Watched over and protected

Mom,

I miss you? Did you know that? Because I do a lot! I’m living for when you ask me to go shopping with you, but I still need a treat ;)

So to answer your questions:

• Have you received any letters or packages from me yet?

I have only gotten one letter from you! It was a birthday one with hearts and came in a red envelope that is all I have received from the family here in the mission!

• What has happened this week with Etalo and the wedding?

Etalo and Adrea broke up and that means none of what we thought was going to happen is going to happen, but thats okay we can deal with that. I think its God testing our faith so that we have to keep going sometimes—it just hard but at least we keep going! Pray for us to find a miracle family please! 

• Were you standing on your toes at Zone Meeting (picture) or are you getting taller?

No I don't think I'm standing on my toes, I think I'm just that size, I'm kinda a big person!

• We have been terrible about studying the scriptures and I am going to try to get back to that this week—how are your studies going?

I love studying so much, it’s so much easier then everything else I do! I have read all of the special books—Jesus the Christ, True to the Faith, Our Heritage and Our Pursuit for Happiness and Preach My Gospel twice, the Book of Mormon in English, I'm halfway through the New Testament in English and half way through the Doctrine and Covenants in English, a third in Spanish, and I’m in Alma 10 in Spanish. So I'm studying good, I'm also working on my Spanish practice book, but I've just started working through all the problems in that!

• How old was this girl who made out with you ear and what did she say (English) and what did you say? (English)

She said “Oh my mistake”, and then after a couple seconds of confusion I said “Wait, what was I saying again?” Really embarrassing....

• Do you have a favorite food or drink in Argentina???

I really like alfajors here, its way good— nothing like what we had in the states mom! I also really like chicken milinesa! 

My week! 

Monday we had no luck, but we played a ton of soccer. We played from one until three with the missionaries and at three we went to our church until five-thirty and played with the ward kids. Way fun, but I was way tired, and then a normal Argentine night!

Tuesday we had exchanges, I think it is in English and I got a Latin Catalan or catman! He is way fun and we had a good night! It was pouring rain and even in my waterproof coat I got wet! It was a ton of water and fun! We taught a lesson to a nice lady and I realized that I had forgotten how to teach because it has been so long, so that was sad! Then we got to share the new church video with familia Arias and it was good, but the hermana just talked to us about how the worlds people are not human anymore... it was interesting..

Wednesday—sorta a lazy day but we went over to the other wards bishops panadaria to help him cook some stuff in the morning and then I had to trade my comp back. It was fun to be with bishop, but then my comp was jealous that he didn't get to go be with bishop, so we had to go again because La Fleur needed to go too... so an hour later we left, but he said he liked my cake so thats good! Then we went and worked but it was president Gerry’s Birthday and I made the cake for him, so I took him a piece and it was fun and then we stayed because they asked us to stay and enjoy the birthday! So we did, if you have a friend request from Roberto Gerry in Facebook accept and write him he speaks English perfectly, he is way awesome and I love him a ton—please write him! 

Thursday we taught our recent convert and he literally just kept working on his papers and didn't even pay us any attention. I was annoyed, and then he said the prayer to end, he just stopped in the middle to just talk to someone who walked by. Way weird and I didn't like it, other then that a normal day of knocking doors! I love knocking doors! 

Friday we taught this guy Ruben who is awesome, a cool reference from a ward friend and it was just a nice lesson one! He seems interested and is still sad about his wife leaving him, but i think he might actually be ready to progress and change and be happy in the gospel—at least I hope!

Saturday we didn't really have any luck because my bike broke as you can see in the second picture, just zoom in and look at the handle bars and where they are just hanging! So I fixed that by replacing it with a stick until I could take it to a shop today! We did teach Manuel who is the menos activo whose wife isn't a member and when we asked him if he thought the church helped his family he said, “Yes”, and then in thinking said “It will probably help the family he is raising now too!” Way cool stuff and we are going to keep working with them and I'm pumped!

Sunday we had no luck—we worked hard but got nothing, but it was still fine! I’m getting used to having days of nothing! President Gerry dropped it hard and told people to give us references so we are getting them, so this week should be better! 

The trip sounded awesome and glad you are happy and everything is good! 

I love you so much mommy — don’t ever forget that! 

Love, Elder Benedict

Dad, I’m sorry you had the two headed dragon as we call it in the mission, we just poop in the toilet and vomit in the bidet... its unfortunate for us as well—could it have been from something you ate? Thats what it usually is for us! I’m sorry, it sounds like a rough thing! 

