June 20, 2012

Hi Mom, Dad, Dylan, Mikky, Brianna, Amanda, Sophia, and Stephen!!!

I love it when I get to come and read emails from home! It's wonderful!! We had District Conference this last week which was really good. haha At least the parts that I was able to listen to and enjoy! We had 14 investigators at the Conference and I was watching over them to make sure they were okay. Two of them (an eloped couple) actually tried to sneak out undetected, but I saw them. Alas they were very keen on leaving even after talking to them about the importance of the meeting and yada yada. In essence they left. :( 

 

My companion is giving me the silent treatment.... and your talk mom has helped me a lot. (It's been a great tool and help!!) I have been reviewing myself time and time again to see if I need to change something about myself and then going out and serving Elder Bunga. It's been difficult and trying but I've seen how charity is extremely important in the gospel. On top of that the love and things you do to show you're trying want things to work out will not always be recognized or even respected. Your talk, mom, is where it's help me find strength and hope. I'm doing my best to show that love and charity while also doing my part in being the missionary I'm suppose to be. I am looking for ways that I can help the circumstance and then going out and doing them. Christ's Atonement is spectacular and absolutely nourishing for the saint and sinner. I hope to show more gratitude for his precious gift he has given us. 

 

Thank you for the love and support ya'll give me!! I love your emails!

 

A little tid bit: When people ask where I'm from I tell them, "I grew up in Oklahoma, but right before coming on mission my family shifted (Indian word for moved; I'll bet you I will use it when I come back home) to Utah. It's funny talking the Utah Elders. I know of the areas they talk about, but when they get into everyday life and other things about Utah I'm lost! For me I'm a documented missionary from Utah, but most definitely I am from Oklahoma. I was thinking about it the other day 5 grade to Graduation from High School was in Oklahoma. Half of memories and experiences in my life, Oklahoma. That's why I've done this introduction. It's who I am. I feel like I'm changing a lot with only 2 months into being a missionary. (Almost 3 months!!! That is weird it DOES NOT feel that long.) That feeling of changing is a big part in why I do that introduction. I'm trying to change in a Christ-like manner, but remain the Devin Randall Bastian I have grown into. I want to hold on to who I am but become the man Christ wants me to be.

 

 I SWEAT LIKE A PIG HERE!!!!!!!!!!!! It's so blasted HOT!! Those handkerchiefs we bought right before coming on my mission are a life-saver!

   

Spiritual:

District Conference was really good. Elder Bunga and I went on splits to pick investigators up. Fourteen people came to District Conference. Three of those investigators now have a baptismal date! It’s fun to be a missionary. 

It can also be trying. However, I’m keeping my head up because it is always better to look up. Being a missionary is a lot different than what I expected, but it is teaching me a lot. I’m trying to do my best to learn and become the Preach My Gospel missionary that I can be. There’s a lot to learn, but I know I can take on some/many of those tools and skills to help God’s children learn and understand the gospel. I’m grateful that I’ve got a good companion J He’s teaching me directly and indirectly.

I hope that I can learn quickly and be that missionary that is needed from me. I know the gospel is true. I will grow and continue to learn as I exercise faith, diligence, charity, and the other attributes of Jesus Christ. His teachings help me in many varieties and I am grateful I have him to turn for help and guidance. He will touch the lives of everyone and I get to play a part in that J

Sorry no photos today :( I did put some on the site last week though. I love you guys. Thank you again for helping me and giving me so much support and love. 

Love, 

Elder Devin Bastian

Loves from India

I'm sorry I don't have much time to email you. :/ I have so much I want to express to you and share how much Heavenly Father has blessed me. I love being a missionary. There are so many things I'm learning! :) I hope that you can see that in my emails home. I know Heavenly Father loves us and cares for our needs. I love you and hope to email and answer things you have told me.

Love your son, 

Elder Bastian  

1st Stake in India formed

It's crazy how quickly time flies. The last week has been good. On Sunday, May 27th, I baptized two of Elder Bunga's and my investigators. That's the first time I EVER baptized anyone! It's amazing to see the joy and happiness the Gospel of Jesus Christ brings into people's lives. The 27th also marked a huge milestone in the church. India received it's first stake here in India! Elder Oaks formed the stake. The building which is now the stake center is Elder Bunga's home branch. Pretty exciting!

