These were my questions for him this week….
How is the weather in Cali?
Do any of the missionaries have a car? President Prince?
Tell me more about your companion…home….family…how long has be been a member?
Do they have seasons there? If so what season?
We were kind of having spring but it was winter today…..However there are a lot of buds on the trees….Popcorn popping….
The weather in Cali has been rainy. It is the rainy season here. The missionaries dont have cars. Not even the elders from the office. There have been way too many accidents. The president has a car and so does sister prince. My companion has always been a member. He is 22. He is a lot different then i am. I dont know if i told you how he is. I dont even know who i would compare him to. I think it is better not to compare him to anyone but kinda like emmo haha everything has to be fun or the world will end hahaha Love you emmo. He loves to work and he has baptized a lot of people on his mission. He finishes his mission in october and we are doing great. They say they have seasons but not really its always the same. They saw that right now it is winter.
We had so many incredible experiences this week. We went and taught a family. The husband is less active and is dying to come back to church and the wife is ready for baptism on the 20th. Well he lived in Kaysville Utah for 5 years... It was cool to talk to him. It was way cool because he worked at Sills Cafe hahaha. I know it is an extremely small world. He is a great person and he is like the other colombians full of fun. He reminds me of someone like qui bird. haha I laugh in the lessons with him.
We went and had divisions in Chinchina. We finished divisiones with a fireside. We filled the chapel. 140 people. It was an incredible joy. I love all those people so much. I saw so many converts. My heart hurt to see that some had faded and i was filled with joy to see some working in their callings and preparing for the temple. There are some that are almost ready to go to the temple. They have almost finished the year.
We will have a comfirmation this week and also a baptism on the 20th. We committed to having 4 in the month. Pray for the people. We traveled to almost all the mission this week. It has been tough but gratifying. We are making a strong push to the end of the mission colombia cali. Records will be broken. That shouldnt get me excited because we should always be improving but it is fun to be a part of a team that is making a big effort to have 600 baptisms in 4 months. (It has never been done here) We will see. I am stoked.
I love cali and I love the work This will be a special sunday. The church was restored this week many years ago. The knowledge of the plan was given. We can and will have eternal life. Christ was resurrected, we also will. I love Jesus Christ.
Elder Belnap
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
March 31, 2012
Questions asked:
Did the new converts come to church last week?
Did you give them the gift of the Holy Ghost on Sunday or your white night?
Will you be listening to conference in English or Spanish?
Did you eat anything that was good this week?
How are your shoes holding up?
All the converts went to church!! It was great. We had three confirmations. I did give the holy ghost to Gilbert who was baptized on saturday. i hope to listen to conference in english but we will have to wait and see. We ate great food yesterday because it was zone leader council so sister prince cooked. Oh ya! My shoes are good. Rock solid.
Well this key board is driving me nuts and we dont have too much time but there was some great things that happened this week. On thursday night we went to an appointment with zone leaders from medellin here in cali. We went to the house of one of our investigators. We talked to her and invited her to have an interview with one of the zone leaders for baptism and if it all went well to be baptized on friday. Elder Garcia from paraguay did the inteview. (He is my bro) So they talked for a while and she came out and said i will be baptized tomorrow. She didnt have a baptismal date, but she accepted baptism. We have some great pictures of her in her baptism last night. It was a special night. God is so merciful to us and we dont deserve all the blessings he gives us.
My companion and i are adjusting but we are doing well. I hope we have a great companionship. We are traveling the whole mission this week. The best news is i will spend 2 days in chinchina working with the missionaries. I am so stoked!!! I am going to baptize some old investigators. It will be a miracle weekend. I am going with Elder Novoa, he is the secretary to the president. He is like Ogs ben Checkets. He is one of my best mission buddies. I was his zone leader in palmira. I will take pictures and i am so excited for general conference.
I love you! Elder Belnap
Did the new converts come to church last week?
Did you give them the gift of the Holy Ghost on Sunday or your white night?
Will you be listening to conference in English or Spanish?
Did you eat anything that was good this week?
How are your shoes holding up?
All the converts went to church!! It was great. We had three confirmations. I did give the holy ghost to Gilbert who was baptized on saturday. i hope to listen to conference in english but we will have to wait and see. We ate great food yesterday because it was zone leader council so sister prince cooked. Oh ya! My shoes are good. Rock solid.
Well this key board is driving me nuts and we dont have too much time but there was some great things that happened this week. On thursday night we went to an appointment with zone leaders from medellin here in cali. We went to the house of one of our investigators. We talked to her and invited her to have an interview with one of the zone leaders for baptism and if it all went well to be baptized on friday. Elder Garcia from paraguay did the inteview. (He is my bro) So they talked for a while and she came out and said i will be baptized tomorrow. She didnt have a baptismal date, but she accepted baptism. We have some great pictures of her in her baptism last night. It was a special night. God is so merciful to us and we dont deserve all the blessings he gives us.
My companion and i are adjusting but we are doing well. I hope we have a great companionship. We are traveling the whole mission this week. The best news is i will spend 2 days in chinchina working with the missionaries. I am so stoked!!! I am going to baptize some old investigators. It will be a miracle weekend. I am going with Elder Novoa, he is the secretary to the president. He is like Ogs ben Checkets. He is one of my best mission buddies. I was his zone leader in palmira. I will take pictures and i am so excited for general conference.
I love you! Elder Belnap
March 24, 2012
Hello
hello the white night was great. I will tell you a little about it. Well, we saw so many miracles. I honestly had never had to work so hard so that someone could be baptized. It was an incredible fight. When i saw our converts in white i just started crying. I couldnt stop through the whole opening hymn. We give it all so that they can be baptized. We have to kill ourselves everyday so that they make it there and when they do it fills us with PURE joy. I had never felt the joy i felt the night of the baptisms.
I will tell of a few of the many miracles we saw. There is a young girl named natalia who always go to church with her grandma but her dad is not a member. She asked him this week if she could be baptized and he said no. She asked him again and no. We prayed for the chance to talk to him. We went to the house and he was there (He is never there he works in Bogota) he was in his room and we told the grandma to call him so we could talk. He said he was busy talking on the phone. I started praying like crazy in my head that his phone call would finish so we could talk. In the moment of the prayer he came out. He is a very educated well respected boss of a nation wide business. I said well here we go, I knew if i tried to persuade with small talk and diversion it wasnt going to work. We had one shot at it. We talked about a half hour and we exchanged words and the thought came that we needed to talk more seriously and more directly. We gave it all we had. He gave her permission and she was baptized. It was so great.
The other one. Leyder he is a cool kid. His mom will be baptized in april. He called us the morning of and said he wasnt going to be baptized because of serious family problems. It was horrible. So he said he wanted to wait on baptism. He came to the meeting but showed up without his clothes for baptism. We entered the meeting and a few minutes into it he changed his mind and said lets do it. I made walked up to the front and told president prince that there was a young man who needed an interview. He left and did the interview in the middle of the meeting and leyder was baptized.
The lord is so merciful to us and i am so grateful for these experiences. On a less happy note yesterday we took Elder Jamett to the airport. It was horrible. It was painful I really feel sad that he left, but we gotta put our game face on and work with my new companion Elder Almendares from Costa Rica. He baptizes a ton so the president called him he is good. There are so many things i want to tell you but no time to do it. I love you all so much. I love this work. This week was hard and i am tired but grateful to be tired in the work of the lord.
Elder Belnap
hello the white night was great. I will tell you a little about it. Well, we saw so many miracles. I honestly had never had to work so hard so that someone could be baptized. It was an incredible fight. When i saw our converts in white i just started crying. I couldnt stop through the whole opening hymn. We give it all so that they can be baptized. We have to kill ourselves everyday so that they make it there and when they do it fills us with PURE joy. I had never felt the joy i felt the night of the baptisms.
I will tell of a few of the many miracles we saw. There is a young girl named natalia who always go to church with her grandma but her dad is not a member. She asked him this week if she could be baptized and he said no. She asked him again and no. We prayed for the chance to talk to him. We went to the house and he was there (He is never there he works in Bogota) he was in his room and we told the grandma to call him so we could talk. He said he was busy talking on the phone. I started praying like crazy in my head that his phone call would finish so we could talk. In the moment of the prayer he came out. He is a very educated well respected boss of a nation wide business. I said well here we go, I knew if i tried to persuade with small talk and diversion it wasnt going to work. We had one shot at it. We talked about a half hour and we exchanged words and the thought came that we needed to talk more seriously and more directly. We gave it all we had. He gave her permission and she was baptized. It was so great.
The other one. Leyder he is a cool kid. His mom will be baptized in april. He called us the morning of and said he wasnt going to be baptized because of serious family problems. It was horrible. So he said he wanted to wait on baptism. He came to the meeting but showed up without his clothes for baptism. We entered the meeting and a few minutes into it he changed his mind and said lets do it. I made walked up to the front and told president prince that there was a young man who needed an interview. He left and did the interview in the middle of the meeting and leyder was baptized.
The lord is so merciful to us and i am so grateful for these experiences. On a less happy note yesterday we took Elder Jamett to the airport. It was horrible. It was painful I really feel sad that he left, but we gotta put our game face on and work with my new companion Elder Almendares from Costa Rica. He baptizes a ton so the president called him he is good. There are so many things i want to tell you but no time to do it. I love you all so much. I love this work. This week was hard and i am tired but grateful to be tired in the work of the lord.
Elder Belnap
Fotos Colombia-cali.blogspot.com
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| Zone leaders and assistants |
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| new office crew |
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| Saying good bye to elder jamett... Ben loves him! |
March 17, 2012
I loved your pictures: Why are you in a bus with all those people?
One of the pictures I named: Where's Waldo???
Do you have a new companion?
Tell Elder Jammett I love him for all he has taught you and for his service and hard work.
You are only a couple of days for the 20th…We are all praying for you, the mission and your investigators.
Any traveling this week? Did you get to go to Chinchina?
Hello Family,
Well we were on the bus because there was a fireside in Manizales with president prince. So we of course assisted. Those from chinchina had a bus contracted to take them there. So i got to see almost everyone. It was incredible. I love the pictures and i love all the people from the ward in chinchina. Elder Jamett goes home next week. It will be sad. My new Companion will be here on Monday or Tuesday. The president still hasnt decided who it will be. This week we dont travel because it is transfer week. Monday is planning day and office meeting. Tuesday is the arrival of new missionaries. They will practice the choir, we will take them to see all of Cali from a mountain, they will go to the government to get visas figured out, and they will go to the big white night here in Cali. We are expecting a huge amount of baptisms. I will send the picture so you can send it to the Ensign!! Ha-ha On Wednesday is the training of the new missionaries and their trainers. Then they head out in the field. Thursday we do the transfers of all the other missionaries. There are about 70 that will be changed. It is smaller then the last time. That is good. We finish the week with training of the zone leaders. It really is a very busy week but we see so many miracles and we learn from our mistakes and the lord is so merciful to us.
This last week was great. We had our last Zone Conference in Pereira, In the conference I talked about something that i hadn´t talked about before. It was less about the way we do the work and more about the missionary. We read scriptures in the new testament about peters life. when christ said "Come and i will make you fishers of men.." He called peter forever. He was his man. Peter forgot for a second when he denied christ three times the promise that he had made and the calling he accepted. We have all denied christ and not just three times. Many times. It hurts to think of all the drops of blood that were spilled for me. I invited all th missionaries to change if it was necesarry, to seek perfection, and to remember the promise we have made. I am so imperfect and i wish i could be better. Christ forgives us as we serve, I have felt it. I love this work and we will have 3 baptisms this week which is the best news. The gospel=The plan god has to save us all. He wants it and we help.
I love you all. Elder Belnap
Enjoy March Madness!!!! I am too but it is a different type of madness. (I think this is funny…and true)
One of the pictures I named: Where's Waldo???
Do you have a new companion?
Tell Elder Jammett I love him for all he has taught you and for his service and hard work.
You are only a couple of days for the 20th…We are all praying for you, the mission and your investigators.
Any traveling this week? Did you get to go to Chinchina?
