1st Companion Elder Larsen - Dos Hermanas Sevilla 07/12/10

Hi Family,
I probably won't see your package for a long time. That's in Malaga. I'll send you a letter from my new address soonish.

This pic was taken later that evening on the day the new missionaries arrived in Fuengirola Malaga. They were told about their assignements but Elder Bennett actually guessed where he was going. The ayudantes were wondering how he knew? Was it just beginners luck or was it pure inspiration?

Well this is my generic message:
I'm in Dos Hermanas, it is super hot. It's just south of Sevilla, like ten minutes. It's 120 degree now and its supposed to get to 135. It's crazy cuz the sun is out past 11pm, and it's still over 100 degree by 8pm.

For the summer schedule, we get up at 730am and go to bed at 11:30pm. Then we get a mediodia (kind of like a short afternoon brake) from 2:30pm to 5:30pm where we don't prosolyte at all and go bak to the house. It's strange culturally everything shuts down at that time. Being in the mission field is fantastic. I absolutely love it.

My trainer is great, his name is Elder Larsen. He's a jazz pianist. He's taught me a couple of things and helped me get a flamenco, a spanish guitar. It's fantastic! He named his guitar "Isabell" and I named mine "Maria". He named his "Isabell" after the crazy old lady we live with. She's as short as a hobbit and hobbles around complaining, which makes her priceless and hilarious. We live in her piso (appartment) with a member named David. She calls us her ninos (children) and she acts as our maid. She does our laundry, cooks when we ask, cleans our dishes, puts away our food, cleans our rooms and makes our beds. I tried to help at first, but I got scolded by her in spanish. She makes us do nothing. lol. she always complains about us using water. My skin hates it here. I'm sweating all the time. Other than that, I'm doing good. I'm eating a lot, fruit is fantastic down here.
Everyone was enjoying a wonderful summer lunch on the patio in Fuengirola Malaga where the mission home and office are located. This is a wonderful pueblo on the Mediterranean.

We have a few investigators with baptismal commitments. It's been great meeting people and getting to know them. I'm excited to see more, learn more and do more. I went to church yesterday, and it is super small compared to the number of people coming, which is great. Many of the members are RM's and there are actually a lot of english speakng people. The bishop and ward mission leaders are super cooperative and always trying to help us in our efforts.

We started piano and guitar lessons. The church members have to bring a non-member friend to qualify for lessons. We also do english lessons. We started a church song repertoire. On a few of our visits we started with a hymn called "if you could hie to kolob", but in spanish. They loved it. Especially this one guy who won't give up smoking, and his whole family is LDS and he goes every sunday. He loved the song.

Elder Bennett, Furgenson & Marchello spent the night at the Misson home then left for their assigned Mission field "DOS HERMANAS" in Sevilla on the next day 07/07/10.

The World Cup Soccer game "Netherland vs Spain" was fantastic. Holland played so dirty, it wasn't cool but it was so intense in the last three minutes of overtime, and then "BAM" Spain scored, and the whole country erupted in HALLEJEUAH!! PRAISE SPAIN!! as that forward ran around the field with his shirt off. This was only a small city, and it was insane. thats all I got to say. hours and hours of cheering. They were so happy. When walking around, you could tell when someone did a bad play or almost made a goal. During the first half, we were at an investigators/nonmembers house watching it.One guy in there, he, obviously speaking no english, started swearing in english with his super thick accent, when the Spain goalie jumped up to catch a ball and missed. We scolded him, but it was funny to see how intense it was to everyone.
We're going to Sevilla later today and i'm excied to see the afermath of the festivities.
Elder Bennett
2010 FIFA World cup soccer CHAMPIONS!!! Netherland:0 Spain: 1 VIVA ESPANA!! Sunday 07/11/10

People draped their windows with the Spain flag to show their support to their Soccer Team. You can see the flag of Spain flown everywhere from the balcony of each appartement. This country is so excited as Spain has never been close to win the championship before. Viva Espana!!!