Last Week in the Mission Office

This is Ben's letter from October 3, 2014

Hola Familia,

I'm so happy to hear that everything is going so well for all of you. I hope you are all making great memories and that everyone is excited for conference. 

Pretty soon I will be going to a new area in the mission. I'm super excited to see where and with whom I will be. The offices have been a wonderful experience for me. I've learned so much being here. I've learned to love to serve my fellow missionaries. It has not been easy at all, but I am sure that the lessons I've learned will be a blessing for my life in the future. My companion Élder Galeano is doing great getting ready for his next companion.

Last p-day we had a surprise party for Hermana Burnett (the senior missionary/adoptive mother of every missionary) for her birthday. 

Ben says he has become addicted to making Derby Pie

We all love her so much and it was nice to recognize her for once. Élder Galeano and I made her two pies and the other 6 missionaries that have p-day on Saturday also prepared something sweet to share. I'm starting to have to say good bye to all the members here in Malvin. 4 changes is really long, but it has gone by so quickly.

Saying good-bye to Herman Herber Moretti

This last week we got out to work more than we have this whole change. Wednesday we were super swamped with work and honestly had no intentions of leaving. In the chaos of everything we received a call from our district leader. He realized how stressed out we were and understood that we had a lot to do; notwithstanding he invited us to take an hour out of the offices to go proselyting. We thought about it a little bit, and decided that we could do it. We put aside everything and left. 

We were less than two blocks from the chapel when we found ourselves with a woman (Her name is Karen) of about 32 years walking her little daughter home from school (about 16.45 hrs). We stopped her to talk and we had a beautiful lesson about the restored gospel and living prophet. She is very religious (studied to be a nun--her plans changed when she had a daughter) but has been searching for a church to meet with. She told us that she knows that there can be only one true church, but she doesn't know which one it is and for that reason she has been praying to God to help her find the truth. She really was a miracle. She has obviously been looking and has had a real hunger to find the word of God. When we were testifying to her my companion mentioned that the families can be together forever, in that moment she looked at her daughter with such sincerity and love and immediately asked us where she could learn more and if just anyone could come to the church.

We keep in contact and she is preparing to come to conference. We asked her to meditate over the pamphlet we left her and promised her that if she comes to conference with a sincere question and desire to learn the will of God for her that she would receive her answer. 

I'm not going to be here for much longer, but I know that if we (the missionaries) do everything necessary to help her and if she is her own agent sincerely seeking the will of God that she will receive her answer this weekend in conference. I am so grateful that my District leader was able to help us. It was a very humbling experience to see all the miracles that the Lord is preparing every day. People with sincere and contrite hearts seeking to do the will of our Heavenly Father.

Love you a lot,

Élder Benjamin Taylor

P.s. My next p-day will probably be the 13th of October. so don't be alarmed if I don't write before that.

This is the World Trade Center in Montevideo where all of the banking was done while Ben was in the Mission Office. He spent a lot of time at this building

This is where most of Ben's proselyting occurred in the last 6 months