Week 32: Are we God's Golden Investigators?

Dear Family and Friends,

What a week! In some ways it was crazy fast and in other ways it was a little slow. There were soooo many meetings, so many crazy experiences, etc. Anyways, it was been a week to remember :) Thank you soooo much mom for sending those packages to me! AH, I feel so blessed to have such an amazing and supportive family and I am looking forward to talking at Christmas =)

Haha, first off, I'll start to talk about Elder Holland's visit to Santiago, Chile :) So last Tuesday, Elder Lee, Elder Cottrell, Elder Kern, and I all got up at 4:00 a.m...we took showers the previous night so all we had to do was get dressed, call the taxi, and leave... We got to the stake center at 4:45 a.m...the meeting started at 10:00 :D Haha, the sector in which is located the church is called La Reina and there are two sister missionaries who are in my district that work there and had keys, so they opened it up at 4:30 and so we got front row seats right by the door Elder Holland would enter in through. So we waited a whole long time but it was so worth it. About an hour before Elder Holland showed up they told us we had to evacuate our bench because it was "reserved"...I thought, you got to be kidding me. So, the sisters in our district let us squeeze in on their bench...which was on the first row too. Anyways, Elder Holland showed up and it was fantastic!!!! :) He came quick and left quick so we didn't get handshakes or photos or anything. But, we got his words and the spirit, so that was dope! Here are some of his thoughts:

He opened his talk saying, "Wow, I'm really pumped up right now! I'm, I'm ready to go, I'm like bouncing off the walls and flying through the roof right now!" Haha, he gave us some good laughs! Some other things he said were, "I'm really old. I helped Noah build the Ark, okay. I got one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel, so, I don't have much time left!" HAHAHAHA!!!! He was talking a bit about how we do not stop the mission when the mission stops, we keep going. He said that if any of us stopped, he said, "I'll hunt you down, I'll let the air out of your tires, I'll put pepper in your empanadas, alright! You won't like it, I promise." :) haha, there were many, many more funny things he said and it was fantastic. Now, a couple of spiritual thoughts and inspirations: 

He said that the power to translate the Book of Mormon was the first great gift Joseph Smith received and he wasn't able to receive any more tools or gifts until he learned to appreciate, use, and complete the task of the girft of translating he received. It is the same way for us as members of the church. Until we learn to appreciate, use, and fulfill the purpose of the Book of Mormon in our own lives, we will not receive any more tools or gifts. He also said that the church is at a vertical slope right now, it's progressing, it's getting better at a vertical slope!!! We as members and missionaries need to progress and get better at the same slope or we will be left behind in the dust and will forfeit the blessings that come. He made us a promise that if we forfeit these blessings, chances are the Lord will never give us a second opportunity to receive and enjoy them. He talked a little bit about why it is so hard in the work of salvation and missionary work. Why don't people flock to the font? Why doesn't everyone just run to the missionaries? Why isn't the only worry we have in the mission field that of getting pneumonia from being in the water all of the time? The answer is this: "Salvation is not a cheap experience." He said, "How can we expect it to be easy for us if it was never easy for Christ. All of us will have to pass through Gethsemane, even for a moment, and experience a little bit of what Christ did." Elder Holland said that that is a price that most people aren't willing to pay. Just as we get frustrated with investigators who don't progress, we are God's investigators and He gets frustrated when we don't progress. We must ask ourselves: "Are we God's golden investigators??" It was a fantastic meeting and I have had a lot to think about and improve! It was amazing :)

After Elder Holland's talk we ended and I got to talk with Elder Frost for a bit, Elder Hunt (awesome guy who used to be in my pension and was Elder McGary's trainer), all the guys from the MTC especially Elder Paxman! He is training along with Elder Rice and are just amazing guys! They are doing so well in their missions :) Haha, it makes me soooo happy! Anyways, I also got to talk with Elder Cruz from the MTC, Elder Pagalo, Elder Cuadros, etc. Anyways, it was really, really fun but we've been dead this whole week from getting up so early on Tuesday. The good thing is we wake up on time every day and today I took a little nap so I could catch up. Haha, anyways, AWESOME!

So, in our news, I got my FIRST KISS in the mission field!!! Now don't get alarmed, I will explain. We went to a future investigator family's house and as well yelled at the gate, it swung open and this random guy walked out with a huge smile on and his arms out wide! He walked quickly toward me saying, "HOLA! ¿CÓMO ESTAI MI ROSITO?" -- That pretty much means he was asking how his little cute boy or something was. Anyways, wierd right...not even. He then grabbed my face and planted a huge, wet, drunk kiss right on my cheek and walked away laughing. UGH! Gross...... Anyways, that was lame :S Hahaha!!! But, it makes for a pretty good story I suppose.

Everything is going well for our baptism coming up on the 24th of November with D. so we are really excited about that! We had a sweet lesson with O. where we invited her to be baptized. Again she said she wanted to but she wasn't sure on the date...it was a fantastic lesson and Elder Kern and I are both convinced that she will accept a date very soon! :) Anyways, there wasn't much other stuff that went on this week, a few things here and there but not a TON of stuff. 

Anyways, right now I'm studying the goodness of God,or La Bondad de Dios and how that applies to the Book of Mormon and why we need to read it... Look up these scriptures and see what I've been studying: 1 Nephi 1:1, 1 Nephi 5:4, 1 Nephi 6:3-4, and Alma 26:3. :) Really cool stuff and it has been fun reading and studying and writing my thoughts in all Spanish and stuff!! :) Whohoo! 

