Elder Benjamin Massey: Elder Benjamin's Letter

Well guy I've been out in the field about 5 days now and the work is challenging! I am having fun getting to know my new area of Thetford. My companion and trainer's name is Elder Kalabonko, he is from the Ukraine.

He was also just realeased from assistant to the president to be my trainer so he is a very hard and smart worker. We plan out our days in a unique day to get in all my further training throughout the day to be more effective. We have very similar personalities and interests. We both wake up earlier to excercise a little bit more.

We pray all the time, we pray officially on our knees a little more over 12 times a day not including food prayers and prayers of inspiration and with investigators. Since he was just realeased from AP we white washed our first area that has just opened up.

The area was too big for 2 missionaries so they split it into two. This area hasn't seen an elder missionary in over 5 years! So everyone is amazed and glad to see us, we will be able to teach a lot of people here. I feel like Alma and Amulek traveling amongst the lamanites, everyone knows who we are and what we are here to talk to. All the people here don't believe in a "God" but a "higher power" and they aren't "too religious". The district calls me the companion of faith because I have high aspirations for my area, but I'm still struggling with street contacting.

Apparently I'm too polite and need to be more assertive. But my companion says I'm very good at listening and being able to answer their questions with scripture and make it extremely relatable along with simple. I'm trying my best to progress myself along with my area. A little bit more about my area is that it is more an American township because of all the military bases, so a lot of Americans that love me for being American.

Plus the ward is very strong and love that they have elders now, we are going to do a lot of work with the young men; who are very good young men. I have been trying my hardest to be so in tune with the spirit because the only way I can do any of this and be successful is through the spirit. Every morning I read Alma 26:22 22 "Yea, he that repenteth and exerciseth faith, and bringeth forth good works, and prayeth continually without ceasing--unto such it is given to know the mysteries of God; yea, unto such it shall be given to reveal things which never have been revealed; yea, and it shall be given unto such to bring thousands of souls to repentance, even as it has been given unto us to bring these our brethren to repentance."

So I've been trying to abide by these conditions so the spirit will be with me so I can hopefully bring 1000 people into the church by the end of my mission. My goal I set for myself is to have a baptism by the end of my first transfer. My companion says that I'm the best Greenie that he has seen so far so their is still hope for me, he also says when I sleep I don't move.

Apparently I'm so exhausted by the end of each day I lay down and fall into a deep sleep so fast I don't move and wake up in the same position that I fell asleep in. Right now I'm in this big old church dating back into the 18th century, it is very big and we are very somber as we enter into it. People have been buried inside this church and they are very influential in the 18th century.

I am overjoyed to see everyone's emails to me, thank you so much for thinking of me and for praying for me. The lord has blessed me in so many ways on my mission. On my first day in the field I met a sister Williams, she is an office worker in the London mission. She pulled me aside and explained to me that my dad, joe, would always hang out at her home with her son Chad. When her husband passed my dad went to her home on the first Mother's Day after her husbands passing with flowers, we cried together in the hall way. I am meant to be here and if it were easy everyone would do it, I'm trying to stay focused and keep the fire in my heart.

Elder Massey