Slackers!

Hello Everyone!

 

I have been tryinig my best to keep in touch with everyone so if you havent heard from me yet then listen up! and if you have heard from me already then.. cool. So, how is everyone doing!? I barely hear from anyone! Jeanie and Paige are whoopin all of yalls butts because they write me the most. And if you want to use the lame excuse that you dont have my contact info then here it is: dillon.benavides@myldsmail.net or write me a letter.

 

Elder Benavides

MTC Mailbox #156

OH-COL 0718

2005 N 900 E

Provo, Utah 84604-1793

 

Anyways, the MTC is pretty bomb. Im having a wonderful time. Im super glad that im only here for 3 weeks because if i were here any longer i would probly gain a hundred pounds! the food is pretty good i wont complain. Everyone complains about the juice but i love it! Sunday and Wednesday are ice cream day! and Friday is pizza day the best day of the week it always came with salad and a side of cold green beans! Hooray for pizza day! (name that band and i will praise your name forever!!) The MTC is like a prison/school. You are completely set apart from all civilization and you are constantly going to classes and learning and reading and studying and praying. Its got its ups and downs. The only place i can go to get out and enjoy civilization is when i cross the street to the temple or the soccer fields. Soccer is where its AT!!! it gets pretty intense! and so does sand volleyball. Its pretty cool because there are a ton of foreign missionaries here. I play soccer with a missionary from New Zealand i think? there is a sister in my zone from Italy. And i played sand volleyball with the tongans and some austrailians yesterday! These games keep me sane. Anyways, theres not much else to say just stuff that goes down here in the Missionary Torture Center.. haha jk Its not that bad. Ive learned that once you love your companions you can have a blast and i Love my companions! theyre hilarious!! we have some pretty fun times especially in our residence hall. We launch socks at other missionaries with our slingshots made by tying our elastic workout bands to the bunk beds. and there have been some pretty intense water gun fights. some studying goes on as well :) So yeah things are pretty chill here. I had an amazing experience where my testimony of the Atonement was strengthened big time the other day. We watched a mormon message video the other day by Elder Holland called "None Were With Him" (i highly encourage you to check it out). Its about Christs Atonement. So anyways as we were watching it the spirit just decided to fill my heart to the point where i just started crying and couldnt stop! i felt so sorry for my Savior Jesus Christ because He suffered for MY sins on the cross and he suffered completely alone! Even Heavenly Father had to turn away and leave His only begotten son alone. I cant even begin to imagine how Christ felt. The spirit truly testified to me that the Atonement is real. That was the first time i have ever really understood the Atonement. It was amazing. I know my Savior died for my sins and that because He did that I am able to turn to Him through prayer at ANY time of the day or night and HE WILL BE THERE! I am never alone, no one is ever alone! dont forget that okay? Christs arms are always extended towards us and He wants us to come unto him! So the last thing i wanna say is that I finally got my flight plans to OHIO! I will leave on July 18th at 3am and arrive in Ohio around 2pm hopefullly. I was also made the travel leader over 10 other missionaries! So im in charge of getting 10 missionaries to Ohio whaaat!?? But the best part is that we have a layover in Denver and I get to CALL HOME! So family you better be home when i call you! I only have a week left here in the MTC so make good use of DearElder.com and write me if you want! i would love to hear from you guys. You are all in my prayers and i love you to pieces. Stay strong and always always remember that Christ is there for you.

 

Love,

Elder Benavides