Elder Greer, Bushman and Danderidge at the mission office on transfer day

 Service with a smile..... Elders B., H., B. and N.

My trainer, Elder W. going home!

Collard greens, pig feet, and such.....

Dear Family, Well what a wonderful week it has been! I don't even know where to start but I guess I'll start by answering Dad's question about all the different stuff I have eaten since I have been here and surprisingly enough it has all happened while I have been in Savannah. But I have eaten: collard greens, ox tail, pig feet, chicken liver, gizzard, and who knows what else. The thing is that I have loved all of it, except the chicken liver and gizzard, that was disgusting, but everything else tasted great. However, once I realized that I was eating pig feet, I got kind of grossed out because Elder L said, "Elder Bushman you hate feet, and you are eating it right now." Yeah I was pretty disturbed after that haha But I love southern food and I think collard greens are great, it's just all really bad for you.

This week started off with a lesson at B's house. He made us shish kabobs, I don't know if that is how you spell it but I tried anyway, but it tasted amazing! I love that food so much, it was great and then we watched the Testaments with them and they absolutely loved it! 

On Wednesday, I'm skipping Tuesday because nothing real special happened, we just found some new investigators, but on Wednesday we drove down to Jacksonville to transfer meeting. Elder H who is living with us is training so we were very excited to see who his new missionary was going to be. I just love being around new missionaries too. It's a lot better when you aren't the one training them, I assume it would kind of be like being a grandparent; you get all the benefits of being around them with out having to raise them. Elder N and I were hoping it would be Elder G since he is from Farmington, but instead he got Elder F, even better! Elder F is from the Dominican Republic and he is such a great missionary. He is black so he will be perfect for Savannah and I just love him already. He is the only active member in his family and is now on a mission, how amazing is that? I really hope that his being on a mission will get his family in gear. That night he had his first baptism too because they had a baptism ready to go for that evening, that's like every new missionaries dream, so it was incredible. 

The rest of the week we were really just preparing for B's baptism, we were just so excited for it, because not only was he being cleansed and getting on that strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life, but he was going to have a lot of non-member friends and family at his baptism. So Saturday roles around and we are super excited, we made sure everything was going to be just perfect for the baptism and the service. B's whole family showed up, which was about 6 people, and a lot of his friends as well. All in all there were probably 30 people there at the baptism and only a few of them were actually members from our ward. The service was amazing, we started off with singing “I Need Thee Every Hour,” which is one of my favorites and then Elder N gave a great talk on Baptism, then B went to the font. The spirit was super strong as he was immersed in the water, being born again spiritually into a great new world. We then went back to the Relief Society room and as B was changing Elder N and I taught the restoration to all the people that were there, it was amazing!  I don't know if the teaching was amazing but the opportunity was haha Then when B came back I got up there again and gave a talk on the Holy Ghost and then B got up there and bore his testimony to everyone and basically invited them all to learn more, it was fantastic! Everyone was very impressed with the service and thought it was great! After that we went out to dinner with everyone and we had the chance to talk to some of the people that were there and they were asking us all sorts of questions about what we do as missionaries and they were very impressed so I am hoping we get some referrals soon. But anyway it was just a great day, and my joy is full.

Then to make it even better, B went up to K, the other person we are teaching, and told her that she would be next in a few weeks. So on Sunday we taught her the Gospel of Jesus Christ and invited her to be baptized on the 12th, and she said yes! The Lord is just merciful, that's all I have to say. The only thing now is that she needs to get permission because she is a minor so pray that she can, we will need all the help we can get! She is great though, she has been coming to church for the last 2 months as well, about the same time as B. She is the cousin of L, B's girlfriend, but it is V, L's sister, who is the one that has been working with her. The D family has just been doing an amazing job at doing missionary work! I'm glad to hear that you have been having some missionary experiences Mom, I wish I would have been better at doing missionary work back home. Anyway so now we are preparing for K's baptism and we are going to be super busy this month because of all the trade offs and we have 2 zone leader councils, and we have a leadership training week, so yeah it is going to be crazy but I love crazy! I'm going to send some pictures, so thanks for all you all do and have a wonderful week, love ya! Love, Eld

I'm sooo happy!

