All Creatures Great and Small!

A healthy meal

Well yesterday we had Gina in church y no one else but we are still working hard.

 Well, I gave a nice blessing to Hna.Gina of consolation. It was so good y the spirit was so strong.

A green place about 20 minutes from us

Well yesterday a member came with us y we had no appointments, so we were a bit sad. But he had some people for us to visit about 20 min. away in our area. It was so beautiful y it was green.  There were only like 4 houses there, no more. We visited Ester.  She is 16 y her husband Pablo who is 24. We taught about families y church y they are two new investigators for us!  Then we visited Hna.Socurro y taught about the plan of happiness y she is new for us too.  We are going to visit all of them this Wednesday. We are so happy for the member for taking us!  It was awesome.

 Well another thing that is good here is the contacts are accepting us more y letting us visit them again so that is cool. Well we visited Hna.Tonita on Tuesday y she told us she had dreams about me y Elder Mena then when Mena left she had dreams about Elder Merrill before she ever meet him y she says every time she has a dream the next day we are there. So that was awsome.

 So that was pretty much it. I love you all y the changes are next week so I might have some news. I have been here for 6 months.  Let’s see. Adios!!!!!

Love always Elder VanBuskirk

Hi mom. So I got my package but the camera was missing. Also my priesthood line wasn’t in there.  I don’t think they stole it.  You forgot it, didn’t you? haha. I thought they stole it too. Ha ha. Love you. I got everything else. Thanks so so much. I’m so sorry you bought the camera y it got stolen.  I bet Dad isn’t happy.

I think I’m fine now. I will just use my camera it until I can’t any more. Love you too.

Tell Luke I love him a lot y he doesn’t even know it! He is still wearing his tie from yesterday? He always wears the church clothes for a lot of days after. ha ha

Did you find my snake?‬  Why is Luke using my DS? Do you remember what Luke did to his at the movies? hint hint‬? Well, remember, we went to the dollar movies y he left it there y when we came back someone stole it.  But no say, because they will break y lose it, like they did my snake. See, I’m foreshadowing. Haha. You shouldn’t let Luke use my DS until they find my snake. Everything is falling apart when I’m not there. ha ha

So what is Nate doing to get ready for his mission? Mostly laying around being lazy I bet, just like I did. Haha  Good, because in the mission it is work, work, y more work, so it is fine. ha ha

Do you guys have any more trips? How are you feeling?

I’m sorry you couldn’t go visit Franky. Love you.

Hey, when you sent the jelly beans can you send some black licorice, the old fashioned kind?

I know you miss my face, but no pics of me this time. I don’t want to.  My nose is so red y peeling because here the sun is mas strong. It is still officially rainy season.  There is not a lot of rain now, but it is still green. But the changes are coming in a week.  I think I’m leaving.  I’ve been here fore 6 months. I don’t know.

Love you. I got to go. Say hi to all y next week I might have some news for you!  Love you. Say hi to my buddy Luke.‬ Thanks Mom. Love you.

 

we found this tiny turtle in the street yesterday

 the chickens were eating my corn when I finished eating it

Little By Little

the spider was on a wall in a community called Pashton

Well this week has been a week of miracles here.  For the first time in 4 weeks we had four investigators in church. Well Hna. Gina was there, like always, y today I’m going to gave her a blessing of consul to help her.

Then we were walking to church y we decided to stop at Jorge Antonio’s, an investigator that has no time. When we got there he was all ready for church so he walked with us y he told us he had things to do with people but he told them first church for one hour, so we were so happy about that.

Then Antonio,  Andres’ dad, took David to church his mom gave him permission to go one Sunday, but the others no because he needs to work at there family taco shop. So we are doing a lot of service for them.  The dad says it is fine for him to be baptized but his mom wants to see a bigger change in him. But it is fine.  Little by little he will get baptized.

Then do you remember Tonita, the daughter of Amada y Fernando?  They are members but don’t visit church y their Tonita who is a non member.  Well we have been visiting her for my whole time here y some time before y she never wanted to visit church.  She always has an excuse. But yesterday she went for the first time y she liked it, so we were so, so happy!  

Well this week was good because we were working more with the members to help us in this work, no solo us y it is going great. Love you all  

Love Elder VanBuskirk

ADIOSS!!!!!!!

Hi Mom. Love you. I forgot to tell you last week that we went with a member to her hometown 1 hour away, but it is in our area .  There are a lot of less active members so we are trying to get going the sacrament at least with them. We were the first elders to visit.  We felt so good y the spirit was so strong.  This town is bigger than our area here.  It is called Pujiltic y it is very hot.

Y we also did talks in church.  I talked about service. It was great.  A lot of people liked it.

Can you send me the snickerdoodle recipe? Thanks. Love you a ton. How is Joy doing?

