Y'all can call me Spiderwoman
Miracles:
KELLY AND DAVE! Ok so a few months ago Sister Rook and her old companion got them as a referral from some Elders in the Salem, Oregon mission. Well long story short they met with them once then they said they didn't want to meet with missionaries again. Well, Sister Rook felt prompted to return to visit them this last week and wow. I have no words. When we knocked Kelly opened the door and let us right in. We sat down and she proceeded to tell us that she had been having a really rough past couple of days and that she had prayed for an hour or so last night to God that he would send her a blessing and send her help. She knew we were an answer to her prayer. She said that every time she prayed or needed help she would turn around and the Mormon missionaries would show up (they have been meeting with missionaries for like years.) So we talked with Kelly and her son Dave and bore testimony and cried and all that good stuff and then set up a return appointment. It was an incredible miracle, and the spirit was strong as we spoke with them about our Heavenly Father's love and the truthfulness of this church. Well, the miracle continues! We were sitting on our bench yesterday at church, waiting for our new investigator Jake to walk in, when Kelly and Dave came into the chapel, Book of Mormons in hand! Sister Rook and I practically jumped off the bench in astonishment! We had no idea they were coming. Members of the ward quickly noticed and reached out in welcome and friendship, which was an instantaneous answer to about a million silent pleadings in my heart. Midway through the meeting Kelly leaned over to Sister Rook and asked her how all of the people knew it was their turn to get up and say their testimonies. Sister Rook explained that they were guided by the spirit and not even two minutes later Kelly was up at the pulpit. She bore the most powerful and simple testimony I have ever heard, about how much love she has felt from the Mormons, about all the trials she has faced with her son and his brain injury, and about how she knows this is true. She can feel it in her bones! Then Dave got up and bore a sweet testimony, and all the sudden the ward was in tears and everyone was getting up to bear testimony! It was by far the most powerful sacrament meeting I have ever been apart of. I was tingling the entire hour and could not wipe the smile off of my face for anything. It was all so centered in Christ and for a moment I felt his presence there, sitting right beside me. I know that he loves Kelly and Dave, and my goodness I do too! Please keep them in your prayers!
KELLY AND DAVE! Ok so a few months ago Sister Rook and her old companion got them as a referral from some Elders in the Salem, Oregon mission. Well long story short they met with them once then they said they didn't want to meet with missionaries again. Well, Sister Rook felt prompted to return to visit them this last week and wow. I have no words. When we knocked Kelly opened the door and let us right in. We sat down and she proceeded to tell us that she had been having a really rough past couple of days and that she had prayed for an hour or so last night to God that he would send her a blessing and send her help. She knew we were an answer to her prayer. She said that every time she prayed or needed help she would turn around and the Mormon missionaries would show up (they have been meeting with missionaries for like years.) So we talked with Kelly and her son Dave and bore testimony and cried and all that good stuff and then set up a return appointment. It was an incredible miracle, and the spirit was strong as we spoke with them about our Heavenly Father's love and the truthfulness of this church. Well, the miracle continues! We were sitting on our bench yesterday at church, waiting for our new investigator Jake to walk in, when Kelly and Dave came into the chapel, Book of Mormons in hand! Sister Rook and I practically jumped off the bench in astonishment! We had no idea they were coming. Members of the ward quickly noticed and reached out in welcome and friendship, which was an instantaneous answer to about a million silent pleadings in my heart. Midway through the meeting Kelly leaned over to Sister Rook and asked her how all of the people knew it was their turn to get up and say their testimonies. Sister Rook explained that they were guided by the spirit and not even two minutes later Kelly was up at the pulpit. She bore the most powerful and simple testimony I have ever heard, about how much love she has felt from the Mormons, about all the trials she has faced with her son and his brain injury, and about how she knows this is true. She can feel it in her bones! Then Dave got up and bore a sweet testimony, and all the sudden the ward was in tears and everyone was getting up to bear testimony! It was by far the most powerful sacrament meeting I have ever been apart of. I was tingling the entire hour and could not wipe the smile off of my face for anything. It was all so centered in Christ and for a moment I felt his presence there, sitting right beside me. I know that he loves Kelly and Dave, and my goodness I do too! Please keep them in your prayers!
