Week 3: Bore my Testimony - all in Spanish

Photos Below...

Hello All,

Thank you for the letter you sent, the advice you gave, and the awesome details about everyone's status! It's awesome to see that everyone is doing well, growing in different ways, and just having a great time! The time is starting to go quick when I look back on it, hahaha! Here is some stuff from the past week:

First off, I love one of the elders here. He's actually right next to me, Elder McGary. You remember meeting his parents right? Anyways, he is awesome and we are so much alike! I was really hoping to have him as a comp but it wasn't meant to be. Anyways, he is a really awesome singer and we sing a lot together, mostly hymns. He's a base but can sing tenor and I sing tenor and so we just mess around with different songs and singing them. He also plays the piano so we switch off for different events and make up stuff when we have some free time! I love it and he is also really good at Spanish, so we always talk to each other and practice. It's really, really neat and I think he is just great. He also loves Psych so we make jokes and references sometimes... LOVE IT :) 

Anyways, yesterday was fast Sunday and I bore my testimony in sacrament meeting, all in Spanish. I bore testimony of the things I knew were true and shared a little of my experience in my first week here, how hard it was and how I turned to the Lord. I was really really nervous to bear my testimony all in Spanish and share that experience, but I felt super good afterward. The other day while practicing teaching an investigator, she said that she was worried about joining the church because of the traditions of her family and how catholic she was. I shared 2 Nephi 33:10. It is a sweet scripture and I am memorizing it in Spanish, whooot! We're working with her on the Book of Mormon! 

We got new roommates! Elder Muñoz and Elder Lopez. Cool, very nice guys! I love them! Will  send photos soon :) We've been playing soccer everyday this week with the guys down here....they...are...insanely good! It's crazy, these two guys just absolutely put me and the other elders to shame, it's really sad....but so AWESOME! Haha, Ive actually been getting good at goalie, whoot! 

I'm getting frustrated with the language a little...I feel like I cannot understand what people are saying and it is hard to formulate what I want to say. Translating back and forth in my mind and thinking and analyzing back and forth in Spanish is exhausting...I just need my mind to flip to Spanish, then I should be able to make progress...so far it hasn't happened yet... I found out that the biggest part of our efforts down here will be reactivation. My teacher said that 90% of the members here are inactive...NINETY PERCENT. How does that happen, I asked him. He said that elders down here baptize like crazy, but they aren´t completely rooted in the gospel, so they fall away. Kinda like the smart and the foolish man... Anyways, I promised myself that I would make sure the investigators were really ready when I taught them!

Anyways, gotta go! Love you all!

Elder Bushman

Elder Bushman over the Pedro de Valdivia Bridge

A CRAZY HUGE 6-story mall in Santiago

Elders Paxman, Bushman, Rice - Deep in Thought

From Mom: We were surprised to get a letter from him today! It turns out that the temple is closed on Wednesday so they are going to the temple on Tuesday which pushes P-Day to Monday! I told him he looked Happy, Healthy, and Handsome. He responded with, "I like the alliteration!"

"Every time you bring a convert into this Church you bless a life. Not one life, if he or she remains faithful, but many lives. For that which you do becomes the work of generations yet to come." - Gordon B. Hinckley

Week 2: I Can't Wait to Actually Teach REAL People!

See Photos Below...

Hey Everyone,

Lots of stuff has happened this week so I'm just gonna jump right in. First off, the Latino missionaries left yesterday; they are just in here for two weeks. I loved our roommates and I'm gonna miss them a ton! I am excited for the new missionaries and the new North American ones. Next, we watched elder Hollands talk to the MTC. I have renewed vigor and excitement for my mission! I cannot wait to get out into the field! Sundays are my absolute favorite day! Ah, I love the videos we watch and the discussions and the sacrament meetings. It's so spiritual, so relaxed and all out AMAZING. 

Apparently our mission president for the east mission, President Wright, is SUPER awesome. I cannot wait to meet him and experience all of what he will bring to our mission! The food here is still making me sick but I'm getting used to it. At breakfast they put yogurt on their cereal instead of milk. Apparently milk is too expensive here...who knew? They always have potatoes too and I'm sick of them, but I love their meats and jello! haha! 

So one of the guys in our district, Elder Nelson, is totally TJs twin. His facial expressions and the way he says stuff is totally like TJ. It's awesome....he doesn't look a thing like him though so don't get confused! Me and Elder Mcgary sing and quote psych all the time. We are a ton alike and we have tons of fun together. We're probably gonna do a musical number sometime soon! Some of the elders are having trouble. One almost went home because he was so homesick. He's since decided to stay but the other is having trouble with his testimony.... I'm trying to help and pray for them! I hope my efforts are doing some good. 

So I found out that I leave on March 24, 2015 from the field....a good two and a half weeks early. Anyways, I'm not thinking about the end so much anymore, just the end of this boring MTC. Forgive my poor attitude but the MTC for six weeks is starting to wear away my patience and brain cells... I have been experiencing great spiritual moments during church, when praying, giving lessons in Spanish, and when listing to people sing. It is amazing to feel this spirit. The other night I just started singing Be Still my Soul and I began to cry because I was so happy and joyful and full of the spirit. Boy it is amazing. I can't wait to actually teach REAL people! 

