great news!

Hi Everyone!!

So to start off, my visa is ready!! I have to go down to Las Vegas to pick it up so Hermana Taylor and I (she's the only other one from my district whose visa is ready) get to fly down on Monday and make an appearance at the Mexico Consulate. We are SO excited :) 

This week has been great with some difficulties between me and my companion. I never thought I was strong-willed until this week when I felt like she was directly opposing me. I'm working on it and it's getting easier to work with someone who is so different from me. For Relief Society on Sunday we had a guest speaker and this week it was Camille Fronk Olsen and she was FANTASTIC. I seriously wish I had taken a class from her at BYU and that I had ordered her book when I saw it this summer in the Deseret Book magazine. She spoke about female missionaries in the scriptures and focused on the New Testament. She just finished a book called "Women in the New Testament" and I bet it is amazing. She was funny, and well-spoken, engaging and a great teacher. All of us loved it and wish we could get our hands on her talk. I'm already planning to read all her books when I get home :) Another spiritual highlight from this week was our Tuesday night devotional with Brother Ellis of the 70. He spoke about enthusiasm and how it comes from the Greek which means inspiring. Enthus = inspiring and theos = God. So inspired by God leads you to be enthusiastic which I love since as missionaries we need to be led by the Spirit. One way to show that is through our enthusiasm for the message we have as we share it with others. 

Other than that, nothing much else is happening here. We went up to main campus yesterday so my companion could get a typhoid shot. If possible, I think she hates shots more than I do—she caused quite a scene when they brought the needle out! And every time I go to main campus, I manage to run into my friend Jordan Hansen! It is so fun and makes it feel a little more like home. 

A random side note: my roommate Hermana Gurley (from Georgia) is hilarious. We have been running during gym and we sit next to each other during class and she has noticed my facial expressions. She has started taking candid photos of my every chance she gets. I think by now she probably has a few dozen of me and she will just laugh as she looks through them. They are pretty funny and I have tried to not make faces but I can't stop! My face just shows exactly what I'm feeling. Also, Hermana Taylor (from Canada) told us she heard from a missionary in our mission in Mexico City, who has to shower with buckets and wash their clothes with a washboard. Mom, the first thing I thought of was you on your mission! I'm hoping we can pay people to do our laundry. I am not relishing the idea of hand washing all my clothes.

Our teacher Hermano Hardy is leaving us. His schedule for this upcoming semester makes it so he can't teach us in the afternoon anymore so we are getting a different teacher. He has been my favorite teacher by far. He brings the spirit with him and I just learn so much from him. He tells us stories from his mission and he has inspired all of us to better, just by his example. To this end, he challenged us to read 3 Nephi 27, study and pray for revelation and seek answers to three different questions. We all opted to get to personal study early this morning so we could study for the full hour and fifteen minutes before breakfast. It has already been an amazing experience and I have had so many ideas come into my mind. I invite you all to pick a chapter of scripture and just think of a question you want answered. Study it out and pray for the spirit and I know you will receive the answers you seek. I know this Church is true and that through prayer and the Holy Ghost we can learn the truth of all things. I love my Heavenly Father and know he cares for us and that we can pray to him about anything and everything.

I love you and pray for you!

Love,

Hermana Bennett

feliz navidad

Hola!

This week has been amazing. They keep us wicked busy, and on Christmas it was a little too much. So earlier this week the Elders in my district have been pranking my companion—she scares really easily. One particular morning we came in and they asked her to get a drink from the fridge. She opened it and screamed, falling down to the floor. They had taken the shelves out of the fridge and one elder was in there waiting, with the drink in his hand. It was hilarious and they even filmed it. Also this last week, Hermana Taylor got a little Charlie Brown Christmas tree from her family. We set it up and put all our gifts around it and then slowly throughout the week we opened our presents. It was definitely one of the most memorable Christmases ever. We also had a few snowball fights this week. One got stopped prematurely but the other was during gym time. My companion decided to throw snowballs at the elders' window and they just stared at us until one finally came out. While that was happening, another district in our zone was across the way preparing snowballs, so of course we had to defend ourselves. There was also tons of black ice all over area and nearly ever elder wiped out at least once. It was hilarious to watch. 

The missionaries' Christmas set-up.

And Sarah, you know the movie, "Forever Strong" about Highland high school rugby? I found out earlier this week that one of my teachers was on that team when it was being filmed. I think he said he is in it, so we'll have to watch it again when I get back. 

    So on Christmas Day, we had a devotional with Elder David A. Bednar! It was incredible and we learned so much. It was rather unique in that he passed out 200 cellphones to the audience so we could anonymously text in questions that he would then answer. He also had an email set up so that other MTCs (like in England) who were watching it live, could send in their own questions. It was amazing to see him read a question and be able to answer it with scriptures and personal stories almost immediately. Also, I sang in the choir again; another amazing experience. I truly love singing, I only wish I were better at it.

