May 2012 - 'The Field is White'

7 May 2012

This week has been another great week in Wagga.

I try not to be super repetative in my emails. As missionaries we are constantly doing the same things, tracting, finding and baptising.  It makes me really happy but at the same time I do want this to be an interesting read so I'll just include a few miracles.

We were able to teach this lady Cara this week who was a referral from a member. She is probably the most golden investigator I have even seen.  She is about 35 and she has two children. She was so excited for the gospel and her friend has prepared her well. She was at church yesterday with her children and told us that she felt the craziest feelings as she was reading Alma 32 and how she has read it over and over.  She felt those same feelings all through church yesterday.  I felt like it was inspired because we prayerfully chose to teach about the Holy Ghost in our gospel class, second hour. She absolutely loved church and is so excited to learn more.  The only thing is, she,s not married to her partener of 15 years.  She tells us she has been waiting 15 years for that ring and how she says it just doesn't feel right not being married. So baptism will be a little while away, but thats ok, in the Lord's time.

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'Ben'

We have an investigator Ben who is really excited about hs baptism this coming Saturday at 12:30pm. He's super solid.   A recent convert in the ward Jono, will be baptising him.   He is amazing!

Another of our investigators is Ken from Tiawan who is loving the gospel!  He has been to church 5 times now and is really looking forward to his baptism the week after Ben's.  It's awesome seeing him light up when he talks about the gospel.  He had never learnt about God before we met, but now has such a strong testimony of the Holy Ghost and the power of prayer!

Life is just great here! we are indeed reaping the rewards of our efforts.  I love it up here in Wagga.

It is getting a little cold though, but that's good.  I like the cold as a missionary because you have more variety on what to wear!

We actually finally replaced our window this week so it will be a little nicer and warmer at night. (Plus we won't look like 'bogans' anymore).   We went shopping around getting quotes for glass and instead of it being 80 bucks, we got this backyard glazier to do it for us for $35... loving life :P

Life is good!

Elder T Bennallack

14 May 2012

As you know things are 'well good' up here in Wagga.  I know we spoke yesterday for Mother's Day, but Ben's baptism went so well.  A great experience!

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Ben's baptism by Jono

I didn’t really tell you about Ken though. He is the man being baptised this coming Saturday. He is from Taiwan and we were introduced to him through his friend Daniel. We actually met Daniel the same night we met Tiarny.  Daniel had just moved to Wagga from QLD and didn’t know where the church was.  As we be-friended him, he was able to introduce us to Ken.

Ken has been progressing nicely ever since we met him. He has been to church 5 or 6 times now and although he doesn’t understand a lot of the service he is addicted to the spirit that he feels at church. He has such a strong testimony but was still a little nervous about baptism.  Last Thursday we were able to go around and give Daniel a priesthood blessing as he has conjunctivitis.  We invited Ken to be in the room.  After the blessing,  Ken expressed how he felt.  He said that this is perfect.  He continued that he is now ready and is really excited for his baptism this coming week.   Miracle.

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Our District

This morning I was able to have a really strong spiritual study session.  All on Jacob 5. I know you are all familiar with this 'parable of the olive tree', but it really stuck out to me this morning.  The Lord loves us all so much and will try over and over again doing anything to help his lost sheep.  In vs. 61 we read that the Lord needs servants though to serve diligently with all their might.  It is such a blessing to have this short period in my life where we can truely consecrate our time and effort to this cause.  Helping the Saviour.  Being His hands.  In vs 74,  He has commanded us to do so and I'm so grateful that I am able to respond to his call.

D&C 4:3 is when we diligently thrust in our sickle with our might; the Lord blesses us with salvation.

The more we try to diligently serve  Him, he blesses us more and more, even to the point that we can have salvation.

I love my Lord and my Saviour. He plays a key role in our Heavenly Fathers plan.  I am grateful for the time that I have to be his hands here in Wagga.  I know that the field is white. Those seeds were planted long ago and I feel privileged to be able to harvest His crop.

Elder B2

21 May 2012

What a wonderful week!

First things first, thankyou soo soo much for the package. Such a wonderful surprise! They will definitely be rationed so I don’t get fat! Can you please thank the Howes for me?   I was too busy before church, I didn't even have the chance to really talk to them at all and then they were gone straight after the sacrament.. So please thank them for me!

So as I said, it was a really awesome week. A lot of time was spent with Ken teaching him all he needed to know before baptism.  And yes his baptism did go ahead.  In fact it was a super spiritual baptism! I think that was because he was so prepared!  He asked me to baptise him which was nice... I was  touched by his faith.  As we were talking in the 'mens' after he came up, he was on fire. He told me how he felt the presence of angels. And how once he came up out of the water he saw an angel above the baptismal font.  It was deeply spiritual experience. It was evident how prepared he was as he bore his testimony after his baptism. It made us so proud as missionaries as he talked about acting on faith.  How he was acting off the promptings of the spirit that he has continued to feel as he reads the book of Mormon, prays and attends church. He’s amazing!

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Ken's baptism

The whole baptismal service was in Mandarin as Ken also invited his friends.  We had 5 non-member Taiwanese friends there. They all felt the spirit. This coming week is going to be a good one as we start to teach them all.

It would  be very handy having some Chinese speaking missionaries up here from the city.

Such a great baptism.

Yesterday at church was one of the best meetings I have ever been in. We had 4 investigators at church which was great. The YSA program is really on fire up here. Out of an average attendance of 50 people we had 16 YSA's at church yesterday! So awesome how they all strengthen each other.

After church, we had our musical fireside.  It went really well.  I was asked to sing in three songs. Two group songs and a solo. It went ok. The spirit was very strong which was what’s most important. I’ll try and send the video of me singing in this email.. We’ll see if it works.

