Elder Robert Jonas Bush: January 2, 2017

I definitely have had had a wonderful year. What is really bizarre to me is to think of what I was doing just one year ago! So much has happened and the time has really flown by.

Right now I am still working on formulating my goals. I have a couple right now- one is more of a mantra and the other more of a goal I guess. The first one is "Rest later" because a lot of missionaries tend to lose steam after being in the field for a while and I've noticed that in myself a little bit. The second goal is simply to journal every day. So far, I've done it.

I started that one on December 31st.

I'm so happy that you guys are doing mission preppy things every Sunday! I'm excited to hopefully continue that with you guys when I get home.

We'll work on some more memories later I guess lol

Some of the best memories I have are of us doing dumb things and laughing hysterically late into the night lol so I love the scripture charades thing because it helps me know that that is still going. I love it xD

So my new companion is Elder Callahan. He is from Casa Grande, (pronounced Casa Grand) Arizona. He is a total cowboy. He wants to be a rancher when he goes home and loves to rodeo, so he fits right in here in Wyoming. We get along very well. I absolutely loved being with Elder Coleman. He is awesome and we are really really good friends. I'm excited for this new transfer with Elder Callahan too. We are working together well and already have a good friendship.

So today I don't have the most time to email because I'm helping take care of Elder Turner, who I will include a picture of below. He is deathly sick today with a cough and with some sort of stomach flu.

He hasn't even felt well enough to email his family today, and his companion wanted to get a haircut today so we did a mini switch and I'm taking care of Elder Turner and Elder Callahan is going with his companion.

This week has been good, although I have also been pretty sick. The mornings have been the roughest part, because I wake up feeling absolutely horrible and so I sleep in to get a little bit more rest so I can work for the rest of the day... which makes me frustrated, because I don't feel guilty for sleeping in because I'm sick and I need the rest, but it's frustrating because I want to be up and moving. But fortunately my sickness is wearing off so I can start exercising again. I think I may have passed it on to elder Callahan though.......

I also have a talk in church on Sunday. It was a very cool experience. Usually I am super nervous and worried about speaking in front of a large group of people, but I wasn't nervous at all, I was actually super comfortable up there. I could've stood up there for 30 or 40 minutes and talked without a problem. Maybe that's not a good thing, I don't know lol but it was very cool to be comfortable and feel directed by the Spirit as I gave my talk. I gave it on setting goals for the new year, and specifically setting missionary goals. So I know that you all have already set some goals for missionary work and stuff, but I invited them and I think I will invite you guys to hold a family council and set some goals to do missionary work as a family. As we have been following up with the members here we are seeing some cool things happening in these families: one family set a goal to be instrumental in bringing one non member to baptism. Each child set goals, and two of them are getting baptized this year and so they set goals to invite 10 non members to their baptism! Which is way cool. The dad set a goal to invite someone to church every month and to hand out a copy of the Book of Mormon every month. It is really cool to realize that as missionaries, we aren't here to do all the work. One of our main purposes is to help the members do their missionary work.

It's so crazy that Gideon is 5! Happy Birthday to him! I love that kiddo. He is so cute.

I think I say this every email, but give all the kids a big hug for me. I love them so much and I love you. You are such an awesome example. I love reading these quotes and spiritual thoughts that you have throughout the week. It really uplifts me spiritually.

I love you!

Elder Bush