Marcus heads to Guadalajara!

Marcus called today from the Houston airport. He was on his way to Mexico and should have arrived at about 2:30 p.m. He was very excited and anxious to get started on doing the Lord's work in that part of the world. Keep him in your prayers!

Matt's email 11/29/2010

Another week has come and gone, but what a great week it was. We had the opportunity to celebrate Thanksgiving with the neighbors in the same apartments complex deal. It wasn´t the same as home, but it is what it is. We bought 7 kilos of meat and had a killer asado, definitely something I will be bringing home with me. Perhaps the coolest part is that none of the neighbors are members, so we had a lot of chances to share points of doctrine with them and show them that those mormon missionaries are some pretty cool kids. Nobody really understood why we celebrate the holiday, but that is against the point. The good thing is that a lot of people got exposed to the Gospel. The other way we celebrated the thanksgiving weekend was with a baptism. I don´t know if I have written about brian, but he is the 10 year old brother of Franco, the kid I baptized about a month and a half ago. I had to opportunity to do the ordinance, which was an awesome experience to excersise the priesthood. Yesterday, the day of his confirmation, was the primary program. I have never, ever been more grateful for a well planned primary program. This thing was terrible. There were only like 15 kids, but I was seconds away from leaving. But to make a long story short, the bishop didn´t let me participate in the confirmation because I let Brian use my tie when he got confirmed. I guess he wanted to look legit, but it is what it is. It was the first sacrament meeting that I can remember where I didn´t wear a tie. I´m just trying to do what Jesus would do ha. Those are about the only two cool things that are worth writing about. Other than that this week was pretty average. Elder Orduña and I will probably be together one more transfer, but we have some great people lined up. We are hoping for the best here in Albardon. The fruit up here is incredible by the way. The peaches, apricots, and plums are all in season and I have never tasted anything quite so sweet in my life. We have bags and bags of them in the fridge and everytime we pass an orchard we always pick some goodies off the trees. I feel almost like I am in the Garden of Eden, except it is full of white garbage bags and cigarettes. I love it up here though. The weather is great. It gets hotter than hot when we sleep and I always wake up soaking wet, but it´s all part of the experience.
It sounds like everything went well on Thanksgiving day. I´m sure there is a lot of left over turkey in the zip lock bags. I want you all to know that I´m doing great. I am loving it here on the mission, it is nothing I thought it would have been, but it is awesome. I love you all and hope you have a great week

Marc's email 11/23/2010

Dear family,
Your boi, the one and only, the most met is going to mexico before next tuesday. I went to the consolate today up in salt lake and got my visa. now i am just waiting for my flight plans then its off to guadalajara. I dont know what day for sure and i also wont be able to tell you unless it is after next tuesday so basically dad be expecting a phone call sometime between now and next tuesday. they are really convenient at giving me news so that is about all i know. So mom i need to get my new license here and i can take presents if they are small and few. I really dont know what i need i would love a new tie or something considering the fact i love ties now days. i will be sending a package home with stuff that i cant take and my picture card and stuff. Anyway to say the least i cant wait. I am absolutely terrified but its what i came out here to do and I know the Lord is on my side. It was weird cause my comps and I were saying our guesses of when we were leaving and i said, two weeks ago, that the 23 of noviembre we will go to the consolate. today in the temple i felt that "yep today is your day Elder Burr" and what do you know, i got hooked. Its amazing how much the Lord loves His missionaries. I feel as if every single one of my prayers has been answered from the simplest to the most complex prayers i know ever one of them has been answered. Dad i am proud of you for the protest our whole government blows. I hope that we get the best out of that and sorry for what that guy said. we all know government workers. Also i am jealous you get to go get the mooney i love that airplane. did you hear about the crash in Draper?? aparently there was a plane from uvu that crashed. To answer your thoughts, I am out here to be a sower. I would be fine with not getting one baptism as long as i planted seeds. The reaper is the one that gets all the glory. the reaper is the quarterback who thinks that they are all glorious because they get the praise. I am here to baptize but i am here more to plant seeds of Christ. I want to be a sower. Also i would love to have that chapter emailed to me. that story about craig is absolutely unbelievable and i am pretty pumped for him. I hope he loves it. Mom thank you for spending time with quade and taking him out to eat. Thank you mom and dad for the wingers. I cant even begin to describe how good it was and how warm and fresh and succulent and just unbelievable they were. Thank you so much for that and also for everything else. It sounds like Thanksgiving will be a headache. My day will consist of some study, Thanksgiving meal at 12, some service, sack dinner, and a program of some sort. Pretty lame day if you ask me but ill take whatever just as long as i get out of here. I hope everyone is doing good and i pray for you all. I know the Savior lives and I know that only through Him we can return. I know we have a plan on this earth and i know our Heavenly Father only wants us to be happy. I know Jesus Christ atoned for me and for everyone. I know that God answers prayers and He is our loving Heavenly Father. I know that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God and he restored the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I know this church is true with all of my heart. Mom and Dad thank you for everything. Thank you for being the best parents in the world and thank you for the example you set. I love you all so much and next time you hear from me is on the phone. Have a great week and mom please send that stuff so i can get it before i leave. Thank you for everything family you are the best