So as you have read in the email title.. We bought a trampoline!! It’s awesome! It’s a full size tramp! So Saturday morning while the font was filling we took our lunch break and popped into a garage sale looking for dumbbells. We ended up walking away from it with a trampoline that we bought for $15-. $7.50 each! hahah!

So how did we get it back to the flat? Oh I’m glad you asked.  Remember the couch that was in my room before America?  Do you remember how I got that home? haha the same way that we got this tramp home.  We turned it up side down and put it on top of the roof of the car.  With both our windows down we held it to the roof of the car with one hand as I drove with the other.. haha it was perfect!  It didn’t damage the car either because it was big enough that only the mat was resting on the car roof with the frame hanging of the sides... I think it’s safe to say that we are the only flat in the mission now with a trampoline.. Just to keep exercise interesting in the morning.. jump on the tramp for a half hour. Solid cardio!  Oh, and the Assistants know we have it, so it's ok!!

Well this coming week is going to be busy but rewarding. On Tuesday we will be driving up to Griffith for District meeting. Then we will stay in the area and exchange for the day. That night we will all drive back down to Wagga where we will have a back to back exchange spending the next day in our area of Wagga. Then Thursday morning we will be driving another 3 hours to Wangaratta where we will be having a Zone conference.  I’m really excited to see some other missionaries and even more excited to receive inspired instruction from my loving Mission President.

After Zone conference the Assistants will be travelling back to Wagga with us where they will have an exchange with us on Friday. On that Friday, I will be travelling with one of the Assistants back up to Griffith to interview a young man that will be getting baptised in Griffith this Saturday, then straight back to Wagga.

I’m so proud of Griffith, they are  doing great as they have started to consecrate themselves!

On Saturday there is a huge wedding taking place at the chapel..It will be great to see a wedding.  I’m so proud of the people getting married,  A recent convert and a less active who are both so happy in the gospel and are now getting married! It should be good!

Soo yes this week is going to be a busy but great week.

Loving life in Wagga.  This place really feels like home to me!

Elder T Bennallack.

28 May 2012

Happy birthday Nate! hope it was a good one...

So this week has been a busy but fulfilling week. I did a Zumba class last Monday night because a lady in the branch runs it. Iit was actual way fun. haha!  We're going again tonight with one of our investigators.  Honestly my life has been changed. haha!

So the back to back exchange with Griffith in their area and then ours was very, very beneficial. It went really well!!  We have built some great unity in the district and there is a lot of love there.  We were able to help find an awesome family up in Griffith for the boys there, so I'm happy for them. They had their baptism on Saturday, and they're on fire.

They also really liked the exchange over here.  We made sure we had some solid lessons for them to teach and to get them pumped.

One lesson I went to was with an investigator called Kara.  She is an awesome Aussie mum!  She's amazing! She was a referral from a member in the ward and is progressing really nicely.  When we got to the lesson she said 'I know the Book of Mormon is true! Because I have prayed about it and I have felt the Holy Ghost when I read it and pray about it. I have seen my own life improve and I know God loves me!'   It's moments like that, that make everything you do as a missionary worth it!

She still needs to get married though, so it's a longer process for her, but non-the-less, she has accepted Christ and it makes me so happy.

Another one of our investigators is Marjorie, a 50 year old lady.  The Branch loves her. We found her by going through the former investigators.  She investigated over a year ago and missionaries just stopped visiting?   She is very interested in the Temple and she is working towards her baptismal date on the 9th of June! (Happy Birthday mum! haha)

Zone Conference in was really uplifting. I was asked to give a training there.  Form the feedback I got I think it went well. It was also great to have a interview with President as well.  He is a really loving man! I love him!

I remember the first day I got in the field, President told me that on average you baptise one out of every 20 investigators...

I have such a strong testimony of that. I was adding up our stats for the District over the past 10 weeks that we have been in Wagga.  As a District we have taught 83 new investigators. Out of those 82 we have baptised 4 in the District. 1 baptism to 21 investigators... The District is doing really well. We have baptised 4 in 5 weeks now.

The key is WORK and OBEDIENCE.  It's what we got drummed into us in the MTC, but it is so true. If you find the new investigators, you get the baptisms.  My focus at the moment is also trying to work smart.  To discern between quality and not.

This will help bring down the ratio of investigators to baptisms.

I heard a quote from our Zone Leader the other day, I really liked it.  He said "The master of the mission is the master of the phone."

I have found this to be wise counsel.  Alot of missionaries under use their phones.  We should be on them all day everyday, organising appointments, organising members for lessons, confirming the night before our appointments so they dont fall through, etc etc. Great counsel.

Well my time is up but know that all is well. 
Elder T Bennallack

April 2012 - Wagga Wagga NSW

2 April 2012
This week has been probably one of my favourite weeks of my whole mission! i am seriously the happiest I have ever been!

In reply to Dad's question, we have an older Statesmen Camery. It's done 70 000 km so hopfully it will get traded in soon but it's ok.. We meet in a really nice new chapel and the ward is amazing!!!!

My week has been a ripper!!

A bit domesticated!  Homemade pasta!!

I'm getting along so well with Elder Lambe! He is seriously the man! We are laughing all day long! I may have put a ball through a window this week (I now know why mum always says not to kick balls inside) but at the same time because we have to pay to fix it we were thinking let's do it ourselves... hahah!  So we practiced by taking another window out. haha! but at least we know how to fix it now... so we're just going to go get a piece of glass and fix it ourselves.. way cheaper!

We have been working really hard this past week and have seen the belssings of our fast and effort.

