Well, the world is a pretty small place! The longer I serve a mission, the more we as missionaries make connections to people we knew back home (especially since half the missionaries here are from Idaho). That's crazy that Elder Patton (a missionary serving in Florida) and I were in the same BYU ward! He definitely looks familiar! Please, pass on to him a huge hello and I hope he and his companion are having an awesome time there in Florida! The world is such a tight place.
Matt, you need to be more careful with knives. ;) Now you've had as many stitches as me! (NOTE: Spencer's brother, Matt, got a pocket knife for his birthday and ended up getting four stitches in his thumb the same day.)
My companion's birthday is today! I love when my companion has a birthday because we get to have yummy food and cake, and I don't feel bad for eating junk food. ;) Today, the plan is to head up the North Elders’ apartment and have a birthday lunch with them since they were the "fathers" of Elder Steed. (They were his trainers the first three months of his mission) So that should be fun. Hopefully, we get everything done that we need to. The birthday while on a mission is a lot different than back home. A lot different. But I hope we make it an awesome day for Elder Steed! (By the way, his first name is Joshua... Joshua Steed.:)
So, lately, I've been struggling a little bit. My mission seems to be going far too fast and there's not enough time to do or learn or master all the things I want to. The longer I serve, the more I realize I have so far to go in order to reach my potential. Lately, the work has been slow and a little discouraging, and I've just personally been struggling with it all. I don't really know how to express this all in words. It's simply just a feeling that things aren't quite right, and somehow I need to change and get my head fully submersed in the work. It's as though I get discouraged and my head pops up out of the water because I just can't seem to find what we're looking for under the water. What I really need to do is strap on the oxygen tank and stay down there searching. Search until we find. One thing I've pondered on is how the Lord phrases things by the means of extremes. He doesn't just ask us to put in a good effort or try hard to do His work. He asks us to give Him everything. Give all your heart, might, mind and strength to Him and to His work. Lately, for whatever reason, probably because of discouragement, that has been very, very hard for me. Now I'm not talking about the fact that I'm breaking rules and completely slacking off, but I feel I can give more and stretch myself so that I can find that joy in the work I'm doing as well as peace of conscious knowing that I've done everything I could have. If I'm making any sense at all...
Anyways, I'm working hard to stay positive and give it my all. Your prayers are very much appreciated. :) This past week has been a good one. We met with several less active members and I've loved feeling of their spirits. The Russian people are deep down a very loving people. One of our members gave Elder Steed his tie because Elder Steed complimented him on it. One thing you'll learn is that you don't compliment Russians about their possessions if you don't want to end up taking it home. (Ok that's not always true but very often, it is the case.) They're a very giving people. Yesterday was fast a testimony meeting and I love bearing my testimony of Christ. He is everything to us. Which, by the way, I received the discs of Grandpa's funeral! Thank you so much, Mom, for sending those to me. I'm not sure how you all recorded it but I am extremely grateful I got to hear the services. You could say it dug up some tender feelings, but it also rekindled that spirit of the Plan of Salvation and knowing I will see him again. Honestly, it was kind of weird to hear familiar voices but it was a great motivation for the day. It reminded me once again of the importance of the message we carry. Despite the fact that so many people reject us or turn us away or tell us to go home, I know that the knowledge we share is what everyone needs to hear. It is more important than anything else in this world. And it will bring more joy and comfort and guidance and just plain happiness than any other source. Hearing all the talks and prayers reminded me that I need to talk to everyone despite all the rejections I'm tired of getting. It reminded me that being positive, keeping an optimistic spirit about you is so important and in fact, invites the Holy Spirit to lead and guide you and comfort you when you need it. As I've been studying some of the missionaries of the Book of Mormon, I've seen how even great missionaries, far greater than I, were met with even greater challenges, disappointments, and struggles. They also worked mighty miracles despite their difficulties. I took great courage and comfort in the words of the scriptures and the words of my family to know that all I'm doing is worth something, even when I don't seem to see much of any result. I may have gotten a little tired from pushing that rock but I haven't finished the task the Lord has sent me to do so I shall push on.
I also got a package of cookies and candy from Grandma Gee! It took forever to get here but I got it! For some strange reason, it took 3 months to get here and went through Germany but oh well, the cookies were delicious and I got the chance to do a comparison between Russian Snickers and American. I think American won despite the fact that the Russian one was gooier and seemed fresher. That was probably on account of the 3 month delay. So, thank you Grandma! :) I LOVE YOU!
Tomorrow is a holiday here in Russia. It's women's day! Or something like that. So, we're going to have a culture activity and we're planning on going to a museum with some of the members from the branch. Apparently, it's a really cool museum so we'll see. If I haven't already mentioned, I love the members in this branch. I love all the members here in the Far East. They truly are pioneers. Modern pioneers.
Well, I'm not really sure what else to tell you all. I know lately, I haven't told you all us much about the culture or the country or interesting things that I see. I'll try to do better. :) I love you all a ton and I'm super grateful to have all of your support.
Tell everyone back home that I say hello and I wish everyone well.
Love,
Elder Bush
Monday, March 7, 2011
Monday, February 28, 2011
Happy Birthday, Matt!
Hey there everyone!
First of all, I'd like to start off my letter with a message to Matt... Hey Bud! Happy, Happy Birthday!!!!! I miss you so much! It sure sounds like you've had an awesome weekend! I hope you have a great birthday and you enjoy being 9. :)
This week has been a fun one. (What week on the mission isn't a fun one?) My companion was in Korea for his second trip (he proved I was right, the second trip always is better than the first) and so I was with Elder Waltman and Phillips like I already told you I would be. It was fun. Always interesting to be in a new city where you have not a clue where you are, where you're going, which bus to take, and which bus stop you need. All thanks to maps, nice people on the bus, and cell phones, such problems can thankfully be solved. I set up a lesson with a woman that the elders had met with previously and we were excited to get a chance to have a lesson with someone since lessons are a little harder to come by here in Khab. However, by evening time, we were still in the north/center of the city and the woman lives deeper in the south. (Khab is a very long city... you can look it up on a map if you'd like. It just takes a long time to get to things due to how the city is set up) So, we had to find a bus stop that would have the right bus that would take us into the south and get to her bus stop. I thought I knew where it was and in the end, got us a little lost. Thankfully we found it eventually and got on a bus that once again, thankfully took us to her bus stop. There was a super nice lady that explained to me which bus stop to get off at and then our investigator guided me from the bus stop to her apartment (cell phones are great). Basically, we were an hour late but made it in the end and had a good lesson.
Earlier in the week, I ended up on English club. I'm pretty sure I've mentioned this a couple times now but we stopped doing English club a while ago, back when I was in Usserisk. But, Khabarovsk has started doing it because we've been struggling to find people interested in our message and such a form of service can be a great tool to do so. First of all, I had forgotten how much I didn't like English club because people just don't talk and if you don't have a great topic and people don’t get involved, it becomes a very awkward hour. However, I also came into English club this time with a very different perspective. I didn't see it just as a cool service opportunity where I could get a break from Russian. I saw an opportunity to touch the lives of people with our message and to invite them to know more about their Savior. I truly saw it as an activity for which it was intended. I ended up translating too since there were some people there that couldn't understand a lot of what we shared and I realized how much the Lord has blessed me with the language. He truly has taken me and turned me into an instrument calculated to work with the Russian people of the Far East. He has blessed me immensely with the gift of tongues because I feel I truly can express myself in another language. He also has immensely blessed me with the gift of the interpretation of tongues because I am often able to understand a lot of what people say. And just as Ammon boasts in his God, I too feel I must boast in my God and testify that the Lord does make more of us that we ever dreamed possible. I honestly feel that my language abilities have soared thanks to the Lord's abundant blessings. I think he's blessed me too much. I sincerely apologize if I'm not making any sense due to my poor English. Russian has ruined several of my abilities to communicate in English, the first being vocabulary and the second being my sentence structure.
