April 25, 2022

 

Subject: Don't bully me pls  Hey how are you guys doing? I apologize that I am not writing every week, but at least I gave you a warning. You know this reminds me of the time that I would read all the missionary emails that got sent to me, and I've got to be honest, its not always pancakes, sometimes it's waffles.  or as my piano teacher used to say " you suck at piano" K so pretty much elder farley and I have been doing a lot of member work and less active work. Sometimes I think missionaries can forget that were not just here to baptize, we're here to help people keep their baptismal covenants and come to church and be involved and become oil rig miners.  Ok maybe not that last part I just think maybe that would be a grand old time I reckon.  Alright so speaking of reckon I'm really already a full fledged southern man all of these things that I am about to say are 100% true and I am not lying:  I genuinely enjoy chicken gizzards and chicken hearts. (With a spackling of hot sauce of course)  And I also talk so southern I pounounce fancy restaurants like this: "McDonald's" And I pronounce car like "truck" And it takes me 8 full minutes to walk out the door after I say goodbye for the first time.  I feel like I'm really blending in here.  Yeah so what's great about the bible belt is that everyone here already knows everything about the bible  And what's bad about the bible belt is that everyone here already knows everything about the bible.  I guess my job isn't to judge its just to help them be happy so I'm glad I do what I can.  Elder farley and I have been doing so much service that we basically have touched every lawnmower in Roanoke Rapids.  We've mowed probably I would say in the ballpark of 5 to 6 BAJILLIOM FRICKING LAWNS HERE. and we've also cleaned out a shop for bert, chopped trees down next to a cemetery and moved all the couches ever to exist. If there's a couch out there I have moved it at least 18 inches.  Anyways I have also broken a buttload of things. My dad used to call me breakyMcbunklefunky and for good reason too. I really fidget with crap and usually end up taking it apart or throwing it really high to juggle it or like see how many times I can spin it or whatever. Yesh my brain at times is like a treadmill, rolling a million miles an hour and going absolutely nowhere.  Anyways yes we have lots to talk about and I will try to keep you all updated but I probably won't. A poem  Elder Bush has a candy  And then he eats it And it was SOO-O Good It's like a reverse haiku 7 then 5 then 7. Yeah I call it  "Elder Bush has a candy and then he eats it"  Owen  Ok here's a few pictures so you can look at them  1. pose 2 pose 3 pose 4 chicken gizzards  5 pose  6 not the most dangerous gas station in my area  7 dog 8 a burnout in South weldon  9 me and Judd  10 sign of Luke St.  11 pose 12 temple with Sean and e. Farley.

April 11, 2022

 

Subject: Week 1 million and 1     Well good news friends and family, I'm staying in Roanoke Rapids for another transfer!    Lately things have been very busy. Frankly speaking there have definitely been what feels like a lot more lows then highs out here in the field. I don't want to scare anyone who's planning on going on a mission, in fact I encourage it, but I'm having a rough spell here.     I also don't want to make anyone think that I'm dying or losing it, this is fairly normal especially for a missionary, but it doesn't make it any less painful.    For one I just feel grossly unqualified for the tasks ahead and I definitely feel like less and less of a good missionary every day. It's of course hard but I won't give up. I have also heard some things from family and friends from home that worry me very much and I miss people. I feel very lonely here. I know I have the support I need but I really don't have any friends haha. It's for sure a challenge to be out here right now. For this reason I'm going to be trying to limit my contact with home and friends.  Friends if you want to email me please do but I will only respond on Mondays. I think the harder I work the better I feel, so I'm going to try to be all in with what I do.    Also guys please don't worry too much about my emotional and mental state. I'm going to be fine I promise. I just wanted to throw a little bit of realism into your week here. I hope to be a better missionary because of it.  Here's a scripture that I opened up to when I looked for comfort when I was stressed:    Mormon 8:22 "For the eternal purposes of the Lord shall roll on, until all his promises shall be fulfilled."  It's really just God saying to me, "The work is going on with or without you Elder Bush, so you might as well help." I very much like this scripture and I encourage you to maybe memorize it or something.     Also I know you guys are busy I don't feel lonely because you don't check on me it's because I'm so far away. I know you all have your own personal lives so I don't mind that yall don't call me every day and ask me what I ate for breakfast.  Well thanks for reading my sob story  Pictures next week, sorry kids  Love,       Owen

April 4, 2022

 

Subject: green kia seoul  It definitely seems like the weeks go by like days and the days go by like weeks. Let me tell you I had some long days friends.  Boys let me tell ya something that's cool (to o mo imasu) We have an automated car wash that scans our license plate when we go through and it's like a monthly payment thing that the mission does, so pretty much you can go through whenever you want and however many times you want. So we go through like once a day.  Here's the cool part, whenever you go through, they give you an airfreshener that you can hang from your rear view. It smells all citrusy and we have like just under a billion hanging up there. In fact, we have so many that the rearview is angled down and all elder farely can see is the cup holders in the mirror.  We also were able to watch/listen to general conference, which was a fantastic time. We also got a couple shoutouts from the celebrities of the church. Because they talked about missionary work.  SUPA.            HOT.  Another wild experience was when we cut the grass of this elderly person and there were mice on the porch. I almost caught one.  Anyways So the deal was,  I would:  A: sit on the porch with the elderly person...  and B: teach them some gopsel.  And elder farley would  A: mow the lawn,  B: be loud as he could while I try to teach the lesson In result because the subject I was spitting bars too was old, they had big trouble hearing what i had to say because of my wild companion cutting grass like a lunatic.  Just kidding it all went well. And because the spirit was able to squeeze in the last second of the lesson, she accepted a baptismal date. So now we have Dana and Della on date for this Saturday.  and then we have vicky on date for the 30th of this month. So milágros happen much timo here in Roanoke Rapids.  Maybe I'll be transfered, maybe not. Who knows. I have been in Roanoke Rapids for a long while. But I really want to stay with Elder farley. He is a man. K so let me know if you have any questions and stuff and I will get back to you  Ttynw, Bush Camera roll Not a lot of pictures, because I don't feel the need to document everything I see.  1 good looking man 2 ....Sister castle   3 conference at bro. Stromans in rocky Mount.  4 exchange with Elder yuen 5 i got a haircut, and great clips done me dirty