This week we found 30 new contacts which is unheard of... other zones collectivly are averaging 40 per week so we were stoked!  We are truely talking to everyone. We have got 12 new investigators

this week which has really got the area pumping!

We are teaching soo much and still have so many people to see!! It's on fire!  We have 3 baptismal dates now and our golden family, Rosa and her 4 children all came to church yesterday and they loved

it!! The branch is soo great and made them feel so welcome! Shout outs from

the pulpit and all!! so were really excited about them!

Another lady we set a date with, is a girl called Crystal who we tracted into.  It turns out, she saw

missionaries about 2 years ago. She knows the Book of Mormon is true, but never acted on it. We

have been bold with her and she is excited for her date :P

Elder Bennallack

10 April 2012 - I love My Life!

'Hangi' in Griffith

We travelled up to Griffith the other day to go on an exchange with Elder Howard and Elder Uliefu. We were really tying to help them 'find' in their area. We were able to find them 13 new contacts

which was golden! A new contact is the same as a new investigator, but it's just minus the prayer..

alot of the time it's not the right situation to pray with somone on the street, so that's the only

difference.. someone you teach doctrine to, and get a return appointment.

So hopefully the work starts to move up there, we gave them a fair boost. It was great to build unity in the District. When we were up in Griffith we got up extra early and went to some members home with less actives and cooked a 'hangi' with them.. it was awesome!!

In our area this week, the work continues to fire along! We are seeing some great miracles! We found

another 11 new investigators this week. The highlight of the week is the way some members are

progressing though! It's amazing! We're determined to baptise this transfer and we will! We're

I can honestly say that I have been working super hard and being 100% obedient my whole mission thus far, but we are stepping it up another level. Elder Lambe and I hardly eat. It is rare if we get both an hour for lunch and an hour for tea in the same day. Don't get me wrong, we're not starving ourselves or anything, but we take food with us in the car or just have one big meal in the middle of the day... Life is so busy and great! On the flip side, I literally don't have any time to write any letters!!! I have have a good 30+ letters to reply too... it's just not going to happen.. hahaha. And usually you have a spare 45 mins at the end of each day after planning and updating the area book, but I'm either on the phone to the District or to the Zone Leaders. hahah  It's so great to be asleep within a minute at night time.

Our mission president counsels us to get at least an hour of fresh 'finding' in per day, so that even though you have progressing investigators you always have new blood.  He calls it the 'escalator effect'. You always need people stepping on the escalator, so there will always be people progressing compared to the elevator effect, focusing on just one or two... then nothing.

We are truely struggling with time to 'find' each day though. As it is, we have people to go see but can't because there is no time.  We have a list of contacts we have found on the street that we can ony go see in spare time. I feel like we might be loosing a few through the cracks.. It's great problem to have though! I just wish there was another set of missionaries in the area.

As for the miracle of the week. Her name is Tiarny. We were working in the city one evening and it was 8:50pm and we were 5 mins away from the flat. (We have to be in at 9pm) Elder Lambe and I decided we would talk to one last person.. Next thing we know, Tiani is walking past. We were able to set a return appointment and we have been able to go back and teach her three times in the last week!!! She is 17 and at TAFE so we meet with her in the Park lands. We taught the best lesson I've ever taught, because we taught her, not the lesson!  Truely listening and having a written lesson plan. Putting into practice all of 'Preach My Gospel'. She is such a solid investigator who felt the Spirit so strong! She is on fire! She will be getting baptised on the 28th of this month...

This miracle goes hand in hand with our zone theme of Jacob 5:47 "What more can I do in my vineyard?"

Life is so great here in Wagga! Elder Lambe and I have become more and more unified. He has truely become one of my best friends! Such a champ!

Elder B2

16 April 2012

Beautiful country with remnants of floodwaters

This week has been crazy good! Not only super spiritual, but really fun too..

We went and saw this less active this week and had a big chat to him. He is a piliot and took us to his work where we got to tour all the planes! They're awesome! Such a neat experience being in the cockpit and having a feel for the controls...

Way better than that though, was the miracles we have been able to see this week!

I think one thing that I'm personally doing alot better here in Wagga over Ballarat, is working with members better.  In Ballarat, I now realise I was trying to do it all myself, strictly teaching or finding from 10am to 9pm. But over here I have realised that you can work with the members alot more! We have been spending quality time with them, going around to their homes, leaving spiritual thoughts and building trust so they will be able to trust us with their dearest friends. It has truely paid off.  Over the past two weeks we have recieved 9 refferals!!! This is amazing!

We had 3 investigators at church yesterday but they all had close fellowship from members, so they all truely enjoyed themselves. for eg. Tiarny, the girl I was telling you about last week. Through having members her age at the lessons, she has been able to become really good friends with them. Not only were we able to teach her twice last week but she has been with members nearly every day! The branch puts on a sports day every Saturday for investigators to come along to which they did, and tiarny stayed for hours at a members home loving life.  Tonight she will be with us again at a members FHE. This coming week we will try to meet her family :P   This is just one example, but we truely have some solid investigators at the moment.

Another is Ken.  He was also a refferal.  He has been at church the last few weeks and we were able to share the Restoration DVD with him on Saturday in Chinese.  He felt the spirit so strong and is now working towards baptism.  Not only that, but we play basketball with 20 of his Asian friends who love us! this is the opening we needed to baptise all of Wagga! haha..

There are many more also! The work is truely moving foward here. The members are so great! We had 8 members at lessons this week which is more then the expected amount for a whole branch!  I love it here!!

There was an even bigger miracle that occured yesterday though!  Here is a story for you!

