A Hospital Trip (for his companion)

 Alma 13: 24 For behold, angels are declaring it unto many at this time in our land; and this is for the purpose of preparing the hearts of the children of men to receive his word at the time of his coming in his glory.
25 And now we only wait to hear the joyful news declared unto us by the mouth of angels, of his coming; for the time cometh, we know not how soon. Would to God that it might be in my day; but let it be sooner or later, in it I will rejoice.

Pretty Sunset

Hey everyone!


I am definitely enjoy my time here in Mexico! I am especially excited and proud to hear that my brother will serve a mission and have many great experience in his mission as I am in mine!

Elder Tineo's haircut

This week has been one of the most interesting weeks of my mission so far! First off we are getting ready for the baptism of Aldrin our investigator this week! He will be baptized this Saturday and we are working to have a great baptismal service for him.

Jam Session with Aldrin

We have a new investigator named Edgar who we challenged to be baptized and accpeted. Edgar is very special because we found him and he has a big addiction to drinking alcohol and he wants to change his life and live a new life living the prinicples of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Cocido con aqua de avena (translated oatmeal cooked with water, but this does not look like oatmeal)

This week we have worked especially hard because we really need to find new people to teach. So with lots of prayer, planning, and faith; we had lots of success and we have some promising contacts that we found this week.


We were walking to go to some appointments on Friday and Elder Tineo brushed pass a wooden light pole and recieved a deep splinter under his fingernail that hurt him a lot. Him and I both tried taking it out but it was too deep and so a member brought us to the hospital to take out his splinter.

Must be the member who took them to the hospital

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Another Elder at the hospital?

 The doctor lifted his nail and took it out without any problems. 

Tineo handled everything well and didn't cry too much so we took him to eat sushi haha.

Elder Tineo didn't cry too much

Sushi?? after the trip to the hospital

Something interesting I learned this week that I really liked was that the Gospel is for all of God's children and it can and will change our life. When we use the Atonement of Christ in our lives we can feel His love and heavenly help and guidance in our life. No matter how lost we may be in our life, Heavenly Father will Always find you and present you with blessings and give you opportunities to have a change of heart, but we need to be willing and ready to receive these blessings.

I know and testify that this is Christ's church and His Gospel helps us find peace and happiness! With little steps come great things come to pass.


Elder Bennett

Multizona & English Activity

Helaman10: 4 Blessed art thou, Nephi, for those things which thou hast done; for I have beheld how thou hast with unwearyingness declared the word, which I have given unto thee, unto this people. And thou hast not feared them, and hast not sought thine own life, but hast sought my will, and to keep my commandments.


5 And now, because thou hast done this with such unwearyingness, behold, I will bless thee forever; and I will make thee mighty in word and in deed, in faith and in works; yea, even that all things shall be done unto thee according to thy word, for thou shalt not ask that which is contrary to my will.


Hey everyone!

Carl Jrs.

This was a pretty crazy week! We had meetings, a multizone conference, and English activity and a trip to the mission office :)

Wednesday was a pretty emotional day for me since it was the last conference I will have with Presidente Velez and Hna Velez.

Presidente & Hna Velez

We had a wonderful conference and we talked about the General Conference talk by Pte Uchtdorf and how the Lord can and will find His lost sheep and how we are the way that Christ finds His lost sheep. We talked of testifying with power and authority about the Prophet Joseph Smith. We also heard about our new Presidente, his name is Pte Galbadon and is 39 years old and is from Chihuahua and has a beautiful family. We were all very excited to here about our new presidente but sad because Presidente Velez is an amazing and powerful man, he will be missed here in Mexico Culiacan Mission. We are happy for him in his new calling as Area 70.

Zone Bachigualato

Grandpa Moncayo, his 2 sons and grandsons

Our investigators are doing pretty well. Aldrin now has all the attendances necessary to be baptized and is excited but nervous for his baptism on the 30th of this month! Another lady we are teaching Maria Elena who has been taking the lessons is slowly seeing the blessings of our message as we have been teaching the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Reunion with Elder Cruz and a package (it was mailed 3.9.16)

We are diligently looking for new investigators! We had only 1 person come to our English class but that's okay and it's been fun teaching English :)

HS students of San Sabastian

On Thursday we had a special opportunity to talk to High School students. All the American missionaries in our zone went to a High School and we each talked on a topic given to us to talk with the students with. I talked about Education and Customs. It was a good way to get to know the youth of Mexico a little better and plant seeds in these students for one day they will be more willing to listen to our message of happiness with them.

Everyone who came to our English Activity

Training is going well! Elder Tineo is very smart and already knows a ton! He loves contacting and talking to people. It's been fun learning from him and playing basketball and practicing beat box haha. It doesn't seem like he only has 1 month in the mission.

Taco Guero

I know that this message of the Gospel blesses our families for Eternity! There is so much joy and peace that come from living and applying the principles of the Gospel in our lives. I feel so blessed to share this with others no matter how difficult it is sometimes.


