The last email?!? Dec 20, 2012

Well, seeing as I will be seeing my family on skype next tuesday, I can't imagine I will have anything more to say the day after. Even more so seeing how soon afterwards I will be home. BUT we'll see.

This week really has been awesome but I will apologize in advance, because right now, I am super tired! So bear with me!

So. This week we had the Branch Christmas party. It was super awesome! There was some fiasco-ness in setting up and cleaning up, but it was good. We were kind of the life of the party, seeing as we dressed up as Babbi Natale ( Santa Clause(s) ), so that was pretty awesome. I just realized I don't have any other adjectives in my vocabulary other than "awesome". Is that a problem?

We went caroling!!! AND! After everyone telling us it wasn't going to work, that it's different in Italy, it's not like in America, people will laugh, and after all the negativity, it was awesome. My hands are very cold though. I may actually be risking frostbite. (That was an extreme exaggeration btw, no actual dangers are involved). But yeah, it worked! We didn't have too much time, but in the time we were out there several people stopped to see what our poster said, and then eventually one lady stopped and took a picture, and stood there for a couple of seconds, so we stopped singing and asked her what she thought. Next thing we knew she was asking to sit down and we were engaged in a 30 min conversation about the gospel. In the end, she wasn't very interested, but we're going back out tomorrow and saturday with high hopes!

Venice was awesome!

haha, I don't know what else to add to that. You kinda just have to see it. I took plenty of pictures, so that may help.

Also, two of our investigators are making huge leaps of progress!!! They're very busy people, but they are always talking to each other about our church, and discussing different principles. The part that made me even more excited, was on tuesday at our lesson when she was telling us about her reading of the Book of Mormon, she said that she just "feels more and more like this is the right church". Man, they're awesome!!

well.... 9 days? yup. Thanks for all of the continued support! I love you all!

W

Anziano Bushman

Christmas treats!

In Venezia

Me and my companion in Venezia

We were the life of the Branch Christmas party!

The Gorizia Branch Christmas party

We had some success talking to people as we sang Christmas Carols on the street.

Still Going Strong! Dec 12, 2012

Still going strong this week! All of our investigators are doing pretty well still, and we've even found a few more potentials.

It snowed!!! About 4", and then it kept partially melting and refreezing creating a nice layer of ice to threaten anyone who wanted to walk on the unshovelled sidewalks of Gorizia. I have not, however, fallen yet. I've been having a hard time feeling my toes, ears and fingers, but I'm still goin' as strong as an ox, and as healthy as a bowl of salad! (too corny? probably.) But this snow caused our Branch President to decide to cancel church for the week. So that was weird. We would have been at a loss of what to do, but then a member gave us a call needing their shovel back, so we went and picked some ice from their drive way (meriting a lunch as well) and we got to bless the sacrament for them, so that was fun. Easily the strangest sunday I remember, but it was fun.

Tomorrow we're going to have our caroling test run, so we'll see how it goes. The idea is that people will stop and ask us what we're doing, or why, or something, and thus we'll be able to find the people that want to talk to us and about religion. We'll see how it goes =)

vi voglio bene!
Anziano Bushman

Christmas Season is Here! Dec 5, 2012

Well, we had some more awesome lessons this week! We saw Alice twice this last week, and taught her all about the Plan of Salvation, and things are just going great!

There's also another couple from english class that we've started teaching. It was actually even quite the miracle how they found us! This miracle started a couple of weeks ago when we were walking in a nearby city to the bus stop so we could get home, and this guy pulls over his car in front of us real quick and jumps out of the car to ask us if we still do english class hahah. So we explained when and where it was, and then a couple of weeks later him and his fiancè started coming to the class! They always ask us about our church, and so last thursday we set up a lesson with them to talk about the Restoration of the Church, and it went great!

Really, things couldn't be much better! Christmas Season is here!

vi voglio bene!

Anziano Bushman

A Good Week! Nov 28, 2012

WOOT! This week was awesome. I knew it couldn't be long before I'd get a good week to tell you about!! =)

SO. First. Last Wednesday, right after email, we went to a service project that was pretty far away, and upon coming home, we decided to clean up super quick so we could go back outside and pass by a contact, because they had told me in the past that wednesday nights were the best for them. So, we got over there, and they were home! (already a miracle because the husband is a Military Police, and has crazy work hours) So, seeing as we hadn't gotten to teach them yet, we just expected to pass by for 2 min, and set up an appointment or something, but they had just finished dinner, and so they had plenty of time. The wife (Serena) was super elect! She had read the Plan of Salvation pamphlet we had left, and she had looked on the website a bit, so she had already built up a fair amount of questions, and she was sincerely interested in what it would mean for her if this message really is true! So now tonight we have another lesson with them!

Friday (not thursday) we had Thanksgiving. We ate at the Bressan's house. The only catch, was we ended up buying and making (nearly) everything! It was a little stressful, but with the help of Micol (their oldest daughter, soon to get married in Washington State) it went very smoothly! We made mashed potatoes, stuffing, apple pie, homemade rolls, and we had 3 chickens instead of a turkey. Turkey takes too long. But it was super good, and everyone loved it! So, yeah! Success!

