October 16, 2017

Hey everyone! 

This week I found out that I am being transferred to Rawlins, Wyoming! Just in time for the winter :) 

I am actually really stoked to go back to Wyoming! Rawlins has a population of about 9500 people, and there are 2 sets of missionaries out there, so we will be working with a pretty small population, but I am super excited to work out there, because I hear that the work is going really well out there! Regardless, please keep me in your prayers so I don’t freeze to death out there.

This week has been great because we have been able to spend a lot of time following up with the investigators we found last week! Turns out, quite a few of them are actually interested and we had great lessons with them. Sadly, none of them came to church, but we are doing our best to keep daily contact with them and help them to keep commitments.

If you didn’t realize already, we are on Facebook! This is a tool for us to help fellowship our investigators and share the gospel more. I am excited to keep using this to bring people to Christ! 

I’m sad to leave behind Elder McFadden. He has been a great companion! What a good guy. I am excited for the future though! I’ll keep you posted on Rawlins, Wyoming in the future. 

Love that is given appropriately to you all, 

Elder Bush

Picture 1:

At a meeting with other missionaries. I love these guys. They are some of my favorite people in the world. 

Email to Mom:

Hey Mom! 

This week I found out that I am being transferred! I am finally being released from my current position. Guess where I’m going....

Drumroll.........

Rawlins, Wyoming! 

If you don’t know where that is, that’s okay. Most people don’t. Rawlins is infamous in our mission for being “the armpit of the west”. There are 10,000 people living in Rawlins, and there are 2 companionships of missionaries, so we will have about 5,000 people each to work with. 

I’m going to be a district leader out there, and I will be with a pretty new missionary who is on his 3rd transfer. He has had some companions who have not been really good so far, so I’m hoping to be able to be a better example of what it means to be a missionary. 

And yes, I have been to Casper for zone conferences and many other times to drop missionaries off! Would Sister Jenning’s maiden name happen to be Bertagnole? Because that is a huge mormon name up in Casper. It’s a really big family that are all members of the church. I’ve never served up in Casper, so i don’t know a lot of members up there, but I know a few!

It sounds like you guys had a pretty crazy busy week! Lots of ups and downs. I’m glad that you and dad were able to go on a couple of dates. I don't know if i would count hobby lobby as a date, but i guess you could! Lol 

Hmmm advice for teens... friends are super important. It’s always hard when you have some close friends move away. I can’t believe how much life has changed since I’ve been gone. I feel like I will come home and everything should just be exactly how it was when I left. Hahaha I know that it wont be like that, but deep down i feel like that’s how it will be lol 

Anyways, i don’t know if i have advice for how to help them make friends, but I just know that having those friends is super important. I think they will miss the Jacobson’s for a while, but i think they will reach out and make new friends pretty quick. They sound pretty socially stable at this point. Which is good. I hope they aren’t socially awkward at all- because that’s always weird lol 

This week we spent a lot of time planning the transfer, but we also got a lot of proselyting done! We taught Josh and Lindsey again and we talked a lot about personal revelation with them. It was really beneficial for them. I hope they progress soon! They have a lot of hard questions. 

This week was really cool because of some super awesome experiences. First, do you remember Dave Miller? He was baptized in Loveland about a year ago, and he and his family were sealed this week! SO COOL! I did’t get to go, but I am so happy for them! It helps me know that we did do a lot of good while we were serving there. 

I also talked to Amanda and Spencer from Loveland, and Spencer is preparing to go to the temple to get his endowments! I am so excited for them! Amanda messaged me earlier this week because they were going through a rough time because their ward boundaries split and they have new sisters in their ward. I was able to listen to her problems and point her to her bishop, and now they are doing great. 

Facebook is a going well, because we can have daily contact with our investigators. We can send them conference talks or follow up on scripture study with them much easier. It’s awesome! I have to try hard to not be distracted. Also I created a new facebook account so I had to refriend everyone on there. It is weird to be on Facebook but I think as we keep trying to use it righteously, it will bless us and our investigators.

Also, my birthday list... I’m honestly not sure! Ties are always cool! I love DAZI ties and also Penguin ties. But other than that, I don’t need much. 

I’ll think on that and let you know if i need anything! Thank you. 

I love being a missionary. It’s literally the best. 

I love you mom! You are the best! I cannot express my gratitude to you enough. 

Love, 

Elder Bush