Yr 2 - Week 9: They Will be Getting Baptized this Sunday

Dear Family and Friends,

Wow, this week has been a crazy one!!!!

This week we set a baptismal date with L. and C.!!! They will be getting baptized this Sunday, 1st of June! :) We are way excited, especially because they chose their date and the whole ward is going full power with them! They are progressing really well and are all set for their baptism. 

I sent you guys a few recordings of some spiritual experiences that I had this week and some other cool stuff! 

So it is getting a lot colder down here and fast. Also, we got the first decent down pour of rain the other day. It was good, but we got caught out in the middle of our sector with just our jackets. We tried to keep working but we were getting soaked so we headed back. My coat is so big that I put my coat on over my bag so it doesn't get wet! It works really well, so that's good :)

Today we are just relaxing and chilling! Elder Vorwaller and I are going to be cooking and just chatting and catching up. I'll probably take a nap if we have time!! 

The photo of those recent coverts is cool because we are teaching the husband and he's progressing really well and should be able to get baptized next month :)

Well, that's about it. I'm a little scatterbrained today so I'm not really sure what to say but will talk next week :)

Love you all!!!

Elder Bushman

 

 

B-day of Elder Capuñay

 

 

"Recent coverts from our ward"

Elder Muzante and me on a big day of rain

"View from our apartment"

"The bishop's wife made this lasagna for us and it is SOOO good!"

"You parents, teachers, and others, catch the wave as you prepare our rising generation to be worthy of missionary service. Meanwhile, your exemplary lives will attract the interest of your friends and neighbors. Be ready to give an answer to those who ask why you live as you do. Be ready to give a reason for the hope and joy that they see in you. When such questions come, you might respond by saying, 'Let’s ask the missionaries! They can help us! And if you desire, I will be at your side as the missionaries respond and teach you.'" –Elder Nelson (GC April, 2013)

Yr. 2 - Week 8: My Influence is Reaching out more than Numbers can Really Show

Dear Family and Friends,

So last night we went to a less-active's house, his name is M. We were talking for a bit and then I looked over at his home theater and he had the BIGGEST freaking speakers I had EVER seen. They were sick, he said he was going to show us how they sounded and he put in a song for about 10 seconds and it was amazing, Dad would've dug it!!! It was like someone reached through the speaker, grabbed me, and just started shaking me! Haha, it was AWESOME :D It was a really good lesson too. We talked about how the priesthood can bless his family. He said he's trying to share the gospel with his partner and son who aren't members but he says it is hard and he thinks it's best to go slow. I said that he should try to pray and read his scriptures in front of her for a few nights and then start inviting her to join him and see how it results. He is really excited to try it and also work on getting married legally to his partner. :) It was a sick lesson, I felt like it was pretty inspired!!!

The G. family is doing absolutely fantastic...except for their health. L and J got sick and so their family didn't go to church yesturday. We are dropping by tonight to give a blessing to them and we'll probably be able to have a lesson tomorrow. Last week we taught the last part of the Plan of Salvation and invited L and C to be baptized officially. They accepted and so this week the baptismal date will probably be for the 8th of June. They are doing great, participating in seminary, activities, mutual, and everything!!! :D I'm way stoked!!

 

In response to your questions:

What's your new area like compared to the other one? 

     Our area is A LOT bigger, as a majority, richer than my old sector and there are a lot of retired people here and students...we live right next to a university.

 

Is Santiago flat or is it hilly?

     Santiago is in a valley so my old sector was at the most east part so it was hilly but now I'm closer to the middle!

 

How is the new pension? What kind of amenities does it have?

     We have way sick appliances, two showers, and a big gymn on the first floor!!!

 

What do your neighbors think of you? Are they gun-shy or friendly?

     They all try to avoid us and I've never had a conversation with them.

 

Are you still studying out of your spanish book? Do you read the BOM in spanish a lot?

     Every day I study out of my spanish book and I learn more words and grammar. I also do all my gospel studies in spanish.

