Happy Birthday Mama!

Hello po family :)

How is everybody doing? I actually had a crazy week, it was temple pday (obviously since I'm emailing on Wednesday) so it was a long week for lots to happen!! Again I just wrote a list so it may be random but here's my great stories of the week...

We are teaching this Great investigator named Avelyn and she has a mom that is blind, she's hilarious to teach because she's so old! But while I was explaining about the Book of Mormon I let her hold it and afterwards she was just smiling and holding it SO tight to her, I couldn't even get it back to write a testimony in it for her! ha it was so adorable :) Avelyn actually will hopefully be getting baptized this transfer, so that's something to look forward to!! We also have Jose and Aubrey preparing for baptism, so our goal as a companionship is 3 baptisms this transfer because there hasn't been a baptism in this area in a YEAR! That is Crazy for being in the Philippines...so we've been working really hard to help the area progress, and seriously the progress has been incredible. I have definitely seen miracles happen :)

We also got to go on exchanges this week with the Sister Training Leaders and I had a blast! I was with Sister Jones who I didn't know before, but is like best friends with Sister Mower and so we had tons of fun! She really taught me a lot about just teaching according to the people's needs and helping them understand the message, and a lot too with learning Tagalog because I'm kind of starting to plateau.. ha So it was way fun.

Next, we have these Awesome investigators that I might have told you about, I don't remember? Nanay Inovero...she is bedridden but the most faithful woman I know. We had a hilarious experience though this last Friday with her! So it was weekly planning which is usually supposed to only be 2 to 3 hours, but last week was about 5 hours, so we finally left our house and went to Nanay Inovero, however the lady that'd been with her left when we got there and she can't be left alone, so we got trapped into staying with her for like 2 1/2 hours and missing our other appointments! But it was ok..ha We just read her out of the BOM since she can't see and then she'd ask questions, but sometimes we'd have to turn her when her body would start to hurt, and one time I was and literally ALL under her was just soaking wet because I guess her diaper didn't hold in all the pee...ahhhhh So then Sister Jenkins helped me and it was pretty nasty.....ha as soon as we were able to leave when her son got home (our really great investigator, Jemar) we went straight home, even though it was still a little early, to just wash ourselves and all our stuff!! I thought I was going to pass out from the smell. haha But even though it was gross, I really love her so much!! She told me the first time I met her that I was her family and she always just tells us how much she loves us and to never leave :) It'll be sad when one of us does at transfers...

Then the last crazy story was that also on Friday night we received a text saying "All foreign missionaries will meet tomorrow at 9:30 am at SM Fairview" (which is a big mall) and we were freaking out because we had No idea what was going on!! So we woke up early and went, and it turned out that for all our visas to be renewed we had to get these "mugshot" pictures where you can't smile or have jewelry or anything...so it wasn't as crazy and exciting as I thought it'd be, but I did get to see my Whole batch!!! It was soo great :)

So this week was pretty great, I learned a ton, and I'm still learning everyday to be patient and find love...ha I've learned that with all my companions..And then this morning the temple was INCREDIBLE even though I had to wake up at 3 to go..ha It was great :) Well I love you all so so so much!!!!!! Thanks for everything :) Happy Birthdy Mama!!! I can't believe it's already like March...soosooooo fast!! Love you :)

Love,

Sister Benesch

PS Here is me and Sister Jenkins, and then my BATCH!!!

OH Elder Liu says Happy Birthday mama :) haha I've missed that kid!!

Half a dead rat

Hello there family :)

Well this week the subject of my email is Humility because that is what I've learned from this week. I've transferred into Valenzuela..and I love it! Sister Jenkins is so devoted to the work, and such a hard worker. There are definitely some differences in the way we work but she's open to changes so I think we'll really be able to do great work in this area and help it to progress! We've made some really great goals, one of which is to get 3 baptisms this transfer because they have not had any in the last 6 months or longer and so we're really going to work hard for that and get the ward more motivated to do missionary work!! We've been working so hard, even just the first few days have flown by! And then living with Sister Apolinario again... I absolutely love living with her and we have so much fun!  I'm really excited to see all that will happen in the next transfer :)

Some fun things about this area is that we have an english class every Wednesday and then a music class every Saturday, so it's fun to get involved with the people, and I love teaching classes like that. One of the Elders played a song on the piano by John Schmidt and I realized just how much I miss the piano, it's definitely something I'll start up again when I get home! We also got to do a service project last week and teach English at a call center to those training for the job, and they really just wanted to know a lot about the culture of Americans and so it was tons of fun!

