Mini General Conference

Alma 38:12 Use boldness, but not overbearance; and also see that ye bridle all your passions, that ye may be filled with love; see that ye refrain from idleness.

Elder Tineo & Elder Castillo

This week, an Area 70 member Elder Clayton shared this scripture with us in our conference with him and other general authorities. He talked about how as missionaries we currently are under a structure of rules of a full time mission. There will come a time in our lives that we will write our own manuals. We will have to become disciples of Jesus Christ, even when we are not obligated to do so. We have to become true converts of Christ in His gospel so that when the trials in our lives come, we will decide to choose the right and be true disciples of God in our daily lives.


Holaaa a todos!


This was a pretty crazy week!

With Elder Cruz- probably in Culiacan?

Well first of all, the highlight of the week was the conference with President Russell M. Nelson of the 12 Apostles. Along with him came, Elder and Hna Valenzuela, Elder and Sister Piper, Elder and Sister Clayton, and Pte Nelson. Wow, it felt like a mini general conference! We weren't allowed at all to take pictures but just the memories and experiences of being with these individuals was such a privilege. When I shook Pte Nelson's hand, he told me "Good morning, Elder Bennett."

Mexico Culiacan Mission with President Nelson

President Nelson also met with Catholic and Government leaders in Mexico

One of the things that Pte Nelson talked of in his talk was about marriage. He said that we (the Elders) think that we have found the girl that we want to marry we have to ask ourselves "Does the lady that I want to marry have faith in God like Hna Gabaldón?" I thought that was pretty interesting. We really do have an amazing Mission President and his wife. Pte Nelson talked of Christ as well. He talked about 10 attributes of Christ. I liked when he talked of Jehovah, and how Moses had to climb up Mount Sinai to talk to Jehovah. He said sometimes we have to climb our own personal Mount Sinai to reach the Lord in our lives. It is true because sometimes it's not easy, but it will always be worth it in the end.


Transfers are today! I will stay in Albatros - Mazatlan another transfer, I have 4 and a half months here now. I am with my new companion Elder Gonzalez from Puebla! He is a greenie in the mission still with 3 months. He likes to work and we are going to baptize this transfer :) Elder Sanchez went to my old area of Tanques. I gave him a few survival tips haha.

Lunch on Wednesday- I love seafood!

Work here has been difficult. This last week started La Carnanval, (Carnival) which is a week long celebration of fiestas and eating and dancing. People come from all over the world to this carnival, so it's a pretty big deal. We have had little success in teaching this week due to the parties haha.


Thanks everyone! Have a great week!


Elder Bennett
Reply Reply to

Splits

Hey Everyone!


2 Nephi 3:12 Wherefore, the fruit of thy loins shall write; and the fruit of the loins of Judah shall write; and that which shall be written by the fruit of thy loins, and also that which shall be written by the fruit of the loins of Judah, shall grow together, unto the confounding of false doctrines and laying down of contentions, and establishing peace among the fruit of thy loins, and bringing them to the knowledge of their fathers in the latter days, and also to the knowledge of my covenants, saith the
Lord.



I wanted to share this scripture this week because it refers to the Bible and the Book of Mormon. They are both testaments of the restored gospel and testify of Christ and his glory. I know that they compliment each other and help us come closer to our loving Heavenly Father. I know that it contains the fulness of the gospel and helps us to become more Christlike. I know it is true by studying them and praying to know!


This was a pretty busy and stressful week.


We have been enduring to the end here in Albatros. Transfers are next week and we know there will be changes. We are getting excited for this Saturday to see Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the 12. We have to leave at 4 in the morning to go to Culiacan to see him.

Splits in Villa de Union

This week, we went on splits Elder Sanchez and myself with Elder Quezada and Elder Horrocks on Tuesday, the four working at Villa Union. Elder Horrocks and I worked together and I was able to help him with his little Spanish and teach him some things too. He is a good missionary. We put in two baptismal dates and got 7 new ones this day. Also on Friday we did our district activity to find new ones in the Vicente Guererro area. We were Elder Serrano and I and we had four contacts and a new one in an hour and a half. 

