Tokyo Drift

It was really cool to have a Transfer Meeting. So basically, all the Zone Leaders and President and the Assistants meet at the church at 9pm, President says some words, then we get our folders with the transfer sheets that tell where all the missionaries are moving or if they are staying. It was super fun to call the missionaries because they are just so anxious to get the call. I remember it was only last transfer that I was on the receiving end of this.

So, my companion Elder Larkin from Layton is leaving. (he is my 2nd comp from Layton btw) and going back to the Farsi program and I am staying here as ZL and am now with.....Elder Kawamitsu!! He is a cool cat, I don’t really know him, but I hear he was a J-Pop star back in Japan so he can sing me to sleep and we can crack jokes from "Spirited Away' and 'My Neighbor Totoro'

I am really excited to be staying, this area is just starting to take off, I can feel it in my bones!! We are teaching some amazing people, please prayer for them!!

So, the #1 awesome is Karalyn. She is an older African-American lady, we invited her to read Mosiah Chapter 2, and in like 2 weeks, she has already read all of Mosiah and up to Alma 30!! and she learns so much from it. She is such a prepared nice old lady....she made us banana bread!! how awesome is that!!

So the next set of awesome people. Danny and Gustavo, so Danny is from Brazil and Danny is from Argentina. Danny is an MMA fighter, who has sooo much faith in God. When we met with them, he was telling us how he knew that we were sent to him from God!! haha he also said that the Saturday before we visited him, the JW's came to knock doors in the apartment and he watched them skip over his door, and he knew it was because they WERENOT sent from God ahahah proper authority FTW!!

So, I also had the great privilege of going to a former investigators baptism, Gao Tan!!! He is so cool. The biggest things that changed him was seeing the lives the members were living. Seeing the true happiness on their faces. I have such a strong testimony that so many blessings come from when we stay true to our baptismal covenant to stand as a witness of Christ at all times. I love my Savior so much, I feel so bad for the times when I did things that he would not have done, when I have sinned and turned against God, but I know His Grace is sufficient and that he has taken EVERYTHING, that after he Atoned for mankind, it was finished, nothing I will ever do amounts to anything, it is only through Christ I am saved AND I am changed. I looooved President Uchtdorfs and Elder Hollands talks on Grace. I felt, growing up in the Church, I didn’t quite understand Christ’s Grace and how it really snatched my away from certain death, how I was encompassed in my own sins and imperfections, and he took that all away. I still don’t have a good understanding, but I will continue to study, and as I study it and feel it work in my life my testimony of Christ’s existence and his 'Real-Time' help to me grows and my love for Him grows. The study of the Atonement man, it is the best.

Well family and friends, I love you, make sure to send me pics of stuff that happens like graduations, recitals, weddings etc. etc.

Love you all!!

Elder Burr 

hey hey hey

Hey!!  So, long time no see!!  I wanted to share with you something that happened a couple days ago, I was sitting there while Elder Larkin was talking to a guy in Spanish and I looked at the guy and realized just how much I wanted him to be happy. Then I had a thought,  this feeling I had was not my own, that this is charity, this desire to make someone else happy more than I cared about my own happiness was straight from Christ. It just hit me.

I never quite understood how so many missionaries say they just love everyone it hurts, but I think I actually felt/realized that the other day and it made me so grateful for my Savior and so grateful for this restored Gospel that helped me know Him.

I am very grateful for the Spirit. I am grateful for being out here.

So anyways, Rebecca take mission prep/a language and prepare for a mission!!! no talk of marriage!

Amanda: I love you, do what you gotta do, but I only ask that you wear a GoPro camera on your head during the sealing

Tina/Melissa: stay golden, don’t cyberbully, hang out with good friends, go to seminary and pay attention, really READ your scriptures. You are probably already doing this, just a gentle reminder haha

Mom/Dad: I love you!!! You guys are the best!

Que paso?

Went on splits with the AP's for the first time this week. I love hearing stories about President. I am such a sucker for gossip. I think it was the 5 sisters growing up.

Someone has to send a list of all who is married!

So best thing of the week hands down was going out to lunch with a recent-convert from my old area. Oh man, she was so happy and changed. Changed from the inside out. I know everyone says this, but she had a light about her!!! The Gospel and belief in God is the realest thing. It’s not just a way of thinking.  Whenever I get to experience something that, had I not come out, I would have never been able to experience, I always think of that song from "The Work' with the lines 'I thank my God for each and every day.' Do people not on missions listen to Nashville tribute?

So Lawndale Ward is awesome. Had basically one of the most powerful fast and testimony meetings of my whole mission. They just talked a ton about families and the blessings people have seen and raising kids.  I realized, shoot!!  This is what my life will be like. And this is what my siblings and friends life is turning into. I still feel like the same person I was when I was rolling around on a sk8board and getting in trouble at MRJH, what I mean is, I have the same personality and traits, BUT I feel like my desires and thought process are so different now. Of course that comes with age and time, but I know that the majority of changes have come from Christ and His example to me and the power of His Atoning Sacrifice.

Right now on the mission, I am sprinting to understand more about Christ and more about the atonement. haha But actually, a thought just popped into my head. I can study as much as I want about Him now, and one day I will meet Him!!! I will see my Savior face to face and talk with Him. That’s pretty cool. I am grateful that we all believe in The Living Christ. Not just a shapeless mass of energy.

I think because I don’t write in my journal, my emails turn into journal entries of me talking to myself. Maybe I have just been away from you guys so long, I don’t even know if you are real anymore. You guys are actually just cardboard cut outs and my life is being filmed for some crazy Mormon Message. Truman show....Mormon style.

I can’t even comprehend that Tori is pregnant!  I didn’t even know my Sisters were capable of doing that! I thought it just happened to ladies in the ward and aunts and teachers and stuff.

I am so grateful for you guys sharing the blessings that you are seeing. That is probably one of the thing that strengthens me the most out here. I am far away from you guys, but when you share these blessings and happy moments, I know Heavenly Father and Christ are near you all!!! And that brings me so much peace.

I love my Heavenly Father, and I trust Him. I love our Savior. I love being engaged in the Work of Salvation. I love being a servant!!! My MTC teacher wrote today something that impacted me, " So remember to be happy--you are fulfilling the greatest calling that there is. Jesus Christ--the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the Prince of Peace--honored his greatest of callings which was that of servant. The greatest of us all was the one who served each of us."

I love you all! Can’t wait to serve you when I get back!!

little hug little kiss big hug little kiss big kiss

Elder Burr

Regina and her baby Ben! He is so big!

My comp eating some chicken feet #peerpressure