beating the odds

Christmas was great. I can't even explain how wonderful it was to be with my family. Though I wasn't there in person, I did feel I was there as well as Cecily. Modern technology really pulled through in the three-way calling thing. As happy as a person can be, their happiness is never complete without their family. It was a great day, and it's memory will carry me through until Mother's Day.

Our "White Christmas" a few days after Christmas Day was so awesome. The whole day was rocky: an exchange that took me to the other side of the Yuma Zone and some missing baptismal candidates, figuring out a way to get baptismal clothes and some getting permission from the mission president for a counselor in the branch presidency to do a baptismal interview right before the service ... it made me laugh because only two days before, I had reported to my family that I do not get stressed in the missionary duties. I was definitely stressed that day, but in the end, we literally dumped a big mess in the hands of the Lord, and it was all straightened out miraculously. The baptism was a very special one and we were very blessed.

I had also reported to my family that come the new year, I would be serving in a new place. Well, in San Luis we are beating the odds. I enjoyed seven-and-a-half months so much that I get to stay for nine. That's right, keep sending things to the same old address, I have not gone anywhere. I feel very blessed to be able to stay. I take it as a sign that I am either doing something right, or I am enough of a nuisance that President Craig just wants to keep me out of the way. Elder Villasenor and I will stay together again and we just got news of who else is coming down to our Zone. We're going to have another superb transfer from great teaching and great missionaries.

Everything continues to go well. Elder Villasenor just doesn't understand why I don't like soccer. I tell him I like to watch it, just like any other sport, but that I am so bad at it that I don't like to play. He continues to be stubborn.

The Church is true. I am grateful for the time of year at New Year's to make new goals and to refocus ourselves. It is an opportunity for me to become a better man and a better missionary. I hope we can all focus our goals up unto the Lord and seek His help in achieving our righteous desires. I love you all. Happy New Year.

-Elder Sam Bostwick

merry christmas

To all family and friends, I wish the most sincere Merry Christmas to all. I hope you are all with family enjoying fun traditions and a special few days.

To my family, I can't wait to talk with you tomorrow. It will truly be the best gift of all. Jo, Hyrum, Lizzie and Summer, be sure to go to bed early because Santa won't come if you are still awake.

Also, next week is transfers, so mail is going to be iffy this week. If you send it to me to get here by Tuesday, make sure it will actually get there by Tuesday, or just send it to the Mission Office: 1871 E. Del Rio Dr., Tempe, AZ 85282. I will let you know if I have a new address next Wednesday in my email. Love you all!

-Elder Sam Bostwick

wet christmas

Weather reports turned goofy at some point last week as they predicted coming rain. We ignored the possibility and were caught surprised. We are now in Day Two of consistent rain, something I have seen or even heard of in Arizona. The rain that comes here normally falls intensely, but quickly, which is exactly the opposite of what we are currently experiencing. This slow drizzle has been a welcome blessing, as I really do love the rain, and it is always nice to have a little bit of change. And somehow, rain seems to make the "cold" so much easier to handle.

We tick down to Christmas and all of our missionary activities show it. People are more willing to listen to our message during the Christmas time, and it is always a blessing to be able to touch somebody's heart that would normally be quite as receptive. There is a spirit in the season, and I pray that missionaries all over the world benefit from it.

Yesterday we had yet another road trip. There was a Tri-Zone Christmas Zone Conference yesterday in Casa Grande, about two-and-a-half hours from Yuma. We left early yesterday morning and arrived with only a few hours of proselyting left. The day was great, spent with some of my very favorite missionaries and enjoying the company immensely. It is always good to see President and Sister Craig, and this week, due the the interviews schedule and Zone Conferences, we saw them twice and that was also enjoyed greatly. I feel so blessed to be a missionary, as the life of a missionary is just a happy one. I hope I can find the same happiness in service in the rest of my life.

In my interview with President Craig this week, it seemed hard to explain to him how I feel about my testimony. My testimony is growing more and more every day and it is due to the grace of God in seeing His work in action. I know that the gospel is restored in our day through a prophet, and I cannot think of any other way to believe. I am happy, in a way I didn't even imagine before, but I know that feeling can go away. What I had a hard time explaining was my dedication to my testimony, not just that I have one--but what it means to me. I know what I have to do for the rest of my life, and it is very simple. All that is expected of us is to do everything as our knowledge of the gospel dictates to us. I cannot explain that with the justice it deserves, but I hope you can all feel the spirit of what I am saying. What is most beautiful is that I can help others gain the same change in their lives. I am a better person, and everybody will be, because I have acted on pure faith so many times--indeed sometimes I have wondered when I won't need just blind faith anymore. It is hard for me to not know why we do things, and to not understand God's purposes, but what is most important is that we just do it, and then the understanding comes. I testify that our faith is confirmed only after we act on it, only after we have actively demonstrated it.

I pray that you are all well, and that you are happy in this Christmas time. I love you, and I'm grateful for all who read my email/blog who give me an audience to rant at. Merry Christmas and enjoy the snow!

-Elder Sam Bostwick

adjusted

All last winter, I had to laugh at my companions and the people here in Arizona because they would all talk about how cold it was …. In Utah, I felt like I had become somewhat familiar with the feeling of cold and it definitely was not cold in Arizona. I would tease people and continued to wear a short sleeve shirt without a jacket the entire winter.

I am ashamed to announce that this year I am adjusted to the weather in Arizona and I am most sincerely cold here! Last night was just under 60 degrees and my hands were in my pockets the whole night, I wanted the heater on in the car and I just wished I had brought a jacket. From the way my body was reacting, you might have thought it was low 40s, literally, it was that silly. I've adjusted.

Last week I had a whole great email typed out, well written and thoughtful on the entrance of the Christmas season. A mis-calculated stroke of the fingers deleted it all in an instant, and my email was unretrievable. Hopefully, over time, I will let you all know how I feel about Christmas and you won't feel bad about the mistake.

This week has been more complicated than I would like. I like focusing on being a missionary and not having other things to worry about. I like being dedicated to the task at hand, and I like giving my all where I am at. Due to the requirements of a video audition I am preparing for the BYU Music Theatre department, I have been torn in my attention. Of course, all missionary time is completely dedicated to missionary things, but it is the free time--lunch, time before bed, and P-Day time--that are no longer as focused as I am used to. Hopefully all this hectic activity will end soon as I work to wrap everything up before the new year. With a lot of help from really charitable members from Yuma who I had never even met before, everything is coming together.

With more time in San Luis, I just love it more and more. I love working with our investigators--even the ones who progress very very slowly--and it is a joy to teach them as well as inactive members in our Branch. Christmas has brought a special urgency and energy in doing the Lord's work amongst the members and I have loved, even more than before, the "spirit of the season." Christmas lights have decked the streets and, though San Luis isn't your picturesque Christmas village, it has transformed into a festive place. It is comforting to know that people can still celebrate amidst so much trial and difficulty.

Recently, after it became known that I am "musical" through playing the piano for the branch's Christmas choir, my real life has started to intrigue people. My interests and goals out of the mission keep getting brought up by various members. Our branch president just can't get over the fact that I am actually going to go to college to study acting. It feels strange to have people get to know me after spending so much time in my whole mission focusing on getting to know other people. A real skill I have learned on my mission is how to get to know people: how to connect with others or relate to others. This skill is based on knowing their interests and talking about them, a lot. To have the table turned now makes me almost uncomfortable. But even still, it is nice to let people know who I am. It brings us closer together and strengthens the work.

I am so blessed to be here on my mission. I wish I could articulate how grateful I am for all the people who influenced me to do good things, and who helped me avoid destroying myself. The mercy of our Heavenly Father is a marvel to me and is definitely something I need to develop more of. I have a testimony that He is so ready to forgive us, He wants us to be clean and happy. He has created this plan for our benefit and He is so pleased to bless us with all that we need, as long as we are faithful in asking and doing His will. I hope you all find many of the wonderful mercies God extends to us each day incredible, as I find them. I hope you all are well and happy and that you have the chance to serve others this holiday season. Take care, I love you all.

-Elder Sam Bostwick

welcome christmas!

I had typed a nice long message, and just accidentally deleted it. I'm sorry, my time is up.

Send my love to everyone. Thanksgiving was good--more details pending. We are glad to now welcome in the Christmas season.

Until next week...

-Elder Sam Bostwick

thanksgiving

In San Luis, many of the members and investigators are new to the United States. They celebrate all the Mexican holidays with vigor and traditional exactness, but sometimes the American holidays seem strange to them. I admit, Halloween is stupid- I don't like it, much like many of them. St. Patrick's Day- who was St. Patrick anyway? We have several holidays that are very strange with a purely analytical outlook.

As time has been coming into Thanksgiving, there have been plans in Branch Council for the dinner we had for "el dia de pavo": Turkey Day. They were sure to make arrangements for a strictly American meal with turkey and mashed potatoes and gravy. They even almost bought pumpkin pie for dessert, but then decided to stick with pastel de tres leches, a very good Mexican cake. All to stick with the strict celebration of the holiday. But they kept talking about Turkey Day this and Turkey Day that, until even I was referring to it as "Turkey Day." Elder Snyder, before he was transferred had started to joke about how in America, we worship turkeys and that's where turkey day comes from. That, of course, is ridiculous. But it gave me a good opportunity to think about what we are celebrating. I would never call Thanksgiving "Turkey Day" in English, but it just became so habit in Spanish. The routine of it all caught up to me so quickly. The food, the decorations, the dessert- it all required so much of our focus that it was easy to lose touch with the point. I wanted all of the members to know what we celebrate.

