All is well in Canada (Peru)

This week was so, so good. We had TWO baptisms! Saturday was Antony. He came from Chiclayo (which is a city north of Lima) where he had received the missionaries and wanted to be baptized. He moved here to work in a banana market, and looked for a chapel for a month until he finally found one in another area from ours. The missionaries over there introduced us, and now he is a member of the church! He was even ordained to the priesthood yesterday! He's a funny one ha ha when we asked him to bear his testimony at the baptism, he said, "Remember to be punctual to church tomorrow." Which is actually really good advice here in Perú!

Karla has been investigating for like 3 years. I really just came right when she was already set on getting baptized, but it was still cool to be a part of such a big step in her life. In her confirmation, she was blessed to become a strong wife and mother, and I really feel that she will. I was touched realizing that these converts can truly make positive changes in the world. Seeing all of the inactive members of this area, I sometimes get a little scared of leaving any of the people I teach behind. But, we have to make sure that these people who are getting baptized are truly converted to the gospel, and that they have strong ties to the ward. Which is why I was so very happy yesterday as I realized that before church started, Antony had changed into a brand new set of church clothes that (I later found out) were given to him from ward members.

I wish I had just a half an hour more to write... there's so much I want to tell you! But with the few minutes I have left, I want to testify that this is God's true church; I cannot deny that. The Book of Mormon is the work of God, given to us by a true prophet, Joseph Smith. Today, we have the divine guidance of President Thomas S. Monson as he is directed by our Father in Heaven. Most of all, I know that Jesus Christ lives, and he loves us (which is such an understatement). All of us can feel that love as we pray to Him and learn of Him, and act like Him!

I love you all. Hasta luego!

Hna Bennett

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Antony's Baptism

The baptism of Karla - the bishop baptized her. In this picture, they are both anxiously anticipating the freezing cold water of the baptismal font.

This one time my old landlady Betty made me a scarf for my birthday. then i realized that it works much better as a hat/artificial afro.

Hermana Rubio and me... she's funky
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I feel that I have had a lot of mercies from god as I've tried to get over my shyness. I know I just need to open my mouth and talk, but sometimes it is just so intimidating and hard! I have definitely gotten better, and sometimes,when I feel like a failure, we find someone that is awesome, and it's like God is saying, "I understand it's hard for you... but next time you gotta just declare your purpose without fear!" and it has gotten easier and easier. 

I am also anticipating the days of the iPad ha ha we have to carry around an area book that weighs about 80 pounds, all handwritten. and the phones we use are about ten years old ha! And no Facebook for us yet. Someday the technology will catch up to us.

Antony and Karla

Some good news for this week! We've got two baptisms coming up for this week: Antony and Karla. Antony actually showed up to the chapel having already received missionaries in Chiclayo, ready for baptism. He's a funny one ha. I'll send pics when it happens.

We've been working a lot with members (active and inactive) and we're starting to see some potential there. It's kinda hard sometimes waiting for things to happen, but I think we're getting close to seeing some fruits of our labors.

Yeah, i'm just going to apologize right now for this letter being so scatterbrained... so sorry!

This week, we have spent a lot of time walking around, looking for people to teach. Sometimes, i'm just like, "When is the missionary work going to start? Why do we spend so much time just not doing anything but walking? What are we doing wrong?" The fact is, it's not going to be easy to find people who are ready to listen, no matter how life changing and beautiful the message is. Many are called, but few are chosen. But they ARE out there. I've already met many choice people, and that's what I remember when I start to question myself.

In other news, someone told me yesterday that my accent is muy muy bueno! Finally, i'm starting to get this Spanish thing ha! it's weird to think that I am actually having conversations with people in another language all day, every day.

Well, sorry that was so short and probably you're now thinking, "What was the point of that email?" ha ha but, I know this church is the true church, more and more every day. I know that Christ lives, and that our Heavenly Father still works miracles, and that he is always listening and waiting for us to listen back.

les amo mucho
Herman(a) Bennett


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Here are pictures! and now i realize they're both of food...

 Us eating lasagna at a member's house. It was delicious.

One of the baby bananas they have here. There are a ton of different bananas. and the fruit is delicious.

i'm getting off the computer. until next week, my friends...

Being a missionary...

Hermana Shae Bennett, Perú Lima East Mission, June 19, 2013-December 2014


As of right now, I only have a few precious months of experience as a missionary. However, there are some things I have learned that, knowing such, I will never be the same.

