Service on the Playground

Hey guys, cant even lie, sounds like you kiddos are in for a really fun week, but I think mom and dad got the better end of the stick. Look out for some Bingham boys out there in Denmark and Germany, I think the place is crawling with em by now. But all you guys just enjoy it! Shout out tambien to my man squash boy for looking soo fly for the dance, just like we did it back in the day;)

I hope you guys live it up the best you can, because right now me and Elder Bentley certainly are! It is so much fun I cant even explain it! I was feeling like I was growing up a little bit but then he got here and now I just feel like we are back in highschool again! Its funny because we had a zone meeting where every companionship had to teach in front of the zone and when we went, despite his spanish, everyone was just shocked at our unity and ability to play off the other guy. (We didnt tell them we had four years head start on all of them, but we felt super pumped after that!)

We also went to a little school for a stake service project to repair the playground equipment and just fix up the facility. It was tons of fun and the place really turned around. Not many feeling better than doing service! Ha we also had a little ward activity because this week was ward conference and Elder Bentley represented la obra misional by playing a couple of really awesome arangements of hymns, and really was a treat for the ward because there arent many people that can do that here. He is also the ward pianist, props to him for that one. Really a big difference with a piano. Appreciate that one.

Recently I have really been studying the apostasy and the Bible because Rivera is seriously a place of "great excitement on the subject of religion". We honestly feel like we are living in the same time of Jose Smith. With the influence from Brazil, there are SOOOO many churches! In our medium sized area we have probably fifteen! Just last night during planning we were listening to the sunday night rock services at the church a couple blocks from us. Felt like they were right next door... Basically we just are having to help people understand what Christ did, and what he left for his followers to do. That is exactly what has happened with our investigator Aldo. We have had some really profound conversations with him, he is rediculously smart, and I always leave with a enhanced vocabulary afterward. But we went this week and just started reading 2 Nefi 31 with him and he understood perfectly that he needs to be baptized, he believes the Book of Mormon is perfect, and he believes we are the true church...He just wants to not have any doubts and have is faith solidified. Sooo close, but with the right direction!! He will be getting there no doubt.

It is also a lot easier contacting with Elder Bentley because he spent the summer as a door to door salesman and so we come up with good approaches and then when they still play hard to get I just turn it over to him, let him get all tangled up in spanish, then play the innocent, happy new gringo that is just trying to learn the language. Then we become friends:) It honestly makes me sad to see how well it works and how I can't sell that one anymore...Haha its just a crazy world down here, but I love it so much!! I love you guys tons and hope you have a good week, no matter where in the world you are! Thanks for everything!!

Con amor,

Elder Degn

 Jungle Gym

 Putting in a Teeter-Totter!

We had a little visitor...Yum! haha

 

Feliz Cumpleanos Mama!!!

First and foremost...FELIZ CUMPLEAÑOS MAMÁ!!! Seriously mom, have a great day!!! Buy yourself something nice for me! I can't believe that you're all growed up. 29 right? I say that partly because I honestly dont know for sure how many years you completed. But its probably better that way right?;) You´re the best mom a kid could ask for. Love ya.

Haha I cant even tell you guys how crazy this last week has been! On that pday I had in Deo we went to the Temple with the Montevideo zones, and then I went again the next day with Elder Bentley, and it was fantastic!! I love the temple sooo much!! Especially here in Montevideo it is a huge sacrifice to get to the temple because the closest one is in Montevideo, 7 hours away. I love it so much, go as often as you can. But the day we had together in the mission home was awesome too! Some amazing american food, temple, and seeing a bunch of my old friends in the mission that are also training. Crazy that most of them were 18 year olds that just graduated. It was really just an awesome little get away!

So when we got back we only had three days to work to get people going to church. We visited a lot of our investigators, and had just milagro tras milagro! Our first day back we were finally able to have another charla with Ruben and Silvia that Harbold and I found a month ago and had an awesome first charla. So we got back to them and taught them about the LDM, and Elder Bentley just goes right out there and invites them to get baptized, and they didn't really understand, so we both got a little scared. They looked at me to explain, and I just asked them exactly what Bentley said, and they looked at each other and thought about it and said yes!! Que capo mi hijo!! I was so proud of Elder Bentley, and super pumped for this family. We also finally got in to a family that the missionaries found a couple of months ago then got left for awhile, and as we started teaching them, one by one, all of their NINE kids came in and sat down and listened to us. It was increadible! They only have two beat up couches, we were on one and the parents were on the other, and there was one lightbulb in the big room, so it was pretty dark, and all the kids were just sitting wherever they could, a couple in chairs and the rest on the floor. We had a great charla with them and extended them the invitation to get baptized as well and they said yes too!! We were both just freaking out on the inside! It was almost to good to be true! We were quite disappointed when none of them came to church or the other ten menos activos that promised to go, but we went back to their houses last night and they both just had last minute things that came up, but are still asking for us to come back, so we´ll see how this goes!!

