THANKSGIVING AND THE LOVE OF GOD

Hey! Hows me peeps?!?!?!?!?! :)
Before I forget.....yes I can play cd's. :)
Well it sounds like you had a fun thanksgiving! I'm glad. Yeah...when Christine and I went to Off The Waffle we were going through the joke basket and we had to skip a couple! lol I mean when you think about it...it is pretty risky reading jokes from Eugenians! lol
Well we had a great Thanksgiving also. It was weird not being around family though! lol It wasn't bad, just really different! :) We went over to a members house for a big breakfast of biscuts and gravy. Then we went over to another members house for a huge lunch of turkey, ham, potatos, stuffing, fruit, rolls, and much more...including dessert. Then we went out to a wildlife viewing area and saw... absolutely no wildlife! lol We just walked around. Then we went to another members house for dinner (which was much like lunch) and we watched Kung-fu Panda. It was a really good day.
Elder Downs and I had a really cool experience the other day. We were out tracting and we saw this guy sitting all alone on a cinder block. We went over and started talking with him. He started to tell us all about his life. How he had been through some really rough times and was now in a situation where he couldn't even see his four children. His wife wouldn't let him near them or talk with them. We started to teach him the first lesson about how God loves him and knows exactly what he's going through. The spirit hit us all like a ton of bricks. Elder Downs and I started to get kinda choked up and the man we were talking to started to cry. We taught him about prayer and he started crying more. He told us that just the day before his sister had called and told him to pray. He said that we were the answer to his prayer. We also taught him about the Book of Mormon. We promised him that if he would pray every day and read the Book of Mormon every day that somehow God would provide a way for him to see his kids again. The next day we got a call from him and he told us, in such a happy voice, that he was with his kids again! It was so amazing to see the Lord help this man. We're giving him a date tommorrow I think so pray that it will go well! :)
Also, the four of us Elders in the apartment decided to put on a Christmas program to invite ward members and investigators to. Its going to be so cool. We got a hold of some guitars and we're practicing in the evenings so that we can be ready by hopefully the 22'nd. There will be guitar, piano, and vocal. In fact...Sam, could you send me a copy of the 'Away in a manger' song we arranged? The one we played at the Christmas program a year or two ago. Do you remember? If you could send me a copy of it that would be great!
Well...I hope your all doing good with everything...work, school, seminary, callings, and everything!
I am doing great! This has been an awesome transfer so far!
Whoops....one minute left!
Love you all tons!

Love Ben :)

MISSIONS ROCK!

Dear Family!
Wow, what a day it's been! Transfer day...I'm all packed up now and ready to go to LaJunta. You were right dad, by the time this mission is over I will be a professional packer! If I get moved every transfer I'll have to pack and unpack all this stuff seventeen times! Crazy!
Oh, mom, you'll get a kick out of this. A member gave Elder Oakes and I and two other missionaries in our area, Elder Toney and Elder Burton, each 20.00 to go out and eat somewhere nice! She said, "I better not hear you went to McDonalds!"
So we all decided to go to the Olive Garden. By the time we had ordered dinner and dessert our bill came out to $60.00. The waitress, who we had been talking to about our missions and what it was all about, came back and asked if there was anything else we wanted. We said no and were getting ready to pay when...can you guess?
When she said, "O.K. Well, just so you know, my manager has taken care of your bill this evening. Thank you for following your dreqams and doing something so great!"
The four of us must have looked so dumb! We didn't say anything for a few seconds. We just stared at each other and then at her and then back at each other! We couldn't believe it! A sixty dollar Olive Garden meal for free! Missions Rock!
Well tonight another member of the ward is taking us out to a place called the Texas Roadhouse. Now that sounds like a happenin' place! I shouldn't get used to it though because I hear you don't get too many member dinners in LaJunta! (We'll see if that's true.)
Man I can't believe that I've been on my mission for three full months already! It really doesn't seem that long! Time is really flying. I mean there's only 17 transfers to a full two year mission and I've just completed my first one. Don't get me wrong, I still have a ways to go but if it goes like this first transfer did then it's going to come real quick!
Oh, so just to clarify. So far I have been a part of three baptisms. One boy who was going to be baptized didn't have the support of his family and so we had to move on. It was really hard but it's what President Pfile said to do so we did it! But the other three baptisms were awesome! They're all doing great and one of them now has the Aaronic Priesthood and is a good strong member of the Priest Quorum. His mom should be getting baptized next week, but I'll be gone so I won't be there for that.
Oh...haha..It was really funny. When Elder Oakes baptized Jim he forgot to take the cell phone out of his pocket and it started buzzing (underwater) during the "dunking process"! Jim said thanks to that he'll never forget his baptism! The phone didn't work for a couple days after that but it's working again now!
Well, my bike is still holding up pretty well and I haven't had any flat tires since the last one I told you about, so it's been a while! (Knock on wood!)
Well, it's time for me to run again! (That's the new story of my life!) So I'll talk to you...next week I guess!
Love you all tons!
Ben

