Finally i get to eat!

ok yall, its monday again.... and i'm getting super scared. I know i say this every week, but mondays are coming way too quickly. So far.... its 12:30 and i haven't written anyone a letter, any blog entry, or read anyone's emails, so i need to get my butt in gear. This week i got some really awesome mail from my family, ward, and friends. Unfortunatly, i haven't written anyone back. Sorry about that so far. I'm planning on writing today, tonight, or asap. We've been really really busy trying to figure out this area and the sort, so its kind of taking up all of my time.

The "meal sacrifice" worked so well that they said "job well done" and ended it. We got 57 baptisms in the mission! thats the first time in over 2 years. Its really awesome how well things are going. We had a full week of dinners last week, and got to know the members better in this ward. Exchanges still arent set up right... but without media refferals or a teaching pool, i'm kind of glad.

DUUUDE.... i love my family so much. I love getting letters/e-mails. I just got a ton, and even ones that are like "no time, but miss ya!" are the best. Go my family.

Oh yeah, and GO MY WARD! I got an awesome valentines package from my ward, and i'm fixin' (dirty south talking) to write them back pretty soon. Its all this lack of time, its killing me. No time for anything.

I'll write more later, but yeah. Peace.

Welcome to Cape Coral!

holy cow.... this is nuts!! its monday again, and i'm in south cape coral! This library that i'm at is super nice.

My brother rick pointed out that i've been spoiled, which is true. My new companion is Elder Cook from Ogden, Utah, and he's the bomb. Seriously we get along so well. It seems like i just keep getting more and more spoiled. I guess less spoiled and more blessed, since i realize its a blessing.

This week was marred by transfers and whitewashing* an area, so i'll try to describe the events the best that i can.

The first day in the area, wednesday, we taught a discussion with the first person we talked to. That was sweet to the extreme, so yeah. We also decided our "tracting area" and we taught a discussion too. So cape coral is a ton different than the "aub"

I miss the AUB though. There were a whole buncha cool folks there. Here in CCS (cape coral south, not central coast surf... funny story i'll tell you later.) the ward is really good, but there isn't any famliy that is super excited to see missionaries. No one like the Edmunsons (and their future family =), Danners, Miers, or Grahams... so yeah its kind of funny.

Whitewashing an area is when you are two new missionaries and both of the old missionaries left. Its really hard to do. I'm not a fan, and wouldn't reccomend it to anyone.

I also got a photo album online, and i'm fixin' to get it started real soon. I'm going to have to get my CD's of photos back from my sister so i can upload them.

I don't know what else to write, and i got a buncha e-mails, so i'll get to those. If i think of anything profound, i'll let you know.

heading to Cape Coral

watch me get skinny! full bike area!!!

and 2 updates in one week, astounding for me.

So i'm heading to cape coral tomarrow, today i had to get on map quest and print off directions. Fun time. I guess there is like 30 billion canals in cape coral south, so i'm excited to bike around and ride the bus and what-not. I'm going with brother mier to cape coral, i just hope that he has a way for my bike to get there. We were supposed to have a bike rack, but it seems to be missing.

oh well, its fun and exciting. I'm going to have fun, i hope you all do to.

later,

Elder Bennett

Bye Auburndale

Moms know everything. Case in Point:

"How's everything going in the FTM? I suppose you will have a new companion soon. Hope you enjoy him as much as Elder Woods."

what the heck... oh yeah, maybe i wrote about it in my blog last week or something. I dont remember... but yeah.

SO... i'm getting the heck outta dodge... or Auburndale... as the case happens to be. I'm leaving Auburndale this wednesday, heading for the dirrty south... its called Cape Coral. I'm way psyched to be going there. I'm going to recap auburndale the way i did in my personal journal, because it seemed to come out right.

I'm going to recap the investigators I had while in auburndale, but not going to use their whole names.

#1--Grady

We met grady tracting on saturday. He was asking a ton of questions that we had answers for. "Where is god's true church?" for example. I could see him getting baptized. He drinks, but i doubt that will stop him once he gets a little taste of testimony.

#2-- Tie. Tamika and family / Angie

Tamika's famil was a door find, but they moved to winter haven west. No real progress since. Angie was a media refferal that we tracted into. That was kind of a crazy/cool experience. She lives with her bf's family, so thats kind of a problem... and she has 2 kids oow.... so yeah.

