Alex: A Wonderful Christmas in Mexico

Hi everyone. I hope all of you guys had a wonderful Christmas like I did here in Mexico in my area, Las Lomas. Well first, on Monday, sister Lilly invited us over to her husband’s birthday so that was fun.

Lilly y Tomas for his birthday. 

So this week we didn’t teach a lot of investigators but we did visit Inv. Ivan y we told him that we will pay for half of his wedding so he can get baptized. He was so happy.

We made 150 no-bake cookies for our investigators and members
because we didn't have an oven.

Then we passed out a whole bunch of cookies I made with cards Elder Runyan made for them too. Members were so happy y they all loved the cookies y they all wanted the recipe. So that was our Christmas spirit for people. We felt so good on doing it!

Then on Christmas Eve a member picked us up y we went to the hospital y passed out sandwiches y drinks to people standing outside. That was great. Y then they fed us turkey y they gave us a wallet for our Christmas gift. That family was named Ibanez y they even made us hamburgers yesterday for food. That was great.

Well on Christmas we had a meeting with the mission president y we sang songs y ate with him. Then we went y I talked to my wonderful family. They are all good still weird y loving, just like they used to be ja ja (haha). But it was just awesome to see them. I felt like I was there. I also got a package from my family y from my ward, the Bermuda Dunes ward. Thanks so much for thinking of me y giving prayers in this time of Christmas.

Love you all  y may God be with you even in 2016.

Love Elder VanBuskirk

ADIOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi Mom. Love you. How are you? What time is Franky coming? y did you send the package?

Tell grandma I sent her an email so she sent me a card of money y she wants me to look for it right?

Dad is gone, right? What did the boys y you get for Christmas?

 Did you like the call? So did you like your Christmas after all?‬ At least you saw my face and talked to Nate y know Franky is coming‬.  How is your Christmas card coming along? What are your plans when Franky comes? I hope he comes today. Love you. Tell Franky today to write me. My spanish sounds better, huh? But I still have a lot of work to do on it.

Hey, what is in my package? Thanks. Hey throw in some Good y Plentys or beef jerky. Thanks.

Y where did Nate buy that tie for me? I loved it. Because my companion said there is no way you can buy that new tie at a thrift store or garage sale. It looks so new. But I know you can.

I got to go but that will be awesome if you can throw those things in my package. Thanks. Love you.

Thanks mom for everything. Have a great week with Franky y try to get my nuts for the Stevens. ha ha Love you y happy New Year. Say hi to all y give them my love y happy New Year. Bye bye. Love you!  Xoxox

Package from home

The "tree" the BD young women sent

The pink food is tostados of shirmp y beets y other vegatables. 

Less active Gloria gave me the watch.

Alex: A Birthday Message

Alex: Missionaries Just Feel the Christmas Love and Spirit More

Well on Monday, because I didn’t leave get transferred, we did a family home evening at Sister Lilly y her husband, Thomas’s house y I taught them how to bake no-bake cookies. Well yesterday I spent a few hours making over 130 no-bake cookies for investigators y members for Christmas, so I will be giving them out to people this whole week. Because being a missionary, you just feel the Christmas love y spirit more, so these are our gifts for people here in are area the Lomas.

Well on Wednesday, Elder Nelson from the 12 called the president of our mission y told us to talk y contact everybody about A Savior is Born, so all week long we contacted everybody in the streets about it y all the members. It was great. So many people love it.

Well on Thursday we had a 6.6 earthquake, but it was kinda far away, so only like a 4.5 for us here. But still it was pretty scary. We were on the 3rd floor y we heard a sound then the whole thing started to shake. We are fine y when it was done we ran outside as fast as we could, but all was fine.

Well we had an ex-missionary come with us a couple days with our investigators. Well, investigator Ivan we taught about a budget so he can save money so he can be baptized. Well this week we worked hard teaching A Savior was Born, but none of our investigators went to church. So this week we are going to work very hard with the Chirstmas spirit y find new ones who want to go to church, because president wants us to baptize 2 in December y 2 in January, so we are going to work very hard on it.

