Dear Family,
This week was a good week our area is huge. It is pretty fun though we cover about four little towns that are close together than we cover another one Talkeetna which is a little branch and not part of the ward but is a lot farther down the road. President gave us permission to go down more than once a month now which will be fun there are only about 15 active members and alot of work to do up there the only problem is it burns through our miles we only get 2200 miles a month which is actually hard to stay under just because things are spread out but it works. The chappel here is very nice its make of cedar and is in the middle of nowhere in willow which is pretty nice the building fits its surroundings and is very beautiful inside the ward is a little smaller also but the work is good here we are getting alot more teaching opportunities. Its crazy people who live here are either really well off or very poor living in one room cabins its always fun to see those people though its fun to hear there stories and to see that they are perfectly happy where they are at some of the most humble people i've met we teach and visit alot of people in these circumstances but they don't seem to mind living like this actually they love it. It shows that we don't need much to be truely happy. Sorry i spent alot of money this week the elder that was here before took alot of stuff with him so i had to buy alot of new stuff and food. I don't know our address yet but ill try to send a letter with our new address if not the mission home can still forward it if you send it through the post office still they can forward it for free. The family whose cabin we live in are way cool there son has just got his mission call and they are excited we had thanksgiving with them at the church there was over 50 people there they always invite everyone who has no place to go it was way fun. we had dinner with a family last night who we hope to start teaching again they have been active in going to church for the last year but still haven't been baptized for whatever reason but things are going good here thanks for everything glad to hear thanksgiving was good hope marissa gets better
Love Elder Rushton.
Rushton Family
Monday, November 30, 2009
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Thanksgiving
Grandpa Smith, The Hitchcocks, Cassie, Karie and their families all came for Thanksgiving. We had a good time. The kids enjoyed their "sleepover". All 7 of the unmarried kids slept in the family room. If there was a spot, there was a pillow, blanket and child.
Monday, November 23, 2009
David's letter November 23, 2009
Dear Family,
I am getting transfered again this week i was pretty bummed when they told me i thought i would at least be able to stay one more. I knew i wasnt going to be staying here for long because thats what president said he said one to two transfers because he wants my companion to stay for a while because he samoan. I am going to be serving in the Willow ward and I will also be covering the Talkeetna branch which will be fun my are is huge and its on the outskirts. I guess i cover from mile marker 40 on the highway to 140 and then its pretty wide to but it should be fun my new companion is Elder Harding from burley i've never met him before. I guess i get to live in a little cabin in the middle of nowhere that should be fun. It was pretty sad to say goodbye again when i'm pretty sure i probably wont be able to serve in the ward again. Mary is not on date yet but is still doing good they are starting to plan for the wedding so they should be married before christmas. And we also have two people on date for this saturday Leilani Rodrigez and Leilani Toatla. I might be able to come back for the baptism im not sure yet sometimes president will let you come back but i live like three to four hours away now. Thats good to here that your talk went good dad im sure you did a good job. Thanks for your letter mom i have had thoughts like that sometimes to and am so very thankful for where i came from and for your examples we get to see different people everyday some are getting the blessings of the gospel and some aren't and you can see how different there lives really are. Thats good to here that your college applications are in abbey tell me which one you choose alot of missionaries are trying to talk me into going to school in Utah but i have no idea what i will be doing yet.. And have fun playing frisbee Marissa with your friends and taking care of Kamery it sounds like she is starting to become quite the character. Have a wonderful thanksgiving i don't know what i am going to do yet if i would have stayed we already have three dinners set up here so they will have fun. Tell the Hitchcocks hi for me have a good thanksgiving Love you all.
Love Elder Rushton
I am getting transfered again this week i was pretty bummed when they told me i thought i would at least be able to stay one more. I knew i wasnt going to be staying here for long because thats what president said he said one to two transfers because he wants my companion to stay for a while because he samoan. I am going to be serving in the Willow ward and I will also be covering the Talkeetna branch which will be fun my are is huge and its on the outskirts. I guess i cover from mile marker 40 on the highway to 140 and then its pretty wide to but it should be fun my new companion is Elder Harding from burley i've never met him before. I guess i get to live in a little cabin in the middle of nowhere that should be fun. It was pretty sad to say goodbye again when i'm pretty sure i probably wont be able to serve in the ward again. Mary is not on date yet but is still doing good they are starting to plan for the wedding so they should be married before christmas. And we also have two people on date for this saturday Leilani Rodrigez and Leilani Toatla. I might be able to come back for the baptism im not sure yet sometimes president will let you come back but i live like three to four hours away now. Thats good to here that your talk went good dad im sure you did a good job. Thanks for your letter mom i have had thoughts like that sometimes to and am so very thankful for where i came from and for your examples we get to see different people everyday some are getting the blessings of the gospel and some aren't and you can see how different there lives really are. Thats good to here that your college applications are in abbey tell me which one you choose alot of missionaries are trying to talk me into going to school in Utah but i have no idea what i will be doing yet.. And have fun playing frisbee Marissa with your friends and taking care of Kamery it sounds like she is starting to become quite the character. Have a wonderful thanksgiving i don't know what i am going to do yet if i would have stayed we already have three dinners set up here so they will have fun. Tell the Hitchcocks hi for me have a good thanksgiving Love you all.
