April 28, 2014

It’s good to hear everything at home is still doing okay, that is an answer to my prayers. That’s crazy that we got a new Stake Pres! I’ll miss Miles. He was great. But I think England will be awesome too. It’s true it’s harsh living here, but for 2 years it’s worth it.

Our water is back, so that’s great! yay!

Easter wasn’t the same but I did my best haha :)

Quit Crying! It’s been 8 months dang it. haha

Hey I’m in Alma too, but I just started! I’m so proud of Carlie and Carter’s effort to read the scriptures. They have no idea how powerful the scriptures really are but as they continue, they will. The mysteries of God will be unfolded unto them.

Africa'

Well I did finally get my hat! So hopefully the sun will stop torturing my face! Every Sunday members are like "what happened to your nose?" I have to explain to them that because I’m Moonoo (white) They sun burns my skin!

Elder Alfred and I both crashed on our bikes this week haha. I’m riding along enjoying the blistering heat and sun, when all the sudden my back tire slides off the crappy uneven dusty road, and I eat it. No harm done though. Didn’t even draw blood! So after laughing I continued along. Well it was night time, and some people don’t ride with lights so Elder Alfred is in front of me and out of nowhere a guy is riding towards us.  They both corrected the same direction and WAM!! As I get closer I can here Alfred laughing too and he says this is a dangerous night for us. The other guy took off pretty quick. He wasn’t looking for trouble. Alfred stands his bike back up, straightens his crooked handlebars and we continue once again with our journey. The funny thing is that both crashes were within about 5 minutes of each other. hahah

I’ve gotten sick again.. This time just a cold I think so hopefully it will pass quickly. Being sick combine with this heat, with no medication kind of sucks a lot. But all is well. I’ll be fine. Like you said “Do It” haha

I love and miss all of you so much, but sharing the blessing that I have received in my family, with the families I meet feels so good!! I’m so grateful for all the understanding I have been given, before and during my mission. I will not disappoint my Savior. Everything we gives to me I try to share with someone else. Keep praying! Love you!

Elder Bennion

April 21, 2014

Sound like home is still okay hahah good to hear everyone is still in their activities!

Africa:

This week we have had no water.. For some reason the whole town lost water for about 5 days.. it was super sucky. We had to fill jeri cans with water at the well then carry them to the apartment. I have a greater respect for all the people that have to do that every day here. It was killer.

So we were knocking doors one day and I found a little hut. Everyone here has door curtains because it gets hot in the huts during the day so they leave the door open but put up a curtain to keep the dust out. Well this little grass hut had an American Flag as their door curtain.. Well I fell in love, I knocked and talked to the guy. He wasn't interested in the gospel. I decided to ask him if I could buy the flag from him, he said sure and I offered him 10,000 UGX ($4) He was thrilled and gave it to me hahah so now I have a tired, beat-up, flag from Uganda! haha its pretty sweet!

We did some service this week for a lady in the branch. Digging in her field. I can now Identify plants like Maze (corn), Beans, Red pepper, and casava,

For Easter I kind of took over for celebrating again. Every night as a district we would read what happened with the corresponding day of the week for Christ. I liked it I don’t know about the other Elders, also I’ve been teaching Our RCs and LAs The last week of Christ in prep for Easter! Easter here was once again very disappointing. No other tradintions besides the palms.. :( Actually Easter Sunday Is a popular day to party.. So we saw A LOT of drinking last night :(

We went out to Ober again Saturday to visit Sam and Ambrose. It was great. We talked about Easter, then about the book of Mormon. They just expressed how much they were enjoying it. They rehearsed the story of Nephi vs. Laban, They just laughed at how the brothers ran away when Nephi came out in Laban’s cloths. It’s a feeling like no other to see the gospel and the scriptures bringing new found happiness to people. Also E. Sunday they were ordained to the Aaronic Priesthood. so cool. I’m eternally grateful for the role I’ve gotten to play in their life :)

Well I think That’s all I’ve got for today, I’ll try to send a few pics today, I send one from Sis. Chatfields phone earlier haha Zone Conference was awesome. President always has so much to inspire us with! I love you all so so much and still miss you like crazy but it won’t last forever, so why worry! I got the Easter letter today! Thank you for the ENSIGN!! YAYY!! Love you!!

