Yr. 2, Week 51: I am Forever Indebted and Grateful

Dear Family and Friends,

First off, a couple things mom: no I won't be writing next week. We do our changes and we have some free time but we aren't doing much and then they take us to the airport, so this will be the last time I write, just FYI. Also, don't worry about a calling card, we've survived 2 years, we can wait 4 hours more :) Plus, it'll make the reunion that much AWESOMER! :D 

Second, here's a little update on the week we had. A few highlights! ...

1. Our investigator L. is making EXCELENT progress. He's been alcohol free for a week and a half and has been reading the BofM (he's in chapter 8), he's praying with his wife, and we had two great visits this week with members from the ward. J and H.S. came with us and they both supported him a lot and really just made him feel GREAT! Anyways, we are super stoked for him, he's got a baptismal date for the 5th of April. I'm really excited to see the photo of his baptism. 

2. This week we visited the B. family twice and they were GREAT visits. The first one we were able to teach a bit about church and baptism and the BofM. They are reading so great. C. is in like chapter 6 of 1 Nephi, G. is in chapter 5 of 1 Nephi, D. is almost done with 2 Nephi. IT'S so awesome. The youngest boy C., D., and G. have baptismal dates for the 12 of April. We invited C. to be baptized and he accepted but we weren't able to commit him 100% for the 12th, but that's a job for this week. We had a sick lesson with G. last night where we read the BofM and talked about it. She told us about the change she feels in her family, the incredible spirit she feels in her home, and how much she loves the BofM. Anyways, it was amazing. I love that family! They will be baptized, if not on the 12th, soon after it :D Elder Deal and his new companion (?) are going to do a great job.

3. So we were FINALLY able to visit with D. and her family. Last week they told us that they had some doubts and that this and that and the other! This week we talked a little bit about God's will, and his commandments, and asking and receiving. We read 1 Nephi 2 and it just hit her hard. She prayed at the end and it her prayer she asked God to help her resolve her doubts but that above all that he helped her to do his will. It was awesome!

Everyone, Friends and Family, everyone I know! THANK YOU for your support and for writing me and for praying for me while I have been on the mission! I have felt your influence and I want you all to know that the mission has changed me and I am forever indebted and grateful to my Heavenly Father for this opportunity! May God bless you through His Son Jesus Christ as He has me. See you soon!

Elder Bushman

Elder Deal: "Mate overdosed Bushman! In reality he just fell asleep on the floor after daily planning and we posed him like that"

I FINISHED ALL THE PRACTICES IN THIS BOOK :)

This is the best dessert alive...in Chile that is! Haha!
Melón con Helado (melon with ice cream, nothing special, just AWESOME!!!)

Elder Kern and I last P-day of mine

Elder Deal and I last P-day (we played soccer and it was AWESOME)

Yr. 2, Week 50: I'm Going to Read it Every Day

Dear Family and Friends,

Wow, what a week. It was a really, really great week. Looking back on it I can see the ups and downs of the week, the frustration and joy we felt, the tough and easy things, the fun and dumb moments, but I just remember the good. Seriously looking back I only focus on and can remember the good about the week. I really like that. :)

So a quick summary of some of the investigators:

B. Family: this week it was really hard to visit with them, however, this weekend we were able to teach them some really cool, awesome things and they are just progressing awesomely. Sometimes they cancel on us and sometimes they aren't there but when they are and when we coordinate well, it's incredible the spirit we feel with them. Yesterday we taught them and it was awesome. They asked us some questions about the BofM and everything and they really have been reading. D. has read up until 2 Nephi 15. It's incredible and she has really marked some things and has been able to tell us why she did so. Anyways, really awesome! We invited them to be baptized and to a date and they agreed. Anyways, they won't be baptized until after I leave but I don't care, I'm really stoked for them. THEY ARE AWESOME! :D Hahaha!

J and P: we also visited with them yesterday and it was sick. We taught the restoration and P. was just knocked off her feet. We gave her the BofM and she was like, "I'm going to read it, I'm going to read it every day in the subway on my way to work!" It was awesome. J and P want to baby bless their baby and we told them about it and they want to come to church and everything! Anyways, they are doing great! 

