Mountain Dew & Donuts

Hello all!

This week has been amazing and I'm sure I start just about every email that way. That's cuz it's true every single time! I am loving the mission. I probably don't even need to say that. I bet you can probably guess what the rest of my email is going to look like based off of the consistency of great things happening. I am also trying riding my email with my voice, so if any words are misspelled, or come out the wrong way, it's because of my phone not because of me!

Our best friend, Albert, is doing absolutely amazing! As I stated last week he is currently on the Glorious road to baptism. He is set to be baptized this Saturday. I am lucky enough to be one of the witnesses. I am so grateful to come to this area and to teach such an elect and wonderful man. He is kind of like our Grandpa. Every time we go over he has Mountain Dew and donuts for us. But that is not why we go over! That is just a bonus.

In this Mission we have a challenge to teach 20 lessons in a week. I have not yet achieved this goal until now! We were barely by the skin of our teeth able to teach 20 genuine good lessons too many different people. We also found a new friend! His name is John. We went to a neighborhood that is infamous in our area for bashing with people. He pointed out that in the Book of Revelations, it says that you should not add to this book. We kindly pointed out that is specifically talking about the Book of Revelations. We had a very good cordial conversation and he invited us back.

Every Friday, and I'm sorry if I haven't mentioned this before, we do service at the food bank. It is an amazing opportunity to help people who are in need of help, and practice the Christian lifestyle that we ask so many other people to live. I am so grateful for that wonderful opportunity.

There's something that has been on my mind a lot this week. I am slowly realizing that the Book of Mormon is not emphasized as much as it should be. It is an amazing book obviously, and it is another Testament of Jesus Christ. Please continue to read it and if you haven't, start.

Please pray that all of our friends will be able to make it to their baptism and that the friends that we are currently teaching will also be able to make it.

Side note, this morning we taught a lesson to our friend even though it's p-day. He is a theology major and he is very well learn it in the ways of the Bible. He is only in his early twenties. We had an amazing conversation about the Bible. We look forward to having more conversations with them.

I love you all so much! Have a great week! 

Elder Burt

Seven Months!

HELLO WORLD AND ALL WHO INHABIT IT!

I have been filled by the Holy Spirit all week! Me and Elder Harris have preached with much boldness in the Gentile land of Woods Creek. We have given many books of scripture away to those that are receptive to our message. We will be checking back with them this week! We testified boldly of the truthfulness of the lord Jesus Christ and His restored gospel on this earth today. We have taught a brand new man by the name of Brian. He loves what we have talked with him about so far. We got him reading the Book of Mormon and we will be talking with him about the plan of salvation next Saturday. He has been going through rough times lately, and I know the Lord will help him.

Thank the Lord God almighty! I had my first Baptism! Michelle is already one of the most solid members of the Church. We drove down to Everett to witness it. I was the first witness. An amazing experience, even if the picture does look dorky. Her son got up and bore a wonderful testimony. Keep in mind he is 7. "Hello, I felt like I should give a speech. You can call me James the Brother, or James Jesus Beliver. My uncle died from drinking to much firewater, and I know because of Jesus I will see him again. In the name of Jesus Christ Amen". WOW! He is filled with the Holy Ghost! God bless him! 

Our best friend Albert is doing amazing as well. He will be leaving the apostate fallen Catholic church and joining the true restored church on November 3rd! He loves it. He still reads the Book of Mormon and prays. He is very rich, but he is humble personally. Pray that he will make it to the holy waters of baptism.

The wonderful members the Hernadines took us to a Mongolian grill called Hot Iron. You basically load up a plate with whatever you want, they through it on a giant iron, cook it, and eat it! I got fatty bacon, beef, and noodles! Amazing.

This week I want all of you to work on your prayers. Please think about this. If you woke up tomorrow and the only things you had where they things you were grateful for, what would you have? Pray also for the Brethren families. We pray oft for the Elders, but they rarely see their families. Pray for their safety and protection.

I love you all! GO TO THE TEMPLE!

-E Burt

As Seen on Facebook

I love seeing Elder Burt's posts on Facebook during the week! It is just another glimpse into his life and thoughts as a missionary!

Loving the Mission & My Ward!

Hello all!

Loving the mission and my ward! The ward absolutely loved General Conference. They were all very receptive to the messages. I would highly, highly encourage all of you to go re listen to the talks now that they are available on LDS media and Gospel library.

A lot of funny things happened this week. Saturday was a service day, we chopped a lot of wood at a Catholic lady's house and she was very happy about it. Later we went to a less active lady's house to do some yard work and move concrete. We found a worm under a lawnmower. Well everyone surrounded me and made me eat it! Peer pressure is real. There is a video that I will get out asap.

We also did service at the food bank. What was fun is that I got 3 cartons of eggnog! I am a nogaholic now. I need to go to nogaholics anonymous. I have been clean for 3 minutes. 

The work is rolling on in Woods Creek. Unfortunately we did not find any new investigators this week, which is always a shame. However Albert has been great, and is not going to be Catholic for much longer! Thank goodness. He is probably getting baptized on the 3rd or 10th. He is basically a freeze dried member. Just add water! He still feeds us donuts and stuff when we come over, he is so kind. He is going to be one of the best members of the Church when he is baptized.