In the Albatros area, we are persevering. We are following up with the investigators progressing and finding new ones. Since the change of key indicators and focusing on the four, our contacts and references have not been many but we are trying to have lessons with the PF's and contacts / references of past changes. Our date investigators have been discouraged. Jose does not want to go to church because of the pain he could not walk and his skin. He got discouraged a lot when his brother told him that there are no miracles and he does not need religion or God to heal  but it is the money that will cure him. We are trying to work with him so he will be baptized 25 of March.


Thanks everyone, have a great week!


Elder Bennett

Sharing Love, Peace and Joy!

Luke 6:38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

I really liked this scripture this week when I read it. I know that when I give or when I am serving my fellowman, I am giving and serving to the Lord. He always blesses us when we do His will. His will is that we love the Lord with all thy heart, might, mind and strength and also that we love thy neighbor as thy self. I know that through selfless service and acts of kindness and charity, we can receive the joy of the Spirit more abundantly in our lives. So my challenge is that we can do unto others as they would do unto you.


Hola a todos!


It's been a pretty good week, in fact, every week is a good week! The mission is such a great blessing in my life. I love that I can share love, peace and joy to others each and everyday. A simple phrase of testimony can set events in motion that affect someone's life for eternity.


We have been working with several investigators this week. We are pretty excited about José who has a baptismal date for 25 March. We had to put his date in a future date because of his lack of attendances to church. We have lots of investigators that are progressing and we are just working hard to teach them and guide them through the process of repentance and invite them to come unto Christ.


I have been enjoying the new changes in the missionary schedule and the focus on 4 key indicators, as well as the standards of excellence.


I never mentioned some of the new changes in the missionary schedule worldwide. So we still wake up at 6:30, but we no longer have a order in which we do the things. We just need to do the following things before 10:00 am. 30 minutes of exercise, breakfast, get ready, 1 hour of personal study, and 30 minutes of planning. Then during the day we are expected to do 30 more minutes of comp study, and 30 minutes of language study, but at the time we want. But we are supposed to be out of the house by 10:00 working and back home by 9:00. The idea is that we are to be our personal agents and not locked to a certain schedule. The idea is that we will be healthier and more efficient missionaries. They also changed the numbers that we track. The only 4 numbers we count and report now are: 1) Baptisms and Confirmations 2) Baptismal Dates 3) Investigators in Church, 4) New Investigators.



The idea is that these 4 numbers are the most important. I like it. Its kinda a normal habit before with all the numbers we had, to try to reach the goals just so the people that report with you see good numbers. But now those numbers don;t get seen by any one else, and just the numbers that truly matter. Makes us work harder in my opinion


This week we had a zone conference and interviews with Presidente Gabaldón. I really do like my Presidente, after our interviews he took us out to Carls Jrs. He is pretty funny! We also received exciting news that at the end of the month we are going to receive a special visit from Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles. We were super stoked!


Have a wonderful week everyone! Take care!


Elder Bennett



PS. This is me taking a treatment, drinking hot cinnamon tea and with medicine. I had a cold and one of our investigators in less than 30 minutes put me back together :)

We All Need God's Blessings

Alma 58:10 Therefore we did pour out our souls in prayer to God, that he would strengthen us and deliver us out of the hands of our enemies, yea, and also give us strength that we might retain our cities, and our lands, and our possessions, for the support of our people. 11 Yea, and it came to pass that the Lord our God did visit us with assurances that he would deliver us; yea, insomuch that he did speak peace to our souls, and did grant unto us great faith, and did cause us that we should hope for our deliverance in him.

Basketball with the Compas!

In my studies I have been reading about the two thousand stripling warriors and their great diligence to keep the commandments of God. They were in war with the Lamanites and having troubles with them and they prayed mightily to God and they were blessed with peace. I love this story because each day we are fighting our own little battles and have challenges but when we are obedient and keep the commandments of our Heavenly Father, He will bless us in our afflictions and give us an assurance that we will overcome and our faith will become stronger.


Holaaa from Mazatlan!

Early morning exercise on the malecon

Elder Sanchez and I have been well! We have been working a lot with our investigators and being very patient with them. We love them and want the best for them. We were able to put baptismal dates with some, José for February 25 and Ramon for March 11. We have struggled a lot with putting baptismal dates but the Lord has blessed us that we could help these individuals to prepare for this important ordinance.

