The Right Place at the Right Time

Family,

Well, it was another extremely challenging week. We had to fight really hard to find people, but in the end the lord blessed us for our efforts. This area has definitely been a test of my endurance. I don't know if I told you already, but we're in the part of the area that the missionaries hardly ever worked in before. It's really small, and pretty rich, so the people are not very warm and welcoming. We've gone through just about every name in the area book, so we've been doing a lot of walking around trying to find people on our own. One advantage to our side of the area is that we have the majority of the active members, so we've been trying to work with them. Speaking of that, i have a cool story: The other day we were looking for a reference, but we couldn't find the address. So we went to a member's house to ask if she knew them. We talked for a bit, and she asked us if we could go to their house one night to do a family home evening. We said yes, and didn't think much of it. A few days later, we stopped by the church to get something. This sister came up to us and asked us if we were ready for the FHE. Then she explained to us why she asked us to do it with their family. She said that her husband abandoned them last week and that they were all having a really hard time, and that they were in need of a spiritual uplift. Me and e' santizo were both in shock. We had no idea!!! So we had the FHE with them the other night. It was a really awesome experience. We talked about trials and how they're ultimately for our good. We shared Joseph smith's liberty jail experience and i shared Jenna's cancer story. They almost all ended up crying. I hadn't really known this family very well before, now they all come up to us and talk to us. The mom said that the visit really helped them out and gave them strength. All because we were in the right place at the right time. One more cool story: the other day, we went to a visit we had, but it fell through. So I picked a random street we were close to, and we started clapping doors. Nobody accepted us, but then we saw two ladies trying to carry this ENORMOUS wood board by themselves with one end propped up on a bike. They were obviously struggling, so we helped them carry in 5 blocks back to their house. Then we sat down and had a lesson with them. Simple, but awesome. Being in the right place at the right time. Well, I hope you all have a great week. i love you! 

love, e' bentz

The Power of Prayer

family,

Well, it's been a pretty good week. The beginning was pretty normal. Then one night, one of the lessons we had fell through. So we decided to go see an inactive family we'd been trying to contact for a long time. It was already kinda late, so we didn't think they'd open (the people here don't tend to open the door after dark. And it gets dark really early). But we went to their house, and they let us in. Turns out, the mom and the grandma are baptized but the kids of the mom aren't. We gave them a really good lesson about the temple and about being sealed together forever. It's something they all really want. We have a baptismal date for the kids at the end of the month. gosh I hope it actually happens... anyways, nothing else really interesting happened until Sunday, which was the baptism of Victor Breppe. It was such a spiritual experience. It was the most spiritual baptism I've ever seen until now. For a musical number, we did a medley of i love to see the temple and families can be together forever. e' santizo played piano, i sang/played the flute, and the other two elders sang. Then Nicolás, Victor's son, baptized him. Everyone was crying, including me. Then after, the whole family got up to share their testimony. And we all cried some more haha. It was incredible. And all because we went to their house one day and challenged them to pray for their dad. now, I'm not saying it was because we went there. He probably would've gotten baptized anyway. but, I'm so grateful that heavenly father allowed me to be a tool in his hands to be able to witness this miracle. they all want me to come back to see their sealing in a year from now. I don't know how I'm going to do that, but I'll do all I can to be able to see it. Well, i hope y'all have a great week. I love you!

Famiy,

 

Well, this had definitely been an interesting week. It was another challenging one too. the lord has been pushing us to our absolute limits. It's been very hard, but I know that heavenly father sees our work. I know he's preparing us for something even better. Ha, at the start of my mission, I'm not sure if i had that perspective on things. Now I do (: So this week, I got to go out to a little city wayyyy out in the countryside called Lobos (which means "wolves." No idea why they named it that...) to do a baptismal interview for them. We took a freezing cold, two-hour train ride to get there. We got there, I did the interview in 10 minutes, then we had to jump right back on the train before it left again. It was a cool experience, getting to see the argentine countryside. Another interesting experience: the other day elder santizo and I decided we were going to pick a street and contact it. but this time, we tried something I'd never done before. We said a prayer asking for guidance, pulled out the map, and started looking at the streets. I kept looking for a street, but nothing really caught my attention. Then my eyes fell on one street called "Machado," and I looked at it for like 5 seconds. Then Elder santizo said, "Machado." Obviously, we took that to be our answer. So, we wen there and started contacting houses. We talked to a good 10 different people who all told us to come back another day, but no one let us in. So, we're not exactly sure why it was that street, but I guess we'll see. Okay, last cool story. So, remember when I told you about that less-active family that me and elder peralta decided to visit a long time ago, and they all started coming back to church? I can't remember if I told you or not... but anyways, the Breppe family are all members, except for their dad. When we first started visiting them, they told us that he didn't want anything to do with the church. We challenged them to pray and fast as a family that their dad's heart would be changed, and they did it. Then, a few months later, their dad came to church a few times. Then the area split, and their family lives in where the other elders are working. One day, they came back to the apartment and told us that they set a baptismal date with him. I nearly fell over!!! I couldn't believe it! And last night, i had the privilege of doing his baptismal interview. It was really incredible. I've known this family my entire time here and have become very close to them, Now, he's getting baptized next weekend, and next year they're getting sealed as a family in the temple. They all thanked me about a hundred times for visiting them that day. When I think of having success as a missionary, that's what I think of. A family that will now be sealed together forever. All because we visited them one day. Hope you all have a great week. I love you!

