A New Start!

On Tuesday, May 27, 2014 1:35 PM, Blaine Bushman <blaineb@myldsmail.net> wrote:
 

Hey everyone!

 

I hope you have all had a great week. Thank you so much for all of the pictures. I loved them. The kids look amazing, I loved seeing Nana and Grandpa, and Mr. G looks really good. I'm glad that honors night turned out so good and everything ran smoothly. I'm sad that I wasn't able to be there for Mr. G's last concert. The program is going to really miss him as well as all of his students. You told me about the Utah story while we skyped. That's awesome that you were able to give him that. It sounds like you guys really had a blast going to Dallas and Kenzie's recital and track meet. Congrats on doing so good Kenzie! Tell Canyon to write me. That's so cool that President Vore is now the Temple President. He is such and amazing man. I'm so glad that Nana and Grandpa and dad could take the kids to the temple. That is such an amazing experience that none of them will forget.

 

Well this week was pretty good. I already love my new companion, Elder Tui'one! He is such a cool, happy, guy that is just a blast to be around. And on top of that we live with Elder Carbonneau and his comp Elder Sweeney. We have the best apartment in the mission!!! Haha And I am actually driving a truck which makes life even better! So Tuesday the only thing that I have to share really was I had my first District Meeting as the District Leader. I am over the Zone Leader's and Elder Carbonneau and Elder Sweeney. So thankfully I don't have too much to worry about. The ZL's and I are focused on finding while Carbonneau is finishing baptizing most of the investigators they have. The meeting went very well actually and afterwards I could really tell that it was led completely by the Spirit. There were things that came up that I hadn't planned for that were exactly what the district needed at that time which was super cool. So Meeting Number 1=success! So like I mentioned my area is completely 100 % in finding mode right now. We have no investigators to work with right now. I have come to find out that with my companionship we are having to repair issues that past missionaries have made so we have a lot of work to do. The work is similar to my last area in Corona. The only difference is here, my area is even bigger and it's all spread out. It'll be interesting to see how things work out. But we have a lot of potential and former investigators that we can work with and this week we should be picking up 3 or 4 so I'm super excited! We are going to have a lot of success together. We are trying to start waking up earlier than normal to go play ball at the church so we will see how that pans out. I really need to get back into shape and lose a lot more weight. Thursday I had a District Leader Meeting in RIverside during which the AP's and President Smart trained us on how to be good DL's. It was a really good meeting and I gained a lot from it. I also got to see a bunch of my MTC buddies there which was really fun. That day after I got back we went and contacted a refferal named R who seemed to be pretty legit. And then that night he called us and left a voicemail about how he didn't want us to come back cuz he had "researched and doesn't need a prophet" so that was kind of a bummer. But we are going to go back anyways sometime this week to try and help him understand a little better. Friday we got money for dinner and so we went out and brought food home and had an intense study session which was really fun and I learned a lot of things from it. Saturday I did my first interview for baptism. Boy is that a lot of pressure! S is a 9 year old boy whom Carbonneau has been teaching and after the interview I was blown away with how smart and ready he is. Long story short...S was baptized Sunday evening and is now a huge blessing for his family. Sunday was a crazy day. So crazy I don't have time to really even start. We ended the night at a farewell Tongan party for a kid in our ward that is (on the plane right now) giong to Chicago Illinois for his mission. Great food. That's all I have to say. No wonder I'm fat. Poly's are always feeding us. But I love it! Yesterday as it was Memorial day meant we didn't get the chance to email which is why I am doing it now. But we had a great day scorching my feet in the rough sand volleyball pit and then just hanging out playing monopoly and Lord of the Rings Risk! It was a good day. We had dinner with the Pierre's (their son is the one leaving for the mission) and it was super wierd because I could feel and recognize the feeling in the house of the aknowledgement of everyone that their lives were all about to change.

 

Other than that this week was full of us just hitting the pavement and trying to find people to teach. And during our breaks there were some intense games of Risk, monopoly, nerf wars, and one moment in which a carrot cake was being thrown between Carbonneau and Tui'one as they fought to shower first! Hahah That was so much fun. Don't worry mom. The mess got cleaned up. Overall it was a pretty good week. I hope you all have a great time this week and stay safe. Pray that we can find people to teach. We need the help. I love you. Can't wait to hear from you again. Until next week...

