I feel like we have been really busy this week, and today is only evidence of that. I already have to be done with emailing. I have spent too much time working on college stuff in the little time I can spend online. Hopefully, step by step some progress can be made. I love you all.
-Elder Bostwick
P.S. Congrats Cecily, that is so exciting! And thanks to whoever was in charge of letting me know the same day!
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
turn up the heat
While it has been consistently hotter than it would be in Utah, the weather had been for quite some time, surprisingly cooler than a normal Arizona summer. We're talking only 105 as the norm instead of 115. But at last the heat has returned, and Elder Rands just shouts out "I love the heat!" To be honest, it is not quite as impacting the second summer as the first—I survived it once, bring it on.
Due to a lot of things that have to get done with a new missionary (new Spanish missionaries get a "training hour" and a full hour of Spanish study; normal Spanish missionaries only get a half hour daily to study Spanish) it feels sometimes that we spend a lot of time inside our house. Add in last week's zone conference, our service in the Employment Center and English classes, meetings on Sunday with stake and branch presidencies, and our two-hour weekly planning session on Fridays, and I am sick of all of these required hours that we are not proselyting. Elder Rands is learning a lot, and we learn a lot from his great attitude about life and missionary service. Elder Argyle and I keep reminding each other that God had a reason in giving us a new elder at this time in our missions, and so we are patient with all the time inside.
In the end, I want to work. The times I have been happiest on my mission, is when we have worked the hardest. There is no secret to happiness in this life, it is written all over the scriptures to be declared by everyone. Be diligent in your duty to the commandments God gives, and you will be happy. I have found considerably increased happiness on my mission than I ever had before because I have been serving other people, rather than catering to my own ever-selfish wants and desires. We went to the temple today and I am pumped to work, not just here for the rest of my mission, but to continue working hard after the mission, for the rest of my life.
The gospel is so true on so many levels and I feel honored and blessed to learn new things every day, to wonder at the works and wonders of our Father in Heaven. My time's out, but I love you all. Take care.
-Elder Sam Bostwick
Due to a lot of things that have to get done with a new missionary (new Spanish missionaries get a "training hour" and a full hour of Spanish study; normal Spanish missionaries only get a half hour daily to study Spanish) it feels sometimes that we spend a lot of time inside our house. Add in last week's zone conference, our service in the Employment Center and English classes, meetings on Sunday with stake and branch presidencies, and our two-hour weekly planning session on Fridays, and I am sick of all of these required hours that we are not proselyting. Elder Rands is learning a lot, and we learn a lot from his great attitude about life and missionary service. Elder Argyle and I keep reminding each other that God had a reason in giving us a new elder at this time in our missions, and so we are patient with all the time inside.
In the end, I want to work. The times I have been happiest on my mission, is when we have worked the hardest. There is no secret to happiness in this life, it is written all over the scriptures to be declared by everyone. Be diligent in your duty to the commandments God gives, and you will be happy. I have found considerably increased happiness on my mission than I ever had before because I have been serving other people, rather than catering to my own ever-selfish wants and desires. We went to the temple today and I am pumped to work, not just here for the rest of my mission, but to continue working hard after the mission, for the rest of my life.
The gospel is so true on so many levels and I feel honored and blessed to learn new things every day, to wonder at the works and wonders of our Father in Heaven. My time's out, but I love you all. Take care.
-Elder Sam Bostwick
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
some pictures
These are the Bingham buds. Elders Owens (mid) and Meldrum (right) were companions at the time in my Zone in Mesa.
Jose is about to turn in his mission papers. He comes to a lot of lessons with us. Then me, Elders Snyder, Reynolds, and Argyle.
These are all future missionaries. When I took the picture, the one on the left was a recent convert, and the other three weren't members. Now they are all members and will pass the sacrament on Sunday.
At work.
Elder Argyle, Elder Rands, and me.
The branch campout that we got to go on.
Jose is about to turn in his mission papers. He comes to a lot of lessons with us. Then me, Elders Snyder, Reynolds, and Argyle.
These are all future missionaries. When I took the picture, the one on the left was a recent convert, and the other three weren't members. Now they are all members and will pass the sacrament on Sunday.
