I Know You From Somewhere!

From Jonah Bench

Teaching in New York, USA

Karen is an excommunicated member who recently got re-baptized! She was a drug addict, an alcoholic, a smoker, coffee drinker, and had three of her four kids out of wedlock with two different men. She's broken most of the commandments and, as a result, ended up in a really dark place. But one night she prayed for help and the missionaries stopped by the next day. She let them in and started taking the lessons. 

This was about the time I got transferred here and the first thing she said to me when I walked into her house was "I know you from somewhere!" There's no way I have met her on earth. But I very firmly believe that we were very close friends before this earth. She quit smoking, read the entire book of Mormon, quit coffee, kicked the people out of her life that were a bad influence, and completely changed to become ready for baptism. We went to the temple to do baptisms for the dead last Saturday and also went to the sacred grove. It was awesome! 

There may only be one person that you will find on your mission who you are able to see change. "But if ye should labor all your days and bring save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with them in the kingdom of my Father." It's true! Keep going!! 

No Doubt About It!

From Jonah Bench

Teaching in New York

So I had have had companions for the last six months of my mission who are struggling with obedience and motivation and desire. My current companion also struggles with obedience and diligence and is going home soon. He is my friend and I want him to have a good end to his mission. So the last four companions are struggling missionaries. I have been privileged to become a tool in the Lord's hand to help these missionaries. 

The last six months has been tough, I got sick from stress and that led to me having to go home to get my tonsils out. Now I'm back and the companions I have had are again those who need help. I have really loved seeing them change to become better! I have loved seeing the Atonement of Jesus Christ our Savior work in the lives of the missionaries I have worked with. I can't do squat on my own! I would be faced with concerns they have and things they need to talk about and have no idea how to approach it! But I'd say a quick prayer and then things would become clearer. I would be able to discern what they needed to hear. That is a testimony to me that the Lord will bless us with help and direction and what those around us need. I know this is the Lord's work. No doubt about it! Otherwise a bunch of 18-20 year old kids would have messed it up a long time ago!  

Softening Even the Hardest Heart

From Jonah Bench

Teaching in New York, USA

So we had a lesson with a guy last night named Billy Jack. He ran up to us while we were getting in the car to go home at around nine at night and asked us to teach him. Not many people more prepared than that! He wants to quit drinking and wants to fix up his life.  He has tattoos all over him and looks like he has had a rough past, but the Atonement of Christ will fix that. He wants to be clean, and to be free from addiction and from Satan. 

The greatest miracle I have seen on my mission is the softening of even the hardest heart to hear the word of the Lord and to change. Change is not easy for people! Billy Jack is super sincere! He accepted a baptismal date [during] the first lesson! So we have him down hesitantly for July 11th! He is a funny guy! But he said the closing prayer and it was super genuine! He is ready to change! He said after the prayer, "Yep,this is my church!" 

I Realized How Big the Atonement Is

From Jonah Bench

Teaching in New York, USA

Here's an experience from upstate New York​! We were at branch meeting and afterwards a sister in the branch came up to us and asked for a [Priesthood] blessing. Her husband recently passed away and she has been having a hard time with that. So we sat her down and gave her a blessing. In the blessing, she was told that she would live with her husband for all eternity and that he was waiting for her on the other side. She was blessed with a strong body, and the strength to bear the burdens she is, and will be, facing, and I can't remember the rest. But she was crying at the end and thanked us.

We were like, "Glad we could help!" and went about our way. 

A couple days later, we went to visit her with her home teacher and she told us how thankful she was for that blessing and how much it helped! She said, "My husband has been inactive for a long time and hasn't been living the gospel. He knew it was true, he had the priesthood, and yet he still went inactive. But he had a lot of mental problems, because of that I have been wondering for a long time if he was going to make it! I prayed all the time really hard to find out if he was, and I never got an answer! So I figured maybe I'll get it after he dies. But then he died and I still didn't get an answer! So I figured it was a, ‘No, he didn't make it!’ I was mad at God for a while because of that, but when I got that blessing that told me we would be together forever and that he was waiting for me and I realized how big the Atonement is!”

 That humbled me in a big way! To know that, through no [power] of my own, I was able to give her a blessing, to be an instrument and let God speak through me. Had I not been living right, had I maybe let a bad thought in, had I not been trying the best I could to work hard and be obedient, I would not have had the spirit with me to bring to my mind the things our loving Father in Heaven needed her to hear. I know that God loves us!