Three weeks ago Elder Lambe and I started to teach 9 muslim investigators. Five from Afganistan and 4 from Iran.  They all had a huge desire to be baptised and were really excited, but we got word from the President to stop teaching them. This is because there are huge complications involved with muslims from these countries. If they were to get baptised they would not be allowed to return home otherwise they would be killed.  Not only that, but if word got back to their countries that they have joined, they would kill and torture their families too.  So it's understandable why we shouldn't teach them.  I was content with that answer from President and it seems logical.  At the present time families are more important. They will have their oppotunity later.

We were instructed to just leave them with a Book of Mormon and ask them to pray about it, but leave it at that. 

Ok,  so after that background information, yesterday were tracting and we saw this man on the street that we approched.  As soon as he realised who we were, his whole face lit up!!  It turns out that the Book of Mormon we left the Afgans in Arabic was lent to this man which was one of their friends. He continues to tell us that he has been reading it every night before bed and absolutly loves it and the feeling he receives when he reads it!!! He then went on saying that he has been trying to get in contact with us the past three weeks and wants to know everything and come to chruch!!! ... a full on 'How Rare a Possession' story...

Wagga Wagga NSW

So as crazy as this story is, we are now stuck in a sticky circumstance... I had a lengthy chat to President about a few things last night, but after talking it over with him we came to the conclusion that we will teach him a little and let him come to church, but help him realise that he won't be able to be baptised at the moment and that soon his time will come...

True miracles though! (D&C 130:20-21). I have a strong testiomny of this scripture!  We are truely being belssed so much every day! Elder Lambe and I were talking about it yesterday. The Lord is helping us with the work and we love it! For example, yesterday we decided to go tracting. The first door we knock on, we are invited in and end up teaching a family.  We were able to set a return appointment with their friends who come in at the end of the lesson...

I could go on and on but let it suffice to say that life is good... life is great!

Elder T. Bennallack

23 April 2012

It has been another great week in Wagga! We only had a total of 9 members at church yesterday though... hahaha it was crazy! That's beacuse we actually had our General Conference broadcast this week, and yeah there were 9 people total watching it at the chap.. haha 

Conference was awesome! The Branch didn't show the Saturday sessions so we were able to watch them in our own time at the chapel on the projector.. soo good! The Priesthood session we saw at a members home with four other priesthood holders and then the sessions yesterday.

Conference is so good as a missionary but also hard at the same time. It's awesome because I believe I'm more in tune than I have ever been, so alot sticks out, but also hard because as a missionary it's go, go, go. When I hit my pillow at night, I'm out in a few minutes. Actually we often go to bed early after all is done. So sitting to watch conference was the first down time I've had for ages so it was hard to stop yourself from constantly drifting. It was awesome though!!

This week we had a lesson with a less active and her partner. He had been taught alot in the past and has heard it all before. He's what we call a 'dry member'.  After alot of prayer we decided to teach him about the Temple.  It was such a spiritual lesson as we were actually able to show him HOW the gospel blesses your life.  You always hear that it does, but being able to show him how he can be sealed with his family forever and the end goal was what he needed to hear...

Another highlight for the week was Tiarny.  She is getting baptised this Saturday on the 28th.  This weeek she has been able to continue to progress so much! I have gained such a testimony of having the right members at lessons.  We have had a member at every single one of her lessons besides the very first.  As a result of this, she is getting baptised.  Before she even came to church she was very comfortable with alot of members. I truely feel that we could just walk out the back door tomorrow and she will be perfect and super strong in the gospel. This past weekend she was actually invited by her fellowship members to go with them on a road trip down to Melbs for a Stake YSA dance!!! This makes me so happy! We spoke to her last night and she thinks she has just had one of the best weekends of her life. She loved it! Yesterday, she went to church in a big Ward in Melbs which is great for her. Fellowship is key!

Elder Lambe is going to be baptising her which he is truely excited about. He has never baptised anyone so he is stoked!

We were also able to set another date with a guy called Ben this week. He is also golden! He has been to church three times now and his countenance is truely changing. He is also a YSA.

We are actually really targeting the YSA program at the moment. It is on fire! We have all these young investigators that love the gospel! We hold a sports day every Saturday and a FHE every Monday night which they all come to and keep busy! This branch is great!

Rosa and her children were at church again yesterday which was also great.

We actually have transfers this coming Sunday,  so I'm fairly sure neither of us will be moving. Well I hope not, but if there is no email next Monday you will know why. I truely want to stay here in Wagga with Elder Lambe. We get along so well and have really built some strong unity when it comes to teaching. We have been working very hard this past transfer. 

Elder Bennallack  B2

30 April 2012 - What a great baptism!!

This week has been an amazing week! For starters, Elder Lambe and I are both still here in Wagga for another transfer! We're so excited because there is going to be a lot that is going to happen this transfer... Loving life!

Elder Bennallack, Tiarny and Elder Lambe

Tiarny's baptism went really well! All week were focusing on getting her ready. She was interviewed on Thursday and she was really excited.

We were so pleased with the baptism! So many people from the ward came. Around 30 or 40! Some people drove an hour and a half in to come! We had 5 investigators there and they all said afterwards to me that they felt the spirit as Elder Lambe baptised her.

Elder lambe was so nervous but he did such a great job! Well I knew he would, seeing that he practised on me 100 times before hand! But I was so happy to see my 'son' have his first baptism! He was so excited! We both were.

I was asked to confirm her on Sunday which was another very spiritual experience.

Actually this whole week has been a huge missionary affair. The members must be sick of us!

