Easter is the Best Holiday

Well, what a week. My companion is named Elder Lainez. He is from Honduras y he has one year in the mission. He is great y we are working so hard together. Well, I am leader of the district of sisters y Elders y they are opening a area. Well it was my first district meeting and I was so nervous. But it went great y afterwards they said they can feel my love y they are happy I’m their leader. Y I also baked them cookies.

So yesterday, just like the week before, we had no investigators in church. We worked so hard visiting them with members y just us also. But they didn’t go to church. It was sad, but we are still here working hard. Well we visited inv. Martha y she wants to get baptized on May 10 on Mother’s Day. So we are going to visit her tonight and talk about the plan of happiness. We also visited inv. Manuel y Rosa, and Brother Walter came. He shared his testimony about how he used to drink y the power y blessing the gospel gives us. It was an awesome lesson. The spirit was so strong. Well Rosa lost her papers y has a appointment to get new ones on 23 of April so we are still going to visit to help them out.

Well we want to work on this week finding new people to teach. It is hard here, but we are going to work hard with pray y love to find new people so please pray for us. Thanks.

Well we went very far y we went to a ranch where there was goats y mangos. We are eating a lot of them because it is mango season. There was even a crocodile there. It was small but it was fun. We went with Sister Karina.

So that was my week y of course like my family tradition, I woke up early on Easter morning y saw the sunset y I sang some songs y I read some scriptures. When I was done I felt the spirit so strong y the love of Chirst. Well, I know that Easter is the best holiday y Happy Easter to all of you. Love you so y thanks for all the prayers y love. ADIOSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love Elder VanBuskirk

Hi mom. I got news...............

My mission ends on Steptember 5. When does school start? y when is the exchange student coming?

Well I finish on the 5^th, but we go home on the 8^th, okay because the MTC had to add another week, so we all have another week in the mission. So make plans. How are you?

The templo is on the 7th if you want to do a session with all of us. You can come anytime from the 5th to the 8th you can even come early y you guys can pick me up in my last area. But from

5 to 7 we are going to Tuxtla for interviews y to visit our areas y then we go to the templo on the 7^th. You can come when you want. Call Elder Murdock he is from Utah he works down there.

Well it is good. A little stressful here. My comp is from Honduras y we are working together great.  He wants to work with me.  We have no problems. His dad died a few years ago y he has 3 bros y one sister. I love him y he is great. Yes I know. I hope we are together for two transfers.  He loves me y I love him.

Are go going to the beach? Are you drving? Wow, say hi to everyone for me. I want to go to the beach too. Where are you guys right now?

How is dad y the boys?

Did you ever got my package from the church? When you send it put in some 1 dollar bills.

How was your Easter? I wish I was there. I miss you so. Can’t wait to see you guys soon.

The boys are going to Utah? know you are going to see Francisco. Have fun.

Thanks mom, y you are always in my prayers.I need to go soon is there anything you want to say?

No, I don’t need anything. I’m fine. Surprise me. I only have 5 months so I’m fine. There are things I need but I only have 5 months, so I’m fine. Well if you want it will be nice for another short sleeve size 17 shirt.

Well I’ve got to go. Have a good week y give all the boys my love y prayers y to dad also. Thanks.

Love you, xoxoxoxo

Alex: What a Trial of Our Faith this Week!!!!!!!

Well first we were planning to have the baptism for our investigator, Karina, on Tuesday, but her x-husband who was so drunk came to the branch president y told him a lot of lies about Karina y he knows what hour she will get baptized y her new phone number y her new address y he wants to do something bad to her. So for safety reasons we changed it for Saturday. Y we only told a handful of people. Well she almost lost her job y her house where a person lets her stay for free because she has 2 kids, but that night we said a prayer with her, blessing her not to lose her work y house. Y guess what? With our faith she didn’t loose it. We were so happy! so on Saturday she got baptized y on Sunday got confirmed. So now she is very happy to have gotten baptized.

