Yr. 2, Week 35: God Loves Us

Dear Family and Friends,

Haha, what a week...there is honestly NOTHING to report... Honestly here's the gist:

This week has kinda been a tough one. My companion, Elder Laurentino, was sick this week so we honestly didn't do much... On Tuesday he came down with a massive fever and had it going strong until like Thursday evening. At one point he had a fever of 103.9. It was NUTS. Good thing we had my thermometer because that could've gotten messy! Anyways, during the weekend he had bad stomach issues and stuff so it was a super bumer week for him and me. I was really bored and just sick of staying inside. Sometimes it's cool to have a break but this was just TOO MUCH. :S Anyways, he's feeling a lot better now so we are stoked to make this week SICK :D

It was a pretty mellow week...full of lots of personal study. I'm not sure if you have been able to read the Ensign for the month of December but read it!! It is amazing. I loved the article about the Sacred Grove. I loved the principles this Seventy was able to learn from the nature that exists in the Sacred Grove!! Also, I read and studied Jacob 5 this week. I reflected on and I felt a strong impression that God loves us and that He desires to help us reach our potential just like the Lord of the vineyard wanted to help these trees reach their potential :) I love this chapter! 

Anyways, I'll send some photos! Here's some recordings too!!! Everything is great :) I'm having lots of fun with my companion and we are putting in lots of work! Take care everybody, love ya!

Elder Bushman

Future Elder G.

Any Guesses?? Boiling his Socks

Yr. 2, Week 34: We are Stoked for Their Baptism

Dear Family and Friends,

Boy oh boy am I tired. All week long E' Laurentino and I have been looking forward to playing soccer and getting with the zone. So, when Monday finally came, we got to the church as quickly as possible and we started to play...and I think we may have overdone it... Hahaha! I'm really sore, a little sunburned, and just flat out tired... Haha! But it was a fun activity. I love getting with the zone and having fun!

So a few "not so pleasant things" about the week. [Some of our investigators have been struggling with various things]....Satan just puts his foot in the way of our progress. What a little...! 

However, there were a few cool/good things that happened this week! M. went to church and had a great time! She and her mom also went over to the Bishop's house with the Guzmán family for the FHE and they can't wait for the next one, in the Guzmán house! We are stoked for their baptism. We changed it to the 6th of December so we have a bit more time to fulfill some of the things they are missing... But they are making GREAT progress! :D R. and P. are just AWESOME. They are getting all ready for their wedding day. R. saved like $600 on her wedding dress by buying it online...from the U.S.A (I'm so proud to be an American, even if this example only shows that you can find cheap wedding dresses...STILL!!). We had a great lesson with them last night about the Plan of Salvation. P. just bore a sweet testimony about how coming back to church has blessed his life and how R. is going to get baptized and then they are going to get sealed. He said he loves his family and wants to be with them forever. R. said that she feels much more prepared and she said that after her wedding she is going to get baptized! :D Anyways, THEY ARE AWESOME!!! :D

Anyways, enjoy the photos! Take care guys, love you all!

Elder Bushman

 

 

Yr. 2, Week 33: Conference with Elder Russell M. Nelson

Dear Family and Friends,

So this week was a pretty good one. I felt like we did EVERYTHING in our power to help people fulfill their commitments and to progress and receive the joy that comes from the gospel but there were a few people that just didn't make it...They just couldn't fulfill their commitment. I felt sad but as I write this letter, I know that we tried our best to call them, to pass by them, to help them, etc. One of those families that just didn't make the true effort was the ____ Family. We went by them this week and the dad was "unavailable" so he didn't share with us and when they promised to go to church we called Sunday morning several times and then invited them to come for the last hour and they said they would and they didn't. They said they had other commitments and it made me sad but we trusted in them, acted in faith, and we're still gonna try and help but I'm not sure how it will turn out.

On the other hand, there were many other miracles that happened this week. C, Y, B, and M...went to church. They only went for one hour  (since they are still figuring out how they are going to be able to work it out what with having to go to the hospital in the mornings still) but THEY WENT! I was so stoked. Everybody liked it except B. She's in that difficult stage and she was only in the sacrament meeting so I don't blame her really for not liking it. She went and I tried to thank her as much as possible for trying it ... now we just gotta bring some young women to the lessons so she can go to the classes and actually enjoy herself!! :D C and Y really liked it although they had to rush off right away! Now our job is to keep going by with the members and the bishop, get Y an interview with the bishop, and keep reminding them about future weeks! :D 

Also, other miracle! We've been teaching F.  He's kinda been wishy-washy of late and has actually canceled a lot of our lessons. So we were kinda thinking that it wasn't go to work out with him. This week we went out with President Wright and when our plans got changed for the night, we were scrambling in order to find someone to visit with President. We finally decided to call up F...he answered and said we could go by. The visit was INCREDIBLE!!! He read Mosiah 18 and he said he didn't remember everything but he said that he did remember that he felt like the BofM was true and that he needed to follow the example of Alma's people and be baptized. We talked a lot about the Holy Ghost and we invited him to prepare to be baptized in December. He accepted and even went to church yesterday. Compared to other weeks, church wasn't AS great and didn't go AS smoothly as other weeks but it was still great! F. had lots of questions and unfortunately he has some doubts about tithing but we are going to try and go by with our bishop or something so as to help him understand the principle. Anyways, A HUGE BLESSING! He's one of the most progressing investigators right now :D