L: this was an old investigator that we were visiting but we left him because he didn't progress. However, we taught him again and he's decided to be baptized. We invited him and his wife to set some goals as to what they thought they needed to do in order to prepare for baptism. We came back and they said they were going to pray every day in the morning and night, read the BofM together, go to church when L. isn't working, and he wants to be baptized the first week of April! :) Anyways, we visited with him with J., our convert and it was awesome. I think it strengthened J. and helped L. know that there is someone at church who has made changes and who is happy! 

A little bit about my studies this week. While on divisions I had a great study about Virtue. PMG led me to read D&C 48:33. I was meditating on it a bit because I was trying to understand a bit more about why the Lord would be telling the saints to be sanctified and virtuous. I read the section heading and it all made sense. The lord was helping them to know who he wanted the meetings of the church to be directed. So as I kept studying, it made more and more sense why the Lord wants us to be virtuous as we perform sacred covenants. In D&C 133:4-5 it talked about being clean those that bear the vessels of the Lord. So I thought for a long time about what vessels meant and 2 Timothy 2:21 helped me to understand. I loved this study because it helped me to understand what it is that I want to be as I represent the Lord in administering Christ's grace and blessings through those covenants. 

So that's a bit about the week that I've had and I've really had a great time. It's been so fun and so great to be with Elder Deal. We have lots of fun together. He comes home a change after me and is going to BYU too and we we are planning lots of fun stuff to do! Haha, we're good friends! :D 

Love you guys, take care!

Elder Bushman

Yr. 2, Week 47: Some Really Amazing Studies This Week

Dear Family and Friends,

Everything is going really well. I would say this week was a bit of an up and down week in regards to investigator progress, however, it was a week of increased personal spiritual growth in addition to increased faith. Let me tell you about some of the experiences I had this week had increased my faith and also helped me to improve and grow as well.

First off I had some really amazing studies this week. The first one spawned from a scripture our bishop shared in Isaiah 43:2. I later read verses 1-3 and began to study the different names that appear there in regards to Jehovah. It was interesting as I began to study the phrases and words, “Thou art mine” “Holy One of Israel” “Thy Saviour”. That led me to study many different scriptures in the Bible, Book of Mormon, and D&C and Pearl of Great Price. I looked up scriptures in John 1:1-14, Hebrews 1:1-2, John 12:35-36, 46, John 14:6, 2 Nephi 9:10-11, 19, Mosiah 3:7, D&C 110:1-5, etc. I began to see a lot about how Christ really was all that Isaiah said He was in his writings and that He truly was the God of the Old Testament. But more importantly, I began to understand better Christ’s role in my life and His love for me. Anyways, I shared it all with Elder Deal. It was amazing, I loved it. Another amazing study from this week was a study in Alma 43:18-21. I linked these scriptures up with some in Ephesians 6:13-17 about the armour of God.  I linked in the different things about the armour and I saw that the “thick clothing” was something not mentioned by Paul in the New Testament. I thought of the temple and the physical protection we receive there. Therefore, I, throughout this study, was able to see how the armour of God really surprises the devil and how much it protects us compared to those who do not wear it. Pretty cool :D

We had a great experience while trying to exercise more faith to baptize. We taught L. 2 and the Sacrament to A. and her son J. It was a really good lesson and we were able to focus on how the atonement and the doctrine of the sacrament and baptism help us progress and therefore fulfill our purpose on earth. We then invited her and her sons to go to church and she accepted while adding, "I want to get baptized." We were stoked!!!! Haha, now she and her two sons went to church yesterday and we have an FHE set up for this Thursday with them and a family in the ward. One of the kids in the primary personally gave A. a Book of Mormon and she loved it. I think it touched her and I saw her looking up the scriptures related to the hymns that we were singing. She has a baptismal date for the second week of April and we are going to be extending the same date to her son who's 14. :D It was a sweet experience. I think they are going to progress real well.

We visited lots of other people but there wasn't a whole lot of progress with the W. family nor C.B's family. We visited D. and it was great but they didn't go to church or anything. Anyways, some people have paused in their progression, etc. However, with A. we are seeing some good things with others. This week we are going to go full force with D's family and C's and J. and P. etc.

