Know It, Live It, Love It

June 19, 2013 

Well this week has been, well, HOT! Man we are climbing up there hotter everyday and I’ve somehow turned into a camel; I drink so much I can’t believe it. It’s rather perplexing, but let’s just say that me and the heat have a love hate relationship. I hate it because I smell and am sweaty, but I love it because the struggle just means that the Lord is going to help us out and build us stronger through the battle of the afternoon sun.

 

Well my new companion Anziano Davis is a really good missionary! He’s from Dallas Texas. It’s really fun working with someone who has a lot of experience. We agree on many things and we have a good amount of ideas to put into practice. It really is just fun because we both know that we have seen some good things so far from the mission and well, its becoming a very very rare thing to serve with an old missionary because they are all training or are in zone leader positions or assistants to the president. So it’s probably not going to happen again unless I get to do one of those things. I’ve already learned a lot in just a few short days, and the success we have isn’t measured by our numbers, but the knowledge that we have gained is priceless. Actually there is a price but not monetarily speaking. It comes from prayer, study, trials and challenges that we have faced. To me it’s a big price to pay, but the benefit is far better than the price we have paid to get these blessings of knowledge and an increased guidance from Heavenly Father. What did I know before the mission about the gospel? I would say probably next to nothing. I didn’t even know who God was. I knew he existed and he gave us this life and made the atonement possible, but that was about it. Now I know the way he communicates, blesses, acts, loves, cares, and how he feels about his children. The deep affection and the great plan of mercy that he has given us. What the gospel actually is. If you asked me what the gospel was before, I would have said the teachings of Christ and the way he wants us to live. But it is so much more than that. So much more! There are just so many things that I never understood that I now understand. It all makes sense now. It’s all just clear. There is no confusion; I may have questions and ways to deepen my understanding still, but the gospel itself is so simple and clear that it is the only way to salvation for all of Gods children. That’s what I’ve learned in the short time on the mission. I would hope that all can discover and not only know it in the head, but know it, live it, and love it in their heart. This comes through the power of the Holy Ghost only. I knew all this in my head, but now it’s been planted, grown, and nourished in my heart and its starting to grow, and there is still more space for it to grow.

Well before it slips my mind I wanted to say Happy Father’s day to Dad. Man what a great Dad I have! Dad thanks for everything you have done and will do for me. You have been a great example for me. I learned now to work hard and that’s what I needed for the mission because let me tell you it’s not easy out here. It’s not easy to be on a mission in the first place, but Italy is on a different level my friend. There have been many days with just a good 6 hour block of time with nothing scheduled except finding. But I’m glad that we have to have these trials because it will all be for the best in the end.  Thanks for your example all those years.  It’s made all the difference now! That’s what matters. Ok well I love you a lot.

One more thing,  I helped a homeless guys buy food. Do you think you could help me out with that on my card? Its €20 I believe, at a store called Benet. Thanks!

Love, Drew

Working Hard in Lecco

June 12, 2013 

Well to describe the transfer here in Lecco it’s a little like this. As you know we’re are really big here on 20 lessons, because the European Area Presidency has declared a promise that all missionaries who teach 20 lessons double their baptisms. Well during the winter the mission, as a whole lost that focus a little bit and we did not get even close to reaching that on average. But now that summer is here more people are out and about and well you just naturally teach a lot more than winter. Winter is pretty tough, but anyway, the week I got to Lecco they taught 21 lessons and rightly so, we had 2 baptims this transfer. And then we just hit rock bottom. From 20 to nothing because we baptized 2, dropped 3, and lost 1, and then we had 3 people not answering the phone and disappeared off the face of the earth. Oh man that was hard. To go from teaching that many lessons to nothing was rough. And of course I have never tasted of the 20 lesson week in my mission, I think I came the closest with Anziano Smith.  I’m probably one of the only ones to not reach this goal and to be rather honest, well I got mad a little because you bet I work hard. You bet I’m obedient. I come from the charge of President Manwaring and well, you don’t get slouchy missionaries from him and It was rather disappointing because for the life of me I could not figure out why everyone else in the mission could reach 20 lessons and I could not! I know many who are not obedient as they should be and they are baptizing strong members and have a day packed full of lessons! What’s with that? So I set out to find out what was stopping us. Well with a lot of prayer and self evaluation and study, it came down to the fact that I didn’t think I could. I really didn’t honestly believe that I could get 20 lessons because it seemed like one of those things that are so far into the distance that only the good cities get, and only the miracle cities get, and that’s just not Busto, Siena, or Lecco. Well I was wrong. If the miracles that Jesus did are true then it should be a snap to get 20 lessons with some faith, obedience, hard work, good planning, and goals. Took me one year to figure that out unfortunately, but I got in figured out. We are hoonin ( as they say in Australia) here in Lecco now! I pulled myself out of the pit and we are getting keen (also Australian terms) on 15 lessons first and then we will be on the road to 20.

