Hola familia,

We met a new guy named Arnulfo. He is awesome. He talked with the missionaries down in Mexico. He moved up here with his family and since then his family has been broken up. When we first met him he was very depressed and didn't know what to do with his life. Ever since our first visit he has gotten a lot happier and is always excited to meet with us. He is going to be baptized on the 11th of April. He is a very humble honest man.

The Llamas didn't come to church. Gabriel decided that he wants to stay Catholic. It seems like he got antied by one of his family members. We have another lesson set up this next Friday and he did commit to come to one session of general conference. I pray that he comes with his family.

The Flores are progressing really well. They are looking good for the 10th of April. They are looking for a job and a place to live. We are teaching them in a hotel right now. The kids have been warming up a lot to us. It is a lot of fun to me to help the kids understand the plan of salvation. They were actually asking a lot of tough deep questions last time.

Juan and Briana haven't been doing so well. We went over on Sunday morning to wake them up and they didn't answer the door or their phone. We haven't been in contact with them in a little while. We left them a message on the phone talking about the importance of these things and that as soon as they are ready to take things more seriously we will be waiting for their call. I hope that they call soon. I love that family.

Pasco is doing amazing right now. The Lord is blessing the work here. It is looking like we are going to hit our goals for March and April. We are very excited and are working harder than ever.

Love you all
Elder Ben Arnold

Teach when you find, find when you teach.

Hola familia

This week has been pretty awesome. One of the most exciting things was on Sunday. Gabriel Llamas came to church! The rest of his family didn't come but they are all going to come next week. He loved it and said several times that he was going to bring his family next week. He has changed a lot recently. Just last night we had an appointment with the whole family. We read about the plan of salvation in 2 Nephi 9. Leonardo came with us too. It turns out that they met each other before a couple of different times.

We met a new family this last week. They just moved from Nevada and were investigating the church there. They were even on baptismal date. It is a family of seven and all of them came to church this last Sunday. They are a really cool humble family. I'm excited to start working with them. We're going to have our first lesson with them tonight.

Juan and Briana didn't come to church this week. They didn't set an alarm and they slept in. They're still progressing and excited to get married. They got an apartment. And Juan has had jobs available to him left and right. He is working two jobs right now. They're good jobs too. They're being blessed already for having desires to do what is right. We'll work hard to get their wedding arranged this week.

At our most recent lesson with them one of their friends was over visiting them, Katrina. She wasn't involved in the lesson but listened. Then at the end we just started to talk to her and asked her a lot of questions of the soul. She opened right up and she committed to be at our next lesson with Juan and Briana. That was cool. Just like PMG says, "Teach when you find, find when you teach."

The work is progressing rapidly in Pasco. The whole stake is getting really involved in Missionary Work and people just keeping coming out of nowhere for us to teach. The Lord is blessing us in many ways.

General Conference is even closer! I'm super excited to bring investigators to church in two weeks. We're so blessed to have a living prophet to guide us.

I love missionary work!
Elder Ben Arnold

Happy Birthday, Matthew!

Hola familia,

This week has been busy. We had Zone Conference yesterday that we'd been getting ready for. Elder Hortin and I had to do a training on Teaching using questions. The whole Zone Conference was focused on that. It was amazing. It's completely changed the way that I teach. I got to apply the things that I learned a lot last night while I was on exchanges with Elder Jack up in Connell and Basin City. We got in two doors while tracting using these questions.

Santos was confirmed on Sunday. Juan Saldana confirmed him. I love taking part in ordinances like that. It is a very spiritual experience. Which reminds me this last Sunday was branch conference. Elder Tracy, my previous companion, did the translation during sacrament meeting. He did a good job. It's fun to serve around him again. Then in gospel principles the Lybberts came in and visited with us. So I got to sit next to them and translate. I think it's harder translating from Spanish to English than from English to Spanish.

I didn't tell you, I don't think. We got all of our Citius Altius Fortius t-shirts and wristbands that we ordered. The whole zone loved them. It's fun to see them wear them every week.

Did I tell you last week that Briana got her ID? We set a baptismal date with them for the 4th of April, General Conference! They committed to be married before then! We are so excited for them!

Hey Matthew, Happy Birthday! I can't believe that you are already 18. Only one year until you get to go on a mission. You are going to love it. Something is coming in the mail for you. I'm sending it today. I already bought it just need to get it in the mail.

