Teaching Italian "Superstars"! Mar 21, 2012

Okay, I've got some 'splainin to do:

Okay we'll start with the averagely awesome stuff.

We met with Diego and Mariarosa finally (the random couple that came to church my first sunday here) and they are super awesome!!!! They are pretty busy people, but Mariarosa told us that she is looking for a church, and from what she's seen, this church is everything she's been looking for! Diego is looking also to just be an awesome person! He wants to help as many people as he can! Hahah and it's funny, because with Italian culture, people talk about themselves a lot, and if they've done anything selfless or anything lately, they'll tell you about it, it's great! hahah so he told us all about how he made some donation to some organization. But yeah, they are super awesome! They couldn't make it to church this last sunday, but Mariarosa owns her own store, so I imagine she'll be able to get sundays off, but unfortunately this week they are in Rome... BUT! Theyre taking their copies of the Book of Mormon to read on the train! So, yeah!!

Next, we've got Sara and Federica, who we are most likely going to get to see again tonight! They've accepted baptism, and are both super awesome! Umm I've only seen them once because the other times I was on exchanges, but yeah, they do seem pretty awesome.

Okay, are you ready? Probably not, but oh well. Lizbeth. She's 22,  and just moved from Peru 5 months ago. She was referred to us by a member, and so we went to go teach her (last monday, 9 days ago), and we found out that her uncle back in Peru is an LDS Bishop, and that she almost got baptized, but her parents wouldn't let her or something. So, yeah, she accepted a return appt for the following thursday. So, 6 days ago we went to meet with her and her husband and the member that referred her to us at our church (which happens to be only 100 meters from where they live!) And we had an awesome lesson about the restoration of the church, and they loved it! Lizbeth just ate it up, and Yuri (pronounced Jewry) as well, only he didn't show it as much. We invited them to baptism, and they accepted! So 2 days later, on saturday we taught them about the Plan of Salvation and set a baptismal date for the 7th of April!!! I don't quite know how to express how awesome they are, but they are just 100% attentive, asking questions when they have questions. Some people would say Lizbeth and Yuri are golden, and I would be inclined to agree with those people. They came to church the next day, and then we saw them again that night and taught them about the importance of studying the scriptures and praying often.  So 4 lessons in the first 7 days of meeting them, and we have another 3 scheduled for this week! Bishop is also going to come with us on Saturday to the appt, so yeah, they're awesome. I called Yuri last night to see how things were going, and he talked for 30 min on the phone! Not even exaggerating. He asked all kinds of things, about how missions work, if he could go on one. He asked about beer and smoking, and I explained to him very briefly the word of wisdom, but the part that gets me the most, is when I responded negatively to all these things (no we don't drink coffee, no we don't drink alcohol and so forth) he accepted, and then even agreed with me! Man, they are superstars!!!! And I'll have more to tell about them next week, but for now that's all I've got.

So, yeah. Life is good.

My district meetings have been kind of rough lately, but I'm learning, and hopefully improving. It's harder than I expected though, but I definitely enjoy it!!!!

I just want to leave you with my testimony of how amazing Heavenly Father is. In the last month or so, I haven't necessarily been going through a rough time or anything, but on 3 separate, and in very distinct situations I felt an extra strength like I've never felt before. Not a physical strength, but just an enormous desire to consecrate my life more fully to Jesus Christ. This desire each time has also been put into action, and I like to think that I am becoming closer to our Savior because of it. I don't know why I would deserve such a huge help, but I am extremely grateful for it! I love this church, I love the Book of Mormon, and I love our Heavenly Father and all that he does for us so that we can return to him. 

Thank you all so much for your support and everything you do for the missionaries! You are greatly appreciated!!!

vi voglio tutti un sacco di bene!!

-Anziano Bushman

Slow & Steady wins the race! Mar 14 2012

Well, things are going pretty great here in Pavia! I got to have a missionary exchange with Anziano Jenson (my trainer, the frist companion I had in Italy) and I learned soooo much!!!! It was crazy! And it was good being back with him after an entire year!

As for progressing investigators, we're working on helping a lot of different people progress, but it's kind of a problem, because they can't ever commit to see us, nor do they have time to come to church on sunday.... BUT we contacted a referral from one of our members, and she seems pretty solid! She's from Peru and has been in Italy for 2 months, but is pretty devoted to learning the language (she has vocab posters ALL OVER her house!) and we're seeing her again on thursday and probably saturday! Also, we are going to finally get to go see that couple that randomly popped up in church last sunday! So we're going to prepare a super awesome lesson for Diego and Mariarosa!

I'm developing quite the skill for learning people (not just names, but getting to know them AND remembering the names) hahah with how many times I've moved around recently, and so now I already almost know our entire ward! Not that it's a very big ward, only about 60 people, but nonetheless. Hahaha but this ward is crazy!!! I'll try and put together a family tree of this ward, but literally, it is just composed of 2-3 LARGE families! haha it's awesome! Everyone's related!

I'm learning a whole lot though, especially about the power of invites. Not only with investigators, but also with the missionaries in my district. I'm learning about how important it is to give them meaningful invites, and then how doubly important it is to follow-up on the invites. And I've been seeing tons of miracles too!

Well, that's about all I've got for now. I love you all a ton, and hope that everyone is healthy and happy!!

