May 21, 2018

Open your mouth and it shall be filled... with bugs.

For reals. there are so many bugs here. so i think ill just have to bite the bullet and smell like bug spray all the time. thats pretty attractive right? haha

haha anyways, things are going well in Nauvoo! We got our bikes and took a lovely tour of parts of the town with President Lusvardi. (dont worry, i only fell off my bike like once.) the Mississippi river is so beautiful! and im starting to feel the spirit of Nauvoo that everyone talks about. 

my companions and i are getting a long even better now, and have had some fun experiences this week! (getting locked out of our house, testifying to an old couple about the gospel, pigging out on cookies and jamming out to music in the car to name a few!) 

cool fact: my group of missionaries are lucky ducks. because we got to go to the top of the temple, where the bell tower is. i felt the sacredness of the temple up there, especially when we all sang I love to see the temple. i really do love to see the temple. I know with all my heart that it is the house of God. something i love about the temples are that they all say "Holiness to the Lord, the House of the Lord." i love that it says holiness TO the Lord. it reminds us that to enter into the Lords house, we must be holy. it is also a reminder to be humble. every righteous thing we do, every holy feeling we experience in this life is possible because of our Lord Jesus Christ. we must remember to give that holiness back to Him by serving Him. one of the best places to serve Him is in the temple! it all comes back to the temple. the temple is so sacred and i love going there. i encourage you to go visit a temple. either on the outside or going in if you can. it is truly beautiful and helps everyone come closer to God in a sacred special way. Oh how i love to see the temple. especially the Nauvoo temple(:

I am so thankful for you! your examples and support mean the world to me. i am a better person because of you and who you are by just being you. so thank you and i hope you have a great week! 

Sister Bush

May 18, 2018

Hello everyone! 

I am sorry it has been awhile since I emailed, my preparation days have been sorta off and crazy lately. 

couple cool points to share about Nauvoo!

- My mission president, President Lusvardi is amazing. He has the energy of a young kid yet the wisdom of an old man. (he isnt old tho.) I love the way he teaches us and helps us become better missionaries. 

- my pday will change every month, this month it will be monday. 

-my companions are sister Moss from Nevada and sister Jones from Montana. they are pretty cool!

- we live in the Economou, witch is a cute little yellow house a couple blocks from the temple. (i will include pictures!)

- i miss my district but thankfully i still get to see them often. 

- I am really happy to be here. it is so beautiful and green! I know, green! wowzers haha. i am excited to explore around Nauvoo as well as start working at the historic sites. I know that this is where the Lord wants me to be. 

I hope everyone has a good week! I will try to send a better email next time!

Sister Bush

ps in case you want it, my mailing address is 

Sister Bush

Illinois Nauvoo Mission

 P.O. Box 215

Nauvoo, IL 62354 

for shipping services it is 

Sister Bush

Illinois Nauvoo Mission 

975 Young St. 

Nauvoo, IL 62354

Photos include: my old district, a snail, my new house and new companions, and pictures of inside the house! 

       

(email to parents)

HI PEEPS 

So! today is my pday. but do not fret, it is just a makeshift pday to help me get settled in. the rest of this month my pday will be on monday. (so youll hear from me again on monday haha) 

okay so the last time i did like a real email was before i even went to temple square so i am starting back there. on the way to temple square i put a mustard packet in sis paystrups water bottle while she was napping. she was not amused haha but everyone else was! hahaha i think she has forgiven me. hopefully (; temple square it self was hectic and kinda crazy. i was able to feel the spirit a few times and that was nice but most of the time i felt like things were rushed and routine and not how a VC is supposed to be at all. but its okay because it was a learning experience! i have a goal here in Nauvoo to always act as the Savior would if He were in the site or VC im assigned to. 

on monday i went to the dentist with sis Curtis. she was afraid that her filling came out and so we had to go check that out. i waited in the waiting room and tried not to pay attention to the non-missionary approved music around me haha. good news was sis Curtis filling was still there, it had only been chipped. so it was an easy fix and she wasnt even charged! nice. 