After English club, I stayed in the north with Elder Williams and Spjut and had cake batter ice cream (thanks to cake batter from Korea). It was soooo good. The next day, we met with a super awesome member here in Khab. Her name is Galia and she just makes me so happy to meet with her. She's rock solid and a definite pioneer here in Khab. We then taught institute that night (sounds like that's going to now be the south elder's assignment (me and Elder Steed)) and it was so cool! Two members from Moscow came and visited and sat in on Institute! A mother and son; she came to visit her son who is serving in the army located just outside of Khab. The lesson was so cool and super awesome and I just love learning from other people! We actually ran into them again in the airport on Sat when I picked up Elder Steed. She was heading back to Moscow.
So yesterday, I spoke in church on love and charity and it went well. Church attendance at the start of sacrament I think was 12 including 6 missionaries. As I sat there, I thought about what makes a sacrament meeting a sacrament meeting. I looked around at such awesome members of the church here, such a small yet solid gathering of saints, and at such awesome missionaries. And I thought to myself, we're so blessed to have a branch in this city. It may be really small right now. But, the members here have the chance to meet together, to learn from one another, and to partake of the sacrament which is so vital to our week. I loved the Spirit I felt there in our little branch.
This next week should be an exciting one. :) My companion wants to SYL (Speak Your Language- Just speak Russian) for the rest of the transfer and I'm excited to help him. :) Hey dad, if you have any advice as a former missionary regarding being a senior companion, I would love some. I'm not too stressed out but I'm feeling the pressure and I would love to here if you have any experience or advice on how to be a better leader. I've learned a lot the past year and yet I still feel extremely inadequate. But like I said, the Lord qualifies all those He calls.
I love you all. I hope each of you have a fantastic week! Dominate on the field Trev. Just dominate at life for that matter. ;) Thank you so much for your prayers and support. :)
Love,
Elder Bush
First of all, I'd like to start off my letter with a message to Matt... Hey Bud! Happy, Happy Birthday!!!!! I miss you so much! It sure sounds like you've had an awesome weekend! I hope you have a great birthday and you enjoy being 9. :)
This week has been a fun one. (What week on the mission isn't a fun one?) My companion was in Korea for his second trip (he proved I was right, the second trip always is better than the first) and so I was with Elder Waltman and Phillips like I already told you I would be. It was fun. Always interesting to be in a new city where you have not a clue where you are, where you're going, which bus to take, and which bus stop you need. All thanks to maps, nice people on the bus, and cell phones, such problems can thankfully be solved. I set up a lesson with a woman that the elders had met with previously and we were excited to get a chance to have a lesson with someone since lessons are a little harder to come by here in Khab. However, by evening time, we were still in the north/center of the city and the woman lives deeper in the south. (Khab is a very long city... you can look it up on a map if you'd like. It just takes a long time to get to things due to how the city is set up) So, we had to find a bus stop that would have the right bus that would take us into the south and get to her bus stop. I thought I knew where it was and in the end, got us a little lost. Thankfully we found it eventually and got on a bus that once again, thankfully took us to her bus stop. There was a super nice lady that explained to me which bus stop to get off at and then our investigator guided me from the bus stop to her apartment (cell phones are great). Basically, we were an hour late but made it in the end and had a good lesson.
Earlier in the week, I ended up on English club. I'm pretty sure I've mentioned this a couple times now but we stopped doing English club a while ago, back when I was in Usserisk. But, Khabarovsk has started doing it because we've been struggling to find people interested in our message and such a form of service can be a great tool to do so. First of all, I had forgotten how much I didn't like English club because people just don't talk and if you don't have a great topic and people don’t get involved, it becomes a very awkward hour. However, I also came into English club this time with a very different perspective. I didn't see it just as a cool service opportunity where I could get a break from Russian. I saw an opportunity to touch the lives of people with our message and to invite them to know more about their Savior. I truly saw it as an activity for which it was intended. I ended up translating too since there were some people there that couldn't understand a lot of what we shared and I realized how much the Lord has blessed me with the language. He truly has taken me and turned me into an instrument calculated to work with the Russian people of the Far East. He has blessed me immensely with the gift of tongues because I feel I truly can express myself in another language. He also has immensely blessed me with the gift of the interpretation of tongues because I am often able to understand a lot of what people say. And just as Ammon boasts in his God, I too feel I must boast in my God and testify that the Lord does make more of us that we ever dreamed possible. I honestly feel that my language abilities have soared thanks to the Lord's abundant blessings. I think he's blessed me too much. I sincerely apologize if I'm not making any sense due to my poor English. Russian has ruined several of my abilities to communicate in English, the first being vocabulary and the second being my sentence structure.
After English club, I stayed in the north with Elder Williams and Spjut and had cake batter ice cream (thanks to cake batter from Korea). It was soooo good. The next day, we met with a super awesome member here in Khab. Her name is Galia and she just makes me so happy to meet with her. She's rock solid and a definite pioneer here in Khab. We then taught institute that night (sounds like that's going to now be the south elder's assignment (me and Elder Steed)) and it was so cool! Two members from Moscow came and visited and sat in on Institute! A mother and son; she came to visit her son who is serving in the army located just outside of Khab. The lesson was so cool and super awesome and I just love learning from other people! We actually ran into them again in the airport on Sat when I picked up Elder Steed. She was heading back to Moscow.
So yesterday, I spoke in church on love and charity and it went well. Church attendance at the start of sacrament I think was 12 including 6 missionaries. As I sat there, I thought about what makes a sacrament meeting a sacrament meeting. I looked around at such awesome members of the church here, such a small yet solid gathering of saints, and at such awesome missionaries. And I thought to myself, we're so blessed to have a branch in this city. It may be really small right now. But, the members here have the chance to meet together, to learn from one another, and to partake of the sacrament which is so vital to our week. I loved the Spirit I felt there in our little branch.
This next week should be an exciting one. :) My companion wants to SYL (Speak Your Language- Just speak Russian) for the rest of the transfer and I'm excited to help him. :) Hey dad, if you have any advice as a former missionary regarding being a senior companion, I would love some. I'm not too stressed out but I'm feeling the pressure and I would love to here if you have any experience or advice on how to be a better leader. I've learned a lot the past year and yet I still feel extremely inadequate. But like I said, the Lord qualifies all those He calls.
I love you all. I hope each of you have a fantastic week! Dominate on the field Trev. Just dominate at life for that matter. ;) Thank you so much for your prayers and support. :)
Love,
Elder Bush
Sunday, February 20, 2011
I have been transferred to Khabarovsk!
Hello to everyone on the other side of the globe!
How is everyone doing? As always, thanks for the update. First, tell Elder Hale/Kendric (I guess he is released now) that I love him and to keep his chin up. Being home will be pretty hard for me as well (I already know it), but as one of my MTC teachers, the great Brother Savage told us, life keeps getting better after the mission.
As you can tell, the subject of this letter home brings news of transfers... I'm no longer on the island... I have been transferred to Khabarovsk! The coldest city in the mission although it is beginning to get a little warmer. Today is actually quite warm. The worst it ever has gotten here that I've heard from missionaries was -52 C (-61.6 F). This past month, it would be anywhere between -45 and -20 (-49 to -4 F). Right now, it's probably around -10ish (14 F), which feels great! When I first got here, the wind was going and it felt a lot colder. I realized I should have never, not once, complained on Sakhalin, not even in my mind. But things should be getting warmer from here on out (or so I'm told), and spring is supposedly the best season here in Khabarovsk. My new companion is Elder Steed! He's from Idaho! He has an older brother and sister, loves to play the French horn (also played the saxophone and tuba) and he's just awesome! He'll be heading on his second visa trip this next week (I told him his second visa trip will be even better than the first). So I'll probably be with Elders Waltman and Phillips. Which I certainly can't complain about. I love both of them. Elder Waltman was called to be the branch president here in Khabarovsk yesterday and will serve here as branch president probably until the end of his mission. (He has two transfers left). Yesterday, as I looked up at him during the meeting, I could see a change had come over him. It's interesting how the mantle of a calling can almost physically change a person and their outward appearance.
