Marc's Farewell Party

Last Saturday night, we enjoyed a night of family, friends and delicious food provided by Cam.  It was a wonderful way to show Marc how much we love him!

Matt's email 9/20/2010

So here I am in yet another new area with a new companion. It is crazy to think that a new transfer is starting. My companion is a super cool guy. His name is Elder Vazquez and he actually went to Provo High and knows Meg and Madisson. Pretty small world huh? But yeah this is his last transfer which means that for sure I will be staying at least two up here. What a relief. The area of Albardon is absolutely massive. I don´t think it is possible to walk from one end to the other in a day. It has also been really successful in the past so we will see what the Lord has in store. It is super hot up here already. I think it is pushing 85 every day and we are still in the winter. Pretty stunning going from 50 to 85 in one day but it is what it is. I don´t think Argentina really has transfer seasons like spring and fall: It is just really hot or cold... No inbetween. I love it up here though. The house we live in is just a straight up crib. It is way too legit. Also the mosquitoes up here are a joke. I think I wake up scratching like 5 new bites a day.
It sounds like Marcus and Kyle just tore it up with their farewell talks. I´m not surprised. Marcus is just massive. His arms... ridiculous. That is so crazy that he is leaving on Wednesday. I hope all goes well around the house. Don´t miss us too much alright?? It´s a pretty sad story that I wont be able to see them for the next 2 years but I can fight through. Oh and another quick story. On Thursday I had to conduct the first baptismal interviews of my life. They were sweet. The Spirit was felt really strongly. I had to interview 3 kids and a mom. I was really nervous to be honest, but all went well. It was a really good learning experience. Other than that not much has happened. Just living the dream here. Loving every minute of it. I hope you all have a great week. Keep praying for the people here in Argentina. I love you all.
Love
Elder Burr

Matt's email 9/13/2010

Well it is good to be writing all you all again. This week was super good here in Rivadavia. Elder Williams and I have just been preppin up the baptism pool getting some people ready to make one of the biggest steps of their lives. It is way sweet seeing the way people change once they come in contact with the Gospel. We are teaching a kid named Ariel and he is just a stud. He is 16 and jacks people up on the soccer field. Anyways we have gone past his house like every day this past week and his mom and grandma are always thanking us for teaching him and bringing him into the church. They tell us that they can´t believe the change that he has made and they have no problems with him getting baptized. It was nice to have someone that is super solid and actually has a future ahead of them. He seems pretty content with it all and loves learning so it´s all good. Other than him we have a few more that are pretty legit but their stories aren´t very cool. Also this week we had a meeting with President Lindahl and he said he had a trip planned for me and that he was kicking me to the curb. BUT... the sad news is that I will not be staying in Rivadavia anymore. We seemed to get a call from President last night informing Elder Williams that he will be training a new missionary and that I will be leaving. I have no idea what is going on but this will be my fourth transfer, fourth area, and fifth companion... Pretty stunning. President told me I will be headed to Agardón, San Juan. I don´t really know how to spell the name but yeah. It is the most northern area in the entire mission and he also informed me that I was going to be district leader. I was pretty shocked to find out that I was going to be district leader at so short a time, but it is what it is. San Juan is going to be ridiculously hot. I have heard that 120 is about the average up there. All the people here say the summers there are brutal, so I guess we will see.  But yeah that is the news for the week. Some new guy is walking into a ton of baptisms, and I am leaving them all. It is pretty disappointing, but when presidend receives revelation, he doesn´t let anything get in his way. I will be with Elder Vazquez, who I don´t know anything about, and we will just tear it up. I love you all. Congrats to Cam and Ashley. That is awesome. I wish them the best of luck in the next few years to come. Have a great week!

Love

Elder Burr

Matt's email 9/7/2010

You people back there have no idea how happy I am to look outside and see the sun shining, hear the birds chirping, and see the trees finally blossoming. It has seriously been the longest 9 month summer of my entire life, but it looks like things are finally staring to turn around. It is about time. It sounds like things have been pretty busy around the house, which would be a good thing I supose. It´s crazy to think that pretty soon that basement will be empty and mom and dad will just be staring at each other for 12 hours a day figuring out what they are going to do. Don´t let them get too bored ok Heather? Cam and Ashley are having their baby this week?? It seems like just yesterday they announced that Ashley was pregnant. Man I wish them the best of luck and I hope and pray that everything goes without a problem. The family is growing like a weed without me. I somehow have a niece and a nephew that I don´t know and pretty soon Olivia is going to have another one. (Prophecy from Matt Burr). Man the way things change. This week was pretty good down here in the ARG. Rivadavia is just too legit. The young men in the branch are the biggest studs. Every Sunday they bring one of their friends and they always are willing to leave with us when we ask them. They are super cool kids and help us out a ton. We put a date with one of their buddies named Ariel for the 18 of September. We are pretty confident he will make it, we just have to talk to his parents about it. I´m sorry I don´t write a lot about the investigators that we have. A lot of them are just kind of the mediocre people that are interested in the Gospel and progressing, but have some obstacles to overcome. I try to keep you informed on the people that really stick out and have a cool story, but that hasn´t happened for quite a while.
About the whole culture thing of these people... They are just crazy. They have this mixed up theory that the United States is full of thieves that want all the fresh water from Argentina and that we are spies here trying to find out how they live. We have also heard that we sold them bombs that were all duds and that is why they lost the Falkland Islands to England. Also, perhaps the most ridiculous, thing that we have heard is that they developed the most sophisticated fighter jet in the 80´s... You never would have thunk it right? These people life in houses with bamboo roofs and invented the most sophisticated fighter jet?? Yeah right. It´s way funny hearing how sweet they think their country is. They think it is just the bee´s knees down here. That´s about all I got for the new news. The time is flying down here. It´s crazy to think about the day I entered the MTC. Feels like Yesterday. I love you all. Do work.
Love
Elder Burr