Dylan: The MTC's First (and Last) Country Concert

Dear Friends and Family,

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I can testify that the MTC is an absolutely astounding place to have Thanksgiving! Our day started off with a devotional by the one and only Elder David A. Bednar! He did a question and answer meeting that was live with all the other MTCs in the world!  (apparently Derek saw me when they showed the choir singing, so we aren't that far from each other after all haha) He had a lot of emphasis on the BOM and it's importance and many other things concerning missionary work. We talked about the last talk the Prophet, Thomas S. Monson, has spoken and how every word he has spoken are choice words for us as it might be his last talk to the world. So I challenge all of you to read or watch his last talk and ponder and find its significance and heed onto what the prophet has counseled to us at this important day and age. 

After the Bednar's talk we did a huge service project and helped make food packages for 100s of thousands of starving children, and that's always fun! Later that night the Nashville Tribute Band came down for a concert and the choir did a few numbers with them. One of the songs was very upbeat (for missionary standards) and the whole crowd stood up and started clapping to the music; it was so funny and fun. The mission president of the MTC wasn't very impressed, and I don't know if we will ever have anything like that again, but I am glad I lived to witness the last MTC country concert haha!  

The oldest group of missionaries left this past Sunday. They were all such excellent missionaries. It's a lot different without our large group very patriotic England missionaries, but we are so excited to get our new missionaries today! There are 10 of them (6 Elders, 4 sisters) and they are all going to Russia, Russian speaking! None of them are going to my mission though. 

I am so grateful to be here and I'm dying to get out there in the field, hold my excitement!! But my Russki is still Plo-ha. So I might have to just wait another 6 weeks. I love you all and you are all in my prayers. 

Love, Elder VanBuskirk

I’m glad you had a great week! And that you finally get to see Nathan I’m so jealous! I love you so much! 

A couple things I wouldn't mind if they ended up in the package ;) : a cheap tie-rack, tide to go pen, some piano music (hymn arrangements, not to difficult, Russian would be cool if you could make that happen haha) an email with the recent short history of Russia, an email of what the Russian Orthodox Church beliefs, some pomade or gel, and some Ensigns with the General conference talks (the last two GC's would be awesome!) I love you and I am keeping you in my prayers!!

And I need pics of my family and freinds, real pictures that I can hold, thank you!

Derek: Mystery meat

Captain's log: week 3 

Thou shalt not take thy brother’s garment; (D and C 42: 54)

Ok, so it took me a full two days before I was able to find my whites, but I did. Apparently one of the sisters left their towel in my clothes somehow so as we were both looking for our clothes we would both think it was someone else’s because we did not recognize it. But I eventually cracked the case and because it was, "Elementary, my dear Watson" ( I hoped I used that right).

 Anyways, Thanksgiving was a total blast. We watched a live devotional of Elder Bednar as he answered live questions. Every one of my questions were answered even if it wasn't directly, which I think is super cool. But, the best part was I got to see Dylan (Sorry, Elder VanBuskirk) because he was singing in the choir for the devotional, which made my whole day! We also had a really nice American themed Thanksgiving Dinner and it was super good.

One of my favorite parts of the week was that we got to walk to the college nearby and hand out copies of the Book of Mormon to students there and get their contacts. It was just in Spanish but we had to ask them to read a verse, then we would ask them how it made them feel. The spirit was there. I knew it and they knew it. We got two contacts and they both seemed very exited. But, this also got me super excited. I can’t wait to go out in the field and serve these people. 

Everybody left last night to their missions and so there are just 8 of us still here by ourselves. Well, at least until tomorrow when a whole new shipment of kids come in. I really liked the guys that left and I know that they will accomplish great things on their missions. But I'm good because I got to trade all their ties for some of mine. Tie trading is a really big thing here and I am kind of holding the monopoly so that's good. 

The food here is alright, nothing to complement but also nothing to complain about. But I've already lost 5 pounds and there is this gross mystery meat thing here. Except the problem is that we don't even know if its meat. About every other lunch everyone always accepts this "meat", because we want to be polite, but no one has the guts to try it. We just stare at it. We try to dare each other to do it, but the handbook says don't eat anything someone dares you to eat. Any way, there is this "urban legend" here that everyone who has eaten it has gotten sent home for one reason or another, so no one wants to challenge it.

I had to give a lesson and a talk on Sunday. The lesson went well because it was in English, but my talk... It was on baptism and the Holy Ghost so I literally just read a google translated version of part of my farewell talk that I brought from home. My pronunciation was terrible and super slow but I heard the translator in the back translating it correctly so that's a good sign. My language is vastly improving even though I am the furthest behind. But If I keep studying and have faith I will be blessed with the gift of tongues. 

On Friday we had one of the seventy, Elder Alonso, give us a devotional here. He spoke at one of the previous general conferences. But he talked about the power of the Book of Mormon and the importance of it. It was super cool. We even got to shake his hand. Anyway, though that devotional, my personal study, and handing out copies of The Book of Mormon and the spirit it brought, my love for this divine book has grown so much and I know that is the word of God. I know the shure power this book can bring to any lesson and of the truthfulness of it. If you have not read this book yet, you should. Give it a try read it, ponder its words, then pray to God in the name of Christ to know if what it says is true. If you do I promise you will receive an answer though the Holy Ghost. You have nothing to lose but everything to gain.