Hello Family,
Well we were on the bus because there was a fireside in Manizales with president prince. So we of course assisted. Those from chinchina had a bus contracted to take them there. So i got to see almost everyone. It was incredible. I love the pictures and i love all the people from the ward in chinchina. Elder Jamett goes home next week. It will be sad. My new Companion will be here on Monday or Tuesday. The president still hasnt decided who it will be. This week we dont travel because it is transfer week. Monday is planning day and office meeting. Tuesday is the arrival of new missionaries. They will practice the choir, we will take them to see all of Cali from a mountain, they will go to the government to get visas figured out, and they will go to the big white night here in Cali. We are expecting a huge amount of baptisms. I will send the picture so you can send it to the Ensign!! Ha-ha On Wednesday is the training of the new missionaries and their trainers. Then they head out in the field. Thursday we do the transfers of all the other missionaries. There are about 70 that will be changed. It is smaller then the last time. That is good. We finish the week with training of the zone leaders. It really is a very busy week but we see so many miracles and we learn from our mistakes and the lord is so merciful to us.
This last week was great. We had our last Zone Conference in Pereira, In the conference I talked about something that i hadn´t talked about before. It was less about the way we do the work and more about the missionary. We read scriptures in the new testament about peters life. when christ said "Come and i will make you fishers of men.." He called peter forever. He was his man. Peter forgot for a second when he denied christ three times the promise that he had made and the calling he accepted. We have all denied christ and not just three times. Many times. It hurts to think of all the drops of blood that were spilled for me. I invited all th missionaries to change if it was necesarry, to seek perfection, and to remember the promise we have made. I am so imperfect and i wish i could be better. Christ forgives us as we serve, I have felt it. I love this work and we will have 3 baptisms this week which is the best news. The gospel=The plan god has to save us all. He wants it and we help.
I love you all. Elder Belnap
Enjoy March Madness!!!! I am too but it is a different type of madness. (I think this is funny…and true)
March 10, 2012
Do you have any new news about the mission division? I know that it will be part of your mission and the Baranquilla mission.
Did you do any traveling this week?
I loved all the pictures. They make me smile.
How are your plans for the 20th?
What names can we put in the temple to help?
We looked up Cuey….Are you kidding me???? Bless you my son
We dont have any news about the mission division but we will see in the next coming weeks.
We didnt really travel too much we went to popayan where we saw a bad semi accident, well we didnt see the accident just the after affects. The man fell asleep and smashed his semi into a house after falling down a large mountain. Not sure if he lives or if he is in the spirit world. bad deal. The 20th will be a special day in the mission. We just have to wait and see. We need to do all we can and let the lord work in the hearts of these people. I am happy to serve in Cali and to see the miracles that are happening. I sent the names to dad. Cuey... Ya its like grilled rat... oh ya.
We have a great branch president working with us and the Lord is with us in every phase of the work. The president taught us how to be better in extending committments. I love how it feels when we help them make committments with the lord and they keep them. We were guided by divine power to 2 families this week. I love teaching families. They are prepared and ready to accept the gospel. Something interesting... The wife is like 40 and he is younger then me.. 19... Ya i know she has a daughter his age. Love is love i guess. haha
We have are focus and we are working for it. I loved the pictures and letters this week. I love getting letters from honey and pictures of sawyer. I hope og gets better soon. We need a miracle and God is ready to give it to us. We are going to Manizales this week. Maybe i will see Chinchina. We will just have to see...
I love you all. Elder Belnap
Did you do any traveling this week?
I loved all the pictures. They make me smile.
How are your plans for the 20th?
What names can we put in the temple to help?
We looked up Cuey….Are you kidding me???? Bless you my son
We dont have any news about the mission division but we will see in the next coming weeks.
We didnt really travel too much we went to popayan where we saw a bad semi accident, well we didnt see the accident just the after affects. The man fell asleep and smashed his semi into a house after falling down a large mountain. Not sure if he lives or if he is in the spirit world. bad deal. The 20th will be a special day in the mission. We just have to wait and see. We need to do all we can and let the lord work in the hearts of these people. I am happy to serve in Cali and to see the miracles that are happening. I sent the names to dad. Cuey... Ya its like grilled rat... oh ya.
We have a great branch president working with us and the Lord is with us in every phase of the work. The president taught us how to be better in extending committments. I love how it feels when we help them make committments with the lord and they keep them. We were guided by divine power to 2 families this week. I love teaching families. They are prepared and ready to accept the gospel. Something interesting... The wife is like 40 and he is younger then me.. 19... Ya i know she has a daughter his age. Love is love i guess. haha
We have are focus and we are working for it. I loved the pictures and letters this week. I love getting letters from honey and pictures of sawyer. I hope og gets better soon. We need a miracle and God is ready to give it to us. We are going to Manizales this week. Maybe i will see Chinchina. We will just have to see...
I love you all. Elder Belnap
March 4, 2012
.
1. I talked with Sister Prince: Did you fly to Medellin and meet up with them?
2. How are your investigators?
3. Do you go to church in Cali each week?
4. Tell Elder Jammett I said thank you for teaching you so many things about doing the work in the office.
5. Did you share your candy with missionaries/children?
6. Do you and Kelon write each other each week? How is he really doing? Please tell him I pray for him daily and love him.
Ya we went to meddellin on monday morning. We got up at like 3 and went to the airport and we were in conference and interviews at nine. Are investigators are great. We have a great group. We found 33 new people last week so we have a lot to do. It was tough to be traveling and not in our area with them but the secretaries helped us a ton. We have 6 baptism dates for the 20th. But, we need to have 6 baptisms. we need more baptismal dates. Ya we always go to church in our ward in Cali. I always share the candy with the missionaries. I didnt eat hardly any, the missionaries and the senior couples ate it all. haha I always write kayo. Every week we send each other emails.
Hello hello, This week we went to the part of the mission most north and most south. We went close to Ecuador. Meddellin was incredible we had spiritual experiences and at night i went and visited converts and to old investigators. It was awesome because i was able to really communicate with them in spanish. I loved it and it is pure joy to find active converts. I had a sweet surprise in Medellin. We were leaving and we got to the airport and guess who was there... Elder Miranda. My trainer. It was so awesome to talk to him. He is working in Meddellin and went to the airport because sister prince had told him we would be there. It was awesome we have a picture but sister prince has it. He is like a brother to me. We then left and arrived in Cali at like 7 30. We didnt have time to do anything we went and taught a lesson and put a baptism date. her name is Natali and she is way cool. She is going to be baptized on the 20th. We then woke up went to the office to finish some stats from the mission then we went to the airport and headed south. They had told me that this city was cold. It is called Pasto it is surrounded by a huge active volcano. Well i thought we are in Colombia how cold can it really be.... Im not gunna take a jacket... What a foolish mistake. It was so cold that the three days i was there i was literally freezing. We were teaching one night and it got down to like 45 degrees... I thought i was going to die. I got a cold and was so cold. I am so used to 75 degree weather every day. It was horrible and i still have a cough. haha On a spiritual note we had a great zone conference and divisiones were awesome. I did have to eat Cuey. Which is like a giant hamster. It is like rat. But it is all good i just ate it.
We have a lot of potential coming into this month. I feel so happy to be a part of this work. I love the saviour and i feel power and love from our father in heaven.
I love you all. Until next week. Elder Belnap
1. I talked with Sister Prince: Did you fly to Medellin and meet up with them?
2. How are your investigators?
3. Do you go to church in Cali each week?
4. Tell Elder Jammett I said thank you for teaching you so many things about doing the work in the office.
5. Did you share your candy with missionaries/children?
6. Do you and Kelon write each other each week? How is he really doing? Please tell him I pray for him daily and love him.
Ya we went to meddellin on monday morning. We got up at like 3 and went to the airport and we were in conference and interviews at nine. Are investigators are great. We have a great group. We found 33 new people last week so we have a lot to do. It was tough to be traveling and not in our area with them but the secretaries helped us a ton. We have 6 baptism dates for the 20th. But, we need to have 6 baptisms. we need more baptismal dates. Ya we always go to church in our ward in Cali. I always share the candy with the missionaries. I didnt eat hardly any, the missionaries and the senior couples ate it all. haha I always write kayo. Every week we send each other emails.
Hello hello, This week we went to the part of the mission most north and most south. We went close to Ecuador. Meddellin was incredible we had spiritual experiences and at night i went and visited converts and to old investigators. It was awesome because i was able to really communicate with them in spanish. I loved it and it is pure joy to find active converts. I had a sweet surprise in Medellin. We were leaving and we got to the airport and guess who was there... Elder Miranda. My trainer. It was so awesome to talk to him. He is working in Meddellin and went to the airport because sister prince had told him we would be there. It was awesome we have a picture but sister prince has it. He is like a brother to me. We then left and arrived in Cali at like 7 30. We didnt have time to do anything we went and taught a lesson and put a baptism date. her name is Natali and she is way cool. She is going to be baptized on the 20th. We then woke up went to the office to finish some stats from the mission then we went to the airport and headed south. They had told me that this city was cold. It is called Pasto it is surrounded by a huge active volcano. Well i thought we are in Colombia how cold can it really be.... Im not gunna take a jacket... What a foolish mistake. It was so cold that the three days i was there i was literally freezing. We were teaching one night and it got down to like 45 degrees... I thought i was going to die. I got a cold and was so cold. I am so used to 75 degree weather every day. It was horrible and i still have a cough. haha On a spiritual note we had a great zone conference and divisiones were awesome. I did have to eat Cuey. Which is like a giant hamster. It is like rat. But it is all good i just ate it.
We have a lot of potential coming into this month. I feel so happy to be a part of this work. I love the saviour and i feel power and love from our father in heaven.
I love you all. Until next week. Elder Belnap
Feb 25, 2012
1. Send Pictures: This is not a request!!!
2. Did you get the packages?
3. How were your travels?
4. What is the temperament in the mission about the upcoming changes?
5. Do you want to write a little email to the boys for the newsletter?
6. Do you want me to send the newsletter by email or just keep mailing it?
7. When is the Colombian “Valentine’s Day”?
I did get the packages. It was great!! I am happy to have scriptures. Thank you laura. I also got one from Jackee which had a tie and some goodies in it. I enjoyed it greatly. Thank you!
Things are going well, we have been traveling for zone conferences. It has been good but i also hate it. I hate not being in my area San Fernando. I really sometimes feel empty not being able to be here everyday.Everyone is talking about the mission and the progression of the work. But, we dont have a lot of information so it has died down a little bit. But no mom I think i like it better if you just send the letter i send home to the newsletter. I like it that way more. I think if you mail it, I would like it more. Colombian valentines day is in like april or something or june i cant really remember. haha.
Hello hello, We have a had a great week. We have had to fight it hasnt been easy. We have seen many obstacles and a lot of oppisition. It has been hard. But, we are confident and we try to give it all. We have a big activity tonight. We are going to fill the chapel. I have been looking forward to this for two weeks. The ward has changed a lot. We had the biggest group of people in a sacrament meeting that we have had in 2 years. It is real progress.
Our converts are doing great and they are inviting others to hear the message we share. We are scheduled for baptisms for the 20th of march. That should be a very special day. The zone committed to have 60 baptisms this day. It is a huge number. We just do our part and the lord fills in the gaps.
I got letters from my buddies this week. I am always overwhelmed by the group of friends that i had in high school and that i have in this moment. I love to be serving at this time with them. I also get to see uncle Jensen a lot which is sweet. The president trusts uncle jens a lot. (Uncle Jensen is a boy that Ben played basketball with in High School)
I love you all. We go to medellin and pasto this week. all the way north and then all the way south... It will be a busy week. I love this work.
Elder Belnap
Con amor,
Elder Benny Belnap
2. Did you get the packages?
3. How were your travels?
4. What is the temperament in the mission about the upcoming changes?
5. Do you want to write a little email to the boys for the newsletter?
6. Do you want me to send the newsletter by email or just keep mailing it?
7. When is the Colombian “Valentine’s Day”?
I did get the packages. It was great!! I am happy to have scriptures. Thank you laura. I also got one from Jackee which had a tie and some goodies in it. I enjoyed it greatly. Thank you!
