THREE E-MAILS! (MOM IS NEGLECTING HER POSTING RESPONSIBILITIES!!!

4 JANUARY 2010

Happy New Year!
O.k. so I just typed a huge long letter and tried to send it and the internet crashed and I lost it all! I'm so mad! Now I only have a few minutes left. well I'll write as much as I can.
So first before I run out of time I wanted to put in a clip from the letter I sent to President Pfile today.....here it is:
"We have had a couple that we've been teaching for quite a while but who haven't really shown any signs of progression despite all of our work to help them. Last night we went over to their house and talked with them and both me and Elder Conley felt inspired to drop them. So we decided to follow that feeling. About 10 minutes later we came in contact with "E", who we had been trying to see for over a month but had had no success, and he let us into his home. He asked us if we would watch 'The Testaments' dvd with him (we left it with him about a month ago) and answer all the questions he had. We said yes of course! We watched it and explained it as we went and at the end he looked so happy....he said: "Wow, I beleive it. It makes so much sense to me now!" We were so happy. We then commited him to baptism and he accepted. He said: "Yeah...I know its the right thing to do". Because of our faith to drop someone who wasn't progressing we got someone who is willing to work towards baptism."
Just thought you might enjoy that miracle we had. So we now have "E" back and commited to be baptized on January 23rd!
So it sounds like you all had a great New Year! Wow, 1:30, 3:00, 3:30, and 6:00! good job to all of you but I think Emma gets the cake! At least for being the craziest! :) I expect to hear what could have possibly went on until 6:00 in the morning!
Me and Elder Conley, on New Years day, cleaned the house (yep theres just so much to do in La Junta!) went and visited people, watched movies and then at 12:00am on January 1st we each drank our own personal bottle of sparkling apple cider! yummmmmm! :) I wrote a little bit more about it in my letter which I'll send off today.......its a pretty lengthy one (for me at least!)
So I am now in my black year. Did they have that name when you were serving dad? Thats what they call the year on your mission where you go all the way from January 1st to December 31st. Anyways...my black year has just begun! The Masons will be happy to know that I took the bag from Leroys that they sent me and cut out the face on the front of the bag and used it as my planner cover! I figured it was appropriate because its black and white and I just started my black year! I'll have to send a picture!
Well dang it, I'm out of time.....I hope you all have a great week as the holidays slip away and real life slaps you in the face again! Thanks for all you letters and prayers. I love you all......
Love Ben

11 JANUARY 2010
Hey whats up?! :)
So I'm e-mailing from Trinidad Colorado today because we're doing team-ups here. You may not know this....and you may not want to...but I guess that Trinidad is the sex change capital of the world! lol.....or at least it was. I'm pretty sure that the doctor retired about a year or so ago, but yeah....there's a crazy fact for ya! :) We've seen a few....um...."it's"! lol You can totalLy tell just by the way they act. Its pretty creepy! Well...enough about that!
So me and Conley are having a blast! We've been visiting alot of less active and part member families. I think I told you how we only have about 50 of the 400 members who actually come to church! We are working really hard, along with the bishop, to re-activiate all those members because we are pretty low on priesthood here.
So I just got all of your letters the other day so when I get back to La Junta I'll be writing you a letter! But I won't have time while I'm on team-ups. I did enjoy the morning toast edition...thanks for filling in that puzzle for me! your right...I never have time to do those puzzles and stuff! But I love getting it and reading through it! :)
I took a picture of my entire "nice tie" collection that I'll send to you here soon. I'm up to 30 nice ties.
Well I got to go so I'll talk to ya later.....I'll write when I get back to La Junta.
Love ya!
love Ben.....