As times get harder and harder, we often see all the things that aren't right with life. We see what we lack and what is not going well. We see economic struggles, and suffering around the world. We remember how we sometimes feel lonely or unloved and how we don't meet our own expectations. We feel how far away we are from family and friends, and wish things could be different. But these do not come from God. Even to His children suffering afflictions of great measure, our Father in Heaven has declared peace, joy, and comfort. A positive and grateful attitude bring us closer to God, whereas we will drive ourselves downward by putting our focus of the negative aspects of life. When troubles get so high we feel we have been forgotten by our Maker, let us remember the words given to Joseph Smith when he was despairing at the tragedy of his situation. All things will be for our experience and benefit. Even the Savior suffered greatly, how is it that we would be exempt from the hardships of the world. In it all, let us "be still, and know that [He] is God,"(Psalms 46:10) and remember that Elijah endured thunderings and storms and earthquakes before he could hear the voice of God.

I am grateful for Thanksgiving. What a wonderful time to look at our lives and identify our blessings. We will find great blessings, of course, being thankful every day of the year, but it is fantastic to have a day set apart just to be thankful. Is that really how we feel on Thanksgiving? Do we focus our thoughts on our blessings, raising a voice of gratitude to our family and our God? Do we lose focus and begin worshipping turkeys? I am continually amazed at the lessons life throws to us every day as we are watching for them, and grateful to be able to share a few with you readers. Thank you for reading my thoughts. Thanks for supporting me by taking time to think about me. That means a lot that I would be worth your time. I feel like every day gets busier and busier and time is a commodity of higher and higher value. Thank you for lending a bit of time for me. My greatest blessings have always come in the meaningful relationships I have been given. Thank you for sharing your lives with mine, and being good to me. I love you all--God bless you on this Thanksgiving day. Enjoy the food and family, and be thankful.

-Elder Sam Bostwick

P.S. The Tempe postmaster is finally tired of forwarding missionary mail. The Mission President has asked that our families and friends send mail to our current address, rather than the mission home. Jay, [will] post my current address on my blog in a very conspicuous way [...]. Each six weeks, the week before transfers, mail is then to wait if possible until the new or continuing address can be confirmed. Thank you.

transfers

This week contained several special occasions. Elder Snyder and I were able to end our time together with some very memorable experiences. On Saturday and Sunday particularly, we were able to participate, through broadcast, in the rededication of the Mexico City, Mexico Temple. The cultural celebration on Saturday night was fantastic and so much fun, but also President Monson and President Eyring, who were both present at the event, both gave powerful messages to the Mexican Saints. I loved listening to them! It was such a special thing for me. Then Sunday, we went to see the dedication itself. Even more moving messages and testimonies were given within the Celestial Room of that beautiful temple. All in all, with our temple trip at the beginning of last week, and the rededication, the temple took a big highlight for the week. I find it hard to not have tears begin to well in my eyes in thinking about the great blessings available to us in the temple in our days. In no other time has man been so openly privileged to enter into the presence of God, and it is honoring to think that we somehow merited a mortal life in this great time in the history of the earth. It is incredible to realize that we literally have no idea who we are!

Then, ex-Elder Wood paid us a visit with some friends from Queen Creek. They were on their way to Mexico and stopped in town for the night to stay with some of the recent converts that were baptized while Elder Wood was here. I was very happy to see them, and we were able to go out to lunch with them the next day. It was fun for me.

Time going up to transfers was intense. There was no way Elder Snyder and I were going to stay together, but the speculation of all the possibilities became a constant topic of talk. We rushed home on Monday night to wait for the calls. In the end we both had to go to Tempe on Wednesday morning. Elder Snyder went to Mesa, where he is very happy as a senior companion. I went to pick up a new missionary. Transfer meeting was a treat after having not been there so many times in a row. I was able to see some of my favorite missionaries who are getting close to finishing their missions. I loved it.

The Yuma Zone fared very well and we have a great group of missionaries for this transfer. Did anybody know that Isaac Owens got his mission call to the Tempe mission? Well him and I are both serving in Yuma together now and I'm very excited! Another missionary in the zone is from Draper and knows a lot of the people I met with Draper community theatres. My companion, Elder Villasenor, is from San Antonio, Texas. I'm so excited to be his companion. Both his parents are Mexican and his family all speaks Spanish. He was prayed here to the branch--the members have wanted a Mexican missionary for a long time. At last he arrived. He's a good teacher and we'll get along really well. After so long with Elder Snyder, it is almost weird to have a new companion, but I'm adjusting quickly.

I'm happy, and everything is going well. We are excited for the progress that is coming in San Luis and hope it results in big success. We get to start from the beginning to teach ourselves the right things we can be doing with our time as well as teach the members their responsibilities in missionary work.

I hope you are all well, especially as the holiday season approaches. As times get harder, we can better appreciate how much we are protected by our obedience to the commandments of God. I love you all very much. Take care.

-Elder Sam Bostwick

a great week

This week has been great. Particularly for the past few days we have had pure good things, back to back to back.

After Wednesday of last week, Elder Snyder and I both continued on a little sick. We had to stay close to the bathroom, and just as we were worried we would have to see a doctor, some members brought us some Immodium and our problems were solved. Monday we had our time for weekly planning in the morning, and a brief afternoon of work, and then we drove to Yuma to meet with the other missionaries for yet another trip to Tempe. Elder Snyder and I, along with Elder Carlson (our zone leader) and his greeny Elder Robinson, and Elder Appel (the district leader) and his companion Elder Elton all stayed with the APs in their apartment for the night. It was a great night, and then in the morning we left for our half-mission zone conference with Elder Christensen of the First Quorum of the Seventy. It was a great conference and we were literally filled spiritually. It is always a treat to get to see other missionary friends from around the mission and rejoice in the progress we are all making. I definitely feel like the least of all in big meetings like that. As if our zone conference wasn't good enough, all of our Yuma Zone then drove to the temple and I personally had an intensely wonderful experience there. It had been over six months since the last time I had been able to go to the temple, and I was in need of a reminder. I loved it, and am so grateful that we were given permission to take a bit of time to go and recharge our batteries. I stayed in the celestial room after the session and just cried, feeling truly in the Lord's House and in His presence. It filled me.

Then we drove back to Yuma and Elder Snyder and I stayed the night with Elder Carlson and Elder Robinson so that we could be up here for a 10:30 birthday bowling party for Elder Carlson. I got to test out my recent acquired bowling shoes, and it was a blast (and a member payed for us, which was the greatest part of all). And now, after what feels like a very long time, we are back in San Luis, kicking around for the rest of our P-Day.

I would love to tell you more, but my time has run short. I have such a strong testimony of this gospel and wish you could all be sharing in my experiences in Arizona. I love you all, and wish for the best for you. We are in the Lord's hands, and as long as we obey every commandment, we have literally no cause to fear. I am full of hope, as I desire you to be. Keep on in this cause, it is the greatest we can do.

-Elder Bostwick

sick

Dear family and other readers,

I hope my email finds you all happy and well this week. I feel, for some reason, more positive and pleasant than normal, and it is great. If you are lucky, some of my good attitude will wear off into this email and you will also feel in a better disposition to handle life.

At the beginning of October, Elder Snyder and I both rejoiced when the weather cooled down. We were so relieved to open our windows and let a cool breeze run through our house while listening to the gentle music of the ice cream truck that perpetually haunts the streets of San Luis. Our joy was full, however brief, for as quickly as the cool air swept in, the heat tromped back. We grieved at the outlook of possible eternal suffering. Our fears fled a few days ago when the familiar cool air returned and the windows flew open yet again. Amidst our happiness came the warning of flu season from the mission nurse, Sister Lepetich. Elder Snyder and I laughed it off, knowing we were invincible to the effects of such an insignificant virus. After all, "cool weather" in Arizona at this time of year means lows of 70 degrees. Never having been susceptible to the flu before, I never thought it possible that I would contract it here, of all places. As though to humble me in my immune-system pride, I woke up two nights ago in the middle of the night with wrenching pains in my stomach. Details here would be inappropriate, it will suffice it to say that I didn't sleep much for the rest of the night and for the first day of my mission, Elder Snyder and I had a sick day.

Perhaps I feel so positive today because I feel so rested. I slept for a long time, and Elder Snyder (who also was sick) and I read and talked for a long time. With the help of the Priesthood and a bit of NuQuil, I feel great today, as though nothing had happened at all. Just in time for P-Day (close call).

We also had a weird Halloween, and I'm mostly just glad I never have to have a missionary Halloween again. I will include pictures of our awesome costumes, just look closely. My time's up for the day, but I really do hope you can all feel positive today.

No matter what stress, or what problem faces us, our Savior has walked through it already. We can put our trust and faith in Him, that He will provide us with comfort and peace. The gospel is, very literally, good news to the world. Let us all put more faith in the King of kings, the Lord of lords, the Prince of Peace. I know He lives and that He will not forsake us. As often as we cry unto Him, He will heed us. He desires the best for us, and as Christians, we desire the best for others. Let's reach out this week to serve someone we wouldn't have thought to before. Let's remember to forgive as we pray for forgiveness. And that's all the preaching I'll do today.

-Elder Sam Bostwick

[click on photos for the full-size view - Jay]

hace mucho

Well, I'm afraid it has been too long since I emailed home. The last few P-Days' email time has been dedicated to college application. I have been working to try and get myself applied for and get accepted to BYU. That is my excuse for not writing, but I still apologize in any case.