We had the baptism on Saturday where Tiarny made us sing at.. (It actually went really well. Elder Lambe and I borrowed two guitars and we both sung a really nice version of 'Our Saviours Love'. Bought tears so we were happy:P)

Then on the Sunday, I was asked to pass the sacrament, then I conferred the Holy Ghost upon Tiarny, then Elder Lambe gave a 15 minute talk and I ended the meeting with a 20 minute talk.  I was actually happy with my talk. I spoke on the 'pride cycle' found in the Book of Mormon. I truely am grateful for the talent that the Lord has given me with public speaking. Being able to go up to the pulpit with half a page of dot points and being able to produce a talk.

We then taught the gospel principles class and then in the third hour, taught the combined Young Mens and Young Women’s which turned out to only be Young Women. It was a little weird  being invited to take the Young Women’s lesson but I think they got alot out of it as we discussed the new 'For Strength of Youth' and how that booklet is literally the modern 'armour of God' and how we need to always be wearing or living the armour of God. It went well...

Tiarny (centre) and the fellowship YSA's who have helped us.

I’m really happy with the relationship we have with the members in the Branch at the moment. We truely have their trust as we continue to receive their referrals of their closest friends.. We had dinner last night at a members home where we had four of their non member friends there.. It was so powerful! We were able to get return appt with all four of them.

Honestly if there is anything you can do back home, it's invite your non member friends over for dinner when the missionaries are there..  It’s always so powerful!

Last night we had our investigators at an YSA FHE at the Bloy's too... life is great!

The news gets even better! We received the monthly mission newsletter this morning and I was truely happy when I saw that my investigator  from Ballarat, Sean got baptised in Geelong on the 21st of April. He was the man! Elder McNeil and I taught him all the lessons and I actually set his date and then we palmed him off to the Geelong Elders.. It made me so happy to see that his baptism went through! He is another YSA.. hahah!

Another cool miracle before I head out..

We met this really cool girl called Jess (who is of YSA age) at Coles the other day when we were buying our food.. We were able to set an appoinment and go and teach her and her room mates this week. She is golden!

I know it’s nothing huge, but its moments like that that I really love! Just those tender mercies that the Lord gives us when we just open our mouth everywhere we are...

Well that about all for the week! Life is great here in Wagga and we are truly seeing the fruits of our labour. The field is white and we are harvesting.. I fell like the seeds have been planted long ago and we are just walking through with our sickle reaping with our might.

Love Elder T Bennallack

March 2012 - Gold in Ballarat!

5 March 2012

On 'exchange' with the Melton Elders..

Has it been raining heaps in Adelaide?? It was like flooding here!!!Tracting for hours in the rain drenched!! Love it! So much better then the heat..

This week has had it's highs and lows. But on a whole, it was a great week becuase I  had a lot of time to reflect and try to improve in my own Chistlike attributes.

This week we had an exchange with Melton which was all right.  I was quite saddened with some news this week.  Our golden investigators, Jordy and Larry have moved!  I saw Jordy at the 'Helping Hands' service project on Saturday and he was telling us how they suddenly had to pack up and move for work.  Worse than that, is that they have moved to Ararat!!! So that's like an hour and a half away from us, and an hour from Horsham.  Even worse, Horsham is closed now and so they are out there by themselves.  There is not much we can do, because even if we travelled out theret o see them, it's not practical for them to travel to church each week seeing that Jordy was riding his push bike.  I was shattered because we were just preparing to baptise them... ahhhh... it really gave me a time to reflect.

I guess somtimes we're just put into people's lives to help them through difficult times and maybe not to baptise them? I don't know, it's way sad.  On the flip side, I guess I am sort of succeeding at loving my investigators.  It's just having that Christlike love, but now we don't have anymore dates at the moment :(   It's ok though..

Down time at the flat with the Elders from Melton. 
We're trying to do our 'pukana' (the scary voice you do at the end of the 'Hukka')

I'm really trying to work on selflessness.  Deep down you try to set dates within the transfer so you will be able to be there for the baptism, but it truely dosent matter.  And this is what I'm trying to work on.  Instead of rushing dates, having dates when they are ready.  We have been teaching this guy called Shaun that comes to church each week all the way form Geelong because he has a friend up here.  He has felt the Spirit and knows the church is true and is working towards baptism, but he will need to be baptised in Geelong.  But it's ok, I don't mind, it doesn't matter if we baptise him or if we hand him off to Geelong - it's all the same work.  I'm really trying to have that focus of working for the whole mission and not for my own satisfaction.

This week will be a great week! were off to Werabee for a zone P-day today and then we're going to the Temple as a zone on Wednesday, so I'm really excited about that!!

Elder T Bennallack (B2)

14 March 2012

Sorry the email is a bit late, we have had a crazy but an amazing week.

Monday, we were in Werabee together as a zone again for P-day.  We travelled up there because on the Tuesday, there was a leadership meeting which Elder McNeil had to go to being the District Leader of us and Melton. So I was on trade-offs with Elder Strackie in Werabee.  Elder Strackie is a new missionary this is his first transfer. He is the MAN, I was so happy to spend a day with him.  He is still fresh which I love because he is still 100 percent obedient and has the same desire that I have. We had a great day and although we lack in experienc,e we were able to set a date and all.

As for news about here in town in Ballarat, this week has been an absolute ripper! We were able to go to work with unity and on the same page.  This week was awesome! We have found a few golden families, found 10 new investigators, taught 25 lessons and the biggest miracle of them all caught up with Larry and Jordy!!!

 

 

I was really excited as Jordy came to church.  He caught a bus down from Aararat.  We were able to have a really good lesson with Larry, his strict catholic wife Sally and Jordy.  We talked about the importance of church and the parents were both super supportive of letting Jordy catch an hour and a bit train down each week for church.  Because that is the case, we then extended a baptismal invitation to Jordy because he truly desires to be baptised.  He is getting baptised this coming Saturday the 17th.  It's really exciting.  We need to find a place for the family to stay here in Ballarat over the weekend, for they are now in Aararat for Larry's work but it should be great.  A true miracle. I know that the character that Jordy is, he will be able to continue to work with his parents. It's amazing how its only after a trial of your faith that you see these tender mercies.