Anyways, that's all for this week! Hope you all enjoy everything that's happened! Love you!

Elder Adam Bushman

PS - Wow...everyone is just getting so big and growing up! Haha, I'm excited to see everyone for our Skype call :). I got Susie's package! Haha, yup, it went through WW1, WW2, and WW3 on the way over...but I got it! The package was wrecked but the stuff inside was fine :)= WHOOHOO!!! Well, there are only one pair of pants that fit me really well...all the others are big on the waist. I feel like I've lost weight and muscle. I'm just a little shrimp out here, haha! :)

Elder Bushman and Elder Kern at 5:00 AM :D

The stake center with over 1,000 missionaries 

Four generations: Elder Kern, Bushman, Frost, and Cofré

Week 31: Elder Garcia was Using MY Suit Coat

Dear Family and Friends,

So this was the first week of changes and there were lots of changes in our zone and a little bit in our pension. Elder Pagalo was called to go train and be a DL in a stake called Javiera Carrera so he left but the cool thing is that Elder Rice (buddy from the MTC) was also training so he and Elder P did divisions and stayed the night with us on Monday. Haha, it was so much fun and it was so good to catch up with him after being in the field almost 6 months. It was so awesome to be with him and Elder Lee all together, haha! :) So Elder Lee's new companion's name is Elder Cottrell, good guy who went to BYU before the mission so it's really fun to talk about. Elder Kern lives right by BYU, Elder Lee went there too, as well as I, so we all just have so much fun talking. Also, he is a great missionary and really helping out! :) So our zone has changed soooooo much. There were roughly 9 new people in our zone, including two new district leaders and a new zone leader. Almost half of the zone left this change so it was super weird. Right now we got some really awesome, obedient leaders in the zone and really cool, seasoned missionaries who are just going to help us kill it this change as a zone. I'm so very excited :)

So in less than 2 weeks I will mark 6 months in my sector! Haha, crazy. The time has just flown. I really feel like it has not been that much time, but that I JUST got to this sector and began to work with these people :D I expect to be here for about 2 or 3 more months :) WHOOHOO!!!! I'm in no hurry to leave!

So our baptism that's coming up, D., O's older brother, is REALLY progressing. He is obeying the Word of Wisdom, reading and praying every day, going to church all three hours, and keeps on talking about how he can endure to the end. I cannot wait until after his baptism when we can ordain him to be a Priest and have him start blessing the sacrament and doing other things! :) Haha, I'm so very excited for him...but, on a sad note, we have to wait until the 24th of November for him to be baptized. He can't be baptized this Sunday because of the voting that will take place right after Sacrament Meeting. Ugh! He is progressing a lot right now! :) Our other investigators aren't really doing much right now. O. canceled...again, F. doesn't want to be so pressured, R. says he can't come to church, etc. etc. etc. We have a lot of investigators but not too many are progressing. It kinda stinks! That is why we are trying to find new investigators. We've been praying for the opportunity to find a family who is prepared to hear the gospel and accept it. We are praying, searching, and talking to a lot of people! We contacted 4 familes the other day and talked about the restored gospel and families. All of them accepted a return visit so we are praying that they will be there...at least one. 

So today we went to a sector called El Valle to play basketball with some other Elders and an investigator of some missionaries in my district. It was really fun but I was HORRIBLE. Ugh, I've gotten so bad. That was the first time I played basketball in over 7 months...ugh! Anyways, we played soccer after and that was really, really fun! :) It was soooooo hot today and I got sunburned a little bit so that wasn't too fun!...

So on the October Ensign, the one that has a latino on the front standing in front of the temple, that is my companion from the MTC, Elder Garcia from Colombia. Haha, Elder Gutierrez and I were standing right behind the photographer when he took that photo! Elder Garcia was using my suit coat :) Haha! Legit huh? I thought that was the coolest thing when I saw it! 

Elder Holland is coming tomorrow - we are going to get to the church way early because it is with 4 missions and over 1000 missionaries. And, it is at our stake center so we are the closest of the close pretty much! :)

 

So the other day we got a random call from an old investigator of mine...J. She called and asked if we could come by! We did and talked about some of her problems and how she could fix them. We taught an amazing lesson and the importance and role of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and how we can resolve the problems in our lives if we follow His docrine. Anyways, we talked about how everything else we teach helps us understand, follow, and know that the GofJesus Christ is true. Anyways, it was a fantastic lesson and we'll be going by her house tomorrow :)

So that's about everything for this week! Thanks so much for all of the Utah Jazz updates, the package, and the weekly letters! :) Love you all!!!

Elder Adam Bushman

Elder Kern, Elder Frost, and Elder Bushman (3 GENERATIONS :)

Elder Madox from Montana and I (both trainers, both DL's :)

Elder Kern and I defrosting the freezer and cleaning the refrigerator! Haha!

Me and Elder Pagalo doing a girly pic the day he left!

Elder Cottrell and I right before getting my cut :S

THE HAIRCUT IS GOING!!!!!

My old Zone right before changes...over half of the people left :'(

Elder Lee, Elder Rice, and Elder Bushman -- back together again, whoohoo! (more in my letter)

Elder Cottrell calling his district and taking the dats! :)

Elder Lee and Elder Kern...right before they got BUTCHED

Me cutting Elder Lee's hair for Elder Holland on Tuesday :) Haha, we didn't spend a single cent on our haircuts :) WHOOHOO!!!

"If you want your boys to go on missions, have them pray for the missionaries every time they pray. They will love the things they pray for." - Spencer W. Kimball