When we rely on Christ and are strengthened by him, we really can do anything

Hey y'all!!

I hope y'all had a fantastic Thankful Thursday (aka Thanksgiving haha!). We had a great week here in Chapin! 

Monday: We had p-day! We went to Irmo and hung out with quite a few of the Sisters in our Zone so that was a ton of fun! In the evening we saw M., R., and P.! We taught about the importance of prayer and how prayer can impact us daily. 

Tuesday: We had district meeting! And you'll never guess.. I did a musical number haha! This time Sister Pickett and I did a duet. We sang "In Christ Alone" and it was awesome! #BenOnThePickettFence Then in the afternoon we went out finding. We met a lady named T. and then a guy named TJ we talked to both of them about the Book of Mormon! Then in the evening we had a Relief Society activity where we were making freezer meals! So that was a lot of fun!

Wednesday: In the afternoon we went out trying a lot of people. In the evening we saw C. and watched the video "Hope of God's light" with her! Then we saw C. and R. With then we talked about how our trials help us to grow closer to Christ! 

Thursday was Thanksgiving!!! It was a fantastic day!!! We were orginally going to a combined zone sisters activity so we were picking up the dutch fork sisters and right as we got there we got a texted saying the location had changed so it was going to be too far away for us with the amount of miles we had left this month. So we just hung out with the Dutch Fork sisters instead! One of the sisters earlier on her mission had made a Book of Mormon version of Candy Land so we played that and it was awesome! haha :) Then we went and had dinner with some ward members, the J.! They were super nice and we had a lot of fun! We also went and had dessert with the Z.s! So it was a fun and full day!! 

Friday: We went and helped out at the mission office, which was a blast! With Christmas coming closer they are getting more mail so they have missionaries come in a help with the forwarding mail process so it was a lot of fun! We then went and had lunch with J. and talked with her about prayer! We then started to plan for our upcoming week! Then we went out to try some people for the evening! Funny story was that our appointment that night had forgot we were coming and were in the middle of watching Big Hero 6. I recognized it just by the sound of it as soon as the opened the door! Haha! So we rescheduled with them.

Saturday: I had accidentally been fed wheat somewhere in the process of this week and so I was out. We stayed in most of the day Saturday. I don't think I've slept so much in a single day my whole life. Sister Pickett is a saint and had such a good attitude about it! In the evening we went and saw a lady named P. And then we saw M. and P.! We had a good lesson with them talking about baptism!

Sunday: We had church, which went well! M. and P. came, as usual! So it was great :) We finished planning for our week after church. And in the evening we saw J. and B.! We taught B. the Restoration and had a really great lesson and we set the goal for him to be baptized December 31! So it was awesome!

So we had another great week!

 Spiritual thought: Something I've been learning a lot about on my  mission is the topic of Grace. So I wanted to share a quote I found on it by President Utchdorf that I really like, "A powerful expression of that love is what the scriptures often call the grace of God- the divine assistance and endowment of strength by which we grow from the flawed and limited beings we are now into exalted beings of truth and light, until we are glorified in truth and  know all things." My mission has really come to show me that when we rely on Christ and are strengthened by him, we really can do anything. And that is what the scriptures mean when they talk about Grace. 

I love this Gospel and I know that it is true.

I hope that y'all have a blessed week! Love y'all!!

Love always,

Sister Amy Bennett :) 

Happy to be staying together for another transfer

A Pretty Gazebo

Playing games on Thanksgiving!

 

 

Patience requires actively working toward worthwhile goals

Hey y'all!!!!

This week was awesome! It was basically a party everyday haha!

Let me tell y'all about it:

Monday during p-day we went to the state capitol with the Newberry Sisters and that was a ton of fun! We took lots of awesome pictures!!!

Tuesday: We did service for C. again! She is so cute and a lot of fun to be around! She has also started reading the Book of Mormon! Then we had interviews with President Turner and that took up a good chunk of time (with travel and the interviews, etc). In the evening we were supposed to have our branch missionary meeting, but it got canceled last minute and so we were a little at a loss of what to do. So during dinner we made cookies and in the evening we went around delievering cookies and nice notes to several of the less active members.

Wednesday: In the morning we had our District meeting! I was a part of the musical number... again haha! but this time I was playing the piano accompanying Sister Welch on the Violin! So that was awesome! Then we had exchanges! So I stayed in Chapin with Sister Brewer! We saw J. and talked about the temple (because she was going to do baptisms on Friday!). Then in the evening we saw M., R., and P.! We had a really good lesson with them really focusing on the Atonement and how it applies to the trials we go through. The spirit was very strong. 

Then Thursday we got a ride from a member to go to Irmo to unexchange. But on the freeway there was a huge traffic jam and the most exciting part was we almost ran out of gas in the middle of the traffic jam haha! But we made it safely! So that was exciting! Then something super cool happened! On Monday we had gotten an email from the zone leaders saying that the BYU women's soccer team was playing in South Carolina and that we had permission to go!!! So on Thursday the west columbia and columbia zones went together to the BYU women's soccer team game! And it was so much fun! The best part was that both Sister Yancey and Sister Staheli were there so my threepack was reunited!! It was awesome!!! 

