Merry Christmas from the Far East

Merry Merry Christmas!!

It was super great to talk to you all and to see each of you! I know I was probably super awkward and can't seem to act like a normal person. ;) I hope you all have had a wonderful Christmas.

This past Christmas has been a really neat one. It's been a little cold here in Vlad. Like I mentioned, it's really because of the wind. The last few days, I've had some pretty cold moments where you just have to close your eyes and hold on. My shopka has been nice and toasty. It's the shape of my head that's been undermining the shopka's furry warmness. Since my head is rather long from front to back, it makes it difficult to find a hat the fits well. I always have to get a big size so it can get on my head yet there's always a little room on the sides in between my head and the wall of the hat. So, when the wind comes rushing by, it tends to find that oh so little space and likes to freeze the sides of my head by my ears. I don't know if that makes any sense. But, basically, the size of my head is trying to do me in and keep me cold. Otherwise, my shopka sure does the trick. That and a scarf.

This past week, we held training for the leaders of the mission which included all the zone leaders and district leaders. We did it by Skype, and it went pretty well. Elder Steed and I had to spend some time preparing for it. We were both grateful that overall, technology cooperated with us and all went well.

We continue to work with an awesome family here in Vlad that has a son who's a member. The parents have 6 boys which is really unusual for Russia! I may have already mentioned something about them... It's awesome to see so many shoes sitting in the entry way. Feels like home.

Christmas Eve, we spent most of the morning participating in and translating for some training for using the church's MLS program. We're the first mission in Russia that doesn't have any districts which have been brought online to use MLS. A member from Moscow came to hold the training and it went rather well. Translating is always a blast and it sure keeps you on your toes. My brain was a little fried after it all, but it's always a fun challenge. Later that afternoon, the missionaries here in Vlad gathered at the Pratt’s and had a small dinner and treats along with a short devotional. It was a really neat experience. I was asked to share a little thought regarding Christmas and I turned as I often do to the hymns. I noticed that in Joy to the World, there is a line which reads, "let every heart prepare him room" and I thought and pondered about what we can do to prepare room in our hearts for the Savior. He is our Lord and we must let Him in. As we keep our covenants, we offer to the Lord the greatest gift we can. Our righteousness and faithfulness is completely in our control and that's what the Lord desires of His children. Christmas was a special day when I got to ponder about the Savior and His role.

I love you all a ton. I'm enormously grateful for your support and love. And humor (thanks, Trev) :)

Take it easy and have a wonderful New Year’s!

Love,
Elder Bush

p.s. Had a neat experience this past week stopping by a potential investigator’s house, whose number we lost. My comp and I were on a bus heading to some less active members and had planned to stop by this guy’s place in the center of Vlad. I was thinking to myself, "Should we maybe head to the less active member at the farthest point and work our way back? Or should we keep going?" I distinctly felt, "you need to go to Makar's" (the guy I mentioned). Turns out my comp felt the same impression and we thankfully followed it. When we walked up to his building and opened the door, he was walking down the hall to the door about to leave and we were able to make contact and get his number. Super nice guy. It was a very small but very real miracle. I love the tender mercies of the Lord.

Picture at the Southerland's in Korea for our last Visa trip.

Elder Bush's Christmas Call:  We got to use Skype this year for our Christmas call, which was great because we could see him and he could see us.  He couldn't believe how much his sisters have grown up.  He mentioned that he was glad he got to see them before he comes home or he might not recognize them at the airport.  He looks good and looks happy.  We enjoyed seeing him interact with people in the office and especially when he had to take a phone call and we got to hear him converse in Russian.  He also received our package while we were talking, so we saw his reaction to receiving some Twix candy bars (his favorite).

Last Visa Trip to Korea

Dearest of dear families,

Thank you all again for wishing me a happy birthday! It was indeed a very happy birthday as I made my way back to Russia. Transfers and our visa trip were a little hectic, but as far as I know, we didn't have any major problems. So I would say that's a success of the week! As of now, Elders Zamora, Winkler, and I are the oldest missionaries in the mission. Weird. Super weird.