I got a great letter yesterday from Sister Jolyn Metro! It was great to hear from her and to know she's doing so well in France! I'm going to try to write to her now that I have her address. Fallon sent me a postcard from Harry Potter world! That place looks so COOL!!! I hope I'll get to see it in about a year, but I pray this year doesn't fly by as quickly as the first.
This past week was sucked up a little by looking for a new apartment on Sakhalin. That's always fun. And I may have to end up doing that here in Khabarovsk. The apartment we have here right now is super nice! And if we have to end up moving, that will be a bummer. (I may have already mentioned something about this apartment to you all when I came for zone conference last time.) But anyways, we'll see what the future holds. My favorite part of the apartment is heated bathroom and kitchen floors. :)
It was hard to leave Sakhalin because I've really come to love the people of the island. I love the members so much! There are so many great members, great examples, and great families and awesome investigators that it was hard to leave. Who knows, maybe someday I will have the opportunity to return.
So, real quick about Khabarovsk... The branch here is struggling. But the people are awesome! Attendance at church isn't as high as it once was. Missionaries do a lot here. I may have already mentioned that, but the work here is certainly struggling. It's a great city though. It reminds me a lot more of Vlad. It's bigger like Vlad; it has beautiful buildings, larger streets than Vlad, and all around, a nice city. From those I've met thus far, there are nice people here in Khabarovsk and there are also not such nice people, but that happens everywhere. I was sitting on the bus yesterday and eventually heard some guy speaking to my companion sitting behind me. Needless to say, this guy wasn't the nicest I've ever come across. Once I understood he had been speaking to my companion, I turned around and was about to say something but something told me it would be better if I didn't. This guy was clearly not in favor of the church or the fact that we were here in Russia. So I bit my lip and kept my mouth shut because I felt if I said anything, it wouldn't lead to good. After the bus ride, I doubted that feeling I had had because I felt I should have defended my companion, since he didn't understand what the guy said to him. I still don't know if I did the right thing. And as always, I usually think far too much about stuff after the fact. But I continued to pray for that man after the bus ride, that his heart would be softened. I later met a really cool guy on the bus who was the taxi driver that had taken the other elders to the airport the day earlier. He loved my name. (I love the name Bush because no one ever forgets it.) I met a guy on the street this last week that I had run into earlier in December who was a drug addict. I could never get a hold of him before, but he and I immediately recognized one another. I really hope he's able to meet this next week with the elders on Sakh.
Well, I'm about out of time. Hopefully, this next week will be an exciting one with a lot to report to you all back home. I'm mindful of you all in my prayers. I'm also mindful of all the promised blessings that lay in store for each of us if we will just remain faithful and do all we can to fulfill the Lord's will. You all are awesome and I'm super grateful for your support.
Love,
Elder Bush
p.s. Grandma and Grandpa Bush and Grandma Gee, I got letters from you too!! THANK YOU! I'll try to reply soon.
How is everyone doing? As always, thanks for the update. First, tell Elder Hale/Kendric (I guess he is released now) that I love him and to keep his chin up. Being home will be pretty hard for me as well (I already know it), but as one of my MTC teachers, the great Brother Savage told us, life keeps getting better after the mission.
As you can tell, the subject of this letter home brings news of transfers... I'm no longer on the island... I have been transferred to Khabarovsk! The coldest city in the mission although it is beginning to get a little warmer. Today is actually quite warm. The worst it ever has gotten here that I've heard from missionaries was -52 C (-61.6 F). This past month, it would be anywhere between -45 and -20 (-49 to -4 F). Right now, it's probably around -10ish (14 F), which feels great! When I first got here, the wind was going and it felt a lot colder. I realized I should have never, not once, complained on Sakhalin, not even in my mind. But things should be getting warmer from here on out (or so I'm told), and spring is supposedly the best season here in Khabarovsk. My new companion is Elder Steed! He's from Idaho! He has an older brother and sister, loves to play the French horn (also played the saxophone and tuba) and he's just awesome! He'll be heading on his second visa trip this next week (I told him his second visa trip will be even better than the first). So I'll probably be with Elders Waltman and Phillips. Which I certainly can't complain about. I love both of them. Elder Waltman was called to be the branch president here in Khabarovsk yesterday and will serve here as branch president probably until the end of his mission. (He has two transfers left). Yesterday, as I looked up at him during the meeting, I could see a change had come over him. It's interesting how the mantle of a calling can almost physically change a person and their outward appearance.
I got a great letter yesterday from Sister Jolyn Metro! It was great to hear from her and to know she's doing so well in France! I'm going to try to write to her now that I have her address. Fallon sent me a postcard from Harry Potter world! That place looks so COOL!!! I hope I'll get to see it in about a year, but I pray this year doesn't fly by as quickly as the first.
This past week was sucked up a little by looking for a new apartment on Sakhalin. That's always fun. And I may have to end up doing that here in Khabarovsk. The apartment we have here right now is super nice! And if we have to end up moving, that will be a bummer. (I may have already mentioned something about this apartment to you all when I came for zone conference last time.) But anyways, we'll see what the future holds. My favorite part of the apartment is heated bathroom and kitchen floors. :)
It was hard to leave Sakhalin because I've really come to love the people of the island. I love the members so much! There are so many great members, great examples, and great families and awesome investigators that it was hard to leave. Who knows, maybe someday I will have the opportunity to return.
So, real quick about Khabarovsk... The branch here is struggling. But the people are awesome! Attendance at church isn't as high as it once was. Missionaries do a lot here. I may have already mentioned that, but the work here is certainly struggling. It's a great city though. It reminds me a lot more of Vlad. It's bigger like Vlad; it has beautiful buildings, larger streets than Vlad, and all around, a nice city. From those I've met thus far, there are nice people here in Khabarovsk and there are also not such nice people, but that happens everywhere. I was sitting on the bus yesterday and eventually heard some guy speaking to my companion sitting behind me. Needless to say, this guy wasn't the nicest I've ever come across. Once I understood he had been speaking to my companion, I turned around and was about to say something but something told me it would be better if I didn't. This guy was clearly not in favor of the church or the fact that we were here in Russia. So I bit my lip and kept my mouth shut because I felt if I said anything, it wouldn't lead to good. After the bus ride, I doubted that feeling I had had because I felt I should have defended my companion, since he didn't understand what the guy said to him. I still don't know if I did the right thing. And as always, I usually think far too much about stuff after the fact. But I continued to pray for that man after the bus ride, that his heart would be softened. I later met a really cool guy on the bus who was the taxi driver that had taken the other elders to the airport the day earlier. He loved my name. (I love the name Bush because no one ever forgets it.) I met a guy on the street this last week that I had run into earlier in December who was a drug addict. I could never get a hold of him before, but he and I immediately recognized one another. I really hope he's able to meet this next week with the elders on Sakh.
Well, I'm about out of time. Hopefully, this next week will be an exciting one with a lot to report to you all back home. I'm mindful of you all in my prayers. I'm also mindful of all the promised blessings that lay in store for each of us if we will just remain faithful and do all we can to fulfill the Lord's will. You all are awesome and I'm super grateful for your support.