Anyways, take care guys! Love you!

Elder Bushman 

Adios, Elder Nelson!

 APPLEBEES!!!!!

Yr. 2, Week 46: Studying the Scriptures with Temple Eyes

Dear Family and Friends,

Things have been really good and this week was awesome! We had some sweet miracles and we met some new people and we had some really awesome lessons. Here are some of the highlights:

This week Elder Deal and I went to the temple to do an endowment session. It was really, really cool, I loved it. We both went quite prepared. We had talked about some things and we both did some studies and thought of some questions when we went. The night before we went, I personally read Alma 33 and I loved that chapter. I began to understand that truly praying and worshiping God is in having a relationship with Him. V. 3-11 talk about how God hears our prayers and that he answers us through the scriptures. Even though the Zoramites were thrown out of their synagogues, they still could pray and read the scriptures. I loved verse 16 because God is so saddened when we don't want to understand Christ's sacrifice. It makes me glad that he wouldn't be mad at me because I am sincerely trying to understand it. Verse 22 was great as well because it talks about how sure Alma was when he said that Christ would come. :D Anyways, when I went to the temple, I just understood so much better everything. A few things I learned in the temple:

1. God loved Adam and Eve so much that it was a big act of love that they put the cheribums and flaming sword in front of the tree of live (that was explained even more to me this week as I read Alma 42. 

2. It truly isn't meet than man should be alone.

3. God's plan ALWAYS included the fall and the need for a Redeemer. 

Anyways, Elder Deal and I talked a lot about the things we had learned and we have more questions for next time. I am very excited to go again and I've been studying the scriptures with temple eyes so as to understand and see the hints and signs and hidden references to the temple and the ordinances therein. 

This week we found some new investigators super awesome. WE FOUND 8, which is probably the most I've found in one week in the mission. Here they are:

F: this is a less-active's daughter who, by invitation of him and us, went to church two weeks ago. So we visited with her and taught her a bit of lesson one. She's 15 and really has a great desire and she loved church. It was interesting to see how the spirit touched her heart and although she is pretty shy, she was able to be outgoing and make some good friends.

H, V, S & C: Last Monday we contacted V. and, although she said that she was catholic and that she wasn't going to change religions, she said that we could go by and see her son who was having some struggles. We went by on Friday and when we got there, H., S. and C. all tried to flee so V was like let's just sit outside...but we were like, can we at least meet them? Haha, so we went in and introduced ourselves and H. and V. started talking with us first. Then C. joined and after a second invitation, S. came and we had an AWESOME first lesson. We talked about coming unto Christ and repentance and how we do that through prayer. We said a prayer with them as a family and invited them to say one as a family once a day. When we left V. was like, "You guys were sent from the Heavens." Haha, she was really happy. :D 

M: This guy is a very learned Christian and has lots of really educated questions in regards to the Book of Mormon and our restored gospel. It has been interesting. He has read up until Alma in the BofM and he's been leaving us homework and certain stuff so that's fun, haha! :D He's a cool guy and really wants to keep meeting with us. We are just worried that he might be too focused on learning by study instead of by faith. :S But we'll see. 

J and P: These guys were cool. We talked to J one day when we were looking for a reference. He lied to us and said that his name was S. because he thought we were never going to come back. Well we did a few times and we finally saw them yesterday. We talked about getting to know God. P. is really religious and she is clearly sad that J. isn't very believing. However, she said that it was incredible that he was listening to us and at the end of the lesson he agreed to pray. It was a sweet lesson because she was like come over every day and J. really likes us! :D They are pretty darn humble and I think they could progress fast. 

We haven't met with C, G, etc. much this week because they are on vacation, and so is the story with many others... :)

Well that's everything folks! I'll keep you updated!

Elder Bushman

This is called "Lentejas con Chorizo"...this is a typical Chilean dish, and I made it all by my self the other day for lunch. It was pretty good :)

Elder Deal and I went to the temple for a session. IT WAS AWESOME!!!

This is Me, Elder Carvalho, and Elder Prens. My great-grandkid, and my grandkid :D

Yr. 2, Week 45: Do I Study it in the Moment?