FIRST TRANSFER

Hey hey hey!
First off, no I did not forget to e-mail you yesterday! lol This week is transfer week and so our P-day was moved to Tuesday so that if anyone is getting transfered they can pack up and get ready.
Second, I'm one of those people who need to pack up and get ready to go! I guess that I'm headed to La Junta. My new companions name is Elder Downs....sounds nice enough I guess! I'll find out tommorrow if its really true! Yeah so it sounds like I'll be in a house instead of an apartment and there will be four elders staying there all together (Me being included in that four!) Should be an adventure! Its like starting my mission all over again...I have no clue who my companion is or where I'm going or who the members are or anything! lol
Well sam, before I forget....Yes I am very proud of you :) WOW 55 MPH! Thats amazing! Way to go!!!! Lets see, I've only been gone like two monthes or something and your going 55, so by the time I get back you should be zippin around at about...300 MPH? Thats about right, right?! lol No, good job though, thats great!
Well I have to go pack now so that I'm ready to go in the morning! I'll try super hard to write a letter but please forgive me if I don't have time....It may be a short letter!
Love you all tons!

Ben

p.s. (You can keep addressing letters to the same address you have been! they'll forward them to wherever I am! Love You!!!)

TWO YEARS IS NOT LONG ENOUGH

Hey! Hows everyone back home?! :)
Everything is awesome here in Colorado! (Um....about the video, technically I dont think I'm supposed to watch them unless they're approved by the church....so if you can get them approved that would be awesome! ;) but otherwise pictures are the best!)
Sounds like you had a good anniversary...thats great! Whats the new favorite restaurant?
Painting my room?!?!?!?!?! I can't imagine what color could possibly be better than my bright happy yellow! lol thats all good! What has my room turned into? Anything yet?
Good job dad and emma on your home cooked meal! (There wasn't any gravy involved right? lol)
Thats nice to hear that people haven't completely forgotten about me! Tell them all I am doing great, loving my mission, and am grateful for all their prayers in my behalf! All those people you mentioned have been such great examples to me over the years.
Actually yeah....some waterproofing stuff for my shoes would be great.....well at least I think it would. Its actually been really really nice weather for the past week or so but I keep hearing that the cold is on its way. :/ So I'm not completely sure, but it could come in handy!
So this week, on the 13th of November, we have two baptisms! (I know...its kind of a risky day to schedule anything...but just pray really hard! haha) No, they are super excited for it! They've been coming to church and everything. Really cool.
Well, this mission thing is definately really hard work! It's constantly go go go! But it's so rewarding and its like you always have just enough strength to do everything you need to get done. The Lord really does make you equal to whatever calling or task your called to! I've never seen it so much until here on my mission.
Its so crazy....I mean, I remember sitting in sacrament meeting back home thinking: "I wonder what ward I'll be sitting in on my mission? I wonder where I'll be? I wonder who I'll talk to?" And now that I'm here it feels so familiar! Its like I've always been here in Pueblo, like I've known these people all my life. Its the weirdest feeling!
I've also completely lost all sense of time! It feels like just yesterday we were all in Salt Lake together or just yesterday I got dropped off at the MTC. But really it's been about two monthes already! Days can sometimes feel long but weeks fly by! I am beginning to realize that you can't even begin to touch enough lives in two years. It really is short! lol I've got to buckle down, get as much work as I can done, and make the most of all the time I have!
I have also realized that I wish I had spent more time with you guys too! lol (I know you tried to tell me mom! Sorry I had such a hard head!....I must get it from my knuckle head fuzzy brother! lol) I really do love you guys....hope you know that! Thanks for all you prayers and letters and the pictures! Love em!
Well I'm about to get signed out!
Have a great week!
Love ya
Love Ben...(aka - boy, budgy, ben-bo-becky-boy, whoever I am!) ;)

GOOD WILL

Dear Fam,
So I forgot to tell you some things in my letter and my e-mail! It's still P-day so I figured I'd just write another letter.
So I told you how me and Elder Oakes went to the Goodwill and bought brown suit coats right? Well we wore them to District Meeting last Friday and our District Leader (Whose comp is Elder McCord from the MTC) loved them! He was jealous! So today he called and said, "We're going to Goodwill, want to come?"
So we all went and looked at all sorts of old junk! Elder Hannah (District Leader) and Elder Oakes both found ties they liked, although I thought they were hideous, but, Oh well! So then we decided to go to Ross and look for ties and coats. I found some ties I liked but they were all too expensive for a poor missionary to buy. But Elder Oakes and I both found matching coats! I've been looking for a coat that will hold up in the rain and is lighter than my black dress coat that I brought. Well, I found one at Ross that sould work. It has a hood too, which I really wanted! I'll have to send pics. They're pretty cool looking. Speaking of cool looking...President said that we can have light colored ties that are conservative in pattern and stuff! He said he's fine with light colors. Yay!
Well, I don't think I'm forgetting anything so I guess it's farewell until next p-day.
Love you!
Love Ben