Love,
Elder Bush
p.s. Grandma and Grandpa Bush and Grandma Gee, I got letters from you too!! THANK YOU! I'll try to reply soon.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
One year already gone?
Warm wishes and love to everyone!
It sure sounds like all is well back home! It dumped snow yesterday while we were at church. So this morning, we got a call to help shovel out President Severyoukhin's garage so he could get to work. Thus, I'm writing home a little earlier than usual.
ELDER ZAMORA'S BROTHER JUST GOT HIS MISSION CALL TO THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC!!! WOOOOOOO!!!! Another Spanish speaker in their house going to a Spanish speaking mission. His older brother is finishing up his mission in Anaheim. That's super exciting! Anyways, sorry got a little side tracked. We're all writing home together right now and we're all excited to hear about the BYU basketball player (Kyle Collinsworth) coming here to Vlad! He's going to love it so much! I hope I get to serve with him! I'll look tiny compared to him. There's a huge group of missionaries leaving this summer from our mission, so we'll probably be getting some this next summer to help the work move forward. Dad, thanks for your email about the atonement. The longer I study it, the harder it is to comprehend. How could Christ physically take upon himself our suffering, our pains, our sins, our weaknesses? How, I don't know. But He did. And through Him, we can receive eternal life and a fullness of joy.
It's been a good week. (Seems like I always say that right?) The Zone leaders came to visit so I got to work with my trainer (Elder Waltman) again. I love talking with him and getting to reunite with him to work in the Lord's vineyard. I love serving here in Vlad because you know pretty much everyone in the mission field. You know all the servants of the Lord of the vineyard with whom you are laboring and you truly form so many great friendships, even with those that you haven't personally served with. I just couldn't imagine serving in a mission with 150+ missionaries. Somewhere around 30-40 is nice for me. :) We had some fun tracting this past week. It was actually an interesting experience because the only person that expressed any interest was the last door we knocked on. (And later on in the week when we stopped by, we got cursed at by an indifferent young man that appeared to not be in a stable frame of mind.) But anyway, when we were heading toward that stairwell, a man stood in the way. We spoke with him and he expressed little interest at all. We spoke to him of the Book of Mormon and why it's so important. Because of my lack of faith, I probably would have just walked away to go to another stairwell. But Elder Thellmann (who is super awesome and a great example to me) strengthened my faith by asking the man if he lived there and if he would let us in the stairway to talk to his neighbors. The man thought about it and grabbed his keys and opened the door. You have to have faith in this work or the Lord will be unable to work little miracles each and every day. That may seem like a simple if not trivial example, but to me, it was huge evidence that when we have faith, the Lord softens the hearts of people to help further His work among His children.
We met a really cool Armenian man on the street that met with us once this past week. I hope he continues to meet with us. One thing I learned from that meeting was how important the Spirit is. Shirak (his name) kept returning to the subject of America, wanting to know what it's like there, how is it better than here, etc. It was really hard to help him stay focused on the message of the Book of Mormon and why we wanted to meet with him. Yet, as we spoke and asked him questions, he began to feel of the Spirit and the words we shared regarding the promise behind the Book of Mormon. The fact that we were American no longer interfered. The Spirit took over. That's what doing the Lord's work is all about; letting the Spirit guide and touch the hearts of those that are ready to hear.
It's crazy how time flies (like I mentioned last week). On the tenth, I didn't even remember that it was my year mark until later in the afternoon. I have some big goals this next year and I hope with all my heart to come closer to the Lord with each day, to fulfill His will and do everything He would desire of me. And to bring others up the mountain along with me as I make this climb. I have truly begun to see how much the Lord has blessed me while I've been here. He blesses me so much in speaking the language. I truly am beginning to see how (Stake) President Pratt's words and the Lord's blessing he gave me when setting me apart are being fulfilled. I am so grateful the Lord sent me here. I needed these challenges and I need more in the future to help me grow.
Oh, we met this former investigator this past week who has sisters that are members living in America. I really hope we can touch his heart and he’ll have a desire to learn more. Helping families be brought together in the gospel is what it's all about. He lives out in a separate little house where there's tons of dogs guarding each house. I have seen some bears this past week being out there. :) And by bears, I mean big dogs that could eat me. :) Don't worry, they're usually on chains behind fences. They just make a bunch of noise.
I love you all. I love the Lord. And I know He blesses each of us each and every day. Look for His hand in your life. Take luck! ;)
Love,
Elder Spencer Bush
P.S. ELDER HALE MET ELDER HALES!!!!?? NO WAY!!!!
It sure sounds like all is well back home! It dumped snow yesterday while we were at church. So this morning, we got a call to help shovel out President Severyoukhin's garage so he could get to work. Thus, I'm writing home a little earlier than usual.
ELDER ZAMORA'S BROTHER JUST GOT HIS MISSION CALL TO THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC!!! WOOOOOOO!!!! Another Spanish speaker in their house going to a Spanish speaking mission. His older brother is finishing up his mission in Anaheim. That's super exciting! Anyways, sorry got a little side tracked. We're all writing home together right now and we're all excited to hear about the BYU basketball player (Kyle Collinsworth) coming here to Vlad! He's going to love it so much! I hope I get to serve with him! I'll look tiny compared to him. There's a huge group of missionaries leaving this summer from our mission, so we'll probably be getting some this next summer to help the work move forward. Dad, thanks for your email about the atonement. The longer I study it, the harder it is to comprehend. How could Christ physically take upon himself our suffering, our pains, our sins, our weaknesses? How, I don't know. But He did. And through Him, we can receive eternal life and a fullness of joy.
It's been a good week. (Seems like I always say that right?) The Zone leaders came to visit so I got to work with my trainer (Elder Waltman) again. I love talking with him and getting to reunite with him to work in the Lord's vineyard. I love serving here in Vlad because you know pretty much everyone in the mission field. You know all the servants of the Lord of the vineyard with whom you are laboring and you truly form so many great friendships, even with those that you haven't personally served with. I just couldn't imagine serving in a mission with 150+ missionaries. Somewhere around 30-40 is nice for me. :) We had some fun tracting this past week. It was actually an interesting experience because the only person that expressed any interest was the last door we knocked on. (And later on in the week when we stopped by, we got cursed at by an indifferent young man that appeared to not be in a stable frame of mind.) But anyway, when we were heading toward that stairwell, a man stood in the way. We spoke with him and he expressed little interest at all. We spoke to him of the Book of Mormon and why it's so important. Because of my lack of faith, I probably would have just walked away to go to another stairwell. But Elder Thellmann (who is super awesome and a great example to me) strengthened my faith by asking the man if he lived there and if he would let us in the stairway to talk to his neighbors. The man thought about it and grabbed his keys and opened the door. You have to have faith in this work or the Lord will be unable to work little miracles each and every day. That may seem like a simple if not trivial example, but to me, it was huge evidence that when we have faith, the Lord softens the hearts of people to help further His work among His children.
We met a really cool Armenian man on the street that met with us once this past week. I hope he continues to meet with us. One thing I learned from that meeting was how important the Spirit is. Shirak (his name) kept returning to the subject of America, wanting to know what it's like there, how is it better than here, etc. It was really hard to help him stay focused on the message of the Book of Mormon and why we wanted to meet with him. Yet, as we spoke and asked him questions, he began to feel of the Spirit and the words we shared regarding the promise behind the Book of Mormon. The fact that we were American no longer interfered. The Spirit took over. That's what doing the Lord's work is all about; letting the Spirit guide and touch the hearts of those that are ready to hear.
