¡My first week in El Salvador!

It was a great week and it was fun to be able to talk to everyone on Monday night. Leaving the MTC was sad just because I was leaving everyone at the MTC but it is finally nice to be doing the real work! The first day when we landed was really strange and we had only gotten about 3 hours of sleep on the plane. We got in about 7 in the morning and our mission president and his wife were just waiting there for us with big smiles on their faces. They are so nice but they only speak Spanish so we couldn´t talk much. They fed us breakfast and lunch and then we went out contacting. I went with Hermana Stout (from the MTC) and then Hermana Schmidt who has been here for 1 year. It was so scary and we had to take a million buses that were crowded with people. But it was a good experience to break me into the mission and I am glad that day is over. Hermana Schmidt doesn´t speak Spanish very well and she wasn´t conjugating her verbs and I was relieved when a missionary told me that she is famous for her terrible Spanish.

The temple that is being built is in my mission! So that is exciting and it should be done in December or January.

So, what you have probably been waiting for. My companion´s name is Hermana Cash and she is from Sandy, Utah. She has only been out for 6 months. Her Spanish is better than mine but we are both definitely still learning. We are working in two areas: Chalchuapa and Casa Blanca. We are about fifteen minutes away from Santa Ana. Both of our areas are huge and so we have to do a lot of walking. Hermana Cash said that our mission president must really trust us because we it is a lot of responsibility for two gringas who can´t speak Spanish. We have already walked so much and I already have blisters on the bottom of my feet. By the end of my mission I am going to have well-calloused feet. Both of areas actually have ruins in them. The more famous ruins are in Chalchuapa and they are called Tazumal (or maybe Tazumel). We get to walk past them almost every day and it is really beautiful. I am probably going to make my companion take me there next p-day.

So my first day the areas were very interesting. I can´t really understand what people are saying to me and I only know so many words. But one day I know that I will be able to understand. The first day we decided to count how many times people commented on my last name and in just one day I got 35 comments. Everyone wants to know if we are related to President Bush. I think I should just carry a sign around that says "Even though I am white, I don´t know President Bush". But for now I don´t mind saying that I am not related. In 18 months I might get annoyed.

There is so much work here to do! We have 6 baptism dates and 1 baptism on Thursday. We are teaching this man named Eduardo who was a drunk (they call them bolos here) but he wants to change his life. He is about 65 years old and he really likes to talk but most of the time I can´t understand anything. There are a ton of people here that are missing most of their teeth and with them, I can´t understand anything. I like talking to the people who have a full set of teeth.

On Friday we went to the church and there was a man there named Everardo and he asked us "How can I be a member of this church?" Me and my companion were in shock. He has already read some of the Book of Mormon. We started teaching him and he had so many questions. We taught the Restoration and the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Word of Wisdom and the Law of Chasisty. He said that he didn´t drink or smoke because he thinks it is bad for him. At the end, we asked him to pray about the things we had taught him. He looked around the room as if he was hiding something. And then he said, "Well, I will but the thing is I don´t have any doubt." Our jaws dropped. We don´t know where he came from but we decided that he is a spy from the First Presidency to see how we are teaching things. He wants to get baptized on February 13. We taught him again yesterday night and he had questions about the sacrament but he has so many questions that it seems like he is already a member.

I got to play the piano yesterday in church and one of the investigators thought it was the best thing ever. I think he is converted just from my piano playing because he talked about it for 10 minutes.

Oh yes, and when we were walking around a poorer area someone was talking to us and they asked me if I am from El Salvador. I think that my height and my pale skin gave away my true nationality: El Salvadoranean. We got a good laugh at that.

My Spanish is coming along. It will take a long time for me to feel comfortable but I know that I am blessed that I can say things that I want to say. My companion always tells me that I am doing so well so it is nice to have someone to encourage me. And I am not worried about being able to speak Spanish because I know that that will come and there is nothing that I can really do besides practice.

Just an FYI: we don´t have a cook here and my companion says that is rare but they fired their cook because she was ripping them off. I don´t really mind either because we can make stuff in our apartment.

Well, there are so many things to say but this email is already really long! I am happy to be here. It is already really hot and the natives say that the hottest month is March right before the rainy season. I really like my two areas because part of the area is a little pueblo and then we have outskirts of the town that are more like the country with people that live in houses made of sheets of metal so we have like two different worlds. It is really fun.

I love you all!

Hermana Bush

Thanks for emailing me all about your lives. That is exciting to be almost ready to move! I can´t believe it is happening all so fast but it will be nice to finally get it over with. I can´t wait to here from you next week!

One Week Left!