Dear Family and Friends,

This week we had just an incredible lesson with C, G, D, and C. We were finally able to meet with the whole family and it was so INSPÎRING!!! Elder Deal and I made a sweet recording about it so hopefully you guys enjoy. I can't even give it near the justice it deserves over email so just listen to the recording, you'll love it. Suffice it to say they are a very prepared and incredible family. 

We didn't do a whole lot of teaching to our normal investigators or less actives or converts. Most everybody was gone on vacations which made things interesting. So we made use of finding new people to teach and looking for other less-actives that we've never taught before.

This week we met with C and Y and family. C has been pretty stubborn lately and has just been complaining about the Book of Mormon and how he doesn't understand it so we gave him a Bible. He's been reading it from the start and we were able to teach him about the Footnotes because he had like 10 questions from the opening chapter of Matthew so it was so cool that all the references were in either the Book of Mormon or the Topical Guide (in Spanish the topical guide is in the Book of Mormon part). It was super funny to see that even though we are helping him with the Bible, he's still gotta go through the Book of Mormon.... I LOVE IT! (Dad style voice ;)

We had the sweetest experience with D and F this week. We taught them about fasting and how it is a commandment with a promise. We invited them to fast with us this week and they accepted. D. had to work and F. was the only one who went to church this week but it was just so cool. They came to the Church Open House last night and they were offered food by the members and they were like, "Um, we're fasting." And we were like, "YEAH, that's what I'm talking about." After church we talked to F. and her mom at her mom's work and they were like, "Yeah, we are going to say a prayer and break our fast now so we can eat." :D It was super, super cool. They said that, although it wasn't enjoyable per se, they did feel a difference. It was sooooooo awesome! A. is pretty shy and so it's hard for her to learn and get involved at church. A. went on vacations so we aren't really sure how we are going to help him be ready for his baptism but we'll see. :)

In PMG, chapter 5, it talks about how the Book of Mormon answers the questions of our souls. So, while visiting a less-active yesterday, we took those questions out and asked him if he had ever asked himself some of them. He said that he had. So we read the corresponding scripture reference with him and talked about how it answered his question. We then left him as homework to read the reference to his other question. It was a really spiritual moment that we shared with him and I really think he was able to see the value of the BofM...

So I've been trying to finish reading the BofM in Spanish before I go home and it's pretty hard. I find myself studying and pondering the scriptures and sometimes I don't even get through a whole page of the BofM in our hour study. But when I just read I feel like I'm missing the hidden treasures that there are...anyways, that's the battle I'm in...do I finish before the end of the mission? Or do I study it in the moment?

 

Love you all -

 

Elder Bushman

This is the Capilla abierta (church open house) we had this week! A decent turnout, but overall fun!! :D

 This is our mate "bar" holder :) haha!

 This is my grandkid, Elder Hulet

Churrascos and Mote con Huesillo...it's been a good day :)

This is me and Elder Kern and Elder Hulet, I got a sweet visit from them for like 3 hours because they were going to stay over at our place until they could get their house back but the office decided to move them...again :( Oh well, it was fun seeing them!

Yr. 2, Week 44: I Have no Doubt they will be Ready

Dear Friends and Family,

This week went really well. We had lots of success teaching and we were able to find a few new people to teach, lots of really special people that I think are really prepared for the gospel.

We were able to revisit and talk to everybody that we taught for the first time last week. We talked to A. and she is doing very well and is really remembering well all that she felt and knew when she prayed a few years back. This week we are going to be able to get a few really sweet visits in with her and we're going to set a baptismal date, invite her to church again, etc. We were only able to talk to G and D. for a few seconds but they are doing great. G. is super awesome, and has lot of desires to know Christ better and she has lots of faith so that's sweet!! We've been stopping by T. every once in a while to check up on her reading. She's reading slowly but surely so that's cool. 

We actually were able to visit with M's whole family yesterday. Her husband R. was there and we taught him a great lesson one. We invited R, M, and her son, F., to read and pray about the BofM. They accepted and R. is quite interested. He's smart but he's got great questions and he's quite humble. Anyways, we are stoked with them. The only problem is that R. works A TON!!!! But that can be solved!!