Elder Bennion

April 14,2014

Thank you for everything :) Your thoughts do mean a lot to me! And I love hearing what you have learned :) I’m gaining all those same testimonies in the parts I read. I love the scriptures!!!

I’m feeling much much better this week. Still kind of tired and I have a chronic head ache but I can live with that, I’m doing great.

So yesterday was palm Sunday, and the culture here is On Saturday and Sunday Everyone walks around carrying a Palm branch. They are attached to cars and Bodas (Motorbike), Bicycles. They are everywhere! I thought it was a very, very cool sight to see. Everyone remembering Christ. So, so far I’ve been more impressed with Easter than Christmas.

Elder Alfred, a Shona (Tribe from Zim) He is 22. He joined the church when he was 11. His parents were converts. He is always laughing, He has a very deep voice, just a good kid. He is a bold missionary. He often tells people "we have taught you the truth, now it’s up to you to follow the truth, or not" Just tells people the way it is. He helped me to be Bold, and I think I’ve helped him be patient with others (Investigators or other Elders). We have fun!

Well I'm doing good! As always I love and miss you all so so much, But I know I’m where I’m suppose to be! Keep praying for me! I’m praying for you!

Elder Bennion

April 8, 2014

I’m not so good. This week sucked really really bad. I got Malaria. So

I’ve been unable to get up from my bed except to throw up or diarrhea

for about 5 days. I had a fever of about 103 for 2-3 days straight.

Malaria feels a lot like the flu but worse and with a few bonuses ha.

I also had to go to this nasty sketchy clinic and got a shot in my

butt to bring my fever down. So I’ve felt like crap this week. Not fun.

Being sick in mission really sucks. You to feel

guilty if you’re not doing something productive. So all day you lay

there feeling guilty for not leaving the house. Second, you can’t do

any of the things you can at home when you’re sick. No movies, no

Gatorade :( , no Jell-O..  no soup or

 moms to rub your back., worst of all

because of all the things I listed you feel super super home sick.. so

I’ve had a horrid horrid week. My mind has been saying "that’s it, this

sucks. I want to go home" but my heart still says "Just another quick

trial, you're an Elder. You're fine." So as I said being sick on

mission sucks but at least now I can say I have experience Malaria..

yay

I am recovering though, My temp is back to normal and I’m on enough

medication to cure the world of malaria.. Just dizzy and still a

little achy. But I’ll live to teach another Restoration lesson ha

That Story with C is really really awesome, I will be praying

hard for her. If she is willing and ready to accept the gospel her

life is about to get so much better. I just wish I could have been

there to hug the guts out of both of the Girls I chased growing up.

First Lexie because I miss her like crap and she is awesome for

running the Lords errand. AH sooo sweet! Then C because now

that I'm taller than her it won’t be so awkward to hug her and she has

just taken the first of many steps in becoming what God knows and we

as Saints know she can become. Keep me posted on that. She needs to be

referred to the Missionaries ;)

Well I don’t get to see conference for a few weeks. We have to wait for

the DVDs so it’ll be awhile. Sounds like everything there is still

going great. I miss home more and more every day, But I know that this

is exactly where I’m supposed to be. So no problem. I know I mentioned

it to Lexie but currently I’ve been a little Obsessed with Jacob,

especially chapter 5. I went from hating it as a kid, dang Vineyard.

To now that is my favorite book in the BoM. I’ve read it over and over.

It is the most marked up book in my triple. . Missionary work is hard work. And there isn’t a lot of reward. So
why am I doing it? Because I know that these things are true, I know
that I have been called to this work by Christ himself. The Vineyard
in Jacob 5 is the clearest and most simply understood parable once
eyes have been open to how missionary work is to be done.

 "62 Wherefore, let us go to and labor with our might this last time,
for behold the end draweth nigh, and this is for the last time that I
shall prune my vineyard."