 

We are doing great and I think to help me accomplish this task the Lord is sending me a stud of a comp.

His name is Anziano Davis! I already know him and he is in the group above me,. We will have 2 old missionaries out here harvesting the streets of Lecco. He’s super obedient and is a calm focused missionary. I knew him from the MTC, and he was my district leader in Busto for a while, so we have already worked together.  I have a feeling that this transfer is going to be awesome. I’m really excited! Anziano Ramey was an awesome companion as well and he taught me a lot and got me started on good goals and having some ambition which prepared us to do great on this next transfer. Anziano Ramey is off to Genova and so is Anziano Johnson, they are actually new companions in Genova together hahaha. How funny. No need to meet your new comp he’s already here! But Anziano Murphey my Australian buddy is training. Tomorrow we will have our new comps.

Well I don’t want to get you hyped up to much so if I fail then I look super cocky, haha but I will put my trust in the Lord on this one and I’m pretty set on this because I don’t have a lot of time left in the mission and I don’t want to have any regrets and well, I have some making up to do. I hope to get it done.

Elder Benson

It's Always Good On My End

Anziano Remy and Benson in Lecco

Well,  it looks like you are all having some fun so far during the summer break. It’s hard to believe that it’s already June! The summer will soon be over in a few months. The summer heat really hasn't kicked in yet. I am actually loving the weather so far haha. It’s been really nice here; about 70s everyday with a nice breeze, and then we usually will get some really really good storms here with lightning and some super heave rain and then it passes. With the mountains around here, the weather is rather interesting. Makes for some really awesome storms. I’m liking Lecco a lot. It’s not super small here but it’s a nice little town. Everyone always talks about Como, but really Lecco is the hidden gem on the other side of the lake. Bigger mountains more cliffs and a better view of the lake. The beauty makes it easier to relax a little and enjoy where you are. I’m not much of an arts guy either.

We still have a fair amount of investigators but they are dropping like flies fast! So we have to get on the hunt soon. I don’t always love street finding the most, but at the same time I love it because you always see the coolest stories and coolest miracles. For sure. There are many other miracles, but the best ones are when you’re out pounding the pavement after many hours. It’s been a very great pleasure to be in Italy. There are many different cultures, many Africans, middle eastern people, of course Italians but there are many others as well. I have even found some different foods and learned to like some of the music you hear from the middle eastern countries when you’re in the streets. It’s pretty cool and it helps you see how different we are all created, but how we are still the same.  I like the different cultures, it makes the world different and exciting. There is even an invite in Preach My gospel that says take note of what things in the culture where you are serving are good and take them and apply them in your life. The Italians strength is definitely the family. They love the family here and they are so big on doing what the people before you have done and doing it the family way.  Tradition! So don’t lose your traditions! Pass them on and make it a good thing! It makes us strong and united.

 I don’t know what to say, no matter what happens in the mission it’s always all good on my end. Even if I’m so tired and can’t even walk anymore, or we just got 5 appointments cancelled in one day. It’s all just for best and really nothing can go wrong if you’re doing your best.

Well Thank you so very much for the letters sisters. I’m not sure what happened to Ellis, still celebrating I’m sure, but thank you all the others. Good job on scoring goals and you guys are the best! Keep on having fun because one day the party is over, haha just ask Ellis.

Ciao

The Lord Will Take Care of the Rest?

May 29, 2013



At top of hike.  Lecco in Background

Ellis finally graduated huh? I bet mom and dad are glad that graduation is all over. haha. It sounds like it was a mad house there and that it was just crazy, but glad to hear that it is calming down. I got dads email and I’m starting to act more like my old man every day. He was like yeah Ellis doesn’t have a job, and I’m like what! What has she been doing, doesn’t she know that she had a hard time last summer and spent forever looking for a job. I’m not much of a teenager anymore. And I finally have to shave every day. It was cool for like a week and now it’s just annoying, but at the same time it’s about time I got some manliness. 



Elder Ramey and me on the Big Hike

Things are going well! We had 2 baptisms this week! And they were great! We are very happy and I hope that the ward will keep growing here. It wasn’t long ago that this ward was a branch. And since Anziano Ramey has been here there have been 4 baptisms which is really good, plus he reactivated some families and so now the ward is a good size. We are hoping to get some more baptisms in June; we even got some names to go with our bap date goals that we could potentially reach. In the end thought do the best and the Lord with take care of the rest? Just make sure that your best really is your best haha. You can’t be slouchy and say oh well that’s my best. No its not! Quit being lazy and really give it all you got and you would be surprised how much further you will make it.