 

Elder Bentz

these guys are playing a kind of music called "Chamamé."
It comes from northern argenina.
It was soooo cool to see! It made me want an accordion even more.
 Haha they even started teaching me how to play it on guitar.
the guitar he's playing is 60 yearws old and the accordion is 110 years old.

Family,

Haha thanks so much for the pictures! I lovvved them. You're still same old crazy family =P I'm glad you all had so much fun! I've been pretty good. Just SOOOOOO COOOOLLLLD. I can't even believe how cold it is right now! At night especially. it's hard to heat up the apartment because it's so huge. This was a pretty rough week for us. We had a really hard time finding people that would let us in or that would be willing to progress in any way. But, we know that the lord saw our effort and knows our desires. Oh i got your package last week! Thank you sooo much (especially for the frank's =P). Also, mom, holy COW that was a good talk!!! You could be like a general authority or something =P Haha. So i just got done talking to elder dressler in the offices, and he was telling me how all the converts we had are doing. it made me SO happy to know that almost all of them are doing very well. And a lot of people we had been working with for a long time are now active in the church or about to get baptized. I LOVE hearing things like that! It lets me know that I did at least some good (: Well, I'm gonna send some pictures. Till next week! Love you!

makin' omellettes

I feel out numbered!  =P

pretty much the coolest car I've ever seen!

these are little mini windmills that make lights when the wind blows in them

Family,

Wow this has been the craziest week ever. Early in the week, we received word that me and elder davila would be receiving missionaries in loma grande! In other words, they split the area, so now loma grande has four elders. Ha, and I thought the area was already small... My new companion is Elder Santizo. He's from guatemala. He is awesome so far. AND he loves music like I do!!! Haha it's been sooo long since I've had a musical companion =P. He and I get along really well so far. So our half of the area was the half that we never worked in because it's where all the rich people live, and there's only a few members. It's going to be difficult, but I have faith that we'll be able to have success. This week, it rained four days straight without stopping once. It was FREEZING cold and soaking wet. The bishop makes shoes for a living, so he's going to make me a pair of boots so that my feet aren't soaking wet all the time. Also, the other half of the area has all the baptismal dates that we had, so me and elder santizo are pretty much starting from zero. Should be interesting... Are you all back from oregon yet? I hope you have a great week. I love you!

E' Bentz

Family,

This has been a pretty good week for us. Early in the week, we had another companionship come and stay in our area and work with us. They're from a really far-away area and they had to go to the capital to do a bunch of papers, so they just stayed with us and helped us out. So we had four elders working at once in our area! Then elder davila started having some weird stomach pains, so the next day we went to this hospital in capital. After they did some tests and stuff on him (and being there literally ALL day), they decided he didn't actually have anything and just told us to go home. They didn't even give him any medicine to take! Guess they were right, because the next day he was completely fine haha. So, interesting story. We've developed this funny tactic for finding new people. We'll knock a house and say, "Just a quick question, we're looking for "María" (or any other common name from here). We think the other missionaries were talking to her. Do you happen to know her?" And so on and so forth. Well, the other day, we asked a guy if he knew maria, and he showed us a house right down the street. Turns out, there actually WAS a maria that lived there. We went back to them a few days later, and it turns out that they are an AWESOME family. The husband actually got to know the church because he works in personal security. When the prophet came here a few years back, he was one of his security escorts. Pretty cool how that all worked out! Heavenly Father always has people prepared for us, we just have to have the faith we'll find them. And also work like we're going to find them. Anyways, we also had a baptism this weekend. FINALLY! Last month was pretty difficult for us in terms of baptisms. It was a 11 year old girl named Luciana. We've been working with her entire family now for awhile. We're trying to get the rest of them to do the same thing Luciana did. Well, I hope everybody enjoyed oregon. Send me lots of pictures!!! I love you all

elder jacob bentz

one of our investigators. We have a dog, they have a duck. haha.
Woah... we have a DOGGGG????????????????????????????????????? =O

this is the Breppe family. I love them!!!

Family,

Man... all the pictures made me really miss oregon!!! I want to go there again. To remake good memories. Hopefully I'll get the chance. Sounds like you guys are having tons of fun. (: Nothing really new to report on my side of the planet. The weather's been pretty nice lately. Cool, but not absolutely freezing. Me and elder davila are still getting along good. Still walking fast, and still working hard (: We were actually supposed to have a baptism yesterday, but it didn't happen due to some medical problems in the family. That's okay, more baptisms for this month! (; It's already july!!!! That's crazy. What else is crazy is that I'm already half way through this transfer... my "district" still hasn't gotten here. Ha, I honestly have no idea when they'll get here. Maybe not till next transfer. But, either way, I'm still happy (: Why is it that the happier you are, the faster time goes...? Oh! I did my first baptismal interview last week. It was actually pretty fun! That's one of my responsibilities as district leader, interviewing investigators before their baptism to make sure they're ready. Anyways, I hope you all are livin it up up there away from the heat and the dust. Tell grama and the sharps and shawns family that I love and miss them all. And the same goes for you all too! Till next week! 

elder bentz

me and elder hall

me and elder smith