“With the morning comes the rest of my life...”

Jedi and Sith,

I’ve been thinking about time periods, and how certain periods of time seem shorter than others, even if they’re the same length. I don’t really know how to describe it. Like, when I think back on history, the time period between 1947 and 1977 seems a lot longer than the time period between 1776 and 1806, even though they are both periods of thirty years. *shrug* Ah, well

This week was pretty awesome. Good news: We found a new investigator! Bad news: They are currently residing in the Cascade County Regional Prison. But, hey! Everyone needs, the gospel, right?

There have been some really cool experiences with following the Spirit this week. Like, there was this time we had twenty minutes before dinner. What do we do? Twenty minutes is pretty easy to just shrug off, but I had the impression that we needed to try a person, this “new investigator” that was in our area book, but I’d only met once of the numerous times we had tried to contact him. I even said in my heart, “Okay, Spirit, if they don’t answer, or if they DO answer and don’t set a specific return appointment, I am going to drop them.” We parked across the street, said a quick prayer, and knocked on the door. Lo and behold, he was there. And he was cordial. And we set a return appointment for Friday at 3pm (which went great, by the way). As we walked back to our car, I felt like the Spirit was giving me that kind of raised eyebrows I-told-you-so look. And, then we felt to try one other person before heading to dinner, this referral from a member in the other stake. We tried him, and got another specific return appointment. The Spirit is really working with us, and it is cool to see those moments where you realize truly how little you control, and how often God has His finger on your head pointing you to where you need to go.

Sunday morning, we are doing our studies before church, when we hear this rustling over by our washer and dryer. It sounds like a small animal is scratching around back there or something, but we don’t see anything. We’d heard something like this a few days before, but it had stopped relatively quickly, plus we live in a complex, so we figured it must just be the neighbors. This time, it happened again, and the exhaust hose of the drier even moved a little bit. Weird. I tried to pass it off as temperature and pressure changes in the exhaust vent, but continued scratching noises caused that theory to be destroyed. So, we scooted the drier out, and disconnected the vent at the bottom, and kept studying, seeing if anything would happen. It did, but nothing came out, so we finally took the hose out of the hole in the wall, and found a little bird inside of it. We put a torn piece of bread in there for the little guy. Eventually, he flew out, and we had to trap him in a box, but we were eventually able to release him into the outside again, and make it to church on time. Score!

I have been studying agency in the Book of Mormon and I have never had more powerful or insightful study sessions. I highly recommend reading through the entire Book of Mormon with one topic in mind. It’s crazy cool what you might find. Agency is a cool place to start. Helaman 6 is a wild chapter.

Thank you all for reading! I hope you do well. 

Rock and roll ~

Elder Stephen Burch π

“With this empty glass, I will break the past. ... I want this to be my awakening.”

"This [manufactured home] ain't big
enough for the two of us!"

The bird in question

Elder Brown, myself, Elder Lester,
Elder Madsen and Elder Campbell

Ice crystals are cool

Missionary Leadership Conference
Helena, MT

Zone Conference

“It’s too cold outside...”

You only get pictures today. 

Almost.

Know it is really cold. And transfers went smoothly despite snow storms. I saw so many people I love at transfers! So good. And exchanges with the assistants on Thursday. And Elder Tate Shumway is a great district 

Leader. 

- Elder Burch π

Elder Wheeler, me, and Elder Murphy 

Elder Lester, myself, Elder Campbell, and Elder Brown

Sister Miner, me, and Sister MacQueen

Myself, Sister Taylor, and Sister Medley

Myself and Elder Ray

Sister Rash, myself, and Sister Hymas

... What grass?

The refinery blocks out the sun. Makes it look like the apocalypse.

"Suddenly I see..."

I have been keeping a consistent journal since Monday. I was pleased, because I was going to be able to use the journal to make my email here way better, because I would have a detailed log of what even happened this week. Well, poop. I am at the church and the journal is at the apartment. Lame. Que triste. Ah, well.

On the topic of that journal, I am writing the happenings of the day, but I've also taken it upon myself to write down five things for which I am thankful in the form of "I am thankful for ___, because ___." I've seen a little improvement in how I see the world and my overall thankfulness for things. It is a solid practice, and I highly recommend it to anyone. After those five things, I took a page from the Book of O'Konukia (a.k.a. the warped and beautiful mind of Elder M. K. Campbell) and place a quotation of the day, which I will attempt to place at the end of these emails. Because, fun. And, worth it for the story.

 This week had ups and downs and all the normal stuff, but goodness gracious it was accented by an awesome occurence. Let's flash back for a second...

