Even if you're little, you can do a lot! ..."

"...you mustn't let a little thing like 'little' stop you!

If you sit around and let them get on top, you

might as well be saying 

you think that it's okay

and that's not right!"

Hi everyone!

This past week, Sister Freimann and I were doing some work in a district not super close to where we live. We suddenly came upon a big pink office building, and huge flags that said "Manner." We found the Manner Schnitten factory. I repeat, we found the Manner factory. It was the best day ever. The whole area for 2-3 blocks just smells like chocolate. It was like Willy Wonka. Talk about a pick-me-up in the middle of the day.

 

The Manner Chocolate Factory

This last Saturday was the best because I had my first-ever Zone Conference! We have Zone Training every month, but Zone Conference is every 3 months. President Kohler and his family comes down and he teaches us, and it was so much fun because we were combined with the Salzburg zone! All of the missionaries in the entire country of Austria got to come together for a few hours of the Spirit and joy. Our Railjet was at 7:30, so Sister Freimann and I got up at 5:15 to run, eat breakfast, and get everything ready for the day. We were so excited, it was seriously like Christmas. We then made it to the Banhhof (train station), where the two of us sisters rode the 3-ish hours to Salzburg with like, 20 Elders. (Haha.) I`ve decided I really like travelling in big groups of missionaries, because we all stick out a lot...especially the Elders. Its awesome because it often gives us opportunities to talk with people about who we are and why we are here, but it's also just really funny to see 20 18-22 year-old guys walking around together in suits.

 

Anyway, so on the train, our distrikt leader brought two giant tupperware bins of the most delicious homemade scones you`ve ever tasted. I keep being shocked by the Elders' baking skills. Seriously. Every Elder in Wien is better at baking than Sister Freimann and me. The other day some Elders brought the most delectable chocolate chip cookies that have ever existed to the YSA Center, and Elder Pugmire often brings from SCRATCH cinnamon rolls to distrikt meeting. I don't get it. It's so impressive. Anyway, so we all enjoyed our vast spread of scones and spreads on the way to Salzburg. And it was so gorgeous! It was nice to get out of the center of the city. Huge green fields, the actual hills-are-alive mountains, it was the best.

Zone conference is like family reunions. You see all these missionaries that you used to be with, and it's SO fun to catch up with everyone. I saw Elders run across the room to give each other bear hugs. I got to see Elder Mourik & Hunt, and Sister Wilkes and Sister FENTON from my MTC group; they are all in Salzburg zone! It was so nice. I missed them all. Also, funny thing.

 

Sisters Wilkes, Fenton, & Bushman at Salzburg Zone Conference

So there is a whole slew of LDS-EFY-pop music on Sister Freimann's and my ipods, and there's this one song that makes us laugh every time. It's like, "I'm gonna find my cousins!," about doing family history work. Apparently there is a music video, but I can't find it. Schade. Anyway, I heard about an Elder Lyman who is a brand new missonary in Salzburg this transfer in Salzburg zone. I'm descended from generations and generations of Lymans, so Sister Freimann and I were joking for weeks about how I was finally going to find my cousin. So I tracked him down at Zone Conference, and we talked, and we totally are at least 5th cousins (or something. It may be closer, but we weren't entirely sure.) So anyway, I found my cousin! Yay!

 

Sister Bushman with new-found cousin

As fun as all of that was though, it was so cool to just hear from President Kohler. I really really like the Kohlers. I'm glad he's my mission president. I learned a ton from what he had to say. We talked a lot about member-missionary work. I shared the gospel with my friends when they asked before my mission, but I've since realized that there is so much more I cold have done! We talk to people on the streets and on the bahns, but the work is soooo much more effective through the members. The missionaries don't always know who exactly on the street is ready to be blessed by the gospel...but I know who my friends are! So we have a new push to try and strengthen and work through members. It was way cool. It makes me just want to start sharing it more specifically with people I love at home, but I don't have everyone`s address! Gah! :)

Last P-day, Sister Freimann and I decided to make the trek up to Kahlenberg and Leopoldsberg. Basically you take this bus up a super windy, steep path to these two different look-outs, where you can see all of Wien. It was super cold, but totally beautiful! I remember making the comment to Sister Freimann something along the lines of "If a half-hour bus ride up a hill makes Wien look like this, can you imagine what God looking at the earth sees?" Holy cow, we are so tiny in the scope of the universe.

 

Sister Freimann and Sister Bushman at the Kahlenberg look-out

 

 

Beautiful Wien at the Leopoldsberg look-out

 

Sister Bushman overlooking Wien

 

In the weeks leading up to when I left this summer, I started to become obsessed with Matilda, the Musical. I really loved when Matilda sang these words-I don't remember the title of the song, but I began my letter with my favorite lyrics from it. It's so easy to feel little in this world. We're just tiny ant-people crawling along on this earth. There's no way one missionary can make any difference in a major city. But that's not right! We never have any idea what impact we're making. I felt the spirit so strongly looking out over Wien. We may feel little, but we can do anything with God on our side. And I felt so joyous sitting in a chapel with every single missionary in the country of Austria, reciting D&C 4. There was such power in that room. We may be only 100 missionaries in a country of 8.5 million people, but we can do a lot!

And so can you! Have a wonderful week!

Liebe Grüße, 

Sister Bushman