What hasn't helped the situation is that it feels as though new things aren't happening. In fact, we have had a few very difficult weeks all leading up to last week, which was the hardest of all. I have been more tired than I can remember being, and very stressed. All our efforts have been unsuccessful so far, and Elder Snyder and I just continue to work our hardest, waiting for the blessings to come from our faith and diligence.

It is a hard lesson to learn that the Lord has His own timing in all things. Our zone leader, when things go well for his area, says, "Well, blessings for obedience and diligence!" If only it were so easy. The hard truth is that, though blessings come every time we do the will of the Lord, they hardly ever come immediately. We have done what we are supposed to and have almost no evidence of blessings for our work. Though we are worthy to be blessed, blessings will still only come as the Lord wills them to. I am so grateful for the numerous blessings and lessons I have received. I am infinitely blessed to have a family, and friends who all support me in my decision to be here. Even more, I was born with the gospel, and have grown with its teachings. Though things are difficult for a few weeks, I still marvel at my enormous blessings that I don't deserve.

I know this is the Lord's work. We can only do what is asked of us, and trust that everything that comes is for our own good. Sometimes it feels like we've been given a lot to chew, but we can come out stronger, and we will as long as we rely in the strength of God. I am sad when I see people who are not obedient to God's commandments, especially those who have already received His Gospel. I struggle to understand how a person who claims to have faith can be so faithless in their actions. I wish I could do more to change lives and help others gain the necessary faith to always always do our Father's will. I trust He is strengthening me to do more than I could do alone. He has sent me a good, strong, and worthy companion to do it, and I know He has put us here, at this time, for a reason. We have been blessed, and as I think back on the testimonies I have received in the past, the confirmations of faith, the blessings, my testimony is fortified and strengthened. We cannot fail. We cannot do less than what has been asked of us. I fear some of us will find themselves ashamed at the last day when all petty excuses have been cleared away. I am so blessed to know of the truths of the gospel, so I can do all in my power to repent and serve with all my heart.

I am sorry that all seems very scattered. I have had many thoughts in the last few weeks. The gospel becomes more real to me every day and I am so grateful for the mercy I have been given from a loving Father in Heaven. I hope you all feel of my love for you at home. Keep doing what is right. Don't lose hope. I was very moved by President Uchtdorf's talk on hope, but I won't get even more scattered than I already have been.

With much love,

-Elder Sam Bostwick

another transfer

Well, the improbable has happened. Usually, a companionship will only serve together for two transfers, or three months. This week we got transfer calls, and we had been debating and guessing for days leading up to the calls. Who would go? Who would stay? The speculation was rampant, as Dad would say. And so we anxiously awaited transfer calls on Monday night. Elder Nauman called, laughing over the phone, because Elder Snyder and I, the invincible team, is indeed invincible and we are staying together for another six weeks.

We are excited because our time together has been marked with intense spiritual experiences, which have built our faith and testimonies in the reality of God and His care for us. We look forward to many more strong experiences as we both work together to become better missionaries and men. I know that God has a special work for us together, and we have seen blessings already that only our companionship could have brought about.

One of these blessings is the betterment of the members of the San Luis Branch. I admit, I have had moments where I have been so frustrated at the lack of support from the Branch that I just wanted to leave and go to a new area. But after much prayer, faith, and patience, all the sudden miracles have happened and we are seeing intensely rapid improvement in the attitude of the auxiliary presidencies, primarily in the Branch Presidency. I am so grateful to be serving here at this time. I know that the Lord is building me in large amounts more than I could be building up anybody else. I feel humbled at my calling, especially as I realize more and more the blessings and mercies of God in my life.

I loved Conference, and I'm out of time, so maybe I'll write about it later.

-Elder Sam

P.S. I hope you all liked the voice recordings last week. [Jay: These will be posted soon.]

don't worry

So I imagine that Mom has spread news that we were robbed this week. I would just like to put your questioning at ease. We were emailing and shopping last Wednesday and thieves entered our house and took our electronic devices. I fortunately had my camera with me, though Elder Snyder was not so lucky and he lost all his pictures from his mission. I also had my MTC backpack stolen, which was empty except for my study journal, a tragedy all in itself to lose. But in any case, it is not like other missionaries don't suffer more than that, and though inconvenient, we will survive.

As for other news this week, well there isn't much news this week. We have had some really great lessons, and some really good times, including an exchange where I went to an English area for a day and accidentally started speaking Spanish once. We also had interviews this week, which made me think that I should write a bit about our mission president.

President Robert Craig is a unique unique man. As a convert to the Church he never served a mission on his own. He grew up in northern California on a ranch that his father owned and when he grew up eventually established himself with a large and very successful construction company in the same vicinity of California. His wife also converted to the Church, both before they were married. After becoming very successful in his own business, the Church came to President Craig and asked him to work for them. He took an enormous pay cut, sold all his equipment, dissolved his company and began working for the construction department of the Church. His work on temples and chapels took him to live around the world, literally. They lived in Russia, some place in Asia (maybe the Phillippines?), Central and South America, and Utah. Both President and Sister Craig talk about their life abroad with a lot of gratitude and appreciation for the wonderful experiences they shared there. After being reassigned to Utah for a while, he received the call to serve as a mission president, though the plan was to send him to a newly opening Russian mission, as he speaks near fluent Russian. But at the last possible timing, the assignment was changed by President Monson himself and he was sent to Arizona. President Craig's spiritual sensitivity is at times astounding. He has a way of driving things home that we wouldn't normally take very seriously. But at the same time he has a humor that can be almost silly with just the right goofy face to match the current joke. I am so grateful to be called to serve under his direction, and look to him for example and guidance. I think only those who have been missionaries would fully understand the relationship between a missionary and their mission president, but take that description of him for who he is.

I love you all and miss you.  Don't worry about me, if anything really bad happens, the Mission Office will call and tell you.  It has been very nice to hear from a few of you, and I would just remind you all, that receiving mail can save a whole week for a missionary.  Thanks for all you do.

-Elder Sam Bostwick

deep cleaning

In our mission we started a bi-annual deep cleaning tradition. Our final cleaning checks normally take place the P-Day before General Conference, and we must have every item on a detailed and lengthy list checked off before we are permitted to leave for normal P-Day activities. Last Friday we received a call from the Mission Housing Coordinators that said our inspection was coming a bit early, in fact the following Thursday, or tomorrow. Our poor San Luis house was not cleaned 6 months ago for the first General Conference deep clean and therefore there was a significant amount of grime that had been building for, I would guess, the entire ten years that missionaries have lived in our house. Being the nitpicker that I am, I have invested a great deal of time to scrubbing, sweeping, pushing, mopping, and washing. Moral of the story: keep your houses clean. The Spirit will not dwell where it is not comfortable. Cleanliness in ourselves and in our homes are prerequisites to having the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost. It is so disappointing to me to see the laziness of past elders, but also it is so gratifying to feel the Spirit enter more fully as we put in the effort to make our house a house of God.

Other than that, we have had a good week. Elder Snyder and I both wish that we could be enjoying a beautiful fall somewhere else in the world, simply for the weather and wonder of the season. I remember feeling the same way during the winter months of last year. Arizona's lack of variety makes appreciation for God's marvelous creations in other places so much grander. A blessing upon returning home after two years of missionary service will be to come back home to the wonderful feeling of the four seasons, in time for the end of a mild summer to welcome fall, and delight in a white winter.

I feel very grateful to be a missionary this week. Just like cleaning a house of all of the old grime and sludge, cleaning and purifying ourselves takes time. What a blessing it is to take a concentrated amount of time to scrub, mop, wash, and polish as I pray, study and repent. I can't thank my Father in Heaven enough for the immense gift He gave me, even though I didn't want it before (you might even say I thought of it disdainfully), to serve him for these two years.

I pray you are all well and happy and are enjoying or will enjoy a wonderful autumn. Stay positive and happy. I love you all.

-Elder Sam Bostwick

a year

I don't know if anybody else noticed, but I hit my one year mark this week. I have to say, I did notice, and with many mixed emotions. I always have been of the opinion that a year is a long time, and even now there are days, even weeks where a year seems an eternity. There is no doubt that a lot can happen in a year, but as time is, we don't notice it passing until we look back. I now can say that my first year went fast from my current perspective. I feel an urgency now that I only have a year left. There is and should be an urgency in life. We are working towards a goal, and it requires constant work. Little efforts and small sacrifices made constantly and carefully and faithfully are the things that make the difference. How often do we see somebody jumping great big jumps to get to a destination on foot? Rather a pattern of step by step progress is developed to help us achieve goals and work toward our divine potential. With the feeling of urgency we hurry the progress and improve more quickly. Though missionary life is almost like a moving-sidewalk in the airports, where progress is automatic, there is still so much more I could and should be doing. One year, on your mark, get set, Go!

Our trip to Tempe was wonderful. I cannot explain what a welcome change from the norm it was. It always is a valuable experience to see past companions and friends from the mission, and it was a great blessing to know that I still do have friends outside of Yuma. I look forward to moving back to the valley someday and having more contact with more missionaries, as it is a source of powerful motivation. Our Zone Conference was truly inspirational. Each of the messages and trainings was what I needed. I felt the Spirit as we were taught by our leaders. Our mission president, President Craig, is a spiritual man. I hope to become more like him with time. And Elder Lee, the Area Seventy had a great message for us. Although time didn't end up fitting our temple trip, we did not leave spiritually unfilled.