Things are going well, we have been traveling for zone conferences. It has been good but i also hate it. I hate not being in my area San Fernando. I really sometimes feel empty not being able to be here everyday.Everyone is talking about the mission and the progression of the work. But, we dont have a lot of information so it has died down a little bit. But no mom I think i like it better if you just send the letter i send home to the newsletter. I like it that way more. I think if you mail it, I would like it more. Colombian valentines day is in like april or something or june i cant really remember. haha.
Hello hello, We have a had a great week. We have had to fight it hasnt been easy. We have seen many obstacles and a lot of oppisition. It has been hard. But, we are confident and we try to give it all. We have a big activity tonight. We are going to fill the chapel. I have been looking forward to this for two weeks. The ward has changed a lot. We had the biggest group of people in a sacrament meeting that we have had in 2 years. It is real progress.
Our converts are doing great and they are inviting others to hear the message we share. We are scheduled for baptisms for the 20th of march. That should be a very special day. The zone committed to have 60 baptisms this day. It is a huge number. We just do our part and the lord fills in the gaps.
I got letters from my buddies this week. I am always overwhelmed by the group of friends that i had in high school and that i have in this moment. I love to be serving at this time with them. I also get to see uncle Jensen a lot which is sweet. The president trusts uncle jens a lot. (Uncle Jensen is a boy that Ben played basketball with in High School)
I love you all. We go to medellin and pasto this week. all the way north and then all the way south... It will be a busy week. I love this work.
Elder Belnap
Con amor,
Elder Benny Belnap
Feb 18, 2012
1. Do you know the boundaries for the new missions?
2. When does your mission companion go home?
3. Have you seen your packages? There are two
4. Did you travel this week? Where?
5. I am talking with Marcie Prince on Facebook….FUN
6. Do you have any missionaries that need something now?
Hello Mother,
We dont know the boundaries but we can kind of guess. (Ben’s mission is going to be split into two mission in July. Cali Colombia and Medellin missions) We think that everything above armenia is theirs and everything below is ours. My companion finishes in march. The 23rd he´ll be on the plane. Haven´t seen any packeges i am waiting on some scriptures. haha We traveled a little to do interviews and we teach a little thing to the companionship before they have their interview with the president. This week we start zone conference so we will travel to all the mission.
Hello hello, yesterday we had zone leader training which was great. We feel like we are starting the lift off and we are now seeing real progress. I am excited. The 20th of march the president has asked that every companionship has 2 baptisms. That is what we are working and striving for. It is a commitment, not jst a goal. I know we will do it. We committed to having more and the lord is with us.
We had stake conference with president prince, the place was packed it was great. We filled it with investigatores and the president shook their hands and it was special. They felt that he is a man of god. He truly is.
Sister prince has had so much to do and they are always trying to help the missionaries and always think of others before themselves. I hope to be more like them.
I am happy you are heading out with grandma and Lisa to Saint George. It is always great to get letters from my grammy.
I love my mission and i hope all is well back home.
Elder Belnap
2. When does your mission companion go home?
3. Have you seen your packages? There are two
4. Did you travel this week? Where?
5. I am talking with Marcie Prince on Facebook….FUN
6. Do you have any missionaries that need something now?
Hello Mother,
We dont know the boundaries but we can kind of guess. (Ben’s mission is going to be split into two mission in July. Cali Colombia and Medellin missions) We think that everything above armenia is theirs and everything below is ours. My companion finishes in march. The 23rd he´ll be on the plane. Haven´t seen any packeges i am waiting on some scriptures. haha We traveled a little to do interviews and we teach a little thing to the companionship before they have their interview with the president. This week we start zone conference so we will travel to all the mission.
Hello hello, yesterday we had zone leader training which was great. We feel like we are starting the lift off and we are now seeing real progress. I am excited. The 20th of march the president has asked that every companionship has 2 baptisms. That is what we are working and striving for. It is a commitment, not jst a goal. I know we will do it. We committed to having more and the lord is with us.
We had stake conference with president prince, the place was packed it was great. We filled it with investigatores and the president shook their hands and it was special. They felt that he is a man of god. He truly is.
Sister prince has had so much to do and they are always trying to help the missionaries and always think of others before themselves. I hope to be more like them.
I am happy you are heading out with grandma and Lisa to Saint George. It is always great to get letters from my grammy.
I love my mission and i hope all is well back home.
Elder Belnap
Feb 13, 2012
Well i have been waiting for the go ahead to announce and now we can and i am so excited to say that as of July 1 2012 the mission colombia Cali will split and the mission colombia medellin will be opened.
These are the details we know mother. I will inform you as we get closer to the date. Wow...
He doesn’t know any more than this right now….I hope he stays with the Princes but maybe he will be needed in the new mission. So exciting for the people of Colombia
MOM
These are the details we know mother. I will inform you as we get closer to the date. Wow...
He doesn’t know any more than this right now….I hope he stays with the Princes but maybe he will be needed in the new mission. So exciting for the people of Colombia
MOM
Feb 11, 2012
Questions I asked him this week:
1. Tell me all about transfers
2. Were there any new missionaries from Utah or the states?
3. Emilee had surgery on her finger: her bone in the end of her finger turned to mush: they put bone from her wrist in her finger: It is getting better and it is not cancerous. Good News
4. How often do you travel?
5. Do you have zone leaders come to Cali or do you have zone conferences around the areas?
6. How are your garments and white shirts holding up?
Well transfers were great. It was a very crazy week but it was fun. The new missioneries got here on tuesday at 7 o clock in the morning. We took all 25 of them back to Cali and they had trainings and interviews with President Prince. Then on wednesday after getting home around 11 00 or 11 30 we got up at 4 to go the bus terminal to send the groups of normal missioneries to their areas. The president changed the whole mission. 110 misioneros had transfers and there are only 160 missioneries here. It was insane. It was a miracle that everyone got to their area and that everything worked out.
There are three from the US. Two from California and 1 from New Mexico. They are cool. It is hard to start the mission i realized that talking to them. Emmo had surgery? I wonder why her bone turned to oatmeal. Too much Halo.. haha love you emmo.
We travel every couple of weeks. Next week we start zone conferences so we will travel through the whole mission. Should be good and bad. Good to be with the missionaries bad to be away from investigatores.
When there are zone leader conferences they all come to Cali. This friday will be the conference with them. We have a good plan and we feel things will change with this conference.
My shirts and Garments are good.
I thought i would tell you that we had a baptism this week. Francisca, was baptized on tuesday in front of all the new missioneries. It was a special night. Her whole family are members and she has known about the church for thirty years. But, we know it was her time to be baptized. We went and taught her with President prince and we had incredible experiences. The president taught with love and power and he said to her "the lord wants you to be baptized on tuesday will you do it" she did it. She was baptized with her mom who is an eternal investigator in another area. What a special night. Her brother baptized her and there were a lot of tears in the meeting. The family was so happy. I love her so much and i am sure i will write more about her.
I love this work cause i know it is real. It fills me with joy. I want to serve the lord forever.
hope all is well. Elder Belnap
1. Tell me all about transfers
2. Were there any new missionaries from Utah or the states?
3. Emilee had surgery on her finger: her bone in the end of her finger turned to mush: they put bone from her wrist in her finger: It is getting better and it is not cancerous. Good News
4. How often do you travel?
5. Do you have zone leaders come to Cali or do you have zone conferences around the areas?
6. How are your garments and white shirts holding up?
Well transfers were great. It was a very crazy week but it was fun. The new missioneries got here on tuesday at 7 o clock in the morning. We took all 25 of them back to Cali and they had trainings and interviews with President Prince. Then on wednesday after getting home around 11 00 or 11 30 we got up at 4 to go the bus terminal to send the groups of normal missioneries to their areas. The president changed the whole mission. 110 misioneros had transfers and there are only 160 missioneries here. It was insane. It was a miracle that everyone got to their area and that everything worked out.
There are three from the US. Two from California and 1 from New Mexico. They are cool. It is hard to start the mission i realized that talking to them. Emmo had surgery? I wonder why her bone turned to oatmeal. Too much Halo.. haha love you emmo.
We travel every couple of weeks. Next week we start zone conferences so we will travel through the whole mission. Should be good and bad. Good to be with the missionaries bad to be away from investigatores.
When there are zone leader conferences they all come to Cali. This friday will be the conference with them. We have a good plan and we feel things will change with this conference.
My shirts and Garments are good.
I thought i would tell you that we had a baptism this week. Francisca, was baptized on tuesday in front of all the new missioneries. It was a special night. Her whole family are members and she has known about the church for thirty years. But, we know it was her time to be baptized. We went and taught her with President prince and we had incredible experiences. The president taught with love and power and he said to her "the lord wants you to be baptized on tuesday will you do it" she did it. She was baptized with her mom who is an eternal investigator in another area. What a special night. Her brother baptized her and there were a lot of tears in the meeting. The family was so happy. I love her so much and i am sure i will write more about her.
I love this work cause i know it is real. It fills me with joy. I want to serve the lord forever.
hope all is well. Elder Belnap
Feb 4, 2012
Trying one more time….The emails keep bouncing back…
Pictures of Ben with the planes he flies on and an Elder from Bountiful, Jordan Jensen
1. What do you do on P-day: Give me a schedule
2. Tell me about the zoo: How is it different from zoo’s in the state?
3. Are there any mountains in Cali?
4. How often do you get to eat with Sister Prince?
5. What is your favorite lesson to teach?
6. Do most of the people believe in Christ?
Hello mother,
Well pday we often dont have one. Like today we are trying to finish all of the transfers before sunday night. But when we have pday it is a just like pday out in the field we do stuff or rest a little. The zoo, It is just a little bit more ghetto but it really is a nice zoo. But they didn´t have buffalo.... There are mountains but the city is in a valley it is a big valley. The entire state is a valley with mountains surrounding it. I love to teach all the lessons laura. I think there is great power in teaching the commandments. We dont really ever eat with sister prince. When we travel with the president we eat with them or sometimes on special occasions(how do you spell that). Yes everyone believes in christ. You should look for the statue here in Cali it is called Cristo Rey. It is up on the mountain looking over the city. We can see it from our window.
What a great week it has been, we have seen so many blessings from the lord. We got to teach a lesson with president, he was teaching a lady and we have been teaching with him. She is going to be baptized on tuesday. Yesterday Lizeth was baptized. It was so special she was so prepared. I think i mentioned how we found her family. Truly god led us to this house. The family will be next. I love this work and i recognize that we are nothing but instruments because this is not our work its gods. She will be comirfed tomorrow and she is going to teach the class in sunday school.. Wow she truly is converted.
We are preparing for all the new missionaries. I really am excited to go to the airport and to be a part of the experience. It is going to be a hard week and we havent even finished organizing all the transfers. I will take pictures to send home. I am going to try to convey the things i have learned on my mission and help them make the decision. It is intersting, the missionaries have the mormon messages videos and one is about tyler haws. It was cool to see. I remember watching him play when i was a sophmore wow. But, he said it wasnt hard to make the choose to go on his mission cause he had already decided. That is what i want to convey. Choose today if you are going to be obedient, you wont have to make the choice in the moment. Make it now.
Love Elder Belnap
Pictures of Ben with the planes he flies on and an Elder from Bountiful, Jordan Jensen
1. What do you do on P-day: Give me a schedule
2. Tell me about the zoo: How is it different from zoo’s in the state?
3. Are there any mountains in Cali?
4. How often do you get to eat with Sister Prince?
5. What is your favorite lesson to teach?
6. Do most of the people believe in Christ?
Hello mother,
Well pday we often dont have one. Like today we are trying to finish all of the transfers before sunday night. But when we have pday it is a just like pday out in the field we do stuff or rest a little. The zoo, It is just a little bit more ghetto but it really is a nice zoo. But they didn´t have buffalo.... There are mountains but the city is in a valley it is a big valley. The entire state is a valley with mountains surrounding it. I love to teach all the lessons laura. I think there is great power in teaching the commandments. We dont really ever eat with sister prince. When we travel with the president we eat with them or sometimes on special occasions(how do you spell that). Yes everyone believes in christ. You should look for the statue here in Cali it is called Cristo Rey. It is up on the mountain looking over the city. We can see it from our window.
