Happy Valentine's Day on Friday!

Dear Familia and Friends,

HAPPY UPCOMING VALENTINES DAY!!! I LOVe, love and have definitely manifested it from God this week and last few days and today. I'm so happy that everyone is happy and feeling of that love too :) I have seen so many blessings of God's love, big and small ways one of the ways...

In an email from President Cusick who sent a hilarious email titled, "POPI," which stands for Prayer, Obedience, Pamphlets, and drum roll..................I-PADS!!!!! WE are getting Ipads tomorrow and get this we EACH are getting an I-pad and WOOT to the WOOOTTTTTT!!!!!!! :D Super excited, best Valentines week EVER! 

And Thank you, Thank you thank you MAMA, for your package. On Saturday, I had the pleasant Surprise of seeing a package as we were walking out the front door after lunch. Adorable outfit and happiness of snacks, so good. 

Another way I felt of God's love was on Tuesday when I got to talk with Sister Tilley. What a wonderful life changing discussion we had and hope I had none of you worried, things are great :) It was funny because even before seeing her that morning and the drive down I had gotten myself so stressed out and worked up before it that I ended up having a migraine, Sister Godwin didn't know because I just kept it to myself but it was painful and unnecessary. It was crazy too because while we were talking and going over things I even thought I was going to throw up because of how stressed I was over the whole thing, I didn't do anything bad I was just super worked up. Ha ha, what a relief I didn't and thank heavens to Heavenly Father for helping me to breathe. So some of the things she said that really helped me get over beating myself up for past mistakes were, "Every choice that we make is the choice that we're capable of making at that moment." But the events after help us to progress. Some times in life we get the joy of learning from the choices we were only capable of making but the key thing is the choices we choose to make after we have learned what we needed too. Our faults are opportunities to become like our Heavenly Father, purposely made that way. We are give the challenges that we are give for a reason. 

It really put things in perspective for me and calmed a lot of my unrealistic fears I had been having. The biggest thing I had been struggling with was how I interpreted events. She wrote out a little equation that really helped, A+B=C. What I was struggling with was the + sign. Let me explain, A stands for Event, the plus sign stands for what we think or how we interpret the event in what it means aboutus. And B stands for Behavior and C stands for the Result or consequence from behavior. 

So A (Event) + (Interpretation about ourselves from the event) B (Behavior as a result from our interpretation) = C (Consequences or results). It was great to go over different things in my life with Sister Tilley and finding a healthier way to interpret things from my past and how I saw myself, and to stop blaming myself for things out of my control. To stop taking on so much responsibility for others actions or decisions and to just answer for myself rather then others. Loved it. Another thing that was really nice was she asked what was my biggest stress was and I said the stress of being or trying to be a "perfect" missionary and really wanting to please our Heavenly Parents and making it back to the Celestial Kingdom. I was SO stressed out from this. She was awesome in again helping me see a better perspective and calming me down that I was the type of person to least worry about making back to our Heavenly Parents. It was nice to hear her talk to me about my empathy that I have and how huge that was. Anywho, sorry not to go off about "Me," bah ha ha even though the majority of this email is but I really want this to hopefully be a benefit to anyone else :D Soooo "Back to Me," as the old spice guy would say. 

Sister Tilley shared a really awesome scripture that one of the 3 mission presidents she works with shared with her. This women drives around between 3 different missions counseling missionaries, she awesome right? Crazy busy, 62 and just great! Anywho, We turned to D&C 138:25-26, I was stunned, it says, " I marveled, for I understood that the Savior spent about three years in his ministry among the Jews and those of the house of Israel, endeavoring to teach them the everlasting gospel and call them unto repentance;

And yet, notwithstanding his mighty works, and miracles, and proclamation of the truth, in great power and authority, there were but few who hearkened to his voice, and rejoiced in his presence, and received salvation at his hands. "

We discussed how even when the Savior was here there were but few who listened. I wept as I expressed to her how stunning that was to me because that's my Savior and I love Him so much, how could there only be but few? I love Him and our Heavenly Parents from all that I am, I only am because of them. It was something that moved me to feeling at peace that just because things are so different from the start of my mission doesn't mean I'm a bad missionary or that I'm not working hard enough. Timing is huge and people that are ready will be here read to move forward and those who aren't, well we're just helping them step up on another step of their faith ladder that is preparing and helping them climb to a place where they will be prepared for more. Every effort counts. So she asked an even better question after we discussed and read that verse, what kept the Savior going? I answered with He had a deep relationship with God and had an Eternal perspective, He knew the bigger picture. And that is key in life, we need to Remember God's love and that He knows us and remember the bigger picture!!!! 