Dear Family,  Thanks for the pictures mom.  That was really funny about the missionary Mom's lunch. Those other mothers must be amazing women for the kind of men they raised that are out here in the mission, Elder A, Elder R, Elder N, and Elder B are some of my most favorite missionaries! The great news is......I get to stay another transfer here in Savannah!!!!!!!! One of the missionaries that lives with us, Elder H, is training as well, so I am really hoping that he gets to train Elder G so that there can be 3 Farmington Boys living at the Fenwick! (That is what we call our house because it’s on Fenwick Avenue).  By the way I did know Greg Forbush, he graduated with Devin and Elder B, so I went to Elementary, Jr. High and High School with him. Elder B already told me about him however, that is really crazy. It's just hitting me harder and harder about how fragile life really is. We have been teaching the Plan of Salvation a lot lately and I have been reading the Book of Mormon again and wow, the Plan of Salvation is so important, everything wraps around it, I don't even know how to explain it, but it is incredible! 

Anyway, I am just really happy!  I wanted so badly to stay in Savannah to be here so I could finish up the work that Elder N and I had started and now I am getting the opportunity to finish it off and keep it going! I just love it up here in Savannah so much, it really has felt like home and become my home on my mission, plus this will be my first 6 month area, so it should be fun! It feels like I just got here yesterday though, it’s intense. Anyway, I will talk about the week now. Well things are going really good, BG is getting baptized this upcoming Saturday and he is just one of the most amazing people I have ever met. He finished the Book of Mormon the other day and prayed about it and got a confirmation that it was true and he just understands the Gospel so well. He figured out that it was true before he even asked us to teach him, so now I kind of understand how the Utah missionaries feel, It's like we don't even teach anything we just go over and review the lessons for them haha  But it really has been a blast teaching him because we can go so much more in depth with him then we can some of the other people we teach, and he is really smart so he understands and comprehends it all. He is a pharmacist so that really helps, like the other night we taught the Plan of Salvation and he asked us about heavenly mother. Well we explained it to him and just told him how it is and he accepted it and said it made sense! Oh it is so nice when they already have a testimony. He is just doing so great and he has already started making plans to go to the temple, and to serve a mission when he is older. I am definitely going to come back when he and L get sealed in the temple, it is going to be amazing!  Tonight we are going over to watch the Testaments with him and eat dinner, we are super excited; he is an amazing cook!

All of our other investigators are progressing nicely. K is also very amazing and very solid. We taught her the plan of salvation yesterday and she understood it and knew it made sense and she just loves it all. We haven't set a date with her yet. T is doing great, she gave me a call the other day and told me how she is feeling the spirit at work to help her with her patients and how happy it is making her, it's incredible! She went from zero faith to now recognizing and understanding the Spirit in her life. 

So we are visiting with this partially less-active member named Brother B. He is a black man and he loves the gospel. Well anyway the other day he bore his testimony to us and was like yelling and through his arms up and said "I KNOW THE PROPHET IS REAL!"  It was so good to hear from him and then we asked him to sing us some soul music, with which he proceeded to do and it actually sounded really good haha Then we sang a song for him out of the hymn book. Elder Neville and I aren't the best at singing but we love to sing and do it all the time for people and they really enjoy it believe it or not. We have a lot of fun out here, I just love it! We had a potluck at the church last night as well where he sang some more, it was great!

But anyway that is really all I have for the week, this week is going to be crazy with transfers and all. We are getting a lot of new missionaries in the zone and a lot of new district leaders, so we are really excited! Also we will be traveling a lot because we will be doing a lot of interviews, so it's just going to be a crazy week, but I love crazy weeks, I feel a lot more fulfilled when I'm stressed out, I don't know why but I think I perform a little better under a little stress. Anyway I love you all and have a wonderful week!

Love, Elder Bushman

And so it goes....