 

Do you guys do much service? Yard/home projects, clean-up, community service, etc?

     We do as much as we can...but not a ton!

 

What have you been doing lately for p-day?

     We played soccer today, went to Di Fini last monday, played soccer the following, and rested.

 

Who is your district leader/zone leader right now?

     My zone leaders are Elder Wilson and Elder Skousen, I'm still DL...

 

So today I was able to talk to Elder Kern and he told me all about our old sector. He said that T. (our investigator who went to conference and who was going to church a lot) went to church yesterday and the baptismal service yesturday and then afterward told Elder Kern and Elder Prens that she feels ready and wants to be baptized. They set an official date for the 15th of June. They have really been befriending her and it sounds like she is going to be an amazing convert. She is involved with the young adults and she is showing just how much faith and action she has :D I was really stoked about that!!! The M. family is loving church and their sons, want to get involved in seminary, and they are all so involved. They don't have a baptismal date yet but they are going to do a temple tour this week and so hopefully that will work out and they can set a date :D I really feel that my influence is reaching out more than numbers can really show!!!!

Well, that's all for this week :) Love you all, Elder Bushman

Get well poster that I made for Elder Capuñay

Elder Capuñay was sick ... :(

4 generations: left to right, Elder Prens, Elder Kern, Elder Bushman, Elder Frost

Frost and Bushman

Elder Frost and I in a weird moment!

Elder Vorwaller ... I call him Big V

Elders Bushman and Kern

"True conversion comes through the power of the Spirit. When the Spirit touches the heart, hearts are changed. When individuals, both members and investigators, feel the Spirit working with them, or when they see the evidence of the Lord's love and mercy in their lives, they are edified and strengthened spiritually and their faith in Him increases. These experiences with the Spirit follow naturally when a person is willing to experiment upon the word. This is how we come to feel the gospel is true."  ~ M. Russell Ballard, October 2000 "Now is the Time"

MOTHER'S DAY CALL

 

MOTHER'S DAY CALL! IT WAS THE BEST! LOVE THIS BOY!!

Good Call

Yr. 2 - Week 7: We're Here to Stay

Dear Family and Friends,

Wow, what a week.

This week we set up a day to take the G. family to the temple and learn a bit more about the Plan of Salvation! We all had a great time but we got there really quick so we bought some stuff at the distribution center while we waited for the sister missionaries to show up and give us the tour. We talked to the son, J., and he started asking us questions about the mission. We told him how awesome it is and he commented later that night about the studies he wanted to do AFTER the mission...WHAT??? :) He's also regularly going to seminary and the other young men from the ward pick him up every time!! YES!!! We went throughout the tour and when we were in the waiting area of the temple, I asked the father, Hermano J. how he felt "being back to the temple". He said, "Oh I'm not just coming back, I'm staying, I'm staying with my kids. 12 years out of the church was long enough, we're here to stay :D HAHA; it made me so stoked!!!! It turned out really, really well; the best part being when L. told everybody at the start of the tour that he wasn't a member but that we was meeting with the missionaries so he could get baptized soon :D Elder Muzante and I are really excited and we are going to have an FHE tonight with another family in the ward :)

BAD NEWS: D. didn't go to church yesterday, canceled our FHE tonight, and we got a call from her saying that she has been thinking it over and she thinks it will be better if we don't continue. Well folks, that's that. It's quite sad. I think she just wants time to think things over...but, we'll see.

A funny experience from this week was when Elder Wilson (ZL) and I went on divisions in my sector. I told him about a place called the white box (a completo shop that sells a 1 1/2 foot long completos) and he said he wanted to go. We had 15 min. to get home when we got there with Elder Vorwaller and Elder Capuñay so we decided to go for it. We ordered and with about 8 min. to spare, we ran home with HUGE completo's in our hands barely getting home in time to not have to call President...Hahaha!!!! There were so many people honking at us saying "YEAH MAN!! THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT" Stuff like that :) Haha, it was WAY fun :)

So right now there are a LOT of people in our ward that can play the piano so I'm not playing at all... I'm about the exact same on my weight, nothing is really changing so that's good :) Things are good down here, I'm buying a camera today so expect a lot of photos next week okay :) Take care!!! I love you all!!!

