"I wonder which song they're gonna play when we go..."

Monday, October 17, 2016

Good day to everyone, 

     This week, a lot happened. I'll see what I can do about breaking it down for you.

     Alright, first, Bertie was baptized on Saturday! What a lovely experience it was. Elder Andrews was telling me how often times, things go poorly the day of or the day before the baptism, the adversary trying to mess with the plans because he doesn't want more people to come to Christ, you know? I actually saw that with the person that we interviewed for baptism a while back, and all the crazy that went on there. Anyway, it seemed like Satan was weak that day. Having someone forget a dry change of underwear? Really? Is that the best you can do, man? Weak. Weak! She was baptized the following day, and received the gift of the Holy Ghost. I'm super excited that we had the privilege of teaching Bertie, and we look forward to continuing to visit her for the new member lessons! We should have pictures of us with her before too long, so I'll send those out when I can. 

     The baptism was a big- huge- part of the week, but a few other things have been on my mind. On Friday, we attended the funeral of the dad of an inactive member that we visit Fridays. I'd never actually met his dad, but he's an awesome guy, and we wanted to be there to support him. Many of his children, siblings, and friends got up to share thoughts and memories, and it was all quite enjoyable to listen to. There was a distinct difference, though between those of faith and those not. Some of the people shared memories and expressed thoughts on his life, and the life to come was often alluded to. One of his daughters even talked about the entirety of the Plan of Salvation in a way that made me take notes. It was simple, direct, and powerful, and she expressed that she was sure that because of Jesus Christ and temples, that we'll be able to see our families in the eternities. And so, while still a mournful event, it seemed that the promise of "Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted" was true. (Matthew 5:6) Others were much more sorrowful, and lots of tears were shed. I guess what I'm saying is that I'm grateful for the plan of our Savior and Redeemer that saves us from death and from hell. He truly is the miracle that makes the dead come alive, and helps us to overcome sin and live more awesome lives. 

     Along those lines, we received a call right before the baptism from another less active member, who was in tears and told us that she had just lost a grandson. We visited her after the baptism, and talked to her about what had happened, and how things were progressing from there. We talked about the kid, only 18, and what he was like. It was solemn, but there was an air of peace. We had the opportunity to share with her verses from the Book of Mormon. In Alma, chapter 40, he discusses the life after death. He says:

     "Now, concerning the state of the soul between death and the resurrection—Behold, it has been made known unto me by an angel, that the spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body, yea, the spirits of all men, whether they be good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave them life. And then shall it come to pass, that the spirits of those who are righteous are received into a state of happiness, which is called paradise, a state of rest, a state of peace, where they shall rest from all their troubles and from all care, and sorrow." (Alma 40:11-12)

He goes on to speak of the resurrection: 

     "The soul shall be restored to the body, and the body to the soul; yea, and every limb and joint shall be restored to its body; yea, even a hair of the head shall not be lost; but all things shall be restored to their proper and perfect frame. ... And then shall the righteous shine forth in the kingdom of God." (Alma 40: 23, 25)

     Needless to say, this has caused me to reflect on my own life and find things that I want to do better so that I will have made the best of this mortal state I've been blessed to have. I'm grateful for the knowledge of our God and His plan for us that gives us strength over sin and the grave. I hope that I, and all of us, can live every day to the fullest and look for ways to improve. Always remember "men are that they might have joy." (2 Nephi 2:25)

     Keep rocking and rolling. 

-Elder Burch π

     "... I hope it's something quiet and minor and peaceful and slow."

Bertie and Us. Better pictures to come.

It's odd looking at the forecast and saying, "Elder Andrews, it is going to be hot.
High of 75 and low of 48."  What has become of me?

Photo bombed by a pumpkin!

Rollin'

"I don't make deals with peasants!"

One of the old folks at the Wyoming Retirement Center
(Eva, I believe) was reading this! Haha!

"We were the magnificent dreamers in secret lamplight hideouts..."

Greetings from Greybull, Wyoming!

     There have been some rumors going around that Elder Berrett is being transferred to another area and that I'm going to be trained by someone else for the foreseeable future. I would like to put those rumors to rest: They are true. Am I super happy about it? No. Is it probably for the best and a representation of God's will if it's what President Wadsworth has deemed what needs to happen? Yes. I'm going to miss that guy. Our spiritual lessons, the effortless way we can laugh together, the guidance he's given me, and the conversations we're able to have about Star Trek. No one else is going to think my awful inside jokes are funny! Ah, well. It's been good.

     On Monday, we went to the Thermopolis Dinosaur Center. As cool as it was, I can't help but think that the museum in Mesa is better. It's way bigger, has more well-done exhibits, and has more interesting informative placards. It was still a good time, though. 

