July 9, 2010

Dear Family and Friends-

This week has been going pretty good! I am doing great! I am struggling with the Portuguese and stuff. It’s crazy that Austin is already home!! He doesn't seem much older than I am!! I can already say it goes fast on Wednesday I only have 100 weeks! I have heard you learn concepts in the MTC about language but really don’t learn it till the first couple months.

I have seen Chris and Brett and Tim and we are all going to try to get picture but Tim leaves super soon because he is only here for 3 weeks so we need to do it soon!!

Ha ha…Mom I bet you are really sore from wakeboarding, wakeboarding uses totally different muscles that are weird at first. When I get home we will have to have a big family reunion at the lake with all of us.

Tell Barb I am sorry that her car broke and it cost her so much to fix it! That is awful! She definitely needs to get a new one now!! I think she would like the Nissan Xterra! It is a lot like her jeep but cooler!

I can't really think of anything else that I need. I will figure out the best way to send the belt and the backpack home to you I heard it maybe free for me to send it to the Postmart place then you can pick it up from there for free. Along with the stationary I need envelopes that have my MTC address and apparently instead of leaving on the 18th we are leaving the 17th just so you know.

I know that this will go fast and it already is starting to fly I am like halfway done with the MTC! I am already like a month in and months at home took SOOOO long but here they fly!! How are you and dad holding up? How about sisters? How is Allison doing? She is writing me and sent me a package today but I think she would tell me she is good even if she wasn't really.

We have some Portuguese everyday but we are just learning rules we aren’t doing like vocabulary so it is hard cause we have to do vocabulary by ourselves. We have PE daily we usually have 2 classes with teachers and then one class that is Missionary Directed Time where we do companion and personal study!

I am taking some pictures here and I can print them or load them on the computer and email them home or I can send my little card in a letter I haven't filled one up yet so I haven't needed to send any but I will pretty soon. All is going well and I am really starting to enjoy it here...it’s hard being so close to home I think though cause I sit in class and look at the temple and know Allison’s grandparents live right behind it. Or I sit in my study place and look at the Y and where I shot my deer this last year.

I am glad to hear no one lost fingers during the 4th of July and that everything is going well!

Thank you!! I love you TONS!!!!! Thank you for all your support on this big adventure I am going on!!!

Elder Bushnell

P.S. Tell Todd and Eric if they are still teaching Mission Prep that they should focus on teaching with good QUESTIONS!!! It is so important!!

If you could tell whichever friends you see that my P-day is Friday and that I need the letters they are sending by then so I can write back it would be great.

Family I know I have been here for a couple weeks but I am going to extend the same challenge my district is doing...READ the WHOLE Book of Mormon by the time I leave. I know that I have a head start but I think you guys can all do it!!! It is amazing! I have never enjoyed the book as much as I do here in the MTC!!