What a great week it has been, we have seen so many blessings from the lord. We got to teach a lesson with president, he was teaching a lady and we have been teaching with him. She is going to be baptized on tuesday. Yesterday Lizeth was baptized. It was so special she was so prepared. I think i mentioned how we found her family. Truly god led us to this house. The family will be next. I love this work and i recognize that we are nothing but instruments because this is not our work its gods. She will be comirfed tomorrow and she is going to teach the class in sunday school.. Wow she truly is converted.
We are preparing for all the new missionaries. I really am excited to go to the airport and to be a part of the experience. It is going to be a hard week and we havent even finished organizing all the transfers. I will take pictures to send home. I am going to try to convey the things i have learned on my mission and help them make the decision. It is intersting, the missionaries have the mormon messages videos and one is about tyler haws. It was cool to see. I remember watching him play when i was a sophmore wow. But, he said it wasnt hard to make the choose to go on his mission cause he had already decided. That is what i want to convey. Choose today if you are going to be obedient, you wont have to make the choice in the moment. Make it now.
Love Elder Belnap
Jan 28, 2012
These are the questions I sent this week:
1. Where did you go this week?
2. How are your investigators doing this week?
3. How many members come to church in Cali?
4. Does President Prince speak in church very often?
5. Are there any American leaders or are they native leaders in the church?
6. Do you drink a lot of juice still?
7. Is it hot there? Kelon said it was very hot.
8. Do you need anything?
Hello mother,
Well we stayed here in cali this week. The invest. are doing good. We are going to have 4 baptisms 1 on the third and 3 on the 7th. Things are starting to role and we work hard to get everything done fast to be able to go out and work. (Elder Ramirez the sec. of the president is here sitting with me. He says hello and that he is taking good care of me he says i am a good boy) In our ward there are like 90. There are about 2500 3000 members here in the city. I am sure the president speaks in church a lot. I never see him on sundays so i am not sure. They are all latin leaders. There are some great people here. I stll drink juice everyday, some fruits you have never even heard of. It is hot but really not too bad. It is like 80 degrees everyday. I dont need anything. I am fine. I would like to know if you have news about my scriptures you sent.
This week was great. we finished the transfers. It is a beautiful process to see how the president recieves revelation. There are a lot of missionaries that forget their purpose. They forget that we pledged our lives to it. We have taken upon ourselves huge covenants. We must be accountable. There is great power in our covenenats but there is huge responsibility.
We are helping a man named Juan Manuel to quit drinking and now his whole family is listening to us. They are going to go to church tomorrow. That will be great. We see miracles in the process of conversion. Sometimes i think about the process. When christ called his apostles he told them they could be fishers of men. Just like a fisherman we have to fight for them. It does not happen that a fish jumps out of the water and onto your lap. It also does not happen that converts just jump out of the world and onto the lords side. We do all we can for them. We introduce them to members, we fast for them, we pray for them, we teach the doctorine of christ and invite them to repent. We hold the mel. Priesthood we have the powers from heaven on our side.
I read a talk this week fom Boyd K packard. He says we are at war. However, we know the outcome. Satan will lose. He knows it. We cant let him drag us down. The work is true. I love it. It fills me with joy. I have never been more happy.
Elder Belnap
Dad and Og are going sledding .(snowmobiling) I am jealous.
--
Con amor,
Elder Benny Belnap
1. Where did you go this week?
2. How are your investigators doing this week?
3. How many members come to church in Cali?
4. Does President Prince speak in church very often?
5. Are there any American leaders or are they native leaders in the church?
6. Do you drink a lot of juice still?
7. Is it hot there? Kelon said it was very hot.
8. Do you need anything?
Hello mother,
Well we stayed here in cali this week. The invest. are doing good. We are going to have 4 baptisms 1 on the third and 3 on the 7th. Things are starting to role and we work hard to get everything done fast to be able to go out and work. (Elder Ramirez the sec. of the president is here sitting with me. He says hello and that he is taking good care of me he says i am a good boy) In our ward there are like 90. There are about 2500 3000 members here in the city. I am sure the president speaks in church a lot. I never see him on sundays so i am not sure. They are all latin leaders. There are some great people here. I stll drink juice everyday, some fruits you have never even heard of. It is hot but really not too bad. It is like 80 degrees everyday. I dont need anything. I am fine. I would like to know if you have news about my scriptures you sent.
This week was great. we finished the transfers. It is a beautiful process to see how the president recieves revelation. There are a lot of missionaries that forget their purpose. They forget that we pledged our lives to it. We have taken upon ourselves huge covenants. We must be accountable. There is great power in our covenenats but there is huge responsibility.
We are helping a man named Juan Manuel to quit drinking and now his whole family is listening to us. They are going to go to church tomorrow. That will be great. We see miracles in the process of conversion. Sometimes i think about the process. When christ called his apostles he told them they could be fishers of men. Just like a fisherman we have to fight for them. It does not happen that a fish jumps out of the water and onto your lap. It also does not happen that converts just jump out of the world and onto the lords side. We do all we can for them. We introduce them to members, we fast for them, we pray for them, we teach the doctorine of christ and invite them to repent. We hold the mel. Priesthood we have the powers from heaven on our side.
I read a talk this week fom Boyd K packard. He says we are at war. However, we know the outcome. Satan will lose. He knows it. We cant let him drag us down. The work is true. I love it. It fills me with joy. I have never been more happy.
Elder Belnap
Dad and Og are going sledding .(snowmobiling) I am jealous.
--
Con amor,
Elder Benny Belnap
Jan 22, 2012
I asked him about traveling, flying, his new investigators, busses, and food. Here are his responses:
This week we were in Medellin and the rest of the week we were here working in Cali. I went by Chinchina but we didn´t stop we just passed through. The flights were normal not too bad. I also talked to a lady about the church during the flight. It went well. My companion committed someone to baptism on the flight. That was great. We have many people ready for baptism, Blanca and Jamie they are a family that are going to be baptized on the 8th of february also lizeth marilyn angie and their grandmother idalba are going to be baptized on the 3rd. We have Camila but she doesn´t want to give up coffee... We have seen so many miracles. The lord keeps doing is work and we simply get to participate. If you find out the elders name i can look it up and i should be here when he gets to the mission. The busses yes are very crowded. But, here in Cali i have never gone in bus. No the food is good i like it i haven´t eaten anything weird. I also got to eat american food in sister princes house. Chicken parmesan. oh ya
We are in a very special week in the history of my mission. The president is so happy for what has happened this week. We have found so many people this week as the mission. We smashed the old record in the mission in the last ten years. We are improving so much every day. I left my camera in the presidents car and i haven´t gone to recover it. I have some sweet pictures to send you. I just havent been able to do it yet.
We are planning for the transfers that will happen in 3 weeks. Wow it is going to be crazy. A huge group is leaving and a bigger group is coming. I dont know what is going to be like. The thing is about transfers is that we dont really sleep. I am learning the power of gods promises to renew our body.
Sometimes we dont get a normal personal study but i treasure the time that i have. It is so special. I look for christ in the scriptures and i feel his goodness. Thank you for your love and your support. I love hearing from you each week. God bless.
Elder Belnap.
p.s. I talked about Babe Ruth the other day to a group of missionaries. It was cool, I talked about how he pointed his bat to the fences. In that moment he committed himself. He had a lot of guts to do it. That is the committment we have made to the lord this week we promised we were going to find 21 new people to teach and we were able to do it. The mission is learning the difference between a goal and a committment. it is kinda like yoda "Do or do not there is no try". You just gotta do it.
--
Con amor,
Elder Benny Belnap
This week we were in Medellin and the rest of the week we were here working in Cali. I went by Chinchina but we didn´t stop we just passed through. The flights were normal not too bad. I also talked to a lady about the church during the flight. It went well. My companion committed someone to baptism on the flight. That was great. We have many people ready for baptism, Blanca and Jamie they are a family that are going to be baptized on the 8th of february also lizeth marilyn angie and their grandmother idalba are going to be baptized on the 3rd. We have Camila but she doesn´t want to give up coffee... We have seen so many miracles. The lord keeps doing is work and we simply get to participate. If you find out the elders name i can look it up and i should be here when he gets to the mission. The busses yes are very crowded. But, here in Cali i have never gone in bus. No the food is good i like it i haven´t eaten anything weird. I also got to eat american food in sister princes house. Chicken parmesan. oh ya
We are in a very special week in the history of my mission. The president is so happy for what has happened this week. We have found so many people this week as the mission. We smashed the old record in the mission in the last ten years. We are improving so much every day. I left my camera in the presidents car and i haven´t gone to recover it. I have some sweet pictures to send you. I just havent been able to do it yet.
We are planning for the transfers that will happen in 3 weeks. Wow it is going to be crazy. A huge group is leaving and a bigger group is coming. I dont know what is going to be like. The thing is about transfers is that we dont really sleep. I am learning the power of gods promises to renew our body.
Sometimes we dont get a normal personal study but i treasure the time that i have. It is so special. I look for christ in the scriptures and i feel his goodness. Thank you for your love and your support. I love hearing from you each week. God bless.
Elder Belnap.
p.s. I talked about Babe Ruth the other day to a group of missionaries. It was cool, I talked about how he pointed his bat to the fences. In that moment he committed himself. He had a lot of guts to do it. That is the committment we have made to the lord this week we promised we were going to find 21 new people to teach and we were able to do it. The mission is learning the difference between a goal and a committment. it is kinda like yoda "Do or do not there is no try". You just gotta do it.
--
Con amor,
Elder Benny Belnap
Jan 15, 2012
Mother,
(Again, these are the answers to the questions listed below: ) I believe that every missionary got their christmas package. It was great. We traveled this week, We started in Manizales, (We passed through Chinchina You can imagine my glee) Then we were in pereira then we were in armenia then tulua, palmira, and again here in Cali. We have had "Training meetings" With all the missionaries in these conferences. We have learned a lot and i have seen all my friends from the mission. I saw uncle Jensen. (This is a boy from Bountiful) I have a great picture with him. Dont freak out laura but i cant send pictures because i am in the street not in the office. We just finished conference in calima and now we are going to have skype conference with pasto. It will be good. I should have time next week to send pictures. Maybe on tuesday i will send a bunch. I have taken photos i just haven´t sent them. I haven´t gotten a letter from mikey. The zone leader is doing fine the stitches were taken out and he is in medellin again. Speaking of Medellin, on monday i will be in medellin. It will be cool to go in airplane.
How great it is that there were many birthdays this week in the house. Sawyer and you mom. My week was good. We had so many special experiences. It makes me sad that i dont have more time to write them all down in my journal but i guess that is just part of the deal. We were in Zone Conference in manizales and in the middle of the conference changed his mind about everything. He wanted to meet with every zone in the whole mission in 6 days. The problem was is that we already had every thing planned and all the plane tickets and things were bought. It took a while and i little bit of stressed but we were able to organize two conferences every day this whole week. It has been a lot. But it has been so great. I have learned new things in every conference. The president is very inspired and he trusts greatly in his missionaries. He trusts us with a lot of things. He loves the work of the lord.
We also have been able to do divisiones and work in different citys and a little in our own area. We are going to baptize. We cant just be a coach that watches the game, we want to players that step out on the field. We are going to have success . The lord is so merciful and his hand is in every step off the work.
Remember in the last supper when christ says that he is the vine, John 15 5. He explains that we can do NOTHING without him. The apostoles were able to see a true example of that 6 chapters later when they are fishing. They hadn´t caught anything but when christ told them where to cast their net, it was filled. He shows us the way. He is the light. We are his representatives.
I talked about being the salt to my companion. Salt only loses its sabor when we mix it. We are not of the world.
We have celestial potential. Love you all Elder Belnap
SEND SOME PICTURES THIS WEEK!
