10/4/10....I Can't believe it's over

Elder Bentz returns from his mission this week, October 7, 2010. We have enjoyed reading his emails and hearing about his mission to Germany. Hope you have enjoyed reading them as well. We are anxious to hug him, and welcome him home. We received a wonderful letter from his Mission President this week. Here are a few highlights: Elder Bentz has served faithfully throughout his mission. He has shown kindness towards others and has gotten along well with companions and other missionaries with whom he has served. During these past two years, he has deepened his love for the gospel and has strengthened his faith in his Savior, Jesus Christ. he has gained an appreciation for the people here, their culture and their language. He has been able to teach the doctrines of Christ and bear testimony of their truthfulness and has been an instrument in the hands of the Lord. Elder Bentz has grown and developed through the challenges he has faced. Sister Ninow and I love him and pray for the Lord's choicest blessing to be with him. We are grateful for our time of service together and hope that he will keep in touch from time to time as he progresses forward.

Now here is the last email he wrote home and also to his cousin, Heidi, who has written to him faithfully these last two years.
Heidi,
Man, I can't believe that it is over, I can remember times where it felt like it would never end, but it does, and will. This last area I was in, Krefeld, has been one of my favorites, I am so grateful for the things I have been a part of here, and will cherish the memories forever...Too bad Spencer and Sarah won't be at the airport, but I know you will be. don't worry, I have been practicing my smile, I know I raise the eyebrows, I am working on it! anyway, thanks for always writing Heidi, I love you. I don't know what else I should say, but I will see you in a few days anyway, so I will tell you everything you want to know then.

Hey! I can't remember the last time you wrote me! Dad, we HAVE to go to a suns game or d-backs game when I get back. I can't wait to watch that game with you, Go Pack Go! hey, could you or mom call Michael K. and make sure he is at the airport too?. I really don't know what else I can say here. I will be seeing you in like 3 days, and I will tell you whatever you want then. I am so grateful to have been able to come out here and see and do all of the tings I have done. It is definitely sad to leave, but I am excited to come home and see you all again. I love you Dad. Tschüss! Love Elder Bentz aka Mooker

9/27/10......I can definately testify of the truth

This week was crazy wonderful. It started off just like a normal week. We had Zone conference in Dusseldorf and everything else about the week was normal, we were doing go-byz and normal missionary stuff. We had an appt with this kid we met on the streets like 3 weeks ago, Patrick, and met with him 2 weeks ago and taught him the first, he liked it, and agreed to read and pray about the BoM. Our next appt, for the Saturday after that one fell out and he rescheduled after that. We set up another appt for the NEXT saturday, so that was 2 weeks not meeting with him, and it was seeming pretty weaksauce. We went to the appt at the church, and were honestly not expecting him to show up, but he did, and we got to talking, asked him if he had read and prayed, he did, and we asked him how it went. He then proceeded to say something I ,nor my companion had ever heard before on our missions after the 2nd time meeting with someone...he said ''I read, and prayed, and as I prayed, I got a warm nice feeling all over my body, and I now know that the Book of Mormon is really the word of God.'' ...uhhhhhhhh.........What the heck do you say to that!? Well, we said the right thing of course, and ended up setting a baptismal date with him for the 30th of October, BUT honestly, how often has that happened? They read, pray, and find out that it's true. Just like that! NEVER: Usually you have to go through a lot of convincing and teaching and answering, but with this guy, he is 17, he got it just like that! It was really incredible, and neither of us were prepared for it. So now I can definitely testify of the truth of that Book, and that it is what it says it is, and does what it says it does. Love Elder Bentz aka Mooker

9/20/10....Staying above the black waters...

Here at home we are getting excited for Mooker's return. He remains focused on the work, good for him.

Member Missionary work? Pu-leeze....I LOVE talking about member missionary work, especially once I will be a member again :) then I can scold people if they don't do it, and I won't feel bad :) that will be cool. Go Pack, hopefully they will pound the Bears. well, this last week was pretty good for us, we met with some cool people, and there was the largest outdoor fashion show in the world here on Saturday and Sunday, TONS of people on the streets. The weather is nice today, but it is definitely getting cooler, and we are wearing light jackets outside now. I hope it is super hot when I get back. I will mow the lawn too, don't worry. hmmm...what else, nothing happened this week, I am sorry. I am still keeping my head above the black waters of trunkiness, but we'll see how long that holds out for. Until then... Tschüss! Love Elder Bentz aka Mike?