 

Love,

Elder Bushman

Happy Mother's Day

Subject: Happy Mother's Day!
Sent: Tue, May 13, 2014 12:19:36 AM

Hello everyone! Happy Mother's Day mom! I loved seeing you guys and getting to talk with you yesterday! It really was too short. I kind of got really sad after we hung up. I was half tempted to call you again after church just to say all the things that I didn't get the chance to say. I just want you mom, and dad and the rest of the kids to know that I really love you. A lot. A lot more than I really know how to say. And I can't wait to see and hear from you again already. I'm so glad that you are all doing well and are enjoying life back at home. I hope you have an amazing rest of the year and good luck with school, sports, choir, and scouts. That's exciting that Zach is driving legally now! That license is kind of important. Haha ;) That's cool that you got to do that for the teachers at the school. Now you know why I always complained about the cafeteria food! Haha I'm so glad that you boys had a blast with Dad at the Father and Sons camp out! It sounds like it was a ton of fun and Dad did a great job! I'm glad that Kenzie and you got to spend the weekend together. You both need the girl time I'm sure. ;) I'm still thinking about birthday ideas. It's hard to think of something a missionary really needs out here. I will let you know as soon as I think of something. I don't remember if I told you yesterday, but I am now in Helaman chapter 16. So, so far the reading is going well. I will try to remember to bring my notes next week that I've taken down and share with you some of the ideas and scriptures that have really caught my attention and made me think. It's been really great reading through it like this. I've gotten to understand the time line and story as a whole a lot better. It's really opened my eyes and mind. That is SO cool that you guys had two convert baptisms this weekend!!!! I'm super pumped for you and even more so for them!. . . . Good luck Tanner on your choir trip!. Tell Nana and Grandpa I say hello and I love them when they get here. I miss them too. Well there isn't much to say about this week which is good cuz I'm running out of time, but her's what happened that's worth mentioning. I can't believe I forgot to tell you about this yesterday but on Tuesday we got to go to the temple again!! It was so amazing. I can't think of any other place in the world I would rather spend the rest of my life in besides the Celestial Room. It is so beautiful and the Spirit is so strong! Wednesday was our district meeting and Thursday morning we did service with basically the rest of the elders in the stake to help clean up a section of this members back yard for some horses. It was good hard work and a lot of fun. I really think I want a horse once I get my own place. After that the Grossman's from Temescal Canyon picked Albright and me up for lunch and we went to Claim Jumpers again! It was so good to see them and their coming again this Thursday since Albright is leaving in a week. Friday we had to make a quick run to Riverside so Albright could sign something for when he goes home. And then we had probably the best lesson we have had so far with N. It was super spirit led and we got down to her true concern. She is having some family issues and she is a little scared to ask Heavenly Father for things because she doesn't want to bother God with her questions/problems because she wants Him to take most of His time to help others that need a lot of help. We helped her understand that no matter what, God loves her and wants to know what is on her mind and what she stands in need of, as well as what she is thankful for, which is what her prayers usually consist of. At the end of the lesson we asked her to pray and she gave the most genuine heart felt prayer I have ever heard. It truly pierced my heart. I love N and R. She has a true desire to do what is right and to do what is best for her family. Saturday we caught up on our weekly planning and for dinner we had pit roasted potatoes, carrots, chicken, and pork!! Oh man it was so good! Sunday was amazing. I got to Skype home which was amazing and my day got even better when N and R showed up to sacrament a few minutes late! Oh man I don't think I have ever been so happy to see someone at church. That should a lot of commitment on her part and I know that she is starting to progress a lot more! For dinner we had super tender ribs which was a great way to end the night! Other than that to answer your question about C, he is doing good. The end of school has just been really busy for him so we are hoping soon he gets some free time to meet again. He still says he wants to so we are kind of playing it by ear until he gets a night off to meet again. I'll let you know though if anything happens this week. Keep him in your prayers along with N and R and A and J. Transfers calls come this coming Saturday so I'll let you know next time if I'm staying or getting the chance to move on to a new area! I can't believe this transfer is already over. It's been a blast being with Albright.  Well I gotta go. I hope you all have a great week and good luck on all the school stuff going on! It's so exciting! I miss you all and love you even more! Can't wait to hear from you again.   Love, Elder Kendell Bushman