Elder Burch π: "Don't wait too long to come home..."

Here we are, at the beginning of another week. It is, indeed, my last full week of missionary service. We'll see where this goes.

This week was good! For the Fourth of July we went to a local event and then spent time with some members in the evening. Nothing too grand of a spectacle, but it was a lot of fun! We have some really excellent members in Havre. I enjoy working with them.

We had two more lessons with Ephraim, and he is progressing smoothly toward his baptismal date of Wednesday, July 18th. (Three days before I go home - that'll be an awesome thing to see!) He is as energetic is any ten year old would be expected to be, but he is really smart, and it is cool to see how he often is listening well even if it doesn't seem like he is listening at all. We are really trying to make lessons snappy and visual for him. Also! His brother on a mission in California is going to video call in for our lesson on Tuesday! We're pumped for that.

We spent quite a bit of time in Rocky Boy this week, mostly off of last-minute spiritual promptings. We made a lot of good, solid contacts, and found a new investigator! When we returned on Saturday for our follow up lesson, he had read three chapters from the Book of Mormon and had some great questions that we were able to help answer! It is often really difficult to get commitment on the reservation - most of the time people will say they will do something a hundred times and never do it - so this was a huge step forward. We are hoping to get him to church on Sunday and teaching him the first discussion next time we visit. We are also looking to do some tracting and street contacting out there, perhaps in normal clothes. It seems like people go inside and give us weird looks when they see us walking down the street. Not sure if it is because of our white shirts or white skin. To be determined. I really love working on the reservation with the native people. There is a lot to be done there, and many lives to bless.

On Friday, we went to Helena for a zone conference where we met the Larsons! I will only be a missionary under them for a total of around three weeks, but it was cool to meet them. They are phenomenal, and will definitely be what the mission is in need of right now. They opened things up to a Q&A, and Elder Vargas went right for the throat by starting it all off with "Do you like Star Wars?" Classic Elder Vargas! (The answer was 'yes.')

I gave my departing testimony at that zone conference, too. Elder Brown gave his right before me, and I gave him a hug as he was coming off the stand and I was going up. That was a mistake, because I started crying and it wrecked the whole nice testimony that I was going to bear. Ah, well. I still was able to testify of what I know to be true about God the Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and the truthfulness of the restored gospel. And, I think that would be a good way to end my email. So, here you go:

I know that we are children of a Heavenly Father who loves us. He loves us enough to send us His Son to serve as our Savior, to ransom us from the bonds of sin and death, and to pull us out of the holes we so often dig for ourselves. He is the Redeemer, the promised Messiah, and the Holy One of Israel. He will comfort us when we are hurting and when we are weak, and He will give us direction when we are lost.

He has established His church once again on Earth in these latter days through a prophet called of God to teach the truths of the gospel. These truths are the only way under heaven whereby we can find lasting happiness, real satisfaction, and true richness in our lives. Living the gospel and relying wholly on the merits, mercy, and grace of Jesus the Christ is the only way to grow to reach our potential and thereby obtain eternal life and exaltation with our families and our Heavenly Father.

I know we are led by God through His prophet today. God speaks to us. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the Lord’s kingdom established upon the earth. I know that if we follow the council of prophets and seek to receive and follow our own personal revelation, we need not fear, for God is on our side and will not let us fail. We were never made to fail. We were made to succeed, and to succeed gloriously. Jesus Christ is the one that makes it possible.

I testify of Him who is Mighty to Save. I testify of our Father, of the Holy Ghost, and of the reality of the Plan of Salvation. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Rock and roll ~

Elder Burch π

Missionary - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

Montana Billings Mission

"... My, how the years and our youth pass on."