I Will Trust In Thee Forever

September 7, 2015
Hey Family,
It has been raining here all day, downpours! In the space of two day's we went from decently warm to freezing. Pretty soon the snow will be here. This is fore-casted to be one of the coldest winters in 20 years according to some of the older generation here. I thought that last winter was decently chilly and it was considered mild, looks like I am in for a treat this year!

So here is a fun story of the week. Last week while out contacting on the streets we stopped and had a really nice quick conversation with this guy. We invited him to our church services because he didn't want to exchange numbers, then we walked away and I didn't think much more of it. Yesterday we sat down in church and as usual were trying to spread the missionaries out enough to cover all of the investigators and less-actives in the branch sitting in the congregation. We are trying to double church attendance this transfer, and we actually had a good number of people come yesterday. We are all settled in and I hear my companion gasp, I turned around and there was the guy we had talked to on the street. He had actually come to church, which honestly I can't remember the last time that has happened to me. I stood up and went to the back and grabbed him from the confused elders talking with him and got him to come and sit by us. Heck I couldn't even remember the poor guy's name. Anyways he ended up staying all three hours of church and then some. He had so many questions, wanted a Book of Mormon, and didn't even run screaming when one of our members information dumped on him. We were thrilled! He was our miracle of the day, even though we found out he moves to Kraków this week. Bummer. Hopefully he will make some missionaries down there very happy.

We also went and heart attacked one of our members door's this week, Emilia. She is such a sweet wonderful lady that I have loved since the beginning of my mission. She has a really big work load, but still is so loving and has a beautiful testimony. Honestly when nothing else is going right, service is such a wonderful blessing for the receivers and especially the givers of it. I love it when the Lord guides us to opportunities to serve, it is some of my favorite memories as a missionary! We also had a white board where I met this sweet girl from Ukraine. She spoke in Ukrainian and I spoke back in Polish. Wow, I kind of understand Ukrainian! The gift of tongues is so real!
Know that I have a testimony of our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ! The plan of redemption is real. One of my favorite passages of scripture is in 2 Nephi 4: 16-35. I love this passage because I feel like Nephi. I love the Lord and I want to be good, do good, and accomplish all that my Father has asked of me. Yet often I am prohibited because of my weaknesses, selfishness, pride, temptations, and mortal incapacities. I know I have done good things with my life, but yet I expect so much more and when I fall force myself to change immediately and when that change is not forthcoming the frustration builds. But I also acknowledge that those frustrations, shortcomings, mountains we climb are part of the plan. They teach us patience with ourselves and with others, they teach us spiritual self reliance, they teach us that change happens when we work hand in hand with the Lord to make our lives count. We will never be perfect in this life, life will never be perfect, but with Jesus Christ all can be made whole, all can be made well! I testify and extend the words of 2 Nephi 4: 16-35
"O Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever."
Love Siostra Benson