Love, Elder VanBuskirk

Hi mom. Love you.

Hopefully that worked. If not then it should be on dropbox. When does Nate get back again? Any way so if you are going to send me anything again just to let you know Nutella is like gold here. And if you could get some cool cheap thrift shop ties so I could trade, that would be amazing. I bought the cases and they should be here next week. They were 100,000 pesos or about  200 US dollars so I may need some more money in the bank. He actually cut us a deal and I also got the Russian flag on the front of Dylan’s.

I love you so much and everyone else. I wish I was there when Nathan gets back, but I’m where I’m supposed to be. I love you.

Dylan: Like I've Been Here All My Life

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

I am beyond excited to be here for Thanksgiving! An apostle is coming tomorrow morning, then we are going to do a massive service project!!! This week has been so fun. I already feel like I've been here all my life, and then I have to remind myself it's only been 2 weeks. CRAZY!! 

So Monday one of our British Lads got a bday cake sent to him from his companion’s parents, but he failed to mention to his parents that his companion, Elder Whiticker’s, birthday was on Saturday. So anyways, then one of the Brits came and rounded up eveyone else in the zone Monday night and we started various chants for him, and as missionaries who have been in the MTC for 8 weeks we started going wild (missionary appropriate of course;) and all the Elders in the building heard our loud chants and songs, and rushed down to tell us to turn it down, but when we told them it was his bday they all started jumping in with us. It was hilarious, but it's one of those things where you just have to be there. 

I am amazed at how much my testimony and knowledge has grown in such a short time. In our last devotional one of the seventy talked of the importance of the BOM. I love the BOM so much I wish I could read and ponder it all day! I encourage you all to read the Book of Mormon with sincerity this week and seek for an answer to a question you may have in it.

Elder VanBuskirk

Happy Thanksgiving mom I love you!!! Thanks for your email! Everything is great here. We are going to have an apostle come tomorrow morning for Thanksgiving! The choir here is really fun; our whole zone does it. The older generation, which is all my favorite British people, is leaving this week so I’m sad about that. For P-day the temple closed at 10 today, so we woke up at 4:50 to do our laundry and stuff. I haven’t slept in once, by the way ;) Thank you for the sweets! We ate as much as we could, but to be truthfully honest, I don’t really need any sweets. I can’t eat too much anyways, and we already have a table stacked with food and candy. The British Elders came in our second day singing God Save the Queen and handed us a huge pile as a peace and welcoming offering, hahaha. But this week its warm, but its going to get colder. And I really should have brought a jacket, but ill be fine I think haha.

 So my mission president in Rostov is apparently the best one there is. He’s on top of things and Just really organized. But he is leaving in July. 

 And a simple Swiss army knife and some hair pomade stuff, and a scarf, and maybe a lighter sweater would be nice for Christmas! Tell the family I love them! I feel like I’ve been here forever and it's only been 2 weeks.

Love Elder VanBuskirk

Thanks MOM. I love you. Have fun in SAN Fran!

Oh, and my comp is Elder Patterson from Idaho falls!

Derek: Putting Off the Natural Man (and Getting a Haircut)

19 For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.(Mosiah 3:19) 

Fun fact about the DR: in most Spanish countries they say, ''Te Amo"' to say I love you but here they say 'Pato Devolver" (duck return???) which I think is pretty cute. 

So, last Tuesday the first thing I did when I finished my email was to get a haircut. I mean, I was planning on getting one, but I decided I really needed one when the MTC President came up to me at lunch and told me that the barber was coming that day and he expected me to be there. So now my hair is the shortest it has ever been. 

The next day we were supposed to go to the park to do some service. Now this park used to be a zoo so it is absolutely huge. It has a giant playground, a gym, a theater, and a literal forest. So it’s a beautiful sunny day when we started, but by the time we get to the other end of the park it starts to pour. The teacher with us tries to hurry us into this really little children's library but on his way there he and two other kids slip and land flat on their backs. It was really bad but super funny. Anyway we stayed in there until our ''service'' was over but as soon as we started heading back it stopped raining.

So that whole week my companion and my District Leader, Elder Jackson, were super sick. I caught a bad 24 hour fever, but they had stomach cramps and spent a two whole days being only on the toilet or in bed and eating nothing but some saltine crackers. Well I was able to give my companion an anointing and a blessing and now they are both relativity back to normal, which is good because I wasn't able to play basketball all last week but now that I have my partner back we can get back in the game. 

Yesterday we went to the La Teinda, or store, and I had to spend a bunch of money on socks because I apparently left all of mine at home. But that's not the only clothes emergency I have right now. I just found out that all my whites are missing from the dryer here and I don't have any clue on where there went. And this is bad because most of my clothes here are white, so as of now I got nothing to wear tomorrow. But I’m on the hunt. I will not eat, I will not sleep, and I will not stop until I find my whites. 