We found a new couple this week, A and C. SUPER AWESOME!! We talk to lots of people who say, I pray and I'm a good person, I know that Christ is always with me...but I feel like most of them are exaggerating. However, A. and C. are different. They really do have a more humble and honest spirit about what they do. They pray as a couple, the pray personally every day, they read the scriptures, A. works in a catholic school, they really live a clean life, etc. THEY ARE AWESOME. We taught them lesson 1, the Restoration and they thought it was great. They accepted to read the BofM and when we dropped it off the next day they were very receptive. We've got a great relationship with them so far, they are awesome. The only bad thing is that they are going to be out of town for like three weeks in February :S So that kinda sucks but hopefully everything will go okay :)

Yesterday we also had a sick lesson with D. and her kids. We taught about the Word of Wisdom and it was incredible how they responded to it. They had lots of faith and they all committed to not take any of the 5 things. They said that coffee and tea was going to be hard but we are going to help them and they are quite resolved and very set on it :D They are really doing great, I have no doubt that they will be ready by the end of February. 

Well, that's about everything! Hope you guys are well, have fun!

Elder Bushman

Me and Elder Denison on divisions...

Yr. 2, Week 43: We Found some Sweet new Investigators this Week

Dear Family and Friends,

Well, this is a new experience... I am typing right now on a tablet in the house of a member because the internet place where we usually write  is closed...ugh!!! Anyways, this week was amazing!!!! :) i really wish i was typing on a real computer so that i could tell you guys about everything. But here goes...

A few miracles:

We found some sweet new investigators this week. The first person was a lady named M. We had previously taught her son a little bit and talked a bit with her husband but we dropped by the other day and she was there, and we had an awesome visit. We taught her the restoration and she was very receptive and had a lot of faith. She is excited to go to church and to read and pray about the Book of Mormon. Anyways, the next family we visited was an incomplete family. It is a young couple, the dad is a member and the mom isn't. T, the mom, said she was interested in reading the Book of Mormon even though S. said he wasn't interested  in reading, although it looks like his heart is softening. She agreed to read and pray, which was a big change from the way they received us in their home. The next family we found, though we were only able to teach the mom so far is A. She has two kids and a husband and he is awesome. I am sending an email in which there is a big recording about our visit and the miracle we saw with her. Suffice it to say she is very receptive and agreed to read the Book of Mormon, pray, and  will be going to church very soon :) The next family we found gwe taught on Sunday, the A family. We were only able to teach the mom and her daughter, G and D, but they are AWESOME!!! They were so very receptive to the gospel and they  loved hearing about the experience of Joseph Smith. In fact the asked us if they couId go to church and where they could get a Book of Mormon. We said that they could go for sure and that we were going to give them a Book of Mormon. They were thrilled. We didn't meet the younger brother and the dad was working. More details are in the recordings I'll be sending.

Next thing, there is a recent convert in our sector named L. She hasn't let the missionaries go to her house in months and hasn't been to church in over a year. Anyways, we visited her twice this week and helped get her excited to go back to church and have faith and hope so as to see the miralces in her son who is struggling. She went to church and when we were taking her to her class, we walked into the relief society and the sisters there were just so happy to see her again and really welcomed her back. Well, undoubtedly she felt loved and important.

D. and her family are doing well. I was on divisions but Elder Deal went by this week and we reset their baptismal date. They are a lot more excited and they are showing a lot more faith. My goal now is to use even more members than we have up until now. I think that is going to help them a lot in order to be ready for their baptism in February. The W. family is doing well too. Y. is awesome, this week we taught the meaning of the sacrament to her husband and I was just shocked at how well she understood the doctrine. 

Anyways, those were the main things that happened this week. Could I ask our family a favor? Could I assign you guys a few people that I am teaching and could you guys write them a letter? Could you introduce yourselves, tell a little bit about yourselves, and then bear your testimony and invite them to do certain things, such as read the bom, go to church, etc.? Mom, then you, with this letter, could attach a photo of each person and make a little word file and then send them to me. Ill then print them out, translate them, and give them to the investigators, okay? Ill get you guys the assignments for next week. If you have any questions, just hit me up.

