Yr 2, Week 18: Man, I Like it Here

Dear Family and Friends,

Man, I like it here. I'm getting a lot more comfortable, I love our pension, my companion is awesome, we have lots of investigators, we're getting some good exercise in, everything is great :) Obviously there are some challenges with investigators and sometimes we cannot find new people to teach but we are having a lot of success regardless. 

So we are teaching this guy named A. He is great! He's an older guy who is buck skinny and has a bit of a swearing problem :) Haha, he's a really funny guy and  he's really starting to get spiritual. A few months ago he had an accident and he fell into a coma for like 2 1/2 months. They all thought he was going to die but every week Elder Thomas and his old companion went to give him a blessing at the hospital. Finally he woke up and recovered and since then he's been getting a lot closer to Christ. We had a really good lesson in the chapel with him this week in which we showed him a video of baptism, talked about repentance and the Holy Ghost and then we showed him the font. We committed him to baptism for the 24th of August. We invited him to read the Restoration pamphlet and he read it and we had a great followup lesson with him on it. He's good at understanding and he's patient. When we had the lesson in the chapel he promised to get better about swearing and as we were walking out of the chapel he started telling us about his sore ankle and he started swearing and Elder Thomas and I couldn't stop laughing :) 

This week we went out with a priest in our ward named B. He's great! I called him and asked him if he could go out with us and he said let me check my schedule... He then said yeah I can, I'll go with you guys for the day. So he was with us from 5 until 10 :) Haha, it was so fun. He's really nice and really awesome. He's pretty good at English and so it's really fun talking with him and all! We had some good lessons with him. We visited one lady and had a really good lesson with her about the Holy Ghost and everything. She committed to going to church...but she didn't go. Oh well, maybe next time :) We also visited a less-active and taught her about family history work and vicarious work. It really helped her understand why we are helping her out with FAMILY SEARCH and why she needs to get a temple recommend soon :D

We are visiting a part member family. P (less active), R. (investigator), C. (investigator), and M. (5 yrs.) have been going to church and getting back in the swing of stuff. They went to the city hall today to ask for a wedding date so that they can get married and baptized. I think their date is going to be in October so hopefully everything works out well. They are a great family, the ward needs them, and they need the church :)

This week Elder Thomas and I have been getting a little more serious with our exercise. We bought a ton of eggs and have been going a lot more hard core on our exercises. I sent photos of one night were we drank three raw eggs each...they actually weren't that bad! I'd do it again in a heartbeat ;)

Well folks, that's all for the week! Take care, love you, congrats to Nicole and Eden :D I'm super proud of you guys!

Elder Bushman

 

Last Time at White Box:

 

 

 

Saying Goodbye to my old Pension, District and Companion:

 

 

 

Photos of the new Pension:

 

 

 Raw Eggs:

"We grow by sharing the gospel. Let a man remember that there are others that are in darkness and that have not advanced so far in knowledge, wisdom, and intelligence, and let him impart that knowledge, intelligence, and power unto his friends and brethren, inasmuch as he is farther advanced than they are, and by so doing he will soon discover that his mind will expand, and that light and knowledge which he had gained would increase and multiply more rapidly." - Lorenzo Snow

Yr 2 - Week 17: Sunday, a Day of Miracles

Dear Family and friends, 

What a week! It was a really sweet week and lots of cool stuff happened so I'm just gonna jump in right away!!!

So this week I went on divisions with Elder Deal, another elder in the zone. He was the missionary I replaced in La Florida 3. He trained Elder Muzante and I went to be Elder Muzante's companion right after Elder Deal. Anyways, so it was pretty fun and interesting being on divisions with Elder Deal. One of the coolest things from divisions was a sweet experience we had with a less-active youth in the ward. He is the only member in his family and it was pretty neat to talk to him. He asked us some questions about the WofW and we taught him a bit and then invited him to obey it. He accepted the invitation immediately and for some reason I thought to ask him if he had the priesthood. He asked us, "what's the priesthood." We explained it to him, provided a few examples, and then showed him a mormon message about priesthood blessings and being prepared and worthy to give them. At the end we asked him what he thought of the priesthood and he said that it is a really beautiful and sacred way to serve. We invited him to talk to the bishop the very next Sunday and to ask for an interview so that he could get the priesthood. He was really stoked and he said he would instantly. I thought to myself, this kid is 16. In two years he can be ready for missionary service. He needs the priesthood to begin to prepare. I wasn't sure why I asked that random question at the time but now I'm so glad I did because I guarantee it was guided by the spirit :)