I can’t wait to talk to my family on the 25th. Y thanks everybody for the gifts y love you give me y my family- God bless you in this time of Christmas. Y have a great Christmas. MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

LOVE ELDER VANBUSKIRK

ADIOSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hola Mom. You look so happy. Merry Christmas!

Hi Mom. I’m on. Hey, do you want to call me on the 25th at 4,5.or 6? So use Facetime. You can buy the app on the Mac. I’m calling you okay? Love you. So who are you inviting over on the 25th when I call?  So it will be 6 for you and 8 here for me. It will be 40 min y be ready for me to cry, because every elder cries when they talk to there family. I’m not homesick, okay?

So how was Star Wars? y did you buy my Mickey shirt at Disneyland? Love you.

I never got the Christmas package, but we have a meeting on 25th with President in the morning so I will probably be getting it then.

Hey sorry about grandma. Tell Grandma Wilber I sent a couple emails to her but she told me in a letter she doesn’t know how to do anything with the computer, so that is why I stopped.

that is great keep sharing the #ASaviorIsBorn stuff with everyone. it up love you

I love you so. I’m glad you enjoyed Star Wars.

Did you hear about the earthquake here it was 4.5.  Well, it started about 2 hours away y where it started it was a 6.6. It did some damage, but when it hit us it was only 4.5. But all is fine.

I’ve got to go. Do you have any more questions?

So yes, I will call your number at 6 there, okay? Hey wish all a Happy Christmas y tell Dad I’ve been trying to write him y that I love him. Thanks for everything y tell the boys I love them.

I’ve got to go. Say hi to all y give them my love. Bye.  Love you y Merry Christmas! Okay. Bye. Talk to you on the 25th at 6!  Love you! Love you. Adios.  Merry Christmas! Have a great day. xoxoxo

The candies were from a member named Arcides, but they got us sick.

My comp makes the wire men when his comps leave y he thought I would leave.  It is a chef with a spatula.

Nathan: I'm a Wiseman!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! I hope everyone is doing fantastic and that you all are enjoying the Christmas season. First off, I would like to say that even though we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who was the ultimate GIFT, but we should also remember the one who gave the entire Earth that gift, Our Heavenly Father. So this Christmas I encourage all of you to not only to celebrate the birth, but Christ's whole earthly ministry, the atonement, and our Heavenly Father’s willingness to sacrifice His only begotten son. So what will all of you give to our Lord and Our Heavenly Father for Christmas? Please share your thoughts with me. I would love to hear what you all would say. The gift I am willing to give unto the Lord would be to bury my "weapons of rebellion". Towards the end of the Book of Alma in the Book Of Mormon the Anti-Nephi-Lehis bury their weapons because they were converted onto the gospel of Jesus Christ. So to never be tempted to kill again they buried them deep in the ground, and so when the Lamanites came to destroy the  Anti-Nephi-Lehis they let their enemies destroy them, for they knew that the Lord would bless them and that they would soon be in the presence of their Heavenly Father. So I would encourage you all to read that story and ponder what will you bury in order to draw closer to Christ.

So this week has been absolutely fantastic! I am starting to really enjoy my time here. This last week has been a very spiritual week for me. Not only because we are drawing closer and closer to Christmas, but because we know enough Russian now to take some time and to focus on recognizing the spirit. I came to realize that many of us want the spirit to hit us hard and for it to being shouting at us. But the spirit talks to us when we might not even know that it is happening. Elder Bendar of the Quorum of The twelve said that if the thought leads you to do good it is of the spirit. It does not matter whether or not it is the spirit talking to you or if it is your thoughts if its good just do it. I can testify that this is true as a servant and representative of the LORD, JESUS CHRIST that the Lord will not lead his Church astray and if it be truthful and righteous it is of GOD. I have experienced this belief countless times this week. 

So my Russian is coming along just fine. I received a letter from an elder who just arrived to my mission in Ukraine and he told me all about it and I am soooo stoked! I can’t wait!!   Also, our investigator, Lena, is being baptized in two weeks! She had a concern about being baptized again but after studding the Book of Mormon, she now Knows that she must be baptized by the Authority of the Holy Priesthood. That was another example of listening to the spirit: if I hadn't asked her a question which the spirit lead me to say, she still might not have got thinking about baptism. There was a random investigator, Evet, was walking around our classrooms and stopped us and asked if we could answer some questions about the Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints and we agreed and we taught her for about two hours. Evet said she felt love and peace when we where teaching her and that she would like to learn more from us.  I know that this was the work of the spirit and of our Heavenly Father, I am merely an instrument in the Lords hand's. 

