Do you want a quick message on Christ because we are all Christians?

November 23, 2014

Dear Friends and Family,

   Before emailing, we just cleaned up our flooded kitchen because our washer decided to leak a lot. That was fun and I can tell you all, honestly, I enjoyed every minute of it this morning even though my companion was not as thrilled haha! Btw Shout out to Bryan, Jacob and Rachel Daines. Good luck on your mission Bryan sorry I can't be at your farewell!! love you.

    By the grace of God and by Faith in His son we now have 3 new progressing investigators! Kilton and Quesheba are a cute black couple who are dating right now and they want to move from their house in Oakdale, but lets hope they don't haha. The last lesson we had for them they had a notebook page full of questions and her son came in and joined us halfway through and was excited for us to come back. We have Jimmy Dimske, who is the brother of Sue Veazay who is a member, and he is working on understanding and going through the lessons. We have Nene, who is the sweetest little Vietnamese Women living here for years and years! The Hastings met her in a nail shop and are the best for it! She definitely wants us to teach her and her boyfriend Kenny and even though there is a language barrier because English isn't her native language it doesn't even matter. We got her Vietnamese BoM and Pamphlets anyway so this next week is going to be real good.

    The area is booming and Elder Barker and I are just on a roll, so much happening and we are just super excited about it all. We love each other even 4 weeks later as much as we did the first week and can I say he is the best friend ever. Teaching is the best and I decided that my original door approach addressing others with a hearty HI! and WE are the LDS aka the Mormon Missionaries and we really want to share a message about Jesus Christ! They tend to answer by saying they are some religion or another and then I just reply with a "well do you want a quick message on Christ because we are all Christians", and they usually can never refuse without being rude after that point. 

    The Christmas pageant is going well and all of my lines are fantastically memorized and Elder Barker is doing fabulous despite his worries. I am way excited to relive the nativity in a whole new (kinda southern) way. I am sure to get you all pictures and videos as soon as I am able. Shepherds and Wise Men all day every day.

    We went to a small and kind of dead town of Mamou the other day and can I say that we probably won't be going back there anytime soon, it's a sad little place and despite our efforts it seemed no one including less active members were interested in the gospel whatsoever. That's okay because we have a huge wonderful area full of Children ready for the sweet good news of the gospel! Today we have a district turkey bowl: Leesville and Elder Barker vs. DeRidder and Elder Rush. I will surely have lots of pictures later and will get them all to you next week. When it comes to growing, spiritually yes, physically no, why did I mention that? I am not sure but for all of you who love me prayers for growth would be a welcome gift. One final event this week, was this Saturday we had a turkey potluck and it was amazing and there was banana bread pudding and that stuff is so very very yummy and I will try and find a recipe for it if I can. The biggest miracle of that was a less active by the name Bro. Kennedy got to come, he's been so sickly lately but he has a huge testimony and always wants to come to church and loves our visits! So that was so the best thing in the whole world.

    Learn to be optimistic no matter what, that is pretty much the best way to live life. When times get rough Jesus Christ is ready to help out whenever you need it. Having Hope in Him lets your day go well. Faith in him drives you to action, the action to love in any and everyday. The Atonement is very very important, so make sure that you remember that it's there always. Grace and truth accompany light and who doesn't love a warm light hug? Love you all much.

-Elder Joshua Dean Rush

Bonus Section, this is what Josh wrote for me to read in my talk in Sacrament this week!

(unedited version :)

My Experience and my Mission: Hello Hyrum 4th ward (here in my branch they say hello or good morning back from the congregation so HEYYYYY). Throughout my teenage years I had always seemed to struggle finding happiness and purpose in my life. I struggled with Self Worth, and Confidence. Contrary to those struggles my personality certainly came off as different and most certainly more positive. Unfortunately that wasn't always truly the case. Eventually with Severe Depression and High Anxiety I broke down and Had attacks of all kind mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. The Adversary sought to sift me as Chaff in a whirlwind of pain. (D&C 10:27) He unfortunately won for a long time. I looked to worldly happiness (Alma 41:10) and I found no real lasting joy in anything, made to many mistakes to count and essentially lost any confidence or worth or respect with myself God and others. It wasn't until 2 months before my mission when trials began truly pushing on me, after months of repentance and counseling and change of heart before Satan tried ever harder to destroy me and who I was. Then I made it. I remembered that Rock (1 Cor 10:4) and it filled me. I found who I was. That I am Happy I am energetic and optimistic, that I have Hope. This mission gave me hope and purpose and true happiness. I can't tell you how much Love I feel for each of you, and for every single person I see. I don't know where or how but as I loved myself and serve Christ and learn to love Him, then my love for others grows. Its so immense it could fill an entire building I am sure. When I saw my first baptism and also saw some of the hardest trials in my life (on my mission) There was no cracking under pressure. It wasn't me, it was largely my Savior, he pulled me up until I could stand and run on my own. I owe him everything I am. I Hope for a better world (Ether 12:4) that everyone can love one another as Jesus Loves us (John 13:24). It isn't just one miraculous event of my mission, but rather the change wrought in my heart and those around me. Now I can be me, and can be happy, I completely realize the Atonement and its reality. It will strengthen you in every single aspect of your lives, let him in. Write His words on your heart.(Proverbs 3:3) let his mercy fill you. You have every single chance to find Joy. Share the gospel, give it to everyone you see. It is the single most important thing in your lives. It has no price(Isaiah) 51:1) The scriptures are gold in the soul who treasures them. No longer does Depression, Anxiety, Idleness, Doubt, Fear, and Hopelessness rule my life. All because of service and this mission. Love for who they can be. Happiness is a choice, and Joy is also a choice, but we must Ask of God, to receive. May you all run but not faint(Isaiah 40:31) I love you all.