Last week on The Many Adventures of Elder Burch: "A member in Two Rivers had invited her friends to church, and this is the fourth time that they had come, and we were able to  talk with them a lot more. FOUR TIMES! Non-members! From a friend's invite! How rad? (Also, member missionary work at its best. Take notes, you all.) They are a newly married couple, and have mixed religious upbringing. Anyway, we have a lesson and dinner scheduled with them and the members this Friday night! How cool! We are blessed to be in the service." 

So, that lesson happened this week, and it ranks among the best Fridays I've ever had on my mission. 

Good thing Number 1: The member family, the Crist family, is a fantastic family. Sister Crist is one of the greatest humans, and she is a phenomenal gospel principles teacher. So, it was a joy to eat with them and have a lesson. 

Good thing number 2: "We're going to have salmon for dinner; is that okay with you?" "...Yes. Yes. Yes it is." Salmon is my actual favorite meal of all time, and the Crist family makes some excellent, excellent fish. (Reminds me of the fantastic salmon of my youth. Thanks, Grandpa and Grandma Burch.) So, that was rad. 

Good thing Number 3: The two friends are super cool. Newlywed couple, Kenny and Jenny, who are super funny and enjoyable to be around. Outgoing personalities and all. They're super cool. 

Good thing Number 4: Elder Brown's magic show was very well received. Always a good time. 

Good thing Number 5: The lesson was superb. It was so, so good. We taught the Restoration, and they seemed to understand it well and it made sense. Afterwards, there was a question session which was awesome, and we had to duck out at 9:15 to avoid the public pumpkin transformation that occurs to missionaries out past curfew. 

Good thing Number 6: We talked to the member after church (we were in Cascade, and these people are in Two Rivers) and learned that Kenny and Jenny had both come, and had brought their mother, too, who loved it as well! How super duper rad is that? 

Good thing Number 7: We have lunch and a lesson at the Crist home on Saturday at 1 and I am so psyched it is ridiculous. 

How cool is that? I'm so excited.

The warm weather spree has officially ended. (Killjoy!) The day after Groundhog Day, a day of a high of 35, we woke up the next day to the first snow we'd seen in two weeks, and a temperature of 2. D*ang groundhog must've saw his shadow. 

We had back to back dinners at the Mahana home Saturday and Sunday! The Sunday meal was actually provided by the Riley family, and the Mahana's just hosted it. It was awesome. 

Oh, hey! Transfer news. I am staying in the Montana Billings Mission. 

And this area. I'm staying in the area. Cool! I love this area! This is interesting, because after this transfer, there are only three more. I'm thinking that I'll only have one more area, but who knows?

Cool. Thank you all for reading and caring and all that. Rock and roll! ~

-Elder Burch π

"This is what I wanna be..."

Quotes of the day that I can remember:

*walks out of unnamed gas station* "This place sucks; we're never coming back here." - Elder Brown

"You know you're in Montana when someone mentions Trump and tells a story bashing Fords in their testimony." - Elder Burch

"Breath mints aren't made of metal!" - Little girl at the Cascade County Detention Center

"It is weeks like last week that make me want to stay here another transfer. It is days like today that make me want to leave." - Elder Burch 

Next time, I'll have all the quotations.

Look at that, preaching to every nation.

"Sit tight, take hold, Thunder Road..."

*looks out window in the morning after days and days of good weather*
Stupid groundhog must've seen his shadow.

The Great Falls District, for the last time.

Look how dejected I am.

Man, this is a lot of pictures. Ya' welcome.

Courtesy of Elder Campbell

Elder Campbell, Elder Brown, myself, and Elder Lester

 "I'm on a horse!"

I think there are new investigators that way!

No Ice

“Later on we can go outside...”

Merry Christmas, everyone!

I’m going to make a cute little Christmas observation and then leave you with some pictures.

Sunday, we had a Christmas program in sacrament meeting. It had its moments of genuine beauty and grandeur, like the special arrangement of “Silent Night” which included flute, but there were also a lot of things that went wrong. Someone couldn’t show up for their part in a duet because they were in the hospital, the primary kids forgot the third verse of “Away In A Manger,” and so on. Despite these things, though, the program was beautiful and full of the spirit.

Now, Mary and Joseph heading to Bethlehem must’ve been a lame time. Great, we have to go travel to Bethlehem to be taxed (or counted for the census), Mary is pregnant, and I’m sure that it is going to be crazy busy there. Of course, nothing really did go right that night. The lodging was awful, and I’m sure that their Christmas Eve dinner was nothing special, either. Despite all that was lame about the experience, though, it must’ve been glorious and full of the spirit as Jesus the Christ came into the world. 

I hope you have a happy rest of December. Rock and roll ~

-Elder Stephen Burch π


“... And create the impression of an angel that just fell from the sky.”