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I love all of you and I’m praying for all of you constantly. Don’t forget to dear elder.com

Love Elder VanBuskirk

Hey Mother, I got your package! Thanks haha.  The wrapping on the socks was destroyed, so sorry I opened them. haha Also, I unwrapped my nail clippers too cause i needed them, haha. Sorry. But that was it. So Mom, I’m gonna write some thank you letters to some people and I'll just send them to you so you could send them for me if you could. Thanks haha.Also. thanks for getting me Adam’s and Chris’ addresses.

‪Hey Mom, I’m so excited for my Christmas gifts from you and grandma. I read the letters and I’m so excited Star Wars seemed awesome. You’re a “Star Wars fan"! Wow. "Girl Power!!!!!!" My comp laughed when he saw that video haha

And I’m so glad my friends all went to church.  Keep encouraging them, also tell them that I love all of them and care for them.

Could you send me the lyrics to "Man of Constant Sorrow" from the movie O Brother Where Art Thou?  That song is just stuck in my head haha. Also, could you send me if you can a couple of Kennedy  half silver dollar coins because Im constantly flipping coins and those are great for that haha.  I know, I know, hahaha. I have gone a little crazy. Thank you. hahaha  By the way, I’m not in constant sorrow. I just like that song. haha

Also, I am actually in the MTC nativity play tomorrow. I am a wiseman!!!! I auditioned with a song and an acting piece.  It isn't a speaking part, but I don’t care. I’m a wiseman and I have this awesome outfit!!!!!!!

Christmas will be awesome! An apostle is coming and I’m in the MTC choir. We are signing The First Noel. Also, I sang a song in sacrament meeting,” Angels We Have Heard on High” in Russian as a solo! Yeah, I love the MTC choir! The solo was only in front of my branch, so only like thirty people. hahah

Tell Luke I love him and I enjoyed his letter. Also I’m excited about the trampoline. haha Sweet !!!! Where are you putting it? Is Derek pumped for the cruise? I bet. hahaha That was great to hear that all my friends came to church on Sunday.

Ah thanks !!!!! I cant wait to talk to everyone!  Also tell Derek and Dylan that I have a strong impression that they need to invite Mia from choir to church and to meet with the missionaries. Tell them please.

When is Franky coming? Next week? Sweet! hahaha And he is there for a week? I"ll pray for him!

Gotta go. Talk to you 3:45 your time on Christmas!

Love you. Bye. 

My comp made this Darth Vader

Nathan: An Adventure to the Outside World and a Call to Repentance

Здравствуйте (hello) everyone.  How is all going? 

Well this last week was exciting! Last Saturday I got to leave the MTC for about two hours which was pretty exciting cause I also got to go into an actual car! I was so excited that I forgot to put on my seat belt.  When you’re in the MTC this long you forget what it feels like to sit in a car! Any who, the reason for my adventure to the outside world is because I had to get stitches on my left hand ring finger. I was doing a old parlor trick where you fill a glass bottle with about 80% warm water then with one hand you hold the bottle and the other you smack the top of the bottle and if you do this right the bottom of the bottle will pop off. It’s pretty cool. Well to continue with the story, an elder in my district asked if any one would like to try it, and since all 15 of us elders are stupid young men, everyone tried the trick. Of course the only one who could do it, however, was me and I got trick down perfectly the first try. The next day I did it again, and again it was flawless. However, the third day I tried it, I squeezed a little too hard and I shattered the bottle in my hand, therefore slicing it. It was a pretty deep cut and I lost a lot of blood, but luckily I was standing over the trash can so no blood got on the floor. They had to take me to Instacare and they stitched it for me. I am, however, now the manliest elder in the MTC and now my nickname is Cinnamon Bear because I have huge paws(hands). Since I lost a lot of blood my immune system is was slow and so I got sick. Nothing too bad just a little cold. 