At work.
Elder Argyle, Elder Rands, and me.
The branch campout that we got to go on.
clouds, but no rain
We had a great week this last week with an amazing baptismal service. I was able to confirm a ten-year-old kid, which was a first for me. I had never given a blessing of any kind for a child, and it was unique to listen to the language our Father has for young children, so that they can understand what He wants to tell them. With each of our baptisms, we just keep finding new people to teach, whether it be referrals from converts or people that members just start bringing to church or those miracle findings. Our teaching pool just doesn't run dry and we keep a constant flow of new and great people to teach. I am humbled to serve in Mesa.
We've had a few cloudy days, and a bit of wind, but no rain. It has been almost cruel. Although, I am told that monsoon season is near (I missed it last year because I was in San Luis).
We gave one of our final reports to our "boss" in the Employment Center yesterday. We will be serving there until near the end of July, but it seems like we have really gotten a good idea of the potential of the program. In the following weeks, the missionaries and employees in the center are going to help me develop my own resume to begin communicating with a few places in Provo. While I'm there, I might as well make good use of the time, and I know that God with provide for my needs. He provides for us and has promised us time and time again that he that obeys His commandments will prosper in the land.
I am happy here. As much as the heat may rise, and the sun beat down almost as though you could feel it hitting you with physical force, it feels good to spend my time in the service of other people. As I teach the gospel, its wonders open up more and more. Thanks for helping to get me on my mission!
Love,
-Elder Bostwick
We've had a few cloudy days, and a bit of wind, but no rain. It has been almost cruel. Although, I am told that monsoon season is near (I missed it last year because I was in San Luis).
We gave one of our final reports to our "boss" in the Employment Center yesterday. We will be serving there until near the end of July, but it seems like we have really gotten a good idea of the potential of the program. In the following weeks, the missionaries and employees in the center are going to help me develop my own resume to begin communicating with a few places in Provo. While I'm there, I might as well make good use of the time, and I know that God with provide for my needs. He provides for us and has promised us time and time again that he that obeys His commandments will prosper in the land.
I am happy here. As much as the heat may rise, and the sun beat down almost as though you could feel it hitting you with physical force, it feels good to spend my time in the service of other people. As I teach the gospel, its wonders open up more and more. Thanks for helping to get me on my mission!
Love,
-Elder Bostwick
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
!animo!
Someday, I'm going to have to figure out how to type in Spanish. I don't know how to use the language settings on the computer ....
Animo means desire, enthusiasm, or drive and it defines our new missionary. Elder Rands, from the suburbs of Chicago, is huge. He wrestled at Northwestern University in what is a very reputable wrestling program. Physically he is huge, but even better is his huge excitement to be a missionary. With other newer missionaries not having very much drive to learn Spanish well, we have been really grateful and happy to see that Elder Rands wants to talk in Spanish as much as he can. He knows he can't really do the Lord's work until he can speak to the people. Though his speech is now slow, his desire to communicate is visible and endearing and he gets many compliments on his Spanish. By example, he is teaching Elder Snyder's old companion, Elder Reynolds, to step up the passion and speak. It is easy to be happy for Elder Rands's success as he learns many new words each day and gets excited about everything, and telling us how great of missionaries we are. We laugh and tell him he is great too. Truly, his animo is contagious and we have all become more dedicated to the work and we definitely have seen the miracles in even just one week.
We will be having another baptismal service on Friday. Maria Zavala and her kids had their interviews last night and all is ready. We found out that the other area, Elder Reynolds and Elder Burt, will also have a baptism on that day! Elder Burt is good for this area, with a positive way of thinking. Elder Snyder's corneal ulcer weighed down on him and he would say negative things about the area that we knew weren't true, and Elder Burt is proving it. In this first week since he arrived, they have put four people on date.
