Yr. 2 - Week 4: New Sector and New Companion

Dear Family and Friends,

Well, the big news of the week is that I received a call from President Wright on Friday night saying I was heading to a new sector and receiving a new companion. I'm now in the ward La Florida 3, stake La Florida. :) I'm really excited! My companion is Elder Muzante, from Peru. He is 25 years old, he has 5 months in the mission, and I'm his second companion. This zone is really awesome, I'm in the same zone with Elder Rice and Elder Holsclaw (two of the guys from my MTC group! I'm also with Elder Wilson, Elder Gowdy, Elder Skousen, Elder Vorwaller, and others. Just REALLY great missionaries :) I feel as though it will be a powerhouse zone these next few changes! :D

This last week was a pretty good week. We had a lot of lessons with members, we really stepped it up with working with the bishop and our ward mission leader. Haha, it was really funny, in sacrament meeting, the second counselor said, "Well now we are going to give a little time to Elder Bushman to bare his testimony since he will be finishing his mission." I got up there and said, "I hope nobody goes to the temple because I'm not going to be there." I was trying to say in a funny way that I was not going home... But after the meeting, more than 10 people ran up to me and said, "Oh my gosh, I cannot believe you are leaving, how did you mission end so fast?" Etc.  etc.! Haha, I had to tell them that I was not going home but just to another sector! :) Hahaha! 

We used the "Because of Him" video a lot this week to teach about the Resurrection. We taught the M. family the Plan of Salvation using the video and the pamphlet. They understood it completely and it was awesome! We also shared it with a completo shop owner and he really loved it, saying he was going to check out mormon.org and stuff. 

Anyways, there isn't much else to report on account that I am in a new sector, without photos, and I haven't even hit the sector yet. But, things are great, I am excited, and we'll see you next week! Take care, love you all!

Elder Bushman

 

"Sharing the gospel brings eternal rewards. That is the spirit of the gospel of Jesus Christ, to labor without a salary, to labor without the comforts that we sometimes have at home, but to labor for the salvation of the human family, to bring our Father's other children to a knowledge of the truth." - George Albert Smith

Week 5: The Lord will Prepare a Way for Me

(Photos Below)

Hello Family, 

Wow, there is much to tell!!!! First off, a special thing to everyone: (He wrote a note to each member of the family, but I'll leave that out).

So this week has been crazy. I got revoked as being district leader and was made zone leader for these last two weeks at the MTC. President said he really wanted me as one. Second, I am out of district 5 with all of the North Americans and am now in a district with ALL Latinos; just me, two Latin companions who don't speak English and no teachers that speak English. 

I was also moved from the MTC to Alcantara, an old Swedish home. They house missionaries here. It's cool but my whole world has been flipped upside down here. I am having to rely a ton on the Lord. I fasted for each one of you this week, every member of our family! I fasted for all of your needs. It was very powerful! Haha, down here there is a missionary who is seriously the Latin version of JongSu. HAHAH! So funny!!! So by next Tuesday, counting the weeks taken off of my service at the end, there are 2 months completely done of my mission. Crazy huh!!! Anyways, another thing, Elder Egg, Tyler Egg, is a missionary going to the North mission. He was a buddy of mine at BYU, lived across from me at Wyview. He is here at the MTC! Crazy. 

Well Satan has been working on me really hard, giving me bad feelings and depressing thoughts. I have really relied on the Lord to help me overcome all of these challenges. I've really received strength from him! I'm doing better than I was 4 days ago, I was pretty depressed because of the challenges. But the Lord knows me and I know him! Don't worry about me. Like Nephi, the Lord will prepare a way for me!
Love you all,

Elder Adam Bushman

His old district and teacher

His new housing - Alcantara - Gorgeous but COLD

Elder Bushman with his new companions - Elder Garcia and ??

Adam with Elder Bennett; good friends

From Mom: Yes, I was waiting all day for a letter yesterday. When it never came, I figured a change had been made. He says it is very cold in the house but he is warm at nights - thanks to the amazing sleeping bag he took down with him. I sent him a package...tracking showed it delivered on Friday, 5/10, but he doesn't have it. Hopefully, it's because he isn't living at the MTC anymore. I told him to go by there and pick it up. Miss this boy! He has a big load...pray for him and ALL the missionaries!!

"You may heal the sick, the blind may see by the power that you hold, but I want to say, brothers and sisters, you have done little in restoring sight to the blind as compared to that which you do when you bring the light of the gospel to the blind spiritually."  - Spencer W. Kimball

Week 4: The ultimate tongue twister…Spanish!

(Photos Below)

Hello everyone! 

Wow, it has already been another week, haha, crazy!! Anyways, here's some stuff from this last week. Today and yesterday the latest group of Latinos just left for their missions…ah, it was so sad. I love them all and they are all so fun and loving and just amazing people. I am really privileged to know all of them! It's also really sad that I know I am not going to see any of these people for the rest of this life…it’s a sad feeling but one that is obviously going to be prevalent throughout my whole mission! 

Anyways, today marks four weeks out here, a whole month!!! Wow the time sure has passed as I am sure it has for all of you back home. The weeks are starting to go quicker and I am getting more and more settled in. I'm still getting used to it all but it is good and I am starting to enjoy it all and think a lot less of home. So lately Ive been getting pretty frustrated with the ultimate tongue twister…Spanish! Hahaha, I am only frustrated because it feels like I have stalled in the language, that I am not getting better at understanding and that I cannot say things easier. My mind hasn’t switched over to Spanish yet and I honestly feel that I am not going to be progressing a lot until I do. I am still learning a lot but it seems that I am not applying it for some reason…anyways, it’s a struggle. But I am keeping a good attitude about it.

I’m continually learning teaching tactics and ways to get better at teaching. President MacArthur from the Rancagua mission came and did a fireside, taught us an amazing way to teach, the way the elders taught him the gospel. We used a little bit when we taught one of our investigators a while ago. I can really hold my own in the lessons though. I feel like I can explain things, testify of principles, promise blessings, sympathize with the investigator, answer their questions, and do the main things you would do in a lesson. I am still learning little skills and techniques but it is coming along great! The days are really monotonous here … It is really repetitive but I am finding ways to mix it up. We´ve been pranking each other every once in a while and we sing hymns in the stairwell, etc., stuff like that! HAHA! The other day we practiced teaching and contacting with the Latino missionaries. They didn’t know hardly any English so we had to do everything in Spanish. It was awesome! I learned a lot, practiced a lot, and got some good examples of how to teach with unity!! Those missionaries were awesome examples. 

Glad to hear my package is coming, I am totally stoked for it! Say Hi to everyone!!! Chelsea is dating! Let's hope that works out J haha! Tell Sis. Beeson I didn’t have time to respond to her email but that I read it and Ill send a reply next week. Tell her sorry about the kidney stones and that I hope she gets better. Also tell Frances that I hope she gets better and that my prayers are with them both!!!!

Love you!

Elder Adam Robert Bushman

 

Happy Elders in the Dining Room!

And even more Happy Elders in the Dining Room!

YES! He did learn some household skills!!!

"Check out my desk?????? Hahaha!!! :)"

From Mom: Little stinker didn't say anything about Mother's Day so who knows? Considering we're going to be gone most of the day....it will be a stretch if we get to communicate with him.  

"Missionary work is not easy. It is the most demanding, the most compelling, the most exhausting, and yet, with it all, the most happy and most joyful work in all the world." - Ezra Taft Benson 

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