that night we had a huge snack feast. i think it was that night anyways. cuz sis Done's dad sent this HUGE box full of food. chips, candies, poptarts, more candies, krispy kreme donuts from someone else, and just a buttload of crap! all of us that are going to nauvoo sat around this huge pile and snacked, talked, laughed and did a book of mormon read from helaman 10. it was a cool bonding experience. 

on tuesday! Elder Kevin R Duncan and his wife came and spoke to us. hes a seventy. um that devo was so awesome. he first talked about volcanoes and how it is more important if we are active on the inside instead of looking impressive on the outside. i really liked that. then, because he is on the scripture board, we got to see a sneak peek trailer! the trailer for the book of mormon videos that will start coming out in september!!! LET ME TELL YOU, WHEN I SAW THIS TRAILER I WAS MORE EXCITED FOR THOSE VIDEOS TO COME OUT THAN I WAS WHEN I SAW THE INFINITY WARS TRAILER FOR THE FIRST TIME AND THATS SAYING SOMETHING. the trailer was amazing. it began with a man walking along side a beach and a voice in the backround began "I Nephi...." and then lots of scenes from Nephis family in the wilderness + intense music + cool scenes and amazing acting = CHILLS AND EXCITEMENT BECAUSE IT WAS SO LEGIT AND AMAZING YESSSSS i wonder when that trailer will be available for the public.... watch it as soon as you can cuz its so cool. 

anyways! Elder Duncan talked about the power of the book of mormon in the conversion process and so that was an awesome devo. 

dad you are my hero too! im glad you and evelyn got to enjoy that. I loved your thoughts on the polaroid camera and how it applies to our lives cuz sis green has a polaroid camera and weve taken some cool photos with it. so that was awesome. your thoughts too mom. im also glad things are starting to fall into place with the move and all that. i hope you guys are able to pick a house soon! dont stress too much about it, just pick one that is good! and as soon as our family lives in it, it will become more than good. it will become fantastic. mom you are an amazing seminary teacher. im sure that Abby is so thankful to have had you as a teacher for so long. i know i was happy to have you as a teacher. and i still am! you teach me new things all the time. it was wonderful to talk to the family on mothers day, and at the airport, and i will talk to you again pretty soon for fathers day! we get to skype for a full hour on fathers day! so that is pretty darn exciting. the reason for that is because Pres Lusvardi spoils us. lol jk but he kinda does. the real reason is because they had some techincal difficulties here on mothers day and also found out we only got a phone call for 30 minutes and so they are giving our mission a chance to skype on fathersday(: yay! it makes me happy cuz i feel like in the past calls i havent got to talk to dad much. so that will be cool. what a blessing!

okay! so now i am here in Nauvoo! it feels surreal. i am in a tripan with sister Moss and sister Jones. they are pretty cool. sis moss is from Reno Nevada and sis Jones is from Livingston Montana.  sis Moss has been here for 2 weeks so she is kinda training us, i feel lucky to be with her cuz all the other sisters that just came in are training themselves. yikes. haha

we live in the Economou. which is a little cute yellow house a couple blocks from the temple. dont worry ill send pictures today (; it is so cute and i love it! 