Friday was fun as well! We did service at We Care in the morning. Then we planned for our week! Then in the evening the women's soccer team did a fireside and the same two zones got to go to that as well! It was really inspiring and it was a lot of fun!!! On the way home we got stuck in another huge traffic jam! It was crazy! But we made it home safe too haha!

Saturday was back to normal proselyting!! We saw P. and talked about the importance of following the spirit. Then we met her neighbor P. and talked with her about the Book of Mormon. Then we saw a less active named C.! The one hard thing with that visit was her TV volume was up super loud and she had lost the remote and it was one of those TVs that couldn't even be turned off without the remote. So Sister Pickett was next to her and I was on a chair in the room accross from her and I tried really hard to contribute, but I honestly couldn't hear anything over the TV. Oh well haha! Then in the evening we saw W. and we talked about the Book of Mormon and missionary work with her again! Then in the evening we saw A. and T. and did a gratitude family home evening with them :) 

Sunday was good! WE had church! A. and T. with their two kids came! Also M. and P. were there! Then we had our Branch missionary meeting! Then in the evening we saw Jazz and her family and we had a good lesson talking about Jesus Christ and all that He has done for us. 

So it was a really great week that was a party haha! 

Spiritual thought: Something that I have learned a lot about on my mission is what patience truly is and why it is important. There is a quote I really like by President Uchtdorf that says, "I learned that patience was far more than simply waiting for something to happen- patience required actively working toward worthwhile goals and not getting discouraged when results didn't appear instantly or without effort." Patience is more than just sitting on the couch waiting for  good things to happen. It is getting up and working hard and using Christ's atonement and then trusting in the timing of God. 

I love y'all so much and hope that y'all have a blessed week!

Love always,

Sister Amy Bennett :) 

 

Visit to the Capitol... I am on the far right

 

 

 

3 Pack reunited at the Soccer game

BYU soccer game fun!

 

 

 

Ben on the Picket Fence

Hey y'all!
Sister Pickett and I decided we should start a band and name it "Ben
on the Pickett Fence" yup, we think we are hilarious!
Man this week was crazy! Where to begin? Probably with Monday haha ;)
Monday was super awesome! The sisters in the Dutch Fork Ward knew a
member in their Ward who played the harp and they worked it out where
I was able to go play the harp for over an hour and it was seriously
the best pday of my entire mission! I was so excited! And I managed to
only get one blister so that was a miracle! Then in the evening we had
a super good lesson with J. and B. We brought W. along and
she and J. clicked right away! It was awesome! But we talked about
the sacrament with them and it was really good.
Tuesday was crazy! We had our district meeting in the morning. And the
zone leaders came to visit our district meeting and it got work out
some way or another where I actually did a musical number with one of
the zone leaders. We sang "What Child is this?" While I played my
guitar. The other crazy thing was that President Turner (the mission
president) randomly decided to come to our district meeting as well.
After the meeting he said he wanted to talk to me and Elder Jacobsen
(the zone leader I sang with). He asked us what we both had going on
that day at 3. And let's just say that when your mission president
asks what you have going on your answer is "what ever you want me to
have going on" haha ;). Well anyway he said that there was a training
meeting for all the senior couples in the mission at his home going on
and that he wanted us to come perform that song as a musical number
for them. So of course we cleared our schedule and went to the
mission home at 3. When we got there he said, "when was the last time
you were able to just sit and relax for a half hour completely guilt
free?" And then explained he had told us the wrong time and that the
meeting was at 3:30 and so we just sat talking with the zone leaders
and President for a half hour haha! The second time around with the
musical number went well too! And then in the evening we had our
branch missionary meeting! So it was a crazy day haha!
Wednesday we went and volunteered at We Care. Then on the way home we
had to drop by the store. At the check out stand there were three
elderly sisters behind us and one of them passed out and the other two
sisters started freaking out because apparently this sister had done it
before and had died and was revived. So then 911 was called and
honestly thought I was about to watch someone die. But the ambulance
came and she seemed to be okay. But it was cool timing for us to be
there because we were able to reach out and comfort these sisters.
After that we went and had dinner with M. and P. at J. and
S.'s house! We talked about the importance of the Book of Mormon.
Then for the evening we actually went and helped out with young men's!
They were going to the mall and doing "random acts of kindness" and so
they would spin a wheel and do the little act of kindness that it
landed on i.e. Give a stranger a complement. Since it was going up
and talking to strangers and that's basically all we do as
missionaries they wanted us there to help out, so it was a lot of fun!
Thursday we went and did service for B. This time we helped her
out with her yard and actually the Elders from the Newberry Ward came
and helped us out so that was really good! After that we helped W.
do some family history! In the evening we saw a guy named J. and
talked about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon. Then we saw B.
and Z. They actually moved on Saturday so that was our last time
seen them :( but we talked about temples!
Friday we planned for our upcoming week! Then we went and did more
service for C. and R.! Then in the evening we saw M. and
P. and talked about the importance of scriptures!
Saturday was a day that was one of those days that better helps you
appreciate the good days. Haha ;) but we did get to see A. and
T. in the evening, a recent convert family who kinda dropped off
right after her baptism. We talked about the importance of God's love
for us!
Sunday was awesome! Sister Pickett and I spoke in sacrament meeting!
M., P., C., R., A. and her daughter were there! It
was awesome!!! In the evening we saw the K.s, members of the
Branch, and we also saw a lady named S. and we also talked about
the Book of Mormon with her!
So it was a good, but eventful week! Haha!
Spiritual thought is a quote by President Boyd K Packer. “It was meant
to be that life would be a challenge. To suffer some anxiety, some
depression, some disappointment, even some failure is normal. Teach
our members that if they have a good, miserable day once in a while,
or several in a row, to stand steady and face them. Things will
straighten out. There is great purpose in our struggle in life” part
of the purpose in life is to have challenges and those are only there
to help us grow closer to our Savior Jesus Christ!
I love y'all and hope y'all have a blessed week!
Love always,
Sister Amy Bennett :)

