Week ending 9-31-09 (but really 8-31)

Friends and Family,

First off, thank you all for your letters and emails!! I love getting them and look forward to hearing from ALL of you.

This week, Elder Burton and I had another baptism. We baptized three people from the Pendleton family. The husband was a convert at 9, and served a mission in the Canary Islands. He went inactive for a while, but wanted to get his life back no track. His wife has two ten-year-old twin sons and they have a five-year-old baby. We baptized the Wife and two sons. I performed the actual ordinance; it was a neat experience. The water was really low, however, and because of that, I had to redo one of the boys (his head didn't go all the way under). Brother Pendleton spoke at the baptism and it was really good. Missionary work is amazing.

Okay, random fact: the Hastings branch is part of the Kearney (pronounced car-knee ...weird, I know) Stake. Kearney stake is the largest geographical stake in the world. I guess that's what happens in Nebraska.

Transfers are this Thursday. I feel like I'm staying, but I don't know about Elder Burton. We'll just have to see.

I have two requests:
1- Can you send me some sheet music for Memory and other cool piano songs? I often go down to the church on preparation day and play, but I would really like some music to read. If you could also send the music for All of Me, by John Shmidt (I think it's in the book we have) I would love that.
2- Can you send me a few CDs? I don't have a CD player, but we can listen to them in the car. As of right now, we are using leftover CDs from other missionaries. They are good, but I would like some variety. Here are some suggestions of music I would really like:
-Mormon Tabernacle Choir
-Piano CDs (maybe cool-sounding hymns?)
-Soundtracks (Man from Snowy River and the like)
The sender would get my eternal love and might enjoy some Chipotle or something good when I get home....
Wait to send them till next week when you can send the package right to my appartment (I might be moving). Send letters to the mission office though.

Okay that's about all for this week. Sorry it's kind of short. I guess it's time for a little pre-mission insight for the Westwood Ward priests and any others who read it. Find some favorite scriptures and memorize the basic idea and the reference. Memorize one every week, and soon you will be armed with an arsenal of powerful passages. If you have at least one scripture no each topic, there will be few situations where one of them will not apply. The scriptures are so powerful, and we can harness that.

I love you all,
Elder Burnham