Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls,
First off, sorry about the repeat email about the change of scenery.
I accidentally hit a wrong button and sent it off again. So, again,
sorry for unnecessarily clogging your email box with that.
This week has been a little nuts. Let me try to sum it up for you in
a few short paragraphs.
First, we waved goodbye to Elder Berrett, my loving, excited, fun,
hard-working companion from this last transfer. He left me to go and
be a zone leader in Powell, just right up the road. I wish him the
best of luck in the world, and I know that the Spirit of the Lord will
follow him in all of his missionary work in the future. I feel like
I've been done an injustice by only having been his companion for a
transfer, but I can forgive. (D&C 64:10) On the bright side, he only
lives twenty four minutes from my home, so we'll be hanging out. Elder
Berrett, wherever you are, God be with you. It was a good time.
Second, we waved hello to Elder Andrews, my new companion. Elder
Andrews is from Logan, Utah, and was transferred here from Eureka,
Montana, seven miles south of the Canada border. Elder Andrews enjoys
Pokémon (he wants you to know that he isn't just a hipster that says
he likes Pokémon, but that he could actually name "98% of the original
151"), listening to and playing music, and his truck. We hit it off
really quickly, and enjoy singing songs about Jesus in the car. I'm
being hit by the realization that him and I don't live in the same
general location like Elder Berrett and I, and so I won't really get
to hang out after the mission. That kind of sucks. But, it's okay!
We'll have a good time doing the Lord's work right here, right now.
Third, General Conference is right around the corner, and I don't
know that I could possibly be more excited. We have plans to watch it
with a few less-active families and two investigators, so that will be
awesome.
Fourth, you know the old, clichéd adage of "you don't know what you
have until you've lost it"? Well, we moved into the apartment, and I
can tell you that the saying is completely true. Funny how you don't
notice little things that you don't have, like shower curtains or salt
shakers. We'll be heading over to the thrift store today to pick up
some of the basic amenities we need. Other things about the apartment
include the layer of drywall that is on all of our dishes, and how we
need to thoroughly clean all of them. And it smells kind of weird.
Don't get me wrong, our apartment is quite nice - very nice, even - it
is just missing some stuff. Like WiFi. There was WiFi here at one
point, but no longer. I'm pretty sure that thinking we would have WiFi
and then not having it is the biggest letdown since Cain tried to
offer fruit to God as a sacrifice. (Genesis 4: 3-5) So, there is a
little update on our living situation. All in all, I am very happy and
feel blessed with this apartment, but I miss the Cheathams. And
Vector. I miss Vector.
Fifth, a spiritual thought for you. In the Book of Mormon, in the
book of Mosiah, there is a group known as the people of Limhi. The
people of Limhi were in bondage to the Lamanites, and wanted out. They
had tried to go to war with them, and had failed multiple times. So,
the sat in their city and debated what to do as the Lamanite guards
stood outside the city walls. Ultimately, we read in Mosiah chapter
22, verse 2 about some of their thinking. It says: "And it came to
pass that they could find no way to deliver themselves out of bondage,
except it were to...depart into the wilderness; for the Lamanites
being so numerous, it was impossible for the people of Limhi to
contend with them, thinking to deliver themselves out of bondage by
the sword." This passage made me think of another scripture, that says
that the devil is the father of contention. (3 Nephi 11: 29) In our
daily wandering, as we come across people that disagree with us, have
different views, or who want to argue with us, remember that
contention is not the way out of it. It is impossible for us to
deliver ourselves out by the sword. Instead, let us seek through
meekness, kindness, love, compassion, and charity to resolve our
conflicts. If we need to walk out of a conversation, or to not start
an argument (Facebook arguments, am I right?), then let us do it. I
pray that we may always be the peacemakers, and not seek to deliver
ourselves through contention and the sword, or though sharp language
and arguing, as the case may be. I leave that with you in the name of
Jesus Christ, amen.
Thank you all for being supportive and reading my emails, and for
sending me letters and emails! I love you all, and I wish you the very
best in all of your endeavors.
Until next time, keep rocking on.
-Elder Burch π
"... And where the sun wraps its arms around me..."
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| Elder Andrews and I rollin' down the street in fairly heavy rain. |
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| Called of God to share His word by any means possible. |
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