 

 

I wish Jordy's new best friend in the ward, Owen could baptise him but he is too young and both parents laid down the law and said that one of us missionaries had to do the baptism as a sigh of respect. And that was the last word, so Jordy has asked me to baptise him.  It should be a great day regardless.

The Australia Melbourne Temple

Our District at the Temple

The temple trip on Wednesday was amazing!!! It was by far the best experience I have had at the Temple.  So much was revealed unto me!!  It's so true that we learn line upon line, precept upon precept.  To top off all of the amazing experiences at the Temple, we went to 'Grill'd' at Knox City :P yummmm!

A pic especially for Elder B1 in France!!

There is so much happening in Ballarat. We have families we are teaching with others that are golden.

We will find out about transfer news on Sunday. I'm good either way, if I stay in Ballarat, there is so much work to do! And if I leave, well then I'm happy and blessed to say that I believe I've left it in a better state than I found it. It's booming at the moment!

This is the way we take photo's,
with Elder Strackie on the right.... good guy!!

I am really at a high in my mission right now. I truely feel blessed to be out here as I feel like I'm succeeding in loosing myself in the work. We were on the treain the other day and just overhearing this teenager on the phone, all her problems. I'm so glad I have no worries in the world. I just get to loose myself in the work. I love it!!

Elder Bennallack

19 March 2012

I have found out I'm getting transfered.  I need to go to the transfer meeting tomorrow in Melbourne to find out where I'm going to be serving.  Even craizier news, I'm training!!! hahaha! So I'll be picking up a new missionary on Wednesday.  I feel way humbled but at the same time really excited and a little nervous to think that President has put trust in me to train one of his missionaries.  This means because I'm being transfered, that I'll be doubled into an area as well!! (doubled in with a new missionary ie both new to the area) Way to throw me in the deep end President! na! I'm really excited for the opportunity though. I cant wait to see what we can do with the Lord's help in this new area.

I don't want to let President down!

 

 

As for the week in Ballarat.  We had exchanges on Friday with the zone leaders because they were down to interview Jordy for the baptism on the following day.  He passed with flying colours no dramas, and because he was down from Ararat, we got his best mate at church and his family to put him up for the night. Anyways we get a call at 9pm at night and there was a bit of a hiccup which resulted in us calling off the baptism ony hours before it.  It was quite disappointing, but at the same time, it's good there is an opportunity to sort all issues out before the baptism.  We told him were just postponing the baptism for a couple of weeks so we'll see.

 

 

Elder Bennallack and the Blake family

I've been really trying to focus on what Dad told me about the 'circle of influence and circle of concern' this week.  I guess it is what it is, and all we can do is focus on the things that we can influence.  Having said that, we have had a ripper of a week for finding!  We have found 23 new contacts to teach for the following week with 23 return appts for this week already set up.  This place will go off!!!  There is so much teaching as we have really been focusing on finding.  So there is some fresh work for the new missionary here, alongside with the golden progressing investigators that we have.

We had 10 investigators at church yesterday including this family with three YW girls.  It's great!!

Elder McNeil and Bennallack with a champ called Billy

I'm excited for the new challenge that lies ahead and to hear about these golden families and investigators progressing here, including Sean's baptism in a few weeks! He is so golden!

Elder T Bennallack

 

 

26 March 2012 - WAGGA WAGGA!!!

So I'm in Wagga Wagga in NSW!!!!!   hahahaha it's crazy!!!  I drove up here on Friday, a 7 hour drive from the Melbourne Temple.  I'm closer to Sydney now than I am Melbourne.   I was so shocked when they read at the transfer meeting that I was off to Wagga! (so excited though!!!) Even more shocked when they read that I am a District Leader now too!! Wow! President has thrown me in the deep end, not only doubling me into a new area, in a different state, in the middle of Australia but also a District Leader!  I'm the Distict Leader of us and Griffith and a senior couple.  Even more hilarious and ironic, is that I'm now Eder Howard's District Leader! hahaha He's in Griffith.  We had a good laugh about it!

After transfer meeting, I went and hassled the office and got hold of a bike rack and picked some bikes up form the repair shop so I could drive them up to Wagga, because the missionareis being doubled out of wagga told me that they weren't teaching anyone.  So we have no investigators to start with, so I thought bikes would be a good idea so we could be out and seen.  We will have our lines in the water. 

Elder Bennallack and new 'golden' Elder Lambe from England.

I spent the night in Elthem and on Wednesday morning went to President's home to greet the new missionaries.  I'm sooooooo stoked with my new companion!  His name is Elder Lambe and he is from England!!!! He is the man!!! He is a convert of only two years and is the only member in his family.  His girlfirend of 5 years actually introduced him to the missionaries and now he's out serving and she's waiting... waiting with a ring on her hand actually.  They're engaged.  He is a really great guy and we get along sooooo well!!!! I'm sooo happy!

 

 

On Wednesday night we actually were invited to stay at President's home with President and Sister Liffereth. It was also really good spending quite a bit of time with them. They are truly amazing! I love them both dearly!

Thursday morning we hit the road after studies and Sister Liffereth packed us a lunch (you could tell she missed packing school lunches) haha and I drove the 7 hours up the Hume Highway to Wagga Wagga.  I'm the only one that can drive, becuase 'goldens' (new missionaries) can't drive in their first transfer...

