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 25: It Looks like a Legit Miracle

Dear Family and Friends,

Man this was a crazy week, a very good one though! All of the converts are doing very well. I. and M. have been talking about the church to lots of people. M. even defended herself and the church from one of her cousins over Facebook who was dissing on her decision to be baptized. Haha, I. showed us the messages...SO FUNNY :) Haha, we got them a really good start to their family history! I. already has found a few names and she'll be going to the Registro Civil this week to find even more! She'll be way prepared to go to the temple here in a week or so to do baptisms and confirmations. They went to the Chilean Independence Day celebration in the stake and had lots of fun! They were confirmed members of the church on Sunday and brought a few non-member friends and family. :)

C. and J. are also doing well! We had a good FHE with them this last week. On Monday we went and showed them the video...Moutain of the Lord...in order to prepare them for family history work and doing ordinances in the temple. They really, really liked it and it made me want to go to the temple SOOO bad! :) haha, I think Elder Thomas and I are going to go after this week ends. Anyways, they also participated in the celebration. C. won the sack hopping contest, so that was pretty sweet! :D They were also confirmed members of the church on Sunday and the elder's quorum president and the high priest assigned to the ward are helping J. start to prepare to receive the Melchezideck priesthood in a few months (both he and C. were ordained to the Aaronic priesthood on Sunday as well)!!! :) Anyways, things are looking great with them, so that's way happy!

Another cool experience from this last week had to do with an investigator that we had dropped a little over a month ago... J.A. For a long time we have been trying to get back in contact with him but nothing happened. Finally we set an appointment with him for yesterday but when we went by his daughter said he wasn`t home... Later that night at 9:00 we had NOTHING TO DO and it was raining and hardly anyone was in the street. I thought, let's try going by J.A. one more time so we did...and he was there. We went inside and he explained how much work he has been having and everything and the big changes in his life. He also shared with us that he wants to be baptized still, he wants to keep going to church, and dedicating more time to the Lord. Anyways, we gave him some assignments and we felt as though we should set another date, so we invited him for the 5 of October and he accepted. He went to church yesteday and in elders quorum he said that he hopes to one day receive the priesthood (because he had seen J. and C.'s ordinations :) Anyways, it looks like a legit miracle :) 

Well, not much happened this week. We are trying to find new investigators, Elder Thomas is on his last 3 weeks of the mission, I just got the paper asking me to confirm the information for my plane ride home (in 6 months...:S), not much to tell! :) Haha!

I love you all, take care!

Elder Bushman

 

Photos from the Stake's Independence Day Celebration:

 

 Anticucho barbeque

 Mote con Huesillo

 M and me (he's I's son, the one who baptized her and M)

 The Celebration:

P-Day Photos - National Park (Quebrada de Macul):

 Scenery from the Quebrada de Macul:

Our Hike:

 Chilean Sunset:

Our group at the Quebrada de Macul (today's pday)

Yr. 2, Week 24: THEY ALL GOT BAPTIZED!!!!

Dear Family and Friends,

We are so happy for how the baptism turned out. :) THEY ALL GOT BAPTIZED!!!! It was really a miracle and we were able to see many others all week long as we were preparing them. I. bore her testimony in sacrament meeting. She talked about her change of heart, her desire to endure to the end, and how happy she was to be a new person and receive blessings for her and her family. A. (the older man who was baptized) had a rough life in the past but has made a 180° turn and was really touched by her testimony. He feels the exact same way and desires even more changes in his life. M. and P. have been wanting to be baptized for a long time and they were really happy to finally be baptized and start a life in the church. All in all, great baptisms! We had a lot of participation from the ward and the presence of some stake leaders in the baptism :) President and Hermana Wright went too. It was a very emotional Sunday!