My teachers are leaving to teach the new North American missionaries and we are getting new ones. It's kinda sad because I love Hermano Cerda and Arraya so much; they are great! I've been working on my Spanish and I feel weird. My head is about to explode trying to translate what I am hearing, to English, reading in English, and translating what I want to say back to Spanish. I am absolutely going CRAZY! haha! But it is cool to see my language learning progressing, and it has only been two weeks! and in only an MTC! The lord is certainly blessing me completely! Cuando nosotros servimos Dios, recibiremos bendiciones internes. I've been writing in my journal a ton so there's a great record of everything. Anyways, I gotta go! I love you all and I look forward to next week and writing you all!!!!
Send this to everyone!

Elder Adam Robert Bushman

THE NAMETAG!!!

Elder Pinel - Roommate that just left the MTC

Elder Pinel, Elder Gonzales, Elder Bushman, Elder Holsclaw, Elder Lee

The Elders...

Chile MTC

 From Mom: I was able to talk back and forth with him via email a bit today. He says "everything is FANTASTIC now! WOOOHOOO!" He has replaced all of his country singing with hymns. "Be Still my Soul is my new shower song!!!" Also, when I asked him if he needed anything he said, "Don't worry about the ear plugs; I'm now so exhausted he doesn't wake me up anymore..." He will be able to Skype or call on Mother's Day - he's not sure which, but one or the other! LOVE the photos!!

"No man can teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ under the inspiration of the living God and with power from on high unless he is living it."
~ Heber J. Grant

Week 1: We are Literally Making History!

Hello everybody!!!!!

OMG this day is honestly better than Christmas!!! I have been looking forward to writing home since I wrote my first letter, haha! I and all the other Elders and Sisters were so ecstatic to get on their email and see what their family wrote. I'm so happy I get this opportunity; there is so much to say. 

A couple things first…I cant send or view photos in the MTC because their internet is slow and there's not much bandwidth to send stuff. I'll send tons of photos when I can.

First off, the language is going pretty well. I along with Elder McGary and Sister Phelps are the best speakers in our class and in our companionships, share most of the teaching load. I feel I'm getting pretty good at organizing my thoughts and memorizing phrases. Spanish is coming along great and it's only the first week! Our roommates are Elder Piñel and Elder Gonzalez. Awesome guys who are fun and with great testimonies. They talk to us a whole lot, though they don't know English. I'll send photos of everyone later. My companions, Elder Holsclaw and Elder Lee... both are good guys and they're pretty cool to be with. The schedule here is tough…we wake up, do personal study for an hour, then exercise for a while. We then prepare for the day and work until 9:30 pm. It's a tough schedule and learning the gospel just makes me all the more tired. Sometimes I'm so exhausted I can barely write in my journal but I gotta so I'll remember everything. 

Last Wednesday I broke down. I missed home and I wanted to see my family and friends. I missed everything … since then I've prayed for strength and received lots from the scriptures, prayer, and other district members. Haha, it's also WAY tough to fall asleep because Elder Lee snores like the Dickens!! Good night, it's insane. I feel like Bro. Bishop when he would bang pots together to wake up his comp so he could fall asleep again before his companion snored again, haha! It's really weird calling everyone Elder and Sister…I've gotten used to it now and when I get other people's real first name, I only think of them as Sister Sommerfeld or Elder Rice, etc. Haha!!! I love it! 

The food here in the MTC is making me sick though. I have to put Digestzen on my stomach every night (thanks Stephen and Jenny)! Were having tons of fun here too! We talk to everyone in Spanish and everyone is making jokes. All of the district members have their own little things. Elder Nelson is the FUNNIEST story teller ever, hahahahaha! It's awesome. I love Elder Rice. He and I are way close. We have very similar situations and we talk about it and buoy each other up all the time! Elder McGary and I love tons of the same things and are way good friends. Elder Paxman is way good at sports and we always play. And it goes on and on for everyone in our district. OHHHH, which reminds me. I was called to be the district leader of my district. There are 5 districts and one zone here at the MTC. All of the districts have latino district leaders and all of the zone leaders are latino. I am the only white guy in the meetings and I preside over my district. It's intimidating but my whole district is very supportive and loving, they respect me a lot. It reminds me of my patriarchal blessing that said I would hold leadership positions. It's a really good experience. I FEEL SO MUCH JOY AND LOVE FOR EVERYONE WHO IS READING MY LETTERS NOW!!! 