I love you guys a ton, see ya!!!!!

Elder Bushman

Answers to questions:
1. The Chilean people believe in God and Christ and the Holy Ghost usually but in the last few years it's been pretty popular for the teens to not believe in God, or believe that he is like an energy or something...

2. The hardest doctrine for people to accept is between the law of chastity or word of wisdom...nobody likes to learn about those commandments

3. The doctrine that brings the most joy is probably temple and eternal families

4. Yes, we have those dates with D. and family... we reset them for February but everything is going great!!!
 
5. I'm staying focused by just thinking about those we are teaching and trying to find more people and help the recent converts
 
6. Goals: Finish the BOM in spanish, have a baptism in january, february, and march, find lots of people for elder deal and the new companion that he'll have and be obedient
 
7. Elder nelson will be leaving the sector this change but elder lee, my old mtc comp, is in the zone so ill die with him :)
 
8. I haven't gone to the temple since Elder Thomas but at the start of February I'll go and then the week I go home my whole group goes with president and his wife. The youth don't usually go unless the ward goes...

Love yall :)
Elder Bushman

Yr. 2, Week 42: They Felt the Spirit of the Message

Dear Family and Friends,

My mom wrote me this week and said, "Well honey, I've been watching the weather reports for Santiago and it looks like it is getting pretty hot down there..." Yes mom, you are right. If anybody has literally ANY doubts about just how hot it is, listen to the recording Elder Deal and I made for my family the other day when it was BLAZING. Just now, I am priviliged enough to be in an internet place and through the only window facing westward shines a big southern hemisphere sun shine directly on and ONLY on me :S It's kinda crazy, but maybe I'm just making a big deal about it...maybe ;) Haha! 

We had a really good week this week; however, we didn't have an outstanding amount of lessons. I would say our success came in the few lessons we had but in the spirit and power that was in them. To start out first:

Yesterday we went to visit O. and M. and we had an awesome lesson literally just because we brought a member. We went with Hermana P., the member assigned to Family History work. SHE WAS AWESOME!!!! She totally hit it off with O and she explained so many of her experiences and everything that she has experienced with FH work. Anyways, she invited them over for this coming Sunday to work on FamilySearch.org and get them all ready to go to the temple. Anyways, it was such a spiritual lesson because the member really helped them get excited about it. Also, Elder Deal shared a personal experience and I shared the experience of Bethany and working with Family Search. Anyways, there was a great spirit and everyone was edified!!!

This week we haven't really been able to teach D, F, A and A because their mom worked a ton, their aunt died, and they went on a vacation. We are going to be passing by tonight but a week ago from today we taught them about prayer and scripture study. It was sweet because we literally asked them how they have been going with their reading and we just shared a little bit about what we had learned in all of our personal studies. It was really cool and I think they felt the spirit of the message. Hopefully all goes well tonight as well!!!!

C and Y and B went to church on Sunday. It was cool. We also had a sweet lesson in which C FINALLY understood (I think) that he needs to read the BofM and pray about it. So we'll see how that goes. Y though is really increasing her faith, I love it!

So to answer some questions.... NO, there is no AC down here in normal houses. In office buildings there is and in some restaurants and in the churches but where we work, there is NO AC and it stinks... I don't think I would every live LONG TERM in a country where they don't have AC during the summer in homes :S It is just too rough, I'm sweaty ALL the time, even at night! People still just want to give us soda but sometimes I just put my foot down and beg for WATER, AGUA, AQUA! Things with Elder Deal are going well. He is really fun and we have a good time as companions. He's really funny, works hard, and we teach well together. He goes home a change after me. He is also going to BYU fall semester! 

Take care everybody, hope everything is going well!!!! 

Elder Bushman!

PS - Elder Bushman sent some really cool recordings. If anyone wants to hear them, let me know.

 A breakfast of mine the other day...sausage, eggs, clams and barbecue sauce

 This is a gnarly crash in our sector on sunday!!! It shut of the power for like half of our sector! Nuts!!!

 Coke Floats...They're Awesome

 Guarana flavored Mate...

 A tribute to Elder Laurentino...

Learning to play the cena (prounounced Kenna)

I am Iron Man...

Jedi...