Alex Burr: Shout, SHOUT, shout for joy, we are free to do what we will do!!

Dear Jiating, (see I’m learning something)

Guys, guys, GUUUYYZZZ, it’s day 20!! It’s always funny to think about how these days I am in the MTC are still real mission days! I have less than 2 years left. Classes are the same, our teachers are really cool and inspiring people. They love the Gospel so much and it is so inspiring. Our teacher challenged us to learn the First Vision in Mandarin. I almost have it all down, it’s just so slow because I have to process what the word is, then how to pronounce it, then the tone. I am going to take Sister Amanda Burr’s advice and read aloud from the Book of Mormon in Mandarin every night.

I got called as ward music coordinator, which I think is so awesome because I have always loved church music so much, it has always been able to touch me so deeply and bring the spirit so quickly. I love it because Elder Mataoa doesn’t care about it so I get to pick all the hymns I want!!!

I have been trying really hard to (as a wise RM once told me) be strictly obedient, but not a fuddy-duddy suck up!! My district is wild. The French guys and I love pretending to be mob members screaming about "Joe Smith and his Golden Bible" the French guys don’t know American jokes that I learned in 6th grade, so I can tell them and they think I’m a comedic wordsmith. BUT at times I want to crack down on them so hard because they are not respectful during a lesson or they log onto their emails during study time. But I can’t because I know I need to make myself into the best missionary I can be before I ever tell anyone else how to act. I have such a long way to go. Sometimes the only thing caring me through the day is knowing that Amanda has done this before and that I am doing my best and the Lord will push me past my breaking point. I stretch, but never tear.

I saw the Sister Lindsi Burr again and we finally got a picture together, I’ll send it once I get this computer to read my card. The church needs to spend more tithing money on MTC computers and not City Creek!!I’m pretty sure she is leaving....tomorrow, that is so awesome she gets to get out there and do the work.

The eldest district left, it was a really tender moment, they were really awesome and took us under their wing when we first came in, it’s going to be awesome to help out the noobies that show up in like 4 weeks, share all the knowledge I gained. HAHA we found a scavenger hunt written on some tablets we found in our dormitory and Elder Keller used his urim and thummim to translate them and it took us on a hunt for the Legend of Spinochi, we are still looking for the next clue, I wish Nicholas Cage was on a mission. AHHHH we have all been cooped up too long in here, and we have like 6 more weeks to go!

I have been learning how tricky Satan is. I hate that he has so much power and that he knows me so well. Sometimes it doesn’t seem fair, but then I remember I have the scriptures and I have prayer. Prayer really has calmed me from a world of care. I also have been thinking a lot about pioneers and how far the Church has come I don’t know why) I look at where I am and the movement that I am a part of. With the age change we are really fulfilling prophesies made from the Lord, and we would have never been able to do that if the Church never evolved from that log cabin where it started. We are spreading the gospel through all the world, and I could not be more excited to be a part of it

Love you all so much,

Elder Burr

P.S. thank you all for the care packages, they brighten my day so much