"What I need, Peter, are Disciples!" Oct 17, 2012

So, Gorizia is awesome. Even though I feel like I have been there very little.... In fact, in the last two weeks I have been away from Gorizia at least 6 full days what with exchanges, general conference, and training meetings. The branch is way cool as well! Like the other branches I've been in, there are only two young adults, and one of them is moving to america in march to get married, so they'll be down to one. BUT! They're super cool! We even had a super intense foosball tournament the other day. Our apartment is pretty nice also. Some construction guys just came by today to switch all the heaters in the apartment complex to be able to be controlled individually, instead of like in the past when all of the heaters in the apartment complex were regulated centrally, so that's exciting news! I don't have to wait till november to be warm again (last year the heaters didn't turn on till november, and it had been winter for a month already)! The apartment was pretty  dirty when I got there, and I was trying to clean it up, but it was just demoralizing trying to fight it, but then I got a super awesome surprise when I came back from the exchange last night- my district leader, Anziano Rodriguez (who traded spots with me for a day), stayed up the night before so that he could clean our apartment. And let me tell you, it is not recognizable as the apartment I moved into! It's SUPER clean!!! Man, I already knew that Anz Rodriguez was a boss, but this just confirms it even more!

We had another super awesome zone conference on Monday, this time where President Wolfgramm talked to us about "real intent". He used some great examples of how life would be if we understood what those two words mean. One example in particular that he used was our workout time. A missionary that volunteered commenced working out there in front of us, but being trained/pushed by another missionary (who just happened to have a large football background). President then continued talking to us, and after a couple of minutes when the poor missionary was about to collapse, he stopped them, and had them come look at how much time had passed. It was only 7min. We were then easily able to see how if we really intend on working out, we can make those 30min go very far. We also talked about how without real intent, there's no purpose in a lot of things. And after some self-examination, I recommitted myself for the 'nteenth time to give the rest of myself to the rest of my mission. And it's strange, for the first time it seems like, I feel completely in control! It's awesome!!!

Also, I wanted to note to you guys, that that same talk that Elder Holland gave in General Conference is the same basic talk that I heard several times in the MTC, and then saw live in the MTC, and then saw a recording of the one I saw live in the MTC, a couple of months ago. So that's now the 5th time that I've heard this talk by him, given 4 different ways, and it gets me every time! I especially love the dialogue that Elder Holland adds between Jesus and Peter:

 To which Jesus responded (and here again I acknowledge my nonscriptural elaboration), perhaps saying something like: “Then Peter, why are you here? Why are we back on this same shore, by these same nets, having this same conversation? Wasn’t it obvious then and isn’t it obvious now that if I want fish, I can get fish? What I need, Peter, are disciples—and I need them forever. I need someone to feed my sheep and save my lambs. I need someone to preach my gospel and defend my faith. I need someone who loves me, truly, truly loves me, and loves what our Father in Heaven has commissioned me to do. Ours is not a feeble message. It is not a fleeting task. It is not hapless; it is not hopeless; it is not to be consigned to the ash heap of history. It is the work of Almighty God, and it is to change the world. So, Peter, for the second and presumably the last time, I am asking you to leave all this and to go teach and testify, labor and serve loyally until the day in which they will do to you exactly what they did to me.”

This truly is a marvelous work, and I am grateful everyday for the immense fortune I had to be born to two loving parents who had already found their way, so that they could in turn teach it to me. I know why I am here on this earth. I know without a doubt what I have to do to get back to our Heavenly Father, and it's all thanks to the gospel of Jesus Christ!

I love you all! Take care! See you soon!

-Anziano Bushman