I want to go biking so bad! I have some pictures from this week about my bike breaking so don't stress you'll get them later! I had a cool experience this week, I was riding my bike and in my area there is a huge rotunda, there was a car that was going around it and it had its blinker on and the truck that was stopped in front of me moved forward a little like he was going to follow her through the rotunda, so I went—the truck slammed on his brakes and I don't really have good breaks and I rammed in to this ladies car, I fell over and my foot and ankle got ran over by the car. I was so scared for a couple seconds as I sat on the ground thinking I was getting sent home for a broken ankle. I jumped up as fast as I could and apologized to the lady... I know without a doubt that God protected me in this moment. I know I'm here for something specific and God wants me here still. Thank you for your prayers, I feel inspired to tell you that I think they helped! I love you dad so much! 

I hope you have a great week! 

Love, Jayson

Day of Miracles

23 March 2015

We should definitely go to Hawaii when i get home. I would love that so much! Im thinking that I'm not sure I want you guys to come get me, I would rather go on vacation with you guys here in Argentina later when I've had time to miss it... like a year or two, or five after... ;) So I think a Hawaiian vacation would be awesome! 

So the story that Elder La Fleur told you about—we were sitting in correlation meeting with our leader of mission work for our branch and his granddaughter walked in and kissed the old man on the head (my leader missional is like 900 years old, so normal here in Argentina) and then the sister missionaries got little cheek kisses that is way normal here in Argentina too, but as Elders we are not supposed to get kisses from women and this girl comes up and when she is against my face everyone is like wow! Wow! Wow what are you doing and she opens her mouth around my ear and says ¨Oh me oquivoqué¨ in like a whisper... my ear was literally wet after from her spit that got on it....I was so confused and worried that I was going to hell that all train of thought was gone! I was in the middle of talking when this all happened, so when it all happened I was struck dumb, as people waited for me to finish my thought... I literally said, “¿Que estaba diceindo?”and everyone laughed at me...but I got back on, but funny story! 

We taught a lot of great people and a ton of menos activos and a miricle has happened in my area so it was a good week! 

Monday we went to a bodega (cellar) that was way awesome! I would send you pictures but my camera is dead so I can’t I'm sorry....but way cool and way interesting to see how all the wine worked!  We did teach a menos activo that day—I’m not sure who but we did! 

Tuesday was way amazing, and day of miracles! We started the day with district meeting and it was good, and then at 4pm we went over to the house of Etalo, he is the guy who came to church last Sunday out of the blue, so when we got in with him we started talking and he said, “So here is the thing, I want to be baptized so that we can be married in the temple.” They are currently not married because they want to do it in the temple and we told them they needed to get married first normally and then baptized, and then they can wait a year and then get married in the temple! They told us they wanted to get married in the temple sooner then a year, but we said most likely it will  be a full year, but they said fine and then started talking about a date for them to get married like the 11 of April or the 18 of April, and then doing the baptism the same day! It was the coolest miracle I've seen yet!  They have been living in this area for over a year and a half and then all the sudden now they want to do this? Way awesome stuff! 

Wednesday we had service and then we went to San Raphael and hour and a half away for a meeting we had the next day.

Thursday we had zone meeting this day with San Raffy zone and with President and the assistants—way cool stuff, great teachings and was just a good thing, but other then the meeting nothing happened for us! 

Friday we worked all morning with very little luck and then at the night we went over to a menos activo and taught him. He is way awesome, he was assistant in his mission and now doesn't go to church, he was even branch president for awhile here in this area, so I don't get it, but he is good! We had lunch with him the next day too, but then he didn't come to church…rough stuff! Then we went and blessed the home of a menos activo and it was cool to chat with him, he has way giant dread locks! 

Saturday we went to Johnaton Sosa and taught him and his wife a little about  weak things becoming strong and he is awesome, but still doesn't come to church so thats hard, but its way awesome still to try and help him! 

Sunday we had a meeting for what felt like forever, but it was good and we are just trying to help with the animo of the branch and all that good stuff other then that nothing really! 

A way good week really, it may not seem it but it was a way awesome week! My comp and I are going at it hard!

I love you mommy and can't wait to talk to you in six weeks, 

Love you forever and always! 

Love, Jayson

Pray for them!

Your guyses weeks sounds super crazy and way fun and I'm super jealous. I received like three letters each form you guys and it took me forever to figure out what was all going on, but it sounds like its awesome! I’m way happy you got to at least do the second dive! That sand hill is sick, all of it is awesome I hope you are keeping a detailed journal of it so we can talk about it when I get home! I'm still waiting in those recipes!!!! ;)

Elder Benedict and Elder LeFleur

Monday we had a lesson and a menos activo—way good day! I don't really remember with who they were but I got to at least teach a little that day, half of this weeks teaching almost in one day and I can't even remember who they were! 