And while we were sitting in church all sad that no one came, one of the menos activos Jose Smith came in! He is such a stud and just made everything worth it. Just one. It honestly felt like we won the super bowl with just one there. Makes all the effort worth it. D&C 18:15

Also this change they split up the zone because it is the biggest in the mission as far as missionaries, so now we are in the new zone, but I am still DL, and there are five companionships in my district. Its a little bit more, but I love who I've got!

It is honestly so much fun with Elder Bentley, feels just like old times! It honestly feels like working with my long lost brother. I dont even feel like I am training him, just guiding him around and letting the spirit work through him. He is an awesome missionary already and is tearing it up and just makes me so proud. I love the mission so much!!! No where else I would rather be!

Love you guys like crazy! Thank you for everything!

Con Amor,

Elder Degn

 At the temple with President & Sister Smith

 SURPRISE!! It's Elder Degn and I'm your companion!

Fixing something on the chimney...it's all good

 

Jose Smith...yeah!

I am here in MONTEVIDEO again! Since this is the beginning of another change, Elder Bentley needed to come in to get trained by Pte. Smith to "start the mission" So we were called last minute last night and rushed to get on the midnight bus to Deo and showed up right on time. Then we chatted for awhile and got a couple of hours of sleep on the seven hour bus ride. But we got here a couple of hours ago and then we were just chilling at the zone leaders house here and the secretaries came by and just picked up the two new missionaries, and left us chilling in the rain. So I am sitting here in a cyber in crazy downtown Deo, its raining really hard and I dont have any of my rain gear, my son is gone, and I left my toiletry bag in his overnight duffel. But life goes on. Tomorrow I will go to the temple to pick him up so Im super pumped for that!

But yeah, this week has been really crazy! The trio was definitely an adventure it only worked so well because we all got along so well. Elder Harbold is off and running now to Salto to be his trainers last comp which he is SUPER pumped about! Good on him, he deserves it. It was awesome to be with him and I really learned a lot and we became really good friends.

This week we had one of the coolest charlas of my mission too! There is a 23 year old guy that lives in our area that is named Jose Smith. Yes, after the profet! His whole family were members and he was very active until he was 16 and his dad was excumunicated and their family fell apart and went inactive and he turned to the darkness of the world. But now he has cleaned up and is dating an awesome girl and he wants to come back to church so bad, and he really just opened up completely to us and we were able to help him out and he promised he is coming back. It is those moments where everything that you ever have to deal with is worth every minute.

Thanks to the help of some members we found some new really awesome people to teach, and for the most part, they are all very very intelligent. As in they are going to have to go through a vey intense conversion process. But thats the beauty of the spirit. Im sooo excited to see where we can go with them! The ward is really starting to make a huge effort to help us out with visiting people, and that is going to make all the difference!

Also this week, I told a Catholic woman that her baptism was invalid. It took some good explaining as well, but I felt quite accomplished afterwards. I love the authority of the Priesthood!

Elder Bentley is doing sooooo good! He is picking up spanish soo fast and already helping me out tons! This is going to be a awesome three months!!

Love you guys tons!!! Thanks for everything!!
Con amor,

Elder Degn

ps. Mi distrito. That dude next to me is from peru. One of hannahs little friends probably;)

 

 Bentley and I at the "Line"

Biggest snail I've ever seen---still very slow!

 

Elder Bentley!!!---September 1, 2014

Well, there folks, it sure sounds like you are all getting back in the swing of a super busy school schedules, and don't worry, I definitely remember those days. I'm glad that the big anniversary fest with gma y gpa Hart went well and I'm glad that they liked everything. They sure do deserve it.

But I know that you are all waiting to here about my son ELDER BENTLEY!! Yes world it is true. He is here in Rivera Uruguay with me right now. He says hi. IT was a very crazy start for him because he showed up right in the middle of the change here, so instead of having a nice tranquilo two day stay at the mission home and get the whole mission pitch from Pte. Smith and go to the temple and all that jazz, he just got picked up at the airport and taken straight to the bus terminal in Montevideo by Pte. y Hermana Smith and told a couple of important things, then he was thrown on a bus to Rivera. It was crazy how fast it all happened, but it has been awesome to have him here! We are going back to Montevideo next week when changes end so that he can go through the temple and talk to President Smith more. Actually looking foward to that myself..

