I got to go to Donny and Marie's Christmas Concert, what?!

Dear Familia!

Christmas in the City...PSYCH I'm getting Transferred!!!! CRAzy eh?! Oh my heart a lot of feelings! The spirit was super strong and I have felt it confirmed that this is what is suppose to happen and I'm happy but I won't lie it's a little hard and my heart strings have been pulled at a lot of different ways. I love the Tampa 1st Ward and am really really reeeeaaalllyyyy going to miss them as well as my companion Sister Burton, we have had a good time together, especially the last two days which have been full of giggles and hilarious moments. It's kind of hard but at the same time I'm not sad, I am really happy and full of gratitude.

My heart is full! I can't say or write it enough, it IS a wonderful life. :) These last couple of days have been rewarding in the many things I've learned and the depth that it's impacted my life. Oh, Sister Burton is staying Downtown and will be training and the Downtown Elders are being transferred as well, so not really positive on what else will be happening downtown. I am going to miss her, this transfer has gone by so fast and it's weirding me out to realize that January 3rd will be my half way mark, it is flying. It's already December which by the way I love the Christmas Spirit and I hope ya'll know not to worry, I am really happy, of course I miss you Mom and Dad and the family but I'm really not worried for Christmas Eve or Day, I am happy.  My heart has changed a lot this transfer, it has been hard, but so rewarding spiritually. 

It only seems like yesterday we were coming into the city of Tampa, it seems like only like yesterday with our first meeting with Bishop Addison and our Ward Mission Leader Brother Lewis who had the funniest Freudian slip. Bah ha ha I can't believe I forgot to write about it, it was so funny in this meeting he looked at Elder Willard and meant to say, "You've had a lot of success," but instead it came out, "You've had a lot of sex." I died laughing and it was embarrassing and unexpected that only the Sister Missionaries were laughing uncontrollably and it seemed like it didn't even phase the Elders or Bishop even though I could see that one of the Elder Nelson's (there are 2 Elder Nelson's) was trying so hard not to laugh. Oh man alive, good times! 

Sniffle, I'm really going to miss them and the Tampa 1st ward.  I want our family to be friends with so many of the people in that Ward. Anywho, it was sweet yesterday saying good byes and oh man sweet Ethan Freestone who's 12, came up and hugged me and cried and ah, it was hard as I choked back tears reassuring him I'd visit their family and him. He was stinkin adorable as I told him our families were going to be best friends and he responded as he cried, "We already are." Good grief, kills me! That family is exceptional! I LOVE the Tampa 1st Ward!!!

Speaking of that ward, Sister Burton and I earlier in the week were able to help out one night with Ward visits and we died laughing when we discovered one of the less actives we were going to go find/meet was named Thomas Butts (oh and there is an Elder out hear name Elder Butt, isn't that just great!). On our drive over, here is how part of our conversation went as we came up with different ways of referring to them like, "How are the Butts doing?" or "Hey Butts get over here" or "Have you seen the Butts lately". Oh heavens we were so mature as we cried laughing and then we had to compose ourselves when we knocked on their door. Tom Butt was actually a really awesome guy, his wife wasn't as friendly and he didn't seem like he'd be coming back to church but I know they'll come around and I'm excited for the Tampa 1st Ward to fellowship them like crazy. 

Oh, cool side fact! Our zone leaders Elder Crowley and Elder Thomas (love these Elders, they are seriously the best of the best!) have been teaching and set a soft baptism date with a person they met who went to the Book of Mormon musical! So is it worth handing out mormon.orgcards at the Book of Mormon musical even for one person, heck yes it is! Praying more results will happen from it :)

I just can't believe I'm already leaving this area, we're having some cool things happening and people we've been meeting. Yesterday we saw a group of girls on campus having a bible study and talked to them and will be...or Sister Burton and her new companion will be joining them in January, sawweeettt! And yeah, we were going to ride the trolley/bus to teach all day on but unfortunately for me that won't happen but I'm really happy for Sister Burton and oh man I will miss her, we have had no drama and she's a doll.

Oh the concert! I know this email is long but how can I forget the Donny and Marie Christmas Concert :D After our MLC meeting (which was on Friday) we were surprised when the APs let us know that the activity was the Donny and Marie concert at the Tampa Times hockey lighting stadium. It was WEIRD, I'm totally an Awkward missionary!!!!! During intermission us missionaries just felt super weird and I don't know 2nd half of the show was hard to enjoy, it was sad. The 1st part of the show was fun and Christmas like and Marie sang a song with a bunch of pictures of Christ which was cool but then it got really old fast as she kept talking about herself through out the show and all of the people she's met and how cool she is and blah blah blah, it was sad to think of how she chose to represent herself. Oh and it was so weird and I felt so bad for the Elders, during the 2nd half of the show, Marie did a number from Chicago, you heard me Chicago, for a Christmas concert?! Yeah, she tied it into Christmas with how she loves New York aka an excuse to show every one how versatile she is in Singing so many different styles of music. Oh ha ha before that she sang a famous opera song in a Camono (how do you spell that?! asian dress thing) and then took it off after all scandalous like with a flapper dress underneath which I will give her props for it being modest and having sleeves but Sister Burton and I just shook our heads in not understanding the point of her trying through out the whole show to act all seductive and weird. It was weird. I will give them that they have super talented voices and Donny was a lot more humble but still consumed with loving himself as well as both of them bragged on and on about their number one hits and I'm not being very nice. I apologize for this whole paragraph, I just don't understand Pride!!! It drives me nuts and I know that I'm not perfect either and we all are working on it but to have a whole Christmas show devoted to yourself instead of the TRUE meaning which is the Savior and to not say anything in acknowledgement to Him leaves you empty and feeling weird and frustrated. I was really hoping that at the end of the show they'd say something about Christ but they didn't!!!! ARGGGGggggggggg! 

Ok, I'm done, I promise, negativity is not from God, I have really discovered that out here on the mission and it's all about choosing the right! I will write more on that next time but I better stop. I love you all so much and hope you know how much I love you and how grateful I am for Christmas being about Christ and that hope and happiness that comes from Him! 

Love you all so very much! 

LOVE,

Sister Tasha C. Bush

p.s. I am happy!