Another cool miracle, was from English Class. We had to take over English class this week because the usual teacher was out of town. So we got to the church early to set up, but we weren't the only ones there early. Two of the newer students were also there, even though the class didn't start for another 20 min. side note: recently we've been recognizing that a lot of our english class students could even be interested in the Gospel, we were just having some difficulty moving from teaching them english, to teaching them the Gospel. So first thing they ask us is about coffee. They had heard about some of our beliefs, and they wanted to know what the real story was. They had a lot of questions! And by their comments, we even were able to find out that they had been talking a lot about our church in the last couple days!! So, from there it was really easy to ask if they wanted to learn more (which they did) and to set up an appointment! Go english class!

Another english class success, there's a family that's been very faithful in coming to english class, and they've invited us over for dinner, to have a sort of late thanksgiving! And they are also super great people, so I'm sure they'll be open to the Gospel!!!

Well, I'm really excited for these next couple weeks! I'll definitely have a good update for you all next week! vi voglio tutti un sacco di bene!!

Anziano Bushman

The Hastening of the Work! Nov 21, 2012

Welllll my new companion, Anziano Anderson, is a BOSS. He is THE coolest companion I have had yet by far! (if I have any old comps reading this, don't get offended, it wasn't you, it was me) But really. I feel like a lot of the times I've been the one to get on my companion's nerves, but Anz Anderson is just unstoppable!

It's still slow going with the work, but we're working hard! And we have several new finding techniques that we are really excited for.... one of them (of which President whole-heartedly approved) will even involve a guitar =) (inspired by Uncle Mike) I'll give you more details on that one once we actually get it going though =)

It's hard to believe that these two years are coming to an end. I never thought it would be this hard, and my thoughts go to home more and more each day.  But at the same time I have the strangest, unquenchable desire to still help everyone I can while I still have the time. These are important times! President Wolfgramm called these the times of the hastening of the work, what with the huge wave of missionaries coming. It's weird thinking about it too, because I won't be out in the field to see these changes. Instead, I'm probably one of the last missionaries to NOT see those changes (if you catch my drift). In somma, I feel a weird sort of responsibility to do what I can to help these new missionaries get off to a good start. AAAAAAND now I'm just rambling.

Well, I love you all. I hope you all have a great thanksgiving! I'll see you very soon!!!!

Anziano Bushman

Doing My Part Now & When I Go Home! Nov 14, 2012

Well, my last comp, the missionary who will "kill" me, is Anziano Anderson. I have never met him before, and all I've heard is that he's from the farm town of Delta, Utah and he's entering his 5th transfer. I've also heard that he's "pretty chill" so albeit that is one of the most generic descriptions I have ever heard, this could work out pretty well. My emotions haven't really caught up with the reality that I'm entering my last transfer, so I can't exactly say I'm freaking out. But I AM very excited to get things going here in Gorizia! I know I've been saying this for 6 weeks now, but there's a LOT of potential here, and if I don't see any baptisms, the missionary that takes my place here will for sure! With the Christmas season last year the people were a little more open. Not much, just a little. But still, I'm ready.

I am however super excited to come home. It's not the kind of excited where somehow it renders the person unable to think or do anything else, but every time I think about it I remember more and more things I could have done before to help God's Kingdom grow while I was still home. In fact, I strongly believe that a large part of the reason why we serve missions at such a young age, is to help us realize how much it is that members can do for the missionary work, and how they actually have WAY more influence than we do as full-time missionaries. It's true that we have been given the directive to teach, and the spirit will work through us as missionaries when we are teaching the gospel, but members are the ones that help change people's lives. It's the members in the area that will be a part of that person's life for good, and help strengthen them by being a good example. So that's what I wish I had done better, and that's what I can't wait to do when I get home =)  

But for now, I'm preparing to introduce the city to my new companion and start teaching God's children. Until next week! vi voglio tutti un sacco di bene!

Anziano Bushman

The Gondola's in Venezia (Venice)

Us and Manlio

Us and the Zuccòn family

The Italy/Slovenia border in Gorizia. It's famous:)

With the Schina family - S.lla Schina is from England, so the whole family speaks both english and italian.

English class!

Me in Venezia (Venice)

Members Make the Difference! Nov 7, 2012

Whoooot! Gorizia!

Well.... Time is running out. We actually have a LOT of "leads" you could call them. And we're being really blessed. We just have to make the next step and move them from "contacted" to "teaching". I feel like in the next 2 weeks though things are going to start getting a lot better. Even with holiday seson around the corner. We've been seeing members a lot lately, trying to get to know everyone, and although it doesn't seem like it's a direct consequence of anything we've done, members are starting to bring all kinds of friends and relatives that actually want to learn more about the gospel, to church! It's exciting!!!!

Well, I feel terrible writing so little, but there's not anything else to report on...

vi voglio tutti un sacco di bene!

Anziano Bushman