A special message from Elder Bentz

Ed McMullin, new YM President asked Elder Bentz to write a few words to the Priests in his home ward. Here's Mooker's take on serving a mission. Enjoy!

Listen guys, Missions are DA' BOMB! you learn so much out here, no matter where you are. I know that. You have a lot of experiences that help build your testimony. It takes a butt-load of work, but there is no better feeling than going to sleep at night knowing that you have given it your all that day. Some days, you don't feel like that, others you do, but the main thing is that you give your best. The best is different for everybody, and only YOU can decide what YOUR best is, and at the end of the day, the Lord knows your best, and accepts it, but you have to give it first! If Ed and Bro. Painter are there, I hope they know that they are great guys, I don't care what everybody else says, and that all of you young men are LUCKY to have them with you. Examples like them helped me decide to go on a mission, and to try my best. Now, I am not saying I am the best missionary in the world, far from it, but to have this opportunity to serve a mission has brought me the best memories and experiences I have had in my life. It has brought me closer to the Savior, and truly to understand the doctrine, and to feel the joy that comes from helping others learn about it as well, in German nonetheless! We really don't know what we have as members of the church. It is truly the greatest message on the face of the Earth (next to the atonement of course) but really, I love the Gospel, and am thankful for the decision I made to go on a mission. If any of you are having trouble deciding to go, listen...Do this one thing, and you will know what you are supposed to do: PRAY. That is the cure-all to problems in life, when you really pray, knowing, and trusting that God is listening to your concerns, and that he loves you, everything else seems just like a task that can be accomplished, a problem that will take care of itself, and so on. The feelings I have when I pray are the best in the world, and I know of no better place in the world. I remember one time, Ed and I and I think it was Ed's cousin, Mike? anyways, We were hiking the Grand Canyon, South to North, and we started really early in the morning, like 4 AM. We were only about 20 minutes down the trail from South Kaibab, and there was a sharp switchback, and Ed and Mike were ahead of me, I paused to look over the edge, and observe the scenery. They went ahead a little ways, until I was alone, and could hear absolutely nothing. It was so quiet that I could seriously hear the beating of my heart. Out over the ridge, I could see the orange of the pre-sunrise coming up. As I stood there. I felt peace, I didn't have anything to weary my mind, and the sound of nothing was so awesome that I remember it to this day, and will forever I am sure. That feeling of peace and complete content and gratitude are what I feel when I really pray to God, and truly ask for his help, and WANT it too. It has taken a while for me to gain that kind of appreciation of prayer, but I am thankful that I have it, and I know that anyone can have it too, all it takes is Humility, Faith, and of course doing it! I love the church, and all of you. Auf Wiedersehen! Love Elder Bentz aka Mooker

Baptism date set for Lauritz...prayers needed

SWEET! the Packers beat the Bears! yes. I will probably call around 8 o'clock P.M. here, so like noon, or 1 o'clock P.M. will be when I call on Christmas day. Be sure to tell Michael when I call too. I will most likely call you beforehand with a phone card anyways, so...yeah. So, last week we went to Frankfurt as you know, I got some sweet stuff, that you should be receiving in the next couple of weeks because I am sending it all home, and I got a SWEET nativity scene for Grandma, seriously, she will like it, and some stuff for some other people as well, so just be sure to follow the instructions in the packages. This week it has gotten super cold, so I am bustin' out the thermals and jacket, It is still cold when I do those either way, but so it is, at least I get hot wife points for it!(not sure what that means) I hope...Oh, yeah, I am staying here for the next 6 weeks with Elder Smith, so, that's that. ummmmmm...We have a sweet Christmas schedule lined up with the sweetest families in the Ward, and it will be way fun. We set a baptismal date with Lauritz this last week, from his friend that got back from his mission a couple months ago, so that is way cool. Be sure to keep him in your prayers, he was sick this last Sunday, so he didn't come to church, but he should be this week, and he still needs help really gaining a stronger testimony about the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith, so yeah, he is way cool, That is about it from me this week, I am sure we will have plenty more to say to each other when we talk on Christmas day. Thanks family I love you all! Tschüss! Love Elder Bentz aka Mooker