 "66 For it grieveth me that I should lose the trees of my vineyard;
wherefore ye shall clear away the bad according as the good shall
grow, that the root and the top may be equal in strength, until the
good shall overcome the bad, and the bad be hewn down and cast into
the fire, that they cumber not the ground of my vineyard; and thus
will I sweep away the bad out of my vineyard."

I love love love the

scriptures.

But not a lot to report this week since I’ve been sick. We have a new

elder in the district Elder Manuwere (Zimbabwe) he is huge!! and so so

funny!

I love you all!

Elder Bennion

ps. No I won’t get anything till the last Saturday of the month that’s

when the zls go to Kampala.

Oh and please tell Grandma B THANK YOU for the package :) I get the

most in the whole mission I’m sure :)And Grandma R for the money.

March 31, 2014

Your story is awesome! I'm so proud!! Sharing the gospel really is so

much fun!! Lesson after lesson I still enjoy every minute of it!! As

you know it is the end of the transfer, and we keep track of lessons

taught per week this transfer I taught 194 lessons haha Most of them

being Restoration lessons. Every time it’s a little different some

spiritual some funny. But always worth the time! Great job mom! The

worth of every soul is great!

Africa,

So this week Elder Alfred and I decided to make missionary work

history. We were officially the first missionaries to set foot in

Tedam Ober-Barr Lira. hahah Sam and Ambrose live about an hours bike

ride outside Adyel/Lira. Since they always come to the church to be

taught by us we have never been to their home. This week we decided to

show that that we are willing to go to them. We saddled up our piece

of crap bikes and pedaled 7km to their village. For both Elder Alfred

and I it is the first time we have ever visited someone in their

village. But it was awesome haha. As we rode we didn't know exactly

where we were going but we just asked people for directions along the

way we figured we were headed the right way because people’s direction

started getting better and more specific. Till we just started asking

if they knew where Sam Lemo stays. We found it!! Once you reach an

actual village, everyone knows everyone.

So we get out there and Elder Alfred sees a snake. A decent sized

Green Mamba. So he is getting nervous. We are sitting under this tree

and he says a again, "there’s a snake over there" As he points into the

distance. I start looking around but see nothing. He says "come here

I’ll show you" we stand up walk like 30 ft then he points to this

teeny tinny little baby snake. hahah I just said Elder how the crap did

you see that. hahah Eagle Eyes and a fear of snakes haha. When the old

jajja saw that we were looking at a snake she runs toward us wooting

and comes and just starts beating the crap out of it with a log and

then throws is twitching body into a fire. Africans REALLY hate

snakes. I was just laughing the whole time hahahah

So this week I invented an Avocado Juice Recipe :) So now I’m famous in

the zone. I’m become well known around the mission for making the best

food. So thanks for the packages!

Well we have reached the end of Transfer again. Our whole district is staying the same. Elder Alfred

and I are staying together again. Actually our whole zone stayed the

same except for one Elder. Pres. Chatfield likes leaving missionaries in

places.

Well I’m still doing great! The sun is a little much here though. My

nose has been scabbed over the last week or so from being so so

sunburnt. It’s painful. I’m going to start wearing a hat like Elder Alfred ha.

I love and miss all you guys very very much! Hope no one is missing me

too much. It’s crazy to think 7 months have already gone by. I’m not a

new missionary anymore. I’m starting to meet missionaries younger than

I am haha a few more months and I’ll be one of the older missionaries.

Keep up the missionary work there at home! Members make the best

missionaries! I’ll try to send a few more pics today. LOVE YOU!

Elder Bennion

March 24, 2014

March 24, 2014

7 months down haha. Sounds like everything there is going great! I don’t have a lot of time today because of electricity. All of Lira town is down so I have to be quick so other Elders can email.

Africa.

So this week we found some bikes in the Senior mission couples house, so we decided that every Friday we are going to bike so that we can reach farther areas once a week. It was super fun!!

 

So Saturday Lemo Sam and Alele Amrose. the two brothers got baptized! It was awesome they have been a lot of fun to teach! Like I said we didn’t find them they found us. They were prepared and I will be forever grateful that the Lord entrusted me with teaching those two!