Another thing that happened this week had to do with two other investigators of ours, F. (17) and N. (14). They have been wanting to be baptized for a LONG TIME but their parents won't let them. This week during a meeting, I felt the impression to have a fast for them. I talked to Elder Thomas about it after and we decided to ask them. We asked F. and N. and they agreed. We four started a fast for the hearts of their parents to be softened so they could get baptized on Sunday! They asked...and their parents said that they couldn't ... YET. In a way it was an answer to our fast. Their hearts seem to be softening and I believe that God wants to continue to test the faith of F. and N. as well as ours! :D Anyways, I know they will be baptized soon!!!

We went out to teach lessons with President Wright this week. At first I was nervous but it was really cool. If somebody asked me, I think this is my favorite thing about being a ZL...being close to president! We had a lot of fun! He's really funny, a good sense of humor. He told us a lot of stories and it was nice because we learned a lot about him and his life!!! We went and taught I. about the temple and family history work. It was really neat because her aunt was also there and she is Evangelical, just like I. She had lots of questions and was really interested. Having president there was perfect because when someone more mature teaches and testifies with experiences, it makes it so much more powerful! :D

Anyways, thanks for everything everyone! Til next week!

Elder Bushman

This is our line of white on Sunday...I feel slightly awkward sitting there in normal clothes next to these next to celestial beings!

This is Elder Nelson finally trying Mate...he HATED it, hahahahaha!!!!

"Gather the Saints, but do not flatter; invite, but do not urge, and by no means compel any one." - Brigham Young

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 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

Week 47: I Felt on Fire Because I Knew that we Taught by the Spirit!!!!

Dear Family and Friends,

First off, I wanted to say congrats to John and Karla and Family on the new baby!! Whoohoo!! :) Another Cousin!! Haha, man, October will be here in NO time!! What are we at right now? How many cousins are we??? (29) Anyways, things have been going decently well. This last week was tough again, but we are still grateful and excited for the wonderful experiences we had.

So today for P-day, we had the craziest party. We had a big barbeque as a zone and some of the elders from the office and the assistants came! Also, Elder Frost and his companion came! :) Yeah boy!!! In addition to the barbeque, we also played soccer and basketball! It was so fun! :D It was also really fun to catch up with Elder Frost! He is just awesome! It'll be such fun hanging out with him after the mission :D

So a cool experience real quick! This week I went on divisions with Elder Schwartz (a great guy, friend of Todd Baer). We had about five appointments that day and I worked especially hard the night before to get members to come with us to these appointments. Four of them fell through... I felt bad that Elder Schwartz and I were seriously just walking around trying to visit with someone for literally 5 1/2 hours. Finally, at the end of the day we had a lesson with a couple, L. and L. The wife is about to leave on a trip to the Netherlands so when we got there she was really busy trying to get her hair all done. I thought, "No, not again. The cherry on top of the evening." We talked to L. (the husband) for a little bit and explained that we have a small message to share. Suddenly L. (the wife) burst into the room (still with a whole mess of hair stuff trailing her) and said, "I am so sorry that I look so horrible, but I wanted to hear your message!" L., L., and the hair stylist (N.) sat down and listened to our message. We centered it around families and the spirit was so strong. We were asking questions like crazy and teaching so well (I credit it all to the spirit). The member we brought shared his testimony about his parents being sealed in the temple and we ended by sharing the hymn "Familes can be Together Forever." L. wants to watch the video "Together Forever" and his daughter comes home soon so we are going to show them both. Also, N. was so interested that she gave us her information and was willing to learn more about the Gospel of Jesus Christ that has been restored :) Amazing lesson! I felt on fire because I knew that we taught by the spirit!!!!

Here are some answers to the questions from this week:

(Is it starting to cool down yet?) So right now it is still hot but we can tell that the weather is changing because there has been an unusual number of overcast cool days of late, with means we are heading into fall...WHOOHOO!!! :) Finally!!! 