Anyways, we are also the first North American missionaries to ever come to and learn here in the Santiago MTC. We are literally making history! Last night Elder Rice asked me for a blessing, not his companion, not his roommates, me. I was super humbled. The blessing was one of strength and it taught me a whole lot and gave me lots of strength. Oh and mom, haha, I have been playing the piano a ton. Once they found out I play the piano, people want me to play for sacrament meeting, FHE, priesthood, everything. It's been spreading like crazy. I played I am a child of God, as a musical number for some latino sisters down here while they sang. I also did a spontaneous arrangement of A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief for a musical number! I didn't do a bunch of fancy stuff, just played it three times with different octaves, repeated some parts, and played it loud and soft. Everyone loved it and the spirit was soooo strong. I gotta go but I love you all and I miss every single one of you! Be sure to post this letter on the blog!

From the Chile!

Elder Bushman

From Mom: I didn't realize they were the first North American missionaries to be at the Chile MTC. Exciting! He sounds so much better than last week. Wonderful to hear that the piano skills are being put to good use! What a blessing to hear such great news this week! Love this boy... Oh, and he told me in a separate email that he will be in the MTC for 6 Weeks.

"It follows that if we have more missionaries, there will be more converts. It also follows that if missionaries are better prepared, they will be more effective."

 - Gordon B. Hinckley

He made it! First Letter...

Hello Everyone!!!

I miss you all and I wish I could see you all... Right now I am in Chile Santiago at the MTC. It's really nice weather here and I am having a pretty good time. There are lots of other missionaries, both white and chilean, so it is cool to interact with them. The flight from SLC to Atlanta was kinda boring. I sat next to a lady who drank beer and wine a lot so it was really weird. I kept thinking of you all so to keep my mind off my feelings for you all I tried to study the gospel and it took my mind off of it for a while. We arrived at the airport and we kinda just sat around. We lost one of our companions, Elder Nelson, in the airport. haha. He went off to look at a vending machine and we didn't know so we took off without him. Anyways, while waiting I talked to a guy who was fluent in Spanish and English. Interesting guy, a Mr. Schilow. We talked about Santiago, the church, and various other seemingly intellectual topics. It was an experience. Anyways, he said he'd follow your blog mom, haha!! Anyways, I was totally sad on the plane from Atlanta to Santiago. I missed my family, my home, everything I knew, everyone I knew... I missed Eliza a ton too... anyways, I wrote about it a lot in my journal. The flight was long, they served us food (yucky food mind you, don't think surf and turf). I had a decent sleep and arrived in Santiago. We traversed customs and immigration okay but we had to wait at the airport almost an hour for someone to come and pick us up. We were looking everywhere before someone came and took us to the MTC and church office building. We've been taking tours and such for the past little bit, settling in and getting ready for our stay at the MTC. I can't send photos now but I will make sure to send several of our whole company, where I'm living, the food I've got and other things. 

Love you all, I'm safe, talk to you soon! I get to write on Tuesdays so expect it then!!!

p.s. Correct my grammar... the keyboards here are terrible and not the same at all. That's the reason for the poor grammar, capitalization, etc.

From Mom: I corrected his letter as requested so you won't see the mistakes. So happy to hear from him today!!

"The first convert you want to make in this church is yourself. When you are sure you have him/her converted, then you start on somebody else."  

- Harold B. Lee

Chile, Here He Comes!

Adam left this morning for the Chile MTC. It was a short and tender goodbye at the airport:


He finished the last of his thank you notes in the car at the airport parking lot: 

 Saying goodbye to brothers and sisters:

And there he goes...

We will miss you!!! Be of good cheer and know we will pray for you every day. We are waving the flag for Elder Bushman. We will await hearing from you each week with excitement. We will support you as you go forth to serve the people of Chile. Go forward with fatih and with God. Return honorably.

"I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

He's a Missionary!

Adam was set apart as a Missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints on Monday, April 8, 2013. The blessing he received was beautiful and comforting. (He wore his non-missionary white shirt so he wouldn't have to wash a shirt before he left or take a dirty one with him. I think he likes the pink tie... :)

"I have often said that one of the greatest secrets of missionary work is work! If a missionary works, he will get the Spirit; if he gets the Spirit, he will teach by the Spirit; and if he teaches by the Spirit, he will touch the hearts of the people and he will be happy. Work, work, work-there is no satisfactory substitute, especially in missionary work." - Ezra Taft Benson

Video Tribute

Betsey and Alana produced this darling song/video tribute for Adam:

Love these darling girls! What talent!!

This isn't missionary work, this is missionary FUN!
~Elder Neil L. Andersen

Beautiful times. Fabulous Memories. Magical Moments.

We enjoyed some wonderful moments before Adam left (recent to oldest)

Family Dinner at PF Chang's...According to Adam, "This may be the last Chinese food I eat for two years..."

 

Spent lots of time watching this...

With them...

One more batch of sweet potato casserole by Chef Adam and his lovely assistant, Eliza:

I caught him eating the extra Easter candy in my closet:

Family Easter Egg Hunt in Clearfield:

Saturday morning before Easter - the Grody Pictures:

Nicole's Wedding:

Family Weekend in Midway:

Beautiful times. Fabulous Memories. Magical Moments.

"May we be a light on a hill. May we in this latter day be a beacon to this whole earth." 
~ L. Tom Perry