Elder Adam Bushman

 

 

"We are commanded by God to take this gospel to all the world. That is the cause that must unite us today."
. . . . . . . . ~ Ezra Taft Benson

Yr 2 - Week 6: My Joy Was Full

Dear Family and Friends,

This week was a pretty good one; we struggled with lessons during the week, but I was really content when we had 11 people in the church!!! We had three investigators, two little kids, two less actives who just came back after 19 years, and four less actives that are still in the process of getting back to church :) It was really awesome! I looked around at everybody we had brought. I saw how joyful everybody was and it just made me so happy and so grateful to be a missionary. As President Monson put it, "My joy was full." ;) Haha, but it was really great! We are planning to take the G. family to the temple this week for a tour and we are going to be visiting our investigator D. tonight with the bishop. We're going to be reading Mosiah 18 and trying to invite her to be baptized...we'll see how it goes :)

I'm excited to talk to you guys this Sunday!...5:00 :) PM! Your time!!!! I'll see you then, okay!!!! I LOVE YOU ALL!!

Elder Bushman

 

"I am convinced that there are many, many thousands who, with warmth and welcome, can be led to the eternal truths of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. They are looking for something better than they have. They must be friendshipped. They must be fellowshipped. They must be made to feel comfortable and at home, so they can observe in the lives of the members of the Church those virtues they wish for themselves." - Gordon B. Hinckley

Yr. 2, Week 5: He Mimics my "Swoosh"

Dear Family and Friends,

Well here is a little bit about my comp and my new sector. My companion is a good worker! He has a lot of skills in teaching, talking to people, and being people's friend. He has taught me a lot up until now. He works hard and is almost completely obedient. I also have a good bud in the pension: Elder Vorwaller. He came with Elder Kern to the mission and is a really cool guy. He is way into music and so we talk a lot about that :D So my new sector is big, we do a lot of walking. There are lots of really good members. Our ward mission leader is a guy who just got back from his mission like a month and a half ago. He is GREAT! His name is F. D. is also a returned missionary who will drop anything at any time to go out with us. He says he sometimes feels bad because he's using us to relive his mission!!! The bishop is pretty cool! He went to Mt. Timp temple during conference weekend so we had fun chatting about Utah. He's WAY funny! We live in a 36 story apartment building ... we are pretty high up and I can see out over all of La Florida... before going to bed, after praying, I sit on my bed and look out the window at the city. We have a lot of good members there and I really like working with them. We have several investigators soon to be baptized so I am stoked about that :) I talk about that in a second. Elder Kern is doing really well back in our old sector. He is training an Elder Prens from Colombia and he really likes him. He said that the M. family and the A. family both went to the ward activity this past week and LOVED it!!! He said they stayed there until real late and socialized with so many of the members :D I thought it was awesome!!! 

So here are the two most important investigator families that we are working with right now: the G. family and D. The G. family is a part member family we found on monday. The dad is a member, RM, high priest and his two oldest kids are members but his two youngest kids aren't. We reactivated them this Sunday and the dad commited to preparing himself to baptize his two youngest kids. We are having an FHE tonight with them!!! D. is a young mom about 26 years old with her two kids. She is single and works a lot but she is a step away from baptism. She has come a long way from what I have heard and her kids are just AWESOME! The boy tries to mimic my hairdo...when we go over he runs into the bathroom, wets down his hair, and mimics my swoosh, running is hand through the front part of his hair!!! :D AWESOME!!!

That's pretty much the week! I'm stoked to be here :) Love you all!!!

Elder Bushman

 

"We have come to this earth upon a mission; that we may have power to go forth and warn the nations of the earth. As elders of Israel, very few of us fully comprehend our position, our calling, our relationship to God, our responsibility, our work the Lord requires at our hands." -Wilford Woodruff