“A place they say glistens gold...”

Brigham Young must’ve been mistaken when he declared the Salt Lake Valley as the new Zion for the saints, because arriving here in Powell, Wyoming, I have never been more sure that “This is the right place.” 

Similarly, I’ve been blessed to not only be in a beautiful land humming with the potential of the gospel, but to be here with Elder Bly, who I am confident will swiftly become one of my best friends.

If that wasn’t enough, I also get the chance here to serve in the first Young Single Adult ward of my mission, along with two other blessed family wards, Powell 2nd and Powell 4th. True, it makes for a long Sunday worth of church services, along with way too many names for me to learn, but it will all be worth it. I love Powell, I love my companion, and I love the Work in which we are engaged. The Lord has suffered me to come at this time to a land of promise, and I can only hope that I will do Him proud while I am here.

To put a topper on it, this might be my last area of my mission. That isn’t doctrine, but it could very well be a reality. Time will tell...

Until that time, though, let’s talk about some things from this week!

Transfers were successful. I was blessed to see many people at the transfer site in Helena, including Elder Ash, who I haven’t seen in almost six months! I didn’t snap a picture, unfortunately, but I did get a picture of the magnificent quad of Elder Brown, Elder Lester, Elder Campbell, and myself, so look for that at the end. The ride was uneventful, primarily consisting of myself and Elder Carter reminiscing about the MTC, until we got a call that the mission Silverado lugging the trailer full of our luggage had ran out of gas merely three miles out of Columbus, Montana. So, we rushed back and rescued them from their predicament.

We arrived in Powell on Wednesday night, and have done good work in the days since arriving here. Elder Bly is a man of many duck noises, from the land of Henderson, Nevada, and he likes hunting. He’s super easy to get along with, we have already developed several inside jokes, and he is a hard working missionary. I really like him.

Some of the week’s highlights include:

- Attending institute and trying to memorize the names of the YSA
- Having dinner with some wonderful member families
- Receiving a myriad of referrals, include three for people who are likely to become solid new investigators.
- Weekly planning in which we set dates for exchanges with the district leaders, which includes me getting to go to my first area, Greybull / Basin, for a day! (I am psyched for that.)
- Having a convert baptism of one of the best people I’ve met on the mission

... What was that, Elder Burch? Did you say a baptism?

Why, yes, careful readers, I did.

Kaili has a crazy story that I won’t go too far into, but the short of it is that while living in Thermopolis, she connected with a woman named Kelly who had similar trials to her, and yet seemed joyful in all her doings. Kaili told Kelly that she wanted to be just like her, and Kelly responded, “Then you should look into the Book of Mormon.” Flash forward to Kaili attending the Northwest College here in Powell, Wyoming, and she does, indeed look into the Book of Mormon. She attended institute, and was quickly befriended by the wonderful members of the magnificent Powell YSA. That was back in January. Back to today, Kaili is now a baptized and confirmed member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and she has already insistently inquired as to when she can receive a calling to serve in the church. She was baptized by her friend Logan, who has also decided to seal the whole thing by getting down on one knee and asking Kaili if she’d like to be with him for time and all eternity.

Family and friends, the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ was described as a “marvelous work and a wonder,” and how true does that statement ring in my first five days serving our Father in Heaven in the blessed land of Powell, Wyoming.

It will only get better from here.

Rock and roll ~

-Elder Stephen Burch π

“... I want to go there and never come back home.”

The Quad Of Power

Saying goodbye to Anna

Kaili and Logan

I wasn’t ready for the picture,
but that is what Elder Bly looks like!

Wyoming has a unique beauty to it.
This is a picture out the window
on the road from Powell to Cody.

“Lighting firecrackers off on the front lawn...”

That is the last time I will reference that song as an email subject line. I just... There isn’t anything that I could reference that rivals it! It is “The New Year,” after all.

This week was gnarly. Temperature and lack of miles limited what we could do for a few days. My impatience limits what I will write today. But, I will still strive to provide you with adequate content. You know, I aim to please. 

One of our investigators is a fantastic missionary. We went to her place for a lesson, and arrived to find not just her, but her friend. Her friend named Hope, sixteen years old, was really kind, and Anna kept telling her how cool we are (kinda awkward when you’re right there), and how we have helped her to turn her life around. Hope talked with us a little bit, and we learned that she has no real Christian background, to the point of not even really knowing who Jesus Christ is. So, we told her a little bit, gave her a Book of Mormon, asked her to read Alma 7, and set a return appointment for the next day. 

We returned to find that she hadn’t only read Alma 7, but had also watched The Restoration with Anna. And so, with the help of our phenomenal gospel principles teacher as a member present, we taught the Restoration with a focus on Christ and his life and importance. Hope told us that she is definitely interested in learning more, and that she is excited to make changes in her life to change for the better. 

I’m so excited! Hope seems excited to learn more, and we are excited to teach her. Hooray! 

Other stuff on this week: There were dog sleds. 

Also really really cold. 

I love you all! Rock and roll ~

-Elder Stephen Burch π