Tuesday and Wednesday we had no lessons, but it was the last days of Elder Houghton so we thought we would go way hard and we made sweet and sour chicken with ham fried rice it was so freaking good, I can’t even tell you! I miss Chinese food so much its crazy!!!! But it was way yummy and then that photo, that tie is from him and the tie clip too— I love that kid so much and I can’t wait to party with him when I get home from the mission!

Sweet and Sour Chicken and Ham Fried Rice

Thursday we taught two people, one way awesome and one less so! Christan is this way anti social kid who is way weird and likes to say the S word a lot and it bothers me... but his grandma wants us to help him through the church and the young men! but he is just hard! The second was cintia she is way awesome and has had good experiences with the church and she knows God has saved her life for something and we are going to show her why. A member once helped her leave the grave of someone she loved and talked to her about Gods plan and she called the words of that person totally beautiful so we are going to explain all that to her on this Wednesday and I'm pumped! 

Elder Houghton and Elder Benedict

Friday we had a big activity for the ward this day that me and my comp mostly me put on it was way crazy and fun but it worked well we had about 30 people there, two of the hermanas investigatores came and we had a ton of empanadas, it was a big competition of empanadas! 

Saturday we went over to this guy Johnatons house, he is a menos activo and way cool guy. He knows what he needs to do, but just isn't coming back to the church. It sucks because he is way awesome. His wife isn't a member and his son is 9 years old not baptized, but they are all awesome and I love them! Pray for them! 

Sunday I had my first investigator from my area above the age of 13 come to church today but he wasn't one of our investigators, he is the husband of a inactive lady who came to church, but i think they have a ton of potential and I’m way pumped to help them change there lives even more, we have a lesson with them tomorrow! Then we had a lady that we knocked her door say to us ¨I will never join the church (reading our plaque) of Jesus Christ. It was really interesting to see the way the Spirit changed as she said that, but its her loss! 

It was a good, long, hard week but we made it through and I can't wait to see what this next week brings! Your trip is sounding awesome and I cant wait to hear more!

I love you a freaking ton! 

Love, Jayson

Good Week

So this week has been good! So to quickly answer your questions:

• How long have you and your companion been together now?

We have been together for 6 weeks now and we will be together 6 more!

• Have you cooked anything yummy lately?

No I haven’t really, I made some onion fried rice the other day that was awesome but nothing desert wise. This Wednesday or Tuesday I'm making Magic Bars so that should be awesome!! I want the monkey bread recipe and the lemon poppyseed recipe!

• How are Hernan and Florencia doing this week?

We haven’t been able to find them again since we taught them but we are working!

• It looks like it has been pretty hot lately—how are you staying cool, or are you just use to the heat?

We are just hot and deal with it but really its fine! 

Monday we had a ton of lessons planned but they all fell, so we didn't teach, but we did alb and at least we had that going for us! 

Tuesday all of our citas fell again so we went around knocking doors and then when we had done that for an hour or two we went back to a cita that fell and we got in and taught and it was awesome! 

Elder Benedict and Elder Houghton and their jar of peanut butter

Wednesday we were way tired and my comp didn't want to work so the morning was kinda a wasted we worked, but not great! Then we had two lessons that day, we had one with Camila and Gonzalo and then we had one with a guy named David, he is the husband of the bishop of a different wards daughter, so its weird but they won’t come to our ward, they just want to go to the other wards activities so it sucks, but way awesome teaching!

Thursday we had no luck this day, but had a ward baptism that was awesome that I loved a ton, one of our menos activos was there and he felt the spirit so strong, we are going to go visit him and see what we can do to help him to come back to the church it should be awesome! 

Friday we had zone conference and it was good, and then in the night we had a lesson with a menos activo that we thought was an investigator, but he is interested in learning again and letting his kids listen and we are going to reactivate him and get his family baptized. I'm way pumped for it really! Thats me just being hopeful — we will see what really happens! 

Saturday we went over to the church to clean a little and the young men were having an activity and a investigator of the hermanas came and he brought an other friend. Me and my comp taught that friend and it was awesome and he is going to be taught by other elders and it should be awesome!

Sunday we had no luck with anyone but a lot of appointments, pero no luck with other peoples lessons but really an awesome week and it was just fun! 

Elder LeFleur and Elder Benedict

We got transfer calls and it was awesome and I'm staying with my comp, but my really good friend who is from Provo Elder Houghton is leaving and I'm way sad, but its cool I’ll live, but I hate the other zone leader who is staying so thats a bummer, but I’ll live. 

I love you a ton mom, I hope the trip goes well! 

I love you forever and back! 

Love, Jayson!

God is blessing us with peanut butter and really cool people that I love!

I want everyone to know that my heart got a little broken when you wrote me and told me that Jesika is moving! 