 

It’s already week 6 of the transfer which means transfer new will come next Monday! This transfer has FLOWN by. I think Elder Alfred will be leaving though :( 

We meet with President every other transfer. He does Zone Conferences 1 transfer then interviews the next then zc again the next and so on.

Elder Morley is in my District right now. So we live in the same house! It’s fun! I went on exchanges with him just on Saturday actually!

Only YM and most of them are about to leave on mission. I think this branch has something like 14 missionaries out right now haha crazy. No doubt it will become a ward when they start coming home to fill leadership positions!

Well that’s just about all for this week! I love you all so, so much, and I think about you every day! Thank you so much for your love, support and prayers! They are working! I’m loving life! Till next week PEACE!

Elder Bennion

March 17,2014

Yes, I am loving the branch up here. The Branch pres. ( conv of 4 years) even fed us last night and it was super nice! They don’t let you leave until they see your tummy bulge! haha This Branch has 14 missionaries out right now, and 2 have left while I’ve been here! Powerful area.

Started D&C this week. I don’t know if I mentioned, but I’ve also started the BoM over as well. I spend half of my personal study in one then switch to the other 30min in. So I don’t cover so many chapters but I get more out of my study seeing Modern and Old scripture together.

 

Tell me about the most interesting person you are teaching right now?

We are teaching a young couple I told you about Maros The singer. It’s his girlfriend. She is progressing towards baptism as well as we are working on getting them married. They are fun to visit. They are always making jokes with us and having fun. I think I just like them because they treat us like normal people, rather than other people here in Uganda that just treat us like foreigners

 

Also we are teaching two brothers Sam and Ambros. Great guys 28 and 22 found the church on their own, I’ve noticed that a lot of the people that are truly prepared for the gospel find the missionaries not the other way around.. They are reading everything we give them and coming to church every week. Even participating in Gospel Principles class answering questions!

 

Do you eat out most meals, or do you come back to your apartment?

Breakfast at home, Lunch at restaurant (tin roof shack that serves rice and beans), dinner at home

Why would I love Uganda?

The people. You would love the people. Almost all of them are super friendly and welcoming. They tell you everything you want to hear. Ha which isn’t always good in missionary work. They tell you what they think you want to hear not what they actually think. Just nice people haha

Are you still washing your clothes by hand?

Yup, and it still sucks..

How many missionaries do you work together with? Or is it just you and Elder Alfred?

There are 4 in our District, and 8 all together in the Lira Zone. I only really proselyte with E. Alfred. But the 4 of us are always together on P-day and in the evenings when we come in for the night.

Tell me about Pres. Chatfield?

Actually this week we had interviews with president. They went well. He is a really awesome guy. He is a cowboy. Always talking about cattle and horses. As well as roping and stuff like that haha he is a funny guy. In my interview he asked me what I have learned on mission so far. I talked a lot about family and the Book of Mormon. But also the relationship and understanding I’ve gained towards my Father in Heaven.

 

Well I have a few stories.

First off this week while we were teaching a guy the restoration, it the pinnacle moment explaining the first vision, spirit burning our hearts.... a HUGE poop falls from the sky and hits Elder Alfred's nice clean white shirt hahah. Dang birds. I held it in as long as I could but I laughed so hard!

 

Happy St. Patrick's Day haha I had a small celebration. I've been saving my little baggy of lucky charms to eat today and I wore a green tie. What can I say you taught me to be festive!

Also we have had no electricity this week.. It’s normal now I don’t mind so much anymore. Just sucks because then our drinks in the fridge don’t stay cold. We don’t buy food that has to be refrigerated because the power is out so often that it’s risky.

Well that’s all I’ve got for today! I LOVE YOU! And I am loving my life. I like the area and my companion. Haven’t been too homesick this transfer. It’s been a lot of fun! It’s already week 5 of 6 of this transfer. It’s flown by sooo fast!

Till next week! I love you all! Keep up all the good work over there in the 801!

