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
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
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
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
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
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
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
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
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
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
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
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
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
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
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
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
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
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
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
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