Facebook Post #2

Never forget, God rewards those with charity for others, especially those who we feel least deserve it.

3 Nephi 12:44 But behold I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them who despitefully use you and persecute you.

I love being here!

Hello!

This week was very fun and productive. Our area has really been struggling with finding people since way before I got here, but me and Elder Conklin found some new investigators! We found Ryan, and Lei. Ryan is a 20 year old who seems really open to the gospel, and Lei is from American Samoa and they love missionaries up there, so she said she would listen to our message. Great stuff!

I also went on 2 exchanges this week, one with one of my zone leaders Elder Hancock, and one with an Elder in my district Elder Etherington. Elder Hancocks exchange was super awesome, they have an awesome apartment with tons of square footage, and we stayed up questionably late telling ghost stories.

(Elder Burt and Elder Etherington)

Elder Etherington is great. We went tracting and everyone that rejected us was Catholic. Hmm. We also found a guy who was super nice to us at first and then said "If you think about it Satan was the first mormon missionary" and then said "Your religion is wrong God does not live on a planet" and then I looked at Elder Etherington and was like "Hey can you bring up that part of the BoM that said God lived on a planet... Oh wait there isn't one". He got mad and went inside. It was fascinating.

I gave my first BoM to Lei, and it was incredible. She committed to read the BoM and we will check in with her on Wednesday.

I love being here! Today we are having a dodge ball tournament, our zone VS another, and we will CRUSH THEM

Love all of you! You are all in my prayers! 

Facebook Post #1

Tithing is a wonderful and tough thing we must do to prove ourselves to God that we put him above all others.

3 Nephi 24

10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in my house; and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of Hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

David and Goliath

A fellow missionary Mom posted this picture for me to see on FB. Her daughter is one of the sister missionaries Cameron traveled to WA with, and then is seen here in what I'm sure was a wonderful interpretation of David and Goliath (she's 5'2 so to his 6'5). I just love, love his big smile!

It is Paradise!

Hello!

This week has been awesome! We have been struggling to find an investigator here, but the plus side is I get to talk to everyone! A lot of people tend to redirect us to other people, and we are pretty sure they just want to annoy those other people cause they think it is funny. But I am happy to do it! One person we are teaching regularly is Kevin. He was baptized recently, however, he used to be Baptist and he just wanted to be baptized again to renew his covenants. He is a super awesome guy, we just need to reteach him stuff.

This week has been full of meetings, they usually go from 9-4, and take a massive chunk out of our day. They are honestly annoying, and I wish I could just be put finding investigators, but hey, we don't always get what we want! Some of the meetings were super fun, but one of them I fell asleep in, and luckily Elder conk was there to wake me up before anyone noticed. 

The first week here it was raining like crazy, but now it is super sunny and a solid 65 degrees all the time. It is paradise! However, I noticed people don't come outside here unless it is raining, which is super interesting and hilarious to me. Also my bike is awesome, but my back tire is flat. We know how to fix it, but we never have time so we just walk everywhere. I don't mind it too much, I burn so many calories walking up steep hills I can eat whatever I want and get away with it! 

One challenge this week happened at dinner. We were eating at a members house, and I bore my testimony on prayer. I said "God will always answer our prayers, although it almost is never in the timetable we want, never the answer we want, it is always what God knows is best for us." it is something I heard at the MTC and it really spoke to me. I said that and the lady said "Ya but my mom died and I prayed she wouldn't die". SUPER awkward moment and then she stared at me for a solid 10 long seconds. I think I changed the subject to the weather. But the food was really good! It was a shrimp salad with Japanese hot sauce and it tasted incredible. Speaking of food, I found this recipe for healthy popcorn and have been stove popping popcorn all the time! And making a heck ton of eggs! I FOUND EGGS FOR A DOLLAR A DOZEN AND HAVE LOVED IT!

