Michelle's Letter 4/20/12

Okay.. So my confession. I am a horrible writer. Ben is really good to me and writes me, but I'm not so good at responding. So after a 2 month break, I finally got a LONG one out to him. And in response...

"Michelle, 
So when I got your letter in the mail and first I didn't even look at who sent it to me. I gave my comp his mail then looked back at my letter and noticed it was from you and I got very excited, I probably weirded  my comp out a bit ;-) Don't worry about it, I will always forgive you! Just improve on sending letters so I can get excited more often.
My comp is from Delaware and he's sweet. He's only been out about 2 months, all with me. It seems to me my best comps have easily been my greenies. 
I have deffinatly gained a greater knowledge of the scriptures, and the more I find out the more I know the church is true. We've had a lot of people try to bash with us and prove us wring, se we've been finding a lot of sweet  scriptures lately. The only problem is, it is hard to show them to people without having it turn into a bash session. But I have been doing very good about coming off knowledgeable but not bashing with people. 
We have been finding a lot more people we could teach lately, just actually getting in has been difficult. Good things are on the horizon though. I can feel it. 
Love,
Elder Forsyth"


I skip some. This letter was lengthy, just more personal..

O Holy Night

Doug got an email this morning from his friend in Sherwood!!

Doug,
Your son did a bang-up job singing on Christmas day in our ward.  Here is a video of it (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYdp7iRHYWY).  Its cell phone video, but thought you might like to see it anyway. 

You should be pleased with him, he's one heck of a missionary.  He has stopped by a couple of times and he always brings the spirit with him when he does.  Hope you and yours are having a happy holidays.  Take care.


This was his very first solo.  He said he was shaking like nobodies business, but he thinks that helped his vabrato!!  :)

It's great to have friends looking out for our missionary!!  and us!!!!

THANK YOU, CARDWELL!!

PS  I will get his letters from nov and dec up in the next couple of days!  sorry I didn't realize I was so far behind!

A Picture of Ben!

After a whole year I finally found a pic of Ben on the mission website!

I have no idea when it was taken, but here it is!!

Letter from Oct 24th

"Wow sound like a lot of medical problems in the family. I just got some sort of cold myself. I hope everyone gets better quickly. That's a big bummer for dad, I can't believe he got himself like that. And of course Steven would go and stab himself, he's such a "teenager." Hey, I can say that now! 

This week we taught Heidi (recent convert) and Scott  (investigator) Heidi just got in a bad car accident where the Lord saved her and it has jumpstarted her on the right path again. We were on splitz and we left them with a spiritual thought. I think Scott might be ready to take the lessons! We've been having a hard time getting lessons with a lot of people due to everyone being busy :-P.

Elder Fisher and I are doing really good. We are doing a lot with our wards and the zone. We are going to get things exploding around here hopefully pretty soon. It's a really neat experience to work with Elder Fisher. He's been a really awesome companion and I have learned so much from him already.

I am doing really good. I've been working really hard and have had almost no time for myself, but it feels so good. The only problem is that I have siblings back home complaining that I'm not sending them each individual letters ;-P.

Lots of Love,
Elder Forsyth"

Letter from Oct 17th

"It's sad that every one is sick :-( I hope you all get better. I don't have my camera with me right now but I'll try to send the card over soon. We did get a video on my comps camera. A digital recorder would be awesome, it would be so much easier. I'm sorry to say that my journal is in such sorry shape. The baptism did go through!!!