We have had a great week since, with a wonderful baptism, some great lessons, and a few new people to teach. It has been so easy to see the blessings we have been given in the last little while and I just pray that we can work hard enough to try and deserve them. It is great to be here.

I hope you are all doing well and that you too can recognize the blessings the Lord is bestowing on you. Even in trials, we receive blessings, plus the promise that after faithfully enduring hardships we will receive an increase of faith in God. I know this is the true Church. The life of every person would improve upon committing themselves more fully to living the principles of the gospel and obeying God's commandments. I feel so blessed to already know of the gospel, let's remember those who are still waiting to hear it.

-Elder Sam Bostwick

excited

Today I am excited. The Yuma Zone is going on a road trip!

Tomorrow we have a meeting in Tempe, and we have to make the journey to the valley this evening. That means that instead of going back to regular work at 6:00, like we always do on P-Days, the ten of us will split up between one of our cars and the Zone Leaders' minivan (classy, right?) and head to Tempe. Now don't get me wrong, I love missionary work. I love teaching lessons and contacting people, and I even like tracting believe it or not, but it is going to be so refreshing to have a change to the norm. We'll drive up together, have a good time (all the good friends "called" our spots in the minivan so we can ride together) and then spend the night with some missionaries I probably haven't met yet, and then to the meeting. The Area Seventy is going to have a Zone Conference with us missionaries tomorrow. Elder Lee has been recently assigned to cover our mission, and so this is his first interaction with us, and I'm excited to see what he has for us. Another reason to be excited is to be refreshed of the "homeland." Three months in San Luis, and I've practically forgotten what it's like to be around large groups of missionaries. Yuma in general has a different feel from the rest of our mission and it will be fun to go back, and just remember a little bit. I am excited for after the meeting when the Yuma Zone has an appointment in the temple. And then we'll jump in the cars and come back, ready and recharged to do the Lord's work.

There are of course other reasons to be excited. Every time something good happens with an investigator, it feels so wonderful. We invest so much into helping these people come closer to God, but the one who needs to act is them. When they decide they want to do something, it fills us with joy. We had a baptism last week for a man we tracted into. It has been so rewarding to witness his transformation. Even more of an excitement came last night when the wife of a recent convert told us that she at last wanted to get baptized, this weekend if possible. I felt like jumping up and down, shouting out loud and weeping all at the same time. What a blessing! What a miracle! And what a change. "Susana, for you we'll do a baptism any day of the year." I think of the blessings that their family will receive in a year in the temple, when they are sealed for time and all eternity. They can't even comprehend the blessings, nor can I.

We've had a third missionary in our companionship this week. He goes home next Wednesday in the middle of the transfer, and has been sent to visit some of his former areas. He started his mission in San Luis and it is amazing to think of the people he taught while he was here and look at where they are now. Many are baptized, even some surprises, and most are strong members of our branch. I hope to continually get news of people I taught and, in the end, see all of my friends after this life and rejoice together in the works of our Father.

It is always good to hear from you. I hope you are all well. I am well and happy, and continually working to improve my faults. I wish I were perfect and can only see my imperfections more clearly here in the mission field. But God is with us, and He will guide us to our righteous desires, if we are honestly and truly willing to do His will. Sometimes, His will doesn't sound as fun as my will, but it must be that way. This is the restored Church of Jesus Christ in the world, and we have the authority of priesthood power that nobody else has. I have seen powerful evidence of that personally, and cannot deny it.

-Elder Sam Bostwick

another san luis transfer

The end of the transfer came today, and we sent some elders back up to "the Valley" to go off to new areas. We hope to welcome some new life into the Yuma Zone, and Elder Snyder and I hope to keep the friendly fun going on, as we will be staying together another six weeks. We really do have a good time together, and work very well as a companionship, and so I am very glad for the chance to have more time with him.

Elder Snyder is from Cleveland, Ohio and apparently has a very very big house. His dad is a corporate defense lawyer, and a very prominent and reputed one. Despite having money, Elder Snyder has zero pride. He played sports a lot in high school, but with a music education mother, he also was very active in the music departments at his school. He was predicted to take the state championship in wrestling his senior year in high school, but a sudden injury stopped all hopes or expectations. Elder Snyder and I talk a lot, about everything, and it is refreshing to have such a good friend here in the mission, especially as my companion.

Last week, I promised to talk a little bit about recent converts and I'll see what I can do. We have various recent converts in our branch with whom we are working. I will start with oldest, I suppose—that is, oldest in the Church. Lorenzo Galindo was one of Elder Wood's baptisms when he served here. He had some different challenges to overcome before he could be baptized, including quitting smoking and gambling, and then just studying. Missionaries had stopped teaching him several times, but for some reason they always came back to start up again. Finally Elder Wood and his companion at that time got Lorenzo to stop smoking, they answered all his questions, and he was baptized, along with his two sons. Just a few months ago his wife decided it was her time to make the commitment as well and she was also baptized. I love the Galindos because you can go to their house and talk and talk and talk. But you'll be lucky if you get in a word in all the talking. They are so funny, especially Lorenzo, who has a very entertaining personality. They are a constant worry to the branch presidency however, with their difficult financial situation and their suspicions that Lorenzo is not living all the standards of the Church. If only they could see what we see in his good heart.

Sylvia Chavez is an older lady who is taking care of her grandchildren while her son and daughter-in-law are in jail. The grandchildren are a huge burden on her, especially the oldest who has followed very well in the example of her parents and is constantly on house arrest or seeing psychologists because of state order. It is a difficult situation, but she loves it when the missionaries come over. She cries every single time we are there, without fail. What a sweet lady; she doesn't deserve all the problems that she is having, but we all know that our problems are almost always self-blamable. The mercy of the Atonement will be able to heal her broken family over time, or at least her broken heart.

Carlos Soto is a funny guy. His wife left him suddenly at some point last year, and he was left a single alcoholic. He still lives in the same small town as his ex-wife, so that he can be close to his three kids. Carlos speaks English so we can be a bit more natural with him. He also lived in Utah for a while, so he'll talk about it every so often. He is a very soft spoken person, and a testimony to me of the need of home teachers. He needs his home teachers, but he would never ask them to come over. We are constantly trying to make sure his home teachers get over to his house, a battle worth fighting.

The Beltrans are a great family. The father and daughters were baptized together and we are still working with Sister Beltran. Brother Beltran is making progress toward becoming a strong priesthood leader, especially in his own home. We always remind him of the blessings of the priesthood, which are his goal, as well as one day being sealed in the temple with his wife. I love their family a lot, and I would do just about anything to see them get sealed as an eternal family Plus, their 8-year-old daughter almost kissed me on the cheek one time. It was very Latin.

Braulio Alvarez is the recent convert of dreams. He just gets everything. He learns new things, and then remembers them. All of them. The progress he has made since his baptism four months ago is remarkable, literally. He made a lot of lifestyle changes to join the Church, though his wife, who has been a member for many years, was already living all the standards of the Church. It was a miracle that he accepted the gospel and now has excelled so rapidly in his testimony and understanding of the doctrines of the gospel, as well as church leadership. With a police and military background, he knows about responsibility and accountability and is already a great example of faithful membership. He also happens to be a gourmet chef who is willing to cook for us at almost any time, and his family owns an awesome taco shop in town, at which we eat for free whenever we want.

Those are the main recent converts that we are working with. We do our best to fortify their testimonies and their understanding of the church, but we always need more help. I know this is the case for missionaries all over the world. We need member support in bringing people into the gospel, and especially in keeping them there. Those members who understand this must do their job! We can't do our work without you. I know sometimes, even more so in our large Utah wards, we don't even know who new members are. It is hard to remember the needs of the missionaries when you hardly ever see them, but we need the help in this.

I love you all, my time is gone. Take care.

-Elder Sam Bostwick

to the fam, and all y'all out there

Dear Readers....

I really appreciate the responses I get from those who keep up on the blog. It is nice to know it is worth writing something every week. Those who read on the actual blog page, realize that it exists because of the help of my brother, Jay, who had the idea in the first place. He is the one who adds each entry and who keeps the page functioning. If you know him, give him a big thanks. Jay, I am very grateful for what you do to keep the blog up to date and working. Many people have commented to me that they think it is such a good idea and have enjoyed reading up on my mission.

Last week (I believe) I asked for different input on what people liked to hear about. I got some good ideas and hope I can start playing to your interests.

One of the greatest joys I personally get out of missionary work is working with recent converts. Even though in most cases I was not there for their initial conversion that brought them to baptism, it is a beautiful privilege to watch their lives mold and morph into something new, and something better. I feel a great spirit from hearing their testimonies, and seeing miracles in their lives, and working to improve glitches until they feel comfortable and confident, and are strong and influential members of the Church.

New members to a ward or branch are a unique responsibility, but also a great blessing. In most cases, the care for an investigator of the Church is primarily the missionaries'. Though we need, and greatly appreciate the support, service, and friendship given so selflessly from normal members of the Church, investigators very naturally look to the missionaries as the source for spiritual strength they are beginning to feel. We teach investigators to recognize the Spirit that comes from going to church and reading the scriptures and praying, and they connect that Spirit to the feelings they feel when we teach. Once an investigator "jumps the line" or "takes the swim," they, in a more literal and serious way, become the responsibility of the ward. The bishop is now in charge of that individual's progression, and the missionaries' part is greatly shared by the leadership of the ward and of quorums and classes therein. Each new member, as stated by President Hinckley, needs a friend, a responsibility, and nourishment by the good word of God. It is the duty of the bishop to see that each one has adequate fellowshipping, that they quickly accept a calling, and that they are visited by powerful, and effective home/visiting teachers, as well as continue to assist their church meetings faithfully. It is a unique time of life for the new members, and each one will require unique help and awareness of their situations.