The first is the protection that comes from our obedience. As missionaries, we are "dedicated," or set apart, to proclaim the word of God. We are given authority to preach His gospel. But, this authority can only be present when we obey the commandments upon which it is based. I have felt this Heavenly protection as I have left my home to come to a foreign country and converse almost constantly with strangers. There are times when I realize that God and His angels are in fact protecting me from the dangers that are constantly at work against me, both spiritual and physical. I can feel that power, and I know that I am only entitled to it when I am obedient to the commandments of God and the inspired rules from my mission president. There is a reason for every single rule, whether we understand it or not. Just be obedient! Not blindly, but faithfully.

The second is that MIRACLES HAPPEN. They happen all the time! I have had prayers answered, sometimes instantly. I have been fasting for something, and then seen the answer appear even before I've finished fasting. I've seen people change their lives. I've seen them offer their first prayers to talk to their Heavenly Father. I've seen them understand His love for them when they hadn't before. I've seen them gain a testimony of this Restored Gospel, as marvelous and maybe unbelievable as it might seem. And I've seen them take steps to show that they are ready to take upon them the name of Christ. Most of all (and maybe this is a little selfish of me to say) I've seen a miraculous change in myself. A lot of time I spend worrying about my faults, the things I don't do well as a missionary, the fact that I can't speak the language well, the times I feel I'm not being guided by the Spirit... But, every once in a while, when I take the time to look at myself now compared to myself before I left home, I realize how far I have come with the help of the Lord. I see how much my testimony has grown, how much bigger my capacity to love is, how I am slowly learning how to be more like my Savior. Miracles are happening within my own being. They happen every day! Take the time to see them, and to give thanks for them. Take a few moments every day to see the miracles that are happening in yourself. When you do this, you'll realize why you're on a mission.

The scripture cases i bought for my bday that finally came!

My new companion Hna. Rubio! It's crazy how much love I have for her already, and it's only been a couple weeks.

First transfer - O Canada

October 28, 2013

Well... I got transferred to a ward named Canadá (I actually have no idea why it is named that... sorry). I am now with Hermana Rubio, from California. I would attach a photo, but I got stuck with a computer without a USB slot :( This area is a lot nicer than Santa Anita, which means life as a missionary is a little harder ha! (and now everyone who has served/is serving somewhere other than South America is saying, "Now you know how we feel") The members are awesome though! I feel so loved already. Now we just need to find investigators.
I'm afraid I have been in a little bit of a slump. Leaving Santa Anita was kinda like when I left home. It's crazy how much you can come to love a place in only a couple months. Luckily I had a couple of experiences yesterday that helped me out.


The first was when the primary sang us a song. I noticed a little girl with a nametag that said "Future Missionary." My first thought was, "She wants to be like me..." and then my second thought was, "...but why?!" I then began to evaluate myself: what had I been doing for the last 4 months to earn the respect and admiration that so many people have for missionaries, and what was it about a mission that would make people want to go on one (missions are stinking hard!!!)? And then I was filled with the happiness that I've been able to have as I have taught people about their Savior, and as they've made decisions to change their lives for the better because of something I have shared as a missionary. THAT'S why I came on a mission (not for the recognition of bringing people to Christ, but for the privilege, mind you), even if I didn't really understand what I was getting myself into, and THAT'S why Ii am still out here, and it is better than I ever could have imagined if I wouldn't have experienced it myself.


I also had that opportunity to be present when a young man in the ward was set apart for his mission in New York yesterday. He actually was already out in his mission for 4 months when he hurt his foot and had to come home for surgery. During the time he was home, his dad was baptized after investigating for years! And, even though it was extremely difficult, he made it back to this point and decided to go back out on his mission, now with both of his parents as members. It was a very exciting experience (a little sad... I don't know if I'd be able to go through all those goodbyes again!) and it made me remember how excited i was to do missionary work when I was at that point.
I feel re-energized; I feel ready to become the type of missionary that little primary girl pictures when she puts on her future missionary button; I feel a stronger resolve to become the missionary that I myself have always wanted to be since I was the age of that little girl; and most importantly, I feel the support of my Savior as I am becoming the person that HE has always pictured me becoming. It's funny; I never realized how much I myself would change on my mission. There is so much room for improvement, and it is amazing how far I have come!

