Elder Burch π: "Didn't know what to say. Merry Christmas, baby."

Family, friends, and well-wishers around the world,

This week has been nuts. Let me break it down for you:

First, we went on emergency exchanges. (I'm a district leader, if I
didn't mention that before.) Two Elders in Sheridan were having some
serious trouble getting along, and president phoned me and told me
that an emergency exchange was in order. So, Elder Ferrara and I
packed up and went to Sheridan. I was to stay in Sheridan with the
"problem missionary," while the other would come down to Buffalo with
Elder Ferrara. I don't need to go into too much detail, but there were
a few lessons learned: One, there is good in every single person, you
just have to look for it. This missionary who was struggling is a
fantastic tracter, and has a good work-ethic for finding people. This
was especially impressive to me because I don't like tracting one bit.
With him, though, it was easy. So, look for the best in others, and
you will find much good. Lesson two: Judge people based on how they
act and what they say, not based on a reputation that people have.
This is, in a way, a continuation of the very same lesson above, but
it is important. People change, and often that change can be rapid. We
just have to be willing to accept that and give people a shot.

I'm happy to report that those Elders have been doing much better,
and I'm excited to see what they do. I really believe in them both,
and I know they will do much good if they strive to do their very
best.

Alright, second thing. People are really, really nice. Like, really
nice. We literally don't have enough cabinet space in our apartment
for the amount of food that members have given us. That, and there are
a few families that invited us over for holiday shenanigans and
dinner, and it was a good time. I love the members here, much like I
loved the members in my last area. People are rad. Even more than the
members, there seem to be an abundance of people willing to help us
out of the snow each and every time we get stuck in it. So, shout out
to them and their pickup trucks.

Third thing: Long story short, we got invited to a Wesleyan Christmas
Eve service from a man we tracted into. The Wesleyan church actively
preaches against us, and so I was super pumped to attend their service
and show by example that the Mormons aren't demons, but rather can be
quite open and accepting of others. The service was actually pretty
good. Really contemporary, but good. There wasn't a lot that I
disagreed with, either. Their translation of the Bible was a little
weird at first, but overall I enjoyed myself. This guy then said,
without us even asking, that he'd come to our service the next day,
and then he actually did with his wife! How rad is that? We're going
to hopefully start teaching him. He gave us his number and everything.

Christmas, oh Christmas. I didn't have to dream of a white Christmas,
because we actually got one. And not like a nice little Christmas with
gently falling snow. Oh, no. This was a blizzard, as far as I am
concerned. The wind was nuts (30-45mph, with gusts up to 60 and a
temperature without wind chill of 6), and there went out a universal
call to stay off of the roads. We did as best we could, but still got
stuck twice in the little driving that we did. It was good to talk
with the family, though! I have the best mother in the world, in case
you were wondering. No big deal, she's just the best that's ever been.
Just sayin'. Elder Ferrara and I sang a rendition of "Still, Still,
Still" in sacrament on Sunday, too. I was a little worried because I
was still stuffed up, but I think it was overall okay.

Spiritual thought: It is important to remember that all blessings
from heaven are predicated on conditions of obedience to the law upon
which they are predicated. (D&C 130:21) This makes a lot of sense when
put into rational terms. If we fall, we'll get hurt. If we eat well,
we'll feel better. In physics, if there is a force on something, that
thing will change its velocity. God's miracles obey natural law, and
this is why "I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say." (D&C 82:10)
The message? Follow the commandments, and you will have greater peace
in your life. Listen to the prophets, and you will be prepared against
the winds of the adversary.

There may have been more going on, but that is all I can think of at
the moment. And this email is pretty long anyway. Keep the faith! I
love you all. Rock and roll ~

-Elder Burch π

"Didn't mean to leave you hanging up. Didn't mean to leave you all alone."