(Have you had any problems with fleas or other bugs?) About two weeks ago I woke up with about 20 bug bites on my body that just jerked me sideways in a bad way. I was itching the whole day so I put some terrashield on my bed and took a good shower. Since then I haven't had any problems. Elder Kern woke up one day and felt itchy as well. That night, we came home and he had big splotches of red with white centers ALL OVER his body. He had two really rough nights but we went to the doctor and all things seem well now. :) Fortunately!!! 

(How is your health? You haven't mentioned anything for a long time...) Health wise I am doing great! 

(How are all your clothes holding up?) My clothes are doing well! The shirts I have been using are starting to be really yellow and fall apart, those are mostly just the short sleeve ones. I still have three, unused shirts in my suitcase so next summer I will start using those with the good shirts I still have. When fall is really here, I'm tossing the bad shirts. The shoes Dad and I bought when I was like 15 or 16 are starting to really fall apart! They still look presentable but the insides are trashed. I am making them last to my year-mark though :D (What do you look forward to the most?) I usually look forward to my studies during the day! I really like to study and learn new things. I've really been expanding my knowledge of the Bible while connecting scriptures to my Book of Mormon. It's cool because when Elder Frost left, I've only been using my Spanish scriptures and it has really helped me know my proselyting scriptures better. In regards to the temple, I think I am going to try and go around my birthday, maybe I'll try and go with Elder Frost again, who knows! :) Haha! (Once someone becomes a Zone Leader, is he always a Zone Leader?) Usually the Zone Leaders will stay in that spot until the end of the mission but sometimes they are made Assistants or receive other assignments throughout the mission. It really just varies but generally Zone Leaders are Zone Leaders for the rest of the mission.  

(What has each of your companions taught you? If you could choose one thing that you have really learned from them, what would it be?) Elder Frost really taught me to work hard and to be obedient. He taught me to do my best and then be satisfied with the results. Elder Kern has taught me to love the people and to look more for their needs. He has also taught me patience and positivity!

Well, that's basically the week! Take care everyone; love you all :)

Elder Adam Bushman

"Here's a project that I worked on this week. It's a map about the Book of Mormon and the Bible! We've used this in our lessons and it has been awesome! (Written and Designed by Elder Adam Bushman)"

He was the boss BBQ'er at home - now he is in Chile. Love the photo-bombing Elders!

“Missionary work is an identifying feature of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Always has it been; ever shall it be. As the Prophet Joseph Smith declared, 'After all that has been said, the greatest and most important duty is to preach the Gospel.' ”  ~Thomas S. Monson

Week 46: I Felt Quite Close to my Dad

Dear Family and Friends,

I am so ready for WINTER!!!! :D Haha, fortunately we are only one week away from the school year and for everybody to be home again!! This summer has been really hard in terms of teaching people, finding new investigators, and having people go to church...oh, and baptisms! :S But it's all good! We are almost at the school year!

So a quick update on our investigators. We had a really great lesson with our investigator V. (baptismal date for March 9th) on Saturday. She has been reading and praying but she still has some issues to resolve. She committed to going to church yesterday but didn't go. We were really sad. Her parents said she had to stay and help take care of her grandson because her daughter left. We are a little worried that if she isn't going to church and if she doesn't take care of some things, all the plans we have made are going to go down the tubes. The other lady with a baptismal date got back from Peru last week and we found out yesterday so we are going to go by tonight. As for the A. family, they didn't go to church and they canceled the lesson for last night so we are a little worried about them too...:S

So I had an amazing experience this week. The sister missionaries in my district had a baptism last Sunday so I went over to do the interview on Friday. My companion and I got there and I asked the sisters if there was anything I should know about J. (the investigator) before the interview. They said there was only one thing...he was blind. When I heard that I felt a strange connection to him even though I hadn't even met him yet. We went inside and got to know him and everything. Throughout the whole experience I was reminded of my dad and it brought a strange feeling of home...that may sound strange but I felt quite close to my dad. Anyways when starting the interview he said the opening prayer and immediately I felt a very strong spirit in the room. It filled my whole body and carried out through the whole interview. He is a truly amazing man who was born partially blind and it has decreased ever since. He talked to me about how he wants to participate in church more, read scriptures when he is called upon, go on visits, etc. He feels a little bit behind everybody (as he is 70 years old and everything). I told him that he can play a huge role in the church and that he is needed. We closed the interview and before we left we got a photo together!! :) It was a really special experience.