 This email was a little self-centered... oops! but next week, I plan on having a lot of successes to tell you about!

paz y amor
Hna Bennett

A sister missionary in Canada, Peru

MIssion Roller Coaster and Universally Adorable Funny Primary Programs

October 21, 2013

Well, it's transfer time! Today we find out who's going to be where for the next 6 weeks. There's this guy who lives in our area who is from Russia, and then moved to the U.S. and married a Peruvian woman and now they are living here, and he actually spent some time in Utah, so he's knows some stuff about the church and missionary work. He said to me (back when i was with Hermana Johnson), "It's kind of cruel what they do to you: give you a couple months to get used to an area and become friends with your companion, and then just tear you apart." Ha so right now, while i'm inclined to take the same opinion, I'm trying to remember that I will love my next area just as much as I love my dear Santa Anita. Sometimes, I'm even excited to get to know a new area and a new companion! It's just all part of the mission roller coaster.
Last week, we had interviews with the president. Halfway through mine, he stopped and said, "Your Spanish has improved so much! Remember how difficult the first interview was?" And then I actually thought back to those first couple months, and how far I've been blessed to come. Sometimes it's hard to see your own progress until someone else points it out to you. Even though I've got a ways to go, it's nice to know that I've already made some ground (is that a saying? i don't remember) in these 4 months.
I feel like I don't have much to report this week... things were kind of slow and a little difficult. We have a couple recent converts who have gotten back into some old bad habits with drugs and alcohol, which is even more sad based on the fact that they're 17 and 15 years old. But, on the other hand, two other young men who were baptized a couple weeks ago showed up yesterday in suits, ready to pass the sacrament! it was pretty amazing. We also had a primary program during sacrament meeting. It was as adorably funny as all the other primary programs I've seen in my life.
Sorry this email was a little lackluster; the next one will be much better, I promise! And a missionary's promise is the real deal, big time...
K i'm going to stop this rambling nonsense now. Love you all!
Hna Bennett

He's My Son too...

October 14, 2013

Buenos Días/tardes/noches/whatever time of day you are reading this.

Another week goes by in Santa Anita. There's only one more week left in this transfer, which means there's a possibility I will be leaving the area on Tuesday. I will cry on the day I have to leave here, I can guarantee you that; this has become my home! But such is the life of a missionary. And I know that I'll fall in love with the next area just the same. It's just hard to think that many of these people, I'll never see again. Facebook is such a blessing for that purpose ha! And also, it's funny to hear the way people here say "Facebook."

This week, we had a "training for the trained" conference with President Ardila and his wife, which was for all of the people who came in the same group with me and are finishing their 12 weeks of training. He has already told me that I'm going to be training soon (not enough experienced sisters to keep up with the big wave of new sisters), so that's terrifying. So, maybe because he wanted to test my Spanish skills, he kept calling on me during the conference ha ha! I don't know what happens, but every time he talks to me, I get so nervous that I forget everything I know in Spanish (I don't know why, he's one of the nicest men ever). In fact, after the conference, my companions turned to me and asked, "Hermana Bennett, what happened to your Spanish in there? It was terrible!" ha ha ha but really, it was terrible. Maybe he's rethinking this whole training thing.

Anyways, missionary work continues here. Right now, we are working with a couple of people towards their baptisms, which has been complicated. Esmeralda wants so badly to be baptized. She comes to church every week, pays her tithing, she obeys the word of wisdom, and even goes to seminary. The problem is that her mom doesn't want her to be baptized, for reasons that she won't tell us. I think she's heard things from non-Mormons about Mormons, so she has hesitations. We also are teaching Ali, who has been attending church regularly for years, and has read the Book of Mormon cover-to-cover multiple times. The problem is, she lives with a man who is basically her husband (they've been together for 20 years and have 2 children), except for they're not married, so she can't be baptized. The problem is that he is married to another woman from when he was like 18 years old, and he first needs to divorce that woman to be married to Ali, and he doesn't want to do it, maybe because of how much money it costs, or maybe for other reasons, we don't know. It's a tricky situation and I can see the pain in her eyes when it comes up. These two are just so ready to be baptized, and it hurts them so much to not be. They are so strong, and I know they are going to be baptized someday. It's just the waiting that's hard.

Welllll, I can't really think of what else to say... mostly because I am sitting in a small room full of hot computers, sweating because the Peruvian summer is almost upon us. Oh, it's almost Halloween! Which is one of the best days of the year if you ask me. I will probably dress up as a missionary. And also, an investigator (Leydi) almost named her baby Sheli (how they would spell "Shae Lee" here) after me! We were at her house and she couldn't think of a name, so my companion told her to use mine ha. But i think her husband didn't like it... He just chuckled nervously when they said it to him.

