May 2013

FAMILY!! Wow, I love you all so much, let me just tell you that right now (: And of course, let me just say that THIS CHURCH IS SO TRUE!!
K, now that I have that off my chest.. let us begin.Sorry for the lack of writting as of late! Last week the internet stopped working and I didn't get a chance to finish! It stopped, and we left. We also left.. without first checking the computers. Which means that since I had pictures to send but was unable to send them.. without even thinking, I left my memory card plugged into the compture. And when I realized this.. it was too late. (it wasn't turned in this week either.. but I'm still hopeful. People are good) Luckily I have sent home a handfull of pictures already, but unfortunately I have many many more pictures on that SD card, that are irreplaceable, than that. Let's just say.. I'm never making that mistake again!! The crazy thing is.. I had several thoughts come to my mind that would have prevented this from happening.. but I ignored them thinking "No, I don't have time. Let's just get out of here." I see now that they were promptings from the Spirit trying to help me out! Silly me for ignoring them. Seriously, I could name like 5 different thoughts that came to my head. We don't often think of promptings as being anything other than being guided by the Spirit to say spiritual things.. or at least I don't, as a missionary. I suppose I had forgotten that we can be lead in ANYTHING!! What a slap in the face reminder. haha.

So, just so everyone knows.. THIS MOTHER'S DAY WAS THE BEST MOTHER'S DAY OF ALL THE MOTHER'S DAYS!! And that's that (:

So it was a very good start to the week. Then Monday was super memorable as I spent some of the last couple hours with the Rialto zone before the transfer. Then Tuesday happened.. when my SD card was no longer at the library, we lost a few investigators, and some others canceled their appointments.. that was rough! Gave me a super bad headache. And I could tell people could tell I wasn't in the best mood. So I said a little prayer  (ok, a rather big prayer) and tried my hardest to turn that around! Toward the end of the week.. things were back to normal, and we had some AWESOME lessons! Which, like I have said before, were much more appreciated after having such a rough start to the week.

CURRY IS GETTING BAPTIZED ON JUNE 1ST!! Which is super great, let me tell you (: He has been progressing so much now and he's so ready! Curry was a current investigator when sister davis and I got here, and it's been a blessing to get to work with him! He is so great. His lesson was one of the "AWESOME" ones that lifted my spirit.

This week we have a lot of high goals. I'm excited to push myself to try to meet them. I haven't felt like that great of a teacher lately.. so that's one of my personal goals this week.. to TEACH so that I can practice and become more comfortable. Afterall, I have been out for 7 weeks. I should be pulling my weight in the lessons more. I've just got to.. teach what I know (: With the Spirit! Simple as that, right? haha I'm excited. We have appointments that will hopefully let me get more practice with each of the 5 lessons. It should be good.

Tonight after dinner (which is with the family history people in the ward, the Howell's.. really awesome people) we are all heading over to a less actives house who is interested in geneology (so we're going to embrace it!) and talk to them about why we do family history  (: TEMPLE WORK!! Which I LOVE (: So I'm really excited to help them understand more. And hopefully they'll make the temple, with their family names, their next goal!

Well, you know what I'm going to say now.. THE CHURCH IS TRUE AND GOD LOVES YOU AND I DO TOO!! : D I'm excited for this next week of missionary work. I can't believe It's been 2 months already. I hope you are all doing well. And thank you for your continued support with letters, emails, prayers, and what-have-you (: I have the BEST family and friends in the world.

XOXO ~ Sister Madisen Elise Busenbark (:

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Sister Davis and I with Mormon Helping Hands last week!! (It was over 90 degrees outside. Did I tell you that?)