We were walking in an apartment complex on Friday night. I randomly saw a convert from my days in Queen Creek and we called her mom right there to seek legal help (we need to get a lady divorced and this girl's mom was a judge in Mexico). It was a nice reunion, but even cooler was the fact that as we talked to them, two couples came outside to sit and relax in the early evening that was almost cooling off. As we finished with the girl from Queen Creek, we walked over to talk with the two couples. One couple is from the Pentecostal Church, and they have been taking the other couple to church with them. As we talked, we touched on many doctrinal points, teaching all four of them of the will of God in their lives. Happily, the other couple invited us to come to their home and teach them, and they have remarkable potential to progress rapidly. They were Catholics, converted to another Christian church which turned out to be disappointing, and have just recently started to look to define their faith again. The Lord has prepared them and brought them a long way.
Monday night was supposed to be full of appointments. We needed to have a double exchange to help us teach all the lessons we had scheduled, but after calling everyone in the whole branch, we were supremely denied by every single person. I hope they were all having their Family Home Evening .... Once we got closer to our appointments, they all started to call and cancel. One by one until we almost had nothing to do and we were overall disappointed. Early on, when we had had an appointment scheduled previously, we were contacting an investigator family in an apartment complex that is closed to proselyting. We had received the information for our investigators by referral—the most that is allowed in that particular complex. When our investigators weren't home, we began to leave and were only stopped by an American lady shouting out, "Elders!" She came to us, said she was a member and that the Spirit had her come over to us and she wanted to take us to meet some of her neighbors. We met one neighbor, then another, then went to another, she walked us around and we got several new potential investigators. Even more, she knew our actual investigators and as we finished with her visits, we saw that our investigators had come home so we took her to contact them too. To our surprise, this American member started speaking Spanish when our investigator opened the door, we went in and taught a whole lesson, felt the Spirit strongly and made our investigator's day. There was no doubt that we had made our plans for the day, but that God had made His own plans, and they were better than ours. That lady is a member missionary! And we were so blessed to have her help, even if for just an hour and a half.
I think the gospel gets more true every day. As I discover new truths, my testimony shoots roots deeper and deeper into the soil of the doctrines of the gospel. I find so much happiness in serving these people. It feels so good to sink into bed at night with the spirit as my companion, tired from a full day's work, and ready to sleep truly sound.
I love you, and am happy for the great things you all do. Keep being great! Until next week,
-Elder Sam Bostwick
Animo means desire, enthusiasm, or drive and it defines our new missionary. Elder Rands, from the suburbs of Chicago, is huge. He wrestled at Northwestern University in what is a very reputable wrestling program. Physically he is huge, but even better is his huge excitement to be a missionary. With other newer missionaries not having very much drive to learn Spanish well, we have been really grateful and happy to see that Elder Rands wants to talk in Spanish as much as he can. He knows he can't really do the Lord's work until he can speak to the people. Though his speech is now slow, his desire to communicate is visible and endearing and he gets many compliments on his Spanish. By example, he is teaching Elder Snyder's old companion, Elder Reynolds, to step up the passion and speak. It is easy to be happy for Elder Rands's success as he learns many new words each day and gets excited about everything, and telling us how great of missionaries we are. We laugh and tell him he is great too. Truly, his animo is contagious and we have all become more dedicated to the work and we definitely have seen the miracles in even just one week.
We will be having another baptismal service on Friday. Maria Zavala and her kids had their interviews last night and all is ready. We found out that the other area, Elder Reynolds and Elder Burt, will also have a baptism on that day! Elder Burt is good for this area, with a positive way of thinking. Elder Snyder's corneal ulcer weighed down on him and he would say negative things about the area that we knew weren't true, and Elder Burt is proving it. In this first week since he arrived, they have put four people on date.
We were walking in an apartment complex on Friday night. I randomly saw a convert from my days in Queen Creek and we called her mom right there to seek legal help (we need to get a lady divorced and this girl's mom was a judge in Mexico). It was a nice reunion, but even cooler was the fact that as we talked to them, two couples came outside to sit and relax in the early evening that was almost cooling off. As we finished with the girl from Queen Creek, we walked over to talk with the two couples. One couple is from the Pentecostal Church, and they have been taking the other couple to church with them. As we talked, we touched on many doctrinal points, teaching all four of them of the will of God in their lives. Happily, the other couple invited us to come to their home and teach them, and they have remarkable potential to progress rapidly. They were Catholics, converted to another Christian church which turned out to be disappointing, and have just recently started to look to define their faith again. The Lord has prepared them and brought them a long way.
