My Last Letter: I LOVE THE MISSION!!!

Well, I don’t know how to start. This is my last letter I will write to all of you before I finish the mission y go back home. Well, I had a great week y a great two years. I would never take back a second of it. I’m here to the last day working hard for God, not focusing on going home or my family, just to work y work until I finish on Sunday.

We had a great week. First, we had 6 investigators in church. Cynthia y Rodolfo y his wife, Vicky, y Rosario y a family member of her y a less active wife came. So that made me super happy to see all of them come for my last Sunday because next Sunday is stake conference. So that was a great blessing from God for us.

Well we moved the baptism date for Cynthia to the 10th because she is still missing a testimony of the Book of Mormon. She says sometimes she feels it is true y sometimes not.  So we are helping her understand what is testimony. Please pray for her that she will get a testimony of the church y the Book of Mormon.

 Well this week we were able to teach Rodolfo y Vicky on the plan of God y we talked on the prayer y day of rest y tithing. Well tomorrow we have an appointment with them y an active member family to do a family home evening, so that will be fun. They still want to get baptized on the 10th.

Well guess what? Peniel finally came back but didn’t go to church. We taught her lesson 3.  Well we visited Carlos, who is doubting his faith, y watched some videos about the Book of Mormon.  He said yes I know that this is true but I can’t go to church on Sunday because I need to work. So tomorrow we are going to drop him.  That is what the spirit is telling us to do y as missionaries we rely on him in all we do.

Well the thing most important is we are going to have a baptism next Friday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Well sister Rosario is ready y her son finally bought her reading glasses.  So she told us she knows the Book of Mormon is true because she knows it has the name of Chirst in it y she said how can someone say it is not true when it has his name in it. She never read it before because she had no glasses but she knows it is true y said she will now read the book everyday. Well last Monday we had her first family home evening with her family. We shared videos on the Book of Mormon. Well her interview is on Wednesday at 6, so please pray that she will pass y be ready to get baptized, because I know she will.

Well I had my last district meeting on Tuesday about the Book of Mormon y because it was my last, I bought pizza for them. It was a great last meeting.

Well on Friday me y Elder Oakeson went to the temple y we were late so they had us help the confirmacion for two hours y it was awesome. The spirit was so strong.

So today we had a talent show as a zone. There was singing y dance y pizza y chips y soda y of course my cookies. So we were so close of finishing the goal of 21 lessons with members in a lesson with an investigator.  We only got 20, but it was by all the help of the teens. They come out with us two or three times a week.

Well that was my awesome week.

I just want to bear my testimony. I know I did the best I could in my mission these last two years. I know that the church is true with all my heart y I know that I was a solider in the best army in the world: the Army of God. I know that the Book of Mormon is true after two years teaching it to the Laminates. Y I know that families can live together forever y ever. I know it is very important to have faith in Christ because He can do great things with the weak people. Y I know that Chirst lives y that he loves me. I KNOW MY MISSION IS DONE Y I SERVED GOD THESE LAST TWO YEARS, SOLO I JUST DONT WANT TO GO HOME. YET I LOVE THE MISSION, SORRY MOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I know these things are true in the name of Jesus Chirst. Amen.

Well love you all y have a great week. ADIOSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

love Alex or Elder VanBuskirk

IM A MISSIONARY FOR EVER HA HA HA

Two Weeks Left and Not Dying in the Mission

Well hi family y friends. A lot of you know I will be home in two weeks!!!!!!!!!!!! I’m a lot sad but the same time I’m more happy than ever y I’m not dying in the mission. I’m working hard to the finish.

Well yesterday we had investigator Rosario y Rodolfo y his wife Vicky in church yesterday. We were so happy. Well Cynthia couldn’t go to church y wasn’t there on Saturday for her appointment. But she still will get baptized on the 2^nd. We were able to teach her about 10 commandments. Well she wants to get baptized, but is just missing the push to read the Book of Mormon y ask God to see if it is true, because she knows all the lessons.

Well we were finally after almost two weeks able to visit Peniel. We answered all of her questions about marriage y we taught her the law of chastity. Well she still wants to get baptized but didn’t go to church yesterday, so we are going to visit her this week to see what happened.

