The First Week in the Field

Mom! the plane ride was awesome, we made it safe, being a travel leader was awesome! I basically just made sure everyone had a companion and pass-along cards. Sorry I only have a few minutes to write back.  My companion and I sat by a guy named Dan on the plane. We talked the entire trip about our beliefs, about the restored gospel, the plan of salvation, the atonement, etc.! it was An awesome discussion. He asked me questions he had wondered for a long time like: "Why the apocalypse? A loving God wouldn't just go and destroy the Earth he created." I gave him a Book of Mormon and challenged him to read it. I expect he will join the church, although I won't find out probably until we meet at the feet of the savior.  We were greeted by President Fenn and his wife upon arrival, and she is really Elder McConkie's daughter! and He is alot like Elder McConkie!!! He (president Fenn) is so BOLD. straightforward. to the point... yet deeply loving. not affectionate, but definitely loving. We stayed at the mission home one night, where I got to meet the Schmidt's (Tracy's Aunt) and they are famil;y to me. totally.  Transfer meetings: I was dying of nervousness bacause I was the last english sister called, and President Fenn introduced me to my fellow missionaries me by saying:I am calling this person to this area because she knows martial arts, and there is no one better to put in the city. it was awesome, everyone was like: who is it going to be? he turns to my trainer, sister Smith, and says: "Sister Smith, meet your new companion-- sister Bennett." the reactions from some of the elders was priceless.   he called me to the city (just outside of it, anyway). I'm in a little placve called Skokie, near the beautiful Evanston and the gorgeous Northwestern university. I loooove the members. I'lll warm up to the area eventually, I am struggling to adjust to all the baptists and jews around. I am serving in 2 wards, and they are both great. one of our investigators who came to church with us got up in relief society and announced that she would be joining the fold-- aka the church-- she just didn't know when. her name is Sandra. I love you all, You'll hear from me in & days. I'll be more settled in then, so this is me promising a longer e-mail next week!  Sara and Zach--  How do you just let things go? like, when someone bugs you with what they do? -Kim (:

February 13th (MTC)

Hey All!

 

I'll be at the airport in SLC between 8 and 9 am on Monday the 18th, and I can make a phone call home so if anyone would be available to talk I really would love that. I'll bet everyone will be off at work? I'll try the house and if noone picks up I'll try Mom and meg's cell. maybe Dad's. But expect it! My p-day is over in 30 mins so I won't see any replies to this e-mail until next p-day!

 

Dad- thanks for the letter! it came in a very timely manner. It's been a hard week, but as most hard weeks go it was also a very good one. overall, I can't complain-- the MTC food is served like a cheap buffet/cafeteria, sort of all-you-can-eat. the food gives me indigestion sometimes pretty bad... but you learn pretty quick what foods to eat/not to eat! aaaand they have soymilk/rice dream!

Are you and Mom getting over your colds/coughs?

And I had no idea you were the District Leader in the MTC! How stressful!

Also,I showed your card to, like, everybody who would look! I especially loved the cookie stain. I've been healthy and well overall; sleeping okay, eating right, exercising regularly, and refusing to study during mealtimes. I am not letting myself multitask like that because I don't think it's a good idea to taint the relaxation time, but what is your opinion on that?

How valuable are breaks, really?

 

Mom-- no sore throat for me! Heavenly Father protected me from it, I guess because it's a real miracle I don't have it!

My MTC companion and I have cried and laughed together so much. we are so unified, and others notice it too. Most importantly God blesses us with unity in our teaching. The spirit speaks to her, then to me, then to her, etc. We had a REALLY discouraging time yesterday. Our progressing investigator (this is all role-play, and the actor is our awesome teacher, Brother Roberts). I had a headache basically the whole day, and she(my companion, sister Dudley) was frustrated from all of the lines at dinner time. Also we were not prepared. so when we taught the investigatior, our teaching sucked. we had the spirit with us but the spirit had no preparation to go off of. our lesson fell flat. he didn't want us there, he wasn't progressing, we were just confusing him and our teaching really just.... was awful. there was little skill there, and when we went back to class our teacher dismissed the class and we two just sat there. Brother Roberts asked :"So- sisters, how are we feeling?" and we both started weeping. We were so frustrated. we really undeniably failed as teachers. so he tried to encourage us, assigned us some reading, and listened to us. he almost started crying too. Here is the thing-- I've never felt soo deeply for someone else's welfare. I felt so responsible. he's not even a real person and I wept because I did something to let him down.

 

I wouls love to write specifically to Holly, ricky, and meg to answer your questions but I only have 4 minutes left. Ah, well, I'll have to answer them next p-day!

 

Megan- My companion thinks I'm more awesome than I ever could be.

 

Holly- I almost cried when I read your letter.  I'll "See you tonight" too!