Last pday we did an awesome hike and I think the pictures say it all. It was the most beautiful hike in the world probably. I’m not just saying that either. But man oh man did we pay the price. That was a HARD hike. Super steep, the steepest I’ve ever seen. No switchbacks at all, straight up the rock face. I was beat afterwards. I swore to myself that I would never do it again, but after a few days I might try it again haha. I say that thought while I’m in the comfort of the city, not when I’m exhausted on the face of the mountain. It was so much fun though.



Downtown Lecco

It’s been really Rainey here, about 6 of 7 days it rains and when we do get a break it just picks back up a few hours later. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so much rain in my life. Seriously it’s crazy. But I will take this rain over the heat dead august. Oh man that was pretty bad, I hope it’s not as hot as last summer. I don’t like the heat like that. I do love Lecco, but I would still like to get back down to the Toscana zone haha. I love it too much. I mean Lecco is a super beautiful city! But I would like to go back there eventually. It’s my favorite area so far. And I am getting old and have not done much time in other cities so I haven’t got a good taste of the different culture. Lecco and Busto is pretty much the same accent culture and food, but Toscana they speak way different and they have different food. I like all the variations in the language though; it’s not like in the states. Really we all speak the same except down in the south. It’s not like that here, they speak all different accents, plus the local dialect which isn’t just a change of a few words or accent, but a completely different language that has its roots from Italian, but is usually mixed with languages like French of German or whatever else is near Italy making it a little complex. But it makes for the experience and makes it all fun and interesting. I would like to study a good amount of Italian when I get home but I’m almost certain they don’t have it at BYUI, so I might transfer to Provo to better my grammar and stuff like that. They also have an Italian home in Provo, where the native Italians who go to BYU can live, RMs, and students who are taking Italian, the landlord is Italian as well, which would be the funniest thing ever. I might just finish up a year at BYUI and then transfer; I hope to have a good sum of money saved up by then as well since I will have already worked a summer and a winter. Well not much to report on here. Just another week. All is good and I’m happy to be here. Love you all and have a good week!


Anziano Benson

 

Work, Work, Work

May 22, 2013

Well not much new this week. Work work work. I’m in the middle of the grind now and I’m half way through my mission so things should be getting done. We are having good success but not as much as we would like. It’s also getting a little harder for me to stay focused and not lose faith. Man, I will not exaggerate but I am so positive that I have rang 10,000 doors. That is a big number and out of those I have entered into the homes of 4 people and taught them the gospel. 1 of 4 accepted to learn more. I after ringing all those doors I have lost faith. I said, well I’ve been out here a year and what makes any of the times I’ve prayed asking for direction to guide us to those that will accept us and never gotten in. Well I regained the faith and went out and knocked, and didn’t get in haha.  But the moral of the story is that we need to have faith no matter what. The mission is the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Just when you think all is well you fall into the natural man. It’s so easy to get distracted. I’ve forgotten normal life was like, but all I can say is that I hope is a little easier than being a missionary. 

We should be having 2 baptisms this week. 1 for sure, but maybe 2. Tomorrow is the yes or no lesson on baptism so we will see if we can work out the bumps before then! It’s great to have baptism, but I don’t know these people as well as Anziano Christiansen or Ramey so it’s not quite like the last baptism where I contacted, found, taught, invited, and baptized and confirmed the Ramirez family. Here I just showed up in the middle and got the baptism. I like to do the work and get see the reward rather than no work and get a reward. But anyways I mean I can’t complain. 2 baptims! It’s great!

Congrats on gradation Ellis. I’m very proud of you and wish I could be there! Looks like the party is over though haha. Benvenuta to the real life!

We had an ok week. It was not bad but not what we would have asked for. But that ok. We have about 4 solid gators and are trying to work with some of the members. The only problem is that the members all live really far away. But we are working it out and getting some help. The ward trusts us, but we are looking to make that trust better so that we can work together. If you want a lot of baptisms, get the ward excited about missionary work and they will hop on board right away bring miracles. The members are really awesome, they are just busy like everyone else in the world we can’t always call them up and bug them haha. I haven’t had the chance to take pictures yet. But we will try to get some this week. We are going hiking in the mountains around town for our p-day today so it should be fun. We are going to a church up on the top of the mountains. So we will be having some good fun. Happy Birthday Ellis and enjoy the freedom. Annie, stay away from dentists because if you become one I’ll never talk to you again, and the others. Carry on. Tell grandma and grandpa hello! And that I did see the scarfs! And I want one pined up on my wall so when I get home and is hanging there! Is Mckayla going this summer on the trip to Europe? Well love you and thanks for everything.