Sister Busenbark and Sister Davis

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Family (:
First of all.. know that I love you. Second of all.. know that I am doing well. And last, but certainly not least, know that I have a testimony of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and the happiness that it brings in this life as well as the life to come.
The week has been good! Hard this week.. but good! Just a lot of disappointing cancellations and having a hard time making any real commitments for appointments happen. The fires aren't near me at all, but I heard about them. The investigators are coming.. slowly but surely. The more I visit them, the more I love them. The more I love them, the more I prepare for them. The more I prepare for them.. the more the Spirit can guide me and help me help them.
Since Wednesday, not a lot has happened. It's actually been really slow. With all the cancelations and all. But, we're staying busy so that at least feels good. I know that as we continue to give it our all.. we will eventually see the fruits of our labors. In His time (: This week we have our goals set high, and I'm anxious to make 'em happen. Nothing makes me happer than to see PROGRESSION (: We have a lot of potential investigators, and I'm excited to follow up with them and get some more people in our teaching pool. We've met several really awesome, open, people as of late. So I'm excited about that (: I have confidence in the converting power of the Spirit.
Today for p-day with the zone we met at the stake center to play sports. Me and a few of the sisters and elders went out to this little outdoor courtyard thing in the center of the building and played ourselves a nice game of soccer. It was a lot of fun. Especially since it was in the rain. (Otherwise I probably wouldn't have been able to survive the outdoor temp) It was on cement.. and I caught my foot on a groove of the cement and fell on my knee.. scrapped it up pretty gross. But all is well! It doesn't even hurt (; and now I've got myself a battle wound to show off! haha. Jk. I covered it with a bandaid after taking care of it. Anyways though.. that was super fun and really nice to get everything out from the week. Now I'm ready to get back to work!!
Untill Sunday.. THEN I am ready to HAVE A MOTHER'S DAY SKYPE SESSION!! :D I couldn't be more excited. Happy Mother's day to ME (; haha (: And, of course, celebrate my AMAZING mother (: As well as ALL the other amazing mothers I look up to out there. I've been blessed with some pretty great examples, ya know (: ESPECIALLY with my own (:
I'm in this pradicament because I need to save Something to talk about on Sunday (; haha (:
BUT, I am doing super well, and I hope all of you are too!!
Something that I have found from my studies recently... Enos. Enos is so cool. I never really thought much about him before, but he is one awesome fella. To say the least. I love that it is such a short book of scripture.. and yet you can learn SO much from him. I love that he stopped in the middle of what he was doing to pray. Because his soul hungered something more. I love that he prayed so fervently. With such a sincere heart, and real intent. He prayed for the desires of his heart. And as soon as he was granted forgiveness because of his faith in Jesus Christ, he then longed for those around him to feel the same peace and comfort and prayed for their behalf. I love this so much because.. it makes me reflect on our Savior, our Redeemer. First of all, I know that as we ask our Heavenly Father, with real intent, sincerity, and faith in our Savior Jesus Christ, we will be granted answers to those prayers. They may not be as fast as they were for Enos, nor in the way we had hoped, but they will. And of course, Jesus Christ IS the Redeemer of the world. He is the way we can receive a remisison for our sins and be happy spiritually and temporally. I also recently read an article in the ensign titled Hope In the Atonement. http://www.lds.org/ensign/2012/04/hope-in-the-atonement?lang=eng  It's not long, I suggest you follow the link and read it. I love it so much. Just like Enos, the young man in the story felt that redeeming love in his life. He applied the atonement to him personally. And because of this testimony he has of the Savior's sacrifice on his behalf he will be able to bear strong testimony of the Savior and bring others the knowledge of that same peace and happiness. As soon as Enos felt this love himself, he prayed for others to be softened and able to feel the same way. Everyone deserves to feel this way. We are all sons and daughters of a Heavenly Father who loves us. Which is why I am so happy to be serving a mission for the Lord. It makes me so happy to share the gospel (which means "Good News" did you know that?) of Jesus Christ. He is the light. He is the way. The only way. I have a very strong testimony that the Savior suffered for me personally. For my sins, my pains, my afflictions, my inadequacies, my trails, my temptations, my sorrows... every single negative thing I will ever go through; physically, emotionally, spiritually, mentally.. He did that for me, so that he would know Exactly how to save me and take away these burdens. (Alma 7:11-12) I have felt this in my life. I feel it every day. And I know that He did this for each and every one of you too. I am so grateful for my knowledge of the Savior and my relationship with Him. I am so grateful that I know I can rely on Him 24/7. I am so grateful that he gave His life for me, and that he completed the Atonement through the resurrection so that I may be too, and have the opportunity to live with my family forever and dwell with God. He lived, died, and lives again. I know that this church is Christ's true, full, everlasting church restored to the earth one final time before He will come again. The Church of Jesus Christ, of Latter-day Saints. It's all in the name. I know that as we take upon us His name through baptismal covenants and renew those covenants worthily each week that we can have the Holy Ghost with us always and be lead and guided and have that great strength to be able to endure to the end in following Christ. I am so grateful that when the church was restored, so was the Priesthood, and living prophets. I am so grateful for President Monson and the apostles for their service and revelation he receives for our benefit, so that we can know more fully in these days what we should do to return to our Heavenly Father. I am so grateful that I was blessed to grow up in a home with a wonderful family who taught me the gospel from a young age, and now I am so grateful for this opportunity to share it with those (our brothers and sisters of California) who were not as fortunate as I. And I know that as members of the church it is our responsibility to share this good news with others, in all that we do. Even if it's just through being a friend. A good example, uplifting and strengthening other's as the Lord would do. "Standing as a witness of God, at all times, and in all things, and in all places."
I love you all very very much and am so grateful for each of you and the roles you have played in my life. I pray that you all are as happy as I (: This is my mission. Have a great week!! You are loved (:
Sincerely, Sister Madisen Elise Busenbark