 

Ricky--Your letter is wonderful. I hope you write to me next week. and I am growing BIG-TIME in my knowledge of the gospel here.

 

Sara and zach- congrats. I think of you often and what gresat parents you'll be.

 

 

I love you all, the MTC is feeling like home and I cannot waith to leave for Chicago on monday. I love you to the moon and back, and the valentine's package was so sweet and it had all of my favorite things. I love my district, they are so spiritual and we wpould do anything for each other. we went to the temple together today. our 8 elders are all like the sweetwater river boys, they would carry the peop;le of Chicago or New Your across even if they had to die to do it.

 

 

Likewise, I love you all and I hope the Bennett and Allen wagon trains are moving along smoothly. I'lll write you a more personal letter next week. Happy late Valentine's day, and remember that God is so aware of you and your needs and He is blessing you. Just write 3 things you're grateful for!

 

-Sister Bennett

 

p.s. yes, there is spinach here! (:

Kims First Email Home

On Feb 9, 2013, at 10:01 PM, Kimberly Bennett wrote:

The MTC is a wonderful place. excuse my poor writing, as I only have a few minutes to tell you all of these awesome things! I am so blessed here. my companion, sister Dudley, is so wonderful. We really get along! It is so easy for us to correct one another because there is so much love in our companionship. I've only known her for a few days and I love her with a love that usually takes years for me to develop. She has this cute voice and she whistles when I sing. Heavenly Father put us together to learn from one another, and boy are we learning!!!

 

 Our teachetrs ARE THE BEST teachers in the MTC. Brother Roberts and sister Metzger. Megan, I thought of you because didn't you have a teacher named Mr.Metzger??? Those Metzgers are just great teachers. It's hard to explain, but I've never had so many lightbulb moments. For instance, during class one day, my teacher sister Metzger just laughed at me and said: "It's easy to tell when Sister Bennett is having a lightbulb moment" (because I had this crazy excited look on my face when she was talking about the role of the spirit) and I just said: "I just didn't know I had so many!" (in reference to the lightbulbs)

 

My district is wonderful. and my 5 roomies are great. we all sing together and we keep each other in check. I especially love sister Blosil; look up the singer Jenn Blosil, or Jennifer Blosil. she's a professional singer.

 

I thought I knew something about love before I got here to the MTC. and I don't doubt I knew a little about it. But there is more lovehere than I could ever have imagined. there is so much to learn. we study, study for at least 8 hours every day (between classes and workshops) and it is still not enough!!! More knowledge!! more, more!

 

ok, enough of my ranting. I love you all and I think of you often here. thank you Mom for the nausene, it came in handy on day 2.

 

Something I would like to share with you is that on day 2 I was sooo tired. I hd never been so tired in my life. nit in my ju-jitsu days, not on trek, not after Disneyland, nothin'. I turn to sister dudley and say: "Sister Dudley, I don't know how I am going to make it. I am sooo tired. I only want to go home and take a nap. I just don't know how I am going to make it through the next 2-3 hours of just studying" and she turned to me and said, "You know the little train that could? Just say I know I can, I know I can, I know I can." So I did. and before I knew it, I had survived and it was lunch and we all know lunch is the oasis of hope on a hard day. so it was wonderful.

 

It is so easy to jusdge between right and wrong here; a thought enters my mind that creates static between me and the spirit, and my spiritual immune system recognizes and attacks it immediately.

 

I want you all to know that EXACT obedience is the only way to get blessings that heavenly father wants for us. How can he bless us if we are bnot doing what is right? He just can't. We are drills, and the spirit is the power source. when we sin, can we do anything effective? can we do anything when our power plug is kicked out of the wall by disobedience? NO! We CANNOT! we can do nothing woithout the spirit. lessons fall on deaf ears when you try to teach or love or do anything good intentioned without the spirit.

 

Anyway, I'll save the rest of the preaching for Chicago.

 

I love you all now more than ever.

 

 Holly, write me and let me know how your Book of Mormon study is coming!

 Also, I want to know how any recent developments are going.

 

Sara, your example of love and service when you came and visited us is a template for me; I want to do that with my investigators. that wa s a lesson as real and valuable as the immensely wonderful mission-oriented lessons I'm receiving here.

 

Mom- I love you. thanks for preparing me for the rigors of a mission. and I miss your wonderful cooking and your advice still rings in my ears almost always. Thank you.

 

Dad- you are awesome. I brag about you all the time here and how you never told people how long you were out.

 

Megan- I also brag all about you and Barthelona. and how is Brick Oven? and Do you want mission prep advice I wigsh I had?

 

Last but not least, I love you ricky. How is alex? How is little big planet? and CAP? You will be such a wonderfdul missionary.

 

Until next week,

 

Love sister Bennett