I think I am pretty funny...

Sabrina Jumping from a large land mover!

JUST KIDDING!!! I really do think I am quite funny, and Sister Church agrees 65% of the time, so I consider myself a winner! I actually have a lot more to say this week, so hold your horses people ;) Sometimes I fear that you are forgetting about me and just getting used to life without me, so I have decided I must keep you on your toes, because guess what?! I MISS YOU! Seriously I miss you all so much. But at the same time I am in the best place I possibly could be and I wouldn't give that up for anything. Missions are just a roller coaster! 

Miracles:

So I went on exchanges with sweet Sister Goff this week and my heavens above, that girl can light up a room by just walking in! She is so humble, yet at the same time she recognizes that her efforts are appreciated and accepted by the Lord, and with that combination she is powerful. We had an incredible miracle while we were on exchanges. We have this potential family we have been working with for quite some time and a few weeks ago we had to drop them because they simply weren't keeping commitments. Sister Goff and I were in their neighborhood so we stopped by their apartment and the wife, Lindsey, answered the door and just looked exhausted. Before I could even process my words I asked her if we could come back in an hour and help her clean her home. (The spirit is real!) Gratitude and relief filled her eyes and she accepted. We have been praying specifically for Lindsey's heart to be softened for so many weeks, and through service it finally was. We helped her to clean her home and bore powerful testimony to her and her husband before we left. They thanked us profusely and invited us to come back, so we will be seeing them this week!

Exchanges with Sister Goff and Bailey!

Also this is kind of a crazy, random miracle. We were knocking doors in this fun little neighborhood and we saw this huge, beautiful, old home. I swear it was probably 100 years old, so naturally that is the house we started with. As we were walking up to the door we heard a dog, but the reflection on the glass door made it so we couldn't see inside the home. When we got to the door we recognized that this thin glass door was the only thing between us and this HUGE, snarling, angry dog. The dog pounced at the door and Sister Church quickly put her foot against it to hold it in. We looked at each other and both offered up the quickest and most earnest silent prayer we ever have. As we were quietly and hurriedly discussing what to do the dog quit snarling, perked up its ears, turned around, and sauntered into the back room. Sister Church and I were speechless. We took another look at each other and took of in a dead sprint. We got back to the car just in time to hear the dog start barking and snarling again. I have no doubt that angels were protecting us, and I am so grateful that Heavenly Father is aware of his missionaries.

TIRE SWING!

Also this week... Pam, our recent convert, got to go to the temple! She signed up to go a few weeks ago, but the day before she totally backed out and called us and told us she wasn't going. We immediately went to her home and had a powerful lesson on Satan's lies and the influence of the adversary. It was incredible to see how much she changed from the beginning of the lesson to the end. She ended up going to the temple and said it was one of the most meaningful and memorable days of her life. She cannot wait to get her endowment in one short year! I know that the adversary is real, but the power of the Savior is so much stronger and sustaining. I am grateful that through the scriptures we can learn how to use the Savior's power and how to fight Satan!

Funnies:

So while we were visiting with Pam, talking about the adversary, and trying to help her to get to the temple, we were talking about how Heavenly Father sometimes allows us to be uncomfortable because He wants us to grow, and there is no growth in the comfort zone! As we were talking about this I got all excited and I said: "Pam, Heavenly Father is trying to help you grow! Like that plant!" And I pointed to the plant on her windowsill. Pam proceeded to look at the plant, then at me, then at the plant again and gave me this look of just disgust (haha which Pam loves to do because she loves to mess with us) then she yelled: "That plant is dead!" Hahahahaha. Sister Church and I proceeded to look at each other, then at the plant, then at the ground, then at Pam, then back at the ground, then all three of us busted into laughter. Hahaha I am such a dork. I know for a surety Heavenly Father was laughing with us though! 

Buffalo! 

Also this week we were out in the country and we pulled over on this dirt road to take a picture with a group of cows. (Side note: What do you call a group of cows? A flock? A pack? A herd? A fold? A squad?) Anyway, the second we got out of the car these cows started standing up, and I'm telling you, they were ready to fight. I have never gotten back into a car, put on a seat belt, and started driving so quick! Moral of the story is DON'T MESS WITH THE COWS. They aren't a fan of selfies...although they are UTTERly adorable! (Ok that one was painful...)

Spiritual thought:

In 2 Chronicles 15 a group of people are gathered together in Jerusalem and offer up a mighty sacrifice to the Lord. Along with this sacrifice 2 Chronicles15:12  reads "And they entered into a covenant to seek the Lord God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul." As I read this I thought about the sacred covenants we all have the privilege of making, and I specifically thought about baptism. Do we recognize that part of the covenant we made and that we make every Sunday as we partake of the sacrament, is to always remember the Savior, Jesus Christ, and in the same spirit, to SEEK him? The word seek means "to go in search of" or "to discover". How many times throughout our week do we SEEK the Savior? How many times throughout the week do we look for the hand of God, show gratitude for His tender mercies, or remind our families and loved ones that we LOVE them? Jesus Christ truly is the light and the life of our world, and of each of our lives, and we are promised that as we SEEK him - with all our hearts and with all our souls - that his light will enter into our lives and it will grow brighter and brighter until the perfect day. (D&C 50:24) So this week I am going to make a more diligent and conscious effort to SEEKmy Savior and allow his light to illuminate my life. I hope you all do the same!

I love you more than cows love hay and more than Kearney natives love to drive tractors!

xoxo,

Sister Bengtzen