Bela Vista - Week 4

6-10-2013

Bon dia,
Boa tarde, or
Boa noite depending on when you are reading this,

My week was really rough.  I am sick as a dog and have been since Tuesday.  I did get permission from the president to go to the doctor so we are going to do that after we finish emailing and I should have more information next week.  I have been wracked with a sore throat, a headache, stomach ache, a cough, and my ears have been hurting.  Needless to say, we did not get a lot of work done in our area.  But, I did do two 24-hour divisions, we moved out of our apartment into the apartment of some other elders because I'm sick and our apartment ran out of water, and I went to a baptism and five hours of church yesterday.  But Elder Camargo is a good nurse and in between all of the running around we're doing he takes good care of me, like making me food and forcing me to take several hot showers a day (because the other elders have hot and unlimited water in their apartment).  He loves me.  And through all of the pain and sickness I always keep this stupid "quick and ready smile" on my face. 

One sister even said "Elder Bushman, you don't have to smile."  To which I cheerfully, albeit without much energy, responded, "Yes I do.  For every trial given to us by the Lord there is a reason and a blessing.  I don't know what the reason is yet, but I know that whatever blessing is coming is going to be big."  She just laughed, but in that moment I said something profound and I've held onto that thought and it's given me courage to stand strong.

This week I met an incredible man named João.  He is in the picture with me.  He was one of the very first people baptized in Cape Verde 25 years ago.  Shortly after his baptism he moved to Portugal, but he lived several hours by foot from the nearest ward and he didn't have a car.  Then seven years ago he moved back to Cape Verde, but to an island that didn't have missionaries.  Since he never saw missionaries he didn't know that the church was on that island.  He has kept studying the gospel with the materials he had and he knows a lot of it a lot better than I do.  We met him on Thursday, but just six days before missionaries opened his island to proselyting.  We gave his number to the missionaries there and he already has 10 or 15 friends that he has talked to about the gospel and are ready to get baptized when they talk with the missionaries.  What an incredible story or being kept from the truth only because they knew not where to find it.  Amazing how the Lord works, right?

I don't have much more to say this week because I've been pretty sick, but I'm happy.  So, so happy.  I love the gospel.  My family.  My companion.  This work.  And our God.

Love,

Elder Bushman

 

Elder Bushman and João.