Dear Family,  Well it sounds like it has been quite the crazy week for you all back home. I'm glad Hunter won a game.  I am quite amazed at his determination to keep trucking through all of that.  To be completely honest, if I were him I would be getting so frustrated haha I think that is why I was blessed to have such a good team to play on when I was younger, I just didn't take losing very well and never have. And Dad I don't know why you felt prompted to talk to me about the frustrations of people not accepting or not seeing the grand vision but that was perfect. I have been feeling that a lot recently myself, just working with all these wonderful people who need the gospel so much but aren't willing to take the steps necessary to receive the blessings that come from it. I too just want to grab them and shake them and help them see what they are doing, but unfortunately that darn agency gets in the way haha When I was in Julington Creek Brother C would always joke about how he hated agency because so many people reject the gospel because of it, we had some good laughs. But the thing is that it’s not just the people that we are teaching but it is the missionaries that our under our stewardship as well. I've never felt so responsible and so helpless all at the same time in my whole life. Our zone is so big, it's so hard to reach out to all the missionaries and help them and so they are a lot of the time left unto themselves to do the work and I just worry all the time about how to help them more and help them see their potential as missionaries and as children of God really. A mission is so vital to rest of someone’s life, I’m really beginning to realize this more and more because there is so much you can learn in these two years that you couldn't learn anywhere else and you just want to help them understand that. So yeah I know exactly where you are coming from and it is really easy to get frustrated. I was really frustrated this morning actually because as a zone we had a really bad week, but then I realized I can only do so much and things happen, we’ve just got to be patient and love those that we serve. 

Anyway this week was a really good week. However, all 5 of our dates that we had have fallen through because they weren't able to make it to church so that was a bummer, but that didn't worry me at all because the Lord just provides people. On Monday we were able to teach BG, who has been coming to church for the last month with a lady in the ward, his girlfriend. He finally decided that he wants to be taught and be baptized, so we had a wonderful lesson with him on the restoration and he made us some great burgers. We then taught him on Saturday at a member’s home and he decided that he wants to be baptized on the 28th! Then on Wednesday another member who we have been working with to teach her cousin finally said that her cousin was ready and we had an amazing bible study class at the church Wednesday night. We started in a room and talked about the Priesthood and what it was and where it came from. Then we went into the Chapel and talked about how the priesthood is used in the church today and how it is the same as it was back when Christ was around. Then we went to the Relief Society room and watched the Restoration and talked about how the priesthood was restored. then we went to the baptismal font and talked about how saving ordinances must be performed by the priesthood, it was amazing! The spirit was so strong the whole time. Afterwards, V who is the member, told us that as soon as K got into the car she started to cry because she felt the spirit so strong and everything began to click and make sense and she asked V if she could be taught. So we were able to teach her on Sunday and she told us that she wants to get baptized as well. So even though all 5 of our dates that we set fell through, to miracle people just come out of nowhere and are ready to be baptized!

But anyway that was basically the highlights of the week and so we are really excited! the only problem is that transfers are coming up in a week and I've been here for 3 transfers now, so I'm a little worried that I will be leaving since it has been my record so far to never be in an area for more than 4 months. But I am praying that President Barry will leave me here in Savannah 1 more transfer because if he does we will definitely have probably 5 or more baptisms this upcoming month. But I know that wherever I go will be where the Lord needs me to go. Sorry that this letter is a little shorter this week but we are kind of rushed because the other missionaries are already done and they are waiting on me, so I got to get going. Thank you for all you do, love you all, have a great week!  Love, Elder Bushman

Zone Conference

3 Farmington boys - Elder Bass, Elder Bushman and Elder Neville

Savannah Zone

Another Blessed Week!