My goal this week is to give away as many BoMs as possible. I'm gonna write my testimony in one of them. I'm really looking forward to the rest of this week! 

Love you all! 

Elder Burt

Tour of the "Crib"

We were so happy to get a tour of Elder Burt's duplex! It is nicer than our first apartment, except for the couch - I'm pretty sure that's patio furniture. Ha ha!  

The Son's of Helaman (and Alma the Younger)

Howdy everyone!

My P days got mixed up so instead of going through everything day by day I am going to just go through everything normally (the weekly format will return next week)

To start off I would like to say the MTC was all at once bizarre, weird, wonderful, scary, happy, and most beautiful experience/place ever. I never grew so close to people I only knew for 2 weeks. It was weird. I made so many life long friends friends there. We had so much fun, and some of those stories are gonna have to wait till I get home . My district shipped out a day earlier then me, so I was the only one left for 24 hours. I got to help my awesome teacher Brother Everett teach a lesson to another district in my zone. He is a solid dude. 

Traveling here was way smoother then I thought. I arrived at the travel office last Tuesday right after lunch. We got on a bus and rode down to front runner. I was with 2 sisters the whole time. While we were riding the train, we were visited by someone who just got back from their mission, and was able to give me tips and pointers. He was an awesome guy.

(Play-doh?)

Once we got to the airport, everything went smoothly, except TSA took my toothpaste. I arrived here in beautiful Washington safely however. I spent the night at the assistance to the presidents apartments, and to be honest it was miserable. Mostly cause I was so nervous about the mission and stuff. However President Wilding was awesome and fed us pizza. 

The next day I met my trainer, Elder Conk. He is a solid Missionary. He works hard and sticks to the rules. After we had lunch at a place called Memos (a Mexican restaurant which I'm pretty sure was built out of play-doh and prayers) we went to a bike shop, and got a sweet bike, helmet and lights! So far I have rode that up and down hills, through mud, and wiped out maybe a few times.

Me and Elder Conk live in this awesome duplex. I have not found the post office yet, but I have 2 years to figure that out. My first area for now is the city of Everett, which definitely looks like the ghetto of the mission. Although there are needles and stuff everywhere, and the occasional gunshot, people LOVE the missionaries here.

What I did after Wednesday was basically solid missionary work. We visited our investigators, taught some great lessons, and mostly rode our bikes in the rain. It was a crazy good workout. My legs are super sore all the time. 

My favorite part is that we get fed awesome dinners every night. The ward here is incredible. The food equally so. I get to bear my testimony a lot and teach a lot.

I love teaching, and I love the mission. I do miss you all a ton, but I love serving the Lord. 

More pictures to come

-Elder Burt

Hello Everett!

"Your missionary arrived at the Washington-Everett Mission last night.  All is well. On their way from the airport they stopped at the Seattle Temple and took this picture.  Today, they had some training, meet their new companion and will go to their assigned area this afternoon. 

Thank you for sharing these wonderful young people with us.  Look for an email from them this coming Monday.  We will send additional photos in the near future."

"Logistics"

While Cameron was at the MTC we would get notes here and there. We were nervous at first that he was breaking rules, but he informed us that he was allowed to write home about logistical stuff. Here are some of those back and forth messages:

March 29, 2018 (When he sent his pictures and videos on his first P-Day)
Hey mom!
everything else has to wait till Thursday
With love
-Elder Burt

Don't worry this isn't my complete email, I have a draft on my tablet that I will send you by tonight but while I am at a computer I thought I should send you some pictures I have taken (and videos hehe)

I will send more don't worry :)

I'm so happy to see pictures! But you're right, I better get more info!

Like I said I will send a huge email about all the wonderful experiences I have had by tonight!

Love you lots!

Love you too! It's been like Christmas Eve waiting for your email! But I can be patient, because I'm so good at that, right! ;)

April 3, 2018

My companion was sent DR pepper

Would love it if something like that happened to me hint hint 

Love you lots

-Elder Burt

Hear this in the voice of our favorite policeman on Oahu - "really!!!"