Monday night was supposed to be full of appointments. We needed to have a double exchange to help us teach all the lessons we had scheduled, but after calling everyone in the whole branch, we were supremely denied by every single person. I hope they were all having their Family Home Evening .... Once we got closer to our appointments, they all started to call and cancel. One by one until we almost had nothing to do and we were overall disappointed. Early on, when we had had an appointment scheduled previously, we were contacting an investigator family in an apartment complex that is closed to proselyting. We had received the information for our investigators by referral—the most that is allowed in that particular complex. When our investigators weren't home, we began to leave and were only stopped by an American lady shouting out, "Elders!" She came to us, said she was a member and that the Spirit had her come over to us and she wanted to take us to meet some of her neighbors. We met one neighbor, then another, then went to another, she walked us around and we got several new potential investigators. Even more, she knew our actual investigators and as we finished with her visits, we saw that our investigators had come home so we took her to contact them too. To our surprise, this American member started speaking Spanish when our investigator opened the door, we went in and taught a whole lesson, felt the Spirit strongly and made our investigator's day. There was no doubt that we had made our plans for the day, but that God had made His own plans, and they were better than ours. That lady is a member missionary! And we were so blessed to have her help, even if for just an hour and a half.
I think the gospel gets more true every day. As I discover new truths, my testimony shoots roots deeper and deeper into the soil of the doctrines of the gospel. I find so much happiness in serving these people. It feels so good to sink into bed at night with the spirit as my companion, tired from a full day's work, and ready to sleep truly sound.
I love you, and am happy for the great things you all do. Keep being great! Until next week,
-Elder Sam Bostwick
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
the unexpected
My mission has been kind of full of rather unexpected things. That seems to be Heavenly Father's plan for me: to train me to sit back and trust Him. Speculation is futile, as has been proved to me over and over and over.
Transfers came again. Elder Snyder, after a long time in Mesa, has been sent to the branch in Tempe, where he will enjoy a car and a closer proximity to the doctor's office. In reality, it is a change that I believe should have been made as an "emergency transfer" but I don't make the calls around here. Elder Argyle and I had been together quite a long time and we were not anticipating anything else but for one of us to be transferred. However, as I said before, speculation is futile. I will be seeing Elder Argyle to the end of his mission, making us the longest companionship in known Tempe history. Even more wild and unexpected, President Craig has asked the two of us to train a new missionary together. We set up the bunk bed last night in Brother Brown's house to accommodate another bed and we are all set and very eager and excited to get to work—too bad today is P-Day and we have to relax. Elder Rands is on fire to be here and he will definitely be a powerful addition to our companionship and help us to be proud of our work here in the mission field.
It is nice to hear updates from home. I love the family, and think about you all fondly. Sometimes I even imagine what it would be like to be there, but I know that time goes on as it should and I will be able to pick up right away with all of you. I wish Steven the best, and most of all, that our Father will guide his steps. I've learned a lot about the reality that all of us have a different path, and should go forth confidently. I know this gospel is true. I have very powerful feelings about the plan of salvation, especially in light of Grandma Rose's funeral. I know all that comes to us is for the better, and all the bad that we get or that we bring to ourselves can be turned around for our upbringing and learning. I know that no pain is wasted and no frustration is in vain. Joy is the purpose of our life, but it comes at certain cost.
We went on a trip to the temple visitors' center last night with the youth for a mutual activity. We work with so many youth investigators that this was a powerful missionary activity. My testimony of the mission of Joseph Smith grows every day. By their fruits ye shall know them, and I could spend the rest of my life marveling at the fruits of this great prophet.
Okay, my time really is out. I love you. Take care.