I have one week left! This week hasn't been a terribly eventful one but it has still been good. I want to say first of all Happy Birthday to Mandy.

Last week was hard because we made a district goal to only speak Spanish the entire week and it is really hard because their are other people in the MTC that don't speak Spanish. But we had to make some exceptions like in the temple or with new missionaries. We actually did pretty well at the beginning of the week. Of course, everyone talked a lot slower and probably a lot less than normal but we were proud of ourselves. By the end of the week if we didn't know what a word was we would spanishize it instead of trying to explain it but that is still good. There is another district in our zone who came in the same day as us and they can't even go one day without speaking a lot of english.

This week we got to be Host Sisters to the the missionaries coming into the MTC. It was a lot of fun and I got to show 2 sisters around: one going to Independence Missouri and the other going to Florida. I had a lot of fun, especially because this was one of our exceptions to speak English so I was more talkative than normal. We are excited because we get to be Hosts again tomorrow!

This last week we also had a district goal to teach 20 lessons. And, we made it! It was hard to do 20 lessons and we had to sacrifice a lot of our own study time to do it but I am glad we did. We learned a lot about teaching and how we can improve our teaching abilities.

Since we are leaving in a week, we had to go to a health and safety meeting which was really helpful. In the meeting I learned that I should drink a lot of water, be safe, not to eat uncooked food especially with bugs in it and not to pick my nose. Now I am ready to go!

Finally, I wanted to tell you about how much I don't really like the RC (Referral Center). We have to call people who ordered things like Book of Mormons, Bibles or DVDs. And now we have to do all our calls in Spanish. Last Thursday we went and some lady answered the phone and she was talking and I had no idea what she was saying but I would say, "Oh, que bueno" or "Lo siento". I think she told me that she has a lot of Mormon friends and that her mom is dying and that she lives in California but is in New Jersey and is going to move to Columbia. I am actually surprised that I know that much about her life because I had no idea what she was saying. I am just hoping I will be better when I am talking to someone's face rather than on the telephone. Cross your fingers for me! But it was a fun experience even though she didn't want the missionaries.

Oh, and I got my haircut today at the MTC hair salon and it was free which was why I went. I just didn't want my hair on my neck as I am sweating away. Now I am ready to go to El Salvador!

Thanks to everyone for all the love and support I received this week! I have really spiritually grown and I know that as I serve the Lord, I will find happiness in the work as I see the lives of other people changing for the better. I am really excited to finally leave the MTC next Monday. I love you all!

Hermana Crystal Bush

2 more weeks!

This week has been very good and has gone by really fast.  I only have less than two weeks left before I go to El Salvador!  This week since I am officially the music person in the zone, I had to go to three different districts and teach them how to conduct.  Two of the districts are advanced, meaning they are already fluent in Spanish and are only here for 3 weeks.  They were so bad at conducting and it was so funny to watch.  But, I had told one class that they were better than the other class.  At dinner that night, we were all eating and one advanced Elder starting "fighting" with an Elder from the other advanced district.  They were trying to see who was better.  One said that they should have a push up war and then they came up with other things.  Finally one said, "Well, I heard you were bad at conducting.  Show me a 4/4." Then he led a 4/4 really badly and so everyone laughed.  So he said, "Well, I bet you can't to a 6/8." And that Elder waved his hand in a precise 6/8 and the cafeteria went up in applause.  It was so funny to watch.  I don't know if you will think that is funny but I thought it was hilarious.

Another funny thing that happened this week that you might not think is funny was at our Tuesday devotional.  So, I brought a book to write notes in to devotional and I was labeling the top of page with the date and who was speaking.  It was a member of the Quorum of the Seventy named "Ralph F. Ballard".  So that is what I wrote.  After 10 minutes of sitting there, my companion looks over and said "Oh, his name is not Ralph, it's Allen." I don't know where I got Ralph but we had a good chuckle.  But she said to me that it was okay because she had written down his last name as Ballard when it is actually Packer.  And then she looked at my paper and realized that she had gotten his last name off my paper.  So, I don't know what I was thinking but we starting laughing really hard.  His name was not Ralph F. Ballard but Allen F. Packer.  At least I got the middle initial right.  I guess this just goes to show that I feel tired all the time.

I hope that everyone had a fun New Years Eve.  On thursday nights we normally have gym from 8-9 at night and so we were really excited to celebrate the New Years Eve in the gym but when we went to the gym, they had canceled our gym time.  We were sad and instead went back to our rooms and had a big New Years Eve party with the 12 sisters in our zone.  It was fun and then at 10 we celebrated the News Years with the people in Baltimore:)  And of course, we promptly went to bed at 10:30.