Pizza Death, Mudding, Tracting and More.....

November 17, 2014

so this pic is only the beginning of the things that have Rush on them, so be ready HAHA we own Oakdale

Dear Family and Friends, 

    This week a lot of small and unfortunate things happened to me. First on the list was that I was cooking a pizza in our oven and dropped it in between the rack and it set fire and set the smoke alarm off...so I didn't eat it and that was quite the trial losing that dear pizza ha. The next fun thing that happened was definitely fun. I bought a USB a while ago to put music on and collect music from other missionaries, and I always copied my music from my Ipod so I had all my music in an easy place. Lots of the cars have usb ports so its nifty. I was making a CD and wanted to clear and format the CD to do it again, and accidentally formatted my USB. It's all clean and awesome now and the music was not able to be recovered. I only teared up (not really) a little bit. There is one more instance that just makes this opening paragraph so much more worth it. Elder Barker and I were getting gasoline and it slipped when I was putting it away and gas just kinda got everywhere on my feet and the bottom of the car....but! I survived, isn't the grace of Christ just so all powerful and all encompassing to give us joy when we need it.

Pizza Death

    In reality almost everything just blurs together more and more as I have been out longer and longer so I cannot remember what happened when or even things that happened if they weren't super interesting. 

    As we have been searching our old records from former investigators and potential investigators we have had quite a bit of luck and made some return appointments and will hopefully be having some awesome progress in the area here soon. Working hard every day and having fun is getting everything done! Everyday is a huge adventure as Elder Barker and I just enjoy one another's company and nothing is ever boring or fruitless. Having a hopeful/enthusiastic/loving/optimistic attitude literally wins every fight the adversary wages against us, not even just missionaries but all people everywhere. 

Oakdale Sunset

 tree...in the house

    Just the other day on Sunday we have 2 return appointments with some very hopeful soon to be investigators. This one family we met is the Barker family (funny right?) and they were taught by a Sister Rachel Schulz? a long time ago and loved the missionaries and apparently they just got dropped but we are going back and I am quite excited!!! The other guy we met was a family referral and he comes to church pretty often named Jimmy. We accidentally let his dog out of his house but we, in the rain, cornered and eventually shepherded her back to Jimmy and then had a good first lesson with him. 

Brother and Sister Hastings, Elder Barker and Elder Rush

    I feel so happy right now, so very fulfilled. I am a new person but I am still me, just a better me, how I am supposed to be. This companionship is such a blessing and Elder Kade Barker is a super awesome friend. He is one of those I am sure I will keep for a long long time in life. We had an adventure yesterday that just says how awesome he is. We go to the Hastings house and have dinner with correlation every Sunday night and it was pouring buckets of rain. We usually park under their carport and it has no concrete...so We ended up getting stuck in a ton of mud but our rocking skills helped us escape. The car was covered and the adventure was fun, but the lesson later that night was so very excellent. We have a spirit of unity that ya'll just wouldn't even believe.

:D look its me in there

 car...after mudding out of parking cover

    I hope to love and love to hope and honestly that's pretty much how it has been going once I really figured out some of my eternal potential. Our potential is so amazing everyone, so much is in store and I love you all so very much and I hope my prayers for you are somehow helping. I know that hope in Christ is trust in him and love for him is love for others. Read the words of the prophets of the Book of Mormon, of the New Testament and the Old, they have words that offer you peace. They teach you of forgiveness of a change of heart, and when you have such, it rids our souls of any kind of darkness. It really will make you happy, it makes every person out here happy when they read it, even non members. The word of God is the hope of God. When I testify with my companion of the truth of the Book of Mormon and the atonement of the dear Messiah I feel him about me. Its not a fake feeling caused by a "programming" of my brain and morals from youth. It is real, God is real, Jesus Christ is real, The Holy Ghost is real. The adversary Lucifer is also real, and this life doesn't end when we die, eternal creatures like us have purpose greater than what the mind of man can understand. I love Oakdale and I know I was sent here for a purpose and it helps me because this town is owned by a Rush family that are very wealthy and through some family history research turns out distantly we are related. I belong here and know who my Savior is and love sharing it. I hope ya'll have a good week!!!

Love ya,

Elder Joshua Dean Rush 

    I died :D tracting all day cause we can

"The Great Elder Barker"

November 10, 2014

the best seasoning in the world

Dear Family and Friends,

    After a long journey through the valley of the shadow of death (psalm 23), I have come off as a conqueror of trial. My new companion is Elder Marcus Kade Barker, and he is literally the single most amazing companion/person/missionary/friend ever. I kid you not, we have been together for 5 days and miracle after miracle has happened. I trust and love Elder Barker so very much and I can see where this transfer is going to go already, it will be a great one. Oakdale is picking up fast now. 

Here is me and Sister Worthington, a good friend of mine

    The branch now loves us and thinks we are awesome and energizing in our companionship, the Hastings also love us and are so excited we have both been put here, and believe we may change the whole area of Oakdale into "The" place to be. It was hard getting here, and now I can't help a whole lot because I don't know that much about the area, but some miracles have happened left and right as we are going around doing the best we can and working hard to sync with the branch and the senior couple.

    We cleaned and organized the whole apartment and that instantly brought a spirit of peace into the apartment. We then went through the area book to find some former investigators that were from old records of like 5 years or more ago and we went to the closest ones in Oakdale. We ended up knocking on a door and meeting someone who had met with the missionaries before but was not the people we were looking for at all! A nice black couple let us into their home, and we had a first lesson with them, a quick overview of our beliefs and introducing the Book of Mormon. It was so amazing! I just didn't know what to do after it was over.

the district (technically leesville but its totally stile oakdale district)

from left to right: elder and sister hastings, me and sis. abercrombie. elder hepworth and sis thornly (going to usu cause shes awesome), elder toone and sis richardson, elder gillen elder smith and elder ryans(in the army and our district leader), and sis neely from the MTC and the bibles are a senior couple who are on fort polk as military relations, elder smith tranied by ryan, and toone by gillen, richardsen by neely and thornly neely was trained by thornly and abercombie is trained by thornly and neely. YEAH SOO FUN WEEE

    The next day we met another family that the Hastings had fellowshipped up in the little town of Pitkin, and they are very active Baptists, but loved us, and they all do professional rodeo roping, and even the little 3 year old can snag things...it was very impressive, to say the least. What was even more awesome about that is that the Hastings hadn't ever really expressed our beliefs or talked about the Book of Mormon or anything like that just yet, so I and Elder Barker felt so obligated to share a scripture from Alma to them. Sure enough they loved it and said we explained it together with perfect unity and clarity. I was filled with even more joy and love, I thought I might be full when it comes to my dear companion.

    The greatest most significant miracle (besides the companionship and friendship we share so deeply) was that of the day Friday. I actually remember the day this happened so that tells you how lovely it was. Elder Barker, being as amazing and diligent as usual, has lots of places from old records to go check up on, and this one was relatively close to our home, so we decided to stop by towards around 515 or so right before it got dark. We were looking again for one man and ended up knocking on the wrong door (but the same building so it was the same number) We met a man, but no ordinary one, a Christian minister named brother James Walker. A nice black man who doesn't believe in organized religion and is merely a minister in whatever church he believes God needs him in (kinda like Alma the older or John the baptist in my opinion). We talk to him at the door and eventually he is so interested and loves our message about Christ that he invites us for a discussion. He was so open, so powerful, so convicted, a man who knows his Savior. We discussed and had no bashing whatsoever. Every man in that meeting was uplifted, edified, and utterly changed. He has studied so much that the truth he does have comes in congruence with lots of our doctrine which we pointed out. Elder Barker and I bore witness together, I felt as Alma and Amulek, he was unable to speak against our truth and that he had never met elders with as much conviction and testimony as we had. We prayed in thanks for that moment, and again we proved our companionship was very inspired, and I am so very happy to have a partner I can trust so very much who knows my heart and I his and our eyes are single to Jesus Christ.

    Brother James accepted a restoration pamphlet and a Book of Mormon and admitted to us if there was a true church to associate with Jesus Christ that he would have to be compelled to follow and that he truly would read the book and study it and pray about it. He said we could call and come over at any given time to visit him and he said to be ready to answer questions and have another lesson. This man is great hope for our little branch, and I have never come out of a lesson as powerful and with so many tears of pure joy than I did. Elder Barker and I are brothers indeed, and we will return soon to see if God has given James further light. He surely gave me further light and lifted me up. We ended with soft and reverent prayer and more hope for all the children of God.

    God bless you all, and remember the miracle of forgiveness, remember the atonement in your lives, remember to share with all the soul and heart you can muster the gospel that we have. It is the hope of this world and is the strait and narrow gait by which we must pass to gain eternal life. In the name of Jesus Christ amen.

Love you all more than I can explain. I love all men more than I can explain sometimes, but it is a gift from my Father I know it.

 abitas root beer is dang good

-Elder Joshua Dean Rush

This is a sentence from his letter to me "so that this blog should be "The Great Elder Barker" literally miracles since my brother got here (he was trained by elder larkin too and I met him in denham springs zone a little, thus he is my brother)"

It turns out I didn't die, isn't that awesome?

Dear Friends & Family,

    It turns out I didn't die, isn't that awesome? I am still recovering from all that business, but it's literally been like the slowest time around here for missionary work, so resting hasn't hurt anything but our morale haha. I am quite a happy camper though cause I realized that people really matter to me, and I really care about people, sometimes it's overwhelming, but I try my hardest not to do that. I will be missing my dear companion this week as he goes home to good old Arizona on Thursday, but my new companion will be awesome just cause they always are. I in a short 5 weeks have had an amazing time despite all the uhh slammed doors? It's okay sometime we will just go back and they will let us in.

    The other day, matter of fact, we went to this awesome knife shop out in little Glenmora (on our way to visit Tina and Kevin who are a part member family of 2 who are coming back to activity and Kevin is nonmember) so anyway, this knife shop guy named Bill had some awesome knives of which Hepworth will be buying when we go back later today haha, but his daughter who died (which is sad) was an active member before she passed and he raised her two daughters so maybe there is some hope for them and Mr. Bill if we keep on visiting!!

Theater in Glenmora

    We didn't do much but rest and prepare for this day and tomorrow and one of Elder Hepworth's friends from an old area came up to see us and payed for our lunch and, ya know, it was a dang good day. This week with all the resting and tracting and time in between tracting, I was taught how to solve a rubiks cube, so I feel pretty darn cool now, just saying. I have been reading the good Book and the Blue Bible (because the missionaries give out all the free blue Book of Mormons, that's what they are called in the south) and the Book of commandments this week, pretty much all at the same time because ya know why not read and study all the time cause that's fun and stuff for me. Anyway in D&C 50 at the very end of the chapter I felt very loved and cared for, as the Savior is speaking in these verses about how we are little children and we must fear not for he will take care of us, and not one who has been chosen will be lost who the Father has given Jesus Christ. I felt a real tender connection with the Saviour at that particular time. (D&C 50: 40-46 40 Behold, ye are little children and ye cannot bear all things now; ye must grow in grace and in the knowledge of the truth.

 41 Fear not, little children, for you are mine, and I have overcometh world, and you are of them that my Father hath given me; 42 And none of them that my Father hath given me shall be lost. 43 And the Father and I are one. I am in the Father and the Father in me; and inasmuch as ye have received me, ye are in me and I in you.  44 Wherefore, I am in your midst, and I am the good shepherd, and the stone of Israel. He that buildeth upon this rock shall neverfall. 45 And the day cometh that you shall hear my voice and see me, and know that I am. 46 Watch, therefore, that ye may be ready. Even so. Amen.)

Boudin

    So I really happen to enjoy boudin, especially fried, so if ever y'all come down here, or I take you down here or if I somehow learn to cook it, then just know that boudin is pretty delicious. I have learned also that when it comes to the Spirit of God, He literally will tell you just about anything you need to do or say in any given moment. Not even just as missionaries, but literally anyone, if you just listen and maybe even ask in Christ's name he will tell you anything you need to know, and will comfort you anytime you need. I learned this because as Sunday came along, and it being fast Sunday with testimonies, several of our branch members got up and shared their concern for me and love for me, saying when they prayed for me they found blessings and that they knew by God's hand I was healed so quickly. I almost started tearing up, it was so nice to vocally hear the love they have for us missionaries, and it just motivates me to do all I can anytime anywhere for anyone in this (huge) area of Oakdale.

Love yall so

 very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very

Much - Elder Joshua Dean Rush