I had a really cool experience with an investigator and the Book of Mormon. We asked T. if she could explain what is the Book of Mormon to someone who had never even seen it. She couldn't explain it, she was talking about how it was unique but similar to the bible but she couldn't explain what it was. We showed her a drawing that I made that explained the Book of Mormon and answered some of her questions. Afterwards, we asked her the same question that we asked at the start. She explained what the Book of Mormon was PERFECTLY. We then read the promise and talked about the Holy Ghost. We asked her if she had felt any of the fruits of the spirit that it talks about in Galatians. She said she had and that she believes the Book of Mormon to be true and that Joseph Smith was a prophet! :D At the end of the lesson we asked her if she would come to church and she said, "I've always wanted to go!!!" :) She and her mom are going to come with us next Sunday :D

Another sweet experience was when we were teaching a less active about doing hard things! We used 1 Nephi 3-4 and Nephi's example. Halfway during the lesson he said that I was really animated, like an actor or something, that I made the story really entertaining and interesting to follow! :) He meant it as a big compliment and I really felt good knowing that in that lesson in some way I helped the scriptures "come to life" :)

We have been teaching two inactives for about 6 weeks now inviting them to the chapel and teaching and helping. It's been a really awesome experience but we have been really sad because they have slept in or had some tough things happen on Saturday, etc. Finally they came to church!!! We were SOOOOO happy to see them and it made them laugh and smile! It's J. and C.! We took a photo! :D

Anyways, that's all for today! Love you all, talk next week!

Love,

Elder Bushman

"My Lunch on P-days"

"The investigator I interviewed"

"Found a dead cat...but it is okay - the plan of salvation!" (Mom cropped out the cat guts)

"Me and Elder Kern with some members"

"If you’re not a full-time missionary with a missionary badge pinned on your coat, now is the time to paint one on your heart—painted, as Paul said, “not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God.” - Elder Neil L. Andersen

Week 45: When we put our Faith into Action, we get Results

Dear Family and Friends,

Sounds like many fantastic things are happening back home and out here! Congrats to the b-ball players for the championship :) That's really awesome! This week has been an interesting week...I would say that this change has been an interesting change. Elder Kern and I are learning many lessons out here that are coming from many different sources. It has been really interesting seeing a different purpose this change.

Workwise, this has been the toughest week of my whole mission. We only taught four lessons to investigators this week. From the start of the week we saw appointment after appointment fall through. We had previously invited members to these lessons so we brought them anyways. Unfortunately, we didn't receive much success on these attempts. We were able to meet with a lot of less-active members and two of them came back to church for the first time yesturday for Stake Conference... The batteries in my camera were dead so I wasn't able to take any photos. Anyways, despite the poor numbers and the lack of work, we did see several miracles this week that I want to share :)

I would say the first miracle for us happened this wednesday. For a few weeks now we have been teaching a woman named V. (she was taught many times by missionaries before hand). She has been hesitant to commit to a date for baptism for a variety of reasons. (chastity is probably the biggest problem we face out here). Anyways, we decided to invite her to be baptized so we planned out a good lesson, prayed for the spirit, and pleaded that if it be God's will, that we could set a baptismal date. We went and invited her...she declined and expressed her worries again. FORTUNATELY, we had planned for this and knew EXACLTY what we wanted to do. We followed our plan and by the end she accepted the invitation and we are all working together to get her baptized on March 9, the day before changes. :) Anyways, this was a miracle because she had rejected every other invitation we or the other missionaries had extended. Truly it was a testimony to me of when we put our faith into action, we get results :)