I love working with recent converts. Their faith is often so great, and their innocence and humility so obvious. They often feel as though they know very little about the Church and need much help. They are often right, but their testimony brings a vibrant spirit that most older members may have settled into more. We spend a good amount of time working with local leaders to see to the needs of each recent convert, and there is no greater satisfaction. The only thing better than a baptism, would be a sealing of an eternal family. The greatest blessings of the gospel are to come after baptism, under the care of long-time members of the Church. I know that as members realize their responsibility to uplift new members, and become aware of the new members that may be in their ward, and as missionaries and members close the gap between their efforts, the Church will be blessed and we will grow more into a Zion people. I feel such joy in serving, and know that the same joy and the same blessings are promised to all who will give of their time.

I wanted to write about some of the recent converts here, but my time is gone. I might write more next week. I love you all. Take care.

-Elder Sam Bostwick

a week with leadership

Salutations from San Luis! We are excited to be coming a bit closer to the end of the summer here, we can make it another month. The uncharacteristic humidity every day has made the temperatures feel intense, though in all fairness they aren't that bad. We're getting about 110 every day. We are surviving.

This week we have had some exchanges. After our interviews with the President, the APs stay in Yuma for another day and go on exchanges with different companionships. It was our turn this week. The senior AP came with us for a day and we had a surprisingly good time. I wouldn't say that the work went much better than normal—every day is good and we always work hard—but we just had a lot of fun together: Elder Snyder, me, and the AP. Today we have our zone leader whose companion just went home a few weeks before the transfer ended to catch the beginning of Fall semester at school. We had a disappointingly not-Mexican dinner last night (we always hope for good Mexican food on exchange days so the other elders can get a special treat) but a very good day otherwise. There is always just a bit of tension when you're with one of the mission leadership, but the key is to be a good, obedient missionary so they have nothing to judge you for. That's the secret. Elder Snyder now jokes that after we've "impressed" all our leaders, that I'll whitewash (move into an area where both of the previous companions were transferred) with a brand new greeny this coming transfer. I hope not.

This is one of the funnest times of my mission so far. Elder Snyder and I are still endlessly joking, and we just enjoy being together. But even with good times, there are unique challenges and difficulties. We are working to stay focused on the task at hand and always to maintain the Spirit with us. We have found that with a companion who is a good friend, it is easier to lose concentration. But don't worry, we have not lost it enough to get us to stop working. All is well, but we are always on our toes.

I love you all, I appreciated the letter. I hope you all have a great week, and take care of yourselves.

-Elder Sam Bostwick

not much to say

It's difficult to decide what to say every week. If I wrote every detail, I fear I would go on endlessly, and if I don't write every detail, nothing seems to stand out above the rest. Maybe you should send me suggestions of things you would like to hear (or read) about my mission, then I can write better to my audience.

As for today, I suppose I can write a little bit about the investigators that we've got here in San Luis. Edgar is the 16-year-old son of the Young Men's president in the branch. Brother Aguilar (Adelmo) joined the church a few years ago without the rest of his family. He has studied the gospel, and become an influential and incredibly serviceful member of the branch since his baptism. Adelmo is the definition of being constantly engaged in good works, as he never seems to tire of helping the needy in the branch, and is always asking us when he can come teaching with us, and offering rides and everything. He is so good that for the first month or so, I thought he must have grown up in the Church and served a mission to become like that. I was wrong. When Adelmo was baptized, his two kids and his wife were fine with it, but they definitely did not have a desire to jump into the font along with him. He continued to progress, even going to the temple, a lone member in his family. Then recently, Edgar decided he wanted to be baptized. We have been teaching him all the lessons, and it has been very fun. There is a different feeling when teaching a teenager and definitely a difference when we teach in English. My favorite lesson so far has been when we taught about missionary work. Elder Snyder and I talked all about the blessings of serving a mission. There would be no greater reward than to see Edgar serve a mission when he turns 19. His baptism is close and we are excited for him.

In March, a father and his two daughters were baptized, but the wife and mother were not. The Beltrans had all heard the lessons together and done everything together, but Sister Beltran just didn't get baptized. She comes to church every week with her family, is an avid participant in all classes and activities, and has a rock-solid testimony. But she just never got baptized. We taught a lesson to the Beltrans yesterday and it was an incredible moment that I was blessed to witness as both Brother and Sister Beltran bore their testimonies of the gospel and of the Savior, of the changes they had experienced in their lives as well as the blessings they have received since beginning to live and obey the commandments of God. We all know she will get baptized literally any day, and we are hoping to let the Spirit give her the nudge she needs.

We are also teaching a man with muscular sclerosis who is very, very Christian. He was "called" to the gospel after he was diagnosed and has been studying in a local Christian church ever since. Teaching him is very educational for us, because we really have to study out what we want to teach. Our struggle is to help him feel the Spirit, which he has been taught is a loud, commotion-causing, adrenaline rush. As the quiet warmth of the true Spirit testifies of the doctrines of the gospel, he feels strangely attracted to what we teach, though he can't explain why. Many times he has just had a hard time understanding as we've explained the Holy Ghost to him. But he is completely genuine and good-hearted, and gave me a gift of a beautiful miniature Santa Biblia (Holy Bible).

Those are some of our main investigators, though not all. We have been blessed to receive some great referrals from members recently, and are beginning to teach new people. Elder Snyder and I are always working on teaching more effectively together, and we both hope that we'll get another six weeks together in "Spanish Missionary Paradise."

I love you all. Let me know some updates, and new news. The Church is true, and there is nothing more important. If we learn to prioritize our lives with the most important thing first, we will be prepared for anything that may come in these last and difficult days.

-Elder Sam Bostwick

another week

Well, time has taken us through another week, and from what I hear from Mom back home, my week was somehow not as exciting as your week. Everything was good here, of course, though a few disappointments with some investigators were a downer.

On the upside, I realized that I love teaching the gospel. I really love it. Maybe other parts of missionary work are hard, such as knocking on doors for an hour without any opened doors, or having no potential investigators at home all day long ... but after all the lessons, and once we get to the opened doors, or the people we meet on the street, I just thrill. A study of the gospel leads you to want to share it. Sharing the gospel with others helps you to apply it more. Applying the gospel allows you to understand the reality of it. I know the reality of the gospel. The only church that contains all of the gospel, and the authority to do essential ordinances is our church. We claim this not to be prideful, but rather to follow suit with God's eternal plan, the way things have always been, since before the world was. I love seeing people change their lives, as they come to realize the snese of reality and possibility the gospel brings to them. I also love when long-time members of the Church remember what their testimonies mean to them, and what it requires of them.

So as my family is all gathered together, I hope you can all take note of the evidence this event is of the grandness of our Father in Heaven. Not a single thing is forgotten, and we can put our unrestrained trust in Him. What glorious knowledge. What a testimony you can express as you study, share, and apply that knowledge, then in turn see it become even greater than you ever expected, and see yourself become more and more qualified for the day when we will all meet the Father.

I love you all, congratulations to Jeff, I am anxious to meet your new wife someday soon. I know God lives, that he is concerned for us and cares about what happens in our lives. He knows us, and is always waiting for us to ask for the blessings we need.

I love you all, take care!

-Elder Sam Bostwick

good times

I have had good times on my mission. I have made good friends with my companions. I have had countless good experiences with different companions, and learned from many not good experiences. But never before have I had such fun with one of my companions.

Elder Snyder and I just laugh and joke and have a good time. The thing I love about it is that we work very well together, and we are both very obedient, hard-working missionaries who are not here to waste time in any way. But in working hard, we have a good time.

We had a special experience as well in the chapel after a lesson we had had there. Our investigator left and the Spirit was still strong. For some reason, Elder Snyder asked me for a blessing, he wasn't even sure why. During the blessing, the Spirit was magnified ten-fold and we had an amazing experience together that was a testimony-strengthener for the both of us. I learned a few valuable lessons about the priesthood, and about how God can work through us to accomplish His purposes. I was grateful for the experience and for the boost in my testimony of the restoration of the gospel and priesthood authority. I am grateful for many other experiences that build me up, and even more for the times that I can be used as a tool to build testimony in others.

It's warm down here, but I almost wish it were warmer, so I could have some crazy stories. Really, it only gets to about 110 each day. But we hear that the real heat is still to come. And I believe it.

To all those that read my blog, I appreciate that you are remembering me and taking some time to read an update. I would like a chance to remember you and read your update. Write me, let me know how you are. Just in case, the address is 1871 E. Del Rio Drive, Tempe, AZ 85282. Thanks, I hope to hear from you soon.

With much love to all,

-Elder Sam Bostwick

new transfer

Time passes quickly here in San Luis. All too suddenly, we received transfer calls and Elder Mitchell was moved out. It was not unexpected to have him leave as he had been here for two months. Transfers are a bit different for those who aren't being transferred in the Yuma Zone. We all slept over together on Tuesday night, with all of the luggage and chaos from the elders leaving. We sent them off in the morning for Tempe and then just tried to pass the P-Day as normally as possible. But the whole day had the anxiety of waiting for the new elders to arrive, or any call from anybody letting us know who our companions are. It was a long day.

