SIX MONTHS!!!

Elder Burt celebrated being in the mission field for six months with the traditional tie burning! (That was a nice tie too, couldn't he have picked an ugly one!)

We are so proud of his hard work and are so happy he is having so many wonderful experiences!  

A Magical Week

Hey all!

What a magical last week! Me and my companion both learned so much about trials and tribulations, and about the miracle of what happens afterward when we endure. 

On Wednesday me and my companion had dinner at this wonderful women's house and it tasted great! Unfortunately, it all came back out that night at 2 am. Me and Elder Hewitt stayed in and listened to talks and read scriptures all day cause we both had stomach bugs. We knew that the Devil knew the Prophet was coming, and he wanted to keep us down. That didn't stop us! Friday was awesome and we worked hard. 

President Nelson. Need I say more? His talk was so inspiring and fantastic. However, the day was just as interesting. That morning me and Elder Hewitt visited some members. The talk was at 6, however, between traffic and everything else, we needed to be at the stake center by 2:30. The Everett Zone and 3 others were all gonna ride a school bus down. On the way to the stake center, my glasses snapped. We raced back at questionable speeds to get my spares knowing God was watching over us, and raced to the stake center. We made it just on time. The bus ride there was so much fun! It was like a more consecrated field trip. We sang hymns while bystanders looked, wondering why a bunch of handsome well dressed people were going to a baseball stadium. Upon entering the stadium, we were ushered to the booths at the top. We sat with the Tacoma and Seattle missions. The first person to speak was President Eyring. What a soft spoken and humble man. He talked about how he misbehaved as a child during general conference, and would roll around on the floor while the prophet was speaking. It was so funny! I bet his mom would love to see him now! He talked about how we should gain a testimony of our leaders and not just blindly follow. Then Sister Nelson gave amazing insight as to how the prophet receives revelation. She says randomly she will feel a prompting at early hours in the morning and have to leave the room for 2 hours. Then she will come back and President Nelson will have a full note pad of what the Lord said to him. Amazing! 

Then the Prophet spoke. He spoke about many wonderful things that I and the other 49,000 needed to hear. The most important thing I learned however, is that he speaks on behalf of our Lord Jesus Christ. I had a testimony of his Divine calling, but at that moment I knew it. An angel didn't have to come to me and tell me. He didn't have to cure a blind man in front of me. He didn't have to speak in tongues. All he had to do was bring one of the most powerful spirits into my heart I had felt in a long time. He speaks on behalf of Christ. That is fact. He is not just an inspirational speaker. He is not just a powerful speaker. He is not just a spiritual man. He has direct and unbroken contact with that that is divine. He is a literal Prophet of The Father and The Son. 

I love him. I follow him.

I hope you can all gain a testimony of him. 

I ask all of you to learn these things for yourself. To not buy into the rumors and philosophy's of the world that say Jesus was just a good example. That say the Prophet is just another man. Pray and seek these things for yourself. 

I love all of you. Have a wonderful week! 

-Elder Burt 

The Weekly

Hello all!

What an absolutely amazing and beautiful week! I am so thankful to be here and to be able to witness all the amazing things I have been able to witness.

Let's start with the most important news! Michelle is on day to be baptized on September 29th! Me and Elder Hewitt are so incredibly excited for her. She already talks like she is a member, gets along with everyone and relief society, and really loves every single principle, Doctrine, and stance the church has. She is a wonderful disciple of Jesus Christ, and already lives and Incredibly christ-like life. She is so ready to make this next step in her journey. It is almost like we didn't need to be there! I am so happy I was though. She is one of the reasons I came out!

The rest of our friends are progressing, and the next step for them is to come to Church. Coming to church is so incredibly crucial for their conversion to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. When they come to church they can meet many other people who are on the same journey and path as they are.

I am so, so, so, dang excited for President Nelson to come to the Seattle area! 3 missions get to go. We get the nosebleed seats but I'm not even mad! I am so grateful to be able to hear the prophet of God in person, on my mission! I never thought that would actually happen. I am so grateful for him and for what he does for this church. He is absolutely a prophet of God and is amazing.

Me and Elder Hewitt had an interesting experience last night.  We were driving around and remembered this Pagan guy this lady told us about living in an apartment. We went and knocked on his door and he came out, and was super duper nice, and super duper drunk! He was actually really funny. He offered us a beer and we denied it, but told him to let us know if any missionaries do take a beer from him! He talked about how he grew up in Utah, and his thoughts on the Latter Day Saints. He doesn't agree with most of what we believe, but he was very nice and respectful. I wish more people were as respectful as he was.

I love you all so much! Read your scriptures every single day!

-Elder Burt 

I'm Loving the Mission!

Hello all!

We had a super blessed week this last week! We met with tons of super awesome people and had many experience that humbled us greatly. First the super awesome news! Our Golden investigator came to church with her son! Michelle seemed to like it and her son as well seemed to love it! He is seven and had great fun running around. We also had many less active people come to church that we visited this week. It is so great to seem them come unto Christ.

We had another interesting experience as well. Elder Hewitt felt a prompting to go tract an apartment complex we have driven by many times. We parked behind our favorite Taco Bell and started walking. While we were walking a guy in a really cool Chevy Colorado called us over. He seemed to be in his late 20s. He asks us about "John the prophet" and asked us about him. Of course he was thinking about Joseph Smith. We explained who we were and what we do. He seemed to be in a really unfortunate situation. He had a straw in his hand, and we are pretty sure due to his bloody nose he had just snorted coke. Very sad. He told us how he found out he had an STD and how he thinks life is meaningless. He knowingly spreads it because he doesn't care anymore. He told us how he knowing murdered someone and got away with it. I immediately judged him. He was easily the most wicked man I had ever met. However, once I started talking about who Jesus was and what he did, he seemed comforted. I gave him a Book of Mormon. He said "isn't this made up?" I said "No. What matters is that this book brings you closer to Jesus then any other book on earth. You need this right now. He loves you and we love you". He said thank you and we gave him our number.

We also have another new investigator named Dee. She also is a single mom with an awesome little kid. Catholic background and seemed very accepting of the restored gospel. She just needs to gain a testimony of it. She desires change in her life. We look forward to meeting with her.

I'm loving the mission and am looking forward to President Nelson coming on the 15th! Now I just need to find a cheap dry cleaner!

I love all of you! Keep reading your scriptures!

-Elder Burt