Yr. 2, Week 44: I Have no Doubt they will be Ready

Dear Friends and Family,

This week went really well. We had lots of success teaching and we were able to find a few new people to teach, lots of really special people that I think are really prepared for the gospel.

We were able to revisit and talk to everybody that we taught for the first time last week. We talked to A. and she is doing very well and is really remembering well all that she felt and knew when she prayed a few years back. This week we are going to be able to get a few really sweet visits in with her and we're going to set a baptismal date, invite her to church again, etc. We were only able to talk to G and D. for a few seconds but they are doing great. G. is super awesome, and has lot of desires to know Christ better and she has lots of faith so that's sweet!! We've been stopping by T. every once in a while to check up on her reading. She's reading slowly but surely so that's cool. 

We actually were able to visit with M's whole family yesterday. Her husband R. was there and we taught him a great lesson one. We invited R, M, and her son, F., to read and pray about the BofM. They accepted and R. is quite interested. He's smart but he's got great questions and he's quite humble. Anyways, we are stoked with them. The only problem is that R. works A TON!!!! But that can be solved!!

We found a new couple this week, A and C. SUPER AWESOME!! We talk to lots of people who say, I pray and I'm a good person, I know that Christ is always with me...but I feel like most of them are exaggerating. However, A. and C. are different. They really do have a more humble and honest spirit about what they do. They pray as a couple, the pray personally every day, they read the scriptures, A. works in a catholic school, they really live a clean life, etc. THEY ARE AWESOME. We taught them lesson 1, the Restoration and they thought it was great. They accepted to read the BofM and when we dropped it off the next day they were very receptive. We've got a great relationship with them so far, they are awesome. The only bad thing is that they are going to be out of town for like three weeks in February :S So that kinda sucks but hopefully everything will go okay :)

Yesterday we also had a sick lesson with D. and her kids. We taught about the Word of Wisdom and it was incredible how they responded to it. They had lots of faith and they all committed to not take any of the 5 things. They said that coffee and tea was going to be hard but we are going to help them and they are quite resolved and very set on it :D They are really doing great, I have no doubt that they will be ready by the end of February. 

Well, that's about everything! Hope you guys are well, have fun!

Elder Bushman

Me and Elder Denison on divisions...

Yr. 2, Week 43: We Found some Sweet new Investigators this Week

Dear Family and Friends,

Well, this is a new experience... I am typing right now on a tablet in the house of a member because the internet place where we usually write  is closed...ugh!!! Anyways, this week was amazing!!!! :) i really wish i was typing on a real computer so that i could tell you guys about everything. But here goes...

A few miracles:

We found some sweet new investigators this week. The first person was a lady named M. We had previously taught her son a little bit and talked a bit with her husband but we dropped by the other day and she was there, and we had an awesome visit. We taught her the restoration and she was very receptive and had a lot of faith. She is excited to go to church and to read and pray about the Book of Mormon. Anyways, the next family we visited was an incomplete family. It is a young couple, the dad is a member and the mom isn't. T, the mom, said she was interested in reading the Book of Mormon even though S. said he wasn't interested  in reading, although it looks like his heart is softening. She agreed to read and pray, which was a big change from the way they received us in their home. The next family we found, though we were only able to teach the mom so far is A. She has two kids and a husband and he is awesome. I am sending an email in which there is a big recording about our visit and the miracle we saw with her. Suffice it to say she is very receptive and agreed to read the Book of Mormon, pray, and  will be going to church very soon :) The next family we found gwe taught on Sunday, the A family. We were only able to teach the mom and her daughter, G and D, but they are AWESOME!!! They were so very receptive to the gospel and they  loved hearing about the experience of Joseph Smith. In fact the asked us if they couId go to church and where they could get a Book of Mormon. We said that they could go for sure and that we were going to give them a Book of Mormon. They were thrilled. We didn't meet the younger brother and the dad was working. More details are in the recordings I'll be sending.

Next thing, there is a recent convert in our sector named L. She hasn't let the missionaries go to her house in months and hasn't been to church in over a year. Anyways, we visited her twice this week and helped get her excited to go back to church and have faith and hope so as to see the miralces in her son who is struggling. She went to church and when we were taking her to her class, we walked into the relief society and the sisters there were just so happy to see her again and really welcomed her back. Well, undoubtedly she felt loved and important.

D. and her family are doing well. I was on divisions but Elder Deal went by this week and we reset their baptismal date. They are a lot more excited and they are showing a lot more faith. My goal now is to use even more members than we have up until now. I think that is going to help them a lot in order to be ready for their baptism in February. The W. family is doing well too. Y. is awesome, this week we taught the meaning of the sacrament to her husband and I was just shocked at how well she understood the doctrine. 