Well Rodolfo y Vicky went to church y we were able to teach about the 10 commandments y the first lesson y the Book of Mormon. Well we yesterday watched with them the Jose Smith full movie y they really loved it y liked it. Well Rodolfo really wants to get baptized but has a repenting problem to fix, so the bishop is going to visit him like a friend y to talk to him about his problem, so please pray for him.

Well we were able to teach Rosario about tithing y fasting y we did the early interview to see what she knows. Well she knows everything. The only problem is that she needs to keep reading the pamphlets y to buy glasses so she can read the Book of Mormon. She still has not read it yet so tonight as a family home evening we are going to talk about the Book of Mormon y watch a few videos with her y her family. Well, she knows the church is true because she prayed to God y got her answer, y the same about BofM. She wants to get baptized on the 2nd y wants her son to baptize her.  We are so so happy for her.

Well we are deciding to drop Carlos because after he was looking at anti-Mormon stuff we tried our best to help him by visiting him with members y we invited him to read the Book of Mormon y ask God if it is true. But now when we visit him he doesn’t look happy y he is putting work first y really doesn’t show any more that he wants to get baptized. So we are a lot sad for him. So please pray for him.

 Well I’m happy to see all these blessings God is giving me my last weeks of mission. Well love you all y can’t wait to see all of you again. Love you! Prayers for all of you peeps out there.

Love your friend

 Alex or Elder VanBuskirk!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey what did all the VanBuskirk family say about me? Y are they all coming down when I come back? Will there be a lot of people there on that Sunday for my homecoming? I can’t wait.

Send invites it to everyone even give it to the boys at school to give to my old teachers.

But I’m their brother y I was gone for two years! I’m way more importante then their water polo.

Hey mom I really want tomorrow to buy pizza for my last meeting with my district in the mission, so I’m wondering if you don’t mind if you can put 15 dollars in my account please? With a lot of love. Thanks Mom, you are the best. It is because here in Mexico for all the elders is 2for1 because we are awesome.  Because we are elders here in Mexico, we have a discount in Dominos where we can buy two pizzas y we only pay for one of them.

Did you see my skinny video on dropbox?

We made pizza, but it sucks. Yours is a lot better.

We have so much planned this week. Tomorow is my last district meeting y on Wednesday we have an activity with all of Tuxtla y Friday for our hard work me y my comp are going to the templo y I have 15 names to print off.

Okay, so what is new?

How do you feel your first son is coming home? Your long wait is over. How do the boys feel about school?

Senior year is always hard, but they also need to work on there Eagle Scout!

Are you ready to plan my homecoming party?

A taco truck, that is how you do it. Love you Mom. Bye xoxoxo

Yes y next week will be my last email. Bye love you xoxo

Well mom, I’ve got to go. Please when you have time put in the money. You are the best mom ever y can’t wait to give you a hug very, I mean very, soon. Love you y give all the boys my love y prayers y good luck in their first day of school. Y there is a new one now. Y tell Dad I said hi. Love all of you xoxoxo

Bye. Love you

Love you more

Love you bye XOXO

It Hit Me: I'm About to Finish My Mission

Well from today I only have 3 months left. I really wish that was true, but no I only have 3 weeks left!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NO!!!!!

Well, this week I had my last zone conference on Friday. It was so full of the spirit y I learned to have fun y work my hardest my last 3 weeks that I have on the mission.

Click Here to see a video of Alex' last testimony in Spanish.

 Well a tradition here in the mission is when it is your last zone conference you need to bear your testimony. First I was fine y all the sudden it just hit me that I’m about to finish my mission y I’m missing only 3 weeks y of course because of the Holy Ghost I cried. Well a lot of people told me afterwards that they really loved my testimony. Then we as elders put our hands on each other shoulders y sang “God Be with You ‘Til we Meet Again” So yes, I had my last conference. I really enjoyed it y loved it.

