May 29, 2017

This week I found out that I'm being transferred. Sadness. I am being transferred to Windsor, and my new companion is Elder Fraser. It will be good, but I'm sad to go.

I will definitely miss the Union and Ute Creek wards so much! There are so many wonderful people there, and I really learned a lot from them and enjoyed serving with them. I'm going to miss everybody so much 

I will be mindful of them always in my prayers. 

This week was pretty awesome. We have really continued our efforts in working with members and helping them to use PMG. It has been awesome to continue to develop those relationships with the awesome members in this mission, and it has been cool to see many of them get excited about missionary work! 

The success is always in the invitation. 

We also spent a lot of time helping people move this week. It is helpful to have a truck, because then everyone calls you to have you help them. We probably spent about 7 hours total helping people move this week. Fun times. 

Also. I finally learned how to work those ratchet strap thingys! You know those things that everyone uses to move but nobody knows how to use? Yeah those. I finally learned how to use them. Greatest accomplishment this week for sure 

In my studies this week, I've been trying to catch up with our mission's Book of Mormon challenge. We are planning to finish the Book of Mormon by September. We read about 4 pages per day. Currently I am in Mosiah chapter 3, which is pretty behind, but it's okay. I will catch up someday. 

I was reading in Mosiah chapter 2 verse 34. King Benjamin is summarizing what he has taught in the chapter and he says this:

 "Ye are eternally indebted to your heavenly Father, to render to him all that you have and are." 

I love that. All that you have and are. 

Are we willing to do this? To give to our Heavenly Father all that we own and all that we are is a big thing. It can be seen in terms of consecration, but it can also be seen in terms of humility. God has given us everything, and He has even created us, so we are eternally indebted to him to give him everything. We are blessed even more when we do. I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father. 

Sorry that this email has been fairly boring. I promise that mission life is seriously the best. This week has been one with a lot of learning and a lot of repenting for me. (Good things) 

I am grateful for all of you and the influence you have had on my life! 

I love you all very appropriately.

Elder Bush

(More pictures next week, I have to be boring this week. Sorry. Just imagine me having a good time with some other missionaries, and a bunch of pictures of the homies from Longmont) 

To Mom:

I also loved Alma 26. It teaches me a lot about humility and about how
to rely on God. I think often we think that humility is tearing
ourselves down, but it really is just giving God the glory for what is
accomplished.

Everything that I am, I owe to God. That is something I need to
remember constantly so that I can not be lifted up in pride.

It is the same for salvation! Sometimes we think we are saved because
of ourselves, but it is solely because of Jesus Christ that we are
saved. It is through His merits and mercy and grace that we are saved.
When we live the gospel, we aren't saving ourselves. We are allowing
Jesus Christ to save us, and we are applying His mercy and grace to
help us become better people. I love the Plan of Salvation, and I love
how the proud cannot understand it. We must be humble in order to see
the truth.

I was really sad to leave Longmont. It was rough for me to say
goodbye. There were even a few people who cried when I left. I am
going to super duper miss those people. I love them so much.

Also, I love the parable of the Lord's vineyard in Jacob 5. We are
called to labor with Him, to bring His children home!

Another thought that I have tried to live by: the crowning
characteristic of love is always loyalty. Do we really love Jesus
Christ, or do we just automatically say we do? In John chapter 21,
Peter seems to automatically respond that he loves the Lord, and I
think I do that too. I've been learning a lot so I can really learn to
love the Savior.
Everything we experience in this life is designed to help us live the
first and greatest commandment, to love God. When we love God,
everything else falls into place. It's awesome. I am learning to do
that a little bit more.

I'm sorry that my emails this week haven't had a lot of updates about
investigators or about the work very much. Nothing too exciting
happened this week. Mostly just finding and working with members. This
week has honestly been a blur.

I love you! Sorry it wasn't longer, it took us 4 hours to drive to
martins cove and we spent 4 hours there. We are stopping for dinner,
so we will have wifi then, so I've typed this up while we are driving.
Plus, it's a whole bunch of missionaries in one van, and we are all
really good friends, so I can't really email lol I've tried. Hahaha