A pic of me y dad Sister Hester sent me. 

 Hey, I got a nice letter from sister Hester. Tell her thanks for the card y picture y I love her. So Sister Hester was a bit sad we didn’t invite her to my farewell. Oops.

Wow.  You lost the snake again?  Okay. I hope he is fine.

Oh, so so sad about Sparkey. It is fine.  We can see him in the next life. I bet you are happy though.

 I’m great, just great!  Today is my 5 months here in Comitan y changes is on the 17^th - my 11 months y I think I’m leaving.

I can’t believe it is almost halfway over!

Thanks for everything.

Tell Luke I love him and thanks buddy. Have fun at the beach. I got to go but I love you y think of you all the time! Love you Luke xoxoxo

Thanks mom. Love you too. Say hi to my buddy y that I love him.

the frog was born y living in our backyard 

the house looks like a duck so i took a pic 

We just saw them playing hockey y we never heard of it here.
They were on roller blades.

My Spirit of Service y Love (or How to Eat Fried Ants)

We visited a family who went outside and got a lot of ants y

 cooked them up in a frying pan for us. It was good! 

Well, what a week! We are getting some new investigators poco at a time. We still only had Hna Gina in church yesterday but that is fine. Well we taught Emma again about the prophets y God. Y yesterday we found two new investigators named Flor y Ricardo. We just answered all the questions y they said they will visit church next week.

In interchanges with Elder Reyes we helped an investigator 

cook cookies in a wood burning oven. 

  On Friday I went on interchanges with Elder Reyes, a zone leader here in Comitan. We had a great time working together y he loves my spirit of service y love y he told me to keep working on my Spanish.  I will get there soon just working. But it was a great changes. We did a lot of service sweeping members y investigators houses.

Well yesterday a elder who is in charge of everyone who is sick called y asked about what type of sickness because he had all my receipts from my medicine. He said, “wow. You are one lucky elder, to still be here in the mission after all the times you got sick!  The others they will send home.” So I was kind of happy about that.

Well there is a very good video on youtube y I invite you to watch it as a family. It is called “Missionary Work and the Atonement.” It is such a beautiful video. Y this week we are really going to visit the investigators a lot y help them progress y we are going to visit a lot of members also, to help them continue having this faith. So that was my week. Love you all y thanks for all.

Love Elder VanBuskirk

ADIOS!!!!!!!

I’m great! How are you all? Say hi to all for me y that I love them.

So how is it there in Tahoe? Have fun. Buy me something there.  How long are you going to be there? Bye! Have fun. Love you all.  Thanks for everything! Love you so so much! xoxoxo

 

Mate from Argentina

Just a good candy!

Elder Merrill: on a mission!

Wind Y Hail Y Rain

So this week we got some new investigators. They didn’t visit church, but they are good. Well one is named Jorge Sanchez. He likes to talk about all the news, but he wants us to teach him. Then yesterday after church we taught a hermana named Emma y she is really great too. But this week we are going to work hard with the members to help us in this work too, because it is for everyone, not solo us.

The storm in my story

Well, on Wednesday we planned on having Andres with us all day from 11 to 9. But kind of, because we had meetings all morning. Then about 3 to 4 we were walking past the church and it was all sunny but it started to get dark. So one street after the church it was so dark y a lot of wind y hail y rain like I’ve never seen before in my life! So me y Andres were on one side of the street with nothing y my companion was on the other side with an umbrella. But the hail was hitting the backs of our necks, our faces y arms. It hurt so, so bad!   Then we decided to run to a member close by, but the streets were rivers, so when we finally made it to the house we were soaked from head to toe y we were shaking. So the member took us home y we changed our clothes y went back to work. Then Andres told us he doesn’t want to come with us any more. But wow, it was bad!

Andres on his last Sunday

 Well yesterday was Andres last Sunday. We took photos y said goodbye y good luck y he gave us each a tie. He will be such a great missionary.

 Well on Friday President George gave us interviews. He just tells a lot of stories like always.  He told me a story about the French Revolution y an elder who missed his plane.  He asked about my family y he said he loves me y I’m doing a great job.

So that was my week. Love you all ADIOSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi mom. Go on Dropbox.  I have a surprise for Nate. It is a Russian language course.  Well a member went to BYU for one year to learn English y his friend was learning Russian so he had a copy. Then he put it on my usb then another member who has internet let it download for almost 3 hours. So let Nate work on it.   It is the same course they teach in the language learning building at BYU. Have Nate print some of the book to practice on your trip.

Did you send the package?  Wow thanks. I really love you y miss you the last package got here in 10 days

Wow that is awesome that Nate is helping coach water polo. How are you y dad? So how is the unpacking going?

Are you ready for another vacation? Lake Tahoe sounds fun.  Have fun!