I am wearing a scarf and nothing else...I am a Man

Well, Myldsmail is not working right now, so I am just going to write from his one. I got the package! thank you so much, It is gonna be hard to not open them for the next week, but it should be good. We just got a ton of Christmas appts set up with the members here, So christmas should be nice for us here, unless I get transferred, which I shouldn't be, so, we shall see. Today we are in Frankfurt checking out the Weihnachtsmarkt here, and I am on the lookout for a nativity set, don't worry grandma, I'll find one! and for some cool stuff. I hope my package gets to you soon, there is come stuff in there that is for everybody for xmas. Thanks for the Guitar center brochure, that was nice! :) This last week for us was pretty good, we had a good lesson with Lauritz, and we are meeting again this week with his mom too, so pray for them, that they can be open to it, and really pray about it. It is definitely cold now, and I am wearing a scarf everyday, but that is it! I am NOT wearing a coat! ever! I got my thermals, and my scarf, that should be good. I am a Man! Thanks for everything again, I hope all is going well, I got an email from Thomas, that was nice, I haven't heard from him the entire time! or Paul! Anyways, be sure to be in contact with Michael for Christmas call, and then I will have to give more correspondence a little later. I just found out that myldsmail is working now, so, I will send it from there too, just to be safe. Well, until then family, Tschüss! Love Elder Bentz aka Mooker

Oops...this is NOV. 24 email..read before last one

Hey, everything sounds good at home. Yeah, be sure to be in shape for the rand Canyon when I get back mom, it will be fun. This week was pretty good for us, we got a new investigator, and it was way sweet for the first lesson that we had, He is about 19-20 years old, and is a friend from a member in the ward, who just got back from his mission in Belgium, Holland France area. It went really well, and we felt the spirit for sure. He even said that he feels different when he comes to church and meets with us or talks about the Book of Mormon, so yeah, way cool. The rest of that day was pretty lame, just doors for like 4 hours, but hey, you gotta pay the price. We also had a good lesson with this one guy in our ward as a joint teacher, and we went by on this 73 year old investigator we have, and our joint teacher knows everything about everything! He used to be a Jesuit priest, and came to the Temple for the open house, to see what the Mormons were up to, and he felt the spirit, and ended up converting after giving up alcohol and smoking, so way cool, anyways, pretty good week, also had zoko, and it was good, all about taking control of ´missionary work and goals, we talked for like 3 hours on apostasy too, it was sweet. Well, that is about it for me, thanks for being ready to send tat package, I am almost done getting mine to send home too, so we will have to wait and see whose gets home first. Take care, I love you all! Tschüss! Love Elder Bentz aka Mooker

Bishop's home for Thanksgiving

Oh, you already sent my christmas package? sweet. I should be sending off my big package today with a few things in it, including gifts, and camera cards, and other things as well. I pulled out 200€ today cause this package will cost a bit, and we are going to Frankfurt next week, and I am planning on buying some stuff there too. so thanks for all of that stuff in advance too! This week was way cool, we were able to go over to the Bishop's (DeMolder home for Thanksgiving, his wife is American, and his family speaks French, German, and English very well, he is French himself. We went over there and had Turkey and potatoes, and stuffing, and all the normal stuff for thanksgiving, I was even able to play some guitar over there, it was nice. After that, we sang a lot of songs in French and German and English for Xmas and Thanksgiving, and it was way fun, it was nice to go over to a nice family's home. Lauritz, the guy we are teaching right now, is doing well, he came to church on Sunday, and had a good time, we are going to meet with him, over at the Bishops' familys' home on Friday, and that should be good too, thanks for all of your prayers! It is already December again! crazy, this time last year, I was supposed to be on a plane to Germany, but it didn't happen until a day later, good times.I feel like I will be staying here in Bad Homburg for Christmas, with Elder Smith, and I will be telling you within the next 2 emails or so what time for the phone call and everthing, so be on the alert. well, thanks for everything family! Tell Matt to stop being a bum and find a Girl! oh wait, too late, man, I am gonna have some catching up to do when I get back...Tschüss! Love Elder Bentz aka Mooker