I could go on and on, to the point, I'm so much happier. Yes, companions have been frustrating in the past but I can't blame them for if I'm happy or not. I have to be responsible one and one with God and how I interpret myself and events. It's broaden the whole circle of influence thing for me and I'm finally feeling confident, love it! I'm just ready for change and I feel it in me and yeeha it's great! 

Oh and on the way drive down it was great, Sister Godwin had a talk/ fireside thing on cd called, "Seeing Ourselves as God sees Us," by Michael Wilcox, the title might be wrong I can't remember how exactly it was phrased but I highly recommend it, has a lot of really good thoughts!!! It was helpful in not only calming me down for the counseling session but also in preparing me and giving me more insights into a healthier perspective of myself and God. Love! 

Sooooo pretty much Counseling is the best and awesome when they are LDS because then you can talk about spiritual things and scriptures and it= powerful :) I love that Dad is a psychologist! And I just hope that everyone takes time for it more often. Taking time to talk and make sense about your life and life in general is just healthy, "Go talk to a counselor make the world a better place." If ever I go into politics that'll be my slogan ha ha good thing I'm never going into politics. But seriously if we all took time to get out Crum together life would be so much better and we'd stopped blaming each other for why we're not happy :p EVEN better if everyone had the GOSPEL that would solve things too. Speaking of gospel you all need to watch or read this broadcast, it's great...  http://www.lds.org/broadcasts/article/ces-devotionals/2014/01/what-is-the-blueprint-of-christs-church?lang=eng&query=ces+fireside+broadcast+blueprint

Muah ha ha this is such a long email! HA! And I'm not done yet :D I'm so happy, good grief, I really hope you are all happy because I love you all very much. That was another thing I told Sister Tilley, I just told her I could brag about my family for hours and I just said you were all amazing and awesome. And it was really sweet because then she later had mention that I said that and she said you need to say and see that You are Awesome too just like your family. So, family guess what? I AM AWESOME :D but in all sincerity a big part of why I am Awesome is because YOU ARE AWESOME, ha ha ha speaking of awesome I bought this Journal of Awesome that in different pages it describes something awesome, woot you rock target! And yes, yikes I bought it from target but this was weeks after all the scariness that went down at target, so we should be good. lol! Oh I crack myself up. 

So speaking of focusing, I've been focusing more on Christ and trying to pray in my heart more through out my day and God's love is really sweet. Daily love reminders, keep your eyes open for them ok? Like in church yesterday one of the handouts said, "Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd, taught: "What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if He lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until He find it?..." That's a huge part of how I got my answer to serve a mission was it's not just about the one but the 99 and Amen to that. Anywho, this handout was a sweet reminder to me of how grateful I am for serving a mission and how happy God is too.  

Ok, I gotta run but I love you all so much And will write next week about sweet Laurel Murray this women is an inspiration and needs to have a mormon.org video on her, she's so inspiring!!!! 

Here's some random great scriptures, 1 Peter; Helaman 3:27-30,35; Moroni 7:12-19; D&C 121:41; 123:17; 138:25-26 oh and D&C 6. Just great! 

Oh and luckily the music thing hasn't been as hard, I thought it would be really painful and it is better then I expected and oops I didn't mean to make President Cusick sound like such a punk even though a lot of the time he is but there were missionaries who had been sent home and apparently it had started with music and so that's why he just x'd it out for everyone. But for now that is how it is hopefully we'll be able to have that privilege again. 

MUCH MUCH MUCHO Much LOVEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!

Love, 

Sister Bush