Katherine and Jordan Hansen at Elder Bednar's Christmas devotional.

I got your package, mom and dad! Thank you so much! I finally got to show you all off to my companions :) I can't wait to use the sweatshirt and socks tonight—I know it will be freezing cold. Thank you so much for your support and love. I appreciate it and want you to know that this is exactly what I'm supposed to be doing. So many times throughout the last week I have learned more about my companions and about those in my zone. Heavenly Father watches over us and I am so glad that I get to serve a mission now, after all the experiences I've already had. Plus, I am glad that I waited since I got to be in the district and zone that I am—and I adore them all! It is both humbling and uplifting to study the scriptures, to discuss doctrine and seek to understand it with other like-minded missionaries.

Katherine and her companion wearing hats younger sister Elizabeth knitted.

I know this Church is true, that Heavenly Father watches over and cares for us and that by praying and being obedient, he will help us in any way he can through both the Holy Ghost and our friends and family. You are all such wonderful examples and I hope you realize how much I love you all. I've always been grateful to have a family such as I do, and being here has only increased it.

Love,

Katherine

Week One

Hi Everyone!

It's still going well here! So much happens and I don't know what to tell you so it'll probably be just the highlights. I forgot to tell you last week how our zone welcomed us. We were all sitting down and the zone leaders came in singing the song from Mulan. The others in the zone were on the computers and they joined in one by one, getting louder and louder. It was kinda like a flash mob and it was awesome. I wish I had a video of it! My Spanish continues to improve, it's definitely getting easier but sometimes I wish I could've just gone to Italy and then it wouldn't be so hard. I'm learning so much about the Gospel and about teaching people. Our lessons with our investigator, Jacob, were not going so well so we started focusing more on what he said and the spirit so we could better understand what to talk about and it's helped so much. Praying and listening to the Holy Ghost make everything a million times easier. It's amazing.

     We finally got gym for the first time last Saturday. We have it everyday except Preparation Day (Friday) and Sundays. Our zone plays volleyball in the third dome, which instead of actual gyms, we have these giant igloo looking structures that are white and puffy. I'll have to take a picture for you guys. We've also played basketball, two on two, and it was great. I love having time to exercise every day. Our zone also does choir, so on Sunday we all went, learned and practiced a song called "One Small Babe" which we then sang for devotional on Tuesday at the main campus. It was amazing; both the song and the devotional, which was President Ronald Rasband of the 70. He talked about spiritual gifts and how at this time, Christmas, we should not only thank Heavenly Father for the gift of Jesus Christ, but also for those spiritual gifts which help us to grow in the gospel. We were encouraged to share one with our family and friends. One I've always been grateful for, and especially so here in the MTC is that of discernment. I've always felt close to the spirit and as we continue to learn more about teaching by the spirit, I am so grateful for it. I hope you will all take a moment to think of a spiritual gift and think about how you can improve and grow.

     

The gym domes used at the west MTC.

One sad note is that our teacher has decided to retire from teaching at the MTC since he will be going to graduate school next year and has a more useful job on campus so we are getting a new teacher. We wrote him a card and got him his favorite candy to say thank you and goodbye. He was awesome and we will miss him!

Katherine and her district saying farewell to their teacher.

So today is P-day and we went to Brigham's Landing with some of our zone. We stopped by Jamba Juice where one of our zone leaders bought everyone what they wanted! It was so nice. Three of us got wheatgrass shots which they love doing. It was actually kinda nasty but I'm glad I did it at least once. Apparently it cleans you out, so I guess I'll find out what that means. After we stopped in Great Harvest to get a sample and they asked if we wanted any bread but since we're missionaries without much money we said no. A lady picking out bread heard us and told us to pick one and that she would buy it! So, so nice! We got a loaf of pumpkin chocolate chip bread and we can't wait to eat it! Our last stop was the Cocoa Bean where some of us got hot chocolate. I tried the hazelnut cocoa bean and it was delicious. A great end to a great day :)

Katherine and her district mates at Jamba Juice.

Sister missionaries with their spoils from Great Harvest.

I love you all and love to hear from you but since I haven't heard from anyone but Stephen and Lizzie, I will suggest that you use DearElder.com. It allows you to type a letter which they will then print out and give to us. It's fast and easy and free! All you need is my address which I have up on my blog but just in case I will add it at the bottom. Thanks so much!! And stay warm! I don't know what it's like in Virginia, but it's pretty cold out here and I regret not bringing more warm clothes. We got a few inches of snow last night and it's surprisingly slippery.

     I know the Church is true and that we are all blessed with wonderful gifts that we can improve upon. I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas on Wednesday and I look forward to calling you when I leave for Mexico in January!! Love you so much!

Love,

Katherine