Really quick, before I forget, I'll let you know about our Christmas calls. So, we can use Skype this Christmas! Well, other elders and sisters were able to last year as well but since I was on Sakhalin without a senior couple, we didn't really have the option. So, this is the plan... I'll be at the office in Vlad to use one of the computers with Skype at 8:00 am my time on Monday the 26th of Dec (that works out to be 4:00 pm on Sunday the 25th of Dec, Christmas Day). So, I'm pretty sure I'll be using the former senior couples' skype account that is on the office computers. I'm not sure what their account name is but what I'll do is call you from their account. So, by Monday morning, send me an email and let me know which Skype account you want me to call. In the event that our building loses internet (which isn't uncommon) I'll give you my phone number and you can call me at 8 if I haven't already called through Skype. Can't wait to hear from you all!

So, to put it in a nutshell, the past week has been a whirlwind. Monday, my companion spent the evening packing and getting ready to head home. Tuesday, the other elders and sister heading home arrived along with my new companion! (He’s actually a former companion... Elder Steed!) I'm super excited to get to work with him again! He was my comp while we served in Khabarovsk a little less than a year ago. Hard to believe time has flown by that fast. There was a little stress throughout the day as transfers were already beginning and missionaries were beginning to move from city to city. I'll have to tell you more about transfers once I'm home but it really is the craziest process. Trying to coordinate getting missionaries to and from the cities, making sure they all have companions throughout the process, making sure they'll make their buses or getting them taxis to hop on a flight or a train. And on top of it all, my visa trip coincided with the transfer. So, there was a little craziness but like I've said before, what's the mission without a little crazy? On Tuesday night, we had the chance to be at the departing fireside at the Pratt's apartment and to hear from the departing missionaries. It was a neat experience to see them as they prepare to move on the next part of life. Although, it was a little hard because hearing them and realizing they're going home throws you off your focus a little. You start to realize you don't have much time. And part of you wants to return with them because being a missionary is super hard. Yet, the other part of you wants to remain and do everything you possibly can to fulfill the Lord's will and further His work amongst His children. It was an enormous blessing to be in the temple and to return and refocus on the work. I flew to Korea on the same flight as the missionaries going home. It was neat to say goodbye in the Korean airport. (Side note... I realize I've mentioned this before but I'm a firm believer that Korean Air is one of the best airlines ever. The food on the flight which only lasted 2 hours was fantastic! So much better than a bag of peanuts.) We got to Korea and while we were there, we found out our flight that was suppose to return on Friday had been canceled. Thankfully, there was a flight that returned on Saturday. So, we were able to make it back. While in Korea, we had dinner at the Southerlands, the couple that lives there. It was a wonderful little early birthday present to me to be in the home of such a loving family. We had dinner, made cookies, and sang Christmas carols. A simple little Christmas celebration. As we finished, some of us took the chance to bear our testimonies of the Savior. And the Spirit was felt by all. The flight returning to Vlad was great. It was a ginormous plane! It had 2 seats on either side and 4 in the middle. I can't remember which Airbus model it was. But anyways, it was a smooth flight. We grabbed some donuts and bagels at Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks before we took off. Funny how a donut and a bagel are the best thing ever when you've gone a while without them. Lastly, as I already mentioned, the temple was wonderful. The Korean temple workers are heavenly. As we stayed to do more sessions, they simply told us in their English, "We love you." It was touching and a sweet experience for maybe the last time to be amongst the Korean Saints.

So, I'm back in Vlad. Yesterday, I spoke in church and it went ok. I talked about covenants. Something I feel we all need to strive to understand better and be sure that we're always mindful of keeping our covenants. Had the chance to do a little tracting yesterday. Needless to say, it wasn't that fruitful. But, it sure was fun and we did meet some nice people!

I hope and pray you all are safe and in good health. Merry Christmas to you all! Can't wait to hear from you in a week!

Love,
Старейшина Буш

A Week in the Office Organizing Transfers

Hello everybody,

Thank you so much for the birthday wishes! Weird to think that I'm going to be 21. I really don't even feel like I'm getting older.

