get this, Invites to the meeting was 5

general authorities! 5! Elder Bednar, Hamilton, Cook, Renlund, Ussi. All

present in the meeting. So then what happened is he opened it up like

a questions and answers. People from the audience ask him questions

and one of the 5 would answer the question. Here is the bonus. Their

wives were also all there as well and were invited to answer questions

as well. Most of the time Elder Bednar stood at the pulpit his wife stood

with him and added her thoughts and testimony to his as did all the

other wives. It was Soo cool! The topics discussed was Priesthood,

Family, and Culture. It was a powerful meeting I’m glad I got to be a

part of it, I have a page full of notes to share. Most of it isn’t

really mission relevant but it will be useful post mission. AHH be

jealous! It was awesome!

So I haven’t been sleeping under a mosquito net because I couldn’t sleep

in my own room without a companion. So I really put my deetsheets to

the test! Well they work! I woke up just about every morning with

about 30 dead mosquitos around my mattress hahah so I have to give it

to that guy at ILC the sheets work. It the last 4 weeks I’ve only

gotten a few small bites on my hands hhaha!

 

Woke up with a huge Madagascar hissing cockroach in my bed the other

day, that was fun! Guess he thought I had moved out for good. Stupid

things I lit it on fire.

 

I caught the flu from Elder Muange so I have had no voice the last 2

days. Which makes missionary work difficult because people treat me

like I have leprosy... :(

 

Also got my hair cut again today so I am once again bald... yayy.. I

hate African haircuts with a fiery burning passion.

 

I got your package! SOOOOO AWESOME! thank you so so so sosososo so

much! I always use that stuff to cook myself and others a nice meal on

Sundays after church. Last Sunday it was chicken fajitas! So nice!!!

mmmm!

 

Well that’s all I’ve got for this week! I love and miss you all so so much!

love,

Elder Bennion