Its not just hard for you mamma... I'm feeling your pain—you need to remember that me and my siblings weren't really friends until a year, or a little more ago, so to think of me not having a chance to hang out with her after really bites me too!

• Who are you teaching right now?   

We are teaching Camila and Gonzalo and Marcus and that’s really all the people that we are trying really hard to get going, but we have a ton of people we are teaching. 

• How are your feet doing?

My feet are way good, I never walk I just bike everywhere! 

• Are you heathy and strong? Are you eating any veggies at all?

I'm strong, and healthy too, and yes we had french fries for dinner 4 times this week—those are vegetables right? People always make this tomato salad here and I always eat some for lunch! 

• Are you still doing Body of Gods

Sorta of, the work outs I'm lazier now, I do most of the push ups, but the abs I struggle a little more now. 

• Do you have beds in your kitchen? Where do you sleep?

Yes we have beds in the kitchen, but the kitchen and the living room are the same here, so its just like we have beds in the living room that are really close to the kitchen. :)

This week!

Monday we went and taught Camilla and Gonzalo and they are awesome I really love talking to them, but its really hard to teach them because we never run out of things to talk about, but thats okay we taught the word of wisdom a little and then taught them how to pray, but Gonzalo wasn't really paying attention but it was awesome and I  loved it!

Tuesday we found two news—Hernan and Florencia.  Hernan seems really interested but Florencia no. We taught all of lesson one and the at the end before we could teach prayer Hernan asked us how he could know for himself. It was awesome, so maybe he will make it, they are just way hard to find! 

Wednesday it was pouring rain all day so we walked in the morning because my comp didn't want to ride in the rain and we got nothing done at all, literally nothing, but we went and got a plate that I had left at a members house because I gave them banana bread and he offered us a ride home and it was awesome! So that was cool, then we just taught a couple menos activos! 

Thursday we got nothing this day, we talked to a lot of people, but nothing more then that! 

Friday literally one of the best days of my mission! Me and Elder Houghton, one of my zone leaders did intercombios (exchanges) and we did some good work. We went and taught Gonzalo prayer and we talked about the hand of God in his life. He told us a huge list of miracles that he has seen in his life, and we told him that we need to give thanks to God for these things and ask for what we need and we will see even more miracles. He said he would pray, and then yesterday we found he did! He prayed and told us I just feel like I have so many things I need to give thanks for, even more then I could when I prayed! Way awesome!! Then we taught a menos activo about tithing and he said he would! Then we got besitos from a lesbian and that was weird but cool. She asked us how our church felt about gays, we told her God has his law about man and women, but he loves her still and stuff and after that she gave us besitos! Then me and elder Houghton knocked the door of a literal mansion — like nicer then our house and the lady answered and let us in... We taught a lesson in the mansion just a quick one, but still that house was incredible, and then we just found some cool people opening the mouth that night! 

Saturday we taught a menos activo and then basically just opened the mouth. I found lemon poppy seed bread and it was so good, I miss that stuff so bad! Then we did a abrir la boca (opened the mouth) and the lady told us to come back and she would make us some tea and some bread with peanut butter. We freaked out and asked her where she found peanut butter? She said wait right here, don't move. So we waited and she came back with this huge jar of peanut butter and told us, “La mitad por cada una de ustedes”. “You each get half the bottle,” and gave it to us. It’s like bigger then a Skippy bottle, but smaller then the big Jif ones—its just Walmart brand, but I have peanut butter now!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That night we taught Marcus, he is a boxer and way awesome! He is really just way cool, but when we ask about God he says, I cant tell you what I believe because I have never done religion, I've never even thought of what Christ is. When we talk he bases all he knows off of what he saw in the movie. He saw Passion of Christ so its weird, but he is way awesome and I feel like he is interested. He is going to fight next week in Buenos Aries so thats way cool and he is awesome and he  has a way cool family!

Sunday we didn't teach anyone but we abrir la boca and found cool people! 

Honestly, one of the best weeks of my mission and it was incredible! God may not be blessing us with baptisms, but he is blessing us with peanut butter and really cool people that I love! I love it here in Argentina and what I'm doing! God and Jesus truly are real and I am blessing people with the opportunity to experience the joy that this gospel brings and I love it!! I love my God and I love what I've had the chance to do, and what I can still do! I love you and miss you and I really can hardly wait the 69 days to talk to you, its so close—we are already half way done with the wait! I can’t believe I've already been here for 200 days just doing that two and a half more times and I'm done its so crazy and I love it!!! I love it all!!! I'm way emotional today, but thats okay! I love you guys a ton and I miss you like crazy!! Tell Jesika I love her and I'm praying for them. 

I LOVE YOU TO ARGENTINA, THE MOON, KOLOB, AND BACK, don’t you dare forget it! 

Love, Jayson Benedict