Anyways, this past week has been a bit of an office week, which has been a little hectic and slightly stressful. But it was good to get a lot of work done that will hopefully help transfers this next week run smoothly. Transfers really are quite a big deal here, along with visa trips, which by the way, I'll be in Korea (hopefully) this Wednesday. And I'm not really sure when I will return. Again, hopefully, that will be on Friday. But we'll see.

So, like I was saying, transfers are a huge deal. It's such an ordeal to organize and make transfers run without any problems. My companion and I went through the travel information Sister Pratt had gathered and wrote out instructions for all the missionaries to make sure they get to where they need to and don't forget anything.

Thankfully, we were able to have a few lessons this past week as well. I've really enjoyed rebuilding this area here in Vlad for the assistants. It's had its challenges just like any other area, but it's been fun. I've really loved to be able to interact more with President Pratt. He really is such an awesome leader. That's one thing I've come to learn while serving here. Our leaders may never be perfect in the church, but they are truly inspired. The mantle they wear is super important.

I love the Lord and His work. Lately, I've felt the burden of my assignment. There's a lot to do and a lot to keep track of, but I know that the service we all render on behalf of the Lord leads to enormous personal growth and blessings for those we serve. I'll always treasure this enormous experience I've had.

I love you all so much. I'm really sorry my letters lately have been really short and not very descriptive. Partly, it's been because I have had a harder time lately knowing what I should even write. Partly, it's because I'm in the office and it's easy to get distracted. Please remember that I love you all a ton. Your support means more than a million bucks.

Love,
Старейшина Буш

A Week Full of Little Miracles

Howdy folks!

Things are great here in Vlad! This past week has been a fun one. I'm super jealous you're all watching the Christmas Devotional. We don't get that here. Although, we could watch it on the internet I guess if we wanted to watch it on pday. Real quick, I just wanted Grandma Gee to know that I got a letter from her today! Thanks Grandma! To answer your question, yes, I have had the privilege to meet and work with Elder Collinsworth. He's a great missionary. And super tall!

Anyways, during this past week, I started writing down little miracles that I see each day. It's been a really cool experience to see the Lord's hand in the work each and every day. We've had a lot of success these last few weeks working in the area book, which is the book where we keep all our records of past missionary work that has been done in our area. In fact, we've done something really interesting this past transfer here in Vlad. In the past, the assistants have spent a lot of their time dealing with taking care of all the little problems and have worked in the office along with working with president and leaders of the mission. And in this past transfer, we've had a returned missionary here in Vlad hired on to work as a driver for the mission and to work in the office, so we've been able to get a lot off of our desk and now we're able to get out of the office. In the past, the assistants have struggled with being able to work in a specific area because there simply isn't time or the possibility with all the other things they were being asked to take care of. But, this past transfer, we've brought back our area and have had the opportunity to do a lot more work in it to try to "bring it back" if you will. We found, or rather the Lord led us to, 4 new investigators this past week. It's actually a family that has a son who's a less active member. They are super nice and there are 6 boys in the family, which is super unusual for Russia! It's really really comforting to walk into their home and to see tons a little kid shoes in the entry way and to just feel the feelings you get in the home of a big family. They have a son living in America presently, in New York to be exact. I love getting to know people while here. People are so cool!

Some other really quick miracles: as assistants, we help President Pratt by translating for his presidency meeting held weekly by Skype. Since one of his counselors is on Sakhalin and another in Irkutsk, technology really comes in handy. I translated into Russian during this last week’s meeting, and I have really come to notice how much I love Russian. It's such a beautiful language. I know the Lord helped me so much to speak clearly, almost correctly, and loudly. (You’d be so proud of me dad, speaking loudly.) We often go to Subway for lunch or dinner when we're near the church. And usually, the service isn't the greatest. They're almost always out of things. And I mean like essential things to make a sandwich. Like cheese. But, this past week, they had great service! That was a miracle. And the sub was actually really reallyyyyy good. We also have had a lot of fun tracting. I'll tell you more stories once I'm home. Although, I will tell you really quickly, it was really neat this past week because we met with a less active member and then went tracting in a building not too far away and the first stairwell that we tried, there was a family that knows the member we had just met with and we're planning on meeting with them. I know the Lord leads this work. I have no doubt. We just have to have faith.