 

 

We got to Wagga and sussed out the town, where we could GQ and then went to the flat. The flat is awesome! It's a whole house and garage! It was completely trashed and still is a fair bit of work, but it has so much potential and even better, we have so much stuff here!  I'm soo happy, we have a whole gym at our house! A bench press, an incline bench that we use for fly and stuff, my chin up bar, and heaps, heaps more! We have resistant bands that we have set up, and we have a boxing bag that I put up outside with golves! It is amazing! My dream!!!!

Anyway, when we first got in, went straight to the phones and called the Branch President and the Branch Mission leader who was just set apart yesterday.

 

 

The Branch is actually amazing!!! They are a young branch and are constanly hanging out together during the week, having weekly sports nights and weekly FHE's.  We were able to meet half the Branch before Sunday and the other half yesterday. We are making a hugh effort to remember names, writing them down in our planner to build trust.  I'm so excited to work with the members, they're great!  There is an average of 50 at church each week including Isacc Bloy and his wife... Small world! We're actually off to his home for tea tonight, then FHE.

 

 

On Saturday the YM had a service project already organsied at our house.  So not only were we able to meet them all, but they have planted a huge veggie garden in our backyard! Loving life!!!

We have seen so many miracles already up here.  We have truly had to start fresh because there was nothing at all happening here, it was like opening a new area.  On our first proselyting day, we hit the streets and went Downtown.  I was praying so hard to see miracles in finding, to get a nervous Elder Lambe stoked for finding.  We went out and literally talked to every single person, even getting people to wind down their windows at traffic lights!  The first person we talked to, we got a return appointment and then 10 other return appointments followed that day!!!!  We have found all these new people to teach and aleady have a fairly full week with teaching this coming week.  We were even able to have a really spiritual lesson yesterday and set solid date with an aborigonal mother of four.  She was nearly bashed to death two years ago by her ex and has to learn how to walk and talk again. She thanks God for her life and has been praying the past few weeks for God to come back into her life.  She is really excited about the work and it was a great experience for Elder Lambe. We are both sooo excieted for Wagga Wagga, miracles are happening daily here!

 

 

When we first got here we fasted to be able to find those families and people that can give leadership to the Branch.  I'm so greatful to be all the way out here in NSW in Wagga.  There is so much potential here, it is rediculous...  North Wagga is starting to get sorted after those floods, so it's all good!

I love this work and am truly on top of the world right now!!!

Elder T Bennallack xx

February 2012 - Busy in Ballarat!

6 February 2012

Allen Clissett and us..

This past week has been a great week for me too.. We had a Baptism on Saturday of Allen Clissett.. It went fairly well. He asked me to baptise him but I shrugged it off to a member in the ward.  I've realised it's alot more important for members to baptise investigators than us. Missionaries come and go, but members stay and that fellowship is key.  So a man named Craig Manning baptised Allan.  He was so excited to do it, as it was his first.  I think he has some challenges so it actually took four attempts to baptise him by immersion, but he finally got there.  It was a really spiritual expeirence for him.   I was able to confirm him yesterday as a member of the church and give him the Holy Ghost. It was a really spiritual experience.  I always love using His Holy Priesthood.  It's always so spiritual and uplifting.  More importantly, he felt the spirit really strong during that blessing which is key because he will still need alot of fellowship.

As for the Blakes they are really solid.  John blessed the sacrament this past week! A great sight!

As for transfer news.  I'm staying another one in Ballarat with Elder McNeil which is great. I'm no longer officially training.. haha! but im excited to see what else we can do for the area in the next six weeks.  This area is really coming alive with missionary work, but alot of our investigators have become stale, so it's back to the streets to sive the wheat from the tare.

I rolled my ankle fairly bad this week as I was chasing down a couple on the street.. It was really brusied.  I couldn't walk on it for a few days but I've been taking really good care of it, and pressed on.  We're all sweet now, still tender but I can limp around...

P-Day, couldn't resist!!

Yesterday in sacrament meeting, we only had a few investigators there.  We had alot committed to come, but not too sure what happened.  It happens though. It all comes back to that circle of concern and circle of influence that Dad talks about.  Great advice!  

Ummm, so as for my cooking.. I must admit I've had highs and lows this week with cooking. On Tuesday we had a District Meeting and I prepared a honey glazed turkey roast for the District for lunch. It was looking amazing, and I remember mother always use to leave it in the owen when she went to church. So I left it in the oven while I went to district meeting at the chapel. I came back to open the oven door and smoke was pouring out! Everything was so black!  Food catches alight when all the moisture is gone, and I think give it another 10 - 15 mins and our flat would of been gone.. lucky on that one! Lesson learnt. Keep the oven at 140c degrees not 180...

13 February 2012

This week has been a really great week!!

We have been hard at work finding new people and helping others progress..

This week we were going through the ward list and realised we have 177 families on our ward list with only 33 active... not the best, but at the same time the ward is growing.  We had 113 people at church this week :P

 

 