Matt's email 11/22/2010

Well I send some great big hellos to everyone out there reading this email. I know it is Thanksgiving week and you won´t be blessed with my presence, but I hope you all enjoy yourselves and have very happy holidays. The mission life up here in Albardon is awesome. This past week was great and there isn´t much more I could ask. Elder Orduña and I are doing good. We are working hard, knowing that this transfer is rapidly coming to a close. It is incredible how fast the time flies out here. If only the school days were like this. That would be a dream.
There was a lot that happened this past week so I ask for your patience as you read this email. The first blessing that happened occured on Wednesday. We were studying the area book, trying to find new people to teach and we ran across a name that looked promising. We planned her into the next day and passed by her house. When we arrived, we were surprised to see a dentist sign marking her house. We entered as if we were clients and took our seat. We waited for a minute and then came Dina. This lady is by far one of the craziest ladies I have ever met. She would get along really well with mom. But anyways we started talking and realized that she had already heard about the Gospel and she was more of a friend to the missionaries than an investigator. We didn´t want to waste a lot of time there, but I was going to take advantage of the time we had. As we sat talking, I remembered  that dentists are really good at cleaning teeth. I then ventured into my mind, thinking about teeth cleaning, and remembered that I had a permanent retainer that was really hard to keep clean. I asked her if she had one of those threader deals that the orthodontist gives and to my dismay, she didn´t. Knowing that the Lord blesses His missionaries, I ventured out on a limb and asked if she had an extra one of those little pokey deals that the dentist uses to scratch around. She asked me why I would use it, and then willingly hooked me up! So now I have a tool to clean behing my retainer! Pretty sick story right? But then another story, more spiritual than comical, happened on Saturday. We entered into an appointment that we had set on Wednesday with a couple that was super Evangelical. When we came up to the house we saw the husband just chillin. We asked if we could enter, but he told us that he had to leave to look for one of his kids. He then, without warning, began bearing his testimony of the Evangelical church. He was talking, and talking and talking, to the point where it became ridiculous. I have never heard so many absurd stories. He told us that God gave him  his house, and his car, just because a simple prayer. He told us that he has used the power of God to cast out devils, heal the sick, and condemn certain people. He also went as far as to condemn Elder Orduña. He asked us if we really believe that the Book of Mormon is inspired by the Holy Ghost. We all said yes, and he followed with a condemnation. This guy was a joke. He was the biggest liar/apostate preacher that I have ever seen. The power showed itself when we both butted in and bore testimony of the things that we know. He was left speechless. He couldn´t answer one question we asked him. The only thing he had against us was the fact that he felt sadness when he read the Book of Mormon with his pastor. What a surprise right? When 2 people get together, with the intent to find evidence to attack the mormon missionaries with doctrine, and they feel sadness. Hmm it makes someone wonder. He was more corrupt than anyone I have ever seen, but through the midst of it all I realized the strength of a testimony. I don´t mean to say that my testimony is the biggest, most powerful testimony in the world, but it is enough for me to know, without a doubt, that the church is true. I know that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the World. That God is our Eternal Heavenly Father and that he loves us as a father loves his children. I know that the Book of Mormon was written as convincing evidence that Jesus is the Christ. That it was written by prophets of old, living here on the American Continent. What they wrote is real. They saw what they said they saw. The heavens have not been closed. Joseph Smith saw God the Father and Jesus Christ. His story isn´t a fable. He was called by God to be the Prophet of the Restoration. He did translate the Book of Mormon. I don´t have a single doubt about that. The Atonement of Jesus Christ is the most valuable principle that there is on the earth. It is the only way that we can come to have eternal happiness. It is the means by which we can become clean from the stains of the world. Yeah the mistakes we make here are stupid and they bring sadness and feelings of guilt, but with true repentance comes true forgiveness. A divine forgiveness. A forgiveness that words can´t describe. The power of God is real. He is a God of Miracles. This is the true church of Jesus Christ, the Kingdom of God here on the earth. We are so blessed to have it in our lives, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to share it with the people of Argentina. I love you all. I hope you all have a great week. Keep me in your prayers is all I ask.

