Happy Birthday Sydney

Hello everybody!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY SYD!!! :)

I was with Sister Sene on exchanges, she's from Samoa and acts just like Sister Tupai!! I love her so much, we had a lot of fun :) Then the last night before we left we all had a big dinner together (six sisters) and it was fun making a bunch of food and we got sprite and just talking...then had to wake up early the next morning and travel and that wasn't quite as fun..ha But I really love exchanges! I learn so much, and they make time go by SO so fast!!

Other than that, we are still teaching Joan (our new investigator a few weeks ago) and I think she'll for sure be baptized on June 14. She's so awesome, and every time we teach she just has great comments. Like we were teaching on Sunday about the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith as a review and she says "But he wasn't just any kind of man or prophet, he was one of the greatest there ever were and did amazing things for the entire world.." it doesn't translate perfectly in English..ha but she's just incredible! I'm excited for her :) Sadly our other investigator that was progressing (brother Bok) isn't so much now...he didn't come to church and he smoked again last week. We don't really know what to do anymore with him, but we're still teaching and hopefully something will happen...it's hard to see them when they start progressing and then just kinda die off again...Oh but speaking of him we had a very interesting experience this week with his mom who is a less active that's returning now.. But we went to a members house near them because we had extra time and saw her there, then realized that she was completely drunk. I guess her cousin had died the night before and she was just so sad she decided to drink, and so we got there and she was just acting so weird, then started throwing up on herself and went to the bathroom, then passed out with her head in the bowl and of course she couldn't really breath, so me and Sister Lorenzo bring her out and then Sister Lorenzo kinda took over (she's amazing..) I was just kinda standing there not knowing what to do since of course being a little mormon girl from Utah I have never been in these situations before..ha So she got her new clothes and water and then I was fixing her hair that was Everywhere and she just looked at me and then hugged me SO tight and Sister Lorenzo looks at me all nervous and says "what if she throws up on you?!" but she didn't :) So then we got a tricycle and took her home, but I was just sitting there thinking as we were driving how grateful I am for the way I was raised...that I've never had to deal with those problems, and just how much happier life is as we're obedient to the gospel. We still have challenges, but it's less and so much easier to deal with when you have the blessings of the gospel. SO that was interesting..

I'm so excited for this week though, because although we don't have exchanges, I get to go to my first MLC meeting! It's the mission leadership counsel with President Sperry, all the zone leaders and then the sister training leaders, and I hear that the workshops are SO great and the food is good too that they feed us :) That's on Thursday and I can't wait, and then on Saturday we're having mission tour with the whole mission and Elder Craig C. Christensen is coming to speak to us (I think he's the president of the Seventy..) and so it'll be great to hear him, and also to see all my friends in the mission! So this week will be fun, and probably go just as fast as the other ones!! 

BUT I have one more story!!! I almost forgot to write it...so on Saturday after we got home from the Elders baptism we started our planning and then Sister Lorenzo looks behind me and says "Now don't freak out..." but there was a spider as big as my hand behind me on the wall...and it moved FAST!! I was freaking out. ha So we're both screaming and trying to kill it, and we're both holding Baygon (bug spray that will kill it) and throwing things around the room and moving the table and couch and everything to kill the dang thing!!! Finally we sprayed it enough that it moved slowly and I got it with a shoe...but Man it was scary. I will be fearless when I come home to those tiny spiders we have. haha

But I guess I'll just end with my Greatest miracle this week...which was when I found hairspray that actually keeps my hair curly and not frizzy! YES!!! haha I haven't worn my hair curly in forever, and so I did on Sunday and Elder Doroson (my zone leader) just looked at me and starts singing this song "For the first time..." haha It was funny. So now I don't have to wear grandma buns everyday :) But everything is going great, just wayyyy too fast! I love you all so much and hope you have a great week! Hope Syd has a great birthday too!! LOVE YOU! :)

Mahal,

Sister Benesch

Brownies and butterscotch bars

Hello there everybody :)

Hope you're all doing great, I had a really great week this week! We had zone interviews on Wednesday and it was great, but so sad because President and Sister Sperry gave out there goodbye cards and took pictures with everyone...I'll be so sad when they're gone! I've really learned so much from President Sperry and I love them a lot. Although I'm sure President Burton will be just as great :)

