Omaha sweet home(aha)

Well team, the Lord works in mysterious ways because my new comp doesn't even drive, and I am forced to do 100% of the parallel parking! Hahaha Heavenly Father apparently really wants me to learn that skill, so y'all just wait. In a few short weeks I'm gonna be a master. (Keep that in  your prayers though...I'd rather not crash a mission vehicle doing something so lame)

WELL HOWDY FROM OMAHA! I don't think they all of the sudden say Howdy here...I mean I am still in the same state....but it seemed like a fitting greeting. Maybe I will start that trend, and everyone in the city of Omaha, Nebraska will start saying Howdy because they heard Sister Bengtzen doing it. It is absolutely plausible. Anywho, I spelled Choco Hills real wrong last week. I am serving in the CHALCO Hills ward haha and I am in like the Southwest part of Omaha. And it is very different than Lincoln! But it is absolutely wonderful. So many people, so many houses, so many families, so many dogs! And the ward is so kind and welcoming...and nutty! There is so much work to do here and I am so excited about it!! My new comp is Sister Rook and she is just a sweetheart. She says the most sincere and grateful prayers that I have ever heard, and I am so excited to learn and grow with her. We got a lot to do here in Omaha.

Miracles:

So throwback! President allowed me to go to the temple on Saturday and surprise Tim and Phoebe as they went to do baptisms for the dead. I wish I could put into words how sweet the experience was. Tim walked in the doors and just started crying. He could not stop saying how different he felt, and how grateful he was to be there with Phoebe. He instantly recognized it as the House of the Lord and his heart was so full. Phoebe absolutely radiated as she got ready and she could not get over how beautiful the stained glass inside was. She was able to do baptism while Tim watched and the whole day was just tender. They are making plans to be sealed as a family in about a year, and I pray that I will be able to attend that sealing. They are such a remarkable family and the Lord will continue to do wonders among them. Kenneth, their son, is being baptized this week and I know he is so excited. This gospel has just changed their lives!

Tim and Phoebe at the Temple

Also this week we talked to everyone we saw here in Omaha and oh man. It is a little different than Lincoln. But we were able to share the message of the Restoration with a man named Santiago and he accepted baptism! His whole heart softened when he heard the first vision and he committed to read the Book of Mormon and pray that night. We left him with a Spanish copy of the Book of Mormon and we are going back to see him on Wednesday so keep him in your prayers!

We also ran into this guy named Jerome and I got him talking about football, then his boat, then his family. What a lead in...haha am I right? Anyway, he wants to learn more, so he invited us to come back on Tuesday! So keep him in your prayers as well!

Funnies:

I accidentally threw my umbrella in the dumpster the other day and so I had to dive in to get it. Haha my comp screamed and thought I accidentally fell in! I was laughing so hard that it took me like 10 minutes to climb back out. I think she thinks I am crazy...so there goes the first impression.

There was this crazy high priest in the library the other day and he would not let us print off 5 copies of this paper, and we really needed 5 copies of this paper, so I was really about to lose it, but I prayed for patience and all of the sudden I started talking about football. 10 minutes later we were best buds and I had 10 copies of said paper. The spirit is a real thing people!

I tried to make up a story about Sister Rook the other night during dinner and she could not believe that I was "lying"! Hahaha so I don't think I will be doing that for a while....now that family thinks I am crazy too, so we are an 0 for 2 on good first impressions.

Windy and wet in Omaha

Spiritual thought:

Alma 26:37 "Now my brethren, we see that God is mindful of every people, whatsoever land they may be in; yea he numbereth his people, and his bowels of mercy are over all the earth." I know this is a simple verse, but I read it the other morning in my studies and it just reminded me that the Lord is aware. He is mindful of me, he is mindful of the people that I have come to love so dearly, and he is mindful of all of you. So remember that, when the going gets tough look back at all you've become, all you've learned, and how you've grown and remember that the Lord IS and always WILL BE mindful of YOU.

LOVE YOU ALL!

xoxo,

Sister Bengtzen