president lusvardi is amazing. for our meetings where he trains us, he doesnt really plan anything. he just goes into subjects and places in the scriptures by what the spirit directs. it is awesome. he is always telling us that we need to follow the spirit when we do tours and never let it be routine our old. we should always be learning and we should always be teaching to guests needs. every week we will be in different sites, and after pday, my comps and i will be at the Heber C Kimball home. next week ill be able to talk all about it im sure. im excited to serve there! also, i got a dress today. it is just a temporary one while they make my real dresses but it will be cool anyways to wear it. i will send a picture of that too later. speaking of pictures, im trying to get this google photos thing to work. because it is on my phone and once i get it to work like sis moss has, ill be able to add pictures throughout the week (kinda like the photoshare) and youll be able to see them whenever too. i just gotta get it to work haha. the temple is beautiful. so beautiful. we went running there today and it just leaves me in awe. we are going to do a session tomorrow and im really excited about that.  music is pretty relaxed here- some sisters even listen to disney music and such. so if there are any cds you want to burn for me i wont mind cuz im going to buy a cd player soon! speaking of money i also have to pay 15 dollars for a bike helmet. cuz we have bikes. and i will have to be using it to get around soon haha. yay for helmet hair that i will soon have all the time. a little nervous to get on a bike cuz i havent rode one in like 5 years! im sure it will be fun haha. hopefully my shoes and dresses and skirts dont have trouble with the biking situation. 

ps i need a copy of your insurance card or something? im not sure. but i need one. you can try electronic version first but if they cant take it then ill need a mailed one. 

ps my mailing address is 

Sister Bush

Illinois Nauvoo Mission

 P.O. Box 215

Nauvoo, IL 62354 

for shipping services it is 

Sister Bush

Illinois Nauvoo Mission 

975 Young St. 

Nauvoo, IL 62354

it is fun to get mail! even just small things like letters or drawings. those would make my day. 

food situation! i am excited to make my own food- only problem is that sister Moss tries to stay away from carbs.... (because her spine tumor will come back if she gains weight.) so a lot of my recipes are not ideal for her haha. if you find any other recipes that we have that i like that arent super carby, i would appreciate those being sent to me haha. 

spiritual thought! i was praying on my first night here in nauvoo and i had a lot of things on my mind. Heavenly Father directed me to a scripture in D+C 101. its verses 36-38. "wherefore, fear not even unto death; for in this world your joy is not full, but in me your joy is full. therefore, care not for the body, neither the life of the body; but care for the soul, and the life of the soul. and seek the face of the Lord always, that in patience ye may possess your souls, and ye shall have eternal life." 

that scripture brought a lot of peace to me. so i wanted to share it with you. the scriptures truly are the words of God and i know that you can find answers in them, personal to you. 

i love you guys so much!!! you mean everything to me. 

much much much love, 

Sister Bush

ps i lov ouy. 

May 11, 2018

(extra prep day!)

Hello! Its earlier than 130 i know, but its cuz we got other things done a lot faster this morning than we thought! 

so first off, i am a lucky duck. Elder Neil L Anderson came to the MTC on tuesday night! He also broke down Pres Nelsons talk on revelation and helped us understand it. after that, he went around and shook some missionaries hands. everyone in my sistrict got to shake his hand!!! it was amazing and i was so happy. 

VISITORS CENTER TRAINING IS THE BOMB. problem is, it is nine hours of class every day. which is a lot. the best part tho is that we get to teach real people. there is no other part of MTC training where missionaries get to work with actual investigators.only visitors center training. i had some super cool experiences with mormon.org chats and phone calls this week and i cant wait to tell you more about it on sunday. 

i got my green missionary t shirt this week and that was great! i wear it at the gym when im running or playing volley ball. 

about the quote at the top. its from sis paystrup. last night after a cool experience on mormon.org, she was flipping out and was like "why arent you guys pumped about this?" and we were all like "about what?" and she goes "WE ARE CONVERTING THE WORLD!!!" haha it was an awesome moment as we all laughed as well as realized how awesome it is to be a missionary. im constantly on a spiritual high and i love it. 

this week my goal is to fine tune the gift of discernment. it is crucial for missionary work and especially for visitors centers and historical sites. any thoughts you have on it i would love. 

i love you guys so much. i cant wait to call on mothersday cuz i have so much to tell you! and im sure you guys have plenty to say as well. i am also planning on calling when im at the airport. ill call you mom cuz i bet dad will be at work. 

i love you guys so much. so much. my prayers are often for members of our family and i think of you guys whenever i learn something cool. i love you guys so much you are the world to me.

sorry its short and earlier than planned!

know that i love you.