We had a Zone Conference this week as well. Very educational and talked a lot about the Spirit. I think there is a misconception within the Church that what we deem as "Primary answers" are not intelligent, and you should not say them as an answer to a question. I highly, highly disagree with this. Prayer and scripture study has brought me great joy. I have been praying a lot lately for things, and I am sure I will get my answer soon.

I love and appreciate your prayers for me. The Lord hears every one of them. Please, continue to put the names of those you love on the temple prayer roll. Everyone needs those blessings that come from the temple.

I love all y'all!

Elder Burt

WOW! What an Amazing Conference!

Hello Everyone!

I absolutely adore our Prophet! It seems that the Lord is rebuking His church, just like He did in the days of Moses. Thank goodness! We are all flawed and imperfect, and we need to be told that!

The Lord knows how to lead His Church people! President Nelson didn't decide this, this is from the big man himself! We should all find ourselves to know that as truth, and then follow Him! The Lord is perfect and knows what He is doing with His kingdom. I encourage all of you to re-listen and watch these talks these next 6 months. They will strengthen you. They are literal scripture. Please take them very seriously and with reverence.

Our area is doing super awesome! Our best friend Albert watched all 4 sessions! He already talks like a member. He says we are De-Catholicity him and after 60 something years of being Catholic he is ready to leave. He loves President Nelson! He went to Safe Co a few weeks ago and saw him. He loved it. Please pray for him to be able to make it to his baptismal date on November 3rd. He is also super excited about the Temples that are being built and plans on going to Conference next time down in Temple Square. He is retired and has tons of money to spend!

Me and Elder Harris are doing good. We get along pretty well. Training him has been really fun! We have pretty similar interests and likes and stuff. However me and him both have a long way to go. Please pray for us to continue to work hard in this area and grow as a companionship.

Funny story this week! So we have a bunk bed that we sleep on, and I keep waking up in the middle of the night and falling off it! One time I fell off right onto my dresser! I am defiantly gonna be more careful from now on about how I sleep! 

Unfortunately this week we had something really sad happen. We have a former investigator named Marvin. He used to be in prison for a while for drug smuggling and stuff. We stopped teaching him because he left a bunch of voice mails swearing at us and saying the Book of Mormon is a cheap knock off of the Bible. Last night he left voicemails saying he is going to commit suicide. He has threatened that before, and we let President know. He is homeless and we don't know where he lives now. Pray for him please.

God lives and knows our struggles. All of our struggles. He can relate to them. Please don't ever forget that no matter what situation you are in.

I love you all! Have a wonderful week!

Elder Burt

New Area!

Hello all!

What a week! First of all, I want to talk about View Ridge. Easily the best area in the best mission! So many wonderful, wonderful people in that area. I went around and said goodbye to all the members and investigators. It was sad, and me and Elder Hewitt did great work together.

Wednesday morning we drove down to the mission office to find out who my new comp is. It is Elder Harris! He has only been out 6 weeks and I am finishing his training. We are serving in the Woods Creek area and man oh man! There is nothing out here but sticks, trees, deer, cattle, and the occasional house! But wow do I love it. It's like I'm back in Idaho. What's funny is that I am in the same zone, our zone is just huge.

We live in a members house, in the basement. We have our own door and it is basically disconnected from the rest of the house. The members are Brother and Sister Grant. They are a Senior couple. Brother Grant is hilarious. He owns 20+ weapons, including a 50 caliber anti material rifle. The water heater is wood powered, so a few times a week we help him move chopped wood to the furnace. He made it himself. He has a generator that is EMP proof, and all the water comes from a fresh water source deep underground, and is completely pure. He's also a total stud. 

Me and Elder Harris have been doing tons of good work! We have a Rav4 that we use to run back and forth through our heavily wooded area. We had to drive up this huge hill once to visit someone, and we are sure grateful for all wheel drive! We drive an average of like 50 miles a day, which is the far cry from View Ridge which had half that.

Church here is pretty awesome too. The chapel is far bigger then the humble member built one in View Ridge. I love the feeling I get whenever I visit a meeting house that I have never been to before. Its like an outpost of Godliness in... well... Seattle!

We had a pretty funny experience at a members house the other day. We had dinner at the Adamson's. They are a younger couple with 4 kids. After dinner, Brother Adamson asked us if we could help him move his gun safe. it holds 30 guns and weighs 700 pounds! Sister Adamson kept saying "for just 200 dollars we could have had them move it professionally, but you are too dang stubborn and had to do it yourself!" It is something that was super familiar to me! I heard stuff like that growing up! Anyway we got it all moved and right where we wanted with the application of a dolly, ramps, and prayer!

We found a new investigator here as well. Her name is Dodie, and she was in the area book. She was meeting with the missionaries about a year ago. When we met with her, she told us she had read the whole Book of Mormon, went to the President Nelson devotional, has a testimony of Joseph Smith, and everything that comes with it. She wants to move at her own pace and doesn't want to jump in the water just yet, but I will keep y'all updated on what happens!

I love you all! Visit the temple and keep reading your scriptures!

Elder Burt