I have been learning so much from everyone here. All my lessons, devotional, and classes have taught me so much. My favorite part of each day has been my personal study as I feast the scriptures to find doctrine and blessings that I can use to bless the lives of my future investigators and everyone in this beautiful country. I hope and pray every night for nothing more then to become God's hands in blessing the lives of all his children and to bring them unto Christ. Every day I feel myself continuing to put off the natural man as I start to listen to the spirit and I grow and become more meek, patient, and full of love. I feel my self already beginning to be molded by the Lord as I become a saint in Him. I know that This Church is true and though Jesus Christ's Atonement we can return back to our loving Heavenly Father as long as we follow his gospel by showing faith in our lord Jesus Christ and his atonement, repentance, baptism by immersion with the proper authority for the remission of sin, and if we receive the Holy Ghost. And know this to be true and I yearn for the day in 4 weeks when I can begin to teach this to God's children in the mission.

Elder Derek VanBuskirk

Hey mom, Can you edit one of these and post it one my account with the caption, "I finally get to be my own Hero"  I gotta Go. I love you. Tell every one else I love them too.

Dylan: Excited to Work Hard

Hello friends and family!!! 

The MTC is an amazing place! As soon as I walked in the MTC they threw me in a classroom and there was only one other Elder (who I fond out later is my companion, who is awesome by the way! He's from Idaho Falls and is going to the same mission as me.) and the teacher started going off to us in Russian right away for 3 hours. I was waiting for someone else to walk in the class but apparently we are the only missionaries learning Russian and going to Russia. We may not have a clue what the teacher is saying but I think my companion and I have mastered the art of charades! Our District consist of 5 different languages, all Eastern European countries. Every single person in my district is an exceptional missionary; it's very humbling. I'm really excited cause we are all determined to be very obedient and to work hard as it will be much needed in our countries. Our Branch President is awesome!I love Him! He was also the same President for Nathan when he was in the MTC! He and his awesome counselors are very excited about our district that came in. He said that we are the all around the most solid missionaries he has ever had! Every single missionary is amaizing in my district and I'm excited to work hard with them! 

Russian is such a struggle, but I know that if i'm perfectly obedient, love the people, dilligent, and have faith I will catch on soon. Every time I try to speak Russian a spanish phrase comes out haha I had no idea how much spanish I know. 

We have the old classroom but I love the view. And our dorms are down in the basement, but it really makes me appreciate the small amount of sunlight haha we call it the basement! 

So many awesome experinces this week, but I only have an hour. 

Elder VanBuskirk

Derek: Welcome to the DR

I left the beautiful country of the USA last Tuesday night at around midnight. On my plane was a Sister, and my new companion Elder Vigil. We then we had a layover at JFK airport. I was suspecting to meet up with a bunch of new elders, but we only ran into two; which it turns out, was practically my whole district. We all took the last 4 hour plane flight to the DR. The second we stepped out of the plane the humidity hit us like a dump truck. The exchange rate here is crazy; it was like 16000 DR pesos for 360 bucks. Anyway, we took a van to the MTC so we got to drive though the city. The trees and other plants were so green and grew everywhere and the beach was beautiful. Almost every building was worn down or in ruins, but the bright colors they were painted made it really pretty to behold. We got to the MTC and everyone here is super nice. I've only been here for a week but and we all feel so close. There are only 23 of us here and 8 in my district, which I actually enjoy. It means we get close and we get more hands-on time. This is crazy because the Provo MTC has thousands of missionaries. My companion is an Elder Vigil. He is super cool, but his basketball is worse then his Spanish. We have about ten hours of classes a day for teaching and language skills. Learning Spanish has been really hard for me. I am far behind the others and am struggling to learn the language. This is hard for me because if I had to be honest I think I might know more than many of them how to connect and teach better, but I am not able to say what I feel the practice investigators need to hear. (Plus they are going so much harder on us than the others.) I keep getting super hard on myself and stress out a lot, and I'm always studying but I feel that I am still not fluent yet. But that is when I remind my self it’s only been 5 days and no one has ever mastered a language in 5 days. Its just I feel like I have been in here for at least an eternity and so I expect my Spanish to be as good as such. I can't believe I’ve still got 5 more weeks in here because it feels like its already been forever and I just want to be out on the actual mission already. The locals here are truly the nicest people in the world. Every one I've met is so welcoming and so sincere. My comp and I walked into the gym last week and these 5 cute little 9 year old members who were here because their parents were visiting the temple ran up to us and started giving us hugs. It was the best feeling in the world. We spent the rest of free time playing ping pong and fussball with them and even though we could barley talk to each other, they were so nice. I’ve heard it’s also like that out in the field and can’t wait. The Temple here is by far the prettiest building in the whole city and probably the whole country. It is made of this pink marble and is super big. We even drove by the capital building and it was nothing compared to the beauty of the temple. The food here taste really good coming in but sucks coming out. My comp and I have been having trouble with the food the whole time. Prayers are answered almost instantly here. I have had 3 prayers answered in less then an hour after I asked. Anyway the people here are amazing and even though I am learning a lot, I cant wait to go and serve.