Rain fun

The District

P-day harp

When Christ is the focus on our lives we can be happy no matter the situation

Hey y'all!!!

I hope y'all had a fantastic week, because I sure did! Mission life is just awesome :) Hard work, but awesome :) 

Here is the run down of the week;
Monday was Halloween! It was super crazy because we had p-day, but they never let the missionaries out for Halloween evening so it was basically an all day p-day! It was super weird! So during out time in for the evening we carved pumpkins and watched the face to face event for the youth with Studio C! It was actually super, super good! It was a good combination of funny, but also really inspiring!!!! 

Tuesday: We saw J. and S. (the recent converts) and we talked to them about different ways they can do missionary work! Then we went and did service for an investigator named C. C. and her mom R. were going through their attic and getting ready for a yard sale they are having on Saturday! They have meet on and off with missionaries for a little bit, but they don't know a whole lot. C. is a cute teenager and it was just a really good interaction with her! She is so nice!  Then in the evening we had our branch missionary meeting!

Wednesday: We shook things up a little bit and helped out at We Care on Wednesday this week! It was really fun! Our job this week was actually taking the food out to the clients so it was really awesome to get to interact with them! Then in the afternoon we went around trying to meet people. WE met a really awesome lady named H. who was super friendly! We talked with her about the book of Mormon and she said we could come back :) In the evening we had a realkly good lesson with M. and P. where we talked about keeping the Sabbath day holy! 

Thursday: We had our weekly planning session, which is always good! Then in the afternoon we visited with Sister L. (the lady in the ward whose husband died recently). Then in the evening we saw W. (recent convert) and had a good lesson with her!

Friday we had ZTM!! (Zone Training Meeting). The meeting was super good! I had actually been asked do to 20 minutes of prelude on my guitar while singing, so that was a little intimidating, but it went really well! Also we had a funny moment where one of the zone leaders, in all seriousness, told the elders that in January their cars were getting taken away and they were all becoming bike elders. Everyone in the room just paused and you could have heard a pin drop and then the Zone Leader started laughing super hard and said just kidding. Probably the funniest moment on my mission (well at least at a zone meeting). He sure scared all the elders hahaha! After that we went and helped C.and R. get ready for their yard sale. Then in the evening we saw Z. and B. and had a good lesson with them on the Sacrament! 

Saturday: We had a really fun relief society activity where everyone was making fun crafts! So that was a lot of fun! M. came to that as well as W. and a few less actives! So it was great :) Then in the afternoon we had a little lesson with a family in the ward, the H.s. And then in the evening we had a lesson with another family in the ward the R.s. Then we went and saw M. and P. again! We read 3 Nephi 17 with them and they all really liked it! So that was super cool! 

Sunday was great! Church was good as always! M.S.. She was really nice and we read Alma 22:14 with her. In the evening we saw another family in the ward the B. and talked with them about missionary work! 

So it was another super awesome week! I am blessed :) 

Spiritual thought: This week I've been reading in the Book of Mormon during the war chapters. And I came across a verse in Alma 50 that I really liked. In this chapter it was talking about how even though the Nephite people were at war and it was a really hard time for them that when they were faithful the Lord would watch over them. In verse 23 it says, "But behold there never was a happier time amonth the people of Nephi, since the days of Nephi, than in the days of Moroni." And it just got me thinking about how happiness really isn't circumstantial. That when Christ is the focus on our lives we can be happy no matter the situation. And that has really rang true for me on my mission. I have found so much joy in my mission because I am doing the Lord's will. Even on days when we aren't able to teach or people aren't nice for us or appointments fall through I am still happy because the Lord's got my back. 

I love y'all and hope y'all have a blessed week!

Love always,

Sister Amy Bennett :) 

Halloween Pumpkin Carving

 

 

Reunited with Sister Staheli at Zone Meeting

 

Our Zone