To me it's amazing how hard it can be to try to convey the love, peace, joy, etc. the gospel has given to me and put it into a lesson where the student can feel the same conviction for themselves. I'm trying my best to learn Chapter 3 in Preach My Gospel better than I do because I do want to teach others better than I am. I want to help them understand for themselves the importance this message has. The only way to get better at that is by studying. I love personal study.  It's my time to learn and hopefully as I study each day for the next 2 years I can understand the gospel much better. :) 

Missionary life is getting easier now and comes much more naturally doing what I do. Several of my worries is that I'm not doing enough, learning quick enough, or helping enough people, but that's the perfectionist in me. Everyday I'll work hard and do my best to serve the best I can that day. It's frustrating not being able to express my thoughts on this better. I feel I'm explaining well enough my joys and worries well enough. Yet going back and reading it lacks the emotions, experiences, and extended thoughts that are connected to the service I'm doing. I am slowly growing to enjoy this and hope that I love this work immensely. 

Thank you Mom, Dad, Dylan, Mikayla, Brianna, Amanda, Sophia, and Stephen for all the time, thoughts, prayers, and much more you are doing for me. It's appreciated and I hope you know I appreciate  and love what you do. 

Spiritual:

It’s amazing how quickly one week can go by. Haha When focusing on the needs of others, time flys by.

There have been many things that have gone through my head when talking about missionary work. It seems like there is much to do here. I talked to Elder Bunga about this and he helped me a lot to know my jobs. The specialized training helped to answer this also. I realize that a lot of this is and is not my calling. I am here to work on missionary work. If I truly want to help the church here then I focus on my calling as a missionary. The thoughts of everything are these:  There’s home teaching needed to be put together and to get done, getting callings for recent converts, make some callings up so everyone has a calling or find a list of callings to give to branch president, getting lesson 5 lessons done with recent converts, attendance roll sheets to go around on Sunday to help track who comes to church, do young men and young women happen each week, does each organization have a president AND counselors, announcements need to be made in elder’s quorum, and having BMCM run better with all leaders in attendance and our needs to be heard. Yea… a lot of these are not my responsibilities, but it’s things I’ve noticed. What do I do? I focus on being a missionary. I have teaching to do, inviting all to come unto Christ, strengthening sacrament attendance, focusing on less actives and recent converts, helping eligible young men go on missions (which will in turn strengthen the church), getting to KNOW and TEACH chapter 3 better. There’s much to do on my end. My focus is on missionary work. I’m sorry if these thoughts are wrong to put in here, but it’s something that has been bugging me and this last week has helped to answer what I should focus on. Your specialized training and Elder Bunga helped me understand where my focus needs to be.

Being on his mission has already taught me a lot and it’s also fun and enjoyable. The Manner of Happiness lesson helps to point that out. No matter what I go through, if I live righteously there’s much to be grateful for and happy about! Scriptures, Temples, Church, Knowing about the Plan of Salvation, having the priesthood, having a loving and caring family, having a modern day prophet, praying, etc. These things have given me great joy and peace in life. I wanted to share this spectacular message to others and that’s why I’m here J

I want to be able to teach Chapter 3 in Preach My Gospel better than I’m doing, but a common theme that I constantly have in my life is understanding the virtue of patience. Understanding won’t come all at once, but as I study the scriptures, pray, keep having experience while serving my Heavenly Father, and keep the commandments and mission rules, I will learn. That’s the way life works!

I had the privilege of baptizing two of our investigators this last Sunday. (First time EVER baptizing) It’s exciting to see how much they have learned and grown. It’s amazing to see how much I’ve learned and grown with them because their first lesson with missionaries was on my first day in Delhi. One month later, they are baptized and I’ve been serving here for one month. 

Love your brother and son

  Elder Devin Bastian

Devin 20th Birthday week

The days pass by so quickly! It literally feels like I was at this email shop yesterday to write you guys.  Today wasn't the normal P-day I've had. It was a lot of running around getting documents to people for tomorrow's YSA conference (there is a Young Single Adult conference tomorrow in Hyderabad to celebrate the formation of the stake center there), then having lunch, and walking around Delhi with the other guys in my district. So I write quickly.

 

The Indian accents are crazy hard to understand many times. Elder Bunga is an exception which is nice. :) I hand the phone over to him time after time because either I can't understand what the person is saying or they don't understand me.

 

I've been reading up on 121. I want to be able to express what I understood the best I can. So I'm going to go home and write it down to type it up next week. Though I do love how the Lord express to Joseph Smith, "My son peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment" in such a tender and loving manner.

 

My birthday was pretty great! Thank you for wishing me happy birthday! I love you guys! We actually had zone conference that day. 8 am- 4pm SOO LONGGG haha I enjoyed it though. Sister Jackson made cake for my birthday and bought some ice cream. Then Elder and Sister Capener bought a cake for me and sent it to the apartment. Elder Bunga bought me a mango shake. THOSE ARE SO DELICIOUS!!!!! It's on the corner of the street right by our apartment. We get everyday. Morning or night sometimes both. haha 

 

I tried to remember this last week the names of the food I ate that I liked. A lot of the food here is good though. A curry called Daal  Mock knee  (That's how it sounds when I say it and then try to write it down) eaten with Roti. Roti is basically a tortilla. Another dish is Al ah go be (Hindi name). It's a potato and calliflower dish that is really good. That's all I can think of.