Dear Family, Wow, another week has just flown right on by, I cannot believe that it is already Easter again. It really felt like yesterday that I was in the Atlantic area with Elder Zabriski just trekking on our bikes in April, wow, it's just incredible how time flies by. Well sorry I won’t have much to respond back to because I didn't get a letter from mom yet, it will probably come this afternoon, but I did get the pictures and the email from Dad so thank you for those. Doing that work on the house seems like it was a lot of fun, I've decided that I like doing strenuous labor, it makes you feel good even though it doesn't feel so good. I think that is why I have gotten so into running now, it just makes you feel good after. Anyway, that picture of Heber kind of freaked me out, I haven't seen a picture of him in months and he looks so much different, I don't even recognize him anymore.

Anyway I will talk about my week now. Our week went amazing! On Monday night we went and saw Sister B and she pretty much rebuked us the whole time we were there. She didn't like how we were always out past dark and was telling us that we need to be obedient to the scriptures and follow the spirit when it comes to talking to people, because we just talk to everyone. It was nice because she was concerned for us but at the same time she just doesn't understand, so after she was done I asked if I could respond. I thanked her very much for her concern but then told her that this is what we have been called to do by a Prophet of God and as long as we are obedient to the rules we have been given we are protected. It all ended well but she had totally forgotten a lot of things. It’s been a whole month since she has been to church because she found a job and we can't ever meet with her because she is always tired from working, she is going to work herself to death.  We then went to go see this lady that we met in the elevator the week before, her sister had been baptized in Augusta. We went and taught her and set a date with her for the 28th. 

I can't remember much that went on in the earlier part of the week other than that, we went to a few district meetings in R and B but that's about all I can remember, mainly because I missed writing in my Journal that day haha.  But we have been preparing people for baptism mainly. However we had an amazing day on Wednesday, we went on a trade off with the Assistants and it ended up being a wonderful night. Before every trade off we ask or get asked what we want to work on, well I wanted to work on receiving more referrals because it has been something Elder N and I have been struggling with and I told Elder R this. They showed up kind of late in the day so we didn't have a lot of time to work together because we had a few appointments, an interview, and a scripture study class to teach. After meeting with an investigator I asked a referral from him. He told us to go to the Brentwood apartments but didn't have a specific name. Anyway that night we had to do an interview and teach the class at the church.  We had nothing to do afterwards so we decided to pray for the Lord's guidance and I felt impressed that we should see Brother C, however I knew the other elders were going to see him so we decided to see O instead. On the way to see him we got a text from the other Elders to go see Brother C, so we did. While we were there a man called Brother C, his name was J L. He had run into Brother C down at the Georgetown Building about a month and a half ago and wanted to meet with him again, and guess where this man lived....He lived in the same place that our investigator had referred us too earlier in the day! We got the referral we were seeking for, it was incredible!  Anyway we went and saw J Saturday morning with Brother C and as soon as Elder N and I met this man we felt this enormous amount of love for him, something that I haven't felt with too many of the people I have taught, and we both felt it. He is just so humble and so ready for the gospel, it was incredible. We taught him the Doctrine of Christ and set a date with him for the 21st, the Lord is just rich in mercy.

To top it all off, on Sunday while we were at church, there is this man named B that has been coming for the longest time, he is dating one of the girls there. He was talking to our ward mission leader and told him he wanted to get baptized. They turned around to us and we have an appointment with him tonight!  Wow, I am just so humbled and grateful for what the Lord is doing for us, it's amazing!  He told us that when President Uchtdorf spoke and said "come home" he just broke down and he knew it was true, he had no more questions.  It was just wonderful, I love the Spirit so much it just amazes me every day. So these are the things going on here in S, and I just love being a missionary! Well I love you all and hope you have a great week!  Love, Elder Bushman

Zone Leader Council

Wow!

