"Boy, you was battle born."

This week was a fairly eventful week. There was a huge art show in town. The Out West Art show, to be specific, and we gave a fair amount of service at that. It was really neat to see all the different styles of art (I really like art), including a guy who does hammer and chisel. He was working with a type of rock that is essentially lava which erupted underwater and made a foamy expanded obsidian. It was neat, but I agree with his feelings that you can't get as much detail as on other rocks. He says people like the obsidian because it looks contemporary. I looked in his book of older projects and I like his other stuff more. Even still, very cool!

We had exchanges with the River's Edge elders, and I was able to spend the day with Elder Hallett. We had a fantastic spiritual lesson with an investigator named Josh. We taught about the Gospel of Jesus Christ (through Christ we can be cleansed from sin, faith, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, (sacrament), and enduring to the end). As we shared the experience from Matthew 3 of Christ being baptized, Josh really felt something. "That gives me tingles. I bet God was really proud. It makes me want to do that." Long story short, he is on date for baptism on April 20th. (420! We joked about that briefly.) They're awesome investigators. Too bad I won't be there for the baptism because...

I'm being transferred! This might be my last experience serving in Montana. They're shipping me back to my old stomping grounds. Not exactly, but close enough. I'm going back to the Wyoming West Zone (Wyoming Best Zone) to serve in Powell, Wyoming, which is roughly an hour drive from my very first area of Greybull/Basin. I am excited to be back there (not in the least bit because of the sales tax I will once again have to pay (otherwise they'll send me to Federal Dungeon for tax evasion... again (no, still))), and I am excited to do the work! Elder Bly, here I come! Elder Bly is really cool, dedicated, and hardworking, and I am excited to be his companion. 

I think that is all for now. Enjoy the pictures! Thank you for all you do! Rock and roll ~

- Elder Burch π

"When they break your heart, and when they cause your soul to mourn, remember what I said..."

Giving service at the food bank during the BSA food drive

Elder Shumway, Me, Elder Hallett, and Elder Brown

Elder Brown and I after we helped this guy
unload is statues with the crane on his truck

Dinosaurs are cool

The guy that does the hammer and chisel art

Some of his art

The Bergs

"The haze clears from your eyes on a Sunday..."

Everyone! 

This week was a little less jam packed. We had fewer lessons than we had wanted, but we also had President Ballard visit our mission, along with Elder Evanson and Elder Anderson of the Seventy. That was really cool. We weren't able to go, but we met at the Great Falls East stake center and watched from afar. Even cooler, when President Ballard opened up the floor for questions, I was able to text Sister Wadsworth and my question was asked by proxy. (Sort of like baptisms for the dead? Maybe not.) It was cool. My main takeaways from the experience were:

- I need to use Preach My Gospel more in every aspect of my work and study, including personal and companionship studies. 

- Members are the key in missionary work. (I know this one, and I keep getting reminded, but then I get impatient with how slow and unpredicatable it is to work with members, but then I get reminded again that I can't do anything of my own power and that the Lord is key and this is his way. So, yeah. OP. Members are awesome.)

- "Faith and hope bring the power in our lives and make future promises present realities." - Elder Anderson

- "Write Down A Date" (Elder Ballard Oct. 1984 General Conference)

- Inadequacies are solved when we have faith, love, and excitement. Increasing our knowledge through diligent studies will make us feel more adequate. We should remember to place our trust in the Lord, not ourselves, because He is always adequate, even if we are not, and he will qualify us for what we have been called to do if we go to Him and do our best. 

After the broadcast, we went to the Roadhouse Diner with Elder Shumway and Elder Hallett. The Roadhouse Diner is probably the best place I've eaten so far in Great Falls, and is one of the better eateries I've visited on the mission. They grind all their beef in house and get their buns from Great Harvest across the street. Anyway, Elder Shumway and I ordered the Widowmaker burger, which includes habanero, serano, and jalapeno peppers. The burger was hot, for sure, but oh, so good. Honestly, one of the better burgers I have ever purchased. It was awesome. Worth it. 

Another cool food story! We were given a gift card to Cafe Rio by a member, and it happened to be Taco Tuesday, so we gladly went to lunch to get multiple $2 tacos and a specialty drink. Upon arriving at the end of the line, a kind woman asked us if that was all for us. "Yep!" I replied. She looked up at us and confirmed, "No military discount or anything?" "No, no," I said, and then added in with a chuckle, "Well, God's army." She laughed, "I'm temped to give it to you for that." The guy behind her said, "Do it!" To which I laughed, and we laughed, and she continued the checkout process. When the total for the two of us came up as $8.97, I was like, "Wait, did you actually-" She nodded. 

And that is the story about how we got a military discount at Cafe Rio from serving the Lord and making a joke. Good times.

I think that is all for now. I hope you have a great week, all y'all!

Rock and roll ~

-Elder Burch π

________________________

Quotations of the week:

"Is this all for you?" -Cafe Rio person

"Yep!" - Elder Burch

"No military discount?" -CRP

"No, no. Well, God's army."

*she applies the discount*

"We are singing this in English, right?" - Elder Brown

"Let's go fly a kite"

Missionary game night!
Do I look like I could be on the cover of a cheesy
workout video from the eighties in the second picture?

Roadhouse Diner!
My hair looks worse than normal. Forget about it.

Here we go... 

“Put your trust in simple acts...”

This may have been the greatest missionary week ever. “How is that even possible?! Battle fury?” Well, I will tell you. Prepare to be amazed.

Tuesday, we had exchanges with Elder Shumway and Elder Hallett. Elder Shumway, Assistant to the President emeritus, went with me in my area. We had a great time, and we got a phone call for this awesome person, who will be described later. Elder Shumway is cool. We did a lot of finding, with minimal success, but we had a really good time. 

Miracle new investigator number one: We had a dinner in Cascade with a family, and they invited their granddaughter and grandson-in-law. She is less active, and he isn’t a member, but they are both interested in gaining what the church has, including the focus on family. We taught them the first lesson, and it was solid! We have a return appointment on Wednesday, and we are stoked!

Second person: We received a phone call from a member on Tuesday. This member has a friend who is engaged to a less active member, and he has been searching a lot. The member, who had been on two missions with his family, had taught this man the first discussion, and invited him to baptism, which he accepted! He wanted us to come by on Thursday for the second discussion, which went great! We have a return appointment Tuesday...

We took a trip down to Wolf Creek to visit a recent convert family, and that was super cool. Our Branch Mission Leader took us down there. It was cool.

Those are short updates about what happened, but I can’t write now and think that will suffice. Thank you all for your prayers!

Rock and roll ~

-Elder Stephen Burch π

“Please keep inside what makes you care; you have it always... Do you believe in what you want?”

Quotations of the week: 

“So, your poverty is the reason why you forget how to use math?” - B.H.

*sees on Facebook a ‘What ethnicity do you look like?’ test* “That is the dumbest thing I have ever seen.” - Elder Burch π

Did I mention that there are nukes in Great Falls?

Elder Brown and his birthday pancakes

Plan of Salvation

“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.