This week we taught Benjamin (12) and Sarah (10) (PM family) about the plan of salvation. They just had a grandparent die and had a lot of questions as to where he was and what he was doing. We are going to be teaching them all the other lessons too. During the middle of the lesson Sarah asks, "So when can I be baptized?" It was pretty awesome ...We'll probably have to talk to just the parents to get things all figured out and set expectations. I'm pretty sure at least Sarah will eventually get baptized. Mike and Maria (recent converts now!) were baptized this Friday! It was an amaizing service there was tons of people there to support them, it completely filled the room! Mike was first, he came out of the water crying and stood in the font hugging Bro. Kasperian (the one who baptized him) for about 2 min. Then Maria went, she was crying before she got in. Then when she came up out of the water, Mike came back in and the three of them hugged for about a min. Sacrament meeting was pretty funny. There was confusion as to who was going to confirm them because the Kasperians decided to go home early. The Mike & Maria showed up a little late so we waited on either side of the overflow so we could catch them before they went in to ask them who they wanted to confirm them. Then we texted that to the bishop so he could announce it, it was pretty funny.


Elder Fisher and I are doing very well. Lately we have been setting up a lot with the ward and really working with them to get the work moving. We've been getting a lot of compliments from the ward right in front of us. I have just been so energized and so pumped since Elder Grow came to the mission. This is what missionary work is about! This week we talked to Elder Rawlings about his new position as district leader and it seems like he will be able to do what he needs to in order to turn them around and head them in the right direction. We also went on an exchange with Elder Quinn and Elder Kefu. I went with Kefu to my first area. It was amaizing to see the growth there.

 I am doing really great. One year has flown by, I wish this next one would slow down a bit so that I could get more done. Time is one of those special gifts that we've been given but we only have so much of it in this life. Every second counts! Use them to the best of your ability. Otherwise you'll have to look back and realize how little you've accomplished.

Lots of Love,
Elder Forsyth"

He sent me this one pic in his email today!



Elder Fisher, Mike and Maria, Elder Forsyth



Hump Day!!

Happy Hump Day, to Ben! 
a couple days late!

It was actually on October 13th!!

I was going to put this up on his actual Hump Day, but seriously just didn't make the time!  And now it's a few days over... I still can hardly believe that it has been a whole year, and all the crazy things we were going through this time last year!! 

Ben is half way through his mission!  Wowsy, Wow, Wow!!

Letter from Oct 10th

"Quite technically I only lost one to Pres. but I did lose my trainer after 6 weeks when he became a zone leader. I think it would be a neat experience to be an AP but at this point in time I don't know if I would be ready for the business or the responsibility. I also like being able to work in my area and as a zone leader I already lose a good amount of that time to other responsibilities. I don't think I ever thought before my mission that I would ever have this kind of leadership position, but I love every second of it!

We just had a talent show in our ward and me and Elder Fisher got thrown into one of the events. It wasn't as good as my last one but we got into a lightsaber dual with Darth Vader and taught some young jedi missionaries who converted Vader in the end. It was interesting.

This week was really busy so we weren't able to get out and work as much as we wanted. We taught Victoria (recent convert) part of the restoration lesson. I guess she lives in Newberg 2nd wards boundries but goes to our ward with her friends. She never recieved the after baptism lessons so we are trying to get those going. We also had Mike & Maria (investigators) interviewed and got the program ready for their baptism on the 14th! Mike and Maria, the parents, will be baptized and we'll continue to teach their 9 year old so she can be baptized soon afterward! They are such an awesome example to me of what pure faith really is. It has really streangthened my testimony to help them in their spiritual journey.

Elder Fisher and I are doing really great. We are starting off on a bang with both the wards. We are really getting involved with the entire ward. I already see great success in the near future. We've been invited to ward council and PEC and we already have schedualed teaching in two of the different auxilaries!

I am doing fantastic. I love my new companion. He's very different than my last one, some ups and some downs, but that's expected. I really like Elder Fisher's style of doing things. I love the time I have to be a missionary. I love the chance to serve with different companions who have been inspired by the Lord to help me grow. I love change. The ability to change, the necessity of change, and the growth that comes from the inevitable changes that come into our lives each and every day. May we always continue to change and conform to the Lords way!

Love ya Lots,
Elder Forsyth"

Wow!  Is that my boy!?!?  :)  He sounds so wise and grown up!!