In the end, my new companion is a friend I already knew from Queen Creek. When I had been moved from one Queen Creek area to the other, Elder Snyder came in as a "greenie" with Elder Robinaugh. He has been in Queen Creek ever since and now has come to be my companion. I was excited, and I think he is too, to be serving together, and also to be in such a foreign part of the mission. I've had, or lived with, all the companions he's had and we know all the same people from Queen Creek. We just seem to talk and talk. He is from Cleveland, Ohio, the wonderful Midwest.

As for the other new missionaries in the zone, I already knew everybody who came. At first I thought it was a coincidence, or happenstance that I had served around all the others already, but then I realized that it is expected at this point to know many of the missionaries in the mission. And indeed, I do know a lot of them, or at least I know about them. The social organization of a mission was a surprise to me.

I am excited for the new change in blood around here. When a missionary is in one spot for a while, they become so familiar with an area that they rely on their own knowledge of the people, members and non-members, rather than faith in how things could be or should be. It will be good to work with Elder Snyder and just have the highest hopes for everything. I learned a lot from Elder Mitchell and am really appreciating the divine purpose of mission companions. Each one shapes you so much, and teaches in profound ways. I have high hopes for a good transfer with Elder Snyder.

I know, it seems like I say the same kind of things every six weeks when transfers come, but it is what seems most interesting. At least it changes things up for me more than any other daily passing. The work continues and we are doing well with our investigators. I haven't baptized multitudes, but people are learning about the gospel and feeling the Spirit. It is amazing to see people come to Christ, and as we continue, they will be baptized, they will receive the blessings of the Gospel, and they will have their hearts changed. I have faith.

-Elder Sam Bostwick

small things

We have had a good week with some rough things and some good things. It's been one full of lessons, many taught, and many learned. It's really great to look at things after the fact and see the lesson that was taught. It's been great.

In talking with recent converts especially, but also investigators, we keep hearing stories about how the Spirit helps these people conquer their weaknesses and become stronger. Some have had to learn how to speak in front of others, or control their temper, or how to repent. It has been amazing to look at how such small things in their lives make the difference for them. Their experiences build their testimonies into inpenetrable fortresses. And it all comes from the soft and gentle help of the Holy Ghost. That still, small voice has very great influence to those who seek it and it is a blessing and testimony to me to see others changing their lives to become more worthy of living with the guidance of the Holy Ghost.

As for lessons we've learned, we have experienced pains and joys this week because of small decisions. Seemingly little things make the difference between a good lesson or a so-so one. Little things are what make us worthy to receive guidance and revelation. Many of us in life get to a point where we are doing fairly well. We don't have problems with "big" sins and we can be faithful and happy. We know that our existence is intended for progression, and that our progress is an eternal goal as well as potential. Once we reach a point of satisfaction, we have stopped walking our eternal path. As we continue to work and refine ourselves, we can understand further the nature of God and our purpose and capacity in this life.

We teach member families so often about little things that they should already be doing, and somehow it is news. Things like Family Home Evening, family prayer, and family scripture reading should never be shrugged off with any excuse of current conditions. Is there any family, in any form, who cannot receive or does not need blessings from God? Neither is there any family who is excused from their responsibilities and priveleges of building unity. I wish families here in the mission realized that. President Hinckley, when talking about the Word of Wisdom specifically, said that the scriptures do not tell us of the dangers of diving into a pool without water, or jumping off a freeway overpass, but we know these things will bring harm to us. So it is with every commandment. Let us stay as far away from the edge of the cliff of temptation as possible. We will get no reward in life for getting closest to the edge without falling. And chances are, we will just fall as we push the limits. I know that for myself. I know that we need the Lord's help in every moment, and that humility and reliance on Him is not weakness in any sense of the word, rather spiritually strong and mature.

The small things we do each day are important. They will make the difference between disciples and mere believers. I have seen the evidence of this, and have no doubt that it is true. Christ invited us to be perfect, as our Father is perfect, and later as He himself became perfect. I know He lives and directs this church. There is no question to me. Elder Mitchell and I read a talk this morning from the April 2007 Conference called, "It's True Isn't It? Then What Else Matters?" by Elder Nielson of the Presidency of the Seventy. It is a great talk and emphasizes a great point. The Church is true, and after that is established, nothing else is really ever as important as that one fact. Let's go forth and do good.

With love,

-Elder Sam Bostwick

hello, hello, I'm fine, and how are you?

There is a kid's program going on in the library right now, and they are playing some ridiculous songs. For that, I say, "hello, hello, I'm fine, and how are you?" How have you all been? I hope all is well and that life proves to be exciting and rewarding as always. If I remember correctly, Becca is finishing (or recovering from) final reunion preparations, Dad is getting done with a hopefully successful case, and Mom is at home enjoying beautiful music and foreign company. Cecily will soon be abandoned on the East Coast, and with Jay's record, any number of exciting adventures could be coming up soon. Life sounds pretty exciting. I hope that we can all keep our heads straight with all the commotion.

As for San Luis, there has been quite a bit of commotion here too. One of our recent converts was held at gunpoint as two men tried to rob his taco shop. The recent convert always carries a gun at work (those hardened army ruffians) and they had a more-or-less shoot off in which the robber's gun failed to fire, and Braulio, the recent convert, miraculously missed. The whole story is incredibly exciting, especially when told in person from first hand perspective. We met a man in the streets a few weeks ago who seemed fairly interested in learning more about the Book of Mormon, but on returning to his house yesterday, we found that his house had burnt down! I can only imagine the hopeless and desperate situation he now finds himself in, and I pray the missionaries, wherever he ends up, find him and he finds the comfort he needs.

And so it turns out that San Luis is a pretty happenin' place. I have been amazed at the people we have met who are so prepared, especially in the last few weeks. If only it were a simple thing to teach and baptize people, but different elements often impede our ability to teach those who are ready. Work, family problems, illness, and--worst of all--laziness or apathy often get in the way. My goal is to live worthy of the Spirit to the extent that people cannot forget the feelings they had as they talked with us, and will make sacrifices to meet with us. Until then, we will keep battling to teach lessons with our investigators.

We had a run-in with the Spirit of Elijah. We taught a part member family, where the daughters and husband are recent converts, about family history and the importance of temple work. The wife took immediate interest and began telling us how much her family needed their work done in the right way, that they had not had the same chance in this life. We are going to the family history center in Yuma with them soon, and she is leaps and bounds closer to a possibly near baptism.

In fact, as we were learning about the family history center down here, I began thinking about Grandpa Bostwick. It has been over a year, and I'm sure everything is being taken care of, but the church geneology records do not yet have his work as done. I began thinking about what my responsibility will be when I get home from my mission to begin finding our family, but I really don't know if there is room for more help in our family trees. How is the family history work for our family? I'm very curious.

On that note, go to the temple. The greatest blessings of heaven and earth are available in the Temple. For some, it is a sacrifice. For example I don't how long it takes to get from Cecily's home to the Temple in D.C. But for those who are still in Utah .... This is an invitation for all family and friends to increase, from whatever point you are at, your temple attendance. We can do more. I can't wait to be able to do more. They need us to do our part on the other side. Good luck.

The Church is true, there is no greater work than bringing the gospel to those in darkness. I think of those who are kept away from the truths of the gospel simply because they do not know where to find it. I want to show them where and how to find it. What matters more?

-Elder Sam Bostwick

summer heat

We arrived in the 120-degree zone this week, reaching 121 degrees in San Luis on Monday. You could say I am coping ... better, but "better" does not mean "well." I get exhausted from the sun and just try to keep going through every day.

And I'm not the only one. An important statistic that we keep in the mission is the OYM (Open Your Mouth) number. Elder Ballard left a challenge to the mission a few years ago that we talk to 10 more people a day, outside of tracting and other proselying. This number became the OYM and has turned into a 70/week rather than 10/day stat. Nobody keeps track of homes tracted into, just the OYM. Many missionaries forego tracting, to achieve their 70 OYMs a week, something I do not feel was ever the intended purpose. Especially here in San Luis with the heat, it is virtually impossible to find people out and about in the street. As we have been told by many people here, every day is an official "heat warning" and we should go inside. We have a great deal more success tracting doors, with many invites to return, but this does not seem to matter to anybody because we don't reach the weekly 70 OYMs. Oh well, God knows our intents, and it is Him I seek to please.

Yuma is so separated from the rest of the mission, and San Luis is so separate from Yuma. At first that frightened me. Now, I can see the blessings of being away. Here, we can focus on being missionaries by teaching, working, and extending commitments, whereas in other places of the mission, it is easy to identify yourself as a missionary because you spend your time with the other missionaries, you go to all the missionary meetings, you go out to eat with the missionaries. The focus becomes more social than work.

I am so grateful for the lessons I have learned so far from being in San Luis, and grateful that we can work in the branch here to build God's kingdom. I believe that the vision of Joseph Smith has far to be fulfilled when he foretold that the church would fill the world. The work is still beginning, and it's destiny is powerful and unimagined. I want to do all I can to do my part, little as it is, to bring to pass the purposes of God.

"Missionaries are going forth to different nations; the Standard of Truth has been erected. No unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing. Persecusions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble and calumny may defame, but the Truth of God will go forth, boldly, nobly and independent, 'til it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear; 'til the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah will say, 'The work is done.'" -Joseph Smith, The Wentworth Letter

I know this is the work of God. I feel so small and so privileged to be here, doing His work. I am not worthy of this honor. But as Christ taught His Apostles, "Ye have not chosen me ... but I have chosen you ...." What powerful calling to be chosen of God, as we all are.

-Elder Sam Bostwick

another hot week

That's right. Another hot week. Very hot. Hotter than anybody should be willing to endure. Why do people even live here and tolerate this? It's awful and terrible.

