Miracle Monday

I cannot express how much I love being here. The people, the accent, my companions, my mission president and his wife, our sweet investigators, the Latinos, the peace I feel here, Bluebell Ice Cream, inviting others to learn more, the hat and sunglasses I get to wear tracting, my new magnet nametag (that I'll get on Wed), our car, teaching sometimes in English, the encouragement from my companions... The list goes on and on! I'm falling in love with the South, and I feel more than ever like I am really doing the work that Christ would do if He were walking these streets with me. My companions Hermana Krage and Hermana Child make that so easy. They are so Christlike and charitable. An hour doesn't pass by that they don't compliment me on something or encourage me or give me a sincere compliment. They are going to be some of my best friends, just as all mission companions. Except these ones at least live within a few thousand miles of me and are more relatable because they're North American. We have gotten so close in just these few days... I love them so much. The other night after planning, we took funny pictures and laughed for half an hour, just having fun and being silly. And we can actually talk about things because there is no language barrier. And we can joke, which we do all the time. It is so much less stressful because I have such great friends at my side every minute of every day!! I love them so much.

Sister Krage goes home in a week, and it'll just be Sister Child and me for at least one transfer. I've been able to use a lot of the techniques and other things that I've learned in Ecuador here in the mission field. My companions are always so amazed by the ways that I teach and study and talk to people. I really can't take any credit for that, because it was all my leaders on my mission who taught me everything I know. I'm just grateful to be able to help other missionaries be successful and enjoy the mission experience.

I have learned so much from them, too. Like I said, they are just so service-oriented and really love to uplift others. They always look for the good in everyone and make whoever they talk to feel like they're extremely important. They're also so enthusiastic about the work! There's never a dull moment, and they've taught me to be excited even when I feel tired or spent. They've taught me so much about not only teaching of Christ, but acting like Him-- serving and loving every person. I am learning so much about how to follow His example through the examples of my companions.

So the missionary work here is different. I knew it would be. In our ward, we have 7 missionaries. There are 2 English elders, 2 English sisters, and us 3 Spanish sisters. We all live in different parts of the ward boundaries, so we mostly stick to close to where we live. Except when the other missionaries find someone who only speaks Spanish, then we travel to wherever they are and teach them. Our companionship can teach in either English or Spanish, and we have investigators who speak both languages. We've been finding a lot in the Latino areas and trying to teach as many of them as we can. Most are from Mexico and Guatemala. It's cool because the hermana I trained in Ecuador is from Guatemala :) It's so fun to see their surprised faces when we start to speak Spanish with them!

So our ward is in English, and when the Hispanics come, we have to translate for them. We have headsets, but didn't have to use them yesterday because there was only one woman who needed it. That was a really special experience and helped me to recognize how much the Lord has blessed me by helping me to learn Spanish so that I can be of so much service to His children. Sometimes I think I'm actually learning a third language here with the thick southern accent that everyone has and the funny things they say. Here are some of the things I've heard this week. Say them all in your head with a southern accent: "We all stayed in the same dwellin'" "We gonna have a ward outta my kinfolk!" (She is introducing the gospel to her relatives) "She liked 'em! Course their house didn't smell too good, but we put up with it." "Well butter my butt and call me a biscuit! Look who's here!" I'm soaking it in! I love it!

To end off my letter, I'd like to share not the least of the many miracles we have seen this week. I know that they come as a direct relation to our obedience and desire to serve and love these people. Here are two experiences I had yesterday and today:

-Yesterday we went tracting in a country-side area. The houses were really far apart, it was really hot and we all really needed to go to the bathroom. As we made it back to our car, we walked past a house that caught my attention. I heard in my mind, "You need to stop here." Just then, I saw what appeared to be a huge black dog sleeping on their front lawn. We kept walking as my companion was talking, but I kept my eyes fixed on that house. Just as we were about to walk completely past the house, I saw that the 'black dog' was actually a black net on the ground. Then the voice came again, "That was Satan trying to prevent you from knocking this door. You need to stop here." So I went up to that door with so much zeal, knowing that I was fooling Satan's plan. We met a family (Maria and Juan) there searching for a church to join and who accepted our message immediately. We invited them to be baptized, and they agreed to be if they felt it was right after learning more. Incredible!

-Usually when I wake up I'm hungry within 30 minutes. This morning I wasn't hungry at all! I felt prompted to fast today, but it was an experience I've never had before. I knew I needed to fast, but I didn't know what for. So I prayed that Heavenly Father would guide me to what needed to be done today or give me knowledge that I would need or prepare me for something that was to come, and that He would let me know why I needed this fast today. Later, we met with an investigator named Allen. His wife was recently baptized, but he has avoided joining the church because he feels comfortable in his own beliefs. I think that he doesn't like to talk about serious gospel doctrine very much, but is content the way he lives. Well, we started right into asking him about when he'd be baptized, and long story short, the Spirit was so powerful in that lesson. We knew he felt it. He didn't agree to be baptized, but he promised us that if he received the answer from God that he needed to do it, he'd call us and have it done. He also agreed to read the Book of Mormon every day that he could (because of his health) and told us he'd read 2 Nephi 31 by sundown. Before we left, we knelt and asked him to pray specifically to know if it was the will of the Lord for him to be baptized now. He told us he'd do it later tonight, not right now. We waited in anticipation as he prayed for health, his family, the missionaries, etc. Then right before ending it, he sincerely asked if he should be baptized. Then he paused. I know that he received his answer. He ended his prayer and I knew he was pondering what he had just received. I know he will be calling us soon :)

I know that this is the way to live. I've been reminded this week about our purpose here on Earth-- we're here to progress and learn and act according to the guidance that Heavenly Father gives us. That guidance includes spiritual promptings, teachings of the Savior in the scriptures, teachings of our prophet Joseph Smith, and every good guidance we receive. I know that He watches over and loves each of us. Sometimes it's hard to see it. But during the hard times, we are being prepared for something we will need in the future. I can see that now as I reflect on my experiences as a missionary in Ecuador. I passed through some of the hardest experiences of my life there. But now I am grateful because I know the Lord was preparing me. He loves each of us and doesn't hide Himself from us when we need Him! His will is what will bring us the most happiness and peace in life. Find it, follow it, and you will be blessed!!

Love,

Hermanita Busath

Alabama Birmingham Mission

Steadfast in Christ

PICTURES!!!

-My first few hours in the mission-- mission office with President and Sister Hanks

-We get a lot of tornadoes here apparently... that is what the wind did to the tree in front of the church. (But don't worry, mom. We have a weather radio and a basement at a member's house close by and the tornado season pretty much just ended!)

-Our trio! Hna Child, yo, y Hna Krage

-HUGE zuccini from a member family. We've been baking some of it little by little.

-Sisters Brassfield and Madsen on the way to the temple. They're the other sisters in our ward and are so fun!

-Sister Krage and me at the temple

-Our trio with President and Sister Hanks at the temple. And that was the better of the two pictures that the elder took....

-Sister Child and me at the temple

-Sister Child and me at Panera

-A group of sisters who all went to Panera after the temple

-Car ride back to Boaz! The sister on the right in the backseat is also named Sister Madsen.

-An abandoned gas station where the plants are growing wild INSIDE the place! Oh yeah, and Alabama football is HUGE here.

-Sister Child is hilarious. We have this game where we yell out the window when we pass by some cows and count how many look.

-We wrote inspirational notes to one of our investigators to help him stop smoking and put them all around his house. I put one in his shower :)

-4 pictures of us having fun after nightly planning

-We bought so much food today! Our fridge was full! It was a great day.