I love conference!

Alright so here is the update here in the beautiful South of the promised land. :) Things are progressing super fast and we have a lot of people to teach. Now are they all elect, well that is something we are working with still. What is good though is that we are finding and teaching and teaching and finding. We had some crazy experiences with investigators this week, but with more study and relying on the spirit we should be able to overcome them. One investigator wants to believe that studying scriptures is as easy as thinking of what you want to learn and just opening to a random page and God will have directed you to the answer that way. He then has shown us that he no longer wants to kneel and pray, but hold hands in a circle for more power. That was an awkward lesson having to stop these false traditions from who knows where and teach true doctrine. Another investigator won't receive an answer about the Book of Mormon because he is caught up on tangible evidence and not the spirit. He also expressed that the one true church has to have the correct restored pronunciation of God's name as found in his Hebrew bible. Well I don't about God's name ever being lost in the first place, but seeing as I am not well versed in the Hebrew language I couldn't help him out much. All I know is that he is letting all these small details that won't be made known to him yet impede his progression and his ability to receive a spiritual confirmation. And last we have an investigator who wants God to give her everything she wants now and is acting like a complete cookie monster about blessings when she is in a rough position and doesn't understand what she needs to do to change things. We have a lot of work to get done, but this is what makes studies in the morning super fun. :)

Well that is basically where we are at. Smithfield is great and I am loving all the people here. Sooooo... y'all are dealing with a perezoso. I am sorry to hear that he has no interest even when his own culture is all around him. Hearing about that makes me feel super bad for all those times that I whined about not wanting to do certain things with the family or not wanting to go somewhere because it was too much walking. Mom, I promise that when I get home I will stop and read every sign along any path with you. :) I would probably enjoy things like that so much more now. In fact I have already made it a goal to go walking with you in the morning if you are still doing that just so we can talk and enjoy that time. You probably can out walk me by now, but it will be worth it. Happy Birthday by the way. Life is speeding by.

Well I sure hope conference was as inspirational for y'all as it was for me. I always want to be a better missionary when I hear conference, but then there are those talks that make me trunky and want to be a better man all together when I get home. I am super thrilled to hear so much about missionary work. I sure hope the members here and there step up their game on finding people to teach. The work is hastening, but it will get a flat tire if we have all these missionaries out there and the members aren't stepping up to the plate just as much. When ward mission leaders were talked about I sent ours a text saying BOOYAH!!. He laughed, but I think he got the other part of that message as well which was basically saying we have to step it up. HE is by far the best ward mission leader I have had on my mission. Well that is all I really have time for for now, but I want to leave with one thing for dad. Here the bishops are like never heavily involved in helping the missionaries actually teach and stuff. I know they are busy, but it makes the elders so happy to know that the bishop is willing to go out with us too and it lets us know there is a trust. I don't know if you go out them much or if you even trust them, but if you do trust them and if you could please go out with them. It will make them feel more comfortable in the ward and it will help them feel they have trust with everyone. The bishop makes a huge impact on the elders in that area they are serving because we as missionaries get in the feelings of bishops being super busy and don't have time to deal with any part of our work except giving callings and making sure other people help us. We often fear even calling for help from the bishops family just because we don't want to make them feel like we are adding to their plate. If doing missionary work is adding to their plate then something is wrong. I just had this thought though and thought I would share it. I love you all a ton and am very grateful for everything you do for me. Hasta luego!

Con Amor,

Elder Burnham