Then we visited Manuel y Rosa to see how they are doing in trying to get married. Rosa was very sad because when she was going to Tapachula she fell asleep y left her papers in the van y now she needs to pay whole bunch to get new ones. Y then yesterday we saw Rosa y her kids at church y we asked where is Manuel y they look at us y shook there heads y said he never came home last night because he was drunk again. They were so confused. He wants to get married y baptized, but every 2 to 3 weeks he drinks again. We were so, so sad to hear that.

Well we taught Sister Martha’s son named Carlons on the plan of happiness y he is soo good y smart. We gave him a Book of Mormon y he wants to study all he can about Jose Smith.

Well today is transfers y my comp is leaving. My new comp is named Elder Linez, y for my first time I am a district leader y the senior companion. I’m ready to work hard. Love you all y thanks for all the prayers.

 Love Elder VanBuskirk.

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

Hi mom.  Well, I told you I had big news and my big news was that we had a baptism! That was it. hahaha.  Love you. How was your week? Did you my something for my comp at Disneyland?

Just kidding.

THE BIG NEWS IS:

The news is Elder Luis is leaving tomorrow y I will be the leader of the district y the senior companion for my first time in my mission!

‪I don’t think I will get my package by Easter because they give us our packages when the zone leaders go to Tuxtla the first Tuesday of the month, but thanks for checking on my package. You are the best. When you get it, please just send the 2 Spanish ones y one red one. The other red one you can just leave there until I get home y don’t let the boys use it. Thanks. You are the best. Love you‬.

Well the parade is just kids are on cars or semis y they go through the town throwing candy.They do it 3 times a week.

I just wanted to wear Minnie ears.

The truck was at a member’s work. He is a mechanic.

The soda is from El Salvador flavor grape.

They were just weird pics this week, haha.

So how is dad y the family? How long does it take to send Nate a package?

Im sorry you can’t chat with him anymore. Every mission is different. You can only pray.  Sounds like everybody is doing great. Love you so.

This is my 5th area. But 2 were in the same city. With this transfer, I have four left, so I think I will be here for 2 more tranfers y then my last area for my last two. That is what I think.

But will you coming here interfere with the exchange student coming?

Well I can visit my two areas in Tuxtla the same day. My area right now from Tuxtla is about 7 hours away y Comitan 4 a 5 hours but a member there wants to take us to waterfalls y things there. I heard Palenque is awesome! A member will take us from Tuxtla a San Cristobal y then we will take a bus to Comitan from there. That will be fun. I can’t wait!

I don’t know anything about my comp. He has more time in the mission than me, but is more lazy so that is why I am senior companion. I will get him tomorrow y I’m over 2 elders y my companion.

Elder Luis leaves in November. I will give him all your love y he says he loves you. I will be able to give it to him. Don’t worry. Elder LuisJuan says hi y gives you his love. Bye. Love you.

Thanks. I got to go. Is there anything you want to tell me? 

Where can I read about his resurrection? Thanks Mom. I will do that. Have a wonderful Easter. Give everybody my love y wish them Happy Easter. Thanks Mom. You are the best. Love you.

Have a good week. Give all my love. Adiossss

‪love you bye‬

kisss xoxo

‬

In the Hot Heat of Mexico

Well, on Tuesday we walked an hour walking in the hot heat of Mexico. 

It is like walking in a oven, but we go there y visit some less actives because the church is too far for them y it is a lot of money for them. But we visit with 3 families y we sang y we talked. Then we taught an investigator named Karuna who will get baptized tomorrow. 

Her kids are members, she wanted to get baptized but was having a lot of problems with her husband but he finally left her y she is ready to take the step y get baptized. We are so happy for her.

But on the way back we heard of a path that goes right buy the train track that is a lot prettier y a lot faster. 


On the way we saw a train car left there back when there was the hurricane about 5 years ago. So being elders we went y took pics on it y on top of it. It was awesome.