Hey.....:) I just got a few minutes to get back on my e-mail and I read your letter!
Things are great...time is flying! Can you beleive that in five days I will have been out for four months! I'm having an awesome experience though and meeting tons of cool people....missionaries and members and just people!
Hey thanks for letting me know about the $20....yeah once I get his address I'll write him. (grandad Cryer) I've been wanting to write him anyways for a few days now. Also.....Aunt Jackie and Uncle Jerry sent me some gifts but I can't write them either because I don't have their address...could I get theirs too? Thanks!
Wow...that is SO cool about Phyllis! I never knew she was a member! I feel horrible now that I never knew that! I'd love to write to her and tell her how I'm doing!
Thanks too for sharing how you came up with your topic. That was interesting. The Lord really does work in mysterious ways! I think sometimes we all (me included) just expect him to give us the answer or the help we need. But sometimes he sits back and let's us wonder and figure things out for ourselves. I always think of the story of the brother of Jared where he just asked the Lord how they were going to light the barges and the Lord basically askes the brother of Jared right back what he thinks he should do. The brother of Jared couldn't have lit the rocks on his own but the Lord wouldn't do everything for him either. It's so true though, I like what you said about....if we want lasting value we have to involve the Lord.
Well....once again, my times up! Thanks for sharing those things with me! That was awesome.
Well...like I said in my last e-mail....I'll write once I get back to La Junta.
Love you all........
Love Ben

19 JANUARY 2010
Hey guys....First of all, I'm really sorry I didn't get a chance to write a letter last week. Like I said, we had team-ups Mon-Wed and then we had a crazy day Thursday, and then I found out that we had interviews on Friday and then we had Stake Conference! So sorry I didn't find any time to write. You can count on a letter this week though! ok? ok! :)
Anyway...it sounds like you all doing well....thats good to hear!
Wow...you had to persuade Sam to wear a sweatshirt? I thought she took every possible chance she could to wear a sweatshirt! ;) So its just cold and wet there huh?......sounds like good old happy Eugene! Its actually been really nice here lately. It gets down to about 20 degrees at night but during the day its been about 50 - 60 degrees. I guess this is pretty crazy weather for January in Colorado. Everyone here hates it!
Hold it? my pa's a trail boss! way to go pa! :) I'll look forward to getting the pics from that trip! Sounds....um...fun? lol just joking. That should be a great trip. I'm sure Emma will love it. The youth from the La Junta ward went a couple years ago. I was looking at some pictures that they had taken and it looked like they had a great time.
Four and a half miles in 1 1/2 hours! thats a pretty brisk walk! Me adn Elder Conley went and hiked a place called Picketwire Canyon the other day. I'll write more about that in my letter. It was really fun though. We hiked probably 7 - 8 miles through grasslands and canyon. It was so pretty. So yeah...I probably am getting soft from being in a car area but at least I can still walk 7 - 8 miles without dying! lol I must say that it did feel really good to get out and hike!
Sam...Im so sorry. I just saw that I had a letter from you that postmarked like Dec 27th and I havn't replied! please don't hate me! lol Well you're welcome for your present! I'm glad the hot chocolate maker makes good creamy hot chocolate. I was hoping you'd like it. Hopefully it will last you a good long time.
Thats funny about youre game of pictionary! It sounds like you were all....well....um....struggling! lol
Thats awesome that you heard from the Romneys! Wow...another baby...and a GIRL! they must be so happy. Thats good to know they're still doing good.
So Ariel is writing me but not sending the letters? I am struggling to find the logic behind that....hmmm...I guess she must have a good reason.....maybe! I would ask you to go have a good long talk with her but I won't make you go all the way to Idaho!
Well...I have still been trying to play catchup on thankyou letters for Christmas but I'm struggling finding the time. If people ask...tell them I havn't forgotten! :)
Sounds like you got some neat things from Disneyland! That was super nice of them to bring all that stuff back for you guys.
So you went to an opera huh...I am so sorry to hear that. ;) lol Yeah Emma...they sure can project can't they! Its actually kind of scary! :)
So you asked if we had butchered our second cow yet and the answer is no. We were going to go but we had a baptism instead. We figured that the baptism was more important!
Well. Me and Elder Conley have had to drop a few people because they just aren't keeping any commitments. So we are finding, finding, finding! We don't really have to many investigators right now exept for a few kids who are waiting on their parents permmision. So I'll keep you updated as we find more people.
Well I'm out of time. I did pretty good today though right?! I tried to type fast! Hopefully there aren't too many spelling errors!
Well I love you guys. Again...sorry I didn't write last week. I will for sure this week.
Have a great week!
Love Ben