I love you all to death. You're all so awesome. Tell everybody back home I love them!

Love,
Elder Bush

Thanksgiving in Vladivostok

Dear Fam,

Sure sounds like you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! And the holidays are off to a great start! I think my favorite part of this past week is being able to now listen to Christmas Music. There really is quite no other time like this. The Christmas season is the best. Right now, I've made a goal to finish Jesus the Christ before Christmas and it's been awesome as I've delved deeper into that book. Talmage truly wrote an inspiring book.

So, first off, I have to say a big thank you to Matt and Sarah for their letters! They really lifted me up and I was super excited to hear from both of you! You two are the best! :) To answer some of your questions, things are great here in Vlad. The work is slowly moving forward. We had an insane day of snow this past week on Wednesday! We got all bundled up and faired the boisterous weather. It was quite an adventure. We tried talking to people on the way but due to the weather, that didn't turn out to be very successful. :) The wind was insane! That was the best part. Wednesday's snow added on top of that made it super duper fun. I got to wear my new shopka and she held up greatly against the foul weather. Thursday wasn't nearly as bad. It stopped snowing, although the wind was still quite a factor. (more about that later)

Thanksgiving in Vlad was wonderful! Just like home! Except without the family and friends of course. But it was wonderful to be surrounded by my present family and friends here in the city. We had all the great foods, Turkey, ham, potatoes, stuffing, fruit salads, and pies! It was all very very yummy. And unfortunately, I think my tummy has shrunk because I had a very hard time getting down one full plate. We enjoyed a wonderful meal and played some fun trivia games and scripture chase charades afterward. All in all, it was a great day to remember all the things I'm thankful for. I'm thankful for you all. Because you are a large part of the joy that I have in this life. I'm enormously thankful to the Lord for all the tender mercies He plants in my path. That He allows me to even be a part of His work here on the earth is a miracle in and of itself for which I'm enormously grateful. I'm thankful for Heavenly Father's plan for all of us. For the big picture that it gives me, that it gives us all.

Immediately after thanksgiving dinner, we scurried off to a lesson with a potential investigator named Valeri. We gave him a copy of the Book of Mormon and he agreed to read it. I love meeting with people. I've noticed that the Lord has helped me really develop a love for the people as I've met with them. After that lesson, we hurried off to another lesson with a member and her friends. Trying to find her house was a nightmare! Needless to say, we eventually found her house. The hard part was the wind. It was blowing so hard we nearly fell over several times. I felt as though I was back home in a hurricane! But, it was freezing instead of raining. Boy was I glad to get inside after that adventure! Russians don't usually drink hot chocolate themselves. They prefer tea. But I've noticed lately that members have been making us homemade hot chocolate because they know we Americans love that hot chocolate!

Last pday, my comp and I played basketball outside our house and it felt great to get some physical activity into the day! We're hoping today will also work out. We kind of noticed that it's hard to get activities together here in Vlad, really just in our mission because in many cities, it's hard to meet up at a common place, have some planned activity and still have enough time in the pday to get everything else done that we need to.

As far as souvenirs, I should have plenty of room to get what I want to get for everybody. Again, if there's anything in particular that you all want, make sure to let me know/remind me because I'm now in Vlad and will most likely not be moving anymore. So, I can begin the collecting process. I stopped by the souvenir shop here in Vlad and found something I may end up getting before I head home.

Lastly, I'll end with this. The Lord wants us to have faith. We just have to have faith in Him and He will help us accomplish His miracles. So many people have no idea of the blessings that faith in our Savior Jesus Christ can bring. They are uncountable. Innumerable. I know the Lord and our Father in Heaven love us dearly. Never lose sight of that fact.

I love you all a ton! And I hope you have a wonderful upcoming week!

Love,
Elder Bush

Happy Thanksgiving

Hey there gang!