We have dinner with the Llamas family tonight. Our last lesson we just taught Gabriel and Gloria, the mom and dad. Juan came with us and they committed to come to General Conference. They know that they need something else in their lives and the mom is willing to come to church if the dad, Gabriel, will come. He has a hard time believing that he should come to our church because he has grown up strongly believing in the Catholic church. We gave him a lot of things to think about last time and he is very sincere about his family. He is such a good guy. I pray that he opens his heart to the things we teach so his family can receive the many blessings that are available.

I wish I could write about all of the other things that happened this week. There was so much. Life is good when you're busy doing the Lord's work. Even when you're tired.

I'm getting anxious for General Conference. I highly suggest that you all get up that morning and shower get in church clothes and go watch it at the church. For every session. I've gotten way more out of as I have done that. That way you also don't fall asleep. You should also try and go to one of the sessions since you're so close. Maybe I could see you in the audience. We're so blessed to be so close.

I love you all
Remember to read your scriptures everyday and to pray
Elder Ben Arnold

What happened to Amy?

March 2, 2010
Hola familia,

On Saturday morning I did a baptismal interview. It was amazing and a very spiritual experience for me and her. After the interview I had to talk to President for something. He answered the phone and said, "Elder Arnold, I was just about to call you. Your sister is okay." A feeling of peace came over me. Then I asked myself what happened? My sister is okay from what? I got a panicked feeling and wanted to know where Amy was, in the hospital or with her mission president. He went on to explain that he had just gotten off of the phone with my Stake President and that there had been a large earthquake in Chile. That was the first that I heard of what happened. Ever since then I have been praying fervently for my little sister to be okay and to be able to help those around her.

We already got the shirts we ordered for the zone. They're pretty cool. I'll send some pictures of them soon. Which reminds me, I have been going picture crazy lately. I have probably a thousand new pictures to send you. I have most of them all ready to send on a DVD.

We walked to church with a family on Sunday. They are already members but have been struggling a little bit lately. The father in the family just passed away. It was really hard for the daughters. They are 15 and 13.

Santos was interviewed for his baptism this upcoming Sunday and he's all good to go. We’re really excited for him. He is a very humble guy. Leonardo has been key in his conversion. Leonardo has set the goal to get the Melchizedek priesthood as soon as he can. He's changed so much lately and doing so well.

During our last weekly planning we prayed for Juan and Briana that they would realize the importance of living the gospel. They haven't been answering our phone calls or making the appointments that we set with them. Then just last night they called us and asked us if we could set up a time to meet. We saw them two hours later! We had an amazing lesson with them. We read out of 1 Nephi 17 where Nephi was commanded to build a boat. And we related how if God was so powerful how could God not help them get married and get her ID. Which is what has been preventing them from getting married. They were really excited to go there this morning and pick it up. We called them this morning to remind them to go and get it. No answer. We'll see what happens.

Transfers are coming up pretty quick. We have ZLC this Friday and then transfers the following Wednesday. I'll let you know what's going to happen next Tuesday.

I was talking to President Belnap this morning about something and he told me that on Thursday one of his friends that is going to be a mission president in a Spanish speaking mission is going to come with Elder Hortin and me so he can ask us questions and watch us plan. That was pretty unexpected and hopefully will be a good experience.

We went with Juan down to Burbank to an appointment we had with Teresa. When we got there she was out in the back working on taking out a big pile of weeds and logs. We jumped right in and started pulling it all apart. It was just what I needed. I wasn't feeling 100% spiritually speaking that day. After working hard for an hour I felt like I got it all out of me. I think it changed Teresa's view of us as well. We should have a great lesson with her when we go back in a couple of days.

I love you all
Elder Ben Arnold

I'm a really happy missionary right now.

Hola familia,

We had stake conference this last weekend. It was amazing. It was a life-changing experience for me. As a result I'm examining and studying Moses in the Pearl of Great Price. It has been opening my eyes in a lot of different ways. Another thing that has been important that I learned was I need to record all of the inspiration that I receive. I haven't been good at using a study journal in the past but I'm good at it now. I don't let a single thing go by without carefully recording it in my study journal.

At the stake conference in the leadership training session before the adult session Elder Hortin and I did a training with all of the Ward Mission Leaders. It was awesome. We're looking to see some big improvements in the different ward missions. We also put together an awesome zone meeting. It was kind of like a glorified District Meeting, haha. We got permission from President to do that instead of District Meetings last week. It got everyone really excited to go out and work.

We decided to walk to Stake Conference on Sunday instead of driving. We talked to a guy on the way and gave him our phone number. All the time finding, it works.

