Tuesday, October 25, 2011

October 24, 2011

Whats up everyone!!!! I hope you all have had such a brilliant week!!!!! I hope you all are just as excited for halloween (or christmas- which i will explain in my email.haha) as we are here!!!!! I am so happy the weather is finally cooling down. its so nice not sweating everyday haha!!! Well I cant wait to tell ya all about my week!!!!
So this week has been loads of fun in our companionship!!!! Seems like everything is just going great!!!!! I guess to start things off. . . ITS BEEN AWESOME!!!! This we week we got awesome referral!!! This lady requested a book of mormon, so we tried multiple times to try to get it to her either she wasnt home, or this one time this guy told us to go away. So we finally decided after a couple days to call her so we did. She didnt answer but texted back and said she already has a book of mormon and she is currently reading it. But she doesnt want to meet with us yet till she finishes it. She is like really really really interested in our church. me and elder parker probably gave each other a million high fives while she was texting us all this. she said she wishes she could join our church now but she has some family situations to work out. WE are so excited to teach this person. We were teaching this other lady this week she had AT LEAST 24 cats in her house and a dog. I couldnt even keep track of how many there were haha. This week I had the opportunity to go on exchange with elder Partridge for the day, we taught a really cool lesson. this week. We got this refferal over the phone we decided to go check on it. This guy requested a book of mormon. We got to this guys house he invites us in and we had the most amazing lesson ever!!!! It made me miss teaching with him. This guy is so ready to be baptized!!!! he agreed right then if he came to know if these things were true he would go through with baptism. It was awesome!!! I loved the lesson. Elder Partridge is such a great missionary and I am so thankful for the example he is to me, to be a better disciple of my savior, Jesus Christ. This week we had alot of fun like i said. we celebrated Christmas. We do these things called rule of the nights every night besides sunday and we decided to have Christmas, it was fun!!! We found a Christmas tree and found lights and set them up we even played Christmas music all night haha it was GREAT!!! THis week has been a blast.
Well I guess I have been so luck as a missionary to have such great companions!!!!!! Elder Parker is such an amazing missionary and I am so greatful for the opportunity which I have had to be his companion he has taught me ALOT! Its been so cool to watch his testimony grow and share it with people. He is a great teacher of this gospel and I have loved being his companion.
Lately I have been reading in Doctrine and Covenants and I love how its so missionary themed there are so many simple things that stick out to me. I love my gospel studies they get better and better everyday and heavenly father really blesses me with his spirit during that hour. I learn so much just by simply putting my soul in the lords hands for one hour. I am so thankful for the time I have to be his investigator, to be his disiciple and have him teach me. I really love this verse in Doctrine and Covenants section 35: 19
"Wherefore, watch over him that his faith fail not, and it shall be given by the comforter, the holy ghost, that knoweth all things. "
I love this verse I seriously learn so much from the holy ghost during my studies. I know that the spirit can teach us the things we need to know to endure each day. i have a testimony of that that we can learn so much if we just listen to the comforter which bearth truth of all things. .
I love being a missionary. I love my mission. I love serving the lord. I pray that you all will have such a great week and I hope that you all will always remember how thankful I am for you. I hope these emails uplift each and everyone of you in some way. I love ya all have such a great week!!!! THank YOu!!!! PRESS FORWARD SAINTS!!!!!
love elder bentley ( moroni 8:3)

Thursday, October 20, 2011

October 17, 2011

HOWDY y'all!!! Well I reckon time is just flying by way to fast!!!!!! I hope you all have such a SUPER DUPER week!!!! This week has been super nice not to brag, but the weather is so much better than Arizona. Gotta love it. Its to die for:) Its so awesome being a missionary of this church. I know I made the right decision to serve a mission here in West Virginia. I am so happy I accepted the call to serve. Its so amazing to see the hand of the lord in this great work. I am so blessed to be a missionary!!!!
This week has been such a great week. Coming off a rough and tough last week. this week has been so so so much better. Seems like everything is just picking right back up!!!! I guess you could say it was kinda like a trial or test to see if we would stay patient and wait for the blessings to come. Well guess what we did exactly that. Seems like no matter what we go through as long as we are patient and just have a happy attitude through the hard time. nothing. nothing will or can bring us down. I have a strong testimony of that with a happy,positive attitude I know we can endure any trial that comes our way. For me, as I look back, it seems like I always got pounded with trials, but I am so greatful I was able to endure it just by simply staying happy. It really is that simple. There is no big math probleme to figure it out we just gotta take it be HAPPY and learn from it.
I guess this week we were surely blessed to visit so many less- active members. We have been really happy to see one of the less-actives we are currently visiting, is starting to come back with his wife, despite of the health issues they make that strong effort to just simply come every sunday. Its been amazing for me to help this couple come back. I love visiting with less- actives its so amazing. I love being able to help people take off the blinders and realize that this is the true church. I am so greatful I get to help the lord be a shepherd and bring his sheep back in that have strayed. You know missionary work is so great there is so many things that makes a missionary happy. But one of the things that makes me the most happy since I have been on a mission. Is watching Less-Actives come back to church. Its an amazing feeling to be sitting in sacrament meeting next to your companion and bump and say, " hey look the family came!!!" It gives me just even more motivation as a missionary. I love it. This week we were visting with another less-active and before I even gave the spiritual thought. Something just kept popping into my mind share something about charity, I shrugged it off, and once again it crossed my mind Charity, Charity. When it came time for me to share the spiritul thought . I shared Moroni 7: 45-48 and who wouldever know that this would be the one they were strugglin with. But it was. I feel so blessed that I was able to listen to the spirit this breif moment and be able to help a less active with a christlike attributes.
Well this week I dont have to much time. But I hope you all know how much I love you. I pray that we will be able to help those come closer to the lord. I love ya all so much. have such a great week. I miss ya
love- elder Bentley moroni 8:3