Anziano Bushman

The Meazza Stadium (San Siro Stadium) where both Inter Milan, and AC Milan play.

The museum inside the stadium, there was some old stuff there....

Inside (those green seats are where the Inter fans sit)

This is where I sit...

This is where I sit when the game is getting intense!

This is me getting an interview, because they want me to play for them...

This is where I get dressed out for the games.

From left to right Jonathan (he's a super stud! he's always coming to lessons with us!) Nelson (also a stud, loves coming on splits with us) Andrea (also did splits with us) Anz camit, Irving (New convert), Kevin (reminds me of a young Michael Jackson), me.

Almost all of our group that went to the mtc together just this last week at the district leader training. Left to right in the group picture is Anziano Russo, Scheurn, Portellano, Jeter, Wilkey, Ellsworth, Warren, Bushman

Doing the Lord's Work! Mar 7, 2012

There's not a whole lot to say about this week. Everything is going great! The work here is awesome: we have some awesome members who do almost nothing but missionary work hahah! One even said that if he only had a car than he'd be out with us proselyting and teaching all day!! So yeah. 

OH and we had a couple come to church today, who met the italian missionary at temple square!!! They're super interested, and we set up an appointment to see them next week!!! Hahah all the members were super impressed with us, because they thought that we had found them, but that's not the case =) Bishop pulled them aside and talked to them after church and gave them two copies of the Book of Mormon, so yeah. It's awesome!!! Their names are Diego and Maria Rosa.

Oh, and also, we found a less active member while we were walking around in the park! He doesn't speak too much italian, more spanish, but we were able to communicate pretty well. He wants to come back to church, only he works all day, every day, except for saturdays. So, that's a problem.

Hahaha I've already been back to Milano twice since last week, and i'll be going back again tonight for a missionary exchange. The first one was for a baptismal interview, and the second time was for a SUPER awesome District Leader Training conference thing. This Baptismal interview was super cool though. She's south american, but I'm not sure which country.... And everyone calls her Stella, but her real name is Margiuri (sp?). She understands Italian, but doesn't speak it too well. She speaks spanish. But yeah, one of my responsibilities as District Leader is to hold the Baptismal interviews for the investigators within my District. And so I went back to Milano 3 to interview Margiuri, and it was super cool. The elders teaching her said that she doesn't talk a lot, but I guess being able to understand her spanish (and speak a little bit) she was more willing to open up, because she would not stop talking! Hahah she bore a super powerful testimony, and taught me loads of stuff! It was way cool!!!!

But yeah, things are going great. Now, more than ever before in my life, I feel like I am doing the work of the Lord. I feel like he's preparing me to be the worthy servant that he needs from me, and it's awesome!!!! NEVER stop praying!! NEVER stop studying the scriptures. Don't just read them, but study them. Buy a 39 cent spiral notebook if you have to, and write about each chapter you read. Just anything that comes to mind while reading. Even if you don't understand the chapter, write down that you don't understand it. Trust me. I promise you that you will learn SO much more!

So, yeah.

That's it for now, I'll give you some low downs on our investigators next week, along with some pictures of me in the San Siro/Meazza Soccer Stadium (where Inter and Milan play. It's HUGE)

vi voglio tutti un sacco di bene!!!

-Anziano Bushman

New Area & New Responsibility! Feb 29, 2012

Okay, so big news this week. I'm goin' to Pavia!

After 5 short weeks, I'm leaving this awesome ward.  I'm pretty sure I've learned close to 100 names (but not only names, I also know them as people) and have eaten at least 20 times at members houses...

The logistics would be because President brought 2 elders in 2 weeks ago to prepare to take the place of the sister missionaries in the office (office missionaries are only in the office till 5 pm, and then they go out and do proselyting work. But they have a car. And they are in the Milano 3 ward/area). So, since we have a limited number of elders in our mission, a lot are going home this transfer, President is closing our companionship, and putting sisters in our apartment. So yeah. After all the drama with the members accepting that my comp was leaving, then we found out that I'm leaving as well, and yeah. It's been fun breaking that news to everyone. Good news is that I'm in the same district still. And I'll be the district leader (means I'll have to organize district meeting, exchanges, and do phone calls every so often) so I'll get to come up to Milano 3 whenever they have a baptismal candidate to do the baptismal interview! So yeah, I've been telling the members to start finding people to baptize =) And, yeah. That's it.

These last few days have been filled with cleaning, because the sisters are taking this apartment, and if it's not in good condition when I leave, I'll hear about it.

So yeah, not much else has been going on.... OH! JeanCarlos' parents came to church!!!! and they seem even more solid and eager to learn about the gospel!!! So I'll be in close contact to make sure our replacements here do their part to help that family. 

Well, sorry it's a short one this week. I've got to head back and get cleaning again. WHOOT!! =)

Well, take care, vi voglio tutti bene!!!

-Anziano Bushman

At the ward party for Carnevale - - the equivalent of our Halloween. I went as Teancum.

Eric's birthday meal with me and Anz Camit

The Friolo Family (kids are Michael, Ashley, then Allison is the oldest)

 Bishop Donatone's family (daughters left to right, Noemi and Jennifer)

Albello Family (kids- Shinenah and Samuel)

Spencer, me and Anz Camit