“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.

"You've got the love I need to see me through..."

Everyone,

Hey hey! Two quick miracles and a short rundown of my week. Because it's one of those days. I had to take the ASU math placement test today. I'll probably have to take it again. *shrug* Happens. I haven't done math in 18 months. 

Miracle 1: When I went on exchanges with Elder Murphy in Cut Bank a few weeks ago, we tracted a bit. We ran into this guy named Kolby, who is a Blackfeet native and has a family. We were able to talk with him about the Book of Mormon and gave him one. Elder Murphy called me the other day to tell me what happened there. The day we showed up, Kolby had decided to quit all his addictions, and since we had been there, he had read the Book of Mormon any time he'd been tempted by his addictions and he had been clean since that day. Cool!

Miracle 2: 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 religous 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.

The other thing I've come to realize is that, although the city of Great Falls isn't my favorite place, the people in the Cascade Branch and Two Rivers Ward are fantastic. Absolutely the best people, and I love them. 

We spoke in the Cascade Branch this week. It was cool. 

The sisters that came out with me go home on Friday. That's weird.

Rock and roll ~

Elder Burch π

Game Night

“I’m here, I’m now, I’m ready...”

Hey-o! 

Elder Brown and I went to the Malmstrom Air Force Base Museum today. It was cool. Did you know that Great Falls, Montana is in charge of over 150 nuclear missiles? That’s crazy. 

We had a crazy Saturday night spending the night in Cascade. It was crazy.

I went to Browning for an exchange with Elder Murphy. It was weird. Reservations have lots of stray dogs. I started naming them alphabetically. I finished the entire alphabet and started again, but then we left. 

We have dinner with the stake presidency tonight. That will be cool! Sorry for the brevity. Enjoy the pictures!

-Elder Stephen Burch π

“... Holding on tight, don’t give away the end...”

"With every sun that sets I am feeling more..."

Hello all,

We are bowling. I am emailing between turns. It is scatterbrained.

This week:

We did an extraordinary amount of service this week. We have helped three non-members move. The most noteworthy of which is this Hispanic couple we met the other day. I think I mentioned them. Anyhow, they asked for our help again, and it was cool! We got to know them quite a bit more. She is from Columbia, and he is from Brazil. They both ended up here through a program that put them in civil engineering programs here. They were very appreciative of the service, and are having us over Friday night for dinner, which happens to also be the wife's birthday. Cool. Service feels good. Though, more on feeling good later.

We did an exchange with the YSA Elders. I stayed in my area and brought along Elder Murphy, who has been out three weeks. It's a weird thing to think back to myself when I had been out three weeks. I've grown a lot, but there are also one or two things from back then that I almost want back. Introspection.

Our second exchange was with the Zone leaders on Friday. I was with Elder Tucker. I would be okay with having Elder Tucker as a companion. More than most Elders, he not only inspires me to work effectively and efficiently, but reminds me that the work can and will succeed, if we have faith and follow the guidance in Preach My Gospel.

The Zone Leaders called us Saturday night with some revelation. They reminded Elder Ash and I that daily goals are important, and that as we set daily goals by the Spirit, the Lord will provide a way to accomplish them. Well, Sunday came around, and Sunday was the only day we could do an amount of honest finding, primarily because of how much of our time was devoted to service. Long story short, there were miracles, and we will hopefully have a much expanded teaching pool very soon. The Lord is mindful. It's comforting and exhilarating. 

Love you all! Keep on keeping on ~

- Elder Burch π

"... Like a stranger on a foreign shore...."