I am so sorry that my last two
letters have been so bad. I can’t remember if I have given you an update on my
whole-new life so I will do that now....so I am serving in the North Torrance
Stake. The Zone covers the whole Stake. So the cities in it are Gardena,
Compton, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, Lawndale, and Torrance. Our area is Lawndale.
We had our first Sunday this week!! It’s pretty awesome to be in a ward that is
a lot more similar to the ones I grew up in (real life grew up, not mission life)
So, in the Zone we have an ASL District, a Spanish District, and an English District.
It is also pretty weird serving around Sisters for the first time in my mission
life....they scare me. But hey, two missionaries are from Indiana in the Zone
and they know Braden’s dad (if his dad was a Stake President). But yeah, the
area I am in is super diverse, my companion does a lot of Spanish contacting. I
think I will start spending some time to practice Spanish.
So my companion is Elder Larkin, he
is from Layton Utah, he is super funny. I feel like I have been on an exchange
for the past two weeks it has been so much fun with him. It is so easy to
connect with people from America!!! He is 22 and went to West Point so we do a
lot of pushups together. It’s funny because we both served together for a long
time in International Zone because he was originally Farsi speaking. So both of
us have taught non-Christians our entire mission and now we are Zone Leaders
over people that teach hard-core Christians and Jehovah Witnesses and all that
jazz and we don’t even know Chronicles from Corinthians so, it’s going to be an
adventure. But I love the missionaries we serve so much, we are blessed with
the most obedient Zone ever!!!
So, Isaac got baptized this
Sunday!!! So his dad, Aisake Fukatamafi just barely re-activated, and Isaac,
his 9-year old son started to go to Church with him. This was 5 months ago. And
Isaac loved it and wanted to be baptized, and since he is over 8 we taught
him!! It was the first kid I have ever taught on my mission and it was so much
fun!! He really is the coolest little dude. He was so happy his dad got to
baptize him too. Aisake, the father, got the Priesthood the Sunday of the
baptism. It was just so powerful, Aisake was so overwhelmed the whole time. It
made me pretty pumped to be a dad and baptize my kids and it made me so
grateful that I had my father baptize me. That is such a big deal!! So many people
don’t have that kind of thing in their home. It was awesome to see that.
Oh man, I read Moms letter, that has
got to be really tough. I am so happy though that Mom got to go back and spend
time with PoPo. It was a huge blessing that I got to Skype with her last Christmas.
I know that was a blessing from the Lord. Thanks Mom for writing that
letter. I would like to echo Mom’s testimony and say that I know love lasts
forever and that every single relationship we have in this
mortal existence will continue in the next. We are all spirits that are millennia
old and death is just the doorway we pass through to return to our Heavenly
Home. One of my fondest memories of Grandma Morgan was when we sang her the
song "Oh my Father" in the retirement home (and not because the black
orderly came in and complimented our singing) but because of the Spirit I felt
while singing it. The Spirit told me that day that I do have Heavenly Parents
above waiting for me. I am so sad that we were never able to sing that song to
PoPo, but I know that I will have a second chance. I know that to be true. Now,
every time I sing the song, "Oh My Father" I think of the people that
have passed on already, and I feel anticipation for the day I see all of them
and our Heavenly Parents and our Savior Jesus Christ all together. I guess, what
more could I ask for.
Sorry that I got all weird, but hey,
love you guys a lot!!!
Elder Burr
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| Isaac & Aisake Fukatamafi |
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| North Torrance Zone |
3-30-2015
Sorry Family!! I dont have much time to write today. This
Sunday, my good friend Xu Chen got baptized. Elder Zhang and I found
him about 3 transfers ago. I remember how we met him was a miracle. He
was a referrel from some Sisters, and we got a bad number from him, then
we go to visit the address on the referrel and no one was there, we
knock on the neighbors door and she says they all moved. well, later
that week, we felt that we should give the door another chance. and BAM
he was home ready to learn!! He really is one of the most innocent kind
guys that I have met! He is awesome.
Also!! after 20 months
in the chinese program I am being booted out. It was like my heart got
ripped out when I got the call. I will be a Zone Leader in the Torrance
North Area. ahh man, I am a little worried to go English, its a whole
different ball game, but I trust in the leaders of the Church that they
are called of God. Its a bummer to leave the program, Its hard to be
away from it.  |
| Xu Chen |
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| Good-bye to the Chinese District |
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