Dear Family!

This has been quite a great week in my new area. The Ward Mission leader is such a great member, the Bishop is hilarious, and the members are really great! As far as the investigator pool is going, we are slowly finding more people who are wanting to hear the gospel, but it is still hard to try to get into contact with them again.

This Tuesday we had an appointment with a recent convert who is Russian. His name is Gregory and he reminds me of Mr. Bean. He is probably in his 50-60's. When we went to our appointment he was waiting for us looking out his window until we got to his door. He let us in and asked for some help to try and get his computer hooked up to his TV. When we showed him how easy it is we got onto lds.org and showed him a Mormon message. That night we got to participate in a ward youth activity at the local mall. They played Where's Waldo inside the mall. We used that as a great opportunity to not only be with the members but to talk with others about the church. 

Once a week we get to go and do service at a Farm in which members own. It is a farm for autistic people to go and learn how to take care of animals, plants, and themselves. We were asked to go to a home that the members who own the farm just purchased to help move things around and get the building ready. It is more of an estate. They bought it for like 2 million dollars to house older autistic people to let them feel that they are on their own. It will have helpers who go and assist them, but it is was a great service opportunity. The estate was owned by a Mongolian man who bought it with inheritance money. He never lived much in the estate and sold it to the Princes (the members who purchased it). It had a very old feel to it but it was a very large house!

Friday morning we had a lesson with someone who we tracted into. His name is Mike and he is from New York. He didn't really seemed interested in what we had to say until we started talking about Joseph Smith. He really took the Book of Mormon well and asked us when we could return! That was exciting because he seems like he will be a great member! There is this member in the ward named Sister Puckett. She lives in a retirement home and is kind of crazy! She likes to have the missionaries over once a week and wanted help making t-shirts. She bought a heat press and puts pictures of animals on shirts. She made us shirts with pictures of squirrels on them which where very strange. 

We found out that President Cooke wants to come out on exchanges with us in a few weeks. We have been working hard to try and get investigators who are solid enough to have appointments with us at that time. We were able to get one for the latter part, but we are still looking for a new one!

A spiritual thought for the week. I was reading in the December 2015 Ensign, the talk was called "Asking the right questions in the right way," it was talking about how as teachers we need to ask questions in which will get our audiences mind thinking deeply. Not only does this apply to missionary work, it applies to everyone who is a teacher! We need to be able to rely on the spirit to help us teach, Moroni 10:9-10 shows tells us that we can have the spirit of teaching and knowledge. It is when we teach with the spirit we are able to touch those hearts of our audiences. Wether it be investigators, members, or even our own families. As we pray to have the spirit with us as we teach, he will edify our words into the hearts of all who listen. 

I hope all goes well this thanksgiving week! 

Love,

Elder Bentley