So a few days before I came to this sector, Elder Thomas and his old companion Elder Hill contacted a guy on the street named J. He invited them to eat lunch in his house and to talk for a while. They couldn't find him again so when I got here we passed by a few times without finding him. We finally caught him at home once and we talked for about a half an hour. He is REALLY AWESOME. He loves the United States and loves speaking and learning English. He is really religious though doesn't belong to any specific religion. We explained our purpose, what we are expecting in our visits with him, and what he can do himself. He loved it and was absolutely ecstatic to have us in his house. We left him with the pamphlet on the Restoration and we set up a new visit. Elder Thomas and I are pretty sure he will be baptized fairly soon, he seems really prepared :)

Our pension is absolutely SWEET. I cannot believe the amount of luck I've had during the mission. I've had just awesome pensions!!! It's an actual house, it's two stories, and the second story was just built about 2 years ago. It was the house of a member who just moved out of the ward. Elder Thomas and I sleep and study in a big room upstairs with just a fabulous bathroom, really it's spectacular. There's a really big kitchen and living area downstairs. It's about 4 times as big as my last pension and maybe twice as big as my first. Easily the best pension of the three that I've had!!! :) I took lots of photos of the house :D We live with Elder Nelson and Elder Canedo! Elder Nelson is from Idaho and he was actually in the group I came down with to Chile. He was Elder McGary's companion in the MTC. Elder Canedo is Chilean from Osorno, in the south part. He is a convert of almost three years. He finishes the mission at the same time as Elder Thomas. They're sweet!!! :D Geographically, my sector now is maybe 1/3 of the size as my last one and about 2/3 the size as my first sector. We work in pure condos. There are about 5 big condo areas where we work and have a lot of investigators. As far as the ward, there's no ward secretary so Elder Thomas and I fill that role. There are a lot of good members, lots of good youth, and I was received with a very warm welcome. Also, there are many people to teach and we're going to have lots of success. Geographically, La Reina is the northmost zone of the three. If you go down south two comunas (communities) you reach La Florida. La Florida and Puente Alto touch, but both are really big comunas. Our ward is in Puente Alto but I would say that the distance between La Reina and La Florida is smaller than La Florida and Gabriela. 

Sunday was a day of a few miracles. The first miracle was a family we are teaching, JC and his wife I. and their three kids. We taught them about how the gospel blesses families and we invited them to church. They said they would go but at church, even a half an hour into sacrament meeting, they still weren't there. Finally, they walked in and we were soooooooo stoked. They went to the classes and though it was really hectic I think they liked it. We went to the elders quorum and we started talking about priesthood keys. Kinda a tough subject for an investigator in his first time in the chapel. However, with the help of some members and the missionaries we had an entire elders quorum class on ordinances, the organization of the church, and other things related to these subjects, ALL guided by what he was interested in and what questions he had. It was really a great class!!! The second miracle was L, the husband of a member who is not a member himself. Elder Thomas had been teaching him a lot but he seemed really disinterested and uncommitted. This Sunday at church and in our lesson with him yesterday, he showed some real humility and a lot of desire to change and be a new person. He might actually be ready for his baptism date on the third of August. 

That's everything for today, take care guys, love YA'LL!!! :D

 

"No man or woman can teach the gospel if he doesn't live it. The first act to qualify yourself to be a missionary is to live the principles which you teach." - Harold B. Lee

Yr 2 - Week 16: I got Changed

Dear Family and Friends,

Well, for starters, this has been a really, really crazy week. Full  of changes and new things and great experiences :) So first things first...I got changed. I'm no longer in La Florida 3 but in a new stake called Gabriela. I'm really excited and my new companion is great, Elder Thomas. He is from West Jordan, Utah. He's got about 20 months in the mission and he's great. I'm excited to be with him and to learn from him, especially since he's got more time than me in the mission. Anyways, more to come about my new sector shortly. 

J. (even though I'm not there) is doing VERY well. He went to church this last Sunday as well and brought along his less-active friend, I. We had a FHE with him and the L family this last week and it was great. We showed the Restoration and used the whole family to help us teach. We also have visited with him several other times this week with other members who have helped us help him to understand better the Book of Mormon,. He's been reading faithfully and believes that it is true. He also accepted a baptismal date for the 3rd of August. Elder Muzante and his new companion will be having a FHE with him and the C. family tonight. The other families that we were teaching weren't progressing very well because we couldn't visit with them. They weren't home or they had to cancel. But it's all good because J. is doing great and there is another guy named H. who should be starting to progress nicely. :D We focused a lot on the Book of Mormon with him. 

