Week 63 Laradise —> Casper

Transfers is tomorrow & I’ll be heading to Casper to serve in the Casper 7th Ward. I’ll still be serving as a ZL which will be a big change cause Laramie & FOCO are both the smallest zones in the mission but Casper is the biggest, so new challenge & much more ministering to be done, I’m looking forward to it! My comp will be Elder Fronk, I’ve served around him before & he’s an incredible missionary so I’m excited!

This week was an amazing week! We saw the coolest miracle! I’ve been with Elder Bishop the past week & on Tuesday we got a call from a woman named Janette, who is someone that Elders Bishop had been teaching her & her children. Her children were on Date to be baptized, however she dropped them & said she didn’t want her kids baptized a while ago. Then we got the call from her Tuesday & she said she wanted her kids baptized this Saturday! We were able to set everything up & make it happen! So both her kids Zach & Kira were able to be baptized on Saturday & Elder Bishop got to baptize Kira!

We met with Kevin & that was great as always, he came to church on Sunday & I was able to give a talk. He was so kind to me afterwards and kept complimenting me on it & when I told him I’d be leaving he told me how grateful he was I came into his life, I’m sure gonna miss him! We’re teaching him one last time tonight before I head out tomorrow. 

I’m gonna miss Laradise so much! The people I’ve met here are incredible & will hold a special place in my heart! They are incredible examples of our Savior Jesus Christ & have taught me so much about ministering. My heart is full. I love y’all & my Savior Jesus Christ!

The Last of the Laradites,

Elder Bennett aka yoboigator 

Kira & Zach’s Baptism

Loren Mac-Someone we taught & reactivated

Wyoming Bison

Yoboigator 

Bishop Bressler’s & his Family

Bingham Family

Never stop praying & reading the Book of Mormon!

Week 62 Solo Ryder

It was a hectic week but things are settling now! We had to take all the missionaries going home down to Colorado which went good. On the way back, Elder Shellman & I had to take 2 trucks back so we both drove separately & it was so weird but nice being able to be alone for the hour drive. Made me realize how much I miss driving alone haha. When we got back Elder Shellman went to Rawlins to fill in a gap there & now I’m with Elder Bishop till the end of the Transfer on Halloween. On Sunday we had to cover 3 wards & 2 started at the same time in different buildings, so we went on splits and were separated for like half the day haha. Man it’s been wild but just 1 more week like this.

Kevin has been doing amazing! The ward has been doing an incredible job fellowshipping him! On Thursday we had a study group meet at one of the YSA’s homes for the new Come Follow Me & Kevin came. We talked about increasing our personal studies & what we get out of it. Kevin asked great questions but afterwards he was able to meet Jordan, a girl who converted 4 years ago & they hit it off! He was asking her things & she did a great job answering them & relating to him it was so awesome! Then 

on Sunday night at our ward prayer for our YSA Joe, who we’ve been working with on coming back & is a RM, invited Kevin to come & he came! He was able to meet more members & our new bishop! We came late & he looked like he was already a member it was so cool to see! Him & the members were all laughing & joking with each other & talking about meeting up to play board games together, Kevin is great & the members are doing amazing with him!

We’ve also been teaching Austin & a girl named Loren. They’re both working on returning & becoming more active & we've been seeing amazing progress with both of them! The miracles we’ve been seeing are so amazing! I love serving in the YSA here so much!

We find out transfers Saturday, hopefully I can stay in the YSA for another transfer! Love & miss you all! Jesus Loves You!

Peace & Love,

Elder Bennett aka yoboigator

 

Anziano Odom off to Italy

Squad w/ Joe

Goodbye to the Homies Elder Oates & Elder Masaniai

WEEK 61 JOY IN THE JOURNEY

When we taught Joe, Loren, & another returning member named Nathan this week, we watched “Of Regrets & Resolutions” by President Uchtdorf  in October 2012. He talks a lot about finding Joy in the Journey. How we don’t have to live our lives looking to our next destination as the finish line and believe that then will come the joy. That happiness is accessible throughout the entire journey. It’s silly to think of listening to music only to be waiting for the very last note to end the whole time. Or going on a bike ride or walk w/ someone you love, only to be waiting for the end & failing to enjoy the beauty around you. I know that we can find everlasting joy & peace in this journey of life by seeking out Jesus Christ and striving to follow him, asking for forgiveness when we do wrong. I encourage you all to listen to that talk! :)

We had our zone conference this week and we got to do it at the huge ranch in Cheyenne a member owns and they have a huge mansion on their property that we did it on which was dope. We talked about Following The Brethren which is fitting cause we just had General Conference. ‘Twas good stuff. It was snowing while we were there and we got a couple inches of snow on Sunday and had a low of 0. The snow is beautiful I love it!

