November 19, 2012

Happy Turkey Day everyone!! Its such a great time to be a missionary. I hope you all are having such a great week and i hope that your families are all doing so well!

Well i got my new companion this week?! Elder Whitby, he is a hard worker, He is from Washington, grew up on a farm, great kid and has a strong desire to be here!! We were able to have a pretty good week this week, 'befire elder Clay left we were driving down this street and i saw this house and for a couple weeks everytime we drove by I have always wanted to knock on it, so we did it was so spiritual when we first talked to her, the prayer we left her with was so so amazing and so powerful and she said she was really needing something more in her life right now. Then we went back on Thursday with members and taught her, it was so powerful in that room, the spirit was overwhelming and I could just really feel how much God loved this lady. I know that god's elect are out there and we just got to find them.

Well this week I have been studying alot from the bible. And I am just going to summarize what stuck out to me this week, we all know that Christ went into Gethsemane and he told his disciples to stay awake and watch with him because his heart was heavy, and exceeding sorrowful. Matthew 26 :39

" And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, Let this cup pass from me : Nevertheless not as I will but as Thou wilt."

and from the next verse he prayed for at least 1 hour and went back 2 more times to pray. I just wonder what christ was praying for during that hour, I feel confident to say that he was praying for each and everyone of us. He knew us he loved , he know the trials, the sufferings , and everything we would face while in this mortal life , he loves you so much that he was able to walk and take the wieght of the world , during those lingering hard hours from the Garden to the cross. Christ does love you and I think it would have been so cool to be there with him during those moments.

I am thankful for a savior, and for our father in heaven who loves us unconditiionaly. I am thankful for my family I am great that we are sealed as a family and that we can be together forever. I am thankful for my mission and the people that I have been able to serve. I am thankful for blessings from our father in heaven. I am greatful to know that we have angels amoung us every where to lift us and bear us up in our time of need, I am thanful for the priesthood and a living prophet. I am thankful for all my many blessings and all that god has given. I challenge each of you to only give prayers of gratitude for this week and see how much you are greatful for .

I love you all I hope you have agreatt week I miss you and I hope you have a wonderful thankgiving. God bless you!!!

                                                                             love

                                                                         Elder Bentley

                                                                 moroni 8:3

November 12, 2012

Well Big Gulps Huh? How are you all doin!! I hope your having a splendid week!! I tell you what its gettin cold here, BRR!!

Well transfers are this week, Elder Clay is leavin he is heading off to charleston, WV, I sure will miss the Elder!! But I am getting someone who came out at the same time as me, his name is elder Whitby!! I am stoked he is one of my good friends in the mission,we are goin to tear it up!! I am stayin in Vinton, man this is going to be a blast, I was hopin to train 1 last time but its ok:)!!

 Well these past 12 weeks have been so great!! I have loved serving with elder clayI tell you what he has taught me so much about he importance of bein humble,  I wish you all could hear this great missionary pray man I dont think there hasnt been a time i havent felt the spirit in his prayers, his prayers really sink down into the hearts of the people we meet on the doorstep, our investigators, and members. His prayers are so powerful. I have loved bein able to see how much Heavenly Father loves this missionary. I sure will miss serving with him, we really saw alot of miracles together, I really felt that if Christ was here he would have done the things that we did if we were, we ministered as if Christ was here. Its been absolutely amazing I hope that I can take the things I learned from this missionary and apply it to myself to help make me better. I  will sure miss my friend.

But There is still so much to do here in Vinton this work is exciting, I have a feeling our area is about to explode into something amazing , we are teaching so many people and hopefully soon someone will be ready for baptism, its been so awesome one of our investigators is like begging for us to always teach her she is so excited to learn and progress. This work is amazing and I am excited to see what the lord has in store for us here.

Well I will leave you all with my testimony, What a great time it is to be a missionary, especially around the holidays because you actually realize what you truely are greatful for. I dont think I could name all the things I am greatful for, there is just so much. But I am thankful to be a missionary, I am thankful for wonderful people that I have been able to teach and see come into this gospel, I LOVE THEM!! I just found out last week that one of my recent converts was preparing for a mission, He is coming along great. I am thankful for my family and freiends I love you all so dearly, I am confident that our family will be together forever, I am thankful for coventants and promises i get in return. I am greatful for a savior, I know that what christ went through he couldnt do it without the father. I am thankful for so many blessings the lord has given I these are the things that are most important to me that I am truely greatful for.

i hope that you all will have such a great week, and may we remember like president monson said "TO ALWAYS EXPRESS OUR THANKS". Love you and god bless you all.

GOBBLE GOBBLE!!!

                                                                                                                                                                               Elder Chaz Bentley

                                                                                                                                                                                moroni 8:3

November 5th, 2012

WHAT UP FAM!! I hope you all have had such a great week!! We are doing great here in Vinton, the STORM didnt do any damage to us we are safe and sound here, so no worries!!

ALright so I will start off with something funny. This week I had the opportunity to play basketball, I was on an exchange with another missionary, and I was the only white guy playing basket ball, the missionary I was with iis not white haha, my companion walked in he was like "where is elder bentley and he was like ohh!!" It was funny. :)

Well This week we have worked really hard!! We are always so close to reaching the mission standard of excellence!!  We are just trying to find someone solid who is ready for this gospel, we are finding alot of people, but we cant really retain anyone so its been kinda hard lately, but we were able to find a SOlid new investigator who we meet a couple weeks ago we are hopimg to set her on date soon she is excited to learn!! we know Gods elect are out there and I really hope we can find a family soon!!!!! WE had a great halloween, we went around with one of our members to a bunch of TRUNK or TREATat these churches it was pretty fun!! It was a great halloween!!

Well I have grown to love the spirit so much more on my mission. Lately its been just on my mind how can anyone not be apart of this church or go in-active. IF I could I would shake them haha, There is a quote that my Grandma told me in a letter at the beggining of my mission.

" Be different from the world, in order to make a difference in the world." - Elder Neal A Maxwell

We got to be different, sometimes I feel like we only have our eyes in the world and sometimes we forget the eternal asspect of things, We got think where do we see our families at that last day when Christ comes again? Will he welcome us home, Will we have done all that he has commanded us to do? I hope that whatever questions he may ask we may answer with A FIRM YES, I hope that we will remember that its more that just living in this world , we can inherit eternal life, our lord is preparing mannsions for each of us!! I hope that we dont live in this world but that we continue to have our focus on eternal life!!!

I know that Thanksgiving is approaching fast and I thought of this thought, We all know the parable of the good samaritan, We know that 2 men passed by this guy who was lying on the ground , and didnt bother to stop or help, But we know that a Samaritan was able to stop for a minute and help this man who laid almost dead and took him to a place where he could clean him up and take good care of him. I am pretty sure that man was thankful for that samritan and I bet he didnt even know who helped him. I know we have a great privledge to reach out to those in need, I know that my father in heaven has been my good samaritan, he has been there to help me and care for me and provide many wonderful blessings just for. I love him I thank him and express gratitude for him for everyhing and knowing that I can live with him again. And I am so greatful to be able to live with him forever!!

Well I hope you al have had such a great week I pray that each of you are doing so well, I love you and may we all have a great thanksgiving. Transfers are next week, so ill email you all next tuesday i am hoping i can train 1 more time. I love you all have a great week. JUST KEEP SWIMMING!!

                                                                      -elder bentley

                                                                   moroni 8:3