This week Elder Muzante and I were focusing a lot on eternal families and God's love and things. I read a scripture in Romans 8, the last few verses that talked about how nothing can hide us from God's love. I thought about that as my companion and I had big discussions about the spirit world. I've just been reflecting a lot on how we can literally seal (we have to think about the word literally and compare it to other things) our families together. Anyways, I've been edified thinking that we can be eternal families by following the gospel of Jesus Christ, making covenants by priesthood power. Also, in Malachai 4 I think, verse 7 it talks about how Christ will come back to us as we come back to him BY MAKING (RENEWING) COVENANTS... Interesting! :D

I saw a miracle while Elder Lloyd and I were on divisions. We were visiting some people but they weren't home and our backup plans failed as well. We were trying to figure out where to go and, I wouldn't have said at the time that I was guided, but now I can say that we were guided to talk with a certain woman. Later on we knocked on a less-active's door, wasn't home but we were guided to knock the next door neighbors house. Both are future investigators and I'm not sure if they are going to end up getting baptized, but it was a little miracle :) 

Love you all, that's all for this week!!!

Elder Bushman

My new comp - Elder Thomas

"I wish to invite members of the Church to consider anew the great mandate given by the Lord to all who desire to be known as his disciples. It is a mandate we cannot dodge, and one from which we cannot shrink. That mandate is to teach the gospel to the nations and peoples of the earth." - Gordon B. Hinckley

Yr. 2 - Week 15: He Says he Wants to Join our "Congregation"

Dear Family and Friends,

Just a quick email here:

We found a new investigator: J. He is about 75 years old but he's really awesome. We found him while visiting with a less active member. He is really interested in the BofM and the priesthood, and everything. He has lots of questions about the sealing ordinance in the temple. His wife passed away 9 years ago. We invited him to church and he accepted. He went for all three hours, loved the principles of the gospel class. He sat with a member all 3 hours and even went to the high priest class :) We have a visit with him and the L. family tonight so we are really excited. He says he wants to join our "congregation" :) Maybe we'll set a baptismal date tonight as well! 

The other day we walked and walked and walked. Literally we didn't enter a single house. We had a lesson in the street but it was just pure walking. At about 9:45 we were close to our pension and we probably could've just gone in early and called it a day but we decided to go yet another step. We went to another person's house...not there so we went home and on the way we passed by this college student who was selling burgers. He handed us one each and said, "A gift for you guys." It was really awesome, a tender mercy! :) We took it as a sign that God was pleased with the work we did that day!!! 

Happy birthday to Dad! Elder Vorwaller and I woke up on the 4th by singing the Star Spangled Banner and saying the pledge of allegiance. It was awesome! I felt so patriotic and proud to be an American! :) I was thinking about all the BBQ's and the fireworks and the sports and everything; it made me a little homesick but oh well :D Haha! 

Anyways, that's pretty much it! :) Thanks for everything! BYE! :D

Elder Bushman

 

**Photos from the service project last week

"Even a tiny seed of faith in Jesus Christ invites the Spirit."
~ Henry B. Eyring

Yr 2 - Week 14: Joseph in Egypt...He's a Beast!

Life in Chile is going well. It's really cold here and my feet especially have been very cold of late. Everybody is sad because Chile has been knocked out of the World Cup. They almost beat Brazil like 4 times but stroke after stroke of bad luck did them in. At least America is still going :D We've had a lot of good lunches this week and I feel hungry all the time. I love sopaipillas...I love pastel de choclo...I love mayo and ketchup. I love eating!

This week I've been studying about Joseph in Egypt. He's a beast! I love him. He and Nephi are literally my scripture heroes. :D I've been studying his story, marking personal applications and connections to the life of Jesus Christ. :D These last few months I think I have gotten a lot more tuned into the gospel. I've been having great studies and I'm more converted to the scriptures. I find a lot of strength in the stories that they contain. Also, I'm learning more about Christ's life which is helping me grow spiritually. I've become more like Christ in many aspects. Sometimes I feel inmature (in the sense that I act really silly) but I suppose in many other senses I'm A LOT more mature. Elder Frost is doing great! He's still a ZL up in the rich sector and yes he's going to head home in November. Elder Kern is making me proud! He's leading our old sector like a beast and is just doing a great job. I would love to be in his same zone in a few changes :D I still like Basketball more than Soccer but it's literally just barely. It'll never change but I really like Soccer!

Yesterday we met with the family we found last week. We had a great lesson with them last night about the Restoration. They've commited to reading and praying as a family. We have a return appointment for this Thursday. They are really cool people and are really interested about the temple! We need to go by with members and encourage them to go to church. I really hope they get baptized! Seriously, they are a perfect family for the church! 

J.G. (the oldest boy) got ordained a teacher yesterday. He is going to go to church early every sunday to help out with the sacrament and everything. 

Here are some photos of the service project we did the other day for some recent converts. It brought back a ton of memories of mowing lawns :) Also, mom, this pen I took a photo of is a scripture marking pencil they sell at DESERET BOOK. The brand is PENTEL. The markers you sent me are great but a few of them have broken in half as I use them. Anyways, if you could send me one it would be awesome!!! :D

Well that's everything! Bye!