Hey y'all!!
Life continues to be great here in Lake Murray. We continue to work hard despite the 100 degrees temperature every day. I am even more grateful for the AC in the car! I've had some pretty fun adventures this week! The first was that they already sent me on an exchange!
So last Tuesday I was companions with Sister Millett in the Irmo ward for 24 hours. It was fun and I got to meet some really cool people there! Sister Millett is also really awesome and has been out for a while so she had some really good suggestions!
On Wednesday we had what is called "Family Day" at Fort Jackson. The families of soldiers who are graduating from Basic on the Thursday get to come spend the day with them on Wednesday. The 4 missionary companionships rotate going to these. We stay at the chapel and it provides a place for members to come as well as those who were baptized at Fort Jackson have the opportunity to introduce their families to the Church there. It's a neat experience. I also got my background check started so that I can get my real pass to get onto Fort Jackson!
Thursday we knocked into a 13 year old girl named S.. She was really open to the Restoration and invited us to come back today. We confirmed our appointment with her yesterday and she really does want us to come back so we are super excited to see how it goes! We also had a funny experience while knocking. We were knocking on someone's porch when we heard the garage start to open. We saw a car getting ready to pull into the driveway. Then the driver noticed we were on his porch so he quickly started to close the garage and pretended that he was using the circle to turn around. That gave us a good laugh, especially when he came back to his house only a few minutes later while we were knocking at the house across the street. Funny experiences always make the day better!
Friday we did a lot of service, which was awesome! Also one of our investigators, K., prayed out loud for the first time since she started meeting with the missionaries. (Which was about a year ago.) We were also really excited about that!
I want to talk a little bit more about how Fort Jackson works on Sundays. We show up at 8:30 and we start teaching soldiers who are there. (Soldiers arrive anytime between 7:30 and when Sacrament meeting starts at 9:30.) We finish teaching and interviewing those who are on date for baptism and teach any one else who is interested. We then have Sacrament meeting, which goes until 10:10. This week they had me share my Testimony in Sacrament meeting, so that was a cool opportunity. After Sacrament meeting we split up into classes. There is a class on the Restoration, a class on the Gospel of Jesus Christ, a new member class, Relief Society, and Priesthood. While those are going on they hold the baptismal service. The AP's (who help teach at Fort Jackson) have a portable font that they bring and set up during Sacrament meeting. This week we had two baptisms, include Private C.! I was so happy and she talked about how much lighter and happier she felt afterwards! It was awesome! During the classes missionaries also pull aside soldiers who are on date to be baptized and teach them one on one. This week I taught Private R.. She is on date to be baptized next week and I taught her lessons 3,4, and 5. She is super excited and already has such a strong testimony. It is amazing to see the power of acting in faith. After classes are over we have about 10-15 more minutes to talk and teach soldiers. Then we have to leave the chapel by 11 so that the next denomination can set up for their meeting. It's an amazing experience and an awesome atmosphere!
A few more funny things about the great state of South Carolina! A popular ground covering is called pine straw. It is dried up pine needles. The stuff that we usually spend hours sweeping up from yards, they buy in bales and spread around. I think we should start selling ours online haha! Also no one here uses crosswalks, even when they are 10 feet away. It reminds me a lot of the scene in Mulan where her grandma is testing out the lucky cricket. haha!
Well as for a tender mercy from this week it would definitely be K. praying. The week I showed up we were considering dropping her, because she hadn't been progressing for a long time. We prayed about it and I got the answer that I needed to focus on loving her. As I focused on that she has made considerable progress and is already seeing what she needs to do to come closer to Christ. I hope that she remembers the progression she has made.
I think that's about it for news from Sister Bennett!! I hope y'all are doing well! Thanks for the letters, emails, and prayers!!!
Love always,
Sister Bennett :)
Life continues to be great here in Lake Murray. We continue to work hard despite the 100 degrees temperature every day. I am even more grateful for the AC in the car! I've had some pretty fun adventures this week! The first was that they already sent me on an exchange!
So last Tuesday I was companions with Sister Millett in the Irmo ward for 24 hours. It was fun and I got to meet some really cool people there! Sister Millett is also really awesome and has been out for a while so she had some really good suggestions!
On Wednesday we had what is called "Family Day" at Fort Jackson. The families of soldiers who are graduating from Basic on the Thursday get to come spend the day with them on Wednesday. The 4 missionary companionships rotate going to these. We stay at the chapel and it provides a place for members to come as well as those who were baptized at Fort Jackson have the opportunity to introduce their families to the Church there. It's a neat experience. I also got my background check started so that I can get my real pass to get onto Fort Jackson!
Thursday we knocked into a 13 year old girl named S.. She was really open to the Restoration and invited us to come back today. We confirmed our appointment with her yesterday and she really does want us to come back so we are super excited to see how it goes! We also had a funny experience while knocking. We were knocking on someone's porch when we heard the garage start to open. We saw a car getting ready to pull into the driveway. Then the driver noticed we were on his porch so he quickly started to close the garage and pretended that he was using the circle to turn around. That gave us a good laugh, especially when he came back to his house only a few minutes later while we were knocking at the house across the street. Funny experiences always make the day better!
Friday we did a lot of service, which was awesome! Also one of our investigators, K., prayed out loud for the first time since she started meeting with the missionaries. (Which was about a year ago.) We were also really excited about that!
I want to talk a little bit more about how Fort Jackson works on Sundays. We show up at 8:30 and we start teaching soldiers who are there. (Soldiers arrive anytime between 7:30 and when Sacrament meeting starts at 9:30.) We finish teaching and interviewing those who are on date for baptism and teach any one else who is interested. We then have Sacrament meeting, which goes until 10:10. This week they had me share my Testimony in Sacrament meeting, so that was a cool opportunity. After Sacrament meeting we split up into classes. There is a class on the Restoration, a class on the Gospel of Jesus Christ, a new member class, Relief Society, and Priesthood. While those are going on they hold the baptismal service. The AP's (who help teach at Fort Jackson) have a portable font that they bring and set up during Sacrament meeting. This week we had two baptisms, include Private C.! I was so happy and she talked about how much lighter and happier she felt afterwards! It was awesome! During the classes missionaries also pull aside soldiers who are on date to be baptized and teach them one on one. This week I taught Private R.. She is on date to be baptized next week and I taught her lessons 3,4, and 5. She is super excited and already has such a strong testimony. It is amazing to see the power of acting in faith. After classes are over we have about 10-15 more minutes to talk and teach soldiers. Then we have to leave the chapel by 11 so that the next denomination can set up for their meeting. It's an amazing experience and an awesome atmosphere!
A few more funny things about the great state of South Carolina! A popular ground covering is called pine straw. It is dried up pine needles. The stuff that we usually spend hours sweeping up from yards, they buy in bales and spread around. I think we should start selling ours online haha! Also no one here uses crosswalks, even when they are 10 feet away. It reminds me a lot of the scene in Mulan where her grandma is testing out the lucky cricket. haha!
Well as for a tender mercy from this week it would definitely be K. praying. The week I showed up we were considering dropping her, because she hadn't been progressing for a long time. We prayed about it and I got the answer that I needed to focus on loving her. As I focused on that she has made considerable progress and is already seeing what she needs to do to come closer to Christ. I hope that she remembers the progression she has made.
I think that's about it for news from Sister Bennett!! I hope y'all are doing well! Thanks for the letters, emails, and prayers!!!
Love always,
Sister Bennett :)
Amy on Exchanges day... in her LEMON BLOUSE!
Entering Ft. Jackson
By her study desk at her apartment!