But the trio is marching! It is actually really different and has its challenges, but it is super fun! I just feel like I am still comps with Harbold and we still teach and everything together, then its like, oh yeah, let the new guy talk...but it is really coming along really well. I am SO impressed with the preparation that Elder Bentley has. He already is doing a lot to contribute to the lessons and to planning and everything. He spent the summer doing door to door sales, so we are working on some pretty creative door approaches:) He also just has no fear to go out there and speak that spanish. He already speaks a lot better than I did, and he works like crazy to learn as we go. I just feel like I am guiding him along really, not leading him or pulling him anywhere.
But this week was NUTS! I completed a year in the mission! I cannot believe that to be honest. Some days do feel long, but looking back, I feel like it just flew right by. To celebrate I bought some chorizo (sausage) and we had a bbq in our back patio for lunch. It was a fun little party to be honest. I know that I still have a long way to go, but my spanish sure has come a long way as well. Even though it is basically just Uruguayo, not really true spanish, but I love it still.

This week we had sooo many miracles though!! We are really just trying to talk to a bunch more people to open up our teaching pool and people that can progress, and this week it just went through the roof. We let Elder Bentley choose a house to contact and we went and a very well dressed man opened the door but was on the phone, but he just invited us in without us saying anything. We sat down and waited for him to finish his phone call and he came in and started talking with us about his beliefs about the bible (actually a ton, almost too much) and how the restoration isn't necessary. He was very very nice, and right when we were about to get going on some doctrine, his wife and daughter got home and started talking to us about the states and english and stuff like that and then we ran out of time and had to leave. I honestly felt like I was walking out of a members house as we left and he invited us back anytime we want. Crazy.

We also have found a very very intelligent man that has talked to missionaries for a a little bit but then didn't get anywhere, but we talked to him and he left the catholic church when he was a teenager because he said their church didn't do half of what the bible says, and that who knows ¨maybe he will be a mormon¨. We also have a seventy something old awesome little old lady in our ward that has been fasting and praying to find someone to share the gospel with that will progress in the church, and so she went with us to go visit the four people that she thought of, and all of them are showing some really big potential! The Lord´s hand is everywhere in Santa Isabel!! I love the mission so much and love the Lord more than anything. He is coming through for us big time right now!
I love you guys a ton too and hope all goes well!!
YO AMO LO QUE HAGO!

Con amor,

Elder Degn

ps. The big three at the bbq

 

 The trio!

 My man, Elder Bentley...

 

 

One year!!!

Hahaha I'm sorry that I might have laughed a bit to see that you are all back in school, but it also made me realize that this week I hit one year officially! This Thursday will be the mark, and it really is unbelievable that I only have one year left in the mission! Time has gone by so fast! I really cant believe how old everyone looks back home either! (the kids that is..) And that both the boys are going to be in high school just blows my mind. But keep it up in the sports. Way to keep the legacy going;)

But here in Santa Isabel we had a pretty crazy week to be honest. The hermanas in my district had a baptism so I did my first baptisimal interview, and that was really just a amazing experience. I was a little bit nervous but it was a 80 year old woman that had been evangelical her whole life but was telling me about how now she has found the true church of Jesus Christ and she was more that willing to accept all of the commandments and do everything to be baptized. It really is a special spiritual experience to be a part of the proceess of them joining the church and hearing from them their determination to follow. It really is important for all of us to remember our moment and moments of conversion. It is what gives us strenghth in challenging moments.

We also had a zone conference with President Smith which was also awesome as usual! We really learned a lot about teaching the priesthood and helping the recent converts and less actives progress in the church and be able to understand the whole other world that exists as a member of the church. It was one of those things that I never really thought about until I got here, but it is very real, and sometimes it is hard for people to understand everything and the importance it all has. So yeah, working on that:)
For me though the highlight was our stake conference we had, it was sooo good! I was very impressed with the way the Presidency handled everything and taught the members of the stake. The things that they focussed on really were what the members needed and the things that I personally needed. They focused on The Work of Salvation and the roloe that each of us plays as members of the church to do our part to hasten the work of the Lord. He is doing His part, so we definitely need to do ours! The sunday session was a broadcast from the area presidency to all the stakes in Uruguay and Paraguay, with the key note speaker of Elder Bednar, who focused on repentence and the atonement. Needless to say, it hit home. Really something that we were all needing to remind us what we ALL need to do everyday.

Alright, and the cherry on top. A month and a half ago I expressed my desire to President Smith that I would like to train my good friend Elder Bentley that is coming into the mission. he said he would ponder about it, and last night he called me and said YES!!! TONIGHT ELDER BENTLEY IS COMING TO RIVERA!!! He is going to be a trio with me and Harbold until this change ends, and then I will continue training him!! DEMASIADO LOCO!!! But yeah, I cannot wait!! This is going to be aweosme!!