This last week has been fantastic! Getting to travel to the other cities and work with the outstanding missionaries of our mission is quite an honor. It was weird to return to both cities because it brought back so many memories. It's so weird how you look at things differently when you return to a familiar place because of the experiences you have had elsewhere. It really wasn't even that long ago that I was serving in Khabarovsk. Although it feels like forever ago since I've been in both Irkutsk and Ulan-Ude in the time span between. I love the members in all those cities. I got the chance to see several of them while we were there and they are inspiring. To give you a quick example, there is a member that is from Ussurisk that lived also in Vlad when I was serving here over a year and a half ago. My trainer, Elder Waltman and I worked with her for 3 months while I was here, and she came to church maybe once that I can remember. In the time that I've been serving in all the other cities of the mission, she has become super active and her mission papers are almost completed! That is just the coolest thing ever to hear! No effort ever goes wasted. And this past week, as we were in Usserisk, she helped us on a lesson with a recent convert. She has such a strong testimony of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. She is truly a light, and I could see in her such an awesome future missionary.

Our travels all went well. I brought my shopka with me to Usserisk (it wasn't really quite cold enough to be needing such a hat, but I knew we would be going to Khabarovsk and had a feeling it would be needed and appreciated there, and sure enough, it was pretty cold up in Khabarovsk. I talked with a woman on the street in Usserisk and explained to her why I looked a little ridiculous for November weather (since hardly anyone wears big fur hats there) and when I told her I was heading off to Khabarovsk that night, she quickly agreed that it was a fantastic idea I brought my shopka with me. I had the privilege of being on an exchange with Elder Johnson (my former BYU bishop's son) and Elder Collinsworth (you all know who that is - or if not, he played basketball at BYU) and it was an awesome opportunity to learn and grow from them. I love the friends you make here serving the Lord.

While in Khabarovsk, we contacted during the day and then had a sweet activity in the evening with several of the members where we learned how to make "позы" (pozi) or "бууза" (buza) in buritian. It's a special food that I think I told you about while I was serving in Ulan-Ude and it's unique to the people that live there. You make a pasta like dough that you wrap around meat and you steam cook them. Then, with your hands, you bite a small hole in the side and drink out the juices that have been cooking inside and then I like to fill the little dumpling like thing with sauces (like ketchup) and then scarf him down! They're really tasty. I'll have to get an actual recipe and then make them once I'm home. It was a great activity, especially for the members because they need opportunities to bond together, to talk, and the just become better, closer friends. We w home the next morning on a really old plane. I had to laugh because I think the seat I sat in was the most uncomfortable airplane seat I've ever been privileged to sit it. BUT, it did recline a considerable distance which made up for it. Upon landing (which always seems to be the best part) several panels in the ceiling came loose and were dangling down as we taxied into the airport. I just had to laugh. :)

I love you all a ton! Hope you have a fantastic week and enjoy your Thanksgiving! :)

Love,
Elder Bush

p.s. Fallon, I got a letter from you! I wrote to you a letter already but I have to get some envelopes! I'll try to get it off to you ASAP!

Stress, Prayer and Miracles

Dear group of people that birthed me, raised me, and suffered me to be in their midst, (aka my family)

Yeah, so I was trying to be funny with the above phrase but it's not really working. Anyways, before I forget, it turns out my long lost letter that I thought was from Fallon is actually from a Bush (not sure which one) and it has been officially lost. So, I'm sorry Grandma, Grandpa, or Uncle Derek if you sent me a letter and I haven't gotten it. I love you all and hope all is well in California! I think about you often and keep you always in my prayers.

One other person I thought about last night and I'm hoping he's doing well is Mr. Martin. (I sincerely apologize that my English sounds awful.) Pass on a big hello to him and my best wishes. Also, say hi, if you get a chance, to Mrs. Miller and Mrs. Whitcomb at Lake Mary. Can't wait to see them again someday!