-Elder Sam Bostwick
Transfers came again. Elder Snyder, after a long time in Mesa, has been sent to the branch in Tempe, where he will enjoy a car and a closer proximity to the doctor's office. In reality, it is a change that I believe should have been made as an "emergency transfer" but I don't make the calls around here. Elder Argyle and I had been together quite a long time and we were not anticipating anything else but for one of us to be transferred. However, as I said before, speculation is futile. I will be seeing Elder Argyle to the end of his mission, making us the longest companionship in known Tempe history. Even more wild and unexpected, President Craig has asked the two of us to train a new missionary together. We set up the bunk bed last night in Brother Brown's house to accommodate another bed and we are all set and very eager and excited to get to work—too bad today is P-Day and we have to relax. Elder Rands is on fire to be here and he will definitely be a powerful addition to our companionship and help us to be proud of our work here in the mission field.
It is nice to hear updates from home. I love the family, and think about you all fondly. Sometimes I even imagine what it would be like to be there, but I know that time goes on as it should and I will be able to pick up right away with all of you. I wish Steven the best, and most of all, that our Father will guide his steps. I've learned a lot about the reality that all of us have a different path, and should go forth confidently. I know this gospel is true. I have very powerful feelings about the plan of salvation, especially in light of Grandma Rose's funeral. I know all that comes to us is for the better, and all the bad that we get or that we bring to ourselves can be turned around for our upbringing and learning. I know that no pain is wasted and no frustration is in vain. Joy is the purpose of our life, but it comes at certain cost.
We went on a trip to the temple visitors' center last night with the youth for a mutual activity. We work with so many youth investigators that this was a powerful missionary activity. My testimony of the mission of Joseph Smith grows every day. By their fruits ye shall know them, and I could spend the rest of my life marveling at the fruits of this great prophet.
Okay, my time really is out. I love you. Take care.
-Elder Sam Bostwick
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
records defeated
Dear Readers,
Elder Argyle and I are a good team. We reviewed the area book and the past records for each of the stats that we turn in and realized that we held several records from the time we have been companions. After looking at the remaining unbroken records, we decided to defeat the records and set new standards for our area. This last week, we defeated the last record we had planned to break (there is only one remaining record, but in order to break it, such as the week it was set, we would have to not teach any lessons and spend all of our time in the street talking to people—we'd rather have lessons). Achieving a goal is a sweet feeling. I have learned a lot from Elder Argyle, and am especially grateful for this last transfer we have had together, since it has done wonders to train me to be a better missionary, and a better man.
This transfer has also included caring for Elder Snyder. His eye slowly recovers, and he goes to the doctor frequently where he, each time, gets a different explanation of why it isn't healing more quickly and a new medication. Supposedly, if it were being treated correctly, it would disappear in a matter of days. After so many blessings and medicine, I am unanswered in why he must go through this, but we are doing all we can to help him get out of the house (he can't ride his bike, so him getting out of the house means going on an exchange with us in the car) and spending a lot of time scrambled up with different companions. God knows why this is happening, and that is the end of questioning.
Yesterday, just before sitting down to dinner with our Relief Society President, President Craig called with the news of Grandma Bostwick. I will miss her. This makes both of Dad's parents whose funerals I was not able to attend due to my missionary service. Again, God knows the reason. I feel that I don't have an emotional need to go to the funeral. Death in the gospel has such a clear perspective that I don't feel much sadness. However, all change has effects, and I feel the effect of a change in our family. I love Grandma Rose and I will be very glad to see her again someday, happier and stronger.
We had a great youth baptismal service on Saturday with a lot of involvement with the youth of our branch. In giving talks or extending welcomes, it was a good opportunity to teach a few of the kids some practical gospel skills. I see it as more evidence that the Church is true, that young people can prepare a talk and present it to a group with clarity, confidence, and testimony. The three kids that were baptized (Jessica, Christian and Alan) are very happy, and we finally began to teach their parents, though they will likely progress much more slowly than their children. We always are happy to see continual progress in our investigators as well as the investigators that other missionaries are working with.
