IT"S ALL SOOO BITTER SWEET!

This week's Daily Cry ratio: 1/1 (or in other words everyday!!!)

Shoutout to sister Hartley and sister Wilkins, I was telling sister Nelson a story this week and She said "wow your face is sister Hartley and what's coming out of your mouth is sister Wilkins". I have become a combination of two of my favorite people.

I taught English for the last time last week... weird!

Its snowed this morning, my shoes have holes and so I am wearing three pairs of socks. Mongolia life is always an adventure! 

Guess what??? An old investigator I taught in Sansar came back from the countryside and was receiving lessons from the Sansar sisters, and she is getting baptized tomorrow!! YAY!

Yesterday I woke up and thought, "NO NO NO!!!!!!" because I had only three more days in this beautiful little land they call mongol. That was my first thought yesterday.

I would say a mission is not what I expected it to be at all and any expectations I had weren't quite right. But it's exactly what I needed it to be!  This ride hasn't been a nice little merry go round it's definitely been bumber cars or a roller coaster or something. BUT I'M SO GRATEFUL FOR THIS CRAZY ADVENTURE! I'm grateful for the people I was able to Help. I'm grateful for the opportunity to teach English. I'm grateful for the hard and crazy awesome growing experiences I had. but I'm grateful for this crazy little beautiful experience. And I WOULDN'T TAKE IT BACK.

My favorite thing about Mongolia is the people! So many people I wish I could stuff in my suitcase and take home with me! (: 

The other day as we were going to bed, I was telling sister Nelson that actually I'm not going home, and that we will probably be companions next transfer. As she was falling asleep she just "mhmm denial will get you though". haha!

So I will not see you all on Thursday! #denial Have a great week!

Sister Glove

Me as Captain Moroni

It snowed!

Haha!  This lady whips out a picture of Jesus when we take pictures!

With one of our investigators.

My English class

Goal of the week: Not bawl my eyes out!

MADE PIZZA THREE TIMES THIS WEEK! That's how you know it was a good week! (:

I got the package from the ward and special shout out to sister Hale!! THANKS SO MUCH!! (:

I did an exchange with sister Hansen we made pizza that was so beautiful and tasted so great we couldn't get a picture of it, because it was devoured so fast. Then we thought we had a pretty good day planned out, but it wasn't planned by us. ALL OF OUR PLANS FELL THROUGH. but we had backups and God had plans for us to meet with different people than we had planned, what was so cool is we were able to fill each one of the slots we planned to meet with people with different people that needed to be met with (: Gods plan's are always better. 

Shout out to Papa Hansen! (:

Seriously the best moments as a missionary are when you are in a lesson, the spirit is there and the investigator is intensely listening. that makes it all worth it. AND LET ME TELL YOU IT MAKES YOU NEVER WANT TO STOP BEING A MISSIONARY!! :P

There was a member in the ward who noticed my shoes on Tuesday and told me to show her little nephew because I told her my shoes are beat up because we walk so much. :P (Some other members don't quite get why I like that my shoes are so broken :P haha ) She then genuinely offered me a pair of her shoes. It was so kind. But I had to tell her I'm leaving soon (which I don't like telling anyone :P haha) But it's the kindness of people here that is just amazing! (:

Sister Nelson and I taught zone training this week, it turned out alright (: but shout out to Sister Hartley! I definitely said "YOU CAN SHUU DEE!!" like 3 times in the training!! (: haha 

Mongolia is amazing and my goal of the week is to not bawl my eyes out, we will see if I can achieve that :P 

Sister Bennett (:

An investigator's little kiddo. 

My area is great!

Sister Hansen and I

Last One Standing

From October 9, 2016

Conference was great!! I really loved the talk about preparing for the sacrament (: 

On Tuesday I did a split with Sister Wilkins. I love her! 

She talked about how life is a bunch a moments. How this moment right now is the only one that matters.So just try to cherish each little moments, the good and bad because they make up a beautiful life.

Then on Thursday I bawled my eyes out when Sister Wilkins left Mongolia ): #LastOneStanding (All the sisters from my MTC group have gone home except me.)

Consider the pictures this week to tell a better story about this week! 

Have a bunch of great little moments this week!

Sister Bennett (:

Sister Austin and I

I love this girl!  Sister Wilkins!!!

Mongolia is cold!

Happy Zucchini

Uh Oh!

General Conference

It's pretty great to be a missionary!

From October 2, 2016

This week taught the restoration lesson and then that investigator came to church on Sunday!! :D Yay for awesome investigators!

I went on an exchange with sister Tao on Thursday.  

Sister Tao and I

One of my co-workers was going to Korea and wanted to go out for lunch because I probably wouldn't see her again. So we went out to an Indian restaurant. It was yummy, I think Indian food is growing on me (: naan is soo good! we were so stuffed after it! :P

Lunch with my co-worker.  Indian food yum!

Taught college students this week in my English classes. Since teaching English here I have taught ages from 3 all the way to college students. My school keeps it interesting! :D haha

So we have this investigator who comes to church every week since February but hasn't been reading her scriptures because she doesn't understand them and she said she prays sometimes. We have been trying hard to love her and help her progress. We tried to meet with her this week but unfortunately she was sick and couldn't meet. Then she came to church on Sunday, and there was a drastic difference! She was happy and had a light about here and was willingly to pray and share her testimony in the gospel principles class. Guess what?! She read her scriptures trying to understand them and understood. It was insane to see the complete difference just by reading the Book of Mormon. 