 Well my comp Elder Merrill is leaving on 21 of Decembre y we speak all Spanish. But it is kinda hard with another gringo because we want to speak English.  He has had 5 areas y he corrects me on my Spanish y he helps me on it everyday. I always do listen to him and work hard. We have no problems. I just love him.

I bet you do want to squeeze me - like all moms.  Love you!

Bye mom.  Love you a ton. Have a safe trip. SAY HI TO EVERYONE for me y that I love them. Don’t have too much stress ok? You y Dad both. Love you all. Be safe y thanks for everything.

a new place for us 

Our Sad Week

We were in the bus station for two days

 waiting for the zone leader’s new comp.

Well this week was good for only two things: the weather all week has been in the low 70´s y raining – perfect!  Not hot like where you are. haha Y the second reason,  yesterday we had a lot of less active families visit church again after we visited them a lot. Yesterday in church we had one investigator, Gina, y no more so we were a bit sad.  Then we saw a lot of less active members visit who didn’t visit in a long long time. But after we visited them they decided it was time to go to church, now so that made us happy. We are not doing good with the investigators, but we are the happy that the less actives are visiting again y to be once again part of the fold of Christ. 

Well, this week was a very, very, very sad week. Well last Sunday in the middle of church David’s dad came y picked him up early from church then a day after we called y he said his dad won’t let us visit him or go to the church any more. He is 14 and  was such a great investador. Then we visited Ady yesterday for church but her grandma told us she is not going to church any more y don’t visit her because we are a family that goes to one church y we don’t want Ady going to a different one.  She is 15. We were sad about her too.  The week before she visited church y an activity y let us teach her. So that was our sad week.

We don’t have investigators but this week with the help of members we are going to find more y bring them in the fold of Christ. So please pray for our area, Balun Canan 1, y for us to find new investigators. Thanks for everything, I love you all. Love Elder VanBuskirk

Adios!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi mom. How are you? Hey, can you send the banana bread recipe again? We are going to make it as a ward in two weeks. Can you buy a new Meet the Mormons for me?  I will pay with my own money. Thanks. Love you.

How are you doing?  I’m fine. I had a really hard week. How is grandpa? So grandma gave you 100 dollars for me? Nice.

‪Did you find a lot of my things cleaning out the garage?

A smart phone will be great!  It will be my coming home present.  Wow!  I love you.

Am I happy?  Why wouldn’t I have a great time? This is the mission. I love it y the members!

I’ve got to go.  I love you.   Say hi to all and give them my love.  Thanks for everything Mom. You are the best.

This is Andres. He is leaving to the Brazil MTC in a week,

 then on to Africa for his mission.

‪ 1000 bags of carbon‬ (coal).  A member sells it.   

That is his job. When we visited he was all black.

The grasshopper was on our front porch.

God Answered Our Prayers

Hi!  So this week we did a “meet the Mormons” activity. There were more investigators than members y everybody loved it. There was also nachos y soda for all.  It was a great activity.

We visited David y he is really having a hard time with his dad because his dad wants him to be baptised in two years. So I had a great idea to do a fast yesterday for him. He even joined in y the Andres family. David knows it is true.  He feels good all the time when he reads the Book of Mormon y visits church. So please pray for him.

 Well, we try to teach Socuro but she has no time, y the same for Antonio, so we teach a 5 minute lesson. They are great investigators but don’t have time. 

Well, on Wednesday we contacted one girl named Ady y we taught her one time outside her home because her grandpa doesn’t like us.  Then we invited her for church y she said yes. Then before church we went to pick her up y she was ready, then at church after each hour we ask if she wants to stay y she said yes. She even prayed in one class, so that was great. We were praying all week for a good contact to come to church y God answered our prayers.

So today we went to some waterfalls about 40 min away with the Andres family y Hna Paopla. It was hot but humid but a lot of trees y the water was so so so blue y beautiful.  You are allowed to swim, but we can’t. Oh well. But it was a great time.

 I’m here for another six weeks. It will be great. Love you all. Adios!!!!!!

Sorry I was late. I was at a waterfall. It was so beautiful.

No transfer for me today. I’m here until the next time. My comp too. I’m so so happy!

Sounds nice at the beach. Here it is raining like y a lot of cold wind. Say hi to all!

Hey, I really need a new camera. Every time I turn it on or take a photo it buzzes y the screen is blurry y a lot of time when I look at a picture it is not there y it says “read error.”

Wow Dylan is so so funny in that video!  What about Derek? Derek will be a lot worse. I think. We’ve just got to wait to see. How are you y dad? Tell him I love him too.

I would really like some like some little cards with all the blessings on then, but I would like some in Spanish.

My Spanish is good a lot of people understand y they said in 3 months it will be good.

Thanks. I got to go but have a great week.  Say hi to all y that I love them. Thanks for everything!  Now go surfing Mom.