Then on Thursday and Friday we were in Malolos! It's about an hour and a half away so we woke up at 5 to be there in time for personal study, but it was so fun! I didn't really know the sisters there yet, so getting to be there with them and getting to know more sisters here was a lot of fun. Exchanges went great. I think honestly I'm going to learn way more from the sisters I work with than they learn from me..ha It really was a great experience to work with them and recognize those things that I want to do better in myself. It's kinda weird being the one that like gives the evaluation and things that they can do to better their area and things...it really will be a big learning experience for me, and I think I'll improve a lot! It's been fun :) I did have some pretty funny experiences on exchanges though...first. The jeeps in Malolos are extra small and short, and so basically I don't even fit on the seat. ha One time it stopped really fast and I wasn't holding on, so my heavy back flew forward and since it was over my shoulder it brought me with it right off the seat and onto the floor! So that was super embarrassing with everyone looking at me like trying to speak English saying I needed to hold on and seeing if I was ok..ha Stupid American. So I just replied in Tagalog and got back up. ha No worries, I was totally fine, just my pride was a little hurt ;) But then the next day on a different Jeep I saw this sign that said "God know's hudas not pay"...hahaha I still don't know if it's a joke or something but I thought it was hilarious. My favorite part about being here is the signs I see :)

Sadly though after exchanges we got back on Saturday and Sister Lorenzo was sick, so we did our weekly planning then only had one appointment because she couldn't even walk her stomach hurt so bad..but it was nice because it gave me some time to rest since I was SO tired! Then Sunday she still didn't feel good so we took it slow again, but we did go to Angie's for dinner (the one we skyped at) and we got to eat brownies!!!! They were so super delicious :) So that was probably my favorite part of this week...the brownies, and also butterscotch bars! I've found here on my mission that I have like an addiction to sweets..ha

But we did get some new investigators, Sister Joan and Sister Bam that seem great! They both seem so prepared and ready to receive the gospel, I'm so excited to continue to teach them and give them baptism dates. Bam is 14 and Joan is 23, but they both just seem so prepared as we teach, and they're great in answering and asking questions. They are just the kind of investigators that are easy and fun to teach :) So I'm excited about that because our work has been suffering a little bit with us never being here. But it's going ok.

Also, this morning we got to deal with our first problem as STLs! ha There's just always more drama with sisters than elders..ha But I realized that Sister Lorenzo really is great dealing with problems and just listening to her talk to the sisters showed me how much I can learn from her. I know I'll learn a lot about patience and love during the next few transfers, and I'm excited. I think she's for sure one of my favorite companions. We never have problems and we just have so much fun...I'm constantly laughing because she's just so hilarious with the things that she says! It's the kinda of funny though of her saying things in English not meaning to be funny, but it's hilarious...so hard to explain over email. ha but it's funny :)

Well that was basically my week...it's been great! And not to be trunky or anything..but I only have 22 more weeks! That's my lucky number :) So I'll be seeing you people in no time!! I love you so much, I loved seeing you this week!! Thanks for all you do, hope you have a great week!!

Love,

Sister Benesch

Transfer

Hey Everybody!

Not too many stories. Evelyn is still doing great and will be baptized May 17!! However...I sadly won't be here. Yes, I am transfering!! My next area is...in the same stake. ha I'm literally transferring like 30 minutes away to Meycauyen (I can't spell it yet..) and I will be companions with Sister Lorenzo who actually was Sister Surio's follow-up trainer so that'll be fun! She's a Filipino, so it'll be my FIRST since Sister Mabini training so hopefully I'll finally really learn to speak Tagalog! ha But the exciting thing actually about where I'm going is that...I've been called to be a Sister Training Leader! It's basically the same level as Zone Leader, but we're over multiple zones. So I'll get to go on exchanges with other sisters, and the Really exciting thing is that Baliwag is under us so I'll get to go back there and check up on everyone!! I'm so so excited :)

I'm excited for the opportunity too because I know I'll really learn a lot. I just want to take this as a chance to really take all my weaknesses and change. To be more diligent and obedient and just do the best I can. I've really looked up to my STLs while on the mission so I hope I can be like that for the other sisters now. It'll be a lot of fun :) And I get to go to more meetings with Pres so I'll get to see him before I leave! I love that man...he's hilarious! haha

But as far as this area goes, I just have been saying bye to people and it's so sad! I've really learned to love people here so much, even though it's the shortest amount of time I've spent in an area. We had one less-active return to church now (came 4 sundays in a row) and if her daughter comes again next sunday she'll be returned! I've just seen so much progression in the area, it's truly been miracle after miracle. I've learned so much and just can't believe I'll be leaving. Things just happen so fast! It really motivates me to do my best these last 4 transfers to not waste a single second since it'll end so fast.

Sorry this email is kinda short, there really isn't much news besides that. Me and Sister Clark have just had SO much fun and I'm so sad it'll be over...but we now have a bucket list of about 50 things for when we get home so it won't be for too long before we hang out again. ha Well I love you all SO much, thank you for everything! I couldn't ask for a better family :) LOVE YOU!!!!

Love,

Sister Benesch