We had a pretty successful week, lots of ups and downs like always. A little scary all the assaults and murders that are going on lately but I never doubt in the Lord's protection when I do His will. I never doubt or fear because that is the opposite of faith and so I feel calm and segure that all will be well here. A 17 year old boy that lived in front of us was killed in an accident, the owner of our new apartment was assaulted after she took out $600,000 pesos from the bank, and a contact in the street told us that 20 minute before someone was killed like 2 blocks down from where we were, but I feel safe and protected from the world through my obedience and diligence to the rules and commandments.

Getting ready for the Carnival, which is a big deal here

It has been interesting the transition to the new mission schedule, but I am loving it! The new schedule allows us to use our agency more as missionaries. Lots of missionaries after the mission are becoming inactive or don't live the Gospel as strong as they did in the mission and so the First Presidency wants that we can get in a routine in the morning of studies and preparation that we can continue to put in practice after the mission. We have morning time to get ready in the morning and time to study as companions in the street which I like.

Sweet tie from Chiapas!

Sometimes it's a little frustrating when our investigators don't do the invitations that we extend. Elder Holland of the Quorum of the 12 said that we need to be sad when they don't read, pray, or go to church- we know these things CAN and WILL bless their lives so we need to be happy in their successes to live the Gospel and help them learn to make it a daily habit and a way of life. We all needs God's blessings, no one can live without them. We can be even more blessed in our lives when we do His will, and repent of our sins so we can be cleansed and have His spirit to be with us.


Tengan una buena semana a todos! Dios les bediga!


Elder Bennett

Gaining Confidence

Mosiah 13:33 For behold, did not Moses prophesy unto them concerning the coming of the Messiah, and that God should redeem his people? Yea, and even all the prophets who have prophesied ever since the world began—have they not spoken more or less concerning these things? 34 Have they not said that God himself should come down among the children of men, and take upon him the form of man, and go forth in mighty power upon the face of the earth? 35 Yea, and have they not said also that he should bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, and that he, himself, should be oppressed and afflicted?


One of the things that Pte Gabaldón taught us is that when we don't know what to say we should talk of the Savior. He is the life and light of the world. He gives the world a hope for a better life and eternal life! Our Lord Jesus Christ has been testified and prophesied by ancient and living prophets. I too testify that the Savior will come again. I know that we are in the last days before the second coming of Christ and now is the time to prepare ourselves spiritually for what is to come in the future. I know the Gospel has been revealed to us in these times for our happiness in this life and progression to the life to come.

Yo

Hey Everyone!


It has been a somewhat cooler week here in Mazatlan! At the start of the week, I had to take out the jacket and sweaters because the wind was pretty chilly here. It didn't take long for the hot Sinaloa sun to come back out and remind us that he's still there haha.


This week was a pretty normal week. I've gained a lot of confidence in myself. I remember back in Teacapan I could hardly speak Spanish and I didn't know a whole lot about the doctrine either but now, I have come a long ways in almost 17 months here in the mission. Wow, has it flown by these last few months. I've been so busy and focused that the time just doesn't seem real anymore.

Beautiful Malecon

Elder Sanchez and I

With our investigators with the most potential, it was a pretty slow week. Everyone is always so very busy and it's difficult for them to squeeze in a time in there busy schedules to hear a message from the missionaries. We made some strides this week with some new investigators. One is Isaac, a young man who has a alcohol problems. We were able to testify of the enabling power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and teach him that there is hope to overcome his addictions. We have several investigators that we have been working with over these last 3 and a half months here in Mazatlan that we try to make it around to everyone in the week. 

Wednesday night FHE group

One of the highlights of the week was a service that we did for our investigator, José, who is a painter. He makes paintings of the Mazatlan sunset, waterfalls, planets, animals- he is amazing! On Saturdays is when he goes to El Centro where all the tourists go to in the night. We went and helped him set up his things and sell his paintings to the gringos who didn't speak Spanish. It was so awesome to see all the people in awe watching the simplicity of the way he paints something marvelous.

I am enjoying the mission! We are starting a new missionary schedule where we are going to be having our companionship study and language study in the street, a park or in whatever place rather than in our houses. And we plan in the mornings now so we don't have to plan in the night and I can catch up on my journal again! Haha.


