Week 4: Provo MTC

Hello everyone! 

I have one week and four days left! Tomorrow I'll find out if my visa is here, and if it's not, I will be heading somewhere in the United States for a little bit. I would actually love to go somewhere stateside for a couple months because I like new places, but either way, tomorrow is the day I find out where I'm going! 

Anyways, this week we got a new district in our zone that is made up of missionaries going to Argentina and Canada. I only had the chance to say hi but they seem like great people. 

Every Sunday and Tuesday we have a devotional with some type of leader or general authority. Last Sunday, President Lindahl spoke who used to be the President of the Argentina Mendoza Mission!! After the devotional, all of the Elders who are going to Mendoza came up and shook his hand. He said he would love to talk to us about Mendoza and we are planning on meeting him this afternoon in his office!

Even though I'm still halfway across the world from Argentina, I feel it coming closer every day! I am learning to love the language and the people especially. Hopefully someone can back me up when I say that missionaries "know" the people before they meet them! It's really special. 

During class a couple days ago we were talking about how Lehi's family (in the Book of Mormon) was obeying God's commandments for the right reasons. Sometimes we know we should feel a certain way, but we don't. So, right before we changed subjects I asked ¨¿Cómo podemos cambiar nuestras corazones?" (how can we change our hearts) He shuffled in his chair and thought about it for a few moments then said slowly "I think... it's okay... if we don't do something for the right reason in the moment. He continued, "Our whole purpose in life is to become better, so if we are working at it, está bien (all is well). Throughout life we have moments when we feel we are starting over and all we've learned doesn't add up to much, but in reality, that is the only sign of progression. If you're honestly giving your full effort, God will accept you." We sometimes think too hard. Heavenly Father knows that we are imperfect, so try your best, repent if needed, and move on! 

I've received so much support in so many different ways. I feel your prayers and I feel your love! I'm good on food, but letters mean just as much. I love you all!

Mucho Amor,

Elder Burns

P.S. DearElder is the easiest way for me to get letters because it's free, but handwritten ones are just as amazing. Address:

Elder Andrew Burns

MAR09 ARG-MEN 

2009 N 900 E Unit 126

Provo, UT 84602

Elder Kidd and me.

If you want to know how to do this, e-mail me and I'd be more than happy to tell you. :)

Week 3: Provo MTC

As of this coming Monday, I have TWO weeks left in the MTC! This is a much needed 6-weeks, but I can't explain how excited I am to head to Mendoza so soon. 

On Friday last week I started praying for opportunities to serve others and tried to get my mind off my own emotions. My eyes were opened and I could see opportunities arising everywhere, but then later that night, something really unexpected happened. I was able to be the mouth in a blessing for a Sister in my district that was having some health problems. I had never before participated in a blessing, but it was so great! 

For these past 3 weeks, I haven't met anyone from farther East than Utah. Arizona, California, Utah, and Idaho make up 95% of the MTC. That being said, yesterday some Sisters asked our companionship where we are all from (typical question). I said "Connecticut" of course, then they were both like "wow NO WAY?!?!". I was kind of taken back, because no one knows where Connecticut is, let alone remember that it's a state. Then one of them told me that she was from Stratford, Connecticut. WEIRD.  

Another interesting thing that happened this week: Elder Erickson got bored during a meeting on Sunday and put his CTR ring on a finger that was slightly too big. After trying every method we knew to remove it without the aid of the internet, He and Elder Marple had to go on an adventure to the hospital to get it off. You'd think "oh okay they'll just cut it off", which they tried doing, but then on a whim the nurse was like "brace yourself". She put on a lubricant and puullllleeedddd for 30 seconds. Elder Erickson said he was screaming. hahaha But we laughed about it when he told us. 

Our companionship "honeymoon" period has unofficially ended. Differences are appearing, and there are countless opportunities to be upset. However, I have never learned so much about marriage or relationships in my whole life just because of the fact that I'm with the same two people 24/7. Don't get me wrong, we don't have fist fights brewing every hour; in fact, we are really good friends; but differences are differences. Loving someone is a choice. There are always times when you can respond to a situation in two completely different ways, and love is an easier burden to bear than hatred. 

At the devotional tonight I had an impression about the reality of God. Some people go through life with the idea that God is a nonsensical being that fills the immensity of space, when He is actually just a glorified human. He has a heart that aches and pounds, he has fingers that touch, he has eyes that console, and we are literally descendants of him. That knowledge will give people hope. Trust his love for you.

Mucho Amor,

Elder Andrew Burns  

Week 2: Provo MTC

Hello again!

I can safely say that the MTC is growing on me. It's definitely a process though!