 

Grandma's birthday card actually arrived today. I haven't read it yet but will you tell her thank you! I'll write her back this week thanking her :) (All letters are delivered to us on P-day so it actually could have arrived earlier but I don't get it until the mission office delivers it to our apartment). 

   

Crossing the street here is nuts! I'm getting the hang of it, but it's like crossing state street in Pleasant Grove right by the Walmart. That busy and about that speed. Sometimes there's the red light to cross other times not so much. 

 

Elder Bunga's mom wants to get baptized when he gets home! He found out Mother's Day :)

 

When getting Dylan ready for his mission, I wouldn't suggest the business bag. With all the weight I carry, I'm going to switch over to a two strap bag. The handkerchiefs however, are GENIUS!!! They are a LIFESAVER! I drip sweat down my face all the time here and it so usually to get them. Extra socks and garments are also a good idea. These are 'just' suggestions ;)

  

Spiritual

Answers. The Lord answers prayers. Doctrine and Covenants 112:10-11

The last week has been challenging. However something that I wrote in a letter home hits the nail on the head for me. Regardless of how tough it can get I know this is where I’m to be in life. At times it may seem like I don’t know why, but I keep going because this is where I’m suppose to be J No doubt. Heavenly Father knows our needs and concerns. (Doc and Cov 121) He will help us through it all if we are doing our part. He gives us peace and comfort. It’s through him I can do all things. He shows us our weaknesses that we may be humble… for if thy have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them. (Ether 12:27) I’m grateful that I have the privilege of being here and get to help others.

It’s interesting to see how much of a mission is forgetting yourself and reaching out towards others. When I first came to serve, I thought a mission would be easy and talking to people about God (someone that I love and adore; I reflect on how my life has been centered on trying to accomplish what he wants me to do) Now I realize, that for others, listening to a 20 young man talk about a God isn’t always something they want to talk about. Haha However, those that are willing to listen and find out for themselves God loves us and wants us to return to live with him, those are the glamorous moments of being a servant and representative for Jesus Christ. The Spirit testifies that these things are true to me and to those I have the privilege of teaching.

At the end of my full time service for my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, I want them to be proud of the work I’ve done. This is a once in a lifetime experience.

 

The last week has revolved around charity for me. There has been love pouring in from everywhere! From others serving in this mission to investigators and members to trying to have charity for myself and best of all my Heavenly Father. I really didn’t do justice expressing my thoughts about charity, but I needed to express that.

I love you guys! Thank you for your prayers and love! 

Elder Devin Bastian

1st Apartment

1st Apartment

1st Apartment

1st Apartment

1st Apartment - Exercise

1st Apartment

post-Mother's Day Skype call

I loved talking to you guys! I was stoked to see all of you! Sorry I was a mess at the end when I said goodbye. haha :) I really don't have much to write since we talked Sunday, but I'll write more about what's going on next P-day. 

    

This last week has been good. It’s really fun to see the investigators yearn to learn more about the gospel. Elder Bunga and I were able to see that in our baptism date investigators. They constantly what to learn, read the Book of Mormon, and are sincere about keeping the commandments we extend to them. We are very hopeful that they will get baptized J

Right now I am taking stepping back and just looking at serving Heavenly Father one day at a time. I view it this way so that a) I don’t get homesick and I forgot myself  b) This helps me to serve him my best everyday not just for two years. Everyday is a new day and if I don’t strive to work my hardest today then what will I think of when the time comes to leave India? Serving my best one day at a time is helping me.

I love my personal studies right now. It helps me to learn so much about the topics that I have to teach to people. Though… lol … I feel like there is never enough time to study! It goes by so quickly!

I’ve got the main part of the First Vision memorized and I’ve been using the power statements a little more too in lessons. I’ve seen how helpful they are when striking up a conversation with a stranger on the streets. These make it so much simpler to share my purpose in being here in India.

 
Prayers, Studying Scriptures, having experiences, and keeping God’s commandments is something else that I guess clicked in how I’ll be able to receive guidance and comfort while here. I’m glad I get to serve my Heavenly Father here on his mission. I get to help others learn of the gospel, while at the same time learning things that make me grow. Crazy how that works! Haha I give my time to the Lord and yet he still blesses me too. I’m definitely grateful to him though.

 

I love you guys! :) 

Elder Devin Bastian

Tour of New Delhi

India Parliament

India Gate

Top floor of expensive hotel view

Red Fort