Transfer Day! With Elder Brown, Elder Campbell and Elder Lester.

Christmas Eve visit to the hospital.

Look at Elder Brown’s smirk ‘cause he knows he’s gonna find all your cards.

Nativity in the hay.

Christmas Day, feat. The Mahana family

Elder Brown piloting our graham cracker gingerbread house

Christmas tree from my family

"Our daughters got face painting kits for Christmas and
 Elder Burch was a good sport and let them practice on him."

"So here I am struggling out in the mighty jungle..."

Someday I'll write more than just pictures. Ah, well. A picture is worth a thousand words, right?

Road back from MLC. Photo taken in Mullan Pass.

I looked out the window, and what did I see?

Zone conference!

Jason was baptized!
I had worked with him in 5th Ward for a long time.
It was a sweet moment.

Reunited with my assistant! I mean, companion.

-Elder Stephen Burch π

"...moving eighteen miles a minute but not slowing down for nothing."

Greetings, Cadets!


They call Missoula "The Zoo." I am beginning to see why.

The last week has been a massive adventure. Between seeing many
unfamiliar people, some familiar faces, crossing hundreds of miles,
and arriving in Missoula, things have been crazy. Here we go:

Elder Campbell. Oh, Elder Campbell. How I miss you! Elder Campbell
and I waived good bye at a gas station in Sheridan, and he is still in
Buffalo with Elder Allen. All the best wishes to him - he is an
awesome friend and an awesome elder. I hope he finds much joy and
success in Buffalo and beyond.

We drove to Billings that night, and stayed in the mission home with
the rest of the elders transferring to various places across the
mission. The next morning at six, we took off in a van most referred
to as the space shuttle. We made a stop in Bozeman, and then in
Helena, where I was reunited briefly with my first trainer, Elder
Berrett. It sounds like he's still doing well, and it was awesome to
see him again.

From Helena, we took off and headed down to Missoula, where I met
Elder Ray. Elder Ray is my new companion. He is from Eagar, Arizona,
and enjoys guns, trucks, and Pokémon. I haven't spoken Pokémon since I
was young, I picked up gun speak from Elder Campbell, and I picked up
truck speak from Elder Andrews. In short, I think we can get along
alright.

I am also excited to not be drive man anymore. Driving is great, but
having the responsibility lifted from my shoulders is a nice thing.

So, Missoula 5th Ward. We don't have any real potential investigators
right now. But, not for long! With hard work, charisma, and the Spirit
of the Lord, we will increase our teaching pool and bring many people
to the fold! The hand of the Lord has been prevelant in the work
already. We met a Jehovah's Witness woman the other day who we have
a return appointment with tomorrow at 2. We have been trying former
investigators, and two of them have accepted an invitation to see us again.
One evening while walking around, a man approached us from behind and 
started talking with us. "You boys doing ministering work?" 
"Heck yeah, we are!" He told us of some concerns he was having about his 
nephew involving getting a job and the Sabbath day, and after that 
conversation had ended we asked him if he'd be down for talking 
about the gospel some day. "Not really. I'm really spiritual and all, 
but I'm not really one for preaching." He paused, then continued, 
"Do you boys want to come and visit at my place, though? Get some 
water, maybe some salsa?" Well, we're all into that! So, we walk with 
him and talk, and find out that he is a drummer! Sweet! When we 
get to his home, we go into his basement to check out his drum set, 
and we notice a desk in the corner with some old-looking pictures. 
"What are those?" I inquired. "That is my grandfather, and my great 
grandfather, and my great-great grandfather..." No freaking way. 
This guy had been doing family history work. We eagerly tell him of 
the resources available free through family search, and the family 
history center available at the stake center. He was excited, and 
gave us his number so that we could contact him with the times of 
the center, and as we took off, he told us, "You boys are doing good 
work. If you ever need food or water, or just want to hang out, stop 
on by! If you want to talk about Jesus, too, we can do that, too." 
Freak yeah! The Lord is putting people into our path, and is blessing us.

I have a testimony of the promises of God. When He promises
blessings, He means it. As it says in D&C 82:10, "I the Lord am bound
when ye do what I say." I may have shared that before, but it is true.
Please pray for the missionary work in Missoula, and that we will find
more people to teach as we diligently seek to find.

Thank you all for everything! Rock and roll~

-Elder Burch π

  "... We've got fun and games."

Transfer Selfie

Goodbye Elder Campbell

Goodbye Thomas Family

Elder Ray!

With a member of the ward

I thought this stood for "Gravy Check," but Elder Ray informed me that it likely
means "Groovy Chick". Ha! Shows where by stomach, er...mind was.

The drummer dude we met.

"Take me down to the paradise city..."

