Do Mormons live on Mormon Trail??

Happy Pioneer Day! Also someone please tell Bridger Happy Birthday for me this weekend. I LOVE HIM! And I know that even though he does not admit it openly he loves me too. I am his favorite cousin..... sorry Brie! (You lose yet again!)

|Renee and girls

Miracles: 

Renee is doing so well!!! Oh my heavens it has been the most incredible thing to see her heart change! She has been reading the Book of Mormon to her daughters as a bed time story the past couple of nights and she said it has brought great peace into her home. It's incredible to think that the little things we ask investigators to do are the same little things the prophets ask us to do. It must be inspiration from the Lord! I am so grateful to know that He is the one who leads and guides this church. Speaking of church Renee and Bird and Blessen absolutely LOVE church! They look forward to it every single Sunday, and even though they have to get up early, they get up with smiles on their faces! I think the highlight of church for me yesterday was Renee participating in our Gospel Principles class. The teacher asked how we could show God that we love him and without skipping a beat Renee said, "We can go to church!" Amen to that! She is set to be baptized officially on August 5th and she is so excited, she is inviting all of her family members and telling just about the whole world! So please continue to pray for her! 

Bird and Blessing with cute sun dresses.

Also last night, when we went to see Renee after church, her sister Kim was there and we had the chance to visit with her for a little while. Kim said that she had met with Elders when she lived in Kansas City, but that she already had a church home here in Lincoln, and wasn't interested in learning more. We showed both her and Renee a video from LDS.org and then began to focus on Renee. It was so cool to see how Kim's heart softened as she saw our love for Renee and as she heard us talk about Jesus Christ. At the end of our lesson she said the most incredible thing I have ever heard! She said something along the lines of..."Whenever I see missionaries I think about Noah and the ark. God commanded him to build an ark, but no one listened to him when he told them to get on, and because of that all of them were drowned. I wonder if the missionaries are who God is sending to us now, and if they're the ones that are telling us to get on the ark and we are just not listening." It was one of those moments where I felt like someone recognized I was a messenger of the Lord. We told Kim that there was a way she could know for herself if we were from God and that was reading the Book of Mormon and praying. We gave her a copy and she committed to us that she would. What a miracle! I pray that we will have the chance to teach her and her family too! 

Funnies: 

Sabrina and Sister Bryson

So I was on exchanges with Sister Bryson this week. (I LOVE HER!) And we went finding on Mormon Trail, which is a street in our area. Sidenote: We were driving the other day and I almost crashed the car into a curb when I saw the street sign for "Mormon Trail" so needless to say I have been excited to go finding on that street ever since. Anyway, we knocked on this door and a man answered with the most angry looking face I have ever seen in my life. His name was Elias. I started to tell him that we were missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and he just looked at me with a blank stare and said, "What do you want?" So I decided that I was going to brighten his day and I responded with..."Sir, we are the MORMON missionaries, and you live on MORMON TRAIL!" He did not even blink. "Sir" I said, "Your street is named after US!" With no change in his expression he looked at me and said, "Are you telling me there are a bunch of Mormons that live on this street?" "Uhh....well..no..." I said. Then he shut the door. 

Haha Sister Bryson just looked at me and laughed. I really tried! 

Sabrina on splits with Sister Stockings and Sister Depp

Spiritual thought: 

We had Zone Conference this week, and ZC is always a spiritual highlight of the transfer! But there was something special about this Zone Conference. I think part of it was that I got to see Buffy! (Bishop O'Brien's sister!) But I also think it was because the spirit was so strong and all the missionaries came prepared and ready to be taught. Anyway, the theme of the meeting was teaching through the power of the Holy Ghost and during the meeting the Holy Ghost placed a question in my mind that I have been pondering ever since. Do I love my investigators enough to ALWAYS maintain the companionship of the Holy Ghost? As I have been pondering this question I have recognized that it isn't just about me as a missionary and my investigators, but this question can be applied to all of us, no matter where we are! Do we love our families, friends, co-workers, etc. enough to ALWAYS maintain the companionship of the Holy Ghost? Do we love our Father in Heaven enough to ALWAYS maintain the companionship of the Holy Ghost? 

President Gardner challenged each of us to think about what percentage of our day that we feel the companionship of the Holy Ghost, and then he committed us to increase it, whatever it may be. I want to challenge all of you to do the same! I know that the Holy Ghost is one of the greatest gifts of God and so often we take it for granted. But we have it, and we need it, so we MUST do our best to keep it with us. I am so grateful for the companionship of the Holy Ghost in my teaching, in my bearing testimony, in my finding, in ALL that I do. I would be lost without it. 

I love you all and I hope you have an incredible week! 

xoxo, 

Sister Bengtzen 

Pictures:  

1) Exchanges with Sister Stocking and Sister Deppe

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​2) Amelia Saltzman...the one and only (she's in our ward)

3) Exchanges with Sister Bryson

4) Renee!! 

5) Bird and Blessen