Also it is sneging(snowing) like crazy here. I just absolutely love it !!  I had to host some senior missionaries around the campus and it was a blizzard out side and I just stood out in it like for an hour.  That is probably another reason I got sick.

So on the spiritual aspect, my testimony of the atonement and of the gospel are growing larger and larger each day. Our investigators Lena and Taras are doing great. Taras was sick so we barely saw him but he went to church so that is awesome. We had a lesson where he confessed that his sins are too much for him to carry, so we taught him that through Jesus Christ and His Atonement he feels lighter and happier in his life and that he will be able to see his deceased brother again. Lena however is being a little stubborn. Ugh, oh well. We keep trying.

So the BYU Men’s Choir came to sing to us last Sunday. It was a Christmas concert it was absolutely beautiful!! Also we had the entire day Sunday dedicated to the topic Obedience which really hit me and I need to hear all of that, especially right after my cutting my hand. Also my branch president, Clark, roasted me in sacrament meeting regarding the hand issue and it made me feel horrible, so I repented and he told me that he did that to warn the other elders to behave. We have a saying for that. We call it “the Levi Savage call to repentance”.

 Well everyone, I love you all and you’re in my prayers. Also the reason I’m here is to help people realize that they can repent of their sins and that the scriptures are true and that they can lead you to a happier life. So if you are not reading the scriptures do so please. I’m begging you!!! Well, if you have time also read the story of Christ’s birth in the beginning chapters of Luke, Mark and Matthew. 

 Also don’t forget about dearelder.com my unit number is 71 and code is UKR-DNE JAN20.    

God Be With You Till we Meet Again

 Elder VanBuskirk (AKA Cinnamon Bear)

HEY MOM  Love you. miss you too!  Well, I sliced my finger open and had to get stitches. Yeah, it was deep, but its all good. I smashed a bottle with my hands. Don’t be mad. Its good. Oh just doing a bottle trick where you fill it up with water and hit the top and the bottom flies out but I squeezed too hard and it shattered in my hand. Oh well. I did it two times before and they both worked great and I’ve done it at home too. Hahaha. Sorry.

Well that was exciting to hear about Adam!!!! I love that guy and Dylan dyed his hair!!! Did he cut it too? I think it is awesome! Tell him that, please. Haha.  Sorry about the tree! My mouth dropped when I saw that! haha But your onaments looked so cool!

So could I get Adam’s address or email? Also, can I get the Clark's address?  I am so glad to hear about Gabby that is awesome and that the family hosting her lessons was the Whitlocks!!!! So Dom is doing okay then? Great. Ask him how he is doing, and tell him and Franky to read the scriptures because that is the reason why I’m here, to tell people to read the scriptures!

But I’m doing great. The Russian stinks but it is coming along. We started doing TRC which is basically home teaching lessons with real Russian speaking members, so that’s pretty cool and we get a new district today so thats gonna be fun.

Tell grandma I got her package and I’m waiting to open it. Ah naw, I don’t need anything. I think I’m good.Also today I did endowments and last week we did sealings for the first time, so that was exciting.

Oh, how is Ayden doing? Poor kid‬.

Not LUKE too!!!!!!! ugh hahahahah Too many broken bones! Tell them I wish them the best and tell the Thatchers I love them.

Also, I get to call home on Christmas, around 2 to 5 your  time for thirty minuets, so watch for that!  Good hahaha yeah! They just told us!

 Well, got to go. Thanks for the package! Love you! God be with you till we meet again.

Alex: I Love Having the Spirit!

