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 ....
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
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
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
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
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
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
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
dear family and friends
Well, there are two weeks left for Elder Wood. I always thought that 3 months to be with the same companion would be a really long time. In some ways, I was right. Don't misunderstand, I enjoy Elder Wood still, but change is not bad. At least, monotony is not good.
We've had a pretty good week as members of the church with Conference. I thought that Conference was profoundly wonderful, and it was special for me to participate in the solemn assembly to sustain our leadership, as I was too young to remember when Gordon B. Hinckley became the prophet. I love that God is in control, and that normal men become powerful servants through sustaining of the Church, and the ordenation of the Priesthood. I don't know if the leadership of the Church is becoming cooler, or if I just am really starting to see how cool they have always been. I am excited for the new First Presidency and can't wait to hear more of their messages in the future.
On Monday, we had our interviews with the mission president. I really enjoy talking with President Craig. He is a very spiritual man, and always speaks as he feels guided and directed. To open up the day of interviews, he began sharing with us his feelings that missionaries come to this mission in particular to learn about how to be leaders in the Church. Mission-wide we are blessed with bishops and stake presidents who are powerful men, obedient to the gospel and knowledgable and dedicated to their callings. I don't know if I could be a church leader, but it is a good thing to learn from men who do better than I ever could.
The mission set a goal to have every companionship baptize two people this transfer (6 week period). Elder Wood and I don't have any prospects of baptizing anybody in the next 2 weeks before the transfer ends. In fact, it has been a while since I have been working with anybody who is approaching baptism. I hope I can figure out what to do better and have been praying fervently to find people who will accept the gospel.
The people we are working with are chugging along. I think we have overloaded one couple, Camelia and Octavio. They asked for more time learning from us before they would say yes or no to being baptized. I hope that they don't feel too urged or pressured with member friends talking unceasingly about baptism.
Each day we work to overcome our own problems to become more bendable and workable with the will of the Lord. I am learning that it really is hard work, not just light effort. This requires work in ways I have never worked before. Until we have cause to rejoice, I will rejoice in the work I have to do. I feel like the Savior spoke directly to me when we he said to his apostles, "You have not chosen me, but rather I have chosen thee" (paraphrased). It is a marvelous miracle that I am on a mission. I know that God sent me here, though I had not chosen Him, I have felt it. I know God calls us and then shapes our backs for the labor we have been called to bear. I wish I were more moldable material to work with... then it wouldn't be so hard to become what He needs.
I hope you are all well, and have confidence that if anything big happened, you would find a way to tell me. I remind you that small news over there will be big news here. I should do well to remember the same thing, I suppose. Take care, fuel your testimonies, and be more diligent in keeping the commandments. God always blesses us when we obey His words, that is a law under which our Father functions. I know it is true. I love you all. To my sisters, take care of the little kids and tell them I love them too and miss them very much.
-Elder Sam Bostwick
We've had a pretty good week as members of the church with Conference. I thought that Conference was profoundly wonderful, and it was special for me to participate in the solemn assembly to sustain our leadership, as I was too young to remember when Gordon B. Hinckley became the prophet. I love that God is in control, and that normal men become powerful servants through sustaining of the Church, and the ordenation of the Priesthood. I don't know if the leadership of the Church is becoming cooler, or if I just am really starting to see how cool they have always been. I am excited for the new First Presidency and can't wait to hear more of their messages in the future.
On Monday, we had our interviews with the mission president. I really enjoy talking with President Craig. He is a very spiritual man, and always speaks as he feels guided and directed. To open up the day of interviews, he began sharing with us his feelings that missionaries come to this mission in particular to learn about how to be leaders in the Church. Mission-wide we are blessed with bishops and stake presidents who are powerful men, obedient to the gospel and knowledgable and dedicated to their callings. I don't know if I could be a church leader, but it is a good thing to learn from men who do better than I ever could.
The mission set a goal to have every companionship baptize two people this transfer (6 week period). Elder Wood and I don't have any prospects of baptizing anybody in the next 2 weeks before the transfer ends. In fact, it has been a while since I have been working with anybody who is approaching baptism. I hope I can figure out what to do better and have been praying fervently to find people who will accept the gospel.
The people we are working with are chugging along. I think we have overloaded one couple, Camelia and Octavio. They asked for more time learning from us before they would say yes or no to being baptized. I hope that they don't feel too urged or pressured with member friends talking unceasingly about baptism.
