So weird how 2 weeks feels like 2 days! Tuesday we went and visited an old guy named John who is one of our investigators. I talked about how he went to see the Lion King and that the guy who played Mufasa was a mormon. He then went on to say how he thought Mormons were great people and that he wanted to start taking lessons! But he is gone to Mexico for two weeks so we won't teach him till he gets back. Funny cuz he felt something different as the "Mormon Dude" spoke that made him interested in learning more. He calls us "Ding Dongs" (From a south park episode about mormon missionaries. Don't watch it Mom haha) So he is a really cool old guy! We are also visiting a less active lady here in Strathmore who has a job that makes her work on Sundays and we went and painted her house for her on Friday. She gave us pizza for lunch so it was all worth haha jks. She has a small dog that is super smart. Does tons of tricks and played dead! When you make a gun with your fingers and say back he roles onto his back and lets his tongue hang out haha so it's always fun to visit her. Wednesday we had zone training and we are really focusing and working with the members. The work in Strathmore is getting super tough because we have tracted (knocking on doors) every house. The only way for us to find potential investigators is by getting stronger relationships with the members which leads to getting referrals. As soon as the members see that we are cool missionaries they trust us to talk to their neighbors haha. That's something that needs work in Magrath too. Start thinking of non members and less actives that the missionaries could visit! Now being a missionary I see that we get nowhere without having an "in" (member that knows them). To all the high school kids, start inviting non members to all church activities! Start even inviting them to church. You will be surprised at who will accept the invitation. A lot of the missionary work here is happening from the youth inviting their friends to sacrament meeting so get on it! That's one thing I regret was not inviting my non member friends to more activities and such. Take a leap of faith and who knows who might be interested! The Lord works in mysterious ways.
On Thursday all the missionaries met at a stake center in Calgary and Brother Martino (A 70) spoke to us all about missionary work and how better to work with members (again, the member focus). But it was really cool what he taught. The main thing I got from it was his way of asking members for referrals. Instead of saying "Do you have anyone that we can teach" he advised to ask three questions instead:
1st: Do you know any non member or less active friends who have lost a loved one recently?
2nd: Non member or less active who has recently had a new baby?
3rd: Non member or less active who is struggling raising teenage kids.
So we now ask those three questions and it gets members thinking more. Then after they have thought of a few people we then ask them to invite those people over for dinner and gain a better relationship with them and eventually introduce them to us when they feel they can. Already we have received 4 referrals just this weekend! The meeting with Brother Martino went for 6 hours but I never fell asleep! (possibly because I was on the front row haha) But he taught a ton of things and got all of us thinking on how to improve. Afterwards we exchanged Elder Fullmer with Elder Jones. We did service all of Friday and helped a lady move whose name is Bohne. She said that she is Brad Bakers, uncles mom? Idk. Just another tie to someone I know haha. She is moving down to Raymond. Friday night we went to dinner at the Road House with the Quists who are my favourite older couple in the ward. Honestly had thee best salmon ever so if anyone ever goes to Strathmore I recommend going there haha. I made a deal that I would mow his lawn for letting me get the salmon haha.
Saturday I got a call from the ward music lady (can't think of what it's called), Sister Harper, and she said she was told by Danny Dudley (Brother Dudleys grandson) that I played the violin and so I played Come Thou Fount in sacrament meeting. Sister Harper accompanied me. I was told it was really good by a lot of teary eyed people. It was super nice to get to play the violin again! We then went out to Gleichon and attended their branch. We had a meeting with a less active at church and she told us to meet her at the Siksika community center. Turns out it was a church meeting where they had 3 guys just singing christian music and a lady who basically said "We love you Jesus, Praise Jesus etc" over and over again. It was an interesting experience haha.
Overall being a missionary is thee coolest experience. Yes we get rejected and appointments get dropped but each day something happens that makes it worth it. My companions are sweet and I'm having a blast even if I'm only 2 hours from home! Love you all.
Elder Bennett