1. Did any of the other Elders get their Christmas packages?
2. Where did you travel this week? Who did you see?
3. Have you seen Elder Jensen? Give me details if you can so I can tell his mom
4. Michael Taylor wrote you a letter….Did you get it?
5. How is the Zone leader that got cut? Is he ok? How was the surgeon?
Con amor,
Elder Benny Belnap
(Again, these are the answers to the questions listed below: ) I believe that every missionary got their christmas package. It was great. We traveled this week, We started in Manizales, (We passed through Chinchina You can imagine my glee) Then we were in pereira then we were in armenia then tulua, palmira, and again here in Cali. We have had "Training meetings" With all the missionaries in these conferences. We have learned a lot and i have seen all my friends from the mission. I saw uncle Jensen. (This is a boy from Bountiful) I have a great picture with him. Dont freak out laura but i cant send pictures because i am in the street not in the office. We just finished conference in calima and now we are going to have skype conference with pasto. It will be good. I should have time next week to send pictures. Maybe on tuesday i will send a bunch. I have taken photos i just haven´t sent them. I haven´t gotten a letter from mikey. The zone leader is doing fine the stitches were taken out and he is in medellin again. Speaking of Medellin, on monday i will be in medellin. It will be cool to go in airplane.
How great it is that there were many birthdays this week in the house. Sawyer and you mom. My week was good. We had so many special experiences. It makes me sad that i dont have more time to write them all down in my journal but i guess that is just part of the deal. We were in Zone Conference in manizales and in the middle of the conference changed his mind about everything. He wanted to meet with every zone in the whole mission in 6 days. The problem was is that we already had every thing planned and all the plane tickets and things were bought. It took a while and i little bit of stressed but we were able to organize two conferences every day this whole week. It has been a lot. But it has been so great. I have learned new things in every conference. The president is very inspired and he trusts greatly in his missionaries. He trusts us with a lot of things. He loves the work of the lord.
We also have been able to do divisiones and work in different citys and a little in our own area. We are going to baptize. We cant just be a coach that watches the game, we want to players that step out on the field. We are going to have success . The lord is so merciful and his hand is in every step off the work.
Remember in the last supper when christ says that he is the vine, John 15 5. He explains that we can do NOTHING without him. The apostoles were able to see a true example of that 6 chapters later when they are fishing. They hadn´t caught anything but when christ told them where to cast their net, it was filled. He shows us the way. He is the light. We are his representatives.
I talked about being the salt to my companion. Salt only loses its sabor when we mix it. We are not of the world.
We have celestial potential. Love you all Elder Belnap
SEND SOME PICTURES THIS WEEK!
1. Did any of the other Elders get their Christmas packages?
2. Where did you travel this week? Who did you see?
3. Have you seen Elder Jensen? Give me details if you can so I can tell his mom
4. Michael Taylor wrote you a letter….Did you get it?
5. How is the Zone leader that got cut? Is he ok? How was the surgeon?
Con amor,
Elder Benny Belnap
Jan 7, 2012
1. How much do you travel?
2. Do you still get to play soccer/basketball?
3. Does the President work out each day?
4. Have you been back to any of your old areas yet?
5. Do you drive or ride or how do you get around?
6. Do you ever have time to teach investigators in Cali?
7. How many people come to church in Cali?
(Answers to the questions once again)
Hello hello, When there are conferences and training we travel a lot. This week has been great, just here in our area. We still play we sometimes have a pday on saturdays so we can organize stuff with the members. I think the president and his wife do work out every day. He likes to run. I havent been back to any of my old areas but i am thinking that on monday night i will be in chinchina. What a miracle and a blessing it will be. We dont drive. No missionaries are allowed to drive in this mission. Too many accidents i think haha. Yes we have time. We only have time in the nights and if we can finish our work fast we get out earlier. We are become very effective and doing the missionary work in three hours in a day instead of 9 or 10.
What a great week it has been. I feel a lot more comfortable and a lot more secure now. We have had so many spiritual experiences I wish i could sit down and write them all but i am finding a hard time finding a moment to email.
On friday we had zone leader conference here in cali. It was great. We had a great plan. They got so excited and the president is so inspired that he knows how he is going to help the missionaries always remember the desire they felt when they left the training. We talked about the mission and what is happening. We talked about the legacy that we can leave. I made a presentation about LeBron James and the affect he had on Cleveland and what happened to the team when he left. One person can make the difference. I feel it. I feel moved.
Afterwords we went to an appointment with a big family. There are so special i love them with all my heart. When we got to the appointment they saw us and said "where is the other person missionary?" and we asked what other. Each one looked surprised, the kids and the parents included. They said the first time we saw you in the street the other day there were three of you. I was filled with the spirit, that night an angel guided us to that family. I know this church is true.
After the lesson we were so filled with the love of god and so peaceful. We arrived at our house and our phones started ringing. Elder Jamett was talking i was talking. There was an accident in the highway about two hours outside of Cali. Many men with rocks attacked a bus with four of our zone leaders on it. Everyone was fine but one elder got hit in the face with a piece of glass and had a big gash on his face. They took him to the hospital and we called the president. I thought the president was going to freak out. But he was so calm and said you are my assistents you handle it...
We had to get all his info from the office and find a surgion who could do it. We finished the process at 3 in the morning.
I have no time left. I love you all Elder Belnap i am running to the pres house. We are planning zone conf.
2. Do you still get to play soccer/basketball?
3. Does the President work out each day?
4. Have you been back to any of your old areas yet?
5. Do you drive or ride or how do you get around?
6. Do you ever have time to teach investigators in Cali?
7. How many people come to church in Cali?
(Answers to the questions once again)
Hello hello, When there are conferences and training we travel a lot. This week has been great, just here in our area. We still play we sometimes have a pday on saturdays so we can organize stuff with the members. I think the president and his wife do work out every day. He likes to run. I havent been back to any of my old areas but i am thinking that on monday night i will be in chinchina. What a miracle and a blessing it will be. We dont drive. No missionaries are allowed to drive in this mission. Too many accidents i think haha. Yes we have time. We only have time in the nights and if we can finish our work fast we get out earlier. We are become very effective and doing the missionary work in three hours in a day instead of 9 or 10.
What a great week it has been. I feel a lot more comfortable and a lot more secure now. We have had so many spiritual experiences I wish i could sit down and write them all but i am finding a hard time finding a moment to email.
On friday we had zone leader conference here in cali. It was great. We had a great plan. They got so excited and the president is so inspired that he knows how he is going to help the missionaries always remember the desire they felt when they left the training. We talked about the mission and what is happening. We talked about the legacy that we can leave. I made a presentation about LeBron James and the affect he had on Cleveland and what happened to the team when he left. One person can make the difference. I feel it. I feel moved.
Afterwords we went to an appointment with a big family. There are so special i love them with all my heart. When we got to the appointment they saw us and said "where is the other person missionary?" and we asked what other. Each one looked surprised, the kids and the parents included. They said the first time we saw you in the street the other day there were three of you. I was filled with the spirit, that night an angel guided us to that family. I know this church is true.
After the lesson we were so filled with the love of god and so peaceful. We arrived at our house and our phones started ringing. Elder Jamett was talking i was talking. There was an accident in the highway about two hours outside of Cali. Many men with rocks attacked a bus with four of our zone leaders on it. Everyone was fine but one elder got hit in the face with a piece of glass and had a big gash on his face. They took him to the hospital and we called the president. I thought the president was going to freak out. But he was so calm and said you are my assistents you handle it...
We had to get all his info from the office and find a surgion who could do it. We finished the process at 3 in the morning.
I have no time left. I love you all Elder Belnap i am running to the pres house. We are planning zone conf.
Jan 2, 2012 E-mail from sister prince
Hello Family,
This is the email I got from Sister Prince yesterday. Also, if you want to see Benny on the blog it is: http://colombia-cali.blogspot.com
Happy New Year to all of you…I love you all
MOM
Sister Belnap,
Happy New Year!
What a delight it is to have Elder Belnap serving as our assistant.
My son-in-law describes his 6 months as assistant to the president as the most exhausting time in his life.
We did welcome Elder Belnap to the "vida loca"...he will see first hand the rigors of travel, take phone calls from missionaries with needs, counsel with the president, teach other missionaries by word and example, and be a stable influence in our office culture.
Elder Belnap is an excellent missionary and leader with a desire to do whatever His Heavenly Father needs.
Thank you, thank you for teaching your son correct principles and loving him enough to enforce them.
Wishing you a wonderful 2012!
Sister Prince
PS...his picture is up on the blog!!
This is the email I got from Sister Prince yesterday. Also, if you want to see Benny on the blog it is: http://colombia-cali.blogspot.com
Happy New Year to all of you…I love you all
MOM
Sister Belnap,
Happy New Year!
What a delight it is to have Elder Belnap serving as our assistant.
My son-in-law describes his 6 months as assistant to the president as the most exhausting time in his life.
We did welcome Elder Belnap to the "vida loca"...he will see first hand the rigors of travel, take phone calls from missionaries with needs, counsel with the president, teach other missionaries by word and example, and be a stable influence in our office culture.
Elder Belnap is an excellent missionary and leader with a desire to do whatever His Heavenly Father needs.
Thank you, thank you for teaching your son correct principles and loving him enough to enforce them.
Wishing you a wonderful 2012!
Sister Prince
PS...his picture is up on the blog!!
December 31, 2011
Well, I am afraid the writing is on the wall for long emails and much information. He only took time to answer my questions but I am grateful for that information. Freddy is the man that was taken to the hospital last week from a gunshot wound. (I am not correcting his writing because it would take me too long…Ha-Ha)
Hello hello,
Freddy is well. They are letting him leave the hospital in the next couple of days. When do i get to the office? like everyday or like in the transfers? Cause i have been here for like a week ya. There are 160 missionaries in the mission. Hay solo 8 hermanas here in the mission. I havent seen sister prince too much, she has been sick and there are on like a little break i guess. The president no but the sister ya. Well i am learning my duties every day and i am beginning to understand them a little better. We are in charge of all the numbers in the mission. All of the information of the baptisms in every city. We are in charge of helping the zone leaders and taking the work load off the president. We travel a lot. Next week we will be in zone conference it will be cool. I will be able to see all my friends from the mission and also teach and be taught.
There are six of us in the apartment. Us the assistents and the 4 secrataries. we are all friends and it is good to work together. I am the only gringo.
I honestly dont have time to write more. Maybe another day or something i can write more.
I love you all. elder Belnap
Con amor,
Elder Benny Belnap
1. How is Freddy?
2. When did you get to the office?
3. How many missionaries are in your mission?
4. How many sisters?
5. Please give my love to Sister Prince.
6. What are some of your duties?
7. Will P day always be on Saturday now?
8. Where do you live? How many Elders are in your apartment?
Hello hello,
Freddy is well. They are letting him leave the hospital in the next couple of days. When do i get to the office? like everyday or like in the transfers? Cause i have been here for like a week ya. There are 160 missionaries in the mission. Hay solo 8 hermanas here in the mission. I havent seen sister prince too much, she has been sick and there are on like a little break i guess. The president no but the sister ya. Well i am learning my duties every day and i am beginning to understand them a little better. We are in charge of all the numbers in the mission. All of the information of the baptisms in every city. We are in charge of helping the zone leaders and taking the work load off the president. We travel a lot. Next week we will be in zone conference it will be cool. I will be able to see all my friends from the mission and also teach and be taught.
There are six of us in the apartment. Us the assistents and the 4 secrataries. we are all friends and it is good to work together. I am the only gringo.
I honestly dont have time to write more. Maybe another day or something i can write more.
I love you all. elder Belnap
Con amor,
Elder Benny Belnap
1. How is Freddy?
2. When did you get to the office?
3. How many missionaries are in your mission?
4. How many sisters?
5. Please give my love to Sister Prince.
6. What are some of your duties?
7. Will P day always be on Saturday now?
8. Where do you live? How many Elders are in your apartment?
December 30, 2011
Sister Belnap
How are you? I am Elder Razuri.
Elder Belnap say me that tomorrow he has Preparation day becouse right now is new Asistent to the President.
This is for yuor and family write all te saturday.
Sorry for my english, is bad : )
Sincerely.
Elder Razuri
Secretario Financiero
Mision Colombia Cali
How are you? I am Elder Razuri.
Elder Belnap say me that tomorrow he has Preparation day becouse right now is new Asistent to the President.
This is for yuor and family write all te saturday.
Sorry for my english, is bad : )
Sincerely.
