First email from West Virginia

Well mom I miss you so much! these past couple days have been hard because I
miss you so much. I regret all the times I have been a bad son. you are
seriously the best mom in the world how did I get so LUCKY to have you as my
mom !! not a day goes by where I dont think about you or the family. I pray
for you and the familyall the time but your the first one in my prayers all
the time I miss my brothers and sisters and I cant wait for that day I come
home and too wrap my arms tightly around knowing Ill never have to leave you
or the family again. Thank you mom for all you do.Dad thank you for being my
dad and im thankful for all u do around the house and work and especially
taking care of my mom and ourfamily. Im thankful for how you magnify your
priesthood ! your a great dad and I love you. CODA CADE SAVANNAH SHADERS I
miss you sooooooo much i wish you were all here with me :)!!! I love I miss
you do good in school and study your scriptures. I promise to work my
hardest too bring blessings too our family :) MY ELCTRIC BLANKET WORKS GREAT
I LOVE IT :) (its the best thing Santa has ever given me haha)

So my mission president is really cool Im so happy to serve with him while
I can. its not really that cold here surprisingly :) its really nice and its
supposed to rain here these next 2 days!! So my companions name is Elder
Partridge from Logan, Utah. Well my first area is Logan, West Virginia!!! We
stay in a little town near it called Champmanville we stay in a apartment
just us erve in area called Big Ugly! :) This is where all the Vannatter
family stays the have there own street!! I have seen 2 of brother vannatters
brothers and his sister feeds us EVERY SUNDAY she is so nice. there is not
that many people in our branch so its kind of different from a ward but
everyone in it is so nice!!! yesterday during sacrament they made me stand
and bear my testimony i was really nervous. I have been learning so much and
I LOVE personal study it is really drawing me closer to my savior and my
heavenly father and im so great ful anytime Im having a hard time I know I
can get down and pray to my heavenly father any time I want and it gives me
so much comfort. something cool I have learned thru personal study this week
is something that Gordon B. Hinckley said

Do you want to be happy?
Forget yourself and get lost in this great cause . lend your efforts to
helping peple. . . Stand higher. lift those with feeble knees lift up the
arms of those that hang down. Live The Gospel Of Jesus Christ.

This quote just sticks out to me a bunch. and how I just need to loose my
self be happy and my family will be ok.especially my mom.

so the streets are so narrow here its so different from arizona haha its
pretty much a foreing country here :) Everyone has their acents haha papa
does it pretty good. it sounds like they talk with marbles in their mouth ha
ha. Its so amzing also how much the members sacrafice going to the temple as
much as they can its amzing. Our family is so blessed for everything! We
should all be thankful for our houses and everything we have. we are so
blessed to have nice cars and a temple nearby. And we are so blessed to have
famlies that are all active in the church. Its sad to go to a members home
here and too find part member famlies but I know thats why missionaries are
called to help build and strengthen these families Im so thankful for the
people I have taught so far. Just the other day we came to our last house on
the street the guy invited us in and said "as soon as I saw you two i knew
this exactly what I needed we were a maricle to him" its amazing what kind
of example we as missionaries represent. There are soooo many baptist and
the area I am in is known as the bible belt. Its so hard when people shew us
off their porch but we keep our chin up and keep tracting. speaking of
tracting there is dogs every where! its crazy and most of them are mean and
will eat ya its kind of scary. but most of the peple here are really nice
and kind. we loanded out 9 book of mormons since I got here and we are doing
well in keeping members active in missionary work :) so family and friends
keep working we cant do it ouselves!! We have so many investagators and
partial investagators we have alot of work to do in this area hopefully
someday it will be a ward and a stake again here in west virginia . I KNOW
THE CHURCH WILL BUILD HERE!!we have 2 baptisimal dates set for April:) we
have so many investagators!! and we gainded 3 new investagators since I have
been here. I am going to ware myseld out doing the lords work because my
savior did that just for meI should be able to give it all to him these next
two years. I will feed his sheep. oooo we have a cool truck as well :) a
chevy truck.
dallas !!COngrats on your eagle scout that is amazing BUD!!! did Dallin get
his call? Family I love you so much I miss you all Im so happy to be here
these next two years and I cant wait to come back and share all my
experiences with you. Write me!!! Be safe!!
my adress:
2901 S. Main Street Apt. 7-A
Chapmanville, WV 25508


MOM AND family I love you so much be safe and I will email you every monday
:) I love you!!!! IM so happy to be the first pioneer and a example to coda,
savannah cade, shaders. do good in school i love you mind mom and dad!!
READ YOUR SCRIPTURES!!
I LOVE 1 nephi 10:19


love,

Elder Bentley

MOM I LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU SO MUCH!!!!! Thank you so much forwriting me everysingle day so a couple of things before i get started. . . my watch broke:( we were helping new missionaries come into the mtc and while I was walking the pin or something came out i didnt notice so it broke. and the black buttons on the side of it are all falling off so for now I just carry it in my back pack till you tell me what you want me to do. . . im sorry mom. . . and what do you want me to with this tub a ware thing ?? because I cant take it on the plane and if you want me to mail it back i can. Tell Grandma and the family I said thanks for the Valentines gift I LOVED it and it was the best day ever.and just be patient for me to write letters ok.