Another experience was yesterday. We were walking and walking and walking...we didn't have a single appointment so we just went by our plans, which quickly ran out. We kept on walking, visiting anybody we could think of. Finally, at 9:00, an hour before going home, we had no idea of what to do. So we sat down on a bench, said a prayer as a companionship asking for guidance, and then pondered for a bit. We were pondering for about 5 minutes and when we started to talk about where we should go, there were a LOT of different ideas. We felt as though we had a "stupor of thought." So we thought some more. Finally, I said, "Well, maybe if we act we will be guided." So we set out to visit a couple that aren't really investigators of ours, but they aren't members. Anyways, when we passed by and the husband came out, he said, "Come on in." WOW, we hadn't heard that in a long time. We went in and had a great conversation about what we do and why we do it. We invited them to hear our message about eternal marriage (this couple has been married for 39 years, quite rare here). They were really interested so we are going to show them "Together Forever." We left them with a pass along card with the temple on it and a brief description of what goes on inside. We weren't sure if we should do a prayer so we thought "Next time," but then the wife blurted out as we all stood up, "BUT WAIT, what about the prayer!" (angels sang)! Haha, it was a cool experience. Anyways, we are excited to visit them again soon :) Their names are L and L, a really nice couple; they'd be good for the church!!!

Another experience is that an investigator family of ours got back from vacation. We met with the mom (member) and she commented to us about how much her three boys (non-members) love us and love what we have shared so far. We talked with her about the temple and shared with her how baptism and preparation afterwards helps us qualify for the blessings that lie in the temple. We told her that one year after baptism, her family can go to the temple. She is really excited and we are going to present the plan to the rest of her family, the boys and her husband (non-member). We have been planning an amazing lesson for them and we plan to invite the boys and the husband to be baptized and set a date for them. :) We are really excited and we feel that it is the will of God that this happens. We'll let you know how it goes!!!!! :)

Elder Kern and I watched a video this week about Zion's Camp. We talked about how most of the participants had a different view of what their mission or purpose was in Zion's Camp. As we all know, their mission wasn't to reclaim their land and liberate the saints again, it was to prepare the future leaders of the church. I applied this principle to my missionary service. I don't know exactly what the purpose is or when I have done enough. What I do need to do is not complain, keep working hard, and prepare myself to be the best servant and leader in the mission and afterwards that I can. :)

That's all for this week; take care everyone!!!!

Love, Elder Adam Bushman

"We are all in this together. With fellow ward members and missionaries, we plan and pray and help one another. Please keep the full-time missionaries in your thoughts and prayers. Trust them with your family and friends. The Lord trusts them and has called them to teach and bless those who seek Him."

Elder Neil L. Andersen

Week 43: If we do Good Things we are Happy, but if we do Bad Things we are Sad

Dear Family and Friends,

Wow, what a week. With all things considered, it was a good week. Like all weeks there were hectic and down times but also with relaxing and happy times. The biggest downer of the week are all the people on vacation. It seems like February is the month in which EVERYONE leaves. Our church building feels so empty and our weekly results are quite low. The happiest thing this week was that we found some more new people and we had lots of spiritual experiences. :) 

So to answer some of the questions that I received this week, our families are doing good...they are on vacation but they seem to be doing well. We invited one family to church two weeks ago and they said they would come...didn't. We found out their oldest son was hospitalized the night before but went home Sunday evening. Anyways, that was understandable. They told us they would be at church no questions about it...didn't come again. Ugh! That was a bummer. The little boys have been a little sporadic.  C. didn't go yesterday but another cousin, M. went and he had a blast. We asked them what they learned and they said, "About the good stuff and the bad stuff." So I asked them what happens when we do good things and what happens if we do bad things. They replied, "If we do good things we are happy but if we do bad things we are sad." :D That was pretty cool! They were a little bored during testimony meeting (they are only 8 and 10 yrs. old) so they were looking through my gospel art book. They are good kids; we havn't shared anything with their families yet but we are trying. So there isn't really a way to beat the heat, we just try and stay comfortable with our fan. Nobody has air conditioning here and it is really rare to see a fan turned on in the homes so we are usually sweating during our lessons. They don't have swamp coolers either...AH! Dad would DIE! :S 