Elder Razuri
Secretario Financiero
Mision Colombia Cali
December 26, 2011
I am sending this entire letter to all the family. These are new pictures from the other email too…The highlighted part is what I took out of the other email.
Pray for your brother….
This week was jorlys baptism. Jorly has listened to missionaries for a long time and all her family are members. (tios abuelos madre... etc.) She didn´t want to be baptized. We thought so much about her and we invited her to listen to us again she accepted but said not to push her for baptism. We taught her and helped her gain a sincere desire to read and pray. She did it. God in his love fulfilled his promise. She felt the answer and without hesitation was baptized on christmas eve. What a beautiful experience. I feel so happy and blessed to be a part of it. I love this work.
Christmas was great. We just visited members. We invited all of them to come unto christ. It felt so great to bear testimony about christ. Church was a little weird. There were four talks very little singing, and the topics of the talks were, joseph smith, the family, service, love. Good topics but its christmas sunday i wanted to hear about the lord jesus. But many people went not too many but there were people.
We got a phone call this morning that a convert of the church here in samanes he maybe was baptized 4 months ago was shot last night. They shot him in the mouth outside his house. His name is fredy. Pray for fredy he is a special person that has changed a lot. He is alive he is in cali in the hospital. I dont know how the recovery is going or what is going to happen.
Well i am being transfered from samanes. I will have some time to work in Cali. It will be cool to be in the big city and to work with wards and stakes. My new companion is elder jamett. We are really good friends he is from chile and is an awesome missionary. I respect him a lot and we called each other last night and we are excited to work together. I will probably be his last companion. We will just have to wait and see. He finishes his mission in march.
I have gotten emails from many friends and i hope everyone had a great christmas. I can see that colombia has forgotten the true meaning. however, we helped some remember. I know my saviour lives. Jesus is the christ. I feel the power in those words. I love this work and i pray i can be more like christ.
Elder Belnap
P.s. Last night was the longest night of my mission. I have never had problems sleeping but at 1 o clock in the morning i was still awake thinking about the future. The president called my to be his new assistent and it has been a lot to swallow. We will just have to try our best haha.
Mom i haven´t gotten your letter yet...
Son,
I will be here at 3:00 our time and 5:00 your time to practice Skype. MOM
Pray for your brother….
This week was jorlys baptism. Jorly has listened to missionaries for a long time and all her family are members. (tios abuelos madre... etc.) She didn´t want to be baptized. We thought so much about her and we invited her to listen to us again she accepted but said not to push her for baptism. We taught her and helped her gain a sincere desire to read and pray. She did it. God in his love fulfilled his promise. She felt the answer and without hesitation was baptized on christmas eve. What a beautiful experience. I feel so happy and blessed to be a part of it. I love this work.
Christmas was great. We just visited members. We invited all of them to come unto christ. It felt so great to bear testimony about christ. Church was a little weird. There were four talks very little singing, and the topics of the talks were, joseph smith, the family, service, love. Good topics but its christmas sunday i wanted to hear about the lord jesus. But many people went not too many but there were people.
We got a phone call this morning that a convert of the church here in samanes he maybe was baptized 4 months ago was shot last night. They shot him in the mouth outside his house. His name is fredy. Pray for fredy he is a special person that has changed a lot. He is alive he is in cali in the hospital. I dont know how the recovery is going or what is going to happen.
Well i am being transfered from samanes. I will have some time to work in Cali. It will be cool to be in the big city and to work with wards and stakes. My new companion is elder jamett. We are really good friends he is from chile and is an awesome missionary. I respect him a lot and we called each other last night and we are excited to work together. I will probably be his last companion. We will just have to wait and see. He finishes his mission in march.
I have gotten emails from many friends and i hope everyone had a great christmas. I can see that colombia has forgotten the true meaning. however, we helped some remember. I know my saviour lives. Jesus is the christ. I feel the power in those words. I love this work and i pray i can be more like christ.
Elder Belnap
P.s. Last night was the longest night of my mission. I have never had problems sleeping but at 1 o clock in the morning i was still awake thinking about the future. The president called my to be his new assistent and it has been a lot to swallow. We will just have to try our best haha.
Mom i haven´t gotten your letter yet...
Son,
I will be here at 3:00 our time and 5:00 your time to practice Skype. MOM
December 21, 2011
Hello Family,
. i am attaching a video that i hope will send. It is from elder ramos when he opened his package. I cant´ tell you how great it was to see them open their packages. I am sure you would have loved it laura. They were all laughing and we had a good time together. Christmas plans. Jorly Juliet will be comfirmed that day. We got invited to go eat lunch with some members. and we will sing caroles. I am sure we will have to be home early. Colombia isn´t like bountiful utah. They will dance all night in the street the 24th. This isn´t just young people this is like old people also. Little grandmas drinking vodka and dancing salsa at 3 in the morning hahaha. T. I. C. The white night we decided not to do everyone just had their baptisms in their own chapel. I am getting the newsletter and enjoy it. I dont really want to send something special for it. Just include a normal letter. but always send a picture it is a lot cooler with a picture.
What a week it has been. I am tired. We have had so much to do. It is a lot different working with a whole zone and not just one area. You have to make sure everything is going okay in every part of the zone. It is a cool thing and sometimes hard. I want to be able to focus on my area a little more but that is okay.
Bertha alvarez was baptized. This was a miracle. She was so against it. Her husband wants to but he cant yet. He is in the process. She did not want to get married, she promised us that she would never give up her coffee. Honestly i used a little reverse psycology to help her make the decision to stop. She says coffee isn´t bad and it isn´t addicting. I could stop anytime but i dont want to. haha So i said to her. (like a month ago) Bertha i dont think you can stop i think you are addicted. then she says... ill show you im not addicted ill stop right now hahaha Elder Belnap 1 Bertha 0 oh ya.
This week is christmas and i truly want to make it special. Simple and to feel the joy of the birth of christ. He truly is the savior of the world i am so grateful for him. I am so grateful for my family. My aunts and uncles my grandparents on this side of the veil and the other. I sometimes feel close to them. The spirit helps us understand that they are there. Angels speak by that power.
I love you all. God bless you. Elder Belnap.
P.s. The president showed us a video of pioneers called 17 miracles. I felt it. I cried through the whole movie.
Who do you want to be here on the 24th at 9:00 our time and 11:00 your time to talk with you?
1. Packages: How about the other boys? Have you heard?
2. Do you have Christmas plans other than church?
3. Did you have a white night?
4. Are you getting the newsletter from all the boys?
5. Do you have something you want to say to any of your brothers on their missions this month?
. i am attaching a video that i hope will send. It is from elder ramos when he opened his package. I cant´ tell you how great it was to see them open their packages. I am sure you would have loved it laura. They were all laughing and we had a good time together. Christmas plans. Jorly Juliet will be comfirmed that day. We got invited to go eat lunch with some members. and we will sing caroles. I am sure we will have to be home early. Colombia isn´t like bountiful utah. They will dance all night in the street the 24th. This isn´t just young people this is like old people also. Little grandmas drinking vodka and dancing salsa at 3 in the morning hahaha. T. I. C. The white night we decided not to do everyone just had their baptisms in their own chapel. I am getting the newsletter and enjoy it. I dont really want to send something special for it. Just include a normal letter. but always send a picture it is a lot cooler with a picture.
What a week it has been. I am tired. We have had so much to do. It is a lot different working with a whole zone and not just one area. You have to make sure everything is going okay in every part of the zone. It is a cool thing and sometimes hard. I want to be able to focus on my area a little more but that is okay.
Bertha alvarez was baptized. This was a miracle. She was so against it. Her husband wants to but he cant yet. He is in the process. She did not want to get married, she promised us that she would never give up her coffee. Honestly i used a little reverse psycology to help her make the decision to stop. She says coffee isn´t bad and it isn´t addicting. I could stop anytime but i dont want to. haha So i said to her. (like a month ago) Bertha i dont think you can stop i think you are addicted. then she says... ill show you im not addicted ill stop right now hahaha Elder Belnap 1 Bertha 0 oh ya.
This week is christmas and i truly want to make it special. Simple and to feel the joy of the birth of christ. He truly is the savior of the world i am so grateful for him. I am so grateful for my family. My aunts and uncles my grandparents on this side of the veil and the other. I sometimes feel close to them. The spirit helps us understand that they are there. Angels speak by that power.
I love you all. God bless you. Elder Belnap.
P.s. The president showed us a video of pioneers called 17 miracles. I felt it. I cried through the whole movie.
Who do you want to be here on the 24th at 9:00 our time and 11:00 your time to talk with you?
1. Packages: How about the other boys? Have you heard?
2. Do you have Christmas plans other than church?
3. Did you have a white night?
4. Are you getting the newsletter from all the boys?
5. Do you have something you want to say to any of your brothers on their missions this month?
December 12, 2011
Hello,
That will work at 11 will be good. Here is what you should send me. Send me all the skype addresses with good instructions on how to use skype. i have never done it. I will be calling from a members house. but, if it doesn´t work i will call from an internet cafe. if that doesn´t work i will just call your cell phone. However, the president has been very clear. we have 45 minutes. if we waste 30 working around with Skype we only have 15 to talk. so i will get it ready in the members house but, you should practice and see if all systems go okay.
The problem with the noche blanca is that there are a lot of activites this weekend so it was hard to get the chapel when we wanted. There are many baptisms in the zone but everyone is going to their own chapel.
It is a little hot but, it has been raining a lot and it has been bad in a lot of cites in colombia. A couple of areas have been flooded pretty bad. I am talking like guys walking down the street with tvs on their back flooding. Like boats on the highway kind of flooding haha.
The members are all very well. We have a good relationship with everyone but some are more kind and warm then others. We have a good time and we do a lot of activities with them.
Well this was a big week. Bertha and isreal got married. It was my first time being part of a marriage. it was awesome. They are both 68 and ready for baptism. Bertha was a school teacher for thirty years and very smart. When the missionaries first taught her that jesus christ came to the americas she laughed and said, "how did he get here? Did he come swimming or in a canoe?" She is so funny. She is always straight up and it makes me laugh so hard. Now i love her a lot but at first it was so difficult to get through to her.
She has made so much progress. She feels the truth and she is going to take the step of faith to be baptized. She still has doubts she still is the same old funny bertha but she has felt it is true. Her husband isreal cant be baptized for at least a while. The president has to interview him again then send his letter to the church office to see if he can be baptized or no.
I included the picture of their marraige. They just got married in some goverment building then we had lunch with the members in their house. It was great.
I have thought about faith this week. I felt like i was recieving revalation about this principle. What is faith? Hebrews 11 gives us the definition. But to really understand we can read modern revelation through the prophet joseph smith. In lectures on faith he teaches three necesarry things in order to have faith. I only want to examine the third of these. He says, In order to have faith you need to know that your course of life is pleasing to god. So i think, to please god we must be obedient. Without obedience we do not have faith. In the scriptures we find the promises "if ye have faith you can do all things". I think we could put if you know that your life is pleasing to god, you can do all things. or if you are obedient, you can do all things. It is my feeling that faith and obedience in this aspect are one in the same.
May we all have faith and devolop it through sacrifice, so that we might obtain eternal life.
I love you all. Elder Belnap
NUMBER ONE DUSCUSSION:
CHRISTMAS CALL: We will all be home on December 24th at 9:00 am here and I think that is 11:00 your time. Will that work for you…What about Skype addresses and such?
I am thinking you will need to add dad’s email and call that on Skype. Do you want to practice on Skype before the 24th? (you know me)
1. Are you set up to have another White Night on the 16th? I am praying for it.
2. If any of the packages get in “mail jail” and you can pay to get them out…Go ahead
3. G-ma gave you money for Christmas and I put it in your account…You might want to say thanks in the email
4. Alan also gave you money for Christmas and your birthday
5. How hot is it there?
6. Did investigators come to church today?
7. How is it going with the members? Love them…..
That will work at 11 will be good. Here is what you should send me. Send me all the skype addresses with good instructions on how to use skype. i have never done it. I will be calling from a members house. but, if it doesn´t work i will call from an internet cafe. if that doesn´t work i will just call your cell phone. However, the president has been very clear. we have 45 minutes. if we waste 30 working around with Skype we only have 15 to talk. so i will get it ready in the members house but, you should practice and see if all systems go okay.