It's crazy how time flies (like I mentioned last week). On the tenth, I didn't even remember that it was my year mark until later in the afternoon. I have some big goals this next year and I hope with all my heart to come closer to the Lord with each day, to fulfill His will and do everything He would desire of me. And to bring others up the mountain along with me as I make this climb. I have truly begun to see how much the Lord has blessed me while I've been here. He blesses me so much in speaking the language. I truly am beginning to see how (Stake) President Pratt's words and the Lord's blessing he gave me when setting me apart are being fulfilled. I am so grateful the Lord sent me here. I needed these challenges and I need more in the future to help me grow.
Oh, we met this former investigator this past week who has sisters that are members living in America. I really hope we can touch his heart and he’ll have a desire to learn more. Helping families be brought together in the gospel is what it's all about. He lives out in a separate little house where there's tons of dogs guarding each house. I have seen some bears this past week being out there. :) And by bears, I mean big dogs that could eat me. :) Don't worry, they're usually on chains behind fences. They just make a bunch of noise.
I love you all. I love the Lord. And I know He blesses each of us each and every day. Look for His hand in your life. Take luck! ;)
Love,
Elder Spencer Bush
P.S. ELDER HALE MET ELDER HALES!!!!?? NO WAY!!!!
Monday, February 7, 2011
Russian Music Concert was Awesome!
Hey there everybody!
What a crazy week! (Seems like I say that all the time right?) Thanks for the emails. And thanks to Sis. Spencer for writing me a letter that I got this last week and to the Hansens for the package they sent! I loved eating Skittles! I haven't had them in a while! Thank you so much for your letter and pictures. It was super nice of all of you! Mom, I'm always surprised that people like my letters home because I'm never really sure if what I'm writing makes any sense at all. Although, the more I think about it, the more I realize that my letters home are sometimes better than my journal entries. So, I'm thinking I might compile a huge binder with all my letters home that I can keep along with my journal entries so I can remember more of my mission.
Well, where to begin? We had a lot of plans fall through this past week, which made our evenings interesting. It's a lot harder to contact people on the street at night. And tracting is not always very liked by many of the people because they don't want to be "bothered" in the evenings. But that's when they're home so...
The highlight of the week was probably getting to participate in a cultural activity this past Saturday. The Jones family (one of the American couples that live here on Sakhalin and work at Exxon) bought tickets for all the missionaries here on Sakhalin as well as the assistants and President and Sister Pratt because they were here visiting this past weekend. It was a concert put on by a group of musicians that play traditional Russian music. It was really, really cool! They were all dressed up in traditional outfits and they had two singers that sang folk songs and it was just awesome. Several of the musicians played an instrument called the balalaika. It's like a triangular guitar, and it comes in different sizes. The base balalaika was ginormous! And the guy that played it was a good match. (You'll see what I mean from the picture I took.) The music they played was outstanding, and we all loved every minute of it. I got some descent photos and a few videos I'll show you in a year.
Saturday actually started out with my losing my passport somewhere in our apartment, which I fortunately found, and as a result we were late to our lesson. On the way, I took a nice tumble on the ice which wasn't exceptionally fun. In fact, my back side thanked me later for it. Then later that day, I got an awesome rejection from a woman on the bus while we were doing some bus contacting. She got tired of me asking her questions trying to have a conversation with her and told me to leave her alone so she could rest. Then that evening, I almost got hit by a car crossing the street. (Don't worry, I'm completely fine) but what a day! Oh and I cut myself shaving to cap it all off.
This last week has once again been filled with some wonderful food! We actually made cupcakes last night while studying, we had snickerdoodles from Sister Noble, we made some delicious marinated chicken yesterday, and an investigator fed us soup and this noodle meatloaf stuff that was pretty good... All in all, it's been a great week full of yummy food, hot chocolate, and some pretty warm weather. Things started melting this past week! It was crazy! Hopefully, it doesn't get too warm too quickly.
It's kind of hard to believe that I have already served for almost a year. Time flies far too fast. I don't want it to run out. Even though it's hard, it's so worth it, and I want to learn as much as I can while I'm here. Don't let one moment pass you by as good old Elder Rogers said in the Best Two Years. Every moment is a chance to serve the Lord and to help those around you come closer to Him. Every moment is one you can learn from to better yourself and overcome your weaknesses.
I love each of you so much. You all are amazing, and I'm super grateful for your support and your examples. Hope each of you has a great week! Stay safe and have fun! And read your scriptures!
Love,
Elder Bush
P.S. The family is the greatest thing on the face of the planet. Never forget that. We met with an awesome family this last week in the center area while Elder Zamora was with us and the mom was asking us a lot about our families, how we were raised and what experiences we had growing up. I'm so grateful to have such a loving family. :) And awesome parents!
What a crazy week! (Seems like I say that all the time right?) Thanks for the emails. And thanks to Sis. Spencer for writing me a letter that I got this last week and to the Hansens for the package they sent! I loved eating Skittles! I haven't had them in a while! Thank you so much for your letter and pictures. It was super nice of all of you! Mom, I'm always surprised that people like my letters home because I'm never really sure if what I'm writing makes any sense at all. Although, the more I think about it, the more I realize that my letters home are sometimes better than my journal entries. So, I'm thinking I might compile a huge binder with all my letters home that I can keep along with my journal entries so I can remember more of my mission.
Well, where to begin? We had a lot of plans fall through this past week, which made our evenings interesting. It's a lot harder to contact people on the street at night. And tracting is not always very liked by many of the people because they don't want to be "bothered" in the evenings. But that's when they're home so...
The highlight of the week was probably getting to participate in a cultural activity this past Saturday. The Jones family (one of the American couples that live here on Sakhalin and work at Exxon) bought tickets for all the missionaries here on Sakhalin as well as the assistants and President and Sister Pratt because they were here visiting this past weekend. It was a concert put on by a group of musicians that play traditional Russian music. It was really, really cool! They were all dressed up in traditional outfits and they had two singers that sang folk songs and it was just awesome. Several of the musicians played an instrument called the balalaika. It's like a triangular guitar, and it comes in different sizes. The base balalaika was ginormous! And the guy that played it was a good match. (You'll see what I mean from the picture I took.) The music they played was outstanding, and we all loved every minute of it. I got some descent photos and a few videos I'll show you in a year.
Saturday actually started out with my losing my passport somewhere in our apartment, which I fortunately found, and as a result we were late to our lesson. On the way, I took a nice tumble on the ice which wasn't exceptionally fun. In fact, my back side thanked me later for it. Then later that day, I got an awesome rejection from a woman on the bus while we were doing some bus contacting. She got tired of me asking her questions trying to have a conversation with her and told me to leave her alone so she could rest. Then that evening, I almost got hit by a car crossing the street. (Don't worry, I'm completely fine) but what a day! Oh and I cut myself shaving to cap it all off.
This last week has once again been filled with some wonderful food! We actually made cupcakes last night while studying, we had snickerdoodles from Sister Noble, we made some delicious marinated chicken yesterday, and an investigator fed us soup and this noodle meatloaf stuff that was pretty good... All in all, it's been a great week full of yummy food, hot chocolate, and some pretty warm weather. Things started melting this past week! It was crazy! Hopefully, it doesn't get too warm too quickly.
It's kind of hard to believe that I have already served for almost a year. Time flies far too fast. I don't want it to run out. Even though it's hard, it's so worth it, and I want to learn as much as I can while I'm here. Don't let one moment pass you by as good old Elder Rogers said in the Best Two Years. Every moment is a chance to serve the Lord and to help those around you come closer to Him. Every moment is one you can learn from to better yourself and overcome your weaknesses.
I love each of you so much. You all are amazing, and I'm super grateful for your support and your examples. Hope each of you has a great week! Stay safe and have fun! And read your scriptures!
Love,
Elder Bush
P.S. The family is the greatest thing on the face of the planet. Never forget that. We met with an awesome family this last week in the center area while Elder Zamora was with us and the mom was asking us a lot about our families, how we were raised and what experiences we had growing up. I'm so grateful to have such a loving family. :) And awesome parents!