Well we visited investigator Rosa y she said she will go to Guatamala to get her birth certificate y her husband Manuel stopped drinking y is working hard to get married.  Then they can  get baptized we are so happy for them. 

Well, on Friday I got sent to the doctor because I had bronchitis.  I was there for 3 days but I’m a lot better. I wasn’t there yesterday at church but my comp said we had 5 investigators. Y we have a lot of appointments with them. Well that was my week. Love you all y thanks for everything. ADIOSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love Elder VanBuskirk

Hi mom. I’m looking at the pics. In the pic with Luke at Disney Dad looks so different, like he has a lot of stress. Yes, a lot of things happened this week.

I got sick for 3 days with bronchitis. I’m fine now. I took out 50 dollars for the medicine, but the church will give me the money back. So tell dad okay? At night I couldn’t go to sleep for a week. So on Friday I stayed in Tapachla y I stayed with the zone leader who is my old comp Elder Laural. 

I feel a lot better. It was weird for a week. I was coughing my head off y eating very little also, but the doctor gave me medicine.  Now I’m eating more y I can go to sleep. I feel a lot better.

My comp broke his bed because the doctor told me to tell him not to eat junk food because he was overweight, but I told him no y he bought some y then he sat down y his bed broke.

The train was used to hold bleach but there was a hurricane about 5 years ago, so they left it there.

Hey did Luke like his birthday video we sent him?

How is everybody?

I dont know when we change to daylight savings.  What time is it now there? It is 2 here.

Well about 3 to 4 times a week I have diarrhea, but it is part of the mission life. Love you.

Her named is Karina y she will get baptized tomorrow.  Her son is Antonio y her daughter is Andrea. The kids are members.

Hey I heard grandpa is doing a lot better with his knees.

Looks like you guys were getting packages ready for us right?

How are you? hey what happened about my package from the church?

Okay thanks. It is good that all is good there.

I don’t know what happened at church. I was not there, but the the guy over seminary came y got mad at the president because he was not doing seminary.  We had 5 investigators in church yesterday.

Hey, Mom, remember dad said he can help me pay for some of the money to get investigators married? Well I sent an email to dad y he didn’t say anything back. I know he has a lot of stress y things on his plate. To get married is 100 dollars, but they are asking if I can help with only 50. They are really working hard on it. So what do you think? No, it isn’t against the rules. You just can’t pay for all of it because they need to show that they want to get married. It is about their faith. They keep saying thank you for helping to pay. Manuel works out in the field everyday but we need the money as soon as possible. Thanks Mom for everything.  They are just so happy. They are great people‬.

‪That is a great idea to send it to Franky‬. Yes that is how you can be a missionary. Thanks mom, but you are the second best example of love. Christ first y then you. I really love you.

Please talk to dad about the money y send it as soon as you can.  I know God will give you a lot of blessings for what you are doing. Is there any thing else you want to tell me before I leave?

Hey can you send a text to Sister Ljunkle y say thanks for the Christmas card. Thanks.

I’ve got to go. Talk to dad about the money y look into my package. Say hi to everyone y give them my love y prayers. Thank you mom for everything. You are the best. Love you xoxoxo Thanks mom. The same to you. Love you. xoxo

‪Bye‬

Fixed it! 

Mangos!!!

Sunset

At the top of the heaven panel, from where a character with a headdress of bird wings on the head can be seen.  At the bottom there is a tree with fruit on a deity, which shows his head, right hand, arm, and left hand  on the sides you can see two characters "waiting" or "receiving"the defending deity.

 At the bottom is a ground panel on a water panel, the heaven panel atop two stylized jaws stylized masks of dieties limiting the scene on the sides.  A tree bearing fruit in center, dividing the image: the right side down, three people sitting, the middle one is an important character richly attired and above them, two anthropomorphic figures walking.  On the left side down, three people sitting and above them, standing three characters and two fish.

Doing Dishes