In all honesty, I have been very tried by the heat. I hope that I soon find a way to handle it, rather than continue being miserable physically. But on the bright side, we have much more motivation to teach lessons, because then we get to go inside people's houses. It also provides for great conversation to strangers. "Why are you walking around? It's too hot." "Yes it is hot, but we are walking around the streets because we are missionaries ...." I think they mostly just think we're crazy. And they're right.

Elder Mitchell just keeps proving his worth as he continually helps me see things that I had not seen, or remind me of things I forgot, or just share his wise opinion. His help has been so invaluable in learning this new area in ways that nobody else could have helped me. I am grateful for my companion.

I am very short on time, but want you all to know that I still know the Church is true. Through patience and faith in our afflictions, we experience a lasting conversion to the gospel. Faith leads us to action, and righteous actions fuel our faith. I love the circle that the gospel is to give us continual growth. I hope you are all well. I am now out of time.

With love,

-Elder Sam Bostwick

limited on time

I don't have much time today—I don't normally get enough emails to read to have to spend time catching up on people's lives. But I prefer that, and am extremely appreciative of even the short notes. I think the way people write says a lot about them, and love that my family is one of classy writing and heartfelt sentiments. I miss you and hope you are well.

The excitement of where I am at caught up to me over the weekend. I drove as far south as I could on our street and just stared excitedly at "la frontera" or the border, which is represented by a large wall. The Mexico side of San Luis honestly looks more lively, and someday, I hope to visit. In fact, I am grateful that I will never have the issue of having to travel thousands of miles and spend large amounts of money to visit my mission, because that leaves the option open to spend all that money visiting other places I have not been to before. I hope my wife will be game ....

We meet lots of people everyday, and I think Elder Mitchell, who has been here for 5 months, may have talked to over 75 percent of the city already. I hope as people get to know us more, they will wonder what we teach. And then, of course, I hope they don't wonder too long, because at that moment, I have faith that God will open the door for them to gain their own testimony of the restored Gospel. How great and sweet that moment will be.

Be good, stand for the truth, and shine your light upon the hill. I love you, family and friends. I appreciate hearing from you, but know that silence doesn't mean we aren't friends. Take care!

-Elder Sam Bostwick

exiled

I don't want to be the kind of person who tries to relive glory days of high school or college or anything, but if I were to be that kind of person, my glory days in the mission so far would be my time in Chandler. And yes, the glory days are over.

The past few days have been fun ones, with the whole world kind of pausing to wait for transfers. Being with four Spanish missionaries, we were able to make even better predictions than normal and we had mapped out and figured out all leadership advancements and all training calls how "we would do it." Monday before transfers always leads up until nighttime, when we receive the call from the President or our zone leaders. We went to lunch as a zone to Chili's, which worked out perfectly for me, as I got a free cake for my birthday. We taught some great lessons and then were at home promptly at 9:00 p.m. to await the phone's ringing. President Craig called to have Elder Guernsey and Elder Faulkner both train new missionaries. I was out. Booted. Ripped from the Glory. Tuesday became a day of packing—happy birthday to me—and saying goodbye to the few people I had met over just four weeks. We also helped a family that was baptized on Saturday pack their things to move to El Paso for the military. It was a nice day.

Transfers are always fun, but never moreso than yesterday. I know more missionaries with each transfer and it becomes an exciting chance to see them all. Transfers are announced alphabetically by zone, meaning Yuma Zone comes last. I was one of the last missionaries left without a companion, and in fact, when it was announced that I would be going to San Luis, in the Yuma Zone, I went to sit by myself because only the missionaries being transferred make the four-hour trip from Yuma to Tempe.

So I've come to San Luis, the exiled area. Yuma Zone is in the South West corner of Arizona, and Yuma itself is a fairly large city. San Luis is about 20 miles outside of Yuma, right on the border of Mexico. You can see the border if you stand on our roof. Everyone is Mexican, and my companion and I are the only white people I have seen so far. Spanish is definitely the language spoken here. In all senses of the matter, it's a pretty cool place to be, but the distance makes me feel somewhat exiled.

Thank you to those who wrote me. I did appreciate the emails and of course the package (Mom) and letters. I love you all and think I should have a birthday every week so I could get more mail. But I suppose then birthdays would also be mundane occurrences and not worthy of extra recognition if they came every week. I love you all and have a strong testimony that this church is led by a prophet who receives revelation. I know God works amongst His children today and that He wants us to return back to Him. It is an achievable goal, or it would never have been worth it.

With much love,

-Elder Sam Bostwick

comments have been enabled

In behalf of some of you who read this blog, Elder Bostwick requested some time ago that the comments feature be enabled. For a couple of months now this feature has been available, but so far has not been used. This is not a big deal at all, but I thought I could officially let those who originally wanted to leave comments know that the option is available to them.

Elder Bostwick does not post to or manage this blog directly, but I will make sure that any comments that are posted get forwarded on to him.

another week

So, Maura's baptism and confirmation went great this Saturday and Sunday. We are working on getting others to the same point, although everyone of course has their own individual barricades that block the way to the font .... Maura's mother, Leticia is not a member, though all of her kids now are. By going to Maura's baptism and feeling the spirit strongly, she came a lot closer on her personal journey. I very much enjoy working with personal concerns and needs. One of the advantages of being an English missionary would be a wider variety of concerns from investigators. In answering concerns, missionaries learn. But I am happy and love that the Gospel of Jesus Christ makes sense and is not confusing. Confusion is not of God, and we work to teach with the Spirit specifically to avoid confusion.

We have been blessed with beautiful weather this week, including some unseasonal rainstorms and surprisingly cool temperatures. To top off the good week, today we have a special reward for each companionship in our Zone achieving our goal of 20 lessons last week. We will be watching a few movies and enjoying our P-Day at a very wealthy member family's home.

Among other notable events, I finished the Old Testament yesterday, a wonderful feat that I enjoyed very much, and from which I learned a lot. I am excited to move into the New Testament again and attach the fulfillment of many prophecies and completion of the laws from the ancient church with the birth and life of Christ, the promised Messiah. I am very grateful for the scriptures and love to read from them.

That's pretty much all this week, sorry I don't have much to say. I am approaching 9 months since I began my mission, which feels very significant, though I'm not sure why. I love you all, and I hope that as time continues to move, I'll see you all again before we realize the time has come. Stay true, and testify of the Gospel.

-Elder Sam Bostwick

108 degrees

Yep, we reached the high so far of 108 degrees in Chandler. It was a blow. More like a blowdryer, because that's what all wind felt like as we rode our bicycles through the heat. The only comfort is that it wasn't the worst it is going to be ... and really that's not comforting at all.

There is an advantage to being on bike, and it isn't the exercise or the fresh oven air, but rather the thinking time. Driving in a car, there is always music and conversation with your companion and, in all honesty it is a bit more productive, so the blessing of a bike is being able to ponder more often. I have thought about a lot of things. I have thought about why I am on a mission, in what ways I could improve myself as a missionary and help our investigators better, and even from time to time, what life might be like upon returning home after my two years are up. Good thing that is a long ways off, and I don't have to waste too much time thinking about it. Whenever I have time to think, I think of Becca who taught me important things about taking and using time to think when I was a kid. Now, the words of Church leaders add on to my memories of Becca's lectures (okay, not lectures, but I can't think of a better word) about being too busy. I realize how important it is to have down time. Where before, I hated to have extra time, because it meant I wasn't doing enough, I treasure a few minutes after lunch to sit and think. I may not be learning much in my down time, but I feel more balanced, more orderly, and that is important. Thanks Becca.

We had another exciting week with many good lessons and a trip to see the Joseph Smith movie with some investigators. I cry every time I see the sights of Nauvoo over the Mississippi, and hear or watch the stories of those who sacrificed so much near the birth of our Church. Particularly, the stories of Joseph touch me and make me want to know more, and bear stronger testimony of his mission and purpose as a window to our Savior. I love the Spirit I feel calling from the history of the Church, and was grateful that that Spirit was felt by our investigator, who will be getting baptized on Saturday! I am excited for Maura, and know that she will be a good and strong member of the Church, and most importantly a mother who will teach her children righteous principles and begin a legacy and heritage of gospel faithfulness.

I love working hard, and overcoming challenges. Thanks for being a wonderful family. Keep the faith, and keep feeding the faith with faithful action. I love you all but, sorry, I don't miss you. Maybe the little kids, but not the big kids. I know that after my mission, it will be sweet to rejoice with you after two years of rich and wonderful experiences for all of us. Elder Bostwick, signing out!

-Elder Sam Bostwick

it's been a while ... not

It was so great to talk with the family on Sunday for Mothers' Day. And also to all the extended family that I got to talk with as well. I was pretty glad to hear that everyone is well and happy, at least as far as they were willing to tell me.

For all the rest who might read this, I have enjoyed my time so far in Chandler very much. Things are so different here than in Queen Creek, and the work comes in very different forms. We teach a lot more here, and I get pumped up by the strong spirit that we always feel in every lesson. I really am growing in my testimony, and I hope my ability to be a teacher is also growing.

Grandma Lunt says I sound like Uncle Jason when I talk Spanish, and I don't know about that. I think I still have a lot of work to do with my abilities to speak the language, but I do become more comfortable as time goes on. I am already praying for ways to preserve this gift after my mission, knowing that we don't get to keep gifts of the Spirit for free. But even better is the gratitude I feel for being able to communicate now, on this mission I've been called to.