Monday, January 31, 2011
I met the nicest man I've ever met in Russia
Всем привет (Hello)!
Ну, здесь кажется, что все хорошо (Well, it seems that all is well). How is everyone back home? This last week has been a busy one. Elder Zamora was with me and my companion in a three-some companionship because his companion was in Korea. This next week, his companion will be in Vlad for leadership training so we'll be back in a three-some again. It's a lot of fun to serve with him and to see how much we've grown and how strong he is. He's such an outstanding missionary. So, we spent this last week running all over Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, since we covered the whole city instead of just the northern part. And we did a lot of street contacting this last week, which has been really hard for me lately. My faith has been small that we would find anyone even remotely interested in our message. I don't know why this has been so hard for me lately. I just had gotten tired of walking the streets all day or between meetings and being turned down by everyone. I had a conversation with Elder Thellmann about it and shared why I felt that disappointment can be such a difficult emotion to overcome while serving a mission. I know this message is true. I know it with all my heart, and I would never say otherwise. It means so much to me. It is the reason I have such a strong love for my family. It is the reason I'm here on a mission. And it will have (not just maybe or kind of...) it WILL have the greatest incomparable impact on anyone's life that makes the decision to search for themselves to know if it's true. It's either true or it's not. It's either the most important message that could ever be shared, that the Lord has restored His church and authority again on the earth through a living prophet in our day in preparation for His Second Coming, or it's the biggest lie ever. And since this message I share is so important, it becomes really hard to accept that so many people are turning it down. I know it's their choice, and I know that's one of the most fundamental principles of the plan of our Heavenly Father: agency. But it's so hard to just be ignored when you know how awesome it would be if they just came and looked for themselves. I hope I'm making an ounce of sense. If I was here selling something like alarm systems, I wouldn't be surprised if people turned me down. But the Restoration and all that comes with it is a lot more important than some product distributed by a salesman.
So, as you can probably tell, it's just been kind of a tough week for me, but a week I certainly needed. A mission is such a neat experience because I can ponder and reflect and see how the Lord is guiding me and helping me, shaping me into the person He desires I become. I'm sorry if some weeks my letters sound so much alike, and I hope I'm giving you enough details and interesting stuff so they aren't boring.
While I was pondering one day this past week, my mind recalled a quote that I had heard from Elder Magill, one of the senior missionaries. One day, he said something along the lines of "Wherever you are, be there." Hello Elder Bush? Why do you let yourself think of the future so often? Why don't you focus more on the present, on your calling, on the opportunity you have to teach the Russian people? Because in a year, that opportunity disappears. Isn't that so crazy? A year and I'll be back. It just hit me that this mission is going so fast and I need to take advantage of every opportunity and focus on each moment and don't let the future cloud the vision of today.
We've lately been seeing little success here in Yuzhno and so we decided as a district to fast this past Sunday. It was an amazing experience, especially starting our fast. Elder Zamora called us and we prayed together by speaker phone. It was a very moving and powerful experience where the Spirit bore witness to my heart of the importance of my service here in Russia. I thought about how grateful I am for super sweet technology like cell phones that brought four of the Lord's servants together at different parts of the city to begin a simple yet important fast. We began to see fruits of our labor this past Sunday and it strengthened my testimony of the power of fasting.
By the way, what Josh said was all right! His advice was golden and it would be wise to follow his counsel. :) (See below.) I'll be sure to send home some emails with similar advice before Trevor heads out. I have always loved being the guinea pig, and I've sure learned a lot. Here's one quick tip... Don't worry about what kind of clothes you bring because you start to care less and less how "fashionable" you look. And bring the necessities only. If you stand over your suitcase and wonder to yourself, "Do I really need this?" don't take it. The less you bring, especially to the other side of the world, the less you will throw away and the happier you will be come transfer time. :)
This last week, we were walking home after a lesson we had with a member outside. (She is kind of like a nanny and we meet with her when she's outside with the little girl she watches, who is usually fast asleep in a stroller.) Anyways, you get a little cold standing outside there for about an hour so on the way back, I was dreaming of a nice warm apartment where I could warm up and do language study for the day. While we were walking back, contacting and sliding on all the ice that was everywhere, we talked with a Muslim woman and her two little girls. They invited us to come back in thirty minutes. So we returned and there, I met the absolutely nicest man I have ever met here in Russia! He was the husband of the woman we met and he simply opened up his home to us. We shared a lot about families and I learned a lot about the Muslim faith from him as we talked. I don't know that he will be all that interested in accepting our message because they plan on going back home (to somewhere in the middle east... they left because war had broken out in their homeland and their home had been destroyed) sometime and accepting Christianity would be dangerous as far as I understand. But I could see the light of Christ in that man. He had us call him Uncle Misha since we couldn't pronounce his true name. Gosh! I still can't get over how nice he was! And he had a huge family! Every few minutes I saw a different child or grandchild.
The branch had a wedding reception for two of the members here this past weekend. We were invited and it was really nice. We left once they started dancing. :) But some great missionary work came from that activity, which was part of the couple's intent. The branch here on Sakhalin is so awesome like I've already told you.
Well, I'm not sure if there's anything else interesting I could tell you. I've been eating great lately! And by great, I mean the food we've been making has been tasty. Maybe not great for me, but it's been varied and yummy. :) We made pizza this last week, yummy pasta, burritos, plov (rice dish)... I love having a companion who likes to cook because it brings some variety to the meals, and you learn some sweet recipes.
Well, I love you! Thank you all for your letters this past week. :) Keep praying for me that the Lord will direct me and that I'll stay focused and be sensitive to His directions. Stay safe!
С любовью (With love),
Старейшина Буш (Elder Bush)
Spencer’s cousin, Josh, just left the MTC for his mission in Oakland, California and he sent some tips regarding the MTC for his younger brothers and friends.
1. The Orange Juice is a lie!
2. If you want a warm shower after "gym period"...run!
3. Praying for safety during "gym period" doesn't make you invincible to stupidity.
4. Knowing how to tie a tie would be an advised skill...lol
5. This is the best place for "ghosting" ever!!! (I’m guessing it’s some kind of game.)
6. Just because a Sister Missionary flirts with you, that doesn't mean you can flirt back! I mean really. *annoyed*
7. The laundry soap is cheaper at the Bookstore than at the laundry room.
8. If you're purchasing office utensils/journal materials, the discount here rocks!
9. If a girl faints during lunch, mass hysteria won't help things!
10. Love your district.
Ну, здесь кажется, что все хорошо (Well, it seems that all is well). How is everyone back home? This last week has been a busy one. Elder Zamora was with me and my companion in a three-some companionship because his companion was in Korea. This next week, his companion will be in Vlad for leadership training so we'll be back in a three-some again. It's a lot of fun to serve with him and to see how much we've grown and how strong he is. He's such an outstanding missionary. So, we spent this last week running all over Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, since we covered the whole city instead of just the northern part. And we did a lot of street contacting this last week, which has been really hard for me lately. My faith has been small that we would find anyone even remotely interested in our message. I don't know why this has been so hard for me lately. I just had gotten tired of walking the streets all day or between meetings and being turned down by everyone. I had a conversation with Elder Thellmann about it and shared why I felt that disappointment can be such a difficult emotion to overcome while serving a mission. I know this message is true. I know it with all my heart, and I would never say otherwise. It means so much to me. It is the reason I have such a strong love for my family. It is the reason I'm here on a mission. And it will have (not just maybe or kind of...) it WILL have the greatest incomparable impact on anyone's life that makes the decision to search for themselves to know if it's true. It's either true or it's not. It's either the most important message that could ever be shared, that the Lord has restored His church and authority again on the earth through a living prophet in our day in preparation for His Second Coming, or it's the biggest lie ever. And since this message I share is so important, it becomes really hard to accept that so many people are turning it down. I know it's their choice, and I know that's one of the most fundamental principles of the plan of our Heavenly Father: agency. But it's so hard to just be ignored when you know how awesome it would be if they just came and looked for themselves. I hope I'm making an ounce of sense. If I was here selling something like alarm systems, I wouldn't be surprised if people turned me down. But the Restoration and all that comes with it is a lot more important than some product distributed by a salesman.