Also we met this investigator the other week named Jake. We talked to him in a parking lot and he told us one of his good friends had just passed away in a tragic accident. We taught him the Plan of Salvation and it brought him so much comfort and peace. We then met with him later in the week and taught him the Restoration and he was able to come to church yesterday. He showed up in his John Deere hat, old jeans, and some steel toed boots. It was awesome. He is such a sincere guy and his heart is so open. The meeting was powerful yesterday and he felt the spirit strong and said he couldn't wait to come back.
Pueleen and Brian are doing well! We were able to take Pueleen and a less active member to watch the General Women's broadcast and it was AMAZING. They both absolutely loved it and are getting really excited for General Conference this coming week. Which by the way, I CANNOT WAIT! I AM SO EXCITED! But keep them in your prayers too, because they really need to be married sooner than later. Satan is working hard on them!
Funnies:
Alright y'all, our apartment is infested with spiders and other small creepers, and my companion seems to have a paralyzing fear of such things, so I have to kill them all! Ahh it has been a real trial...haha but lemme tell you. I have become a master. The little devils don't even bother me anymore. Ya know what they say, "when the going gets tough, the tough decide they are finally gonna grow up and learn to kill the 8 legged monsters"
Dave loves to call Kelly Mama. So when he got up to bear his testimony in church he kept saying "Mama this" and "Mama that". It reminded me of all the times that Jakey and I would quote Johnny Bravo: "Mama, make me a chicken fried steak." I forgot how stellar my Johnny Bravo impersonation was. My comp doesn't think it is as funny as I do, but she will learn.
The other day we were getting ready to go see a potential and I was giving us a little pep talk in the car, because that is necessary sometimes, and of course I included a quote from Marcel the Shell with Shoes. (stellar YouTube video...I recommend that all of you see it if you haven't yet) Well Sister Rook decided to take a big old gulp of water before that and then proceeded to burst into laughter spewing water all over the passenger side of the car and into my fresh bag of trail mix. :( It took us about 15 minutes to stop laughing and finally get out of the car. Sometimes it surprises me when she actually laughs at my jokes...
Spiritual thought:
This morning I was reading in Alma 37 and I came across verses 14-17. This is Alma's counsel to his son Helaman about keeping the records (the Book of Mormon) sacred and safe. It talks about how the Lord has entrusted Alma, and now Helaman, with the records, and that they were written and preserved in the wisdom of the Lord, for a very wise purpose. While reading this it got me thinking about the fact that the Lord has entrusted me, as a member of the church, with the Book of Mormon, and a knowledge of it. These records that prophets spent their lives protecting and keeping are now in my hands! And I thought about how I often I take the Book of Mormon for granted, or how often I don't treat it as sacredly as I should. Then I started thinking about all of the other things Heavenly Father has entrusted me with: a wonderful family, a knowledge of the gospel, a testimony of the Plan of Salvation, etc. etc. Do I treat all of these things as sacred as I should? In verse 16 it reads, "But if ye keep the commandments of God, and do with these things which are sacred according to that which the Lord doth command you. behold, no power of earth or hell can take them from you, for God is powerful to the fulfilling of all his words." That is such a powerful promise! We are taught that if we treat these things sacredly (by keeping the commandments of God and trusting Him) then He will fulfill all of his promises to us! He will allow our testimonies to be strengthened and continue growing, he will give us daily guidance through the Book of Mormon that no one can take away, and he will bless us with an ETERNAL family that cannot be overcome by any power...not even death. So my goal for this week is to treat those things the Lord has entrusted me with more sacredly. I encourage all of you to do the same. We are so blessed!
I love being a missionary. And I LOVE ALL OF YOU!
Xoxo,
Sister Bengtzen
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