I love you guys so much!! Thank you for everything, your letters, emails, and prayers. You guys are the best!!!
De Rivera con amor,

Elder Degn

 

The Plaza on "The Line"

 Hey kiddos glad to hear that you are all enjoying your last (hehehe) week of summer! Sad to hear about that...;) But thats crazy that another school year is about to start and that both the boys are going to be in high school together! Look out Wisconsin....here come, THE ONEDERS! But really, enjoy that summer homework to the max. The time just keeps flying by for us here in Santa Isabel. We go to the centro and the border every pday because we have to take out money and go to cyber. There arent either in our area. Then we go to the plaza on the border and eat good hotdogs and then go to the brazilian super market because there are better things and its cheaper. Then we look at all the little shops and stuff and maybe pic up a suvenier (sorry, no idea). Somedays we play soccer with the zone too, then we head back out to the house and clean up a bit. Thats the life right there. But we love it!!

So yeah, this week has been just as crazy and the truth is that the lord has taught me many lessons. Like not to assume that someone that has been investigating the church for a long time knows what they need to do to get baptized. (facepalm) But we got that doubt taken care of real quick, but she is probably going to stop reading the book of mormon so fast. She went to church again yesterday, so we just need to get a couple more things taken care of and she will be good to go!

Elder Harbold is such a boss!! I keep thinking he has more time in the mission because he is already soo much better than I was when I had his time. He speaks really well, and teaches really well too, and he has no fear to talk to anyone! That is what we have really been working on, and he just goes right at it, starting those awkward conversations until we can get enough out of them to start teaching or get a time set up to come back. We are already having a great time together and its a lot nicer when your comp has got your back.

Fa but then last night we went to go talk to a couple we found looking for old members, and it went soo good! We went and they were there with their kids and just chilling and so we got to know them a little bit, Ruben and Silvia, and his mom was baptized recently so he was interested, so we gave them one of the best first lessons I have ever been a part of. The spirit was working hard for us because the devil was also working hard, (lots of distraccions) but the spirit came through and we ended up praying right there on our knees with them and he gave a very humble, genuine prayer, and it really hit home with both of them I think. We are going back today, but yeah, miracles are everywhere!!

Also Elder Martinez called me last night to tell me that right now two of the people we found together are getting ready to get baptized!! I am so happy!! It makes me almost more happy just to hear that they are still moving forward than to be there! The Lord is great and He is guiding His work! I love you all so much, thank you for everything!!
Todo mi amor

Elder Degn

 

 Plaza on "The Line"

 Building a foundation

 

Elder Harbold deep in thought

Walking...Talking... August 11, 2014

Hey there kiddos, I hope that you all had a good week and that you are enjoying the ending weeks of your summer! Its crazy to think that the kids almost go back to school and that Hannah hits a year this week and that I am not far behind either! Where is the time going?!? Today we played some futbol as a zone, then went and bought super good loaded hot dogs in Brazil and went to a free shop which is a store with imported goods that are cheaper than normal but only foreigners can buy there. It was a mini heart attack to being in the states again and how wierd I am going to feel.

Fa, but this week was awesome!! We walked like crazy but we made it work. This area has been chugging along for a long time, and just about everyone that we were visiting when I got here hadnt really been moving for a long time, and we have had to change the approach, and walk a lot, and talk to a lot of people, but slowly but surely, the Lord is putting the people in our way! We have been looking for a lot of old members to help us find people, and one night that was super cold we were out contacting old addresses of members and we went to one house and a woman came out and before we even said a word she told us to come in and sit down because it was so cold outside. We just expected it to be a old member, but nope!! Just a really nice woman named Maria that just let us come right in and get to know here and teach her. She was super receptive and we were quite surprised, and hopefully in this week we can get to teach her again!

We have also found a very Catholic woman that we went and in the first lesson she just told us about how a lot of her family has died and how many trials she has had, so Elder Harbold whipped out Plan of Salvation, then we just jumped right to the Atonement, and it hit he super hard. The spirit is the key to everything. The spirit was definitely there, and she was very impacted by it, and she invited us, yes that it right, to come back!! I love it!!!

Haha the portuñol is also coming along, its really not too bad....but when its bad its bad. We have a member that just speaks portuguese, and it is rough sometimes because I have to rely on Harbold to help me out because he has been on the border his whole mission. But it is really nice to listen to, and I am reading the book of Mormon a litte bit in Portuguese, but written is easy, listening is still harder. But its coming!!

We have got tons of work to do and this week should be awesome!! The district is also coming along great! Except sometimes the hermanas make me feel bad becasuse they just work like crazy....no me importa....

Love you guys! Thank you so much for everything!! The Church is true!!

Todo mi amor,

Elder Degn

ps, sorry, this computer doesnt read my camera, next week....