So one experience about following the Holy Ghost happened last night. We were walking and I had the impression to pass by an investigator family that Elder Frost and I had taught when I first entered the mission. It's been a good 6 months or more since I've seen them but I felt like we should go. We got there...nobody. But, I had an impression to write a note. So I did! We left the note and went home. As of now we haven't heard from them but I know by following the Holy Ghost we and this family will be blessed in some aspect. 

Another experience we had this week was a really spiritual lesson with an inactive member named F. He hasn't gone to church in many years and we've had struggles getting ahold of him this last few weeks. Yesterday we stopped by and he was home and invited us in. We sat down and he explained a little bit about why he was inactive, his story of finding the church, and how he feels right now. We helped him realize the difference in his life now and when he was participating actively in the church. We shared the scripture Mosiah 2:41; this is one of my favorite scriptures in the Book of Mormon. He told us that he believes that keeping the commandments is the only sure way to have happiness and he said that he just wants to return to our Heavenly Father's presense after this life. He has a disease (polio maybe) and is in a wheelchair. We talked about Christ's role as savior and sung the song, "I know that my redeemer lives." We invited him to come to church with us and he accepted. We gave him a new BofM because he lost his old one, and we left him with a priesthood blessing. It was really really spiritual and we could feel his sincerity in wanting to return to church. 

So we had a tender mercy the other day. We were going through the list of old investigators and while reviewing the list, a lady from the house of which we were standing in front of started to talk to us. We found out she is a less active member who recently moved from another community in Santiago. Here daughter (C.) was taking the lessons from other missionaries but when they moved, they lost contact. She told us we could visit her this week. We're excited to have another prepared investigator and a less-active that we can bring back to church. :) 

So the new missionary in our pension is Elder Osbon, from Michigan. He is a really cool kid and has really enjoyed his time with us so far. He has two changes less than me in the mission but he is a really nice kid and we all get along really well. I've been very fortunate to be with some many great people in the mission! 

Things are going well though, we are working hard and we aren't getting frustrated. We're doing the best job we can so far so hopefully that is good enough :)

That's all for this week folks...have a good one!!!

Love, 

Elder Bushman

“I am convinced that none of us can appreciate how deeply it wounds the loving heart of the Savior of the world when he finds that his people do not feel confident in his care or secure in his hands.”
~ Jeffrey R. Holland

Week 41: This has been a FANTASTIC Week

Dear Family and Friends,

First off, CONGRATS to my good buddy, Trustin Chun, on his mission call! He's going to the Mexico Veracruz Mission! I'm soo excited for him and especially excited to talk to him in spanish a little bit when we both get back. Haha, anyways, this has been a FANTASTIC week. We saw a lot of miracles, we worked hard, and we were especially rewarded. Basically, in terms of numbers, I had the best week I have ever had in my whole mission. :D Here's a cool story!

We went by an old less active member's home and when we got there, a kid named C. came out and  said he wasn't home. He then asked if we would teach him English. We said if it was okay with his parents. So, we went back the next day, taught him English, and shared a little bit about what we do. He said he wanted to go to church and that he would bring his cousin. His parents were completely fine with it and said they would have him all ready. On Sunday they both came to church and after sacrament meeting, I ran down from the piano and asked two boys from the ward if they would take C. and his cousin (L.) to their classes. They took them and at the end they loved it and want to come back. L. was assigned the prayer in primary next week so we taught them to pray yesterday and when it was time to end with a prayer, L. and C. were fighting over who would say it. We settled on rock, paper, scissors. They both said a prayer and did it amazingly, just talking from their hearts. :D This week we are going to try and incorporate their families in our little mini lessons :) They are special little boys!