Sister Bush

May 8, 2018

Hello all! I sincerely appreciate those who have sent me emails to say hello back! You guys are amazing. 

We had some more rain this week! It was quite refreshing. 

You are probably wondering about the title here... I really did see a miracle in the cafeteria. There is an Elder in my zone, Elder McMurdie and he ate an icecream sandwich. But heres the amazing part- he did it in one bite. I kid you not! He took the icecream sandwich (not a mini- it was a full size icecream sandwich) and just put the whole thing in his mouth. he didnt spit any of it out, he just ate it. he didnt even use any milk or water. If that isnt a miracle i dont know what is! Moral of the story: missionaries in the cafeteria do weird things for entertainment. Anyways! That was hilarious. 

Besides that miracle, ive seen other miracles. True miracles- one of them being the change taking place inside myself as i become the servant of the Lord that i am meant to be. One of my teachers helped me realize that the Savior experienced everything we have experienced, and understands us perfectly. But because He is so loving, He is willing to experience it all again with us. The good and the bad, the joys and the pains. He wants to be right by our side. Im very thankful for the Savior Jesus Christ. I know He loves us all individually. 

Short and sweet, that is my email for the week (:

Keep pressing on! 

Sister Bush

May 1, 2018

Hello friends! Today is my second Pday. 

First off, let me say that I love being a missionary! It is the coolest feeling in the world, no joke. 

I wish I had more time to email, but alas, I do not. If you want more details about the MTC, you can ask my parents! I will just explain some brief things.

My companion is Sister Curtis. She is from Nevada and is amazing. She has a really sweet spirit and we get along quite well! As a missionary in the training center, my schedule is pretty darn busy. We teach lessons, do service hours, work out in the gym (which is fun!) and go to class to learn about the gospel. Oh and we try to fit in time to study the scriptures. I love it here. My faith in Jesus Christ has increased tremendously and I can feel Gods love more fully in my life. 

Today I wanted to explain what I have recently learned about the Book of Mormon, Another testament of Jesus Christ. It goes along perfectly with the Bible. Most importantly, it answers the deep questions of the soul. I had an experience this week where I was trying to explain the Atonement of Christ to an atheist. I used analogies, quotes and my own understanding. But he was so confused! He couldnt understand! Later in class we studied the Book of Mormon. I showed him scriptures from the Book of Mormon about Christ. He was then able to understand Christ, because of the Holy Ghost. Im so thankful for the Book of Mormon. I know it is Gods word to us, and can give us the strength and direction we need in our lives to be happy. I encourage all of you to read the Book of Mormon and search for the answers to your questions. I know that God will answer you if you are asking in faith(:

Im so thankful for all of you! 

-- 

Sister Bush

            

         

                     

(Email to parents)

So on Tuesday night, Elder Christofferson came to visit us! He gave a super cool devotional about revelation. He went through Pres Nelsons talk from this past conference and added his own insights, comments and promises. It  was so super cool. Because I was in the choir, I was able to not only sing joseph smiths first vision to him, but to every MTC around the world! (it was a huge broadcast.) Amazing! 

Also on tuesday night, Sis Curtis and I were asked to be the new Sister Training Leaders. We are like the zone leaders for the branch, but as sisters. we are in charge of Relief society kinda and go to branch council and welcome the new sisters into our zone. We help make sure that all the sisters are doing okay. I love it! I was actually super shocked by the invitation but I am doing my best to help the branch leaders and sisters in our zone. an elder in our zone was sent home this week and so that has been kind of hard for some people. i have been praying for him and his family

we have been working with investigators this week: Beth, Doug, Jacqi, Matthew and Sadie. It has been amazing to see them grow. In our TRCs we learn how to teach the gospel to their individual needs and it is amazing because it is just how the savior would teach. We asked Doug to pray this week and he gave a very simple, humble prayer and plea to know if God is there and if He loves him. It helped me realize that the gospel is very personal. it is just for each of us individually. and its so beautiful to see that in peoples lives and be a part of their conversions. 

