Best Referral!

Dear Family & Friends:

5/8 Monday

What a day... we got a lot done today and even got to play basketball for a short while! We met with a member family tonight and it went well.... sort of. This family has five real young kids that are super smart but full of energy. We asked them what blessings had come to their family thanks to the Gospel and while the dad was talking their son says "Boys aren't supposed to marry boys."  Wow, it was something else. Also, after we asked who they knew that could use the gospel their oldest daughter (8) blurted "Satan does."  That was the best referral I have ever gotten. Haha Satan most definitely needs the gospel in his life. I love the little story thing that talks about how we need to be the type of person that when we wake up and when we walk out the door Satan just cringes because he knows we will be doing all we can to fight against him and bringing others unto Christ!

Dream Come True!

Almost forgot to mention that while shopping today I found Lofthouse sugar cookies for 50 cents. If you know anything about me and Lofthouse cookies, you would be proud to know I only purchased two boxes. This was also funny, I got a haircut from a lady in my last ward today and when we walked into the salon Sister Walker was there getting her hair done! It was so crazy that we were there when she was there!

5/9 Tuesday
Zone Conference is this week and the first one was today. Today was the Rock Mountain and Las Vegas Zones. The conference went super well! Elder Evanson and I had it super easy. We only had to give one training on being happy.... haha it was way fun!  We had Sister Walker film everyone singing "If Your Happy." I think missionaries were a little surprised because our training wasn't a normal AP training but they loved it!  We also got to watch a video that was put together of a bunch of the baptisms in the mission! We taught Brenda and Tracy tonight and Brenda is doing super, super well! She has been reading and things have started to look up for her! She told us that she is happy again! I know that God does answer prays and he keeps promises! Brenda had been reading every day and she knows it is because of that that she has been able to overcome her challenges!!

Matching suits.

5/10 Wednesday
Another full day of zone conference! We had a couple lessons tonight and those went well! We are teaching an 11 and 13-year-old that are straight energy. It is super hard to keep them on track. Their mom is a convert and doesn't really want them to be baptized because she doesn't think they know enough but missionaries have taught them a lot. We are trying to get the mom on board so it will take some work.

5/12 Friday
It is good to have zone conference all done and be back to proselyting. We had to meet with President today and it is crazy the amount of things that change.

5/13 Saturday
We went on exchanges today! It was great. I was with Elder Rasband from Alpine, Utah. He has been out a transfer longer then me and he is such a great missionary. We were in their area and we did a lot of finding! We talked to some super nice people! There was one group of people that were outside with a basket of laundry that had white stuff all over their clothes they told us that they had left a little pack of tissues in their pockets. It made a mess. Haha reminds me of the gum in pocket days!

5/14 Sunday Happy Mother’s Day!
Church was great and got to see the family, so that was great. Just want to say I have the best mom. Love her to death!

The work is going well! There is another family that I didn't mention in the call--a lady and her sons that we are starting to teach this week. We have taught them once and they want to know more. They have a crazy story, the mom is scarred all over because her and her husband got caught in a house fire, her husband didn't make it out and now she is really having a hard time with all of the struggles that she has had. The amazing thing is that you the Gospel can help her so much. The knowledge of Christ's Atonement and the ability to repent and make and keep covenants with God can change anyone's life!

Love,
- Elder Call NLVWM

Editors Note:  On Sunday, during the Mother's Day phone call, Ben was asked what his favorite thing to teach/testify about was and his answer was “Testifying on the power of the Book of Mormon and how it changes a person’s life for the better and brings the person closer to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.”