Week 28: Bermejo

Hello everyone!!

I have been having a couple medical problems here in the mission field, and I need to come home for the treatment. I will be heading home tomorrow!

Thank you so much for every single e-mail, prayer, and letter sent. I am so grateful for such loving friends and family.

I know that missionary work is the work of the Lord, and that by His hand, this church is guided. I know that we are God's children, and that he loves us with a perfect love at all times. 

LA MISIÓN ARGENTINA MENDOZA

"¡ALCANZANDO LO MAS ALTO!"

Mucho amor,

Elder Andrew Burns

Week 27: Bermejo

Hola mis queridos norteamericanos :)

This week went by really fast, and this transfer is over in two weeks! Crazy. One of the things I love about being a missionary is the fact that I am learning every second of every day, and I really felt that this week. We don't know how much we don't know until we find out what we didn't know! ;)

An update on my Spanish: I am starting to feel comfortable with talking to anyone. However, if they start talking about a subject in which I don't know the vocabulary very well, chao chao. I get lost really fast. For example, if someone starts to teach me how to change the oil in a car, using all of the terminology of car parts, it's hard to understand. 

Let me blow your minds real quick. One reason why it may be tough for English-speakers to learn Spanish is because of the huge amount of prepositions that are used in English. Tons of verbs in English are 2-3 words, and almost all of those verbs have prepositions like 'on', 'off', 'up', 'down', 'out', 'in'. Like 'show off', 'look up (to someone)', 'flip off' (the insult). The literal translations make NO sense!  

Anyways... :) All of our investigators are progressing! Hopefully we can place a couple baptismal dates this week. 

One thing I learned this week that meant a lot to me is learning to love ourselves. That doesn't mean NOT hating yourself, but rather it means to trust in yourself and give yourself credit for doing the right thing. If something is tough, we can admit it. We shouldn't think that we are strange for not being happy all the time. 

I love you guys!

Vuestra dulzura (hahaha),

Elder Burns

Week 26: Bermejo

HOLA :)

Well this week was really strange, haha! I'll try to cover the main things that happened.

On Tuesday morning, I woke up with a wicked case of food poisoning. I was in bed for the next 72 hours! Everything's alright now, but that really messed up our planning that we did for this week so we had to kind of just run around and improvise for the rest of the week.

The good news is that we have an awesome new investigator! Her name is Cynthia. I think I mentioned Nico and Kathy in a previous email. Cynthia is Nico's brother! She's 9 years old :) She listens incredibly well, and completes all of the commitments we extend! This Sunday, she brought the lesson one pamphlet that we gave to her and just carried it around the whole time. It was so precious! She wants to get baptized the same day as Kathy in September!

I'm so grateful for your prayers and emails. Please know that I find great strength with the knowledge that so many people are praying for me!

I love you all!

Elder Burns

Week 25: Bermejo

Hey everyone!!

I don't have much to report this week, but we have a couple new investigator FAMILIES :) That is always a blessing. Family is soo important to Heavenly Father, and its the purpose of everything we do in the church!

I have felt a special love for the Atonement this week.1 Nephi 19:9 is one of my favorite scriptures that explains the life of Christ.

 9 And the world, because of their iniquity, shall judge him to be a thing of naught; wherefore they scourge him, and he suffereth it; and they smite him, and he suffereth it. Yea, they spit upon him, and he suffereth it, because of his loving kindness and his long-suffering towards the children of men.

Pay attention to the last phrase!! He did all of that because of the love he had towards us. If our desires are powerful enough and in the right direction, we can do anything. Because of the desires of our Savior, he completed the Atonement. Because of the atonement, we can find happiness in this life and live eternally with our families in the life to come. His influence is available to everyone! 

I love you all,

Elder Burns