Each day we work to overcome our own problems to become more bendable and workable with the will of the Lord. I am learning that it really is hard work, not just light effort. This requires work in ways I have never worked before. Until we have cause to rejoice, I will rejoice in the work I have to do. I feel like the Savior spoke directly to me when we he said to his apostles, "You have not chosen me, but rather I have chosen thee" (paraphrased). It is a marvelous miracle that I am on a mission. I know that God sent me here, though I had not chosen Him, I have felt it. I know God calls us and then shapes our backs for the labor we have been called to bear. I wish I were more moldable material to work with... then it wouldn't be so hard to become what He needs.
I hope you are all well, and have confidence that if anything big happened, you would find a way to tell me. I remind you that small news over there will be big news here. I should do well to remember the same thing, I suppose. Take care, fuel your testimonies, and be more diligent in keeping the commandments. God always blesses us when we obey His words, that is a law under which our Father functions. I know it is true. I love you all. To my sisters, take care of the little kids and tell them I love them too and miss them very much.
-Elder Sam Bostwick
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
exchanges
Exchanges are a strange thing for a Spanish elder. As my companion is a District Leader over a few other companionships in our district, we have to go on exchanges with the other companionships as well as with the Zone Leaders. For English elders, I imagine that these are nothing but vacations from a companion or an area for a day and then returning to work, but as a Spanish elder, life gets turned upside down on exchange days. Sometimes I stay in our area, which means I have a companion who does not speak the same language as any of the people we talk to and cannot help in any way, often doesn't enjoy the food, and who is bored all day. Which means that I have to talk in Spanish more than I normally do and be the only teacher and shoulder all responsibility for the day--very stressful. And sometimes I leave the area and go as a companion to an English elder in their area. On those days, I feel as though I am in a foreign world. The English elders cover 4-5 Wards each, meaning that it's rare for them to know many members in their area. They might know bishops and ward mission leaders, and that's about it. They spend most of their time talking to people that the wards give as referrals or inactive members or part-member families. It is a completely different world of missionary work, and I feel lost--very stressful.
With all the stress of that, I like the days of normality, where it is me and my companion like regular. I like the way things work in our ward. I love knowing almost every family (there is still one family I have talked to briefly, but wouldn't consider I know them yet) and being in their homes often for dinners and to offer service and check up personally on their referrals. I have become very fond of our ward and my heart will break when I have to leave. Things have been fun with them helping me in my Spanish and learning from their examples as strong members. I find a lot of joy serving in Queen Creek, even though I don't baptize thousands. In fact, despite all our work, we don't have any near prospects for baptism, I pray every day that will change.
The Church is true. It is the embodiment of the fulness of times living the laws and making the covenants that are the heart of the Church of Jesus Christ. I love seeing others make their own covenants with the Lord and receiving the blessings from that. We always receive blessings upon our obedience, in every case. The Savior said himself that He is bound when we do what He says. I love this Gospel, and am very happy to be a missionary--though of course life is not perfect. But life was never meant to be perfect, not yet. That's what we're working on earning--perfect. Be good everybody, I love ya. Enjoy the brisk weather. It's pretty warm down here. Just about perfect...
-Elder Sam Bostwick
With all the stress of that, I like the days of normality, where it is me and my companion like regular. I like the way things work in our ward. I love knowing almost every family (there is still one family I have talked to briefly, but wouldn't consider I know them yet) and being in their homes often for dinners and to offer service and check up personally on their referrals. I have become very fond of our ward and my heart will break when I have to leave. Things have been fun with them helping me in my Spanish and learning from their examples as strong members. I find a lot of joy serving in Queen Creek, even though I don't baptize thousands. In fact, despite all our work, we don't have any near prospects for baptism, I pray every day that will change.
The Church is true. It is the embodiment of the fulness of times living the laws and making the covenants that are the heart of the Church of Jesus Christ. I love seeing others make their own covenants with the Lord and receiving the blessings from that. We always receive blessings upon our obedience, in every case. The Savior said himself that He is bound when we do what He says. I love this Gospel, and am very happy to be a missionary--though of course life is not perfect. But life was never meant to be perfect, not yet. That's what we're working on earning--perfect. Be good everybody, I love ya. Enjoy the brisk weather. It's pretty warm down here. Just about perfect...
-Elder Sam Bostwick
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