     This week, we had the opportunity to do quite a bit of service for a non-member that we've taught in the past, but we haven't been able to get a lesson with him set up. He needed help doing some work, and we helped him out for a few hours. During the course of that, he said to us, "You know, I'm getting too old for this. I just really need to stop drinking, stop smoking, get off my butt, and go to church." Yes, Dave, yes. That is exactly what you should do. Do that and let us teach you the message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. 

     Bertie's lessons are going well! Her baptism date has been pushed back to October 15th because October 1st is General Conference. Pray for her. All is going well, but, you know. Satan (Stan) likes to throw wrenches into the mix. 

     Chris, a young adult less active that we are working with, got injured in the back. It's been rough on him, and he went back to trucking today (he works weekdays). We went by last night, and Elder Berrett gave him a blessing of healing. It was the most specific blessing I've ever been party to, and if it comes to pass, I think it will be a huge faith-building experience for Chris, as well as for me. So, pray for that. It's going to be cool.

     We cooked dinner for a less-active family this week, and that was an adventure. After the potatoes didn't bake after being in the oven for an hour and a half, we decided to just nuke them in the microwave. That worked a lot better. The potato soup turned out pretty well. Or, I think so. I liked it. Also, cookies. Cookies are good. On another note, I have remained at a constant weight this entire time. I don't know how I feel about that.

     As we were driving into Basin yesterday at about seven o'clock, the sky was blanketed by a fairly thick layer of clouds. However, far in the west, the clouds ended, allowing the sun to shine under this blanket of clouds. The resulting illumination was gorgeous; golden light thrown across the open area and rolling hills, and rain coming down in this light. It was absolutely beautiful. To top it off, to the east was not one, but two complete rainbows, vibrant and stark against the backdrop of the clouds. The Earth is truly a beautiful thing, a creation of majesty and glory. Look for that in your lives.

     Thank you for your messages, prayers, and support. Keep being awesome. I love you all. 

-Elder Burch π

"... We swore the world couldn't break us even when the world took us down."

Thermopolis Dinosaur Center

Maybe I should just be a dentist.

We're such rebels.

Our Zone.....(until Wednesday)

How our zone really is.

Cookies and potato soup.

I promise you that it was better in person.

The Tolman family.

"Leave it alone, and leave a little room for the Holy Ghost."

Heh, printer.

        This email will be a bit shorter, as Elder Berrett and I are being
taken to Thermopolis to the dinosaur museum today, and I therefore do
not have as much time to write as I would normally like. I'll throw in
some good pictures to make up for it.

        Alright, first and foremost: We put an investigator on baptismal
date! October 1st is the projected day, and goodness gracious, I am
excited. Her name is Bertie, and she has been to church a few times.
Her friend in the ward took her to Education Week in Utah, and she
wanted to know more. She's in her eighties, but she doesn't look it.
She's pretty rad, and I'm excited for her.

        Secondly, Frank came to church again! He's the less active that came
to church and surprised us a few weeks ago. He missed last week on
account of being out of town, but he came this week! I like him; he's
a good guy, but sometimes his fears and doubts cloud his mind. It's
okay, though - we can help with that.

        Third, we were without our car for three days, and it was actually a
blessing. Besides having to bike into Basin (Full headwind - it kind
of sucked. On the other hand, it was pretty fun.), we walked a lot.
Through walking, we saw many miracles. We met six new people, were
able to give a random, unplanned act of service to some people moving
some furniture, and we were able to talk with several people about
families and the importance of them. I have a testimony that when God
gives us signs, we should follow them. On Wednesday, we didn't have
the car, and then a bike tire went flat, and then we couldn't find
Elder Berrett's helmet after that. I know that the Lord wants us to be
wise and resourceful, but I had received signs enough, and told Elder
Berrett that we should just walk. Lo and behold, that is when we saw
miracles.

        Moral? Listen to the Spirit. God has His ways, and they are the best
ways. He will guide and direct us.

        Elder Berrett thinks he is a stunt driver, and I think he has a
slight obsession with e-brakes. I don't even think our Corolla has an
e-brake; aren't they just parking brakes?

        This email was wholly inferior and less interesting than my other
ones. Stay tuned next week for something a little bit more exciting!
As always, thank you for reading. Send me emails and letters, and I
will do my darnedest to respond. Keep being awesome!

-Elder Burch π

        "... Now your pretty horses run wild and free. Have mercy."

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.

This little dude turned 14 on Sunday!

Elder Berrett sits on couches weird.

This is in one of the training videos. Check out that polo, though.

With Elder Berrett and Mickey!