Learning to be bold... more dogs

June 15, 2015

Hello Family! (don't get a dog) It's so good to hear from all of you! (don't get a dog) I'm happy that Ammon e-mailed me! (don't get a dog) Camp Helaman sounded like the perfect place for him. (don't get a dog) I think it's funny they won by pulling an "Anti-Nephi-Lehi". (don't get a dog)

For some reason I have dogs on my mind. I told Ammon about a fun dog experience (they're demons). There was another dog at a less-active's home that tried to get me to pet it. You know how Tessa will rub her head against your arm and make animal noises? Well, this dog was doing the exact same thing to me. It wanted me to pet it. I refused and it started growling at me. It tried threatening me by opening its mouth and pretending like it was going to bite me if I didn't pet it. I never petted it. 

Another funny experience - we had an appointment with a less-active family that fell through so we decided to tract around. As we walked up to a house, we got about half way across the lawn when this monstrous St. Bernard came out from under their porch, unleashed and ready to eat us. When that dog came out, I said "Absolutely not!" turned around and left the lawn we were on. I swear that dog came from the pits or outer darkness itself. It was as big as Beethoven (the dog) and the dog from Sandlot combined! 

Last Tuesday some pretty funny stuff happened to me. Elder Lynch and I had by far, the most awkward lesson we ever had. Here's what happened. We had an appointment with a lady and when we got to her trailer, we found her sitting down in a little blow-up pool about 50 ft away from the sidewalk. She was facing away from us and from our perspective we couldn't see her top. The pool sides were covering the bottom half of her back but we couldn't see any straps on the top half. We called out and asked if now was still a good time to meet. She turned around and said "Sure! Just pull up a chair." We kinda looked at each other and discussed if we should go because we couldn't tell if she was wearing a top or not. She noticed that and said "It's fine. I'm wearing a top." We still didn't see a top. We got some chairs and set them up about 10 ft away from the pool. She was leaning against the side and she still didn't look like she had a top on. It wasn't until half way through the lesson I saw her very low top. Just imagine giving a home teaching lesson without knowing if the person you were teaching was topless. 

I'm going to talk about the food this week. We went to the Buttiglieri's again (he's the master chef who made those amazing pastrami burgers) and they fed us more burgers. But these ones were fried egg bacon burgers. The fried eggs were cooked in the bacon grease. I don't know if you've ever tried a fried egg on a burger but it's actually really good. It kinda tastes like a breakfast biscuit. They also gave me two 2 liter coke bottles to take back to the apartment. I don't know what it is but it's a lot easier to get soda down here. 

I have a knot request. If you could, I would like you to find instructions for the "Viper Knot". It's too extreme to use daily in the field but I'd like to learn it for missionary Christmas parties and things like that where crazy tie knots are acceptable. There's another knot that I can't remember the name of but it looks like two double Windsors on the same tie. If you look up "Viper Knot" on YouTube you should find instructions for all kinds of complicated tie knots. I'd also like to learn a "Double Eldredge". It's also too extreme but I want it for the same reason. To use for missionary meetings where crazy ties are allowed. During one such meeting we had, there was an Elder who had a fish tie. The knot was the tail, the middle part was the body and the normally diamond shaped end was the head. 

Now for the spiritual stuff... I don't know if I've told you but we seem to tract into a less-active at least once a week. Pres. Sodders recently told us he feels that less-actives need to be a bigger priority and the fact that we keep tracting into them is sign enough for Elder Lynch and me. We walked by a lady and she gave us an abnormally friendly "Hello." We stopped and talked to her and she said that she was already a member. I couldn't believe it because we found her in a trailer park where we had already found like 5 other less-actives. It's kinda crazy how many less-actives we tract into. 

As you're well aware I've been having issues with street contacting. This week we had a zone meeting and the theme of zone meeting was being bold. What better way to start off a lesson about being bold than by role playing the law of chastity with other missionaries. The role play was about asking the bold/awkward questions without sugar-coating it. i.e. asking someone directly if they watch porn with a firm, clear and direct voice. As awkward as those role plays were, they helped me become more bold. The second half of the zone meeting was about role playing street contacts. I kinda sucked at it but it also built my confidence in being bold. The following morning I happened to study boldness in Preach My Gospel without realizing it. One of the scriptures I read was D&C 63:57-58 which reads "And again, verily I say unto you, those who desire in their hearts, in meekness, to warn sinners to repentance, let them be ordained unto this power. For this is a day of warning, and not many words. For I, the Lord, am not to be mocked in the last days." 

As I pick apart this scripture, a few things pop out to me. I really like the part that says "for this is a day of warning, and not many words." I think too many missionaries (kinda including myself) are worried about offending people. They worry about saying something that'll turn someone off from the gospel. According to that scripture we're supposed to be bold and unapologetic. If anyone is offended by us preaching the truth then it's their loss and there isn't really anything you can do to help them. We're not supposed to sugar-coat anything. We're supposed to tell it as it is and if that offends someone, then just move on. 

I know that God does try to help you as much as He can. You just have to be diligent in searching Him out. I've been trying to solve the whole "what to say" issue for a while. Now that I've read that scripture and have a better understanding of how He wants me to teach, I can gain more confidence in that I'm doing what He wants me to do.

It really is a lot like chess. You say something, the other person says something but just like in chess what you say/do may offend someone. The difference, however, is someone who is willing to play the whole game will gain a better understanding of the gospel, whereas, someone who doesn't play and flips the board off the table after you've taken one pawn away will never know of the gospel. 

Thank you all for the amazing support you've offered me. It really helps. 

Elder Ben

PS - Dad asked me about dogs. I still hate dogs. Don't let Dad get a dog. Don't let Tessa get a dog. Don't get a dog. Don't do it. I won't come back from the field if you get a dog. I'll apply to become the 4th Nephite and never come back if you get a dog. Please don't get a dog.

Elder Lynch's B-day!

Can you guess what that is...?
RED VELVET CAKE with Cream Cheese Frosting!!

Just me with a lovely Prince Albert tie knot, studying and drinking soda :)

Elder Lynch showed me these pens. They hardly ever smear. Sharpie pens are the best!

Tree for sale...

Prince Albert tie knot - ok for Elders

Viper tie knot - crazy!

A gift from the Buttiglieri's - Coke and those really good pretzel peanut butter things. Speaking of peanut butter.
Next time you're at Walmart, pick up a jar of "White Chocolate Wonderful" Peanut Butter. The company that makes it is "Peanut Butter & Co." It's sold in smaller jars but it's absolutely amazing! Any sort of peanut butter bars or peanut butter Hershey Kiss cookies need to be made with this peanut butter.