The people in this area also seem pretty promising. Well, actually..ha there are So many less-actives I can't even believe it! We probably have over 50 records in the area book for less-actives and that isn't even all of them...it's insane! So we're trying to figure out who we really need to spend our time focusing on now to get them back, but we have some investigators that are incredible. One is getting ready to be baptized in a few weeks, his name is Jose and his whole family are members, his wife is even endowed! He's definitely a golden investigator..in our lessons he like quotes scriptures to us and the spirit is so strong! He told us that he already considers himself a member even if he hasn't been baptized :) We also have this investigator that we teach who takes care of his mom who is maybe in her 80's now but bedridden...it was the saddest thing ever to go in there and see this woman SO so skinny just laying there with nothing, and then hearing stories of their family taking all that they owned when she was in the hospital, and being left with literally nothing, for her son to take care of her. It's terrible! But she has incredible faith and just tells us how much she loves us. She is able to sit in her wheelchair one hour so we're trying to make arrangements for her to come to church just for sacrament..she really is incredible.

Maybe the worst thing about this week is that on transfer day I forgot that big bag of reeses you sent me in the fridge!!! Ah I was in the taxi with another elder transferring here (transfers in our mission are a little different and it was not disobedient for me and him to be in a taxi..ha) But I told him I had forgotten them and he wanted to tell the taxi driver to turn around and go back! ha But we didn't...so that was sad. But atleast I got a few :) Thanks!! I'll just have to eat tons and tons when I get home since I miss them so much. That's pretty much it though for my week so far...I'm doing great, and I really am just excited to kinda get the area cleaned up and really progressing :) I love you all so so much, thank you for your support in everything!! Hopefully I get some good stories to share with you next week :) I did see half a rats body on the road earlier when we were walking to buy water..ha Gross!! Love you all :)

Love,

Sister Benesch

Transferred

Hello there everybody!

Well it will be my LAST time writing you from San Mateo because I will be transferring!!! I'm actually very excited to be transferring...ha  it'll be a good change :) However I'm very nervous to be honest. My new companion is Sister Jenkins and I've only met her like twice in follow-up training.  But she's from Nevada so it'll be my first actual American companion! I'll see what nationality I like best since so far I have not had any companions with the same nationality..ha It's been fun.  The other day I read an incredible talk by President Eyrig called "Mountains to Climb" about him having a great experience praying for a trial to help him strengthen his faith...for some reason I thought that it'd be a good idea and a great opportunity for me to grow. Well Heavenly Father surely listens to our prayers :) ha But in my personal study this morning I reread my patriarchal blessing and I know that I have everything I need to overcome anything I face and do the work the Lord has in store for me, so I know I'll be fine and I really will just try to overcome anything that's hard for me and enjoy it :)

Sadly yesterday I had to say bye to Sister Mower...I cried. ha It was so sad!! But at least she just lives in Sandy so I'll for sure see her again :) And she left all her clothes for me so that was nice! Now I can move from the ones I've worn for 9 months straight and mix it up a little.. ha It's hard saying bye to friends as they go home, but I realize how blessed I am to be making such incredible friends here that will be friends for life. Speaking of friends, Sister Patrus's new companion is Sister Kalama!!! I am SO jealous. ha Like all my old companions are with her after me..we get so close to being together, yet so far. Maybe one day :)

This week we got a new investigator though! Her name is Mary Anne, she is a referral from a member and she's so great! Our first lesson with her she was a little nervous and held back, but as we went back to teach her she really opened up and is so nice. She seems SO prepared too! She asks so many questions that are answered immediately with the gospel, and she accepted a baptismal date! I think the thing that will be hard with her though is that she wants her whole family to be in the same religion and her husband won't listen to us...but I'm sure Sister Patrus and Sister Kalama will do a great job with that and I'll have plenty of new worries :) Oh I didn't even tell you where I'm going! ha My new area is in Valenzuela, Malanday. It's the area closest to Bulacan (province) that still has a temple day, so luckily I won't be going too far again for the temple! That's what really helps me get through the work.

Well that's pretty much all the news I have for this week, it was a little slow with teaching because we've been visiting a lot of members to get them involved in the work, and yesterday purely just going to people's houses to get pictures and say bye..ha I really am going to miss so many people here! Atleast we have Facebook for after the mission :) ha But thank you everyone for all your incredible support, I love you so much!! This mission would be impossible if I didn't have you there supporting me. I know that I'm supposed to be here serving the Lord because this is His true church. I've never been happier with any other decision I've made in my whole life :) I love you all!!

Love,

Sister Benesch

PS Pictures finally! ha This is me and Sister Mower (she graduated! haha) and then me and my VERY favorite family here in San Mateo :)

The Tripoli family is one that has truly changed my whole life...I love them so much.