So, as you can probably tell, it's just been kind of a tough week for me, but a week I certainly needed. A mission is such a neat experience because I can ponder and reflect and see how the Lord is guiding me and helping me, shaping me into the person He desires I become. I'm sorry if some weeks my letters sound so much alike, and I hope I'm giving you enough details and interesting stuff so they aren't boring.
While I was pondering one day this past week, my mind recalled a quote that I had heard from Elder Magill, one of the senior missionaries. One day, he said something along the lines of "Wherever you are, be there." Hello Elder Bush? Why do you let yourself think of the future so often? Why don't you focus more on the present, on your calling, on the opportunity you have to teach the Russian people? Because in a year, that opportunity disappears. Isn't that so crazy? A year and I'll be back. It just hit me that this mission is going so fast and I need to take advantage of every opportunity and focus on each moment and don't let the future cloud the vision of today.
We've lately been seeing little success here in Yuzhno and so we decided as a district to fast this past Sunday. It was an amazing experience, especially starting our fast. Elder Zamora called us and we prayed together by speaker phone. It was a very moving and powerful experience where the Spirit bore witness to my heart of the importance of my service here in Russia. I thought about how grateful I am for super sweet technology like cell phones that brought four of the Lord's servants together at different parts of the city to begin a simple yet important fast. We began to see fruits of our labor this past Sunday and it strengthened my testimony of the power of fasting.
By the way, what Josh said was all right! His advice was golden and it would be wise to follow his counsel. :) (See below.) I'll be sure to send home some emails with similar advice before Trevor heads out. I have always loved being the guinea pig, and I've sure learned a lot. Here's one quick tip... Don't worry about what kind of clothes you bring because you start to care less and less how "fashionable" you look. And bring the necessities only. If you stand over your suitcase and wonder to yourself, "Do I really need this?" don't take it. The less you bring, especially to the other side of the world, the less you will throw away and the happier you will be come transfer time. :)
This last week, we were walking home after a lesson we had with a member outside. (She is kind of like a nanny and we meet with her when she's outside with the little girl she watches, who is usually fast asleep in a stroller.) Anyways, you get a little cold standing outside there for about an hour so on the way back, I was dreaming of a nice warm apartment where I could warm up and do language study for the day. While we were walking back, contacting and sliding on all the ice that was everywhere, we talked with a Muslim woman and her two little girls. They invited us to come back in thirty minutes. So we returned and there, I met the absolutely nicest man I have ever met here in Russia! He was the husband of the woman we met and he simply opened up his home to us. We shared a lot about families and I learned a lot about the Muslim faith from him as we talked. I don't know that he will be all that interested in accepting our message because they plan on going back home (to somewhere in the middle east... they left because war had broken out in their homeland and their home had been destroyed) sometime and accepting Christianity would be dangerous as far as I understand. But I could see the light of Christ in that man. He had us call him Uncle Misha since we couldn't pronounce his true name. Gosh! I still can't get over how nice he was! And he had a huge family! Every few minutes I saw a different child or grandchild.
The branch had a wedding reception for two of the members here this past weekend. We were invited and it was really nice. We left once they started dancing. :) But some great missionary work came from that activity, which was part of the couple's intent. The branch here on Sakhalin is so awesome like I've already told you.
Well, I'm not sure if there's anything else interesting I could tell you. I've been eating great lately! And by great, I mean the food we've been making has been tasty. Maybe not great for me, but it's been varied and yummy. :) We made pizza this last week, yummy pasta, burritos, plov (rice dish)... I love having a companion who likes to cook because it brings some variety to the meals, and you learn some sweet recipes.
Well, I love you! Thank you all for your letters this past week. :) Keep praying for me that the Lord will direct me and that I'll stay focused and be sensitive to His directions. Stay safe!
С любовью (With love),
Старейшина Буш (Elder Bush)
Spencer’s cousin, Josh, just left the MTC for his mission in Oakland, California and he sent some tips regarding the MTC for his younger brothers and friends.
1. The Orange Juice is a lie!
2. If you want a warm shower after "gym period"...run!
3. Praying for safety during "gym period" doesn't make you invincible to stupidity.
4. Knowing how to tie a tie would be an advised skill...lol
5. This is the best place for "ghosting" ever!!! (I’m guessing it’s some kind of game.)
6. Just because a Sister Missionary flirts with you, that doesn't mean you can flirt back! I mean really. *annoyed*
7. The laundry soap is cheaper at the Bookstore than at the laundry room.
8. If you're purchasing office utensils/journal materials, the discount here rocks!
9. If a girl faints during lunch, mass hysteria won't help things!
10. Love your district.
Monday, January 24, 2011
A Slightly Less Crazy Week
Hola everybody!
This week wasn't quite as hectic as the week before was. Zone conference in Khabarovsk was fantastic!!!! I always seem to say this, but I just love zone conference! It's always just what I needed to get refocused and realize the things I'm doing absolutely terribly, and to improve of course. Well, at least I hope so.
To start out the week, we were supposed to go to a family home evening that's about 15-20 minutes out of the main part of the city. Since it started snowing again after I wrote you last Monday (and just in general, there was a ton of snow already), I don't think all of the buses were running that should have been. So it was absolute craziness trying to get on a bus. We tried several times but couldn't fit. Finally a bus came that was not completely filled and we began to cram on. Elder Thellmann made it on but unfortunately, I was the last one and the door was an accordion style door that couldn't close with me in the way. It just liked closing on me and squishing me. I knew this door wouldn't close with me in the way and there was absolutely no more space on that bus. So, I stepped off, since that seemed to be my only option, the door abruptly shut, and I stood there looking at the bus as it pulled away not really knowing what to do, since I'm not really supposed to be separated from my companion and all. So, I immediately decided, "Well Elder Bush, you should probably try to catch that bus at the next bus stop because it's pretty close and after that will be pretty hard to do." So I walked quite quickly (probably looked kind of funny), and while I was walking, I kept my eye on the bus. Unfortunately, due to the fact that it was already busting at the seams, the bus driver made the wise decision to pass through that bus stop and keep on going. Thus, I waited at that bus stop for a bus that I could even get on for about a half hour, hoping that Elder Thellmann and Igor Kim would wait at the bus stop we wanted to get to. Thankfully, all worked out eventually and I met them there. We obviously were late, and I've never been so close to other human beings in my life. Well that's not true. Vlad was the same way sometimes. And this past week Khabarovsk proved to be about the same too. But oh well. Fun fun fun.
