New area

Dear Family and friends,

As some of you may know, I am now in a new area which is really close to my old area. I am in Gamarra and just over the hill on the other side is my old area in Covida. My new companion is Hermana Aliaga from Argentina. She is an angel. I have never met a more perfect sister missionary. I really feel like every single one of my companions has been one of the absolute best in the mission.

I am a little bit nervous too because the stake where I am in, Trebol had a reputation for disobedience and not baptizing. Our Mission president told our zone leaders and district leaders that he put the best missionaries in the mission in this area because he is sick of the reputation and he wants to see a change.

When we were told this all of us felt a little humbled. We felt this responsibilty to do our absolute best. I miss the people in my old area, but I love everyone I am meeting in my new ward. Everyone is so willing to help, to invite others to activities and give references.

We are teaching a family that was testigo de jehova antes. With time they stopped going to their church. Their parents divorced, and their father moved to another area. He eventually was baptized. I love visiting his kids and grandkids because all of them say they can feel something that they cant describe when we come into their house and teach them. We explain that it is the Spirit and how it testifies of truth.

I was talking to my companion about how we write our families and she said something that made me rethink how I would write you all. She always specifically writes down the names of the people so that her family can pray for them. I always thought that we werent allowed to, but we can really as long as we dont share last names and give out any other personal information like where they live etc. I thought before that I didnt really want to write you all about these people because maybe you wouldnt understand. But I can promise you that every single person I am teaching has become my life. Every thought and every waking moment.. and sometimes in my sleep, I dream and I worry and I pray about these people. They are so important to me.
Please, if you can, please pray for Patrick, Steven, Victor, .. that they can be comforted and that their testimony in God can be strengthened. Pray for Fiorella that she can have the courage to separate from her boyfriend who doesnt even really like her so that she can keep the commandments and be baptized. Please pray for Maria and Diana and Caleb, that Maria will have the strength to quit smoking, and that they will read the scriptures every day. Please pray for Paul that his heart can be softened so that he will be ready to change and want to change so when he prays to God he does it with real intent. Most of all please pray for all of them that they will be protected from the adversary. Please pray for Gian that his family will be able to be sealed in the temple.

Thank you so much for your prayers!!!

Love Always,
Hermana Bendixen

Hola de Perú! =)

Dear Family and friends,

Every time that I start to write a letter I am bombarded with a billion thoughts that I havent yet organized in my brain in order to put them into words.

Maybe it is better to just write a summary of the things I am learning.

Faith is not saying that you can do what ever you want and you know that God will save you. It is having the courage to do what is right and then you have hope in his promise that when you come unto Christ and do his will, you will have eternal life.

There was a less active member who we have been working with. He is a return missionary and hasnt been to church in 3 years. Amidst the turmoil and problems with the ward and investigators, there we both were in sacrament meeting. When he came in and sat down I could have cried with happiness. He had sent us a text message the night before saying that he couldnt come to church because his boss called him into work on Sunday. We werent expecting him to come, and he came anyway (even though he was scheduled to work,) in his white shirt and tie. He stayed all three hours. Im not sure what the consequence will be with his boss and his job, but I know that he has much greater things to hope for now, because the blessings he will receive from God are eternal.

On the reverse end, there is a less active family we are working with who sells beer and refuses to come to church when they are called in to work on sunday because they say they need the money. There is a huge difference between the person who chooses to have faith and the one who doesnt. Their little girl came to church all by herself and shocked us all when she just dropped by in the middle of sacrament meeting. After church two of her primary leaders walked her back home. These are the kind of people that receive blessings eternal. One day everything will fade away. Everything material and we will only be left with who we are as people.

The sad thing is that people really dont realize sometimes that this is a choice. We are here with our agency. We do have a choice. We can choose to have faith or we can choose to falter.

For those of you who are members, I pray that you will have faith to share the joyous message of Jesus Christ with your friends, and exercise your faith to see the results. Every day Im learning more about this and trying to change to be worthy of the blessings and love that God offers us.

May God bless you all,

Hermana Bendixen