my district is getting closer than ever! we are so happy together! 

i love sister curtis. she is the bomb. She opened up a ton this week and told me something she is struggling with. we have decided to study it together as a companionship- because thats what good comps do! ps she hit me in the head with a basketball and that was super funny. we have been trying to stay healthy so we always take the stairs and its killing me. our main classroom is on the 5th floor and we go up there at least twice a day haha. its good cuz we help each other stay healthy- especially in the cafateria.

my mailing address is 

Sister Leslie Katherine Bush

MAY16 IL-NAU

2005 N 900 E Unit 165

Provo UT 84602

Thank you! this will seem random but if you could send me a cheap pair of basketball shorts, a handheld pencil sharpener, a copy of my farewell talk and drawings from the younger kids that would be awesome hahaha. 

Dad! I love the kick the habit addiction medicine. that is awesome. it sounds perfect. i like the shirts with like martial arts people on them the best. The other ones are cool too tho. I cant believe you guys will be moving so soon! that is insane!! 

the plan for you and jonas to come up to utah sounds like it will really work. I hope that micah and evelyn dont have too hard of a time about it. 

im glad you guys loved infinity wars! Cant wait. well i guess ill have to haha. thats okay im way more happy here. 

mom i have a poem for you! I thought you would like it. 

he was just a little boy on the weeks first day

he was wandering home from sunday school and dawdling on the way

he scuffed his shoes into the grass, he found a caterpillar

he found a fluffy milkweed pod and blew out all the filler

a birds nest in a tree overhead, so wisely placed on high

was just another wonder that caught his eager eye

a neighbor watched his zigzag course and hailed him from the lawn

and asked him where he'd been and what was going on

ive been to bible school he said and turned a piece of sod

he picked a wiggly worm replying ive learned a lot of God.

A very fine way, for a boy to spend his time the neighbor said

if you tell me where God is, ill give you a brand new dime.

Quick as a flash the answer came nor was his accents faint

ill give you a dollar mister

if you can tell me where God aint. 

GOD IS IN THE VERY DETAILS OF OUR LIVES. I KNOW THIS FOR A FACT. HE LOVES US AND HE ONLY DOES THINGS FOR OUR BENEFIT. i bear my witness of His love every day. 

sorry the puncuation is all messed up im trying to type it out fast!! 

But i really liked it and thought you would too. 

Also! the quotes that both of you guys gave me were perfect and i love them so much because they are perfectly lovable!! yes!! keep the quotes coming! I wouldnt mind if you sent them on days other than pdays haha. Speaking of emails, please send it before pday so i can have more time to reply on pday instead of reading and then replying. but dont stress i know life is busy haha. 

mothers day is coming up! I wont get to skype or facetime. I can only call on the phone and it will only be 30 minutes. the phone shuts off after 30 so yeah.... my timephrame of 30 minutes will be somewhere in between 315 and 445 on the 13th. im excited about that! 

3 weeks is normal at the MTC, i just have a 4th week for visitors center training, where we get to go to temple square. that is gonna be so cool. 

dad  i roll out my back often, i am so glad you gave me that thing!

mom the scripture i marked in the book of mormon this week is 3 nephi 11 the two verses of when christ says arise and come unto me and the verse after. sorry i cant remember the exact number. im sure youll find it. 

sorry im so scatterbrained! Im thankful for the pictures you sent mom! They are so awesome. say congrats to the three boys for me im so proud of their skills. is there any way you could send videos of their testing?? 

we went to the temple this morning and it was awesome. 

I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH IM SORRY I DONT HAVE MORE TIME BUT I LOVE YOU AND IM SO GRATEFUL FOR YOU GUYS BIG HEARTS AND HUGS

I pray for you guys all the time (:

-- 

Sister Bush