It's pretty great to be a missionary! (:

Sister Bennett (:

The view from a member's window.  That's Chinggis Khan - to us Americans that's Genghis Khan.




  

One Year and Six Months Down!

From September 26th

I cant believe I've been a missionary for that long! It seriously flew by! but I do have to say everybody says that, but I actually didn't believe them! :P

This week sister Nelson and I prayed before we lef the house on Tuesday and she asked for help to let us know if we needed to change our lessons according to their needs. Then we met with a less active who her family opposes her in being a member, so we definitely were able to change our lessons to help comfort her and strengthen her better. #coolstuff

We invited a new investigator to be baptized this week! :D In the lesson before it was kind of crazy, tom and jerry was playing in the background (we asked them to turn it off, but the little kiddos turned it back on) and the little baby crawled over and knocked over the pee bucket which then ran all over the ger but this investigator was so focused it didn't distract from receiving the message which was awesome.

We met with our investigator who the cutest little grandma (: and we watched finding faith in Christ. During the movie she was making little comments, like "sooo true!" and it was the cutest she was just soaking it all up. (:

Sister Nelson this week went to shake the ranch bottle for dinner and the lid hadn't been screwed on so instead it was all over the table and couch! haha she then ate her fries with the ranch off the table yum!

Another day this week we also made watermelon helmets! haha (: 

Missionary life is pretty sweet! Happy conference week! Mine isnt till the following weekend but its gonna be awesome! (: 

Sister Bennett

Mission Leadership Council the Elders

Mission Leadership council - the Sisters

Naara (wonderful Mongolian Sister from LAS VEGAS!) and I

Watermelon Helmets

Sister Nelson and I

The Ranch

Are you drunk? No, I'm American!

From September 12th 

This week I called a new investigator to see if we could still come over, and I had yet to speak to this investigator over the phone and the conversation went like this.

-"Hi, how are you? can we still come over and met with you and your family?"

-what?

-can we come over still and meet with you and your family?

-what? I don't understand?

-Can we meet with you?

-Are you drunk?

-No I'm American! 

haha we figured it out and were able to meet with them and it was a way good lesson! but I'm not sure how I'm American really answered his are you drunk question :P haha 

We had mission conference this week and Sister Harper (my mission President's wife) talked about how when we have a bad attitude it kind of like us starting a fire in a wheat field! it just get's going! We should be positive so that the flame isn't ruining all the work we've done. (:

I met with President Funk (President of the Asia Area of the church) this past week in a personal interview and I would say what I learned from him is that "the newest part of life should be the best part of life"!

Made fried chicken this week! you know it was a good week! Life is pretty great! (:

Sister Bennett (:

Mission Leadership Conference with President Funk

I think we are figuring this area out!

From September 12th

We went to meet with a member. She told us to call her when we are close to her house and then she will teach us how to get to her house is what she said. We got to close to her house and her phone was "holbogdoh bolomjgui" which means its probably off. Usually here they are off for a long amount of time, so then we decided to ask people if there knew her. No one knew her and we called the old sisters who were here and asked where her house was, they told us and we knocked, no answer. Knocked again and no answer. We decided to leave a note on her door and go an do something else. So as we were walking away, I had the thought call her again. Got out the phone called her again and it worked! Then we were able to meet with her it was awesome! I'm glad I listened to the spirit say just to try just one more time.

Another time in a lesson this week, we were meeting with an investigator who was talking about a problem she had and I had the thought to teach about fasting instead of our previous lesson, then I brushed it off and then sister Nelson asked, "have you ever heard about fasting?" and I just about kicked myself mid lesson :P So listen to the spirit, its much better that way.

We met with a couple this week who are both new members. It was with some of the family members who are also church members and it was a great lesson about the temple and eternal families! Afterward the husband was being kind and walked us out to the bus stop. he asked us, "how's my family?" and in the middle of us saying "your family is great!" he the most humbly and honestly, sincerely said, "be honest are we a good family or a bad family? if we are a bad family, I will fix it." It was an awesome example of humility to me.

I ordered a dress today and learned the word for sleeve, trim, loose, zipper, and braided. Hopefully I explained it all right :P

This week was great! Ready for another good week I think we are figuring this area out! (:

Sister Bennett  (:

me playing the harp

My attempt at describing a dress to a dress maker

Zaisan!

Mongolia is beautiful!

Would you like a Book of Mormon?

Sister Nelson playing the harp

A member with her harp like instrument

Look at all the whovilles.

Proselyting to cows isn't illegal.  Right?

Mountain River = Mongolia

From September 5, 2016

We were asked to share about missionary work on Sunday in the English branch so we made cookies and related sharing the gospel is like sharing cookies. So pretty much being a missionary is awesome! We just share cookies all day long! (:

I learned what Mongolia (or in Mongolian mongol) means, mon means mountain, and gol means river. Mountain river (:

We also made peanut butter cookies :D you know its a good week when you have peanut butter cookies at home! (:

We also made pizza for lunch which almost didn't turn out, we slaved for this pizza! and then we were so happy when it was done! then we went and met with some members house and they have ordered pizza :P haha

We have double church duties! so fun and so crazy too! We have people come up to us and we aren't 100% sure who everyone is yet :P haha we met a lady last week she told us she was thinking about going to a christian church and so we invited her  and she CAME!! (: it was awesome! she said her daughter said "let's go to church!"! (: 

We are still trying to figure out our area! It's coming little by little! that's probably why my email is short, sorry!

Sister Bennett (:

Beautiful view from a hike!

A log cabin?

That's better!

A ger outside our apartment?  A day later it was gone.