The problem with the noche blanca is that there are a lot of activites this weekend so it was hard to get the chapel when we wanted. There are many baptisms in the zone but everyone is going to their own chapel.
It is a little hot but, it has been raining a lot and it has been bad in a lot of cites in colombia. A couple of areas have been flooded pretty bad. I am talking like guys walking down the street with tvs on their back flooding. Like boats on the highway kind of flooding haha.
The members are all very well. We have a good relationship with everyone but some are more kind and warm then others. We have a good time and we do a lot of activities with them.
Well this was a big week. Bertha and isreal got married. It was my first time being part of a marriage. it was awesome. They are both 68 and ready for baptism. Bertha was a school teacher for thirty years and very smart. When the missionaries first taught her that jesus christ came to the americas she laughed and said, "how did he get here? Did he come swimming or in a canoe?" She is so funny. She is always straight up and it makes me laugh so hard. Now i love her a lot but at first it was so difficult to get through to her.
She has made so much progress. She feels the truth and she is going to take the step of faith to be baptized. She still has doubts she still is the same old funny bertha but she has felt it is true. Her husband isreal cant be baptized for at least a while. The president has to interview him again then send his letter to the church office to see if he can be baptized or no.
I included the picture of their marraige. They just got married in some goverment building then we had lunch with the members in their house. It was great.
I have thought about faith this week. I felt like i was recieving revalation about this principle. What is faith? Hebrews 11 gives us the definition. But to really understand we can read modern revelation through the prophet joseph smith. In lectures on faith he teaches three necesarry things in order to have faith. I only want to examine the third of these. He says, In order to have faith you need to know that your course of life is pleasing to god. So i think, to please god we must be obedient. Without obedience we do not have faith. In the scriptures we find the promises "if ye have faith you can do all things". I think we could put if you know that your life is pleasing to god, you can do all things. or if you are obedient, you can do all things. It is my feeling that faith and obedience in this aspect are one in the same.
May we all have faith and devolop it through sacrifice, so that we might obtain eternal life.
I love you all. Elder Belnap
NUMBER ONE DUSCUSSION:
CHRISTMAS CALL: We will all be home on December 24th at 9:00 am here and I think that is 11:00 your time. Will that work for you…What about Skype addresses and such?
I am thinking you will need to add dad’s email and call that on Skype. Do you want to practice on Skype before the 24th? (you know me)
1. Are you set up to have another White Night on the 16th? I am praying for it.
2. If any of the packages get in “mail jail” and you can pay to get them out…Go ahead
3. G-ma gave you money for Christmas and I put it in your account…You might want to say thanks in the email
4. Alan also gave you money for Christmas and your birthday
5. How hot is it there?
6. Did investigators come to church today?
7. How is it going with the members? Love them…..
December 5, 2011
Mom,
The packages will be passed to us when we go to Cali for the Christmas conference with the president. That is on the 20th. I am still in a threesome and will be until next transfer. It is different but that is okay. We have so many sick plans to find more people to teach. We have two activities one is more recreational the other will be spiritual and of course we are going caroling. Christmas day, my plans are to confirm the people that get baptized on christmas eve haha.
I can´t believe all the pictures from the destruction in the yard. Our house looks ugly now without those trees. I liked seeing the picture of all those who were there helping and i understand it must of been a task. You all worked hard, I feel happy I was so far away haha.
The Christmas devotional was so great. I felt the spirit and loved to sing. It was a great way to start this month. I enjoyed the video of Christ’s birth.
But also a funny experience happened. I was with another gringo in the zone and we decided lets see it in English so we set up a TV in a room in the stake center and all the others were seeing it in Spanish. A sister came into the room when it was starting and said can I watch it here we said yes but it is in English. She sat down and after two seconds she realized she didn´t understand anything she said I am putting it in Spanish. I don’t know why but I lost all patience with this sister. ha-ha. She says you guys need to watch it in Spanish. I said sister no we put this room in English there is another room for Spanish. Then she says so you can learn Spanish better, and then it slid from my mouth the smart comment, "Sister I practice Spanish every day, I don’t need to practice more. Could you go to the other room?" Yes I said it. Then the guilt started to come. She had left and I was watching the conference and I felt horrible. After the closing prayer I went out running to try to find the sister. I found her and asked her to forgive me. She said of course elder. It was a humbling deal.
It was sweet that brother beck dropped a line in the conference. Shout out from bountiful.
I am thinking we are going to have another white night the 16th of this month. We should have many baptisms.
Today I will call elder Torgenson and talk about Haimer Idaho. Tell aunt liz and uncle p hello. Sometimes think "If uncle p. was my mission president would I be doing this right now?" And the answer is almost always, No no i wouldn´t haha. Uncle Paul 1 Elder Benny Belnap 0.
There was a big fight in front of our house last night. I am not talking some high school fist fight this was straight out of the movies brawl. Luckily it was around the corner so we only saw when the police showed up and were carrying people away. This Is Colombia.
The work is good. I am enjoying my time in Palmira and I am excited to celebrate the birth of Christ this 25th. But, as we know it isn´t his actual birth just how we remember it.
I love you all. God bless you. Elder belnap
1. Did you get a package? Two packages?
2. Are you still in a threesome?
3. What are your plans for meeting new investigators this next couple of weeks before the new year?
4. What are the plan in church for Christmas day?
5. Do you have plans for Christmas Eve?
The packages will be passed to us when we go to Cali for the Christmas conference with the president. That is on the 20th. I am still in a threesome and will be until next transfer. It is different but that is okay. We have so many sick plans to find more people to teach. We have two activities one is more recreational the other will be spiritual and of course we are going caroling. Christmas day, my plans are to confirm the people that get baptized on christmas eve haha.
I can´t believe all the pictures from the destruction in the yard. Our house looks ugly now without those trees. I liked seeing the picture of all those who were there helping and i understand it must of been a task. You all worked hard, I feel happy I was so far away haha.
The Christmas devotional was so great. I felt the spirit and loved to sing. It was a great way to start this month. I enjoyed the video of Christ’s birth.
But also a funny experience happened. I was with another gringo in the zone and we decided lets see it in English so we set up a TV in a room in the stake center and all the others were seeing it in Spanish. A sister came into the room when it was starting and said can I watch it here we said yes but it is in English. She sat down and after two seconds she realized she didn´t understand anything she said I am putting it in Spanish. I don’t know why but I lost all patience with this sister. ha-ha. She says you guys need to watch it in Spanish. I said sister no we put this room in English there is another room for Spanish. Then she says so you can learn Spanish better, and then it slid from my mouth the smart comment, "Sister I practice Spanish every day, I don’t need to practice more. Could you go to the other room?" Yes I said it. Then the guilt started to come. She had left and I was watching the conference and I felt horrible. After the closing prayer I went out running to try to find the sister. I found her and asked her to forgive me. She said of course elder. It was a humbling deal.
It was sweet that brother beck dropped a line in the conference. Shout out from bountiful.
I am thinking we are going to have another white night the 16th of this month. We should have many baptisms.
Today I will call elder Torgenson and talk about Haimer Idaho. Tell aunt liz and uncle p hello. Sometimes think "If uncle p. was my mission president would I be doing this right now?" And the answer is almost always, No no i wouldn´t haha. Uncle Paul 1 Elder Benny Belnap 0.
There was a big fight in front of our house last night. I am not talking some high school fist fight this was straight out of the movies brawl. Luckily it was around the corner so we only saw when the police showed up and were carrying people away. This Is Colombia.
The work is good. I am enjoying my time in Palmira and I am excited to celebrate the birth of Christ this 25th. But, as we know it isn´t his actual birth just how we remember it.
I love you all. God bless you. Elder belnap
1. Did you get a package? Two packages?
2. Are you still in a threesome?
3. What are your plans for meeting new investigators this next couple of weeks before the new year?
4. What are the plan in church for Christmas day?
5. Do you have plans for Christmas Eve?
November 21, 2011 and November 28, 2011
I am hoping to get a package but nothing yet mother. The other elders will be so happy. We are blessed to send some extra Christmas packages to missionaries that do not get anything) We had converts at church which always makes us feel happy. Also a less active family went it was a great thing. No we have a nice chapel it has been here in palmira for like 30 years. but there are some parts that have a chapel in a house. It is ghetto... I dont have pictures of the church but i can take some so you can see. I dont have any pictures with kids but i can take some as well. I dont really need anything other then peanut butter would be excellent. haha.
Well we had an amazing experience with a young lady named gracie. Gracie is 21 and she is in a family where everyone is members. She has listened to a lot of missionaries but she has had hard times in her life. She did not believe in God. It was a lot different teaching her because she didn´t believe in the existence of Christ nor our father in heaven. We testified and invited her to pray. It was like King Lamoni with Aaron. He didn´t know if God was there and he prayed to ask if god existed and he recieved an answer. Gracie also prayed. She felt the love of God pour out upon her. She felt the witness of the truch. She changed so much and she was baptized on saturday. God is a god of miracles. She was a miracle.
We have been working in a little town near palmira. It was been different and we are trying to lift the branch. I will be honest. The members have a bad taste in their mouths for missionaries. We hope and pray with Gods power we can change that. Things are going well and we are trying to help every companionship have success. That is what we want and what I deeply desire.
Also there was a rat in our house today. Not a mouse. A bloody filthy rat. I ran like a school girl.(I can just see this)
Love you all Elder Belnap.
1. Have you seen any packages? When you get your package then the other Elders will get theirs…I am so excited about that
2. Did your new converts come to church again today? I prayed that they would come
3. Do you have a church building or just rent space in a building?
4. Do you have pictures of the church?
5. Do you have more pictures of you with children?
6. Can you think of anything that you might need?
Hello mother. I threw a picture on from zone leader council we had this week. I want to send more pictures but it is not working like I want it to. no package. The sister will bring it all to the Christmas party the 13th. It is hot yes. It gets dark at like 6 30 every day of the year. I get up at 6 30 everyday. Sometimes I go to bed at like ten 20 sometimes we have to do crap so it is later. We went to Cali and ya that was a bad deal cause I wasn´t able to go to bed until like 1. We had a couple that came but they are always there. He is in a long process. He wants to be baptized so bad but he´s killed a bunch of people so he is in a waiting game. Also a young girl who will be baptized the 16th of December. We are in a threesome because his companion had to go home. he got really sick. He is new and trying to figure it out and my companion is old and getting lazy ha-ha.
Well maybe you can see in the picture the senior couple is there. They are from haimer Idaho. I don’t want to say wrong but I am like 96 percent sure that aunt Liz’s family is from haimer. Right? We had a great country talk. I pretended I was a real cowboy and he bought it. It was so choice. He is trying to learn Spanish I am sure it is tough for him but he is happy to serve the lord. Funniest quote from elder torgenson (that is is name by the way) " Aren´t you going to arm wrestle me sir?" "Boy I am 66 years old, do you want my arm to fall off?" ha-ha Needless to say I love the man.
I felt so many great things this week. The lord is so powerful in the work. A lot of zones are really improving and it is such a great thing that is happening. I thought a lot about personal sacrifice. Reading about the sacrifice of the son of god has impacted me greatly. The way he sacrificed his life. He didn´t fight he gave up his will completely (see 3nephi11) It was all about the will of the father. Just like Isaac and Abraham. Think about the attitude they had. There was no fight. Like Abraham and Isaac Through modern revelation we know that Isaac
was a grown man. He could have easily said see ya later dad I don´t want any part of it. But he did not, he gave up his will and was going to give his life to be obedient. Why did Christ come to earth to fulfill the atonement? Jack Christiansen says he came to please the father. That was his desire. What is it that the father wants? The precious book of Moses teaches that he wants eternal life for his children. Should we not have the same desire? Be as Christ and seek to please the father. I love this work. Jesus Christ is the motivation. He is everything. We give it all for him. I love you all, Elder Belnap
Jackee asked Ben about ketchup and her is his response.
I hate ketchup. It makes me want to rip my tongue off when i have to eat it. (I thought sense he liked tomatoes alot now I would ask.. obviously not! haha) I have thrown up many times because of ketchup.