Anyways, those were the main things that happened this week. Could I ask our family a favor? Could I assign you guys a few people that I am teaching and could you guys write them a letter? Could you introduce yourselves, tell a little bit about yourselves, and then bear your testimony and invite them to do certain things, such as read the bom, go to church, etc.? Mom, then you, with this letter, could attach a photo of each person and make a little word file and then send them to me. Ill then print them out, translate them, and give them to the investigators, okay? Ill get you guys the assignments for next week. If you have any questions, just hit me up.

I love you guys a ton, see ya!!!!!

Elder Bushman

Answers to questions:
1. The Chilean people believe in God and Christ and the Holy Ghost usually but in the last few years it's been pretty popular for the teens to not believe in God, or believe that he is like an energy or something...

2. The hardest doctrine for people to accept is between the law of chastity or word of wisdom...nobody likes to learn about those commandments

3. The doctrine that brings the most joy is probably temple and eternal families

4. Yes, we have those dates with D. and family... we reset them for February but everything is going great!!!
 
5. I'm staying focused by just thinking about those we are teaching and trying to find more people and help the recent converts
 
6. Goals: Finish the BOM in spanish, have a baptism in january, february, and march, find lots of people for elder deal and the new companion that he'll have and be obedient
 
7. Elder nelson will be leaving the sector this change but elder lee, my old mtc comp, is in the zone so ill die with him :)
 
8. I haven't gone to the temple since Elder Thomas but at the start of February I'll go and then the week I go home my whole group goes with president and his wife. The youth don't usually go unless the ward goes...

Love yall :)
Elder Bushman

Yr. 2, Week 42: They Felt the Spirit of the Message

Dear Family and Friends,

My mom wrote me this week and said, "Well honey, I've been watching the weather reports for Santiago and it looks like it is getting pretty hot down there..." Yes mom, you are right. If anybody has literally ANY doubts about just how hot it is, listen to the recording Elder Deal and I made for my family the other day when it was BLAZING. Just now, I am priviliged enough to be in an internet place and through the only window facing westward shines a big southern hemisphere sun shine directly on and ONLY on me :S It's kinda crazy, but maybe I'm just making a big deal about it...maybe ;) Haha! 

We had a really good week this week; however, we didn't have an outstanding amount of lessons. I would say our success came in the few lessons we had but in the spirit and power that was in them. To start out first:

Yesterday we went to visit O. and M. and we had an awesome lesson literally just because we brought a member. We went with Hermana P., the member assigned to Family History work. SHE WAS AWESOME!!!! She totally hit it off with O and she explained so many of her experiences and everything that she has experienced with FH work. Anyways, she invited them over for this coming Sunday to work on FamilySearch.org and get them all ready to go to the temple. Anyways, it was such a spiritual lesson because the member really helped them get excited about it. Also, Elder Deal shared a personal experience and I shared the experience of Bethany and working with Family Search. Anyways, there was a great spirit and everyone was edified!!!

This week we haven't really been able to teach D, F, A and A because their mom worked a ton, their aunt died, and they went on a vacation. We are going to be passing by tonight but a week ago from today we taught them about prayer and scripture study. It was sweet because we literally asked them how they have been going with their reading and we just shared a little bit about what we had learned in all of our personal studies. It was really cool and I think they felt the spirit of the message. Hopefully all goes well tonight as well!!!!

C and Y and B went to church on Sunday. It was cool. We also had a sweet lesson in which C FINALLY understood (I think) that he needs to read the BofM and pray about it. So we'll see how that goes. Y though is really increasing her faith, I love it!

So to answer some questions.... NO, there is no AC down here in normal houses. In office buildings there is and in some restaurants and in the churches but where we work, there is NO AC and it stinks... I don't think I would every live LONG TERM in a country where they don't have AC during the summer in homes :S It is just too rough, I'm sweaty ALL the time, even at night! People still just want to give us soda but sometimes I just put my foot down and beg for WATER, AGUA, AQUA! Things with Elder Deal are going well. He is really fun and we have a good time as companions. He's really funny, works hard, and we teach well together. He goes home a change after me. He is also going to BYU fall semester! 

Take care everybody, hope everything is going well!!!! 

Elder Bushman!

PS - Elder Bushman sent some really cool recordings. If anyone wants to hear them, let me know.

 A breakfast of mine the other day...sausage, eggs, clams and barbecue sauce

 This is a gnarly crash in our sector on sunday!!! It shut of the power for like half of our sector! Nuts!!!

 Coke Floats...They're Awesome

 Guarana flavored Mate...

 A tribute to Elder Laurentino...

Learning to play the cena (prounounced Kenna)

I am Iron Man...

Jedi...

Yr. 2, Week 41: 7 Sentences

Dear Family and Friends,

Everything went great this week! The confirmations were given to R. and O. and M.! Anyways, they are doing great and everything! I'm enjoying my time with Elder Deal. We are having lots of fun and we are finding new people to teach. Anyways, we had some good experiences this week! I will make some recordings and send them next week! 

 

Love you all, Elder Bushman