We had a cool experience with a recent convert. He was baptized two weeks ago and the Saturday after his baptism, we went to his house for a lesson, to teach him about the priesthood (he had already been ordained a priest and we wanted him to really understand his duties and privileges as a priesthood holder). When we got to his house, he said he was going to invite a neighbor to hear the gospel, which he did, she came, and he himself began to teach her the about the Restoration, bearing testimony, using the scriptures, and teaching the true doctrines of the Church. This miraculous change from our "so-so" investigator to our new powerful fellowshipper came so quickly as a result of acting on faith. Raul took a leap of faith to be baptized, and his life now is continual evidence of the faith he has to act. The spirit is with him and he is a new man. We took him and his neighbor to the temple visitor's center and he again, bore his testimony with more conviction than we thought was in him. God is great, and this is His work. For as much as we do, we do very little. This change in Raul that is so surprising to us, is exactly the change that He had planned all along, by no accident or chance to the One who really taught Raul to have faith.
I love you all, as I always say, and always mean. I care about what is going on in your lives. Thanks for everything you do to teach me. I have little hope by myself, but I have all reason to hope in the great examples and teachers who surround my life and in the mercy of our Lord, who truly is mighty to save.
-Elder Sam Bostwick
Elder Argyle and I are a good team. We reviewed the area book and the past records for each of the stats that we turn in and realized that we held several records from the time we have been companions. After looking at the remaining unbroken records, we decided to defeat the records and set new standards for our area. This last week, we defeated the last record we had planned to break (there is only one remaining record, but in order to break it, such as the week it was set, we would have to not teach any lessons and spend all of our time in the street talking to people—we'd rather have lessons). Achieving a goal is a sweet feeling. I have learned a lot from Elder Argyle, and am especially grateful for this last transfer we have had together, since it has done wonders to train me to be a better missionary, and a better man.
This transfer has also included caring for Elder Snyder. His eye slowly recovers, and he goes to the doctor frequently where he, each time, gets a different explanation of why it isn't healing more quickly and a new medication. Supposedly, if it were being treated correctly, it would disappear in a matter of days. After so many blessings and medicine, I am unanswered in why he must go through this, but we are doing all we can to help him get out of the house (he can't ride his bike, so him getting out of the house means going on an exchange with us in the car) and spending a lot of time scrambled up with different companions. God knows why this is happening, and that is the end of questioning.
Yesterday, just before sitting down to dinner with our Relief Society President, President Craig called with the news of Grandma Bostwick. I will miss her. This makes both of Dad's parents whose funerals I was not able to attend due to my missionary service. Again, God knows the reason. I feel that I don't have an emotional need to go to the funeral. Death in the gospel has such a clear perspective that I don't feel much sadness. However, all change has effects, and I feel the effect of a change in our family. I love Grandma Rose and I will be very glad to see her again someday, happier and stronger.
We had a great youth baptismal service on Saturday with a lot of involvement with the youth of our branch. In giving talks or extending welcomes, it was a good opportunity to teach a few of the kids some practical gospel skills. I see it as more evidence that the Church is true, that young people can prepare a talk and present it to a group with clarity, confidence, and testimony. The three kids that were baptized (Jessica, Christian and Alan) are very happy, and we finally began to teach their parents, though they will likely progress much more slowly than their children. We always are happy to see continual progress in our investigators as well as the investigators that other missionaries are working with.
We had a cool experience with a recent convert. He was baptized two weeks ago and the Saturday after his baptism, we went to his house for a lesson, to teach him about the priesthood (he had already been ordained a priest and we wanted him to really understand his duties and privileges as a priesthood holder). When we got to his house, he said he was going to invite a neighbor to hear the gospel, which he did, she came, and he himself began to teach her the about the Restoration, bearing testimony, using the scriptures, and teaching the true doctrines of the Church. This miraculous change from our "so-so" investigator to our new powerful fellowshipper came so quickly as a result of acting on faith. Raul took a leap of faith to be baptized, and his life now is continual evidence of the faith he has to act. The spirit is with him and he is a new man. We took him and his neighbor to the temple visitor's center and he again, bore his testimony with more conviction than we thought was in him. God is great, and this is His work. For as much as we do, we do very little. This change in Raul that is so surprising to us, is exactly the change that He had planned all along, by no accident or chance to the One who really taught Raul to have faith.
I love you all, as I always say, and always mean. I care about what is going on in your lives. Thanks for everything you do to teach me. I have little hope by myself, but I have all reason to hope in the great examples and teachers who surround my life and in the mercy of our Lord, who truly is mighty to save.
-Elder Sam Bostwick
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