Our zone was made up of three districts when I arrived, but now we're down to two. They all left for South America-- some Elders actually left to Buenos Aires, Argentina. It was a tough couple of days because we spent all day, every day with them. These are the people I mentioned in my last letter that gave me the sweet Captain America sticker. One other tradition they had was to give each newbie a "spirit animal" name. The zone leader receives a paper with pictures and information of new missionaries coming into the zone about a week in advance, and that is when he and his companions give them a name. Elder Kidd is "Master Moose of the Centar Trolls", Elder Plumb is "Rhihorn the Destroyer", and I am "Chief Chinchilla." haha :)

The language is coming along! My grammar is pretty rough, but my listening ability is always getting better and I'm so grateful for that.

We still have two mock investigators, but instead of Eduardo we now have Chava. A pattern I keep noticing during lessons is that the Book of Mormon is the answer to any worthy question. Our biggest tools are the Spirit and the Book of Mormon, as mentioned in Preach My Gospel, but I didn't realize how true this was until I began teaching. We kept getting stuck in the downward spiral of trying to answer each question or concern that an investigator has, when in reality our calling is to direct them to Christ through the Book of Mormon and the Spirit. It is essential to never rely on intelligence, no matter how clever we think we are.  

Serving a mission has taught me that we shouldn't worry so often about what we're going to receive from working hard. As Elder Bednar says: "It's not about you (talking about missionary work). Get over yourself." We might feel like we always know what we need, and forget that someone knows us better than ourselves. These two scriptures work perfectly together: 

Jacob 4:10

Wherefore, brethren, seek not to counsel the Lord, but to take counsel from his hand. For behold, ye yourselves know that he counseleth in wisdom, and in justice, and in great mercy, over all his works.

D&C 88:6

He that ascended up on high, as also he descended below all things, in that he comprehended all things, that he might be in all and through all things, the light of truth;

Christ descended below all things for a reason. He didn't suffer the pains of the world to be admired, he wants us to rely on him! I know that as we willingly give up our hearts to Heavenly Father, He will bless us in ways that we don't even know we need.

Mucho Amor,

Elder Andrew Burns (Chief Chinchilla)

Week 1: Provo MTC

HELLO EVERYONE. It's been the longest week of my life, but in that same spirit, a lot has happened so I'll try my best to cover all the biggest details.

If any of you really know me, you'd know that I would get In-N-Out as my last meal before entering the MTC. It was also a tender mercy to have Lauren and Kelton there with me. The drop-off system here is very quick, so I suggest getting your tears out beforehand and sparing the embarrassment. 

Some information about the MTC:

1) New missionaries have bright orange stickers on their name tags for a day. EVERYONE says welcome to the newbies; that's just what they do. As initiation, the older (been here longer) companionship in our zone made us eat the orange sticker but then gave us a cooler Marvel-themed sticker to put on the back of the name tag. Don't put it on the front, because if anyone in authority sees it, I've heard they snap your your name tag in half.

2) Every building looks the same from the indoors. Classroom buildings are laid out exactly like residence halls.

3) We start learning Spanish within 3 hours of getting to the MTC. The first thing you'll notice is that the teachers don't speak a lick of English during the whole class.

Sooo, about my companionship: It's actually a trio. Elder Plumb, Elder Kidd, and I.We get along pretty well, but realistically, if you live with someone  24/7 for 6 weeks, you're bound to find something that is frustrating about them. We all realize that and just try to be chill about everything. 

I saw Elder Richmond!!! Josh Richmond, who just left for Lyon, France. It was great to see a familiar face. He's a happy boy, I need say no more. :) 

Right now we have two mock investigators, Eduardo and Victor. Don't get the wrong idea, though haha. They are just as stubborn as normal people, and it wouldn't help if they weren't. Victor's first lesson was really, really tough on Elder Kidd and I. We both felt so down. He didn't believe anything we said, our Spanish was rough, we got no commitments, and the lesson went on for way too long. Right after we finished, I said a prayer asking for comfort and I got it. It was just powerful enough to keep me on my feet and keep trying. I learned that companionships are perfect for tough situations. We can both pat each other on the back and feel the support of our Father in Heaven. Elder Plumb is a more even-attitude kind of guy. He's always in the same mood but Elder Kidd and I need that. 

I look back on my Spanish dialect from when I arrived and it's seriously mind-numbing how much I've learned. We missionaries need to use the spirit to teach investigators, but we also need him to teach us and when that happens, our knowledge takes off. 

During personal study I found this quote in Preach My Gospel: "every man is eventually backed up to the wall of faith, and there he must take his stand." I have felt this so often in the past couple weeks, and it just makes so much sense. If we give up when it gets hard, God can't rely on us. Have a good week everyone. There's more to life than the problems you see. 

Mucho Amor,

Elder Andrew Burns

This is a picture of all of us going to Mendoza, Argentina. (left to right) Elder Plumb, Elder Erickson, Elder Kidd, and me. 

   

Nice view of the Provo temple and (I think?) Provo canyon.

My initiation sticker :)