We had exchanges on Thursday so I didn’t get to teach Kevin but we did teach a guy named David who is actually Coi’s cousin if y’all remember Coi. He moved back to Riverton. Anyways we started teaching David and he basically from the start was like “I don’t agree with y’all beliefs but I also don’t really know them so I should probably at least hear you out.” Then as we taught it was amazing to see how humble & sincere he was as he came to learn about the falling away of Jesus Christ Church & the reason there’s so many different churches today. He asked if we could leave him with anything to study so we gave him a Book of Mormon & asked when we could come back! So we’re really excited about David!

This week is gonna be crazy cause we have 4 missionaries from our zone going home (1 is going to Italy - Anziano Odom) on Saturday and we have to take them down to Colorado on Friday. So there’s lots of empty places needing to be filled so Elder Shellman is going to go out to Rawlins which is about a hour and a half away and I’m gonna be with Elder Bishop until the end of the Transfer on Halloween. Should be a lot of fun trying to juggle 3 wards!

Much Love y’all! 🤟

Elder Bennett aka yoboigator 

Hauling hay for 3 hours is exhausting!

Zone Conference

Breezy

When Elder Halladay & I used sorcery on a Polaroid camera

Our Bishop’s deer he shot #wyolife

District P Day Squad 

Week 60 Hay King 👑

Y’all know that episode of The Office when Dwight is the Hay King? We were moving a ton of hay this week to help set up a maze for an event they were doing in Laramie & I kept callin myself the Hay King haha fun stuff.

 

Later in the week we went back and helped set up a ton of pumpkins to make a pumpkin patch. We moved 1700 pumpkins & had a ton of fun doin it!

Well this week surely was interesting. We no longer have Elder Odom with us, he received a special assignment and he’s with another companionship here in Laramie so we get to see him occasionally.

Conference was great, we watched the Saturday morning session with a lot of the YSA. There’s a YSA we’ve been working with named Joe who’s an RM & he’s been struggling lately, after Conference he told us he had something he needed to do. He took us outside and we poured out all his bottles of liquor. It was such a cool moment!

We also taught Kevin again this week & brought Joe along with us. He was able to bear powerful testimony to Kevin which was great! Kevin is doing good, he’s praying & reading The Book of Mormon despite his busy schedule, it’s great to see his faith growing every week! Kevin is so great I love that man! We’ll get to teach him again this Thursday.

I love & miss you all! Hope y’all have an amazing week! 🤟

Elder Bennett aka yoboigator 

Week 59 Winners Stay Winnin

We had MLC on Friday and our squad won the MLC game. We also put our commissary orders for our zone in first so we won candy leis, therefore, Winners Stay Winnin. Haha gotta find enjoyment in the strangest of things as a missionary.

We taught Kevin the Plan of Salvation this week & it was so amazing!! He really loved it and said it designated with him very well and things he believes. He’s progressing really well! He came to church on Sunday and even brought a friend with him! While singing hymns he would sway side to side hahaha! Love the guy so much! He came to gospel principles class and was asking questions, it’s cool to see how comfortable he felt immediately. We’re going to try & have him watch Conference with the YSA one of the days and do a lesson! 

We’ve been doing a lot of work in our YSA & mostly with return missionaries and others who are struggling with life which is leading to them questioning their faith. It’s really sad to see. But I know that God knows each of us personally & loves us. He wants to help us, but it takes action on our part. We have to be praying & asking for help, repenting, so we’re allowing him into our lives to help. However, if we’re not praying, we’re cutting off our connection with our Father in Heaven and not giving him the ability to help & heal us. Prayer is important, so no matter what, never close off the connection with heaven & never stop praying.

I got to see RJ & Joe!! They’re both doing AMAZING & it was so nice catching up with them & hearing about them going to trek & their adventures they’ve been on :)

Today we went and got to hold & see an original copy of the 1830 Book of Mormon! There was a bishop in Cody, WY who donated it to the university 25 years ago so that was dope! Possibly a once in a lifetime opportunity so something I’m grateful for. Winners Stay Winnin.

Thanks for all the support. I love & miss you all. 