Elder Bennett

Pday lunch with the Zone leaders

Look at the good in EVERYTHING and EVERYONE

Mosiah 5:13 For how knoweth a man the master whom he has not served, and who is a stranger unto him, and is far from the thoughts and intents of his heart?



Pday fun: Basketball & Soccer


This week was full of blessings and challenges, and I'm grateful for every moment that happens even though as missionaries we suffer a lot. The mission is so uncomfortable! Like talking to people everyday in a language I'm still trying to learn, trying to solve and fix problems, being rejected, and suffering through the 100 degree weather everyday. But all these experiences I know are for a purpose that I don't completely understand in this moment but I know my Heavenly Father wants me to learn and grow from these things.


BBQ pollo for lunch



Despite all the difficult and frustrating things that happen, I try to look at the good in EVERYTHING and EVERYONE. This week Elder Tineo and I faced a lot of drunk and rude people. I have learned to love people for who they are. My companion always says that we should not look at people for who they are now but for the person that that can come to be. Everyone is a divine child of God with great potential. Heavenly Father loves His children so much that he has provided His son Jesus Christ to make the way for us to return to live with them again one day as eternal families. That's what I loved about General Conference that the prophets and apostles talked a lot about families! He has put us in families for us to have success and happiness in this life.


Juan's sweet ride



This week Elder Tineo and I worked so hard! We had the most success here in Los Pinos this last week than in all my mission up to this point. I'm teaching Elder Tineo a lot things about the mission, and one of the things that we focused on this week is Diligence! We had many lessons, contacts in the street, and success in many areas of the work. It's nice being the senior companion so I can direct what we do and decide how hard we work. I KNOW how important this work is, and I'm more than willing to give my full effort to the Lord this time I have as His servant.


Our investigator Aldrin is progressing very well! We started teaching the Plan of Salvation this week and he understood very well. He told us that he is praying and receiving answers to his prayers. That was so good to hear! But he still feels nervous for his baptism on the 30th of this month.


Our recent convert Fransisco is now better after he was very sick and things are better with his wife now but now he has stopped coming to church. We finally were able to visit him after so much time of not seeing him but sad that he is going back to his church he went to before.


Famosa carne asada con tortillas & frijoles y queso de Culiacan



The language has been getting better for me because I have to train my companion everyday and initiate contacts and lessons. So it's been a learning experience for both Elder Tineo and I! Elder Tineo says that Dominican Republic is hotter than Mexico. I can't imagine being there since I'm dying of heat here haha. Each week it's warmer and warmer :/


This week We had our first English Class and we had a whopping 40 people come! Just kidding we only had 1 person come haha. But the missionaries in our district are willing to help us gain more people to come :)


First English class



I know without a doubt this is the only true church that offers blessings for eternity.


Elder Bennett

General Conference

2 Nephi 2:11


For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my firstborn in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body it must needs remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility.


Hello
I'm learning and growing in many aspects of life. Something I learned this week is that the mission will bless my life and the life of my family for the rest of my life, not only during this time or immediately after the mission. I'm so grateful for the time I have to serve, I love this work!

The Gringos watching General Conference at the church

Elder Tineo is awesome! He is 18 years old and does speak English pretty well. We have been talking English to each other lately haha. We are getting to know each other and he loves basketball and he can beat box really well! First week of training was kinda scary but I know it will get easier and I will be less scared haha. We are getting along really well! We are excited to work together and find new people.

Sunny smiles

We are in the process of find new people to teach! So Elder Tineo and I decided that we are going to be giving FREE English classes for anyone and everyone. The people here will have the opportunity to learn another language from their teacher....Me! Elder Tineo and I are excited to find and teach new people and we hope this way we can help others and also teach them our message of happiness that we have for everyone.

At the church

This last weekend was General Conference! I have a much greater appreciation for the words of love and counsel from our inspired prophets and apostles. I had the opportunity to watch the sessions both in Spanish and English. I was grateful for all the counsels that our leaders shared with us, but I especially enjoyed the talks of Elder Holland, Pte Uchtdorf, Pte Monson, and Elder Oaks.

Watching General Conference at a member's house

Some things that stood out for me in conference was that God love us so much! We are His children and He wants us all to come unto Him and accept and live the teachings of His son Jesus Christ so we can one day live in His presence again!

I also loved all the messages that Families can be Eternal, families are ordained of God and are the way that we can find the greatest joy, love and peace in our life.


Another topic was the importance of going to the temple and participating in the great blessings of uniting families and helping others come unto the peace and joy we have enjoyed in our lives.

Culiacan at dusk

I know that this is the most blessed time in all of history due to the advancements in technology and the number of temples in the world- we are the prophesied Saviors on Mount Zion!


I love and appreciate life a little more each and everyday, and helping other come to this knowledge is a marvelous blessing!

Beautiful Culiacan

Elder Bennett

Elder Tineo's first taste of sushi