This past week has been a stressful one but a great learning experience. If you all don't mind, I'd like to share a really special experience that I had this past week that accompanied most of the stress. As you all are very well aware, we have to travel every 3 months to Korea to renew our visas. I guess to be more specific, we go to Korea to pick up our second passports that already have our new visas for the upcoming 3 months. A few weeks ago, I made, what seemed like, the enormous trek from Ulan-Ude to Vladivostok that took me to Irkutsk and then to Khabarovsk, and then finally to Vlad. This past week, Elder Steed was scheduled to go on his Korea trip and it would require him to make a similar trip with the exception of a layover in Khabarovsk. He began his trek Tuesday afternoon which was already cutting it close considering his flight to leave for Korea left the next day at 2:00 from Vlad. (Quick side note: Tuesday was actually the beginning of a series of events that just didn't seem to go or work out as they should have. We had a weekly meeting with President and Sister Pratt and after lunch, we returned to the meeting to find we had no power and we were scheduled to have a Zone Leaders' Council at 2 pm mission wide by Skype. But that had to be rescheduled. Then we spent the remainder of our day trying to record the conference I told you about onto DVD discs to be sent to the different cities that don't have satellites and there was craziness that went into that.) Anyways, so, Wednesday morning, I was awoken by a phone call just after 6 am from Elder Steed (this is 4 am his time) saying that their flight has been delayed by about an hour. So, this wasn't great news, but we figured if things still went forward from there, there wouldn't be any problems. After several phone calls with President and Sister Pratt and Elder Steed, we came to learn that his flight was delayed until 10 o'clock his time, noon our time and he would most certainly miss his flight to Korea. This in and of itself wouldn't be awful but the big problem was in the fact that Wednesday was the last day on his visa. So, he had to get out of the country then or we were all afraid he would be deported. My companion and I discussed all the possible options and talked more with Sister Pratt. In the end, we decided to fast for him that the documentation he had received saying his flight was delayed and therefore, did not catch his connection, would be enough and that things would work so that he would be able to return and continue serving the Lord and His children. We knelt down, and I offered the prayer. As soon as I began to speak, the Spirit flooded the room and a feeling of comfort filled me. I knew immediately that everything would be okay. Tears filled my eyes and I had a very hard time getting the words out as I both felt the comfort of the Spirit and thought about Elder Steed and my love for him and how desperately I did not want him to be forced to leave our mission. With a little stress, we (Pasha, our new mission driver, an returned missionary who served in Moscow; Tatyana our visa person; and I) all got in the car and raced off to the airport. President Pratt, his wife, and my companion, Elder Williamson, had already left to go to Korea by this time. And so I was feeling a little stressed and I wanted to make sure everything would work out. Yet, as I would begin to worry, I quickly remembered the comforting assurance of the Spirit that I had earlier felt, and I once again knew all would be well. We got the documentation and everything worked out to extend his visa by one day since he couldn't make the latest flight from Vlad to Korea on Wednesday. So, he flew out on Thursday without any problems, thankfully. To make a long story short, Elder Steed made it to Korea and returned to Vlad on Sat with my companion and by now, is already in Ulan-Ude. I'm so grateful for the assurance of the Spirit that gives us peace and comfort. A peace and comfort that cannot be duplicated or matched by other sources. I know the Lord is mindful of us. Sometimes, life is crazy. But He is always mindful of us and helps us through the crazy moments.

I got to work most of the week with Elder Clark, Elder Steed’s brand new companion. And we had a blast. I got sucked into the office and had to take care of some problems related to last week’s Area Conference and trying to make it available by internet to the other missions of the Europe East Area. But thankfully, that all got figured out and all is well. Yesterday, I was privileged to sit in on ZLC (zone leaders' council) that we started by Skype and then our internet died so we conference called for the remaining hour. It was a very spiritual meeting that was certainly inspired. I really love working in this mission. I love the Lord and His work. This next week, we're traveling to Usserisk and Khabarovsk to do exchanges with the Zone leaders there. It should be an awesome week! Hopefully all will run smoothly.

I love you all so much and I'm extremely grateful to have you all supporting me. I pray you have the best week this next week! Have fun! Stay out of trouble!

Love you!
Elder Bush