We will see what we can do....

Love you so much!

Mom & Dad

P.S. when I forwarded that email to Dad he said "he is your son". Haha 

P.P.S. I'm working on a way for you to call me from the airport!

They give us things to use pay phones there

Btw I can email you throughout the week about logistical things but

Oh good to know! Did you get your big package yesterday? I'm so excited to talk to you next week! 

Kobie got his call to Detroit, Michigan today! Darren served in Wisconsin so that's really cool. 

Dad will put some caffeine in the mail tomorrow morning! 

Love you lots,

Mom

P.S. Dr. Pepper is logistical to me too as you well know. Tomorrow is double punch Wednesday at Fizz! 

April 9, 2018

Hey mom! 

I will send a more detailed message next week, but I am loving it here, and I love the work.

Can you make sure there is a enough money in my account so that I can eat at the airport 2mrow?

Thanks a bunch

Luv ya 

-Elder Burt

Hey Elder!

You have plenty of money in your account for lunch at the airport. I don't know if you can answer me back, but you're still calling me, right? I bet you are so excited to go to WA! 

Love you,

Mom

Yes I am calling you

We are so excited to talk to you! Good night!

Ryan Burt <carburt@gmail.com>	Mar 30, 2018, 7:47 AM
to Cameron, bcc: me

Elder Burt,

It was awesome to get your email last night. We were pretty worried when 7pm rolled around and we hadn't heard from you yet (besides the pictures) because when I was there, we could only write on p-day and p-day ended after dinner. I thought that some of the rules were a little strict, at first, but I quickly learned that the missionaries that followed the rules was happier and more spirit filled than the ones who wrote their girlfriends every day, or called home, or slept in, or............. The list goes on. 

It sounds like you have already faced and conquered a few challenges as a missionary. Keep praying and studying, and you will be able to learn things that you never thought you could learn, and you will be able to do things you never thought you could do. 

We are sure proud of you! We have already seen blessings in our home because of your service. I hope you have an awesome week and that whenever you get this email do you find it well. I love you and appreciate what you were doing for the Lord and for your family.

Be good. 

Dad

Hey Guys!

Another great week here at the MTC! I am shipping off Tuesday at 12 and I will keep in contact with you about what phone number I should call when I get there and stuff. I love it here and part of me just wants to stay here so I can help others come unto Christ

Friday: 

Classes and such. Fun but nothing of note. Pretty good I think at teaching the first 3 lessons of PMG

Saturday/Sunday

Essentially felt like the same day. I started out despising conference. Now let me explain myself. They made us sit in the nosebleed pull out seats in the gym and my knees were up by my belly button and they made us sit there from 8 to 8 listening to devotional with no interaction and only letting us get up for food. It was the longest 2 days of my life. Don’t get me wrong, the changes were good and I particularly love President Nelson and the direction he wants to take the church. But considering there was no interaction or anything it was painful. We got to listen to a devotional/concert by a group called vocal point which I guess is a big deal or something.

Monday

Got new TRCs (investigators) and they are fun and difficult. We taught a girl named April and she is a baptist, and had tons of question about the restored gospel and about priesthood. I had to deep dive into the Bible and found tons of scriptures talking about garments and priesthood and stumped her. Our other investigator is just looking for a friend, and looking for God, and we had an awesome convo about the atonement.

Tuesday:

We call it half P day because you wear P day clothes and do service the first half of the day. Other then that just classes

Wednesday

The last of the district that was here when I got here left. My district is now the oldest. We welcomed another new district and they seem like a cool bunch of doods.

Thursday 

Went to the temple again today, awesome. Also did tons of laundry and hung out with the boyz (my district) most of the day. We had a great class at the end as well.

Overall and awesome week. Next time I send another email like this I will be in Everett Washington!

Love you all so so much!

-Elder Burt