I Can't Believe it's August!

Palomo Family

Perez Family

Brother Matsen

 

Dear Family!

Well this week has been quite an emotional week. As some of you may have already known, I got transferred out of Derwood and ended my 9 month reign in that ward. Since I was there for so long I have gotten close to tons of people and it was like leaving home again for the first time.

The three families I had to go see were the Matsens, Palomos, and the Perez families. Brother and Sister Matsen became my mother and my father in the Derwood ward, if there was anything we needed we knew we could go to them and they would help us. It started when Brother Matsen was our ward mission leader, and kept on after he got released to be put on the bishopric. The Palomo Family reminded me of my siblings, Alfonso was like an older Brother and Carmen like a sister-in-law. Every time we got to go over there it was like being with my siblings. And last but not least, the Perez family. Over the last months of my knowing them, I have come to love each member of that family. When I was able to spend time with them I was at home. Their kids were so cute and the adults were great to be around. I am so so sad to be leaving them.

Wednesday I packed my bags and went to the DC stake center for transfers. Elder Bailey received Elder Edwards and I got transferred to Brooklyn Park with Elder Flandro. So basically to wrap up my area in a strap would to say that it is southern Baltimore, the projects where a lot of no good happens. It was a total change of spectrum coming up here. There is this fence by our apartment that I've been told by the member across our street not to cross because it'll result in something dangerous. The apartment was trashed, it is an old Maryland Baltimore Mission (MBM). All of their apartments are two man, the bathtub is past repair and the AC is broken so the apartment stayed at about 85 degrees all the time. And it's not even in the Washington DC North mission.

But good news, after talking with President Johnson and the other office people we got moved to a very nice senior couple apartment that was vacant. They are also giving us a car because I convinced them it would be an asset to the area. Even though the area is dangerous, we take extra precautions, the members drive us after dark so we can stay safe. The Branch here is struggling, so that's why I think I got sent here. There are tons of crazy people here so it has been a great few days. I thought it was going to be a long transfer, but since we got moved to the new flat I don't mind staying here.

Other than the transfer, the only other thing that has happened is that President Johnson stepped his foot down at leadership meeting and this mission is now 100% white handbook mission and PMG. If it's not in that we can't do it. President Cooke was very light on the rules and changed a lot of them. I feel like it'll take some time to make this change so it doesn't feel bad. But luckily for me Elder Flandro is an old MBM missionary that moved missions with the Annapolis stake so he is already like what the change will be. He is helping me become better and we are working hard up here.

It's been sad to see the poverty here, we were teaching a lesson to a less active family that let a lot of stray children stay at during the day. There was this 9 year old who listened so intently to our message and asked for a Book of Mormon. He told me he wanted to come to church, so I asked Sister Harmon to help him get there, but his mom won't let him go. It brakes my heart to see this, there isn't anything we can do to help him. The only one who was intently listening to our message can't do anything for him self.

I do know however that the Lord has all power; that he can soften the hearts of all people. I know that as we believe that he is, that he has all wisdom and all power both here on earth and in heaven. He can do the impossible. All we are as missionaries are ordinary people called to do extraordinary things. The Lord can help those who need help as we lean on him and even on others. We all go through hard times and when the going gets rough, he is there to make the rough bearable. 

Love,

Elder Bentley