New Area - New Companion

 

Bridger and Elder Johnson

Dear Family!

This last week has been such a great one with our transfers and with my new area! Monday night we went to go say goodbye to the Yarn family because they have become one of my favorite families this last transfer! They are such a great family, and they are just tons of fun to talk to! I really think the hardest thing about transfers is saying goodbye to all of the close relationships you've grown with people! Whether it be with missionaries in the area or with the members/investigators. It was hard to say goodbye, but I know I will see them all again before I leave my mission.

Tuesday was transfer day, since Archibald was going home, Sister Mays invited us go over to her house to say goodbye to us all! She is such a solid member! While I was there I ate three more peppers which was not as bad as I thought they were going to be! The remainder of the day we had to pack so I got everything packed up to go to transfers! Tuesday night James Lui took us all out to say goodbye, I am very thankful for his willingness to take us to Buffalo Wild Wings!

Wednesday was a nerve racking day for me, I didn't know if I was staying in the zone or not so I was nervous about everything. I told Elder Archibald when they announce my companion to look at me and nod if he was a great guy. So the first set of ZL's go up to the stand for the Seneca Zone, a few areas in they tell me that my new companion will be Elder Johnson and we will serve in Derwood. It was a relief that they called my name so quickly, and Archibald was definitely nodding his head. After we sorted everything out after Transfers, we headed on our way to white wash our area.

We took a while figuring out where we wanted to live, because our area is super big so we could live on either side of the ward and we chose to live with Elders Fitzgerald and Timmerman. They are the French elders and are great guys! The first night in the area Harold Watson called us, he introduced himself and told us who was feeding us for the rest of the week. Harold is quite the guy, haha I would try to explain it but it wouldn't do any justice. 

Thursday was our first full day in the area, we had to finish sorting out our area book and acquiring the investigators, so we spent most of the day trying to do that. We had dinner with the Chaneys and they were a great introduction into the ward! We had ward correlation with Brother Matsen, and come to find out that his nephew is Nick Waters, we went to elementary together and he is a great kid! That was very great to find out. Here Brother Matsen told us about the time suckers in the ward and to have caution around them. Harold was the first one he brought up, and told us to bear with him, but we are afraid that he will get into our way with the other members of our ward. 

Friday and Saturday we spent just visiting members and introducing ourselves and all that jazz. We got to meet some of them and it was very comforting because  all of them are super nice! We had a Pot Luck at the church which is 30 minutes from us and completely out of our area which will be rough getting to and from church, but the church building has the same layout and meeting hall as ours back in Kaysville! It made me kind of homesick, but on the plus side I know where everything is!

Sunday we had church which was great, but we got to go eat at the Bearman's home. They are great members, they gave us ice cream after dinner and holy guacamole do they have tons of ice cream! We had "Why I Believe"  as well and it was nice to see all the friends that I made in the Silver Spring zone! Elder Johnson and I get along greatly and I know that this will be a great transfer!

Love, 

Elder Bentley

Transfers Are Coming

Our District

Me with Rhys and Rebecca

Dear Family!

I'm just going to start with the events of the week! On Tuesday we got to go up to the Visitors Center and set up Christmas lights on some trees for the Festival of Lights! Elder Archibald is really great friends with the member who is the head Gardner of the temple! He has us over at the temple and we sat putting lights up in the trees! It was a great service opportunity but nice because we got to talk with the members and with each other!

Wednesday was the departing temple trip with the entire mission, we were able to go and do a sessions with the entire mission. It was amazing because afterwards everyone just stayed and talked to each other! We had to show up early since Archibald is leaving - he had the opportunity to hear from the Temple president with all of the other departing missionaries. That seemed like it was great for them! That night we had dinner with the Bishop and his wife and they invited us back for Thanksgiving!

On Thursday we had our little Zone District meeting up at the temple because President wanted to talk with each zone about the things that will be happening this next transfer, following the meetings I went on exchanges with one of the elders who also has a companion leaving. Everyone who is leaving this transfer has a departing dinner with the Cookes so that's why we were out on exchanges. We had a great time visiting members in his ward and going out to Chipotle for dinner! It was a great night to go out with Elder Torgersen! 

Friday I was able to go out with Elder Williams for most of the day to the appointments that we did have. My love for him really has grown these last two transfers and he has become a great guy. He has a lot of great stories and loves to listen to strange music! Friday night I really came to senses with Elder Archibald and I know that we are going to end off on a great note. Talking with him and President Cooke I have just realized that this is my time for the Lord. Whenever I have a companion that doesn't want to work I am just to do what I can to fill the days and to just do things to keep me busy!

