Elder Adam Bushman's Mission: 2013-2015: Yr. 2, Week 40: 3 Baptisms and 11 Investigators at Church!!

Dear Family and Friends,

This week has been a really awesome, hectic, spiritual, draining week :) Haha! Here's a play by play!

Monday went really quick, almost like it was p-day! We did our studies in the morning, went to the grocery story, and then we headed out for the Christmas Devotional that President was holding. It was awesome. He talked about the condescension of Christ and I have begun to understand a little more like Nephi did after the angel began to show him what Christ gave up to be our savior. Anyways, I've been having fantastic studies about the subject and I've been feeling God's love more and more as I understand more and more what He does for me :) The rest of the day was writing the family and visiting some people.

Tuesday we had some of the baptismal interviews (all went well) and we were able to visit lots of people and show them and teach them about Christ and his sacrifice. We were able to share a great message with Hermana Ivonne from Philippines about the things Christ gave up :D It was so cool!

Wednesday my companion and I decided to use the very brilliant idea of writing Christmas cards and delievering them. IT WAS AWESOME! We were able to visit with lots of people, gain their trust, and help spread the joy of Christmas while in turn granting ourselves lots of joy! :D We were able to make the nativity with the G. family and also have dinner with the W. family! :D It was a whole lot of fun and I was really, really grateful for all that they did for us. We got home and opened the wonderful gifts from my family (my comp DIED over the BYU shirt, haha, he was so grateful :)... We prepared everything for the BBQ on Thursday as well...

Thursday was the awesome BBQ that we were waiting for. We went to the church, played lots of soccer and basketball, had a sick BBQ, and played a home made version of SETTLERS OF CATAN that Elder Neher in our zone made!!! :) It was way cool...bad thing, we got our cell phone robbed...UGH! Lame!... However, it was so amazing talking with my family and laughing and having a good time with them. It was fun talking to each and every one of my siblings and I hope they had just as good of a time as I had! That night we also visited with some members and investigators and really just had a great time! It was an amazing Christmas, one I will never forget!! :D

Friday was filled with lots of cleaning and baptismal interviews. Everything went well and they all passed and we got everything in order for them to be baptized :D WE WERE STOKED! We also found out that Elder Laurentino was going to be the new assistant to the president and that I was going to have a new companion, Elder Deal... We were both pretty sad but I'm excited for the new opportunities that I have!

Saturday we were able to visit with lots of people (W. family, D., etc.) and get them ready to go to church :) R. and P. were married by the state and are officially keeping all the commandments :D Haha, P. likes to mention that his marriage certificate is his ticket to the temple (in a way it is :D Haha).

Sunday was the big day. R, O, and M were baptized by P. (husband to R.) and J. (recent convert and friend to O. and M.). It was a really special service because the whole ward put a lot into it and you could also see the hard work and preparation by those being baptized. D, A, F, C, B, O, R, B, M, and two of C's friends were the investigators we had at church: 11 :D We also were able to set a few more baptismal dates and things are just going GREAT!!!! :D

So a little bit about my companion: Elder Lucas Deal is from Salt Lake City, Utah, is the second of four children, is going to be a music major at BYU. He was companions of Elder Frost and Elder Muzante as well as being my companion :D hahaha!!! It's a fun mix. He has one change less than I do! So it's going to be fun, seeing as we'll be seeing a lot of each other!! :D

Thanks for everything guys! Love you so much!

Elder Bushman

Our visit to the G's house on Christmas Eve... Me and Elder Laurentino with our santa masks: