March 2015-January 17, 2016...Long story short...sort of

Welcome back!!!

It has been a few months since we last posted on our Blog so we wanted to catch you up on a few of our latest adventures. We have heard it said that sometimes less is best so in the future we will attempt to post all of the latest happenings in a readers digest condensed version, but for now hang on to your seats for a wild ride.

Since we returned home from our Mission in February we have been thoroughly enjoying spending time with our busy family and have been kept plenty busy.

Traveling to places like...

Meridian, Idaho

                                 Disneyland                                               Santa Cruz

 Yosemite

 San Diego

 

             

Yellowstone

 Attending the baptisms of two of our grandchildren, Jill and Charles.

 Toughing it out at Boy Scout Camp.

 

Taking pride in their school accomplishments. 

Cheering them on in their sport endeavors.

Celebrating many of their "firsts"

 And saying good bye and "until we meet again" to my 101 year old Grandmother, 

Mary Plotkin.

 We sold our home in Sacramento, California and purchased a home in Meridian, Idaho.

In November we took all of our kids, their spouses and all fourteen, soon to be fifteen :) of our grandchildren on a four day cruise to Catalina and Ensenada.

We served in the Bishop's Storehouse in Boise, Idaho.

But, even after all the joy we felt at being "home" and of service something was missing...

Moses 7:32 "And unto my brethren have I said, and also given commandment, that should love one another, and that they should choose me, their Father..."

We suddenly realized how much our family had truly been blessed when we served our Heavenly Father as full time missionaries, putting Him first. 

          
"Verily thus saith the Lord unto you, your families are well; they are in mine hands, and I will do with them as seemeth me good: for in me there is all power."

                                                                                    Doctrine and Covenants 100:1

That power and assurance that comes when you are doing everything you can to bless your family was what we had been missing...so after much prayer, we immediately filled out the necessary paperwork to serve another mission, met with our new Bishop and Stake President and waited...

Finally on December 29, 2015 we received our much anticipated Mission call to serve 
in the Idaho Boise Mission Office!

 

On Saturday, January 9, 2016, we set off for Provo, Utah to begin two weeks of training as Office Specialist Missionaries in the Missionary Training Center (MTC).  

Somehow news got out that we would be traveling to Provo so we were given the opportunity to transport a young woman in our ward (congregation) to Tremonton, Utah on her way to a college nearby and to deliver some wedding presents that had unfortunately been left behind in Idaho to the delight of newlyweds, Aubrey and Jared Knighton!

 Our next stop was to JD and Margaret Gordon's home in Orem, Utah where we stayed until our check in time 10:00 a.m., Monday, January 11th,at the MTC.

                                                
                   

During our last Mission we decided to take along a mascot to share in our adventures and add to our Kodak moments.  Unfortunately "Lambie" had decided to stay where it is warm in Manteca, California so we had to come up with another companion. 
Please say "hello" to Tebow our new mascot. His name was actually picked out of a hat after enlisting the help of our grandkids for name suggestions.

Our official arrival at the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah.

Idaho Boise Mission

"Now behold, a marvelous work is about to come forth among the children of men.
Therefore, O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day.  Therefore, if ye have desires to serve God ye are called to the work"...

Doctrine and Covenants 4:1-3

 

Brrr it's cold outside!

When we arrived at the MTC we were assigned housing at the Wyview Apartments, off campus, just like real Brigham Young University (BYU) coeds.

                             
 On the Monday we arrived we heard through the grapevine that a Florida Orlando Returned Missionary Family Home Evening at the Raintree Apartmen-just across the street- had been planned so we decided to crash the party and are we glad we did! 
                        
                                                    It's a small world after all!  
On Wednesday we bumped into Elder Christian Hogge (a young man from our ward in Sacramento) and his new companion, Elder Barnett, in the MTC cafeteria. Both have been called to serve in Argentina and will be staying at the MTC for a few more weeks to learn Spanish.

 Our MTC Senior Missionary District: Sister Zundel, our morning instructor, from Provo, Utah, yours truly, Sister and Elder Nielsen from Sandy, Utah, called to serve at the Oakland California Temple Visitor's Center, Sister and Elder Bodell, from Riverton, Utah, called to serve as Mission Leadership Support in Orem, Utah, Sister and Elder Goodrich from South Jordan, Utah, called to serve as Mission Leadership Support in South Jordan, Utah and Brother Gubler, another one of our amazing instructors, from Santa Clara, Utah.

In the middle, Brother Marshall Nelson, from Provo, Utah, 
our awesome afternoon instructor.

Saturday may be the day you get ready for Sunday, 

but we decided to get a head start Friday night to beat the crowds.

So....

 
After class one evening we decided to get some exercise by walking to the BYU campus and took the opportunity to attend the Norman Rockwell exhibition. Incredible!!!

On Friday night we had the privilege to attend the Provo City Temple Open House.  

Okay, so we couldn't resist! Idaho doesn't have an In and Out-yet!

 We got mail from the Peterson family and immediately placed it on our refrigerator.

Thanks guys we were thrilled!!!

 On Saturday, our Preparation Day, we decided to attend an early temple session with with forever friends, Margaret and JD Gordon, 

at the recently dedicated Payson Temple.

 Then it was lunch at Mamma Chuys. Delicioso!

Next on the agenda was a trip to the Salt Lake City Temple Square and Visitor's Center.

and last but not least a quick stop at the Provo Temple.

Our Sunday was filled with even more incredible moments:

 *Sacrament Meeting with the young International Missionaries

*Relief Society with the Senior Missionary sisters

*Florida Orlando Assistant to the President, Elder Riley Tucker's Homecoming

*Singing Primary songs at a Missionary Devotional with Janice Kapp Perry as the keynote speaker

*Watching a video of Jeffrey R. Holland encouraging us as missionaries to, 

"Go out and astonish!" 

Whew! So there you have it!  

As a side note, during the course of the week we also learned that as busy as we are it is important to:

 KISS

 

 So that's the plan. We will see how well we do in the future.

In closing, please know that we feel blessed, happy and healthy and are looking forward to the next eighteen months as we serve in the Idaho Boise Mission and invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end.

Thanks for stopping by.  See you soon...

 

 Elder and Sister Busath