So here are some answers to the questions I was given this week: I would say my high point of the week was on Saturday. We were so blessed and guided that day to have six lessons (two lessons with a member present, two other lessons, and two lessons with less active members). We completed all the goals we had for that day! :) It rained that day and Elder Kern and I got soaked, but we were so very happy and content with how the day went!!! We are teaching a family that consists of three boys (all investigators), the mom (investigator) and the dad (less active). It's been really interesting. The mom is super prepared (C.) and the dad is really receptive. The boys are all really nice and fun. We are also teaching a mom (A.) and her daughter (A.). We found the daughter in that big group of kids in the street about a month ago! They are awesome and really receptive! One guy we taught was kinda drunk but he was teaching us A LOT about the love of our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. If you guys met him you would have thought he was a drunk hippie but he really did open my eyes to the meaning of love and what we do when we love. :D Super awesome! I am not wearing sunscreen. It is SUPER expensive here and I don't burn if I wear my proselyting clothes...only if I wear a t-shirt will I burn...so I don't! :D I definitely prefer Chilean winters...ugh, cannot wait for winter! Elder Frost is not in my zone, he is in a zone at the top of our mission. I'm two zones down from him! 

 

This week I studied about the love of God and Christ's atonement. It has really opened my eyes what it means to "Follow Christ" and "lay down your life for Him." :D My favorite story is when Christ called his apostles and they had to "drop their nets and follow Him." In Spanish it says, "al instante"...which means they instantly dropped their nets and followed Him :) There is a good mix of friendly people and mean people. Some people we try to stop will just keep walking and say, "Nope, I don't have time." Others are very nice and will talk to us, even if at the end they say, "I'm not very interested." The church services here are quite similar I would say. One difference is that the people giving a talk sit in the audience and when it is their turn to speak, they walk up the aisle, give their talk, and then return to the audience. Also, everybody sings WAY faster than what the director is leading and what the pianist  is playing. That's really annoying. We usually have about 130-140 people at Church and we have enough young men so we don't have to pass the sacrament. Everybody socializes before the meeting just like they do in the states. One miracle I saw this week was on Saturday, when some of our lessons fell through, God put people in our path so we could still keep all our goals. We went to people we didn't plan for and we still got all the lessons we planned for!!! :) My Spanish study is going well. I'm learning lots of new words and it has been quite rewarding. I just hope that I'll be solid for the rest of my mission. 

Today we went back to the U.S.A. :D ...Well, as close as you can get, I suppose. We went to Jonny Rockets: The Original Burger. We walked in and it looked like a 40's dinner, complete with white tile, flourescent lights, and red booths. They were playing the Beatles; Elvis Presley; Earth, Wind, and Fire; etc., and everybody was dressed in dinner attire. I ordered a Coke, double cheeseburger, onion rings, and a peanut butter chocolate shake. IT WAS DIVINE! :) I sent photos! It was just like America! The only thing is that hey didn't have rootbeer from the fountain, otherwise I would've gotten that in a HEARTBEAT! I legit felt like I was back home, haha! In a good way, not a trunky way!It was really expensive in comparison to what it would cost in the states but it was normal for Chile. Food is really expensive here!!! BUT, it was soooooo worth it! It was at a mall up in Elder Frost's zone called Las Condes. We're talking like $28.00 in U.S. money for the meal...BUT, before you flip out, all the food is twice the price or more than it is in the states. A dollar burger at McDonalds is like $2.50 here.

Anyways, that's it for this week ya'll! Keep working hard, say your prayers with faith, STUDY the scriptures daily, go to church because you want to magnify your calling! :)

Love,

Elder Bushman

MY COKE

Elder Kern and Elder Lee enjoying an AMERICAN lunch :)

Elder Bushman and Elder Cottrell

My onion rings and BURGER!

"Your Heavenly Father has known you for a very long time. You, as His son or daughter, were chosen by Him to come to earth at this precise time, to be a leader in His great work on earth." ~ Russell M. Nelson, October 2013 General Conference