Saturday was spent down in Anacostia visiting a family that Elder Archibald baptized that he has become really close with. It was awesome seeing how much they look to him for all that he has done for them. Their kids love him and it was amazing to see! We got to have dinner with the Atkinsons for the last time before she has her baby and we spent Time just talking with them about their lives. Sister Atkinson gave us her buffalo chicken chip dip which is just amazing! 

This week has ended up being a really great week to end the transfer! We have been able to spend time with some of the members that have touched our hearts the most and for him to say his goodbyes. This has been a great week with member meals because it is all their way to get us to come over so he can say goodbye! We got our transfer call-out and I am being transferred! I am excited to see what the Lord has in store for me!

Love,
~Elder Bentley 

Thankful November

 

Us for the Halloween party

Some of the ward kids

 

Dear Family!

This has been a really great week! We started the week off with our Zone activity where we played some relay games and Elder Archibald made some food for everyone. It was a great activity and we were able to stay after and play basketball which was also tons of fun! Far our Pday was over we went to Sister Fulcher's home where she fed us one last time before she has her hip surgery this week. The dinner was so very amazing and her husband just made us laugh our socks off! It is amazing to see how he supports his wife with the church but we are grieved that he doesn't want to join. 

This week we were able to go to the temple twice to do baptisms and confirmations. We went Tuesday in the morning with our zone and did some family names that we had found! The mission is really trying to push us to find names and to start into family history so that we can help our investigators do that and to find ties into their heritages. I found some names that Elder Archibald and I did. It was an amazing experience because he baptized me then I turn around and baptized him right after. We were then able to do the confirmations for those names. After all of that they let us go and do the initiatorys for those names. The second time was Saturday morning, we invited a recent convert to come with us so he could do some of his family names. It was a recent convert temple trip so I got to do the baptizing for him and Archibald did the confirming. We are very blessed to be able to go to the temple on our mission so often. It really is a comforting thing knowing that we get to go so often. 

On Wednesday I went on exchanges with Elder Tutu'u who is from Tonga. Elder Archibald and Elder Tutu'us companion elder Cruz went to go visit some of the members they worked with up in the Germantown ward. It was a great day being able to spend it with Elder Tutu'u. He is in a bike area so we got to ride around on bikes and got to walk on foot a lot that day. The only problem was that they are in the Spanish program so I wasn't able to assist him with the teaching that day. It made me realize that I don't know Spanish! Even though we got poured on by the rain it was a great experience. The members of the Spanish program surely do know how to feed missionaries!

On Friday we had a Ward Halloween party that we were able to go to! It was a great night because we got to strengthen our relationships with the members of the ward. Some of the members even brought some investigators so it was a great way to introduce them to the church!  We got some face paint and painted our faces because it was the cheapest thing that we could do! That night was a blast and it was a great experience to help the ward with. 

On Halloween we had to be in Early because they didn't want anything to happen to us. We were indoors by 5. We woke up that morning and played basketball with the some of the members and some non members. After basketball we got dressed and went to a community event that the First Baptist church put on. They were first uneasy to let us in, but when they heard we were only there to partake of the festivities and not to share they let us in. We got free food and talked with some people that recognized us and everyone we talked with initiated the conversation with is so we were able to just tell them about missionaries. They even knew where our church was!

This Sunday has been such an amazing day! Following the church block Elder Hill and Elder Williams had a baptism of a lady named Lucie. I can definitely see why we are encouraged to bring investigators to baptisms because the spirit is so strong! I don't think the spirit has been so prevalent my entire mission! There is defiantly power in the gospel that brings others to us. Since it was fast Sunday, There were members who fed us lunch because we started our fasts Saturday Night so we could have lunch with them! They are really like our parents out here. They spoil us with food and are just tons of fun to talk with! Brother Jensen showed us the new telescope that NASA is working on and it was interesting seeing his devotion to it! Elder Archibald went on Exchanges with the Zone Leaders so they could have one last huraah before he leaves in a week. I was able to go to the mission home for a FHE with Elders Hill and Williams which was a very great experience to be there with their investigator. That is where I saw Bailey, she was visiting and actually gave the FHE lesson.  And she is Blaines age, she told me about how we was at our ward when Greg Taylor came home from his mission and I guessed she talked to Blake or something! 

It has been a great week and I am looking forward to this next week!

Love, 

Elder Bentley