Dear Family,  Wow it has truly just been such a spirit packed, spirit filled week this week and I have loved every minute of it. It is good to hear that things are going well back home and that life is continuing to go on very well. I hope you all enjoyed conference as much as I did because it was probably one of the most powerful ones that I have ever been to! This conference I came in with the Question of how I could be more humble and less competitive. The reason being because I love having good numbers and being at the top of the board, and I really wanted some good advice or "rebuking" on how to be more humble and grateful that others are doing really well even if it was better than our companionship. It's just ridiculous that I should even feel competitive about stuff like that I mean honestly its all a team effort, however on the other side it keeps me really motivated, so I was looking for that happy medium. Well I sure got my prayers answered as I got rebuked the whole conference! It seemed like so many people talked about having an eye single to the glory of God and that the only honor that we should ever seek is the Lord's and nobody else's. That really hit me hard, something I already basically knew, but I just think I needed one of the Apostles to say it so I could be spiritually rebuked and have more motivation to change haha So these last couple of days I have been really focusing hard on being grateful for what I have and drawing my motivation from my love for the Lord rather than my love to compete. However, in Zone Leader Council this week I suggested that we should make a competition out of a certain aspect of missionary work that we were discussing and Sister Barry full heartily agreed with me and thought it would be a great idea because that is how she was raised, but we both realized that it probably wouldn't work because that is not how everyone was raised, but it made me feel better that I wasn't the only one that liked having a competition haha

Anyway, this week we had a great week, we were able to go out on a trade with President Barry on Thursday which was a blast. I love working with President Barry he is one of the most amazing men I know, he really is like my second dad. (Don't worry dad I still love you more) We had the chance to go see T. who I have been teaching for the longest time and the whole time she just talked us up to president, telling him how great we are and how much we changed her life, it was really funny. I think she thought we were being checked on or something and that we needed a good grade but anyway we were able to go over the Baptismal Interview questions with her and she was solid with everyone of them and understood them, so we are really excited for her baptism on the 21st. Then we were able to go see our investigator D and she did the exact same thing! She sat and talked us up and told President how amazing we are haha She told him and assured him that we work very had and that we are very good missionaries, yeah....I think she had the same mindset as T as well. But the great thing was that we were able to set a date with D as well for the 15th of April, she is a really cool lady. Both of them watched conference and enjoyed it.

Oh this week I had a fun encounter with a Jehova's witness. We were knocking some doors and tracted into this lady and just started talking about God and how he had blessed her life and she was very happy to talk about it. Eventually at some point in the conversation she asked us, "Did you know God had a name." and we said, "yes, it's Heavenly Father." She said, "No, it's not, that is just a title.." I said, "no it's not, that is what he wants to be known as because he is our Father and he wants us to address him as such." she said, "No that is just a title and he has a real name." I said, "I know where you are going with this, you think his name is Jehova...well let me ask you this...would you call your father by his first name when you address him?" she said no. I said, "Neither would I. I would call him Dad because that is my relationship with him, i wouldn't call him Marty, I would call him father. Now God is the Father of us all and he is no different." well that kind of shocked her at first, but then she tried to argue with me that my Dad isn't everyone elses dad and that if she were to talk to him that she would call him by his first name. Well duh! My Father isn't God, he's only my father, but God is the Father of us all and we are all brother's and Sisters. Anyway, the conversation went downhill quite a bit and we decided to agree to disagree but it was just one of those moments where I was sick of people trying to justify something that was completely false. Now I know how you feel Dad whenever I tried to argue with you about something that never made sense, and I apologize. haha

so anyway that was just a fun Story, but after Conference last night we had the chance to go over to see one of our investigators and we set a date with her as well. So as of right now we have 3 baptismal dates for the month of April which we are really excited about, and the Lord is definitely blessing us. Now I just pray that we can continue to find elect people that are ready for the Gospel because lately we have just been finding people that aren't elect, so keep praying for us, I really do appreciate all of your prayers. I am just so grateful for the gospel and the powers of heaven. It's incredible that people can be so far away yet have such a great influence on someone by saying a simple prayer.  This General Conference really hit me, there were just so many good talks and such a great spirit, that it made me motivated to always be a doer of the word not a hearer only. I loved the talk about how you can be Active in the Church but not in the Gospel and I think that is how I was most of my life growing up, but now I understand the importance of both and how both are necessary to salvation. It's just given me a lot to think and ponder about. But anyway, I got to get going, but I love you all and have a great week!

Love, Elder Bushman