Ok, hi everyone, how are things? I loved your e-mails, sorry I usually forget to respond directly to your questions, but yes Mom, we go running in the mornings, it's a dream with this Spring weather we've been having.

Hooray for Kristina! Kiss her on the cheek for me, as we Italians do, you know. And Ian sounds so good, I am so glad! E, you will love being a missionary and you will be so much more prepared than I was. I guess I can wait a little longer to find out where you'll serve, ha. Also tell Emma that my soul is rejoicing that she's back where she should be doing the things she knows will make her happy. Tell her if she writes me a letter I'll write her.



Most exciting news would be the baptism we had on Saturday. Anna is a dream. She was so excited and so prepared and ready. When she came back and sat next to me after the actual baptism she said, "Sono nuova adesso!" And when she bore her testimony there was this confiedence and strength about her that I've never seen. She's grown so much in this time we've taught her and I'm so excited for her. Whenever I call her she says how happy she is to hear my voice and just says the cutest things.



Things are crazy here right now. We literally don't have time to see all the people we need to. Between new convert and less active lessons and the SIX families we're teaching and other people it's mad. I just wrote President Wolfgramm to ask for bikes because we waste so much time waiting for buses to go here or there. The Lord is seriously blessing our work right now.

We found a Yugoslavian family at a park last week who we went to see last night and we were kind of scared to go see them because they were kind of intense and the mom asked us for money a couple times because they're both out of work with three kids, but we went to see them and met their 10 year-old daughter and 7 year-old son. They were super engaged the whole time and really want to come to church. The parents were a little more distracted, I think mostly just because they're having a hard time right now, but I'm praying they come to church on Sunday and when we go back to teach them Sunday night the start to see how much the gospel can bless them. The mom loves that my name is Bush. When Sorella Jacobson called to see if we could come over yesterday she said "E Bush viene anche?" and Sorella said "Si, non riesco uscire la casa senza di lei." When we sat down she was joking about my name again and how honored she was to have the daughter of President Bush in her home. Ha.



Also, this is sort of premature, but I'm wondering if, when you start to think about the end of my mission and coming to Italy, what Sorella J is doing is going home and getting released and then flying back with her parents and one sibling two weeks later for three weeks in Italy. I know it would cost more, but if we start planning for me to come home first and get released, it really would make everything a lot easier, just ponder that.


Advice for my padawan/little bro. Prayer is so real and so powerful. Preparing for and then leaving on your mission, never feel like you need to do anything alone, the Lord is ready to help you with everything.

We had a lesson with the daughter of my favorite family who's less active this week, and I had a really cool experience where Italian all of a sudden was easy. The Holy Spirit was there and I was saying the things she needed and was ready to hear, about using the atonement to slowly, today, start becoming the people we want to be, and I didn't know all the words right away but as I talked my voice just smoothed out, like a real conversation. Teaching with the Spirit is everything, not just because we can't know exactly what a person needs to hear and he does, but because the Spirit can help us with something as little/huge as speaking in another lanuguage, so that someone can hear and learn the things that will help them.

We're off to hang with some members in the other ward for a bit. Happy P-day to me! We've gotten home late the last two nights and I'm exhausted and ready for a few stress free hours.

Much love to you all and everyone at Canoecopia, I can't think of anything witty for you to say to Kevin Callan so that's your job.

xoxo

Sorella Bush

Sono nuova adesso = "I am new again."

E Bush viene anche? = "Is Bush coming too?"

Si, non riesco... = "Yes, I can't seem to leave the apartment without her."