9/13/10........A few new people to teach. Home soon

Thanks for the money you deposited. That should cover the rest of my expenses for the rest of my mission. I just need shoes and a couple more shirts and ties now. speaking of...mom, do you think that you would be able to take in a few of my shirts when I get back, make them slim fit? I saw the sewing lines and how they did it, and it looks pretty simple I bet you could, so, maybe we'll see...that is good that Matt Leinart is out as QB for the Cardinals, Hopefully the Pack can get it going this year! By the way, I will be getting home on October 7th at 4:55 PM in terminal 3 at PHX sky harbor airport, sooo, that's that. ummmm, we had a pretty good week, found a couple new people to teach, hopefully they will turn into something good here pretty soon,. General conference is coming up, and then I will be home. AHHHH!!!!!! man, with the much money left in my account I COULD buz a car, huh? well, well see...thanks for writing, I love you all, tell Heidi I love her too. Tschüss! Love Elder Bentz aka Mooker

9/6/10.......Not too trunky, staying busy!

You know, surprisingly enough, I am not getting too trunky. We are trying to get some good work done here in the end of all the things...anyway, That is cool about my cousin, Benson getting his mission call to Nashville, Tennessee, should be fun. William comes home 2 months after me, crazy. good stuff about Matt finally getting his own TV...bum...jk, man, that will be cool to just watch TV whenever I want. And xbox. And guitar. anyway...this last week was pretty chilly, and this week is a little warmer, today we are playing ultimate frisbee, and tomorrow is zoko in Dortmund, that will be cool to go there. hmmmm...well, That is about it. I am sorry about it being so short, but hey, I will see you in about 4 weeks and we'll talk then. Tschüss! Love Elder Bentz aka Mooker

8/30/2010........Keep Spreading the Word

I would love to go through all of my pics with you mom. I have like all of them memorized anyway. That will be fun. anyway, yeah, a car? that costs money that I don't have! seriously, I think a bike will be good enough for the beginning, and the Bus too. I will proably have to get a car within a year, of course, but at first, I need to get some $$$$ We'll see about it later. I really still have no idea what I want to do for school. I was thinking about it lately (I know, a sin...) and I have been considering two options, teaching, more specifically teaching German, cause that is the only thing i have going for me right now, and something with computers, so maybe an electrical engineering degree or something like that, I have no idea, I guess I will have to worry about that all at the same time once I get back. oh well. Brad is already gone? man, that was fast...Rainy too...schade....

FOOTBALL!!!!! BASKETBALL!!!!! yes, I can't wait to watch every single game! dad, you should look into getting some tickets for the Suns, nosebleed is fine...preseason should be just starting when I get back right? I think those are cheaper...well, more about me this last week. It rained a lot, and we are no longer in a drit(3 guys) with Elder Wildey, he is in Mönchen-Gladbach now with his comp... We have a lot of finding time right now, due to the lack of new investigators we had LAST cycle, so yeah, shoot your own foot. We are meeting with some pretty sweet inactives right now, and they are making some good progress, and Vivian is doing awesome! She is seriously the most LEGIT convert ever! she just found out too, that some of her friends back in Taiwan are Mormon too! so that is cool. anyway. We should be playing ping pong with another one of Bishop's asian friends, I will get smoked probably, but I am definitely one of the best americans on the mission at ping pong...I will tell you how it goes. oh yeah, we found out that there IS another zoko, and it will be on the normal day and time, so yeah, one last time I guess...:) thanks for writing. I will see you soon! Tschüss! Love Elder Bentz aka Mooker

8/23/2010........Vivian is Baptized, new suit, shoes

I got the email with the pics of Brad at the airport, thanks. Man, that is so insane that Brad is home. I am coming up now too...geez. anyway, the baptism went perfectly. I gave a talk on baptism, It was in English too, I like that :) She was so happy, everybody who was at the baptism was so nice and supportive, For transfers, I am dying here in Krefeld and Elder Guin is gonna kill me, so all in all, it is good. I got a new suit the other day, It is LEGIT! don't worry about me gettin' a car dad, I wasn't planning on getting one anyway. I think I will just buy a bike,m or ride the bus, I have gotten used to it :) I still have to buy some Lloyd shoes too, and some more shirts...sooo, don't worry that I am taking some more money out at the end here. speaking of, I think it would be awesome if you took pics of me at the airport while I was walking up the terminal, just me by myself, I will do something cool don't worry...man, I am gonna have to send some stuff home pretty soon here as well, soo, be expecting some packages in the near future...hmmm....the weather is pretty crappy now, but shouldn't be too bad up until I leave, my crappy american suits should hold out until I leave, I will take them home I think, but never wear them again, there is a hole in the butt of my blue suit, and so my black one is saving me up until the end....that's how it is...well, the dritt is coming to an end this week, now we can just focus on our area, it should be good for the last few weeks here. Thanks for everything...I love you all. Tschüss!

Love, Elder Bentz (aka Mooker)