Love from Perú,
Hna Bennett (or "Hermana Venet" as one member spelled it the other day)

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P.S. I am reminded of a talk I read in the MTC. I probably already told you all about it, but it talked about a man whose son was very sick, on the edge of death. He started praying to God, asking how God could do this to his son. Then, the answer came to him, a voice saying, "He's my son too." I remember when I read this, I thought of my mom and dad, and how I was worried about you two, being so far away and all. That no matter how many years you live on this earth, you will always be God's child. He is taking care of you, even if there seem to be "complications," which are really inherent parts of this life. He loves you so much! He told me so when I was in the MTC, and the Spirit is reconfirming it now. The first lesson we teach, the very first lesson in Preach my Gospel, is that God is our loving Heavenly Father. It's so powerful a lesson that it's the one we start off with.

How do we forget the burnings of the bosom we have when we truly allow the spirit to talk to us? it's pretty crazy the things we forget with our human minds.

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P.P.S. My companion and I had an argument about Christopher Columbus today ha! Well, not a real argument... anyways, in Spanish his name is really Cristobal Colon? what kind of name is Colon?

Spanish... somehow i'm getting the hang of it. I'd probably be a lot better if I would talk more, but I'm not good at that even in English! the hardest thing for me has been connecting with people--my usual social awkwardness. Last night I was actually feeling pretty bad about it, but then my companion told me, "God called you to be yourself as a missionary. Your personality is exactly what He needs here, so stop focusing on what you think you SHOULD be." It helped :)

Felix's Baptism and the Best 21st Birthday

October 7 2013

I have to say that this week was full of some of the highest highs and lowest lows to date for this Hermana, but I really can only remember the good times! I felt like the most loved person in the world on my birthday. My companion arranged like 17 surprises for me ha! She has a heart as big as Peru. To top it all off, we got to see the baptism of Brother Felix on Sunday! When I first met him, I thought he said his name was "Feliz," (Spanish for 'happy') and I was like, "Oh makes sense, because he literally NEVER stops smiling." And then I found out his name was Felix, which is a nice name also. I like these pictures the best because they captured his true smile ha ha. After he was baptized he bore one of the best testimonies I have ever heard (granted, I have the Spanish vocabulary of a 7 year old. But the spirit translated for me, so we're good). He talked about how he felt the spirit during his prayers, and how he had never been interested in religion before. Because of the spirit he felt, he now knows that this is the true church. Because of conference, he wasn't confirmed after his baptism, so now we have to wait till Sunday for him to be confirmed with gift of the Holy Ghost. So, he's not OFFICIALLY a member, but give us a week, and it'll happen.

I hope all is well back in the US of A, and I hope everyone had/has the chance to listen to or read the talks from general conference. I saw the majority in Spanish. From what I understood, the brethren and sisters were just as awesome as ever! I really liked M. Russell Ballard's, but I might just be a biased misionera :)

I really feel so happy to have prophets and apostles to lead us today, just as in ancient times and the ministry of Jesus Christ. When Elder Cook visited us a couple weeks ago, he said during his testimony that he KNOWS the voice of the Savior. We are so connected to our Heavenly Father when we listen to those who have the power to talk to Him, namely apostles and prophets. We also have the opportunity to receive revelation for ourselves through our own conversations with God: our prayers. I know that I, and many others, have received answers from the Lord. That's how I know this church is true, and that there is a reason I need to be serving a mission in Lima, Peru right now. If I hadn't received this witness, I would have returned home months ago...

Love you all!
hna bennett

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The baptism of Felix! It was such a happy [feliz] day :)

My dear companions who decorated my room while I was out

Cake number 1 of the day, with two other birthday elders

We didn't have a knife, so they cut the cake with some cardboard.

My pensionista,

who used to own a restaurant - so my food right now is really as good as it gets!

(which is pretty good, if I haven't made that clear)

My awesome birthday meal, tallarines verdes

One of our investigators, Esmeralda, and her mom at their store

Some members from the ward who bought a pizza for my bday

(Nikc, yes spelled ¨Nikc¨, Yusei, and Heydi)

Birthday Pizza!

Birthday Cake number 2! From the wonderful Grados Family.
I almost cried from my happiness. the people here are taking such good care of me.

They like to smash your face into your birthday cake here. I got off lucky

The Grados Family

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