Photos!

 Elder Bush celebrating his 20th birthday at his apartment and at Monroe Chicken--kind of a tradition for the elders to go there.

 The birthday shirt Alisa and her kids made for Steven's birthday

 Elder Bush and his Companion, Elder Tana from Hawaii

 The baptism of Janet--She was afraid of the water but she did it!

 Basketball near the river in New Kru Town

 The Primary Program--didn't go so well because the mics weren't working

 The coolest elder in Liberia-he thinks..

I'm Coming Home

Just kidding I will never be coming home I think after two years they'll just tell me to stay.  Ha bet I scared my mother and a few other people.

In other news, this week was just another ordinary week. I feel like each week when I come to write my letter I forget about all the stuff that has happened during the week. 

OH I just remembered one. Okay on Monday last week we went to play basketball in another area on a court that is actually not that bad for Liberian standards. It was really fun, but then it wasn't even until later that night that I realized that I had lost my mission phone. I was so bummed because all of the people that we talk to each day are on that phone. I called it and it was still ringing which I thought was odd. The next morning we called it again and it was still ringing but no one was answering. We decided to take a chance and go there in the morning to look for it before going out to teach. We looked around the court for a while and finally had the other missionaries call it and by some miracle we found it! It had gotten kicked off the side of the court I think and was hidden in the grass so no one saw it and took it. I really believe that God hid it so no one would find it because he knew how important it is to our work. I tell God thank you. 

I just have one other really long but amazing story I want to share. Once upon a time there were 3 little girls that visited the church in an another area and wanted to be learn more and be baptized in the church. Because Elder Bush is very stubborn he insisted that we met with their parents to teach the family before the actual possibility of a baptism would take place. Finally, we met with the parents. I will focus on the single mother of one of the 12 year old girls and her 9 year old brother (although the parents of one of the other girls both are attending church they can't be baptized until they solve their marriage issue). So, we finally met with this woman and her two children but at first it wasn't looking too great. She told us that she had already been baptized and she liked to shake body (dance) in her church. We basically just told her that we wanted her just to visit along with some other scriptures that helped us with our case. She agreed... 

5 Sundays in a row now she and her children have attended the church. She reads the places we give her in the Book of Mormon. She believes and prays about what we tell her to be true. And this gone Sunday she told us that she wanted to pay her tithe before she becomes a full member. Every time that we see her she just looks so happy. She gives us food every time that she comes and tells us that she has no problem with getting baptized now. We are hoping that next transfer she will enter the waters. She is absolutely my favorite person to teach and I love meeting with her and seeing the difference in how she was before and how she is now. This gone Sunday I was praying and fasting that she would continue to progress and overcome the fear of being baptized in the church. I love this gospel so much. 

This letter is very long now so I'll end here. We played football (soccer) today and that was fun but I should never be a goalie again. Africans are crazy. 

Love you all,

Elder Bush

P.S. Pray for your country and this Presidential election. I'm proud to be a Liberian now ;)

Short and Sweet

This week will be short because we played basketball today and we got a little behind but at least I'm getting to you!

Really fun to play basketball today but so much heat and sunburn which is sweet I have an awesome farmers tan. This week was not too eventful. Someone broke into our compound this week which just means inside our gate. All they stole was just two pairs of shoes which were outside (unfortunately one of which was my sandals for a reason I don't understand) and they reached inside our window in a different room and took one of my flash drives which made me sad. The only thing that I had on it though was just pictures which are still on my memory card so that's good. Just have to be more careful I guess. I will copy all of my pictures from my camera onto another flash soon. Then I can send some. 

We had over 30 investigators in church again this gone Sunday. One of the members also made me a bunch of food for my birthday last week which was really sweet of her. They have a lot of money which made me fel better because everyone wants to cook for us but I always feel bad when they don't have any money because it's like, I don't need that food you do! But yeah. 

One couple said that they would be getting married in December so we could finally baptize them because they've been coming to church for so long now! That made me happy. Everything is okay here! We also had interviews with President this week which were good.

Love you guys! Hope God will be with this country after the election on the 8th... Pray for your country... 

Elder Bush

Out of the Teens

What's up everyone? yes I am no longer in my teenage youth and am now a big adult with lots of responsibilities and wisdom. I don't feel old, I feel the same. In fact, I still feel really young like I'm 17 or 18. 

Thank you so much for all the birthday wishes! it means a lot to me that you all sent your love from so far away. I bless Gah for ya'll-o.

This week was cool. I didn't do much for my birthday because I don't make too much of a deal out of it. We just went out and proselyted like any other Saturday. Today we did go in town to a nice little restaurant though to get some food which was pretty sweet. But I got a wonderful package from my beautiful mother that made me very much happy. Amazingly enough, she sent it on Tuesday and I got a call from the office saying that they had it on Friday! Only 3 days is insane. 

The really good news from this week though was from Sunday. We had 27 of the people that we are teaching come to church. Even 4 came late that we didn't technically consider to count because they were so late but still. Chi, Liberia is sweet! We're hoping for several baptisms in the next month or two. 