Marc's email 11/16/2010

So it sounds like everybodys week was a good one. If it makes anybody feel any better Elder Bednar spoke to us last tuesday and that was awesome. He just gave a lesson on how if we want people to change we need to teach the doctrine and principles rather than the application. as we teach the doctrine and if they truly believe it they will apply it to their lives. it was really good. it sounds like the family is holding up. Heather thank you for the letter and happy birthday! how old are you almost 40? dang dont worry im almost 20! life somehow seems to be going way too fast. I dont get it one bit but time goes by so fast but slow here it isnt even funny. but cool experience of the week. I officially have an investigator. I called her on a referral from a former room mate and we talked this week on the phone. She is old and cant see so i read her the introduction to the Book of Mormon over the phone and we talked about it. She doesnt want missionaries to go to her house but she is willing to let me call her so i think that is pretty cool. I challenged her to read Mormon 10, she said she would have her daughter read it to her and she said she would pray about it. It was absolutely terrifying calling her but i cant wait to call her this week. I know it sounds lame but flippin i will convert her through the phonelines. That was pretty much the highlight of my week. I found out that i do have my permiso so i will not be reassigned. It is very likely that i will only be a week or two later than my actual departure date but nobody really knows. All i know is that I go to the consolate then a few days later i bounce. So either expect it in an email or have dad expect a phone call on his cell phone since that is what i am going to call considering the fact nobody else answers their phones. I havent forgotten that dont worry. I have seen Justin around and I have actually seen alot of people i know around this place. As cool as that is, the MTC is definitely getting really old and really mundane. I have never read so much in my life, but i figure that the more i read the more the Lord will bless me in times of need. Dad it sounds like that job in beaver is just another forest service conundrum. why do you think the forest service would ever be smart? they never have been. It sounds like the SLC job was awesome and would have been awesome to see. I am happy to hear that lance is purrin like usual, I miss flying so bad. mom i will send that paper to you but i want a copy back so just make a copy and send it back please. it is an awesome piece of information. my scripture i want is DC 35:13 talking about weak things thrashing the nations. I love it. K family well i love you all. I love this work and the happiness the gospel brings to my life. I know the Book of Mormon is true and the word of God. I am so grateful for this opportunity to serve and am so thankful for all of you. I love you all. Have a great week.

Matt's email 11/15/2010

Dearest mother,
It sure does sound like you had a crazy week. Trying to stay busy with the family and the ¨friends¨ if that is what you call them. That´s awesome that you are starting such a Christ centered holiday season. It is hard for me to find the holidays here. It is hard to do when the weather pattern is completely turned upside down and dumped on my head. But the days come and go here as if they were nothing. It´s almost depressing, but I am loving it. Every day I try to comprehend the fact that I am just a 19 year old boy lost in the middle of nowhere, trying to get by with the Book of Mormon plastered in my hand everywhere I go. It is such a blessing to hold so much power every day. It is something that the people just don´t realize. Last night we decided to go to a family that is going through some pretty hard times. The husband is just a punk, the daughters are super solid and the wife just doesn´t know what to do. They are the Zarate family. They were baptized about 5 years ago. Anyways we got to their house and there was an evangelical missionary there! We were just too stunned, but we entered anyway. This guy was rocking a size extra small cut off shirt, a sick military hairdoo, and jean shorts. Apparently he got out of jail in june and now he is a missionary?? Yeah what? But he tried telling us that anyone with the GIFT to teach is a prophet and you don´t have to have any special calling from God. He was also trying to show us all these scriptures in the Bible, but he couldn´t find one. He would always use the phrase, ¨the word has told us.¨ He