4-19-10

Family and Friends,

I'll start off with a story from last week. We have several investigators who live in Denison, which is 45 miles north of where we live. If we drive there and back in the same day, that is 90 miles minimum, far more than we are allotted daily. Elder Mitchell talked with President Kunz a few weeks before I got there, and got permission to stay at a member's house there, so we could save on miles. The member is Anthony Lewis. He is about 30, and African American, but due to a healt issue, he has the maturity of a 16-year-old and stutters. He knows about everyone in the town of Denison it seems. So last weekend when we were spending the night there, something interesting happened. We were in the spare bedroom sleeping, when at 3 in the morning, there was a ring at the doorbell. about a minute later, Anthony's phone started ringing. He answered it and then went to the door while talking. He let someone one and talked to him for a bit. I was trying to block out the conversation to I could go back to sleep, but I heard the stanger end by saying, "You're a pal Anthony." There had been a party across the way earlier, with alcohol and loud music and such. This guy was too intoxicated to get home, so Anthony let him sleep on his couch. He's so nice.

The next morning, Anthony left to work at 6:00. We woke up and stayed in our room for a bit, wary to go out. When we did, we discovered that this guy was still there. Two missionaries, in someone else's appartment, with a sleeping drunk guy on the couch. I never thought that would happen. But we minded our own business. We both showered and poured cereal, which we ate in the room. During our studies someone came to the door and knocked. They ended up taking the guy out and probably back home. Needless to say, we were a little relieved to have our (Anthony's) appartment back to ourselves.

We had a little miracle this last week. We were in Harlan, one of the towns we work in, I think is is about 2,000 people. We had been searching for a less-active family that lived there. We had knocked the door that the branch roster said they lived in, but no one ever answered. Later that day, we felt like we should go try to find some new investigators (knock doors) in a trailor park in town. Our teaching pool in Harlan is rather small and we are trying to build it up. We saw a man there pushing a lady in a wheelchair, so we talked to them. The lady talked more than the man, so we asked her if she had ever heard about the Book of Mormon. She said no, so we stared to talk about it. We asked them what they thought the Bible was. The Man spoke up and said it talked about what had happened in the past, and what was going to happen in the future, right before the end and when Jesus would come again. We thought it was a strange answer. We finished talking about the Book of Mormon and asked them why they thought there were so many churches. The man spoke us for the second time and said "There is only one true church and all the reset are made up." "Which one do you think is true?" "Yours. The Church of Jesus Christ." Based on what he had said before, we assumed he was talking about having Jesus in your heart being true religion (lots of people say that). But no, he was definitely talking about the restored Church of Jesus Christ. It turns out that he was the less-active we had been searching for. However, before we knew this, he went on to testify to us and to the lady in the wheelchair (who was a friend) of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. He had moved from his old house and to that trailer park, so it was good we got a hold of him. Miracles happen.

Well, that's about all for this week. More later. Love you all. Write me and tell me how you are!

-Elder Burnham

4-12-10 Movin' On

My Dear Friends and Family,

I hope everything goes well with all of you. I hope all of your testimonies are growing and that you are all able to participate in missionary work where you live. It is the coolest thing ever to do.

We had John Atem come to church this week again. He is the coolest. We were hoping on three other investigators, but they didn't come. One was a 14-year-old, Claire Probasco. Another was a nine-year-old from a part-mamber family, and the last one was Lisa Tidwell. She was going to get baptized the same day as John, but now that she didn't come to church, she will have to wait. Whe has made some great changes in her life, though. She had stopped smoking, stopped drinking coffee, is of high blood pressure medicine, and is almost under 300 pounds for the first time in many years. We now shoot for church next week.

We had a fun preparation day. I bought some cool new shoes. They are "vaquero" Hispanic style. They are long and pointy and beautiful. I will sent a picture of them. We also started a fun project. Since we are in the middle of nowhere, we don't get to do activities with other missionaries (like sports and stuff), we are doing our own. The members we are living with have a nice workshop, and they had a pair of skateboard trucks. This gave us an idea. We are going to build a short-board. We did most of it today, cutting out the board, and making spacers for the trucks. We will finish next preparation day.

Sorry that this was a lame and short letter. Better one next week.

-Elder Burnham

4-5-10 Transfers, John Atem

Family and Friends,

Transfers came and left again, and so did I. I am getting pretty good at packing my luggage. I have been transfered back to Iowa, in the same area! I am excited to serve back in the same branch. I have felt myself mature a lot as a missionary since I was here before, and hope it will help my investigators I am serving with Elder Mitchell. He is a good missionary. He has been out a little over a year and a half. I can tell this is a start to an amazing transfer. He is not a Spanish missionary, but does speak a little bit of Spanish- probably about as much as I spoke when I left Logan. I will have to be the senior speaker when we teach Spanish investigators. I was talking to Elder Mitchell about the gift of tongues, and I felt the spirit testify powerfully to me that God with work through me and that I will be able to speak well enough, if I try my best. Like Mosiah 4:27, God will not require more than my best, and if I am diligent, I will "win the prize" for me and my investigators.

We had a really cool experience with John Atem, an Sudanese investigator. He is an amazing and prepared investigator. He called the chapel about two or three weeks ago and said he wanted to learn more about Jesus Christ. He had been taught about the restoration and been to church before I got here. We talked about his concern of not wanting to be baptized a second time on Friday. Saturday night he came to the Priesthood session, and loved it. Sunday we talked to him again and taught the Plan of Salvation. As we touched temple work, I felt impressed that we should talk about it and help him see beyond baptism. He really enjoys meeting with us and talks and shares a lot. At the end, I asked him is he was still concerned about being baptized again, and he said that was no longer to be a problem. He has a baptismal date of the 24th of April. Such a good guy.

General Conference was also amazing. It focused a lot on families. The Lord is really counseling and directing us in these perilous times. It was cool to hear from Wilford Anderson, my former stake president, and Elder Perry and Halstrom, who visited our mission. I learned so much and was spiritually filled. I know Jesus is the Head of this church, and that we are lead by his apostles. It is an amazing feeling. I hope all of you also loved it and learned a lot. If not, we can read the Ensign when it comes out!

I love you all and hope you are doing well.

-Elder Burnham

I also am sending some pictures. The first is Elder Shumway and me. The second is Elder Orellana (the new Spanish missionary) and the truck and me. The third and fourth are Elder Mitchell. He accidentally ripped his pants at transfers.