We had one baptism on my birthday which was sweet. Sister Janet is 9 years old and both of her parents are members. The reason she wasn't baptized when she was 8 was because apparently she was living with her grandma or something. She had a really hard time going in the water though because she was deathly afraid of going backwards. It was really sad but also kind of funny and she finally went and I was happy. Yeah. 

Short letter this week so I can try to respond to you all. Love you guys Liberia is cool sometimes.

Elder Bush

Photos

 The more exciting way to cut your lawn...

 This is a keke. Six Elders are crammed in this one.

What A Ride

Oh what a life here in Liberia. Things have gone up and down and all around this week it really was quite a roller coaster. 

I'm still doing well and everything is great in the life of this missionary so here is a little about my week. 

My companion and I had a little rough spot at the beginning of this week that we eventually figured out and everything is cool now. Kind of makes me want to never get married because I like my independence and doing what I want to do... But I guess maybe one day I will do that who knows. We had another service project where we use machetes and other stuff to cut down weeds and grass. Yes, we just use machetes! it's super tight and I'll probably bring some home. It was fun and ants here really suck.

I was feeling a little discouraged because I was thinking that this transfer (6 weeks) we will probably only have one baptism but then something happened... WE FINALLY FOUND A LEGALLY MARRIED COUPLE. I don't think you understand how difficult it is to find someone who is married legally here. I'm so excited to teach this family and hopefully see them progress. Bro Emmanuel and Martha are very kind and they have two children. One is 8 and the other is 6 and they are very willing to listen to us. They told us that next week they will visit us at the church and I really hope that is true it would make me so happy. Another blessing that came was another woman and her 3 children that came to church on Sunday and are ready for the gospel. She's not married, but she isn't living with a man. We taught all of them and are hoping they will be ready by November 19th. Even the ma of these small children that we were teaching came to church again and we weren't even able to see her this week because she wasn't home. Yesterday we had 21 investigators come to church and I couldn't be happier. I can really feel the blessings coming in and we're very hopeful for some upcoming baptisms. I love this work that we are doing so much. I look forward to helping others know the truth each and every day. 

After church we went and saw a less active woman who has been coming back to church and she had a bunch of food for us. Very nice plantains and chicken and all kind of stuff to make me fat but it was very sweet. 

The only other bad news was when my companion almost killed a keke driver because he wanted to charge us more than what the drive cost us... I held him back and he's doing okay now. We all learn from our mistakes so it's all good. Hopefully it won't happen again, I'm just glad I was there because that dude would be in the hospital right now if I wasn't. He said he was sorry and drove away nervously hahaha. 

No running water right now but hopefully that gets fixed soon. I'm happy right now and my stomach hurts a little bit but no wahala. I love you all. Keep me in touch and updated. 

Elder Bush

Wha Good Wit Da Fam

What's up my people. Aye I speakin the real coloqua now-o. I tellin you if I talk to you now now you would get me at alll. Just wait for two years to come I will speak it good good!

It's so weird to be on mission and actually love to study. This week I was going through Mosiah and read about Abinadi again. That man absolutely destroyed everyone that he spoke to. He spoke with power and authority and confounded people in their words. As I study I feel like I want to do the same. I feel that the more that I know, the more I can call upon the spirit to help me to bring people to a better understanding and testimony of the scriptures, including the Book of Mormon. I don't mean that I want to argue, but there is something really powerful about being able to defend yourself and your beliefs with both the Book of Mormon and the Bible. Sometimes I wonder if Pastors here actually read the Bible because they don't understand it.

We had a great week and we taught a lot of people. We began to visit some different people and had a bunch of people give us others to teach. We received one woman who when we met with her had like 9 other people (all women) sit down with us as well. They all listened and understood and said they would come to church. Unfortunately it rained so I'm sure that was their excuse. I love how Liberians are so ready and happy to share the gospel. They want their friends to know and tell people they should meet with the missionaries when they are saying false things about the church. It makes getting referrals and new investigators so much easier because usually we don't even have to ask.

One woman was near us as we were teaching a man named Emmanuel this week who said she was interested and would come to church. To our surprise, both her, her husband, and brother Emmanuel who had only come one time were all to the church on Sunday! Not yet sure if they're legally married but it was still wonderful to see. Also, the parents of these children that we have been seeing also came to church on Sunday! One of them had a concern because we don't "shake body" at our church, but hopefully we can work that out.

Oh Liberia is sweet. On Saturday I think, we were about to go out and all of the sudden HEAVY RAIN came. Chi, not small thing my man. It rained all day pretty much but the rain around 10 am was extreme. To be honest with you, I'm actually getting a little tired of the rain. I love it, but to have to walk in it and carry my umbrella everywhere is getting to be a pain. Plus, I get cold a lot even though it's like 80 degrees outside. I will die when I go home.

Everything here is very good. Our apartment is very nice and the people are great. No wahala from me :) Hope all is well at home and everyone appreciates the little things! I can never take constant power for granted again... Oh America.

Love you all!

Elder Bush