Well what a week. Well first off, on Monday my companion was listening to Christmas music y then the Holy Ghost told me we need  to visit investigator Gaby who we were planning to baptize on Saturday. So I went to another room where it was less noisy y I asked God again y he said yes visit Gaby. When I finished, Elder Runyan asked who should we visit?  Y I said the spirit told me two times we need to visit investigator Gaby y he said sounds great. The lesson was full of the spirit. First she had a lot of questions about what she heard in church. Then we said, “Are you ready to get baptized on Saturday the 12th like what you said you will?” Y she said, “no, I don’t know everything.” We talk about how you don’t need to know everything to get baptized. Then I asked a question from the spirit. I said, “did you pray to see if God wants you to be baptized on the 12^th?” Y she said no.  So I invited her to do it that night.  After my companion liked how I worked y listened to the spirit y we both said that was the    push she needed to get baptized.  Well she prayed y got her answer so we visited her on Wednesday to get her ready for her interview for Thursday. Well she passed her interview y on Saturday we baptized her, but she didn’t receive the Holy Ghost because there was no church on Sunday because it was the dedication of the Tijuana Temple. Well she said in her prayer, thanks after one year you send these two elders to come y make me feel I’m ready to get baptized. The baptism was so sweet y the spirit was strong y she was happy to get baptized. 

On Friday we had the ward Christmas party. We, the missionaries, sang Joy to the World y my companion played the guitar. Then the kids sang some beautiful y funny Christmas songs. It was just wonderful.

All week my companion will get to a lesson y turn to me says  “what does the  spirit tell you what we need to read or teach?” y then during the lesson the spirit was very strong. I love having the spirit like that. 

 The yellow card is from the dedication of the Tijuana Templo -now it is the 149th templo in the world.

 Well on Sunday was the Tijuana Temple dedication. It was great!  Dieter F. Uchtdorf was there y so was Dallin H. Oaks. It was great y the spirit was very strong y the  quotes from the speakers were awesome!  Like Dieter said the temple is a lighthouse in our lives.

Oh, on friday we had a zone meeting where we learned about teaching better y the the zone leaders told us we have a cake for Elder Van’s birthday y it was a Spiderman cake. So everybody sang happy birthday y then they pushed my face in the corner of the cake. It was great. Just loving being an Elder in this Christmas time. Love you all y thanks for all the prayers y gifts for me y my family. GOD BLESS YOU EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love Elder VanBuskirk

ADIOSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hello mom! It was great week full of the spirit. Hey I’m going to my next area today. Hey do you have pics of the house all decorated. Thanks. Love you. Okay? I want some of the lights at night too. Thanks for the photos of the house. It’s looks very beautiful. Hey, do you have a stocking for me? How was your ornament party? How is your Christmas card coming this year?  How are you feeling about things?

grandma’s package y your package 

‪Wow, thanks for the package. No I didn’t get it yet. I barley got grandma’s a few days ago y it got here in a month. But you know what was weird? There was no card from Grandma.  She always gives cards. Funny Grandma, haha. Hey, Grandma sent a new shirt, but it is too big. It was 18 y I wear 17. So what should I do?

Well ask grandma about the shirt because she paid 36 dollars for it y about the card. Thanks.

Aaron finishes his mission on Friday. Wow time does fly. Did you see the pics from Shabelly? Love you.‬

‬  So do you want to know where my new area is? Well yesterday they told me I was changing to Osconinglo, or something like that, y my companion is going to be a trainer. Just kidding. Well they told me yesterday I was going y then this morning at 8 they said I was staying because they had to do special changes. So I’m staying for a few more weeks, because the transfers were supposed to be Christmas, but that’s not good, so the transfer will be 7 weeks, not 6.

‪Okay yes. The temple dedication broadcast was wonderful. President Uchdorf was there y Dallin H Oaks. They did the cornerstone y a lot of awesome talks. We watched the two first sessions, not the last one. There was no church for any one in Mexico on Sunday‬. This was my 3^rd temple dedication on my mission. It is my second one in Mexico y one in MTC for the Ogden Temple.

Thanks mom. I got to go. I will do Face Time because it will be easier y I will do it on the 25^th!  You can do it on a Mac. Work on it this week so you will be ready when I call! Love you y thanks for everything y give all my love y faith y hope! Bye. Love you!

Okay, bye. Love you.

I was leaving, but I want you to tell Dad sorry for taking alot of money out, but I’m going to take out a little more to make cookies for people in the ward y investigators for Chirstmas. Thanks mom. I will make you cookies in a year! Love you so. xoxo

A Christmas tree on a hill 

the fruit is cates fruit 

Our Meetinghouse in Las Lomas

Bye. Love you. xoxo