On Saturday, our district came up with a goal not to speak English at all this week starting on Monday. So, yesterday was the first day and it was really hard.  It is hard not to be able to communicate what you want to say.  But we are still going on strong.  Hopefully we will be able to make it to Saturday. I wish that I could think in Spanish because it is hard to be constantly translating in my head. Someday...

This week has been a great week spiritually.  In class we have been learning about the attributes of Christ and I have been personally trying to improve myself.  I can say one thing, I have never had a stronger desire to be better.  I know that if I come closer to Christ, and follow his example I will be a better missionary and be able to affect more lives.  I am so grateful to be here learning at the MTC.  Hermana Layton and I decided that we had to learn a language because we have learned so many things these last 4 weeks that we wouldn't have learned if we weren't here at the MTC.

I love you all!

Hermana Crystal Bush

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Christmas. Being in the MTC was just fine. We didn't have anyone in the district crying or moping so it was an enjoyable day. Of course, everyone would have rather been home but it was also a fun and spiritual experience being at the MTC. Last Tuesday night, we had a devotional given by Elder Neil L. Andersen. That was really good and I was excited to hear from him since he is the newest apostle and I don't know much about him. We have had so many great speakers this last week. Elder L. Tom Perry came on Christmas day and that night we had the LDS painter Greg Olsen speak to us who has a ton of famous paintings. On Sunday in Relief Society we had Barbara Thompson from the General Relief Society President. It was definitely a great week for speakers. On Christmas during the day, they had a huge MTC talent show and we were all surprised that it actually had talent! Some acts were really funny and some acts were probably not so appropriate for a missionary.

This week has gone by a little slow though too because I got a cold and on Christmas Eve morning I felt terrible. But then I felt a lot better after that and since then I have just been congested. At least I didn't get the flu and have to quarantined for Christmas. That would have been the worst.

Thank you so much for everyone who sent me things for Christmas. The Reichmans gave me lots of candy and a plastic bowling set. It was fun and I let the Elders in my district play it on Christmas. But after a while they got carried away and so I had to take away their bowling privileges. If they are good Elders I might let them play with my bowling set again:) Thanks also to Grandma and Grandpa. It was so much fun to get a package and and to eat all the goodies that we don't get to enjoy at the MTC. I am so grateful for everyone who was thinking of me.

Thanks family for everything you sent me. I felt so spoiled because I had a huge box while everyone got little boxes and with one thing inside. Hermana Layton was so happy that you sent her a little something too and the Elders loved their little stockings. The altoid boxes say, "Curiously strong mints" and so whenever they eat one they say that was a curiously strong mint.

Well, I have had a great Christmas. One of our roommates had a hard time being away from home and we have had long nights trying to cheer her up and remind her why she is here. I am so grateful for the gospel and the knowledge of the plan of salvation. I know that God lives and loves each one of us and if I didn't know that God loved me, I wouldn't be here right now. I am so excited to share the message of the restored gospel to the people in El Salvador. I have only 2 weeks and 6 days left in the MTC! I am so excited although I haven't heard anything about if I got my visa. The church is having a hard time getting visas for Brasil and so there are 200 missionaries waiting here in the MTC. One missionary had been here for 15 weeks and then finally they sent him to wait while proselyting in Salt Lake. Then I got a letter from Heather in DC and she said that there is a missionary there waiting for his visa to go to El Salvador! Ahhh. I don't think that will happen to me because some missionaries I met already went to El Salvador from the MTC. I will be crossing my fingers till I hear about my visa. Well, my district is now the second oldest in the branch and it is sad to see people leave but so exciting at the same time. I love you all!

Have a happy new year!

Hermana Bush

MTC at Christmas Time

Crystal sent some pictures home from the MTC. I hope you enjoy them.

Feliz Navidad!

Merry Christmas this week to everyone! It has been yet another great week. First off I want to say Happy Birthday to Mom! I love you. And I want to say thanks to the Kaisers, Sister Shepherd and Carlee for sending me things. This week has gone by so fast and now we are more than half way through with our time at the MTC. Only 4 more weeks to go. I sent home some pictures yesterday and I had a little problem with the copy thing so there is an explanation of that with the letters I sent home. But part of the photos on my memory card is a video of my district singing a Christmas song. It is funny because we usually sound so terrible but this time, the Elders tried to sing in tune so it sounds a lot better.

This last Sunday was the best Sunday ever. They play Music and The Spoken word every Sunday and we decided to go this week. It was really fun to listen to Christmas music because sometimes I feel like we are void of any Christmas decorations and music. Then for Relief Society, we had Sister Uchtdorf talk to us and I didn't even have any idea what she looked like! But she was very cute with her German accent and she had a great message. On Sunday I was assigned to be the music person in our branch. Pretty much I just have to ask people to play the piano and conduct and then I have to give a mini lesson to every new district on how to lead music. It will be pretty easy. But, I think that after the last two districts left, I am the only person in the branch who can sight read hymns so I may have to pressure some people into practicing.