We're going to have to move Santos' date back a couple of weeks but he's still doing really well.

Funny story. I went on exchanges this last week with Elder Spencer. In the morning at 8:00, we went to go help somebody move from a two bedroom apartment into a one bedroom apartment. It's a long story as to why that is but it took us from 8:00 to 12:00 to finish the move. It was like death. I didn't know you could fit that much stuff in a little apartment. On top of that there were about 10-15 of us helping her move the whole time.

After that experience I've been extremely OCD about the cleanliness and organization of our apartment. You'd be proud mom. haha.

I love you all
Elder Ben Arnold

Leonardo is on fire!

Hola familia,

Exciting things are happening in Pasco. Leonardo is really on fire now. The other night while we were on exchanges again; he called up Elder Hortin to see if he could go out with them that night. So he did and they taught a couple of lessons. We also had a lesson with him and Santos. Santos read his reading assignment in Mosiah 18. We reviewed verses 8-10 with him and he committed to be baptized on the 28th of this month! He is a very humble man and is trying very hard to learn and repent.

Juan and Briana haven't been doing so well. It's been hard to get a hold of them lately. They didn't come to church last Sunday either. They've been working on getting her ID still. We keep committing them to go and get it but something always gets in the way. And apparently there are always really long lines at the DMV.

Amy, feliz cumpleanos! No puedo creer que ya tienes 22 anos. Espero que fuera un buen dia. Perdon que tu correo electronico todavia no ha llegado. Espero que llegue tu carta muy pronto. Ojala que la proxima vez que escucho de ti ya la hayas recibido. (Happy birthday! I can not believe she's 22. I hope it was a good day. Sorry that your email has not arrived yet. I wait your letter soon. May the next time you hear and you received. - translated with google translator)

Here's a cool story about finding: I was on exchanges with Elder Smith. We were knocking on some doors in an apartment complex and we saw a Hispanic lady walking down the street with several children. We decided we were going to catch up to her and talk to her. It was a long walk and we had to walk quickly but we caught up to them. I talked to her about temples and eternal families. She said we could come by and visit with her and her family. She gave us her address and phone number. We need to talk to everybody about the gospel

I've been focusing a lot lately on my personal and companionship studies. I've noticed that I've been receiving a lot more guidance and inspiration for those that we teach. Great power comes from reading the scriptures.

I love you all
Elder Ben Arnold

I love missionary work!

Hola familia,

I don’t think I told you last week but Juan Saldaña is the new Branch Mission Leader. He’s doing awesome. We already worked a lot together when he was just a branch missionary. There was also a high priests group formed! That’s one step closer to becoming a ward. We’ve been working really hard to try and get the Perry Plan up and going with all of the changes that are happening. We think that it will actually go somewhere this time. We’ve been trying to teach Juan everything that we know to help him fulfill his calling.

Recently Leonardo had been struggling spiritually. Something happened in the last week and now he’s on fire. He blessed the sacrament! I almost cried when I saw that. He was up there with Juan Saldana and with Francisco Chavez. It was Francisco’s first time as well! It was fast Sunday and like Amy it was a spiritual outpouring for me. I felt the power of the Atonement. In these last few weeks the gospel has meant so much more to me.

Another story about Leonardo: Elder Hortin and another missionary, Elder Burgin, went over to visit him. Santos, his roommate, was also there. Santos has been doing drugs. And he was high when Elder Hortin and I talked to him the first time. He felt like if he was going to listen to us that he was really going to commit himself and listen. So he threw all of his drugs away that next day and hasn’t used it since. Elder Hortin and Elder Burgin had a great lesson with the two of them. He told me later that night that Leonardo was on fire. He’s eating everything up right now and doing everything he needs to. He also got offered his old job back again. He was looking for a job in Yakima; I’m glad he found one in Pasco.

We started teaching a lady named Angelica. She was taught by the other elders when I was first in Pasco. In fact I taught her while I was in a companionship with Elder Anderson and Elder Dudoich. She’s really excited about coming to church and getting baptized only her husband is really Catholic and appears to love worldly things like alcohol more than God. We have an appointment with them tonight. We are going to be reading out of the Book of Mormon on the topic of “wickedness never was happiness”.

I can’t tell you about all the experiences that I’ve had this week but I’ve felt several times like Heavenly Father was working through me to teach and help his children. That is such a good feeling, when you comfort people and get them back on the right path.

I love missionary work!