October 10, 2011

HELLO!!!!!!!!!! You know what missionary life is the best!!!! I hope everyone is doing well. I hope you all know how grateful I am for you and the time you take to read these emails. What I want to share today is something thats very hard for me to share but I hope that you will be able to get something out of it to help you all in your personal lives today. I pray that the spirit will guide me to know how I can help someone today.
This week has truely been a rough and tough week for us here in Buena Vista. But its so amazing how much you can learn from rough situations. I know that every ounce of hardship that I experience on my mission is worth it. I guess you could say nothing was rolling this week the way we wanted or were expecting it too. It seemed like everything just feel through. And I could truly see the adversary or the tension start to kick in. It got really hard, we got really stressed. But I learned a great lesson from this hard time this week. Its so important to stay patient and to have a happy and positive attitude always!!! I can promise if you just stay happy through hard times the adversary will never , ever bring you down I promise that!!! I love this scripture in Doctrine and Covenants 24:8 says:
8 Be patient in afflictions, for thou shalt have many; but endure them, for, lo, I am with thee, even unto the end of thy days.
Dont you just love that verse!!!! Heavenly Father is always with us no matter what. We are never alone through these hard times. HE IS WITH US!!!! I am so grateful for these hard times I experience and how much it helps me learn and grow. So you all know how that quote goes at the end of every rainbow there is a pot of gold. I guess you could say at the end of every trial there is always a blessing!!! This week we had an amazing stake conference!!! Right after it was done we had this girl come up to us from one the student ward and said Elders i have a friend who is visiting from Connecticut and I was wondering if you all might have time to come by and teach her a little bit . we said OF COURSE!!! so we set up an appointment for last night and had the most amazing lesson!!! We had our recent convert Carrissa come over with us to the lesson to help teach her and we had a priesthood brethren there with us and the girls friend we were teaching. The girl said she has had the most amazing weekend while visiting here she said loved stake conference and she has already found out where her closest meeting house is at home. Her friend taught her so much this week it was awesome. During the lesson the spirit was so strong once again!!! Everyone in the room was in tears. Carrissa taught this girl like a missionary it was amazing to watch someone I baptized teach the gospel and bear such a strong testimony. She said if she came to know these things were true she would be baptized. She also said she likes how we communicate directly with heavenly father at anytime. we smiled so big when she said that isn't that awesome to know that is what sets us apart from other religions is communicating with heavenly father. It was such a blessing to us to teach this girl, It really helped get a positive attitude back it was amazing. I live for little moments like that!!!
This week I was reading in Joseph Smith History and how after Joseph saw the vision it was amazing how much criticism he took but he withstood basically a a whole city and stood up for his beliefs. I think that is kinda like us no matter what we go thru we need to withhold Satan and stand up for our beliefs in the toughest times and have a happy positive attitude. Not only am I thankful for Joseph Smith and the vision. But I am so Thankful that he was able to endure so many trials so we could have this church today. I know that this is the true church upon the earth and that we do have prophet who leads and guides to live with our heavenly father. I don't think any man would take so much just to establish this church. I am grateful for Joseph and I know that he was a true living prophet called of god. .

SO this week I had my interview with president pitt . It went great!!! He gave me and my companion this awesome cd by president eyring on charity. It was awesome!!! We are so happy to see most of our recent converts come back to church!!! The members are feeding us a ton but it seems like we get spaghetti all the time!!!! :) But its great!!!! I am absolutely loving my mission I wouldn't trade it for the world.
I hope everyone is doing great!!! Brody and Perry thank you for your great example for serving a mission. I know that we were called by god to bless the people here on the east coast. I want you both to know I pray for you and that you are able to find those who are waiting the excellent blessings of this gospel today. I love ya. Continue to serve with all you got . I promise you with all my heart that blessings will come out this. I promise!!! I love ya both so much serve great and love the people and all your companions. Always have that sweet wonderful spirit.
I wanna wish A happy birthday to my aunt marrianne and to Micah I hope you are both doing well. I love you both so much and I promise to write you soon. HAPPY BIRTHDAY !!!!!!!!!! Please have such a great day and know I am mission you!!! I love ya!!
I love ya all so much thank you for your prayer and support you give to me as a missionary. I hope you all have a great week and remember I a mssin ya all. LET US ALL PRESS ON IN THE WORK OF THE LORD!!!!
love you all: ELDER BENTLEY
MORONI8:3