Yesterday, Hermana Layton and I signed up to teach a lot at the teacher evaluation center. We talk lesson 1 four times in Spanish! The teachers always assume that the people they will be taught by are beginners, so they always say that they are impressed with our Spanish even if we do mess up a lot. But I really feel like I have really improved with my Spanish. When we were teaching, sometimes I would say like 3 sentences in a row without thinking about the language. I was really impressed with myself. We are just happy to be seeing the progress we have been making.

So we have 5 devotionals this week alone and rumors have been spreading about which apostle(s) will be speaking to us. My district got really sick of all the rumors and so we decided to make one of our own. So here it is: on Christmas Eve, Donny and Marie Osmond are going to come sing and dance for us. Pretty much, they are bringing their Vegas show to the MTC. I think that that is pretty believable. We wanted to spread it but I feel bad telling people to their face because that would be lying but I don't feel like it is lying if you are walking in a big crowd and talking about it with your companion in a really loud voice:) Well, that is probably like the most evil thing that I have done at the MTC and so I don't feel too bad.

I am so happy it is Christmas time and even though I am not home, I think that we will have a great Christmas in the MTC! Hermana Layton and I have been trying to sing as many Christmas songs as we can so we got up this morning and sang Christmas songs as we showered at the same time. It was really fun, but kind of awkward because there are a lot of sisters in the bathroom. Since it is Christmas this week, the temple is closed the whole week and next week which is too bad but we get a lot more time on pdays. I am supposed to remind you that I cannot call home on Friday but you already knew that. I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and I love you all!

Hermana Bush

Week 4 finished

This week has been another great week! I have some more funny stories about this week. Last week, I had to get my final two shots (that were $115) and while I was getting my shots, Hermana Layton had to stay in a room full of companions that had to wait. It took a long time to wait for my shots, but after I got them I went to find my companion in that room. I couldn't find her anywhere so I looked in the bathroom and she still wasn't there. There was an elder from my district there and he said he hadn't seen her. I decided to wait for her in that room until she got back. I sat there for at least 10 minutes and then the elder said, I found your companion. He pointed to the corner of the room and there was Hermana Layton napping. She was hunched over passed out! I had such a good laugh.

On Friday night we went to bed at 10:30 and then at 12, the fire alarm went off. It was so weird. I was not ready to be interrupted in the middle of the night by the fire alarm. This was my thought process: 1) I woke up thinking what is that. 2) I realized that it was the fire alarm so I should probably get out of bed. 3) Then I thought, I should probably turn off my alarm clock incase I am not back at 6 when it goes off. I am glad to know that in an emergency, I would turn off my alarm clock. That night we also learned that I am really bossy when in emergencies and Hermana Layton is really slow.

On Sundays, we have Relief Society with all the sisters in the MTC. This week we had Sister Elaine S. Dalton (the Young Womens General President) come talk to us. It was such a good talk. She talked about that doing a mission is like running up a hill. It is really hard but when you get to the top, it is so rewarding and you see such a great view.

So I wanted to share a little about my life at the MTC to answer some questions from mom. We have gym every day except P-days and Sundays. I usually run a mile with my companion and then play volleyball with the remaining time. Last week we actually played a district basketball game which was really fun. Hermana Layton and I had to guard each other which was fun because she doesn't know how to play very well and she was easy to push around:)

We also go to choir twice a week on Sundays and Tuesdays. We sing for Tuesday night devotionals. Tonight we are singing Away in a Manger. It doesn't feel like Christmas at all but I am really happy that we at least get to here Christmas songs when we sing them.

P-days are my least favorite day because they are so busy! We get to go to the temple every pday but we also have to do 3 hours of studying and doing our laundry and writing. Then, we have to end our pday at 5 instead of the normal 6 in order to go to choir. Last Sunday we were practicing and the choir director stopped us and said "have any of you had the opportunity to sneak into a young child's room at night?" It was so strange that he said that. We couldn't stop laughing and I don't know what his point was.

Finally the food. They have cafeteria style food every day three times a day. We always laugh because every meal we guess that there will be some sort of fried potato and some sort of fried chicken. And we are always right! It is fine though because they have salad too.

Well, I am happy to be here and we have had so many spiritual experiences! I love this work. I love the Lord and I know that this is where I am supposed to be. Have a great week!

Love

Hermana Crystal Bush