Well we had an amazing experience with a young lady named gracie. Gracie is 21 and she is in a family where everyone is members. She has listened to a lot of missionaries but she has had hard times in her life. She did not believe in God. It was a lot different teaching her because she didn´t believe in the existence of Christ nor our father in heaven. We testified and invited her to pray. It was like King Lamoni with Aaron. He didn´t know if God was there and he prayed to ask if god existed and he recieved an answer. Gracie also prayed. She felt the love of God pour out upon her. She felt the witness of the truch. She changed so much and she was baptized on saturday. God is a god of miracles. She was a miracle.
We have been working in a little town near palmira. It was been different and we are trying to lift the branch. I will be honest. The members have a bad taste in their mouths for missionaries. We hope and pray with Gods power we can change that. Things are going well and we are trying to help every companionship have success. That is what we want and what I deeply desire.
Also there was a rat in our house today. Not a mouse. A bloody filthy rat. I ran like a school girl.(I can just see this)
Love you all Elder Belnap.
1. Have you seen any packages? When you get your package then the other Elders will get theirs…I am so excited about that
2. Did your new converts come to church again today? I prayed that they would come
3. Do you have a church building or just rent space in a building?
4. Do you have pictures of the church?
5. Do you have more pictures of you with children?
6. Can you think of anything that you might need?
Hello mother. I threw a picture on from zone leader council we had this week. I want to send more pictures but it is not working like I want it to. no package. The sister will bring it all to the Christmas party the 13th. It is hot yes. It gets dark at like 6 30 every day of the year. I get up at 6 30 everyday. Sometimes I go to bed at like ten 20 sometimes we have to do crap so it is later. We went to Cali and ya that was a bad deal cause I wasn´t able to go to bed until like 1. We had a couple that came but they are always there. He is in a long process. He wants to be baptized so bad but he´s killed a bunch of people so he is in a waiting game. Also a young girl who will be baptized the 16th of December. We are in a threesome because his companion had to go home. he got really sick. He is new and trying to figure it out and my companion is old and getting lazy ha-ha.
Well maybe you can see in the picture the senior couple is there. They are from haimer Idaho. I don’t want to say wrong but I am like 96 percent sure that aunt Liz’s family is from haimer. Right? We had a great country talk. I pretended I was a real cowboy and he bought it. It was so choice. He is trying to learn Spanish I am sure it is tough for him but he is happy to serve the lord. Funniest quote from elder torgenson (that is is name by the way) " Aren´t you going to arm wrestle me sir?" "Boy I am 66 years old, do you want my arm to fall off?" ha-ha Needless to say I love the man.
I felt so many great things this week. The lord is so powerful in the work. A lot of zones are really improving and it is such a great thing that is happening. I thought a lot about personal sacrifice. Reading about the sacrifice of the son of god has impacted me greatly. The way he sacrificed his life. He didn´t fight he gave up his will completely (see 3nephi11) It was all about the will of the father. Just like Isaac and Abraham. Think about the attitude they had. There was no fight. Like Abraham and Isaac Through modern revelation we know that Isaac
was a grown man. He could have easily said see ya later dad I don´t want any part of it. But he did not, he gave up his will and was going to give his life to be obedient. Why did Christ come to earth to fulfill the atonement? Jack Christiansen says he came to please the father. That was his desire. What is it that the father wants? The precious book of Moses teaches that he wants eternal life for his children. Should we not have the same desire? Be as Christ and seek to please the father. I love this work. Jesus Christ is the motivation. He is everything. We give it all for him. I love you all, Elder Belnap
Jackee asked Ben about ketchup and her is his response.
I hate ketchup. It makes me want to rip my tongue off when i have to eat it. (I thought sense he liked tomatoes alot now I would ask.. obviously not! haha) I have thrown up many times because of ketchup.
November 14, 2011
(Personally, I love this email today…I told him I wanted to come through the computer and hug him so consider it done.)
Hello hello mother,
I will answer the first question in the email. Everyone that was baptized was comfirmed. I will let you know about the package when it arrives. Elder hidalgo could be a good one to send a package to.
I feel very happy to write this week about the experiences we had. It was a special week and i felt the lord was truly with us. The white night was on saturday. We got there early and prepared everything and practiced a song we sang i need thee every hour. It was great. There is a missionary who has perfect pitch and plays the piano like erin does. He made a sweet arrangement in about 14 seconds. Then people started to arrive. We had really pushed this night so there were a lot of members there ready and after taking pictures we started. President prince and his wife were there. I had invited him like 1 month ago and he wanted to come. It was powerful to have him there. We first met in the chapel and then moved to the font when it was time. No one said a word. It was silent. The lord had put his veil over all and we were all calmed. One after another the people were baptized. I felt the love of god as they all left the font with smiles. We changed our clothes in that same spirit and entered the chapel again. The president spoke shortly and then the time was given to the converts. In front of a filled chapel they stood and bore testimony. These people were not baptisms, they are converts. I had never felt a peace like i felt in the chapel or in the font. I felt that my soul was still.
To make it even better i got mail after from the president. I got birthday cards from aunts and uncles and from grandma. I got all the letters from my friends and they made me smile and laugh. I read about the funny experiences with mikey t and spence fighting to learn a very difficult tongue and being in a very different world but i feel that all missions are very different and that they are all the same. Kayo and petey in paraquay together. Kayo is powerful and always testifies of truth and petey has the greatest sense of humor haha. Joust is skinny and it freaks me out and con and dan are in the states and it makes me jealous at times. I loved the letters.
I hope you enjoy some of the pictures.
I will try to send my card with elder farr. We will see mother.(This is a boy from Mantua who is coming home this month)
This week was transfers. I was not transfered. I am happy to stay another 6 weeks.
I love you all. Benny
1. How did your white night turn out?
2. Did they come to church today?
3. Did the members greet them and love them?
4. Are there more missionaries that we should send packages?
5. Tell me when you get your package…mailed it last Monday
Hello hello mother,
I will answer the first question in the email. Everyone that was baptized was comfirmed. I will let you know about the package when it arrives. Elder hidalgo could be a good one to send a package to.
I feel very happy to write this week about the experiences we had. It was a special week and i felt the lord was truly with us. The white night was on saturday. We got there early and prepared everything and practiced a song we sang i need thee every hour. It was great. There is a missionary who has perfect pitch and plays the piano like erin does. He made a sweet arrangement in about 14 seconds. Then people started to arrive. We had really pushed this night so there were a lot of members there ready and after taking pictures we started. President prince and his wife were there. I had invited him like 1 month ago and he wanted to come. It was powerful to have him there. We first met in the chapel and then moved to the font when it was time. No one said a word. It was silent. The lord had put his veil over all and we were all calmed. One after another the people were baptized. I felt the love of god as they all left the font with smiles. We changed our clothes in that same spirit and entered the chapel again. The president spoke shortly and then the time was given to the converts. In front of a filled chapel they stood and bore testimony. These people were not baptisms, they are converts. I had never felt a peace like i felt in the chapel or in the font. I felt that my soul was still.
To make it even better i got mail after from the president. I got birthday cards from aunts and uncles and from grandma. I got all the letters from my friends and they made me smile and laugh. I read about the funny experiences with mikey t and spence fighting to learn a very difficult tongue and being in a very different world but i feel that all missions are very different and that they are all the same. Kayo and petey in paraquay together. Kayo is powerful and always testifies of truth and petey has the greatest sense of humor haha. Joust is skinny and it freaks me out and con and dan are in the states and it makes me jealous at times. I loved the letters.
I hope you enjoy some of the pictures.
I will try to send my card with elder farr. We will see mother.(This is a boy from Mantua who is coming home this month)
This week was transfers. I was not transfered. I am happy to stay another 6 weeks.
I love you all. Benny
1. How did your white night turn out?
2. Did they come to church today?
3. Did the members greet them and love them?
4. Are there more missionaries that we should send packages?
5. Tell me when you get your package…mailed it last Monday
October 30, 2011
Ben went to an area where a very RICH member family lives.
Hello,
Ya they celebrate halloween but mostly just to go out and drink a lot. We will teach tomorrow in the zone. We gotta get some things going and get some things changed. The white night is planned and i cant wait. I just hope the missionaries prep their people. We will bring six people from our area so we need 8 from the whole rest of the zone to complete the goal. I have faith. It has rained a lot. It is the rainy season here sometimes but its better then the heat. Never wear boots I just wear my good old ecco shoes.
Well Today we planned a zone activity for halloween. It was awesome. We went to a members house that lives about 30 minutes away from the city it was beautiful. The house was gorgeuos it truly was a Colombian mansion. I have sent the pictures I hope Og can see the Brandon Burton shot from the Amazon mountains of Colombia. The activity was fun we ate played games and tried to have a lot of unity with the missionaries. I am so happy about the things we have had happen here in our area. The Lord God has his hand here in the work and he is doing it for us. He put a couple of families in our path this week. Some beautiful people that will be baptisms for the month of december. I have learned in my mission to start thinking ahead. You got to think at least like two three weeks ahead then you can start thinking like 2 or three months ahead and you arrive prepared and with people that are ready to be baptized.
We arrived here and the things were a little different we have made goals and have seen many changes. The first part of this week was a little tough, my companions girlfriend wrote him off and he was useless for about two days but now he is okay. It was hard because he was for sure going to marry her. He didn´t even know what to do with himself.
I feel the difference in the work as we work hard and seek the Lord. I have tried to recognize his voice and do what he tells me. Are we quick to observe? Elder Bednars talk is moving and I feel the desire to do it. I love this work and this week I put up a banner I had made that says play like a champion. I leave every morning thinking about that. I also have another one that simply says WIN. It makes me feel so excited and blessed to be on the Lords side and to give it my all. I love you all. This week was great but this week will be very crucial in the success of the white night. I will let you know. Mom get better!.
Elder Benjamin Belnap
1. Do they celebrate Halloween there?
2. Did you give any lessons this week to your zone?
3. Tell me more about your white night?
4. What is your weather like?
5. Do you ever wear boots?
6. How often does it rain?
Hello,
Ya they celebrate halloween but mostly just to go out and drink a lot. We will teach tomorrow in the zone. We gotta get some things going and get some things changed. The white night is planned and i cant wait. I just hope the missionaries prep their people. We will bring six people from our area so we need 8 from the whole rest of the zone to complete the goal. I have faith. It has rained a lot. It is the rainy season here sometimes but its better then the heat. Never wear boots I just wear my good old ecco shoes.
Well Today we planned a zone activity for halloween. It was awesome. We went to a members house that lives about 30 minutes away from the city it was beautiful. The house was gorgeuos it truly was a Colombian mansion. I have sent the pictures I hope Og can see the Brandon Burton shot from the Amazon mountains of Colombia. The activity was fun we ate played games and tried to have a lot of unity with the missionaries. I am so happy about the things we have had happen here in our area. The Lord God has his hand here in the work and he is doing it for us. He put a couple of families in our path this week. Some beautiful people that will be baptisms for the month of december. I have learned in my mission to start thinking ahead. You got to think at least like two three weeks ahead then you can start thinking like 2 or three months ahead and you arrive prepared and with people that are ready to be baptized.
We arrived here and the things were a little different we have made goals and have seen many changes. The first part of this week was a little tough, my companions girlfriend wrote him off and he was useless for about two days but now he is okay. It was hard because he was for sure going to marry her. He didn´t even know what to do with himself.
I feel the difference in the work as we work hard and seek the Lord. I have tried to recognize his voice and do what he tells me. Are we quick to observe? Elder Bednars talk is moving and I feel the desire to do it. I love this work and this week I put up a banner I had made that says play like a champion. I leave every morning thinking about that. I also have another one that simply says WIN. It makes me feel so excited and blessed to be on the Lords side and to give it my all. I love you all. This week was great but this week will be very crucial in the success of the white night. I will let you know. Mom get better!.
Elder Benjamin Belnap
1. Do they celebrate Halloween there?
2. Did you give any lessons this week to your zone?
3. Tell me more about your white night?
4. What is your weather like?
5. Do you ever wear boots?
6. How often does it rain?
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