 Well we can’t teach Sister Peniel this week because she was out of town, but will be back this Tuesday. Well we were able to visit Rodolfo y his wife Vicky.  Rodolfo went to church last Sunday y his wife went yesterday. Vicky said she really liked the calmness that was there y that everyone is loving  or that they are a big family. Well yesterday we taught them both on baptism y then we asked if they wanted to get baptized on the 10th of September y they said yes.  So we are so happy for them. Well we taught them this week was about tithing with the help of Sister Carla y her boyfriend Alfredo y they are great on helping our investigators. Well Rodolfo reads all the pamphlets that we give to him y when we ask what he learned he says everything about it. Let me tell you, brother Rodolfo is a chosen investigator has no problems y reads all the pamphlets y reads them with his wife y he changed his working day so he can be free on Sundays so y he can go to church. So we just need to work on his wife y teach her. Y the best part is the have no problems of the word of wisdom y they are married. I’m so happy God gave us these awesome chosen investigators before I leave home. We actually got him from a reference from another elder who contacted him at work.

Well we weren’t able to teach Rosario because she doesn’t live in our area, but she will get baptized here in our ward. Well the other elders taught her on the word of wisdom y the gospel of Jesus Chirst. Y she is happy to get baptized on the 2nd of September.

We visited investigator Cynthia where she has been to church more than 5 times y we taught her the word of wisdom y yesterday we taught about the law of chastity.  At the end I tied it up y I said “If you want to be clean all the way you need to get baptized.” So a while back we let her y her husband who is member to pray y think of a date to get baptized but never did. So yesterday I said “we’ll give you time to think” y they said they still don’t know, so me y my comp looked at each other y noded our head. so we said “Cynthia, we can see that you are reading the Book of Mormon more y going to church, so we want to invite you to get baptized on the 2nd of September.” And she said yes y she said she will get ready for it. Then her husband said the last prayer, y this time he open up to us y said “Please bless my wife so that she can get baptized on that date.” We were so surprised y happy to see another blessing in our area, thanks to God.

So on Tuesday I went on divisions with my old comp, Elder Lainez. It was great. I was able to help him be better y he was able to help me. So on Saturday we helped paint a member’s house. It was fun y dirty y that is the type of service I just love in the mission.

 So we have 4 dates for baptism: we have Rodolfo y his wife Vicky on the 10th y Cynthia y Rosario on the 2nd!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, love you all. I’m happy to still see a lot of blessings in my last weeks in the mission. Well, love you all y thanks for all the love y prayers, y see you soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

love Elder VanBuskirk or Alex!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ADIOSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi mom. I’m on love you.

How are you? What are you doing?

How is it with Johan? Tell him I said hi. Does he like you guys? So what are your plans with him while he is here? What fun things do you have in mind, because I’ll only be home for a while? Bring it on. I want to see all the new things. Awesome.

That’s great. So how are you y the family?

I’m great. Happy y sad that I only have 3 weeks left.

So you got one new boy then you get me right after. It will be cool to have me there after two years, right?

So you sent Nate a box, so does that mean I will have a package when I go home? Okay but it is better if you just give it to me at home. Why, what is it? I know it is my phone y my camera charger.  I don’t need anything else. 

Did you see my hair cut? It wasn’t that long, haha. So when will you cut the boys’ hair? That’s the big question.  But you never let him do have long hair before. What’s happing with my mom? But it is fine. I need to help you a lot when I go home so I can have your normal self again. I can come home y help you like before the mission. See how smart God is? When I go home I will clean the house y all the clothes without you even saying anything like before, y it will make you happy y stress free. No girlfriends  because the girls are too young, haha. Hey how is Aaron? He ran into the ocean in his suit? Haha He is such a weirdo.

I hope we can go to the baptism, but will be hard because you will be here only a week y half y there is a lot to see y all is so far like Palenque is 6 hours y Tapachula is 6. I hope we can.

How are dad y the boys? What are they up to?

When does school start? Suckers, haha. But if you think of it I’m only taking one class y the boys are taking 7 ha ha. Still better. Ha.

Hey, all the pics y videos are in. Have fun looking at them.

I’ve got to go mom. Love you. I will mom. Bye. Love you. Have a good week y keep being a good mom. Love you xoxoxo

I know. Say hi the my new brother y all my bros y dad y tell them I love them y cant wait to see them in just 3 weeks. Bye mom. Love you. xoxox

Adios mama. Mucha animo este semana. Soy muy feliz a ver usted en tres semanas. Te amo mama. Amo su hijo, Alex.