 

Anziano Benson

Patience is a virtue?

 My new address is:

Via Giacomo Leopardi 3

23900 Lecco (LC)
Italia

Well I don’t really know what to say haha. There isn’t much of anything new since we talked on mother’s day.  We have some bap dates but the little small things are getting in the way. One of 3 got terribly sick, the other the family is against her getting baptized even though she is 35, and the other one got called into work so she couldn’t make it to church on Sunday and she can’t get baptized until she comes to church 3 times.  But that ok, I’m all good with it. After a year in the mission I’ve learned a lot of patience. Patience is a virtue as they say. Well said whoever came up with that phrase?

 

Anzanio Benson, Johnson, Murphy, Ramey (companion) on Mothers day

In mission news I haven’t done any scambi lately since I’m not district leader anymore so I don’t go out with the other Elders in my district.  Anziano Johnson is the district leader here in Lecco and we are already in the same city so no scambi for us.  I have not been to a Zone Conference for awhile.  However I think we will be having a final one with president Wolfgramm before he goes home in June. There hasn’t really been much talk of the new prez but he will be here before long.  Honestly we are just busy doing our work and that’s all I think about. “Just getting her done”!!!

 

Summer is around the corner and I’m not too excited. I hate the heat. Imagine that, no wonder I like skiing. You can’t be a skier and like the summer more. It’s just not possible. I’m starting to freak out because Anziano Roisum and Droghie will be home in a July. And at that point I will only have 10 months left! That will be scary. Time sure flies out here.  However I have a lot of time left and a lot a work to do.   It sounds like it’s just a mess of activities there. Man Thank goodness your getting your seccond kid out the door! Otherwise I don’t think you could hack that much stuff anymore haha. But it’s all over now. Time to relax. I remember my senior year being super crazy, but at least you made all the mistakes on me so now the others can do it right the first time. You should push Bree. She’s going to be a pro soccer player some day you know that. She’s got the fire and now you know what you need to haha. Everything is going good here and Time is flying and I’m just trying to do my best. 

 

It sounds like things at home are. Wow, I can hardly believe that Ellis is graduating.  I remember my senior year being super crazy.  Ellis enjoy your last week of school and welcome to the real world.  Work Work Work/School School School will now by your life.  Mom, in a few months it will be down to three kids at home so maybe it will not be that crazy?  Just maybe?

 

I forgot to say it on Sunday but I love you mom and thank you so much for everything you have done for me and others. I think you raised a good son in the end, even though I was a dork at times. Have a good week and tell Grandma and Grandpa B hello.  Ellis, enjoy the moment.

 

Anzanio Benson

I Love Lecco

Beautiful Lecco

Yeah the new city is the best! I Love Lecco! It’s awesome! I finally feel at home. Busto was good, but I don’t feel too bad for getting out of there. It was time to go and I couldn’t wait any longer haha. The work here is also going really well we have ALOT to do and everything is great here. The ward is a little smaller than the one In Busto but there are about 3 times more babies and children so I feel like its Idaho or Utah where everyone has about 7 kids. That is something that you do not ever see here in Italy. Most people have or 2 kids and these people are at 4-7! It’s crazy to see this many! But keeps the old geezers awake during church.  Haha. 

So for Mothers Day we will be Skyping from 16.00-20.00 my time in Italy. I’m not sure when because we are In 4 missionaries here in Lecco so we are all going to the same house and so we will all have to work it out between us. To let you know I am living with Kaulin Johnson so if you want to call them they would probably like to know what’s up. The other missionary is Australian and his name is Anziano Murphey. I love living in 4. It’s a lot of fun, but harder to be obedient in getting to bed on time and starting studies on time. but I’ve been doing better studying and getting to bed on time at this.  I don’t know where Allison is. All that I heard is that she is down south somewhere, I think in the same zone as Riley. That’s all I got sorry. It’s really far from where I’m at so I got nothing.

If you didn’t know Juve won the Siria A. I have never in my life seen such a crazy event. The Italians went crazy! People in the streets with flags, thousands of cars honking and people going crazy and riots in the street and just absolute chaos!  I looked at my comp and said, I think Juve won? Black and white flooded the city as people went on for 3 hours celebrating and driving around with their cars plastered with Juve stuff and vuvusuellas air horns, scarf’s, photos and everything. It was nuts! We were with the stake president as when this all happened and he says to us;  Elders, soccer is a god in Italy, the people worship it haha. And he’s talking to the kid who wore his Barcelona jersey to church under his suit.

That is about it. We will talk to you on Mother’s Day.

Anziano

Benson