Elder Bennett aka yoboigator 

Trainers Meeting

Winners Stay Winnin

MLC Squad

RJ & Joe :)

1830 Book of Mormon!!!

Week 58 Choppin Brix Like Karate

We had transfers this week & picked up Anziano Odom! He’s waiting for his visa to go to Rome, Italy. He’s from San Diego & went to BYU before coming out. He comes from a family of 9 kids so him & Elder Shellman are very similar. It’s been a ton of fun having him in our companionship & very humbling for me! Love the guy!

We taught a man on Thursday named Kevin. He’s from Shanghai, China so he has no knowledge of religion or Jesus Christ or scripture. It was shocking to see cause in my whole mission I’ve always come across people who know some about Christ & Bible stores like Noah & the Ark, Moses parting the sea, but he had no clue what we were talking about. It was really funny I was shocked constantly throughout the lesson and he’d just keep saying “I from Shanghai. We no grow up with this.” Hahaha he was a really great sport about it all! It’s cool to see how humble & sincere he is. When I testified of being a child of a loving Father in Heaven he just said that must feel so comforting & I wish I could have that! So we’re working on helping him develop his faith, we’re going to teach him again this week, I love Kevin so much!

We’ve been having tons of Member appointments lately and what we’ve been inviting them all to do is very simple! Pray, Act, & Invite. And we’ve seen some amazing miracles from members sincerely doing this. Well this last weekend, we had Stake Conference and Elder Andersen of the Seventy (came & spoke to us at our mission tour in May)  came and he talked a lot about the same thing! Referring to members & missionary work he said “We don’t need a few to do more. We need all to do a little. It’s easy.” It’s so true. It really is easy, we just need to be praying for opportunities to share, acting upon them, & inviting others to come closer to Christ!

After Stake Conference there was a young man named Austin who we talked with he told us he had been a member all his life but lately his testimony has been struggling & he hadn’t been active & was looking into other churches. We met with him Sunday and had a powerful lesson with him! At the start he was questioning things & halfway through he had a full change of heart & said “I believe & know what I need to do.” It was incredible, the power of the Holy Ghost is so real and works miracles in our hearts if we allow it. He said he wants to work on being able to receive the priesthood & go to the temple so we’re really excited for Austin!

Work is going great in Laradise & I love all that I serve around, the members, & all the people here! Love y’all back home!

Elder Bennett aka yoboigator 

Choppin Brix Like Karate

Squaaaaaaa

Week 57 Greenie Tri-Pan Miracles Pt. 2

We got transfer info and Elder Shellman & I are staying together here in Laramie for another transfer and are going to be training a new missionary! He’s a visa waiter called to serve in Italy, so we’re really excited to have him in our companionship! We know nothing about him but we’ll pick him up tomorrow. 

Truthfully this week was a bit of a struggle. People we’ve been teaching haven’t been keeping commitments, super flakey, or have been too sick to meet with us. It’s frustrating but boi is it sure teaching me how to love!

I think last week I talked about Coi, 20 year old guy we talked to who was scared we were Mormons when we talked to him haha, anyways we taught him this week and he said he was really excited to meet with us cause he had actually prayed to God to give him a chance to be able to start living his life for God the day before we talked to him! God truly does hear & answer our prayers! Well we taught him, he was really excited, loved everything, accepted the invitation to be baptized next month. Then the next day he told us he talked to his mom and she said this isn’t the right path of church for him to be taking, so that kinda scared him away, but he did say he’s gonna take the time to pray and think about it for himself. So we aren’t giving up on him yet!

Rebecca dropped us this week too haha. It was really strange and pity. She messaged us and told us she decided not to quit drinking or smoking, so we were like okay, we’ll just talk with her about that next time we meet. Then couple days later she told us she wasn’t going to convert for personal reasons and didn’t want us coming around anymore then blocked us on Facebook. Weird stuff man but that’s good ol Laradise for ya :)

So obviously the Lord has big things planned for us this transfer so he thought he’d just give us this week to test us and humble us that’s all haha. Man missions are fun, I love it!

Love & miss you all!

Elder Bennett aka yoboigator 

Helped some people unload a trailer full of sacks of potatoes from Grace, ID. Shoutout Harris Mickelson, they’re in his branch out there.

“But ye will teach them to walk in the ways of truth and soberness; ye will teach them to LOVE one another, and to serve one another.” -Mosiah 4:15

Love. It’s what Jesus Christ, The Book of Mormon, & yoboigator are all about.

For the bowlers back home!