Year 1, Week 43: I was Able to Meet Danny Ainge

Hello Family, 

The last few days in Waterbury were pretty uneventful. We stopped by several members and had dinner with them. I have sent some pictures for mom and if the rest of you want to see then that's cool. 

Wednesday, Elder Smith and I were driving up to the Weston chapel. I met Elder Perkes and we left to go drop my stuff off at the apartment. We got right to work visiting some members, investigators, and potential investigators. 

Waltham is a super cool area. I really love MA and I would actually consider living here. I would only live here though if work or school brought me out. 

On Sunday I was able to meet Danny Ainge! I didn't want to take a picture with him because we were at church but, hopefully some time I'll snap a photo;)

Not a whole ton happened this week. Just knocking, finding, and trying to work hard. 

Elder Perkes is a cool guy. He is from Logan, UT. He loves LaCrosse and playing sports. It's been fun so far. 

This morning around 9 we were able to do an endowment session. It was cool being able to go to the temple. We usually won't be able to go but because it's the Boston Stake temple day, we were allowed to go. 

Love ya

Sorry this is lame and short.

Elder Bushman 

 

 

Year 1, Week 29: So Enlightening

This week has been good. We started out with visiting Less Actives. We have done a lot with Less Actives recently. We have decided that by visiting LA people, we will find more people ready to hear the Gospel. We figure that a lot of people in our area are willing to go to church, but just have some  concern that is keeping them back from it all. We have met some super cool families that we are going to hopefully get back in contact with and set up appointments. Lots of the LA families have children who aren't baptized and since their parents are, its super easy to teach kids. We have been working a lot on that this week.

We had exchanges with Elder Davis and Elder Smith this week. I took over the Waterbury Spanish area with Elder Davis and Elder Tirado went English. I learned a ton from Elder Davis. We talked a lot about how to most effectively plan to get the most out of every day! It was awesome.

Yesterday we went to the temple and had an awesome Endowment Session! Literally, so enlightening! Also, didn't fall asleep which probably helped!

Other than that nothing else really happened this week. We had lots of time to be out knocking doors and such with no real success. I hope that the 25 minute of audio recording makes up a little for the lack of awesome letter.

Also, I have a crazy recording for pops next week! It's honestly not important to Salvation or anything, so I won't take time to write about it, but it's a very interesting thought on before the flood and after the flood. I will be using time at night to discuss it so it's not hindering my actual study time!! It's pretty cool:) Anyway,

Love ya!
Elder Bushman

Year 1, Week 13: A Record Breaking 70 Members

Dear Fam,

This week has been great. Our branch mission leader, Luis Gonzalez, is moving to Mexico so he has been released. A man named Romulo Panduro has been called as the new branch mission leader. He is a great guy who is very excited to be working with us. He loves coming to lessons with us, but he can't drive and Elder Curzon and I don't have a car... So if he wants to come to a lesson with us we have to work with the other Elders. Its kinda tough not having a car to pick up members. Other changes include the young men president, the relief society president, and some youth Sunday School teachers. On Sunday, we had a record breaking 70 members show up to Sacrament Meeting!! This is the most it has been the whole time I have been in Hartford. I really think that the Lord is using us as his tools in bringing people back to him. Yesterday, we visited some less actives who have been coming the last couple of weeks and told them that we wanted to help them get to the temple. They are in their 70's and have been married for a long time and it's always been their goal but they have never really worked towards it. It's great that we are now helping them do that. 

Elder Porter is the Elder who was just transferred into our area. He is our Zone Leader and a great missionary. His Spanish is fantastic and he teaches super well. He is a great addition to our area. For dinner last night we went to a Honduran Family's house named the Zaldivars! Hermano Zaldivar is the First Counselor in the Branch Presidency. He is a great guy! We had a Honduran dish that was homemade tortilla's, egg, beans, and hispanic sour cream!! Super Bien:) I really enjoy all of the different flavors and meals different countries have. Because of all the diversity I am learning how different cultures speak Spanish and words they use! For example, most Dominicans drop their S's while speaking Spanish. If you don't practice understanding them, fluent Spanish speakers have a hard time understanding their Spanish. I'm excited to continue learning Spanish and using it.

Maria is doing well. She still babysits on Sunday so she hasn't been able to come to church.

Love you all. Remember who you're not!!

Elder Bushman

 

Photos: 

1: Dead Rat in the street

2:Crazy crash right outside our apartment

3: Keto Pizza

4: Our kitchen is so small we store all of our pots in the oven. So baking the pizza we had to pull all the pans out

 

 

 

 

"If you feel too spiritually maimed to come to the feast, please realize that the Church is not a monastery for perfect people, though all of us ought to be striving on the road to godliness. No, at least one aspect of the Church is more like a hospital or an aid station, provided for those who are ill and want to get well."

—Jeffrey R. Holland, "He Hath Filled the Hungry with Good Things"

Year 1, Week 11: Beautiful Temple

After I finished writing my letter last week, Elder Curzon and I left the library and headed out to go back to the apartment. While walking a man stopped us and said that he was a member and that he has been for 20 years. The only reason he wasn't coming to church is because he didn't know where the chapel was. We gave him the address and time and expected to see him there. On Sunday he wasn't there and we thought that it was because he isn't as active as he said he was. Sunday night we stopped by his house but nobody answered so we knocked on the door across the hall and talked to a guy named Jose. He is a member too! It's crazy how we randomly knock a door and it's a member. Is it really random?? Nah...

On Wednesday it was return and report. Elder Curzon and I got a ride with some sisters because we don't have a car. When we got there we started talking about repentance with the Assistants. Their names are Elder Ferreria (Portuguese) and Elder Xiao (Chinese). They are both English Elders. They are super awesome and kind. We role played repentance and had a great time. We got to go to the temple in Boston which was awesome!! I would recommend it to anyone. Beautiful temple. Elder Curzon and I love to talk about deep doctrine stuff so when we got to the Celestial room we had a great talk that left me with more questions about Eternity and stuff. I find that happening to me a lot while reading the scriptures.

 

On Thursday it was Zone Conference. We started by hearing some thoughts from President and Sister Miller and then the AP's shared a bunch of thoughts. Elder Xiao is a convert to the church and told the story of his mom following his example and getting baptized 3 weeks ago. He was able to Skype her. Super cool story. We role played repentance again but focused on testifying and letting the spirit talk instead of us. President said that if you have a 45 minute lesson. You should be talking about 10 minutes and let the investigator and the spirit talk the rest. Super cool concept. 

Friday was a fun day. We had studies and weekly planned!:( I'm not a super big fan of weekly planning. 

I have gotten to know a lot more members, missionaries, and people in Hartford so I don't feel like a complete loss;) Love all of you!!

Elder Bushman

 

Other Info: Missionaries have been in Hartford before but they closed the area and reopened it when I came. I have no Idea how long we have had a branch. I haven't spoken but I have bore my testimony, conducted in sacrament meeting, blessed the sacrament, taught deacons quorum, and prayed in classes. Elder Curzon, Elder Eaton, Elder Tebbs, and I have gotten a lot closer and we laugh a lot but can get super focused, spiritual, and deep really fast. I think this is the best form of missionary work. Elder Eaton and I sang in Zone Conference, "I Know that My Redeemer Lives". I did get a recording and will be sending it shortly. I don't think I did very good but I tried my best so that's all I can do. It's not a super good quality recording so it will sound kinda weird. 

 

 

"The things that endure, the things that are real, the things that are important are those things represented in the temple of God."

—Ezra Taft Benson, "Chapter 13: Priceless Blessings of the House of the Lord"