So I had a really sacred experience this week.  One morning this week, I was praying to see a miracle. The whole day appointment after appointment fell through and it was a fairly rough day. Our last appointment of the day, we went to go see this guy called Larry.  This is the guy I was writing about a few weeks ago, how I'm in over my head and I can't relate to his problems in life.  When were there  he was telling us that if he had a gun he would end his life right now, and don't be suprised if next time we come to see him there is police tape around his house. I really had no idea what to say? I really was searching for a heaven inspired question or comment.  The spirit hit me so strong.  I promised him that if he got baptised that his life will improve... We continued and the Spirit hit me even stronger. I asked him as inspired, if I could give him a comfort blessing!?!  We hadn't even been able to teach him the restoration too well, so we quickly explained authority and how we hold that authority of God and explained a blessing. The Spirit was so strong.  I then proceeded to give him a comfort blessing with Elder McNeil.  I was really seeking the Spirit.  As inspired, I was able to bless him that 'as he comes unto thee, he will reach the highest of heights' and that his Heavenly Father loves him.  After the prayer his whole face was lit up.  He was so confused.  It took him about 5 minutes to ask what just happened?? He was overwhelmed. He then asked us 3 times each if we both had both our hands on his head. We told him we did.  He then started to breakdown.  He asked "If both your hands were on my head, then who was holding my hand? !!"  The Spirit flooded into the room!!  He continued to breakdown as we hugged it out.  What a miracle! I feel so humbled to be able to be found worthy to hold His Holy Priesthood and to be able to preform through faith what we all call moden day miracles.  We were able to go back the next day and were able to explain to him the role of the Holy Spirit and the miracle that happended the night before.  We still don't know who was holding his hand whether it was the Holy Ghost or an angel or ?? but this sacred experience has strengthened my testimony and changed his life!  He now has a light of hope in his eye! He wants to know the soonest date he can get baptised.  We were able to set a date with him and his son.

 

 

View from the top of a hill we hiked on P-Day

This Gospel has been restored with that authority and power that Jesus Christ gave his apostles!

  

As for your questiones. We found Allen on the street. He lives by himself divorced, but we are teaching his step-son at the moment.

  

All is well! I love this work! Moden day miracles are performed each day.

Elder T Bennallack

20 February 2012

Well this week has been a great week, where do I start??

Tuesday was Valentines Day, so us being the geniuses that we are, and being inspired by Elder B1's boarding finding techniques, we went to 'Office Works' on Monday.  We both bought a white board that we can fit in our big suitcases to take with us. I've been thinking about getting one for ages. I also bought some magnetic strips as well.  Now I can make more effective lesson plans. You don't need to construct a lesson plan from scratch every time, but you just need to personalise it to fit the needs of the investigators.  So now just like father use to with his magnetic football field he used while coaching, I can now have all these strips with scriptures and what not, and really personalise lesson plans quickly..

But as for Tuesday, I used my board as a sign.  Elder McNeil and I went down to the mall (it's like Rundle Mall) and we took our signs and put 'our rods in the water'.. my sign said 'No Valentines? Me Neither... sit down lets talk about GOD'... hahah! everyone thought it was hilarious and we got new contacts out of it too... it worked really well!! I love preach my gospel. It tells you to really look for new ways to share the gospel and it's great how you can use your strengths and personality to share the gospel.

On Wednesday, we had a zone conference down in Deer Park. The whole zone loved my sign.. haha!  Especially the assistants :P

Zone conference went for 4 hours but it was great.  F.Michael Watson was presiding.  I'm not sure what was better, the conference or the lunch afterwards!!

We walk into the rec hall to find that the tongan ward had put a lunch on for us.. We walk in and there is a whole roasted pig lying on the table!!! Next to that ,was a fruit basket, 6ft long with whole pineapples, mangos, figs and everything amazing! There were 10 of the church tables together with no room at all on any of them! It was all meat! It was like I had met Willy Wonka's cousin that has everything meat! haha!  But honestly, the nicest thing was some pork wrappend in taro leaves, cooked in a coconut cream! sooo good! We didn't even dent the food!

The rest of the week has been ok.. We have had a lot of appointments fall through all over town, it's a little frustrating but its ok.

The miracle of the week was this young man named Jordy.  He is Larry's son and is 14. He came to the youth activity on Tuesday and he got on his bike to ride to church yesterday! He loved it. The youth loved it too because there aren't too many!  He was asking us when he could get baptised.. hahah good times! We will continue to teach Larry and Jordy! They will both get there!

Allen received the Aaronic Priesthood yesterday which was great! He has been asked to pass the sacrament next week which he was a little nervous about, but we saw him last night and taught him all about it, so he's excited..

27 February 2011

Some weird looking fruit! This is Australia!
(I think it's a Lychee)

This week has been alright.  I'im not going to lie, it was a little slow with alot of appointments falling through with the heat, but we has 10 at church yesterday which is a record so I can't complain...

So, hmmm the heat.. Well our Zone Leaders this week decided that they wanted to hold a 'car fast' day, and what better day to have it than last Saturday when it was 40c degrees outside!!  I wish I had sunscreen :( I got roasted! I was drinking so much water,  I think I drank at least 8L. We didn't have any appointments set for the day as well, so we were out on the streets for 11 hours finding.  It was not fun! We rode out to the airport, which is out of town. (look it up on google maps).  From 'Brown Hill to the Ballarat Airport', and that was only the start of the day.  I was sooo dead by the end of the day. The zone leaders promised that the heat was a trial of our faith and that we would be blessed if we tried. And it was a real test..

We also had a really spiritual lesson with an investigator called Matt this week.  He is really progressing and has a great understanding about what we teach.  We taught him the Word of Wisdom and we took his smokes, coffee and tea, but he did relapsed after two days.. and now he has given up, so not too sure what to do.

As for Jordy and Larry. They are going great!  Larry still didn't come to church because he was throwing up, but Jordy came, and he is solid! He has his 'Duty to God' book and he is signed up for 'trek' in a month too, so thats really good!  His dad is supportive too. We were hoping to baptise them together but we will see how this week goes with Larry.

I know that the Lord gives us trials to teach us things and I am really learning a lot about myself! I'm learning alot of patience and always looking at myself in these situations and seeing how I can improve... Missions are great like that, your really learn what it is like working with others, and living with others.

I know the Lord knows best and that all my companions and areas were pre-ordained and that if I work with all my heart, might, mind and strength I will become who the Lord would have me be.

Elder T Bennallack (B2)