Have a wonderful week everyone! God bless!


Elder Bennett

Up Down Week

Exodus 31:14 Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. 15 Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. 16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. 17 It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed

The Hermanas helped us move our stuff

This week I wanted to share a scripture in the Bible about the Sabbath Day. It is essential for our well being and spirituality during the week. This is the day dedicated to the Lord when we can learn of the scriptures and of the Gospel, grow spiritually, feel the Spirit, and participate the Sacrament. I thought it was interesting that those in the times of Moses were put to death if they did not keep the Sabbath, we should delight in this special day. I know it is important because our loving Heavenly Father wants us to rest and learn of His will.Hey Everyone!

Finally moved in!

This was a pretty up-down week, the mission is like a roller coaster, lots of emotions. The owner of the apartment called us and said that it was now available and so the next day we took the morning to move our things to the new house. The new house is very long, our old house was 2 floors. It has lots of space and it is close to the bank, the stores, the church building, and so that's why we wanted to move to this place, and considering that we now live in our area haha. The sister missionaries helped us move.

Our investigator paints with spraypaint

We had a few difficulties with our investigators this week. With each one of them we tried to put a baptismal date. Soraya tells us that we should not speak of baptismal dates, because she says that she will know when she should, and we do not have to set a specific date with her. José, our investigator who can not walk, was enthusiastic to be baptized and we invited him to ask the Lord to know what day he should be baptized, then his family spoke to him and he lost the desire to pray and listen to us because of the things his family told him. 

Hermana Guzman is so nice to us

Mauro, he only wants to know about the history of the church and not about faith and repentance and these things because he already knows about the other churches. On the plus side, we found several new investigators this week and so we are working well and being very patient!

Elder Sanchez is always tired

This week I could see the hand of the Savior in some contacts in the street we had. We were able to find and meet people that truly need the healing power of Jesus Christ in their lives and it was a blessing to see that the people who need the Gospel are placed in our paths so we can teach and testify of Christ. I know that He lives and loves each one of His children.

P-day basketball, we tried throwing basketballs at the coconuts to eat one

Eating Breakfast

Have a great week!

Taco de pescado y quesadilla de camaron

Elder Bennett

Mazatlan Zone

God's Love Never Ceases

Exodus 33:11 And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.


This week one of our investigators had a doubt about Joseph Smith. How is it that a young boy of 14 years old could talk to God and Jesus Christ? We invited her to pray specifically to know if Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God and she immediately thought of Moses and how he couldn't see God. We responded with this scripture saying that God the Father talked to Moses face to face. We talked of the necessity of prophets in these latter days. We bore our testimony of Joseph Smith and how we came to know that he was chosen and called of God to restore His true church upon the face of the earth one last time. I think it was an event so spectacular the First Vision when God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph to tell him and the world that Their love never ceases and still talks to prophets today to lead and guide us.
 Hey Everyone!


This was a pretty fun week! We had lots of opportunities to teach this week to our investigators. Soraya, José and Mauro are progressing very well and are our next prospects for baptism. We have been finding new investigators and working hard.

Hna Kareli and Jesús

Transfers are today, Elder Sanchez and I will be companions for the 3rd transfer here in Albatros. I am excited for this transfer because we will finally have some convert baptisms. Presidente Gabaldón joined the 2 zones in Mazatlan into 1 so now we are one big zone. I won't be the district leader this transfer and I think that will help me and my companion focus on our investigators more and be more productive.

Last District Picture

Elder Juarez "died" (he finished his 2 years)

Our investigator, Soraya, attended church this Sunday for the first time. She is so awesome! She has a special gift and we know she will be such a help in the Family History department. We are going to challenge her to baptism this week and put a baptismal date. José, we had already challenged and was super excited to be baptized and then his aunts talked to him and said it is dangerous for him to go to church with his condition that he cant walk and so he lost his spirit to go to church and be baptized. We made a promise to him in the name of Christ that if he goes to church and is baptized he will be healed from this sickness in his legs. We felt by the spirit we should say that.

Family Home Evening

Sorry it's a short email this week. I love you all! Thank you!

I made French Toast this week

Elder Bennett