Tuesday we contacted a lot. That has actually been pretty hard for me lately because it's hard not to get discouraged or lose your desire to talk to people as they just ignore you or have zero desire to talk to you. But I've been thinking a lot about it, especially with zone conference, and the Lord has helped me change my negative thoughts into positive ones. I'm here to serve! I'm here to smile at people and lift up their days! I'm here to share the greatest news on the face of the planet! How could I let myself forget that! If I don't share this message with them, a message that will change their life and flood it with blessings, how else will they come to know about it? Plus, you also get to have some great stories. (This is not the main reason you talk to people. Just to get funny stories. It is simply a bonus. ;) So I stopped this guy when we were getting near our apartment and he asked me, "Are you still here?!" I told him, "Of course! We're missionaries. We're always here." I didn’t really catch his sarcasm at first but soon got that hint because he began to rip into me and tell me that what I was preaching was garbage, and that I was committing a huge sin by coming to Russia, and that their church is all they need (mixed in with some lovely colorful language that I actually understood but until that time had never heard used). He told me that I should go down the street, take a right, go to the temple down that street and repent. As he walked away, all I could think of saying was "I hope you have a good day!" (Literally more like "happiness to you" but anyways...) With all the contacting of the past week, I've immersed myself back into the work of the streets and seen more of the lives of the people I'm serving amongst. Many don't want to know more because they don't believe that there can be more; they feel they’re too old and it's too late to change; they feel that we young whipper snappers couldn't possibly know anything more that might help them in their lives; they've grown up in the Soviet Union and they've simply been raised to not believe in anything but themselves, that there is no God. Others are being prepared, and while it's rare that we see success on the streets, it is possible. We just have to work even harder and bring the Spirit with us so He can touch their hearts. Elder Bush can't do that. He can't touch their hearts. Only the Spirit can. That's why I have to do all that I can to have the Spirit of the Lord with me. That's why I have to be strictly obedient. That's why the rules of missionaries are so important, because the more obedient we are, the more we qualify for blessings. Even the little rules are important then. I now understand what it means to want to find more rules to follow so that I can get more blessings. That may sound a little weird and crazy but when we see what the Lord has said in Doctrine and Covenants 130:20-21 it makes a lot more sense. “There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated— And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.” D&C 82:10 teaches this as well. “I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise.” What is the promise? One promise is found in D&C 112:10... “Be thou humble; and the Lord thy God shall lead thee by the hand, and give thee answer to thy prayers.” He will lead me by the hand and guide me to do His work if I will but humble myself and be obedient in all things. Just some thoughts I've had lately.
Zone conference, like I already said, was great. It was a little cold in Khabarovsk. (-22ish). But this last week, I got the opportunity to be amongst the greatest missionaries in the world. I love serving in the Vlad mission. It's so hard, but it's so small in numbers that you get to know people so well. You get to form great lasting relationships that have a strong impact on you. I love the people with whom I'm serving! I love especially having the chance to serve in the North zone because it's an even smaller group and there was definitely a special spirit there on the seventh floor of Lenina 57 where our little branch in Khabarovsk meets. I love this mission. I've never been so stressed, pushed, and challenged in my life, but it's so worth it.
Well, not much else new with me. I love you all and I hope and pray you all have a great week. :) Remember what's most important in life. The Lord is our Shepherd. Then why should we fear?
Love to everyone!
Elder Bush
This week wasn't quite as hectic as the week before was. Zone conference in Khabarovsk was fantastic!!!! I always seem to say this, but I just love zone conference! It's always just what I needed to get refocused and realize the things I'm doing absolutely terribly, and to improve of course. Well, at least I hope so.
To start out the week, we were supposed to go to a family home evening that's about 15-20 minutes out of the main part of the city. Since it started snowing again after I wrote you last Monday (and just in general, there was a ton of snow already), I don't think all of the buses were running that should have been. So it was absolute craziness trying to get on a bus. We tried several times but couldn't fit. Finally a bus came that was not completely filled and we began to cram on. Elder Thellmann made it on but unfortunately, I was the last one and the door was an accordion style door that couldn't close with me in the way. It just liked closing on me and squishing me. I knew this door wouldn't close with me in the way and there was absolutely no more space on that bus. So, I stepped off, since that seemed to be my only option, the door abruptly shut, and I stood there looking at the bus as it pulled away not really knowing what to do, since I'm not really supposed to be separated from my companion and all. So, I immediately decided, "Well Elder Bush, you should probably try to catch that bus at the next bus stop because it's pretty close and after that will be pretty hard to do." So I walked quite quickly (probably looked kind of funny), and while I was walking, I kept my eye on the bus. Unfortunately, due to the fact that it was already busting at the seams, the bus driver made the wise decision to pass through that bus stop and keep on going. Thus, I waited at that bus stop for a bus that I could even get on for about a half hour, hoping that Elder Thellmann and Igor Kim would wait at the bus stop we wanted to get to. Thankfully, all worked out eventually and I met them there. We obviously were late, and I've never been so close to other human beings in my life. Well that's not true. Vlad was the same way sometimes. And this past week Khabarovsk proved to be about the same too. But oh well. Fun fun fun.
Tuesday we contacted a lot. That has actually been pretty hard for me lately because it's hard not to get discouraged or lose your desire to talk to people as they just ignore you or have zero desire to talk to you. But I've been thinking a lot about it, especially with zone conference, and the Lord has helped me change my negative thoughts into positive ones. I'm here to serve! I'm here to smile at people and lift up their days! I'm here to share the greatest news on the face of the planet! How could I let myself forget that! If I don't share this message with them, a message that will change their life and flood it with blessings, how else will they come to know about it? Plus, you also get to have some great stories. (This is not the main reason you talk to people. Just to get funny stories. It is simply a bonus. ;) So I stopped this guy when we were getting near our apartment and he asked me, "Are you still here?!" I told him, "Of course! We're missionaries. We're always here." I didn’t really catch his sarcasm at first but soon got that hint because he began to rip into me and tell me that what I was preaching was garbage, and that I was committing a huge sin by coming to Russia, and that their church is all they need (mixed in with some lovely colorful language that I actually understood but until that time had never heard used). He told me that I should go down the street, take a right, go to the temple down that street and repent. As he walked away, all I could think of saying was "I hope you have a good day!" (Literally more like "happiness to you" but anyways...) With all the contacting of the past week, I've immersed myself back into the work of the streets and seen more of the lives of the people I'm serving amongst. Many don't want to know more because they don't believe that there can be more; they feel they’re too old and it's too late to change; they feel that we young whipper snappers couldn't possibly know anything more that might help them in their lives; they've grown up in the Soviet Union and they've simply been raised to not believe in anything but themselves, that there is no God. Others are being prepared, and while it's rare that we see success on the streets, it is possible. We just have to work even harder and bring the Spirit with us so He can touch their hearts. Elder Bush can't do that. He can't touch their hearts. Only the Spirit can. That's why I have to do all that I can to have the Spirit of the Lord with me. That's why I have to be strictly obedient. That's why the rules of missionaries are so important, because the more obedient we are, the more we qualify for blessings. Even the little rules are important then. I now understand what it means to want to find more rules to follow so that I can get more blessings. That may sound a little weird and crazy but when we see what the Lord has said in Doctrine and Covenants 130:20-21 it makes a lot more sense. “There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated— And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.” D&C 82:10 teaches this as well. “I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise.” What is the promise? One promise is found in D&C 112:10... “Be thou humble; and the Lord thy God shall lead thee by the hand, and give thee answer to thy prayers.” He will lead me by the hand and guide me to do His work if I will but humble myself and be obedient in all things. Just some thoughts I've had lately.
Zone conference, like I already said, was great. It was a little cold in Khabarovsk. (-22ish). But this last week, I got the opportunity to be amongst the greatest missionaries in the world. I love serving in the Vlad mission. It's so hard, but it's so small in numbers that you get to know people so well. You get to form great lasting relationships that have a strong impact on you. I love the people with whom I'm serving! I love especially having the chance to serve in the North zone because it's an even smaller group and there was definitely a special spirit there on the seventh floor of Lenina 57 where our little branch in Khabarovsk meets. I love this mission. I've never been so stressed, pushed, and challenged in my life, but it's so worth it.
Well, not much else new with me. I love you all and I hope and pray you all have a great week. :) Remember what's most important in life. The Lord is our Shepherd. Then why should we fear?
Love to everyone!
Elder Bush
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