Ladies, gentlemen, and other assorted grasshoppers,

After three transfers - 18 weeks - my stay in Buffalo, Wyoming is coming to a close. It is time to open the next chapter, where I will serve in Montana, the state in which I was actually called to serve. (Montana is a lawless, yet God-fearing state. God, of course, having been introduced to Montana in 1874. Montana's main export is rocks. Germany was discovered in Montana!) More specifically, I will be serving in the Missoula 5th Ward, where I will continue as a district leader. I have heard many things about Missoula, ranging from, "Oh, you're going to the zoo!" to "It's really pretty there," to "Have fun with all the college students." We'll see how this goes. Google Maps tells me that Missoula has three record stores, though, so that will be an adventure. (Pls send money.) Missoula is a city of something like 70,000 people, which is much closer to my speed. I guess we'll see how I like it after being in sleepy Buffalo for so long. Regardless, I am both excited and not excited for the nine-hour van ride. Pray for the people of Missoula - they won't know what hit them!

A quick eulogy to Elder Campbell: Elder Campbell has made this last transfer an absolute joy, and I am so grateful for the fun that we have had serving and working together. Buffalo will flourish under his stewardship, I am sure. I feel a little gypped that we only get one transfer together, but I guess good things must come to an end. I'm sure President was considering transfers, came across our companionship, and though, "Oh, heck no, that companionship is far too much fun to last!" Sigh. If only, if only...

Alright, so for this week: We had exchanges. That is all.

For Elder Campbell's kindabirthdaysortof (he was born on February 29th), we had dinner with the Thomas family. They make pulled pork sandwiches and we had an awesome cake! It was a good time. I am sad to be leaving the Thomas family.

Elder Campbell and I had story time and read a book called Because Jesus. Shout out to the lovely person who sent said book my way! It was a good time. We now feel a renewed sense of purpose for serving our Lord.

Elder Campbell won at Scrabble (finally, also again), making the record for this transfer Bette: 3, Elder Burch: 2, and Elder Campbell: 2. This is significantly worse than last transfer against Bette, where I used my superior skills to best both her and Elder Ferrara six out of ten games. I guess one has to share the wealth a little bit.

We had a lesson with Megan and Branden. (Side note: Megan and Branden are one of the major things that make leaving hurt a little. Sure, I'm ready for a change of scenery, but Megan and Branden are not only progressing investigators, but they're my friends. Continue to pray for them, please.) We had a lesson with them where we read from 2 Nephi chapter 2, and we discussed the miracle of Christ's atonement and what it means for us. We then talked about baptism, and the blessings which come from following this commandment from God. Along with that, we detailed for them the requirements of baptism, and what the promised covenant entails for them. After this, we left them a challenge: Pray together and separately, and come up with a date for baptism. Once you do, we'll set goals and make plans to help you to progress towards baptism on that date. They accepted, and I think that they are quite sincere in their desires to follow Christ. They accepted, and mentioned once again how us teaching them has been a blessing in their lives. We will be eating with them tonight. We have been commissioned with bringing the rootbeer floats.

We took a hike! It was very nice!

The church got all smokey toward the end of sacrament yesterday. It was quite odd.

Aiden, the kid of a returning less-active family, is progressing as well.

I think that is all I have for now. Spiritual thought: The atonement is sufficient to help us to change and become the best people we can be if we are willing to let it change us. "Let it change us" sounds like a passive invitation, but it is the exact opposite: It requires effort on our part to bring our will and action in line with the Lord. Josiah in the Old Testament was appointed king at 8 years old. Eighteen years into his reign, he found the book of the Law of Moses - the law that Israel was supposed to be following. Josiah looked around at the wickedness and idolatry of the people perpetuated by decades of unrighteous kings, and decided things needed a change. Through his efforts, he was able to return Israel to following the Lord, if only for a short time. No matter how far you feel like you've sunk, you can always return to the Lord and He will accept you with open arms, just like the Israelites.

I realize more and more how proud I am of my home state. Whenever anyone mentions Arizona, I give the "rock on!" hand sign and mention something about how great it is or how it is the promised land. Elder Campbell told me the other day, "You are so proud of your stupid state that I bet you bleed red, white, and Arizona." To that, I say simply this: Heck freak yeah I do!

Keep being awesome. Rock and roll ~

-Elder Burch π

"... Where the grass is green and the girls are pretty. Oh, won't you please take me home!"

Disclaimer: The grass may be green in Missoula, MT, but the Arizona skylines and desert vistas are still unmatched. Also, Arizona girls.

Look at that handsome face.

Some rad people we met on our hike!

Because Jesus.

Look! It's old Uncle Sam, wielding the
slightly-faded-but-oh-so-American flag!

Goodbye, Sheridan. It's been a good run.