Sunday, October 9, 2011

October 3, 2011

HELLO!!!!! Wow I am so excited to be typing this email and this time I did come prepared, I promise!!!! This week has been such a great week here in Buena Vista!!! I hope everyone has had a great fantastic week and I hope everyone's family's are doing well!!! I pray for you all and I hope you all know how grateful I am for you. Thank You so much for your support and I pray that I may be able to help you all in some way come closer and be able to feel of the sweet spirit.
So I will start off with an awesome story. This Thursday Elder Parker and I were sitting at the table weekly planning, when all of a sudden our phone starts vibrating. We get a text message from this girl that we are teaching ( the one I have been telling you all about) who had a baptismal date scheduled for October 7. Anyways we read the text. And she said " Elders I know I have finished the lessons and I was talking to some friends and I was wondering is there any way we can move our baptism closer to this Friday. As in like tomorrow?? or would I be crazy!!! Immediately we started calling. We got everything approved and guess what we had the most amazing baptism this last Friday!!! Everyone I can even describe the happiness that came to my heart as I watched her be baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. She was one the most prepared person I have ever meet. It seems like every time we went over to teach her, she had a bigger smile a bigger light around her. Its been such an amazing thing to watch her life center around the gospel and see the happiness that comes from it. There was not one lesson with her that the spirit was not present. She had the opportunity to bear her testimony at her baptism and she gave the most amazing testimony ever. I know that her testimony will bless the lives of many. Its funny it seems like every time we taught she already knew the answer to everything. Its been such an amazing blessing to me to watch the happiness that comes from this gospel. Aren't we so lucky as members of the church to have the wonderful blessings of the gospel. As I think of my missionary purpose I don't just think of it as just for missionaries. It should be members of The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints purpose:
" our purpose is to invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and his Atonement, Repentance, Baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end."
Don't you just love our purpose as members of the church. To help others feel of the blessings of the gospel. I can't describe the joy and the happiness I feel as I witnessed that baptism. It was something special and I am so grateful I got to be apart of this special covenant that this girl made. I know that it inspires me to be better and it gives me more motivation every time to continue to find others who are waiting these special blessings from our father in heaven. So anyways this girl is now giving a talk this Sunday in Stake Conference about her conversion story I am so excite to hear her speak.
General Conference was amazing!!! I learned so much as a missionary I learned the importance of obedience, the book of Mormon, and I know all of us men can say that Elder Hollands talk was amazing. But the thing that stuck out to me the most was the blessings that will come as we do what our prophet and apostles say. As I was sitting there taking notes during the sessions, something just seemed to catch my attention every time they promised blessings during there talks. And the blessings were specific to and It made me have a motivation to follow there teachings. This general conference was amazing for me and its only getting better. I am so thankful as I know we all are that I had the opportunity to sustain Thomas S. Monson as our prophet, seer, and revalator. I know that he is the prophet on this earth to day and I am so grateful for his sacrifice that he gives to this church. May we all remember what he told us to do for him. simply keep him and the other general authority's in your prayers always!! I hope we all had found blessings that will help not only us but our family and those around us. I thought it was amazing the talks on the book of Mormon. that was really awesome to listen to especially Elder Eyring talk yesterday morning. I cant wait to get the ensign and study it from cover to cover!!!
In closing I would just like to share with you all my testimony. I know that this is the Church of JESUS CHRIST!!! I know that its his church , he stands at the head of it and guides it by his prophets and apostles and church leaders. If there is one things I gain a deeper testimony of it is the blessings of this gospel. I know that happiness comes from as we help others feel of the same joy that we have as we live this gospel. I know that Joseph Smith saw God the father and Jesus Christ in the grove a tress. I know that there is no more important relationship we can have than that with our father in heaven. Like Thomas S. Monson promised us if we better our relationship with him we can recieve inspiration and guidance. Just by simply communicating with our father in heaven isnt that amazing. I love my savior Jesus Christ. I know this is a sacred work that we are doing to bring people closer to him. I pray that I may be the missionary he wants me to be and fufill all that he expects me to do. Just like 3 simple words that stick out to me in a hymn " GO, SAY, BE"!!! may we all go and say and be and help other feel this same happiness as they live this gospel is my testimony in the name of my savior, my redeemer Jesus Christ. Amen.
DAD I hope you have a great birthday. I hope you know how much I love and miss you. I hope you have such a great day and know that I pray for you everyday.
" I am mindful of you always in my prayers, continually praying unto God the Father in the name of his Holy Child, Jesus, that he, through his infinite goodness and grace, will keep you through the endurance of faith on his name to the end." Moroni 8:3
I love you all so much thank you for all your prayers of support. I hope you all have such a great week and know that I miss you all. LET US ALL PRESS ON IN THE WORK OF THE LORD!!!
love Elder Bentley!!!