WELLL I got one 5 days left! I went to the Temple today and it was amazing. . I fasted for my last time and I really felt a difference. Im so excited for WEST VIRGINIA!!! so I found out the other day im going to be the travel leader for flying to west virginia! I cant wait to call you mom. So I am getting better :) we just had an Elder in our district sprane his ankel . . luckly he doesnt have to go home. The other day Brother Lauritzen in the Branch presidency came up to me and said ELDER BENTLEY your going to be such an amazing Elder it made me feel sosososo good. IM starting to meet with this Sister old missionary. I FORGOT HER NAME !! she is so sweet she is helping me so much learn how to mark my scriptures she helps me with the lessons one on one. she is so nice! GRANDMA I HOPE YOU SERVE A MISSION. so tuesday we had such an amzing devotional like always we had a guy from the seventy come and he taught us about how we need to be true deciples of JESUS CHRIST. IM starting to realize the true meaning of obedience. It was such an amazing talk! BASIcally im just reading and studying the scriptures alot I have been reading out of John in the Bible alot and IM excited to get to know more about the savior and draw closer to him. IM so happy to be on a mission! we had two lessons to give this past week we had to teach a girl named becca and It was so amzing to feel of the spirt and she was so excited for us to come back we taught this guy James on Tuesday and commited to living by the baptimal covenants wich made us so happy! WE Teach Becca Tomorrow. When we got done she told our teacher this:
Bentley/ Humlity: The spirit was so strong and she could really feel the humilty of the savior throughout the lesson.
I can not wait to see what my mission brings and Im going to let every lesson be like that.

I hope everyone is doing ok. Brother Howell Thank you so much for the ties everyone says they look good and tell the priest quorum I said Hi and Ill be writing you very soon. :) EMMA and RIGDON HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!! so mom im loosing wieght :) which is good. :) I cant wait to call you on TUESDAY !!!!!!! I hope you answer I leave for the airport at 4 in the morning :) and we have to stop by detroit then to West Virginia. Im getting excited:)

Well I love you family and friends. Thank you so much for all the support you gave me to get me where I am today. BIshop and amber: THANK YOU FOR THE PACKAGE!!! I love you. Grandma I LOVE YOU!!!!everyone be safe and I cant wait to type my next email from WEST VIRGNIA!! I LOVE YOU EVERYONE!!!

love,
ELDER BENTLEY :)

Email 02/10/2011

Hello everyone! today has been fabulous!!!! i just got done going to the Provo Temple it was such an amzing spiritual experience. The food is fantastic;) My companion is Elder Smith from Mesa, Arizona and went to mt. view and loves volleyball.. Im making so many friends within the district. Lately I have been sick since about Saturday. Well I sat down with the branch pres. last thursaday and he gave me an assigned scripture to read throughout my mission when im missin my family i cried in front of him and then I had to say my testimony again in front of his councelers and cried. . Everday has been my most favorite day so far I was sitting in fast and testimony meeting and the @nd counceler of the Branch presidency kept looking at me to bear my testimony so i ignored it and kept listening to the testimony it came down to the second to last one and he rasied his eyebrows and pointed to the pulpit so i got up and bore my testimony( and cried ) he then came up to me after the meeting and said. . . "dont let a day go by where we cant here your sweet testimony" him and his wife said that. We are accomplishing alot of goals here we had our first discusiion with an investagator yesterday and he agreed to let us come back next tuesday. Every single day i feel of the spirit. Im senior companion :)!!! and Elder Smith is our district leader. I depart from the MTC like feb. 22 and mom I will be able to call you. There is this other guy in our district named Elder Richards and we go to choir every Tusday and Sunday.
This was my favorite part of the Hymn:
Jesus is my shepherd, he knows my name.
for his sheep are numbered,each he loves the same.
If my tiny feet should roam, he would seek to bring me home.
Jesus is my shepher, he loves me, he lovesme.

This song has brought me so much comfort these past couple days even though its only part of it.Shaders I hope YOU feel better. Emma I love you ! Happy Bithday I will be sending you something:). Mom to answer all your questions. yes, I am geeting your emails. I can only email on thursdays.Thank you everyone who has pushed me to serve a mission. Iam so happy to be serving the lord and wharing a nametag that had ELDER BENTLEY on it . I am excited to bring people back unto Christ. Coda cade and sav. do good in school, BASKETBALL and X-Box?? haha . DAD I love you and im so thankful you are arightous priestholder. MOM I love you sososososososososososososososososo much. Thank you everone for all the letters. I love you all. please be safe you are in my prayers and I cant wait till next thursdays to tell you my experience. I LOVE YOU.

p.s continue to write me.

love,
Elder
Bentley

Letter Sent 02/02/2011

Dear Mom & Fam

I hope you know how much I love you. After I walked away, my heart sunk. I went and waited with the other 6 missionaries to board the plane. I sat in 23C and I was the only one in the row! I first read all the letters! I cried the whole plane ride and then got off the plane and got my luggage. Found Stephanie 5 minutes later. We went to Temple Square and the Conference Center, it was amazing. We went out to lunch at Crown Burger! Then drove to the MTC! Got here said goodbye went and got my nametag and my lunch card. Went to the classroom and met my companion Elder Smith who is from Mesa and going to Richmond Virginia. We stay in a room with two other elders. I hung my pictures and got situated. I didn’t unpack everything. I will not be able to email while I am here. We went to our first conference with MTC Presidency. It was amazing they gave so much to learn. It so cool seeing missionaries from everywhere. Then we went to dinner and I saw Corry he sat right next to me. Then we went to this teaching thing or roll play where they have people come in and act like investigators, and we as missionaries all have to teach them. It was awesome! Then I met our zone leader. And now I am writing you. I wish I could describe how amazing it is. Its cold but the Gospel is so strong! I’m so excited for tomorrow and everyday that follows. I can only write every P-day if not ill try to more. I miss you so much fam! Coda, Sav, Cade, be good! I love you guys! Ill write a lot more when I have time. But I know the Lord is on my side and the Holy Ghost is with me! Thank you for everything! I love all you! Be Safe your in my prayers. I know I am supposed to be here.

Love,
Elder Bentley