We are working with people who are so close to baptism, they just need to seek out their testimony more firmly and get their witness and increase of faith to take a step in darkness. I am grateful for the relationship of openness that had already been developed before by Elder Guernsey and Elder Nauman (if you're reading closely, yes this is the same Elder Nauman from the MTC) with the investigators. I love being able to talk about things without shyness to get to the core of different doubts that people have about the Gospel. I feel more like a for-real missionary than ever before here in Chandler and it is because of the people we work with and the success level that has been established here before. We invite people to come to Christ by obeying His commandments and making covenants with Him. That is what we do, and it feels really good.

The thing that has changed I think most of all is that being in Chandler is a lot missionary work, but it is fun! We have a lot of fun, and we laugh a lot while working. I think I always had the false impression that work was work and fun was fun and they were separate--but fun is more fun when it is worked for and work is more effective and bearable when being enjoyed. I have been really grateful for the new lessons learned since the transfer of areas. I hope I can always apply this to my life and other lessons that I learn as I serve.

I should go, but I hope you all know that I know the Church is true! It is so important! It is worth changing our entire lives for. In essence, it is the only thing that matters in this life. I am so blessed to know that and so grateful that I am called to tell others about it. The Atonement is real. Our relationship with our Father in Heaven is so personal, we just need to remember to talk to Him. He is eager to bless us in the ways He knows are best for us. I testify that the doctrines of this church are true and beautiful, and the only logical answer to the questions of life. I know these things because of the testifying power of the Spirit, and you can know it to if you seek for it with a willing heart in fervent prayer. I love you all, take care of yourselves and do good.

-Elder Sam Bostwick

unexpected

When I came to Queen Creek, if you remember, it was part of a new split in the Queen Creek Spanish area of the mission. As I'm sure everyone has taken note of from the past few months of emails, there has not been a great amount of work in Queen Creek. In fact, the last person to be baptized by any missionary in Queen Creek, was Rosalia. Although Rosalia is really cool and should count as at least four baptisms, the numbers were not satisfying the evil statistic god (sorry Tommy) and the areas of Queen Creek have once again been joined.

This, however, is not the unexpected part. After having been in Queen Creek almost exactly six months, and having served in both of the areas, I was officially the standing authority of missionary work in the area. I knew almost every investigator or potential investigator in both areas personally and knew each member by first and last name, including their children. I had a calling in the ward, as you all know, and had been pretty settled in for quite some time. For sure, I would have to stay in Queen Creek to oversee the combination of areas to make sure everything went smoothly.

But the Lord had other plans. I think after being in one place for so long, I had become a little less on top of missionary development and I was needing change, though I didn't want it. So yesterday, a missionary from the other Queen Creek companionship and I packed our things and we have moved to Chandler. My new companion is named Elder Guernsey.

The cool thing about Chandler, though I really don't know anything about it yet, is that they have had ridiculous amounts of work. As badly as Queen Creek was lacking on work, that is how much Chandler has been bursting. Things are going well here, and I am excited, really really excited, to start teaching more and become more of the missionary that I want to be. I loved Queen Creek, and I will love Chandler.

Chandler is also a Spanish ward, in fact, the only other one in the mission, and I will at last get to be a normal missionary in the ward, rather than a primary pianist. And so, although it was sad to say goodbye, it is really relieving to say hello. And my mission goes on.

My time is coming to a close. I love you all, and I am excited to get to talk to many of you on this Sunday. Be examples, and I will talk to you later.

-Elder Sam Bostwick

up in the air

In this past week there has been a lot of talk about changing the two Spanish areas in our Ward into one, taking it back to how it was just before I arrived. Although this might be a bit of a downer for some members who love having four missionaries in their ward, with the amount of work we have, we really feel it would be best. It is possible that the change would take place this Saturday, likely leaving me here in Queen Creek with a companion that is not my current companion. We will see, and I will keep you all informed.

The highlight of the week was definitely a special temple trip that I got to take. I was invited to go to the temple with Rosalia's brother, who was baptized just about a year ago. I love their family very much and I was honored to be able to accompany him to go through the temple. Something that made it an interesting trip was that President Craig told us that we should find an exchange for Elder Johnston to stay in Queen Creek and me to go with another brother to the Temple. So I went to the Temple outside of our mission, without my companion. And then ate at an El Salvadorian Deli, outside of the mission, without my companion. It was a very strange morning, but a special event nonetheless. Plus a little part of me was really glad to finally not have a companion that I had to stay with. The other exciting note was that we went to the Spanish Session. I loved it, and I love learning Spanish. I hope that I am learning it as well as I would outside of the States. I have lots of people helping me to learn "correct Spanish." And I thank them very much. I do, after all, have to be able to speak with Jackie when I come home. Who knows, after living in Juarez, and then learning Portuguese, she'll have forgotten her "proper Spanish" and we'll both be lost together. I doubt it ...

It's been a good week, with lots of things a bit up in the air. I'm glad to hear you are all well, and I keep praying for you. Pray for me, I need extra help with all the things I should know, but don't. I miss you a little, and I am excited to be able to talk with some of you on Mother's Day coming up. Cecily, I love you, good luck. And Happy Mother's Day in advance. My time is up, I have to go. I'll write again next week.

-Elder Sam

PS--By the way, we reached 100 degrees yesterday ....

new changes

Because of the recent "death" of my late companion, Elder Samuel Wood, I have stayed in Queen Creek yet another transfer. I wonder if I will be here my entire mission. At the large transfer meetings, I find that I hardly know any missionaries in the mission, as I have not had as much opportunity to mingle with as much variety as most missionaries have. But at least I get to stay in Primary.

My new companion is Elder Johnston, personal details to come... He was trained by Elder Wood about a year ago and just came from being Elder Rutt's companion (Elder Rutt, who was my MTC companion). On a side note, Elder Rutt is now on cruches after partially ripping a tendon in his muscles. We don't know how that will end up... I really haven't had a chance to talk to Elder Johnston yet, but I know that he is very interested in what's going on in the mission. I will be a disappointment I'm sure, since I know nothing of the goings on about anything. I just stay in my Queen Creek corner not bothering anybody.

I have new goals for this transfer of increasing my personal study. I don't know what to do better, but I know I am lacking. I will be putting highest efforts into formulating the best possible plan of action. I am deciding now to be the kind of missionary I want to be. I have been out long enough to stop wishing, and start doing. Keep me in your prayers, I will need extra help.

I hope that fresh blood in the area will improve the work. Maybe a different approach is exactly what our investigators need to progress toward baptism. I have been praying long and hard for something to lift the spirits, and sincerely hope that it is right around the corner. In any case, I think this will be a great 6 weeks for me. I continue making progress, and know I can do anything the Lord needs me to.

I love you all. I pray for you, my family and friends. It is always good to hear news, and comforting to hear no bad news. Let me know what is happening anyways. Cecily and Tommy, be safe and smart as you head out for a new and exciting adventure. I love you. Take care everybody, and let others know that the Church is true.

-Elder Sam Bostwick

not a lot

Not a lot has happened this week. Elder Bull (my trainer who was transferred back into our Ward) and Elder Wood are both making final preparations to leave for home. The mission requires a lot of papers--letters to the President, forms, records, and other stuff--as well as interviews and special testimony meetings, temple trips, and the final night in the mission home. I think it makes ending your mission unecessarily tedious. I know there are good intentions in all of it, but maybe the mission office to be more considerate and just let missionaries be missionaries until the day they go home. Depending on when the BYU semester begins in Fall 2009, I might be lucky enough to leave two or three days early and miss a lot of the tedious business when my time comes to go home. In any case, I have a lot of time to think about all of that.

Dad, you especially will appreciate the humor that an investigator told me I should be a lawyer. It is interesting to think of the impression people get of missionaries in comparison to who the missionary actually is. For example, I was always under the impression that missionaries were perfect and never made mistakes and were completely obedient all the time. The tragedy is that this is not true. I am always saddened to hear stories of "apostate" missionaries who forget the purpose of their short time of service. I will never understand the selfishness behind these actions and hope I can keep myself and my companions far away from trouble.

We are making good progress with people. In fact, the investigator who thinks I should be a lawyer (a lady who moved from Mesa, so we received the referral from the Mesa missionaries) apparently had a lot more doubts than we had known. She opened up to us rather unexpectedly and has made a huge jump in the progress of her testimony. Her future daughter-in-law also explained a lot more clearly than ever before her hesitations to plan her wedding so that she can become baptized. The more people trust you, the more they will tell you what they need. God prepares the way, and I have no fear. I just wish other missionaries weren't so focused on achieving numbers rather than just working hard with what is given to you.

Rosalia, the blind convert, gave a talk in sacrament meeting on Sunday. That was rewarding. She shared her feelings on her first General Conference in the Church. She is an example to the ward, and a rapidly progressing new member. She, and her brother and sister-in-law asked Elder Wood and me to come by and visit, even though they don't live in our area. Brother Toledo, who was baptized a year ago, just receive the Melchizedek Priesthood and he is making preparations to go through the Temple. They invited me to go with them and accompany them in the temple for his first time. What a great family. They also explained, in great faith, how they are waiting for the approval of ex-spouses for all their children to be sealed in the temple. They have truly set examples to me in my life.

Well, take care. I love you all and miss you. I am doing well, and anticipating a new change coming this next week. I'm sorry I am so bad at writing. It is not because I don't want to. Missionaries are a lot more social than I ever would have expected, and it is impossible to focus to write enough letters. I miss you all, but not too much. Let the kids know I love them and think they are great. I love you all.

-Elder Sam Bostwick