Elder Bennion

March 10, 2014

 

 

Adyel

 

Adyel is a branch, not a ward. But it functions a lot better than the

Mukono ward. We don’t have to do anything. They have a full active

presidency and all classes get taught by members! Also this ward has

branch missionaries (guys preparing to go on mission) so we get

members to work with us a lot. However I'm facing the same obstacles

as before. The people here don’t keep many if any of the commandments

so it’s hard for them to find out what we are sharing is true. Everyone

is Christian. Just not very spiritual. I blame all the fake churches

they have here. There is a church on every corner. They play loud

music and people scream and dance and it’s just ridiculous. Satan has a

powerful grasp on these people. Also like I mentioned before the

people struggle with English, so it’s hard to know the Book of Mormon

is true when you can’t read it. Its hard work, I won’t lie. And so far

on my mission I haven’t reaped, I feel I’ve only been sowning. But as

long as I continue to do my part I know God knows what he is doing and

he will progress the work as he sees fit. I am just an instrument.

 

Missionaries call it the reality wall. It’s the time you figure out

that not everyone is actually prepared or willing to receive the

gospel. That’s one thing they don’t teach in the MTC. A lot of the

people you meet will reject you. The Gospel somehow applies to

everyone’s life. But not everyone applies it to their life, so they

miss the blessing..

 

This week I finished the New Testament. Proud of myself haha first

time I’ve ever done it! And to be honest it gave me a stronger

testimony of the Book of Mormon. The book

of Mormon is much much better!

 

Ciara asked so I might as well include it in this email too. I am

gaining weight haha I’ve put on about 15 pounds so far. I blame their

horrible eating habits! Oil is the main ingredient in EVERYTHING. And

everything is deep fried. They pull flippin tree roofs out of the

ground, deep fry them and eat them (casava) it’s not bad actually. Just

bland. But also the rest of their food is just unhealthy. Milk only

comes in Full Cream, butter only comes as Whole Fat Spread. They just

aren’t healthy people. ha so yes I’ve put on a bit of weight. Pants are

getting tighter and tighter. haha

 

Well I think I’ll just bear a quick testimony. I know that this gospel

is true, every day I teach the restoration.  And

every time I can feel the spirit when I testify of the truthfulness of

what I have shared. I know that this gospel is more than just sins

punishment and reward. This time on earth is a time for us to develop

the characteristics we need to become like God and Christ. We are not

here simply to be tested. We are here to learn and grow, so that one

day we can fill the responsibility of being a god our-self. God loves

us and just wants us to enjoy everything that he is. But in order to

do that we must use the Atonement and put off the natural man. We must

develop Faith, Hope, and pure Charity if we are ever going to be able

to fill the shoes of our father in heaven. He has prepared a way for

us now we need to prepare for him.

 

I love being a missionary, and I can’t believe how fast time has already gone.

Elder Bennion

 

March 3, 2014

So here in Adyel our transport to Lira town is a Pedal Boda. You hop on the
back of a bike and the guy pedals you around town! It’s so awesome!
hahah I’ll try to get some pictures

There is a music artist here in the ward that is becoming famous here
in Uganda. His stage name is Prof. Maros. See
if you can find his website, maybe talk my friends into buying some of
his songs and supporting him.


A lot of people here in the north are super skinny. Not because of
starvation, but just that’s how they are built. Tall, Super dark and
skinny. They are partially acholi. From the So. Sudan tribes.

 

 

Today we went to a place called Chobe Safari Park for our P-day
activity. Funnest activity by far!!! Man we drove about an hour and a
half just into the desert and then you would not believe we start
seeing Kob. (famous Ugandan Orange deer). We proceed on then we see a
Giraffe. Then 2, then 3. all these wild Giraffe. I got some awesome
pictures I got no joke 10ft from it at one point. But it’s not over we
get to the safari lodge and are sitting looking at this amazing view
of the Nile river. Wild hippos in it and everything. When a safari guy
runs in and tells us There is a herd of elephants that just wandered
in and are getting a drink. We get into a golf cart and the drive us
about 100 ft. from the 11 elephants. They were right across the river
from us. So So awesome! They said elephants are rare so we are super
lucky! Most amazing thing I’ve seen! No fences no people. Just you and
the animal. I love that feeling, and I can guarantee it won’t be the last.