#3-- and falling... Robert

We had a BOMB.COM Book of Mormon read with robert, but now he doesn't want to progress anymore. He's practically dropped. I think Elder Woods can get him to move or stop... for real... now he's going to give it what he's got... (its a song... don't ask.)

#4-- Pierre / William

not anything to say, just cool people and hopfully i'll see them sometime in the future. Pierre works at a cool international place, and William used to do ultimate fighting, so thats cool.

anyways, that was auburndale... both of our recent converts went inactive... so thats auburndale too.

On a side note, thats going to make NO ONE cry, I'm going to leave auburndale, and leave elder woods. I wrote in my journal that i don't really miss anyone, but now that i think about it, i'll probably miss some people. Elder Woods is a really good missionary.

Elder Staples is replacing me in Auburndale, so thats kind of funny.

Favorite Members in Auburndale--

Danners. HOLY COW, the coolest family ever. Brother Danner is super busy, and takes time out of his schedule to help us missionaries. Sister Danner bore her testimony rebuking the ward for not feeding us missionaries. They got me a bunch of presents too, so thats even cooler.

Grahams. W00t for the grahams. They had the best conversion story ever, and unfortunatly brother graham has to work 7 jobs now... ok only 3 but you get the picture. Next to impossible to work for him. Hopfully i'll be able to come by today and see him at around 4.

Miers. Chris Mier is the only member of the elders quorum presidency to actually prepare a lesson. He does such a good job. You know whats kind of funny? I've never met the elders quorum president... in the 3 months that i've been here. Weird huh? Chris keeps it together, and his Wife Mindy does a great job on anything she tries. Its kind of funny how stuff goes. We had them over for dinner yesterday, and made them some good food... grilled cheeze sandwitches. They were good.

Thats about it for auburndale, the ward is trying to improve, but its not happening fully yet. They're restructuring the boundries at the end of february, so then we'll know more.

I'm leaving on wednesday, and my old DL, elder Gilbert is going to bring elder staples to auburndale, so i'm way excited to see the two of them again.

Scripture of the day:
My district leader, elder rice, is going home in 3 days. He had this bit of scriptural wisdom to share with everyone. I'll share it in 20 months with everyone. its 2 John 1:12 The church is the bomb, and its true, and i'm out.

Barbeque in the AUB!

hey hey yall, its that time... monday!

it seems like the weeks are going by faster and faster. This week was starting to get better as far as going back to work. I think that the coming week (feb 2) will be the week that we get back to full strength.... and only a week before transfers too! I hope that i won't get transferred out of auburndale, i think i'd like to stay here at least one more transfer.

OH MAN.... i was bugged this week. We went to this christian book store, and they had all sorts of "witnessing apparel" and i thought i'd buy some for a souvenier. I found this sweet mesh hat that had a scripture (mark 16:13 or something) about missionary work. I bought it, and while i was about to buy it this lady at the cash register saw another missionary with a video camera (who stole my beenie that i wanted...) She said something about doing that for her career. I said that i was going to do that as well, and she asked what part, I said "tv production." she said "oh... thats what they call it in high school." I was just like.... well thanks for looking down on me. I'm glad when people misjudge you, because its going to be the ultimate haha someday in a few years when i have a job and she's not done with school yet.

I swear everyone in the FTM (Florida Tampa Mission) wants my sister. This kid, elder masias, sent her a letter & a picture. What the junk.

Today we're having a zone barbeque at our apartment. Our apartments are some of the nicest in the mission, so we have a barbeque outside and the sort. I'm psyched for some ribs. Yesterday, this family gave us a whole plethura of ribs for cooking! I was really happy, and super thankful.

I taught the best discussion on my mission a few days ago. This lady lives in a less good neighborhood, so she seems more humble. She has 2 kids, and a boyfriend of 8 years, and she's looking for the truth. She WANTS to know about the things we're sharing. It really seems like she could continue to progress as long as she doesn't get anti-ed... which i have a feeling will happen.

holy cow, its 10:41 and i haven't even written an e-mail yet. I'll write yall now, and write me!! =) its hard to progress, but i'm doing it, and its pretty fun and worthwhile and the sort. Peace!