Love Elder Rushton
Monday, November 16, 2009
David's letter November 16, 2009
Dear Family,
Life has been good this week i got the package on Tuesday which was fun thanks for the pictures. It sounds like these last two weeks have been a good time. This week has been pretty fun we took Mary off date due to some circumstances. They are still living the law of chastity but because they are living in the same house still, because they really don't have anything or anywhere to go they are just living with his brother they are still living technically together even though they sleep in different rooms. We were really nervous about the lesson this week because we had to tell her we need to wait until after they are married president dance asked if we could change the date so before thursday when the lesson was we were praying and studying for help on how to help her change the date. So when we went to the lesson we were just planning to tell her right at the beginning we really didn't know quite how we were gonna tell her yet, but we were very blessed she was excited to get baptized but as she was studing that week she had the feeling she needed to wait and the scripture that matamua shared were the same scriptures she read it was pretty awesome the spirit was way strong the Lord always provides a way he took good care of Mary its just a testimony the Lords in charge we didn't quite now how to go about it other than we needed to do it we prepared a few things and the lord took care of the rest. I have a learned alot this week and throughout my mission the power of prayer is amazing as you take the time to talk to our hevenly Father, there have been many lessons where we have taught and the people ask questions that me or my companion don't really understand but then it comes and the words come out and scriptures come to your mind that you have been thinking about or studing in the last few days. I've learned that the lord really prepares everyone you teach but you can't be of any help to the lord or them if you don't prepare yourselves he can only use what you have so you need to try and prepare as much as possible or your not going to be of much help. The other thing i have learned alot about is you have to learn to love everyone you teach and its like Uchtdorf said in his conference talk the Lord doesn't need our love but o how we need to love the Lord and as you grow closer to our heavenly father and his son that love comes at first it seemed hard but now its easier. I love this work and am very grateful to be apart. I know that our Savior lives and that the Atonement is real i've learned so much about it a couple of months ago one of our investigators who got baptized asked some big questions about the atonement and what it really intails and as we went to the scriptures my eyes were opened and we were all blessed by the questions she asked and the answers we got. I am thankful for the opportunity of the Holy ghost i have learned more of how to recognize the promptings. Thanks for all that you guys have done for me and the example you have alll been in my life. transfers are this week we think were staying but president said he didn;t think my stay would be as long this time because elder matamua is going to be a senior companion soon he is an amazing teach full of the spirit when he teaches it is awesome. so we will see where i will be for thanksgiving and christmas. And i promise i won't spend as much money anymore i already but the new clothes i need and am set for winter but that book that i got was nice thanks for that now i have three i also have the quote book and the answer book they are fun to read those books are fun or if you find any more cools hats but i don't need much we are getting taken care of Thanks for everything hopefully some or this stuff helps for your talk dad if not you could always use some of the conference talks Elder Uchtdorfs is good i love the quote God doesn't need us to love him but oh how we need to love god that is a good key for missionary work because through that love all falls into place i think that was also uchtdorf or Dallin H oaks have fun in the lesson
Love Elder Rushton
Life has been good this week i got the package on Tuesday which was fun thanks for the pictures. It sounds like these last two weeks have been a good time. This week has been pretty fun we took Mary off date due to some circumstances. They are still living the law of chastity but because they are living in the same house still, because they really don't have anything or anywhere to go they are just living with his brother they are still living technically together even though they sleep in different rooms. We were really nervous about the lesson this week because we had to tell her we need to wait until after they are married president dance asked if we could change the date so before thursday when the lesson was we were praying and studying for help on how to help her change the date. So when we went to the lesson we were just planning to tell her right at the beginning we really didn't know quite how we were gonna tell her yet, but we were very blessed she was excited to get baptized but as she was studing that week she had the feeling she needed to wait and the scripture that matamua shared were the same scriptures she read it was pretty awesome the spirit was way strong the Lord always provides a way he took good care of Mary its just a testimony the Lords in charge we didn't quite now how to go about it other than we needed to do it we prepared a few things and the lord took care of the rest. I have a learned alot this week and throughout my mission the power of prayer is amazing as you take the time to talk to our hevenly Father, there have been many lessons where we have taught and the people ask questions that me or my companion don't really understand but then it comes and the words come out and scriptures come to your mind that you have been thinking about or studing in the last few days. I've learned that the lord really prepares everyone you teach but you can't be of any help to the lord or them if you don't prepare yourselves he can only use what you have so you need to try and prepare as much as possible or your not going to be of much help. The other thing i have learned alot about is you have to learn to love everyone you teach and its like Uchtdorf said in his conference talk the Lord doesn't need our love but o how we need to love the Lord and as you grow closer to our heavenly father and his son that love comes at first it seemed hard but now its easier. I love this work and am very grateful to be apart. I know that our Savior lives and that the Atonement is real i've learned so much about it a couple of months ago one of our investigators who got baptized asked some big questions about the atonement and what it really intails and as we went to the scriptures my eyes were opened and we were all blessed by the questions she asked and the answers we got. I am thankful for the opportunity of the Holy ghost i have learned more of how to recognize the promptings. Thanks for all that you guys have done for me and the example you have alll been in my life. transfers are this week we think were staying but president said he didn;t think my stay would be as long this time because elder matamua is going to be a senior companion soon he is an amazing teach full of the spirit when he teaches it is awesome. so we will see where i will be for thanksgiving and christmas. And i promise i won't spend as much money anymore i already but the new clothes i need and am set for winter but that book that i got was nice thanks for that now i have three i also have the quote book and the answer book they are fun to read those books are fun or if you find any more cools hats but i don't need much we are getting taken care of Thanks for everything hopefully some or this stuff helps for your talk dad if not you could always use some of the conference talks Elder Uchtdorfs is good i love the quote God doesn't need us to love him but oh how we need to love god that is a good key for missionary work because through that love all falls into place i think that was also uchtdorf or Dallin H oaks have fun in the lesson
Love Elder Rushton
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)