P.S. How could I forget.. On Saturday I was blessed with the opportunity to go to a stake relief society meeting where the Redlands temple matron spoke to us!! WOW was it good. Made me appreciate the temple so much more than I already did, which I didn't even know was possible. It also made me miss the temple a lot.. there is just SUCH strength in the temple, the house of the Lord! Even just being on temple grounds is strengthening. The temple matron's name is Sister Kerr. She talked a lot about that very thing, how the temple is a place to be "armed with power" (Doctrine and Covenants 109:22) She also talked a lot about how the Savior has more power than the adversary. So we must put our trust in Him. And serve Him. As we serve Him, especially in the temple, we will be empowered from on high. To meet the challenges that come our way. What a blessing! Something cool that she pointed out.. as we know, Everything good is from God. Everything evil is of the Devil. But get this.. "God" Add one more "o" and you get "good". "Devil" Take Away the "d" and you get "evil". God always adds and the Devil is always trying to take away! Prayer is another great way to access that power from on high, just like Enos did in the first part of my message. Stand in holy places, be firm, turn to the Lord in prayer, turn to the scriptures. We have the great blessing of being able to receive power from on high (: There is nothing more powerful than love. I know that. I feel of the Savior's love each time I go to the temple. I feel of the Savior's love every day. I know that Heavenly Father loves us because He gave his Only Begotten Son. I know that the Savior loves us because He gave His life, so that we may return. And I thank each of you for treating me in a way that I can feel of the Savior's love through you (: I know that we can find that strength through one another as well, as we act in that Christ-like love. Sister Kerr said another cool thing.. she said, "Aren't e really just walking each other home?" The answer is yes. Yes we are. And that in and of itself is a blessing too! "Charity never faileth!" I challenge each of you to access this power for yourselves, and do everything in your power to try to match His power by doing everything in Your power to return home. He wants us to return home. Rely on HIM for the strength and courage and guidance to do so! He is the way. He is the light and the life (: (3 Nephi 11:10-11) And with that, I bid you a good day!!

Also.. I'm blessed to be a part of the Rialto zone.. the highest baptizing zone in the San Bernardino mission (;

Another P.S. There's this awesome thing called the Temple Riders Assosiation... Dad, we're gonna be a part of that shortly after I come home (; hehe. (because return missionaries have soo much money;) It is SO cool. They're not used to youngins like me.. but a member told me I'd still be welcome!! And basically.. WE'RE DOING IT!! Alls we need is a couple hogs (: Then to the temples we will go!! Sounds divine, right? Right. (YOU KNOW IT! Dad)

I LOVE YOU!! :D