So a little bit about my companion, since now I've gotten the chance to know him. Man, he's a great companion because of how much service we give to each other. I love that guy so much. The other day his bag broke and I had an extra one so I told him he could have it. He was so grateful. Today, while in the Nike Store looking at soccer stuff, he grabbed a shirt with the Brazil logo on it and he said he was going to buy it for me as a thanks and so that I would always remember him. We take turns helping each other out and we have a lot of fun during the week as we work. He is a really fun, relaxed kind of guy. He likes to joke around and we have a mutual love in soccer so that gives us a lot to talk about. He lives in a city called Fortaleza, which is really close to the beach. He lives with his grandparents and a few of his siblings! He is a convert, he joined the church when he was 12. He's always telling me about all the cool stuff there is in Brazil and he's pretty much convinced me that I need to visit one day. :D Haha! He definitely wants to go to visit the USA and he's learning a lot of English (so help him practice on Christmas Day) :D

Anyways, there were other things that happened during the week but these were the biggest miracles! I love you all, I'm working hard, I'm trying to overcome my errors and my shortcomings but we are doing the best work possible.

OH, NEWS FLASH: today we had a conference with Elder Russell M. Nelson. Everybody got to shake his hand. What an experience! :) Also, his message and that of his wife were just fantastic. His wife invited us to contemplate and study about who we were in the premortal life. She promised us that it would help us overcome anything if we can remember who we were! Elder Nelson talked about 10 subjects that he thought were most important that we study and about which we must increase our knowledge. Anyways, more on that soon! He and his wife bore great testimonies, I loved it! :D

Love you all, take care! 

Elder Bushman

Colo-Colo Brothers :D...

 This is a photo of the jersey I bought of the team I like internationally... BARCELONA :) I got a screaming deal on it today, like 70% off on the official jersey :D

These are some fun photos of me and my companion that Elder Nelson took with his sweet camera. The shirt I'm wearing is the Brazilian shirt that my companion bought for me! :D

Our Popeye's trip! :D (Right to Left) Elder Denison, Elder Deal, Elder Laurentino, Elder Rice, Elder Rhees, Elder Neher, Elder Hokanson, and Me

Yr 2, Week 32: "I'm Mormon, What Up?"

Dear Friends and Family,

Wow, things are really going by at a fast pace. Maybe it's because of the great sector or such an awesome companion or sweet people we are teaching or all the responsibilities or all of the activities...IDK, but time is going by fast and we are having a blast... Forgive the unintentional rhyming! ;) 

We had a good week. We have really been progressing with M. and O. They are so great!!! This week O. was reading the BofM and she turned to the part in 3 Nephi 15 where Christ talked about going to other sheep the weren't the nephites or the jews and she likened that scripture to herself thinking that she and her family are like the sheep and through the missionaries and the church Christ is visiting them. She said that after she read that scripture and after having prayed and asked God about the BofM she knew it was true :D WHAT?!?!?! :D We were super stoked! M. is still in the process, we are going to be teaching the Plan of Salvation this week, which is one of the things she has a lot of doubts about. Also, her heart has been changed and softened a ton. The only thing stopping their overall progress is the challenge it is to teach them regularly and also the fact that because of a commitment that her son has with soccer, she has difficulty going to church!

My new phrase and theme is what J. always says, "Soy mormón, ¿Qué pasa?" Or in english, "I'm mormon, what up?" :D haha, it's awesome! Hahaha!

We had a cool experience with R. this week. She has been having some struggles with believeing that Thomas S. Monson is a prophet so last night we showed the family the video of Thomas S. Monson. Now all they want to do is get their hands on an Ensign so they can read some of his talks :) Anyways, Romanette is definitely going to be ready to be baptized in December. Also, during the video of Pres. Monson, they showed the Salt Lake Temple and talked about the sealing between Pres. Monson and his wife and in that moment P. asked R. if she would get sealed with him in that temple! They want to got to Utah to visit and get sealed one day :D THAT WOULD BE SO SICK!

Questions...and Answers:

1. I would say that Sister Wright's role is almost as big as President's... In interviews, she has a part; in zone conference, she teaches; she goes on splits with the sister missionaries; she does office work; she is majorly in charge of the missionary health; etc. 

2. We won't be getting devices down here for a LONG TIME. President says they wouldn't be coming down here until an iPad is worth just about as much as your typical nokia standard phone (translation, a LONG TIME).

3. Well, about ward council, we're still working on them actually having the meetings. It's actually kinda rare that we have meetings but we are trying to start it up as more of a regular thing with more participation and commitment... When there are meetings, we always go!

4. No, the chileans don't celebrate thanksgiving. So come the last thursday of November, it'll be just another day. We might try and do something special though...buy a pie at least :)

Well, that's pretty much it! Take care guys, love you!

Elder Bushman

 

Some of the views from our sector...

Our Subway Trip...

 

"Be friendly. You have to make a friend before you make a convert. Conversion follows friendship. The opportunity to teach follows friendship." - Gordon B. Hinckley