LOTS TO DO IN PUEBLO

Dear Dad Mom Sam And Emma...and my furry friends!
Thank you so much for the chocolate apple! (And a thank you to the Stewarts!) It's Halloween night and I just got the package today...perfect timing! And banana bread too..Wow! I feel so loved! We also had some candy given to us by a member to hand out to the trick-or-treaters but we haven't had a single one stop by! So Elder Oakes and I are relaxing in our apartment in our P-day clothes eating Halloween treats! Life is good!
As for answering your question mom, please don't worry about me! (Although I know it's your job as my mother to worry!) I am doing well and staying warm for the most part. That neck warmer has saved my life! Although...if you happen to come across waterproof electric socks I would gladly accept them! No, my feet really are all that get really cold, so maybe some wool socks of some kind (they have to be a solid dark color), but yea, don't get worried!
I actually got to go on team-ups with Elder McCord (My MTC District Leader) and while we were out riding our bikes it was snowing and I wasn't freezing at all. It was crazy doing team-ups with him! I mean, we both have only been out about three weeks and here we are pretending we know what we're doing!
Well, the other night we went over to a families house who was scheduled for baptism and they had read some anti-Mormon literature that a friend had given them. So we started resolving her concerns. We talked, read scripture and bore pure testimony. It was such an amazing lesson. By the end of the night she was crying and she told us that she was so grateful for us not giving up on her and she said that she felt so at peace now. It was probably the most powerful visit of my mission so far. We closed by each of us taking turns saying a prayer. The boy, who is 8, said such a sweet prayer...so simple and so sincere. His mother also. It was a real testimony builder visit! It's been a few days since that visit and the boy is getting baptized tomorrow. We're all really excited. His mom isn't quite ready yet so please keep her in your prayers.
So, Emma, you gave a talk on the Holy Ghost in Sacrament huh? Well, I gave a talk on the Holy Ghost too. But it was at a baptism. I was really excited to do it...(Oh, and by the way... I had to whip it together in one hour..that's all the heads up they gave me!) It's really been amazing to me though. I mean I'm surrounded by the gospel and the spiritual all the time and so it's so easy to put together talks and things because it's what we talk about everyday!
I think I said thanks for the 'Witches Fingers' but I'll say it again! Thanks! Those were awesome! I've never seen anything like them! My comp really liked them too! I saved the last one for today...Halloween!
Oh, O.K. So I think that you should all be aware of this...I...yes, me, Ben Cryer. I ate...do you understand? I, me I ate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich the other day. Now, don't worry. I did go to the emergency room right after and they told me that I should be O.K. (O.K. Maybe not the emergency room....but I did eat a PBJ) It was so gross! The bread was stale, like crunchy stale and they didn't spread the peanut butter or jelly so there were two big globs in the middle! It was awful! On the flip side though, yesterday a family invited us over for dinner and fed us steak, mashed potatoes, gravy, salad, corn on the cob and rolls. It was so good!
Mmmmm! I'm eating those candy corns you all sent me while I write! I love these things!
So my rooms cleared out huh? Who's is it now? Who won?!
Well dad, the days are flying by for me too! There is not enough time to get everything done! It's a busy time, lots to do here in Pueblo. I can't believe that I'm almost done with my first transfer! I only have about two weeks left! I really hope that I get to stay in this area for at least one more transfer!
Well...I am extremely excited for tonight because we get to set our clocks back, which means I get a whole extra hour of sleep! YES!
Well, I better go now. Love you all!
Love Ben

HALLOWEEN IN THE MISSION FIELD

Hey guys!
(I just put a nice long letter in the mail today, so i'll try not to re-tell anything!)
Well...its been a crazy week! We had one family who's baptism fell through. They got antied. So that was hard to let them go but this mission is really working on sifting. Finding those who are ready to be baptized and moving on if they are not ready yet to fully accept the gospel. So that was sad because they know everything and they understand it, they just aren't ready to live it.
We did have a baptism on the 30th and that went really well. (I'm pretty sure I wrote about that in my letter though!)
Well, for Halloween we had to be IN our apartment at 6:00pm so that we wouldn't get into any trouble! We went to Chipolte at 5:30 and got a burrito (I dont know if they have a Chipoltle in Eugene but if they do you should go! It is really good and only $6.00 for a nice big burrito). After that we went back to the apartment and just hung out. We ate a bunch of candy and just chilled! It didn't really feel like Halloween at all!
I'm glad Sam had a Happy Birthday! (I did wish you a happy birthday Sam, but I sent the letter on Halloween so its gonna be late. Sorry...I didn't forget though! ;) How old are you now? lol 22? 23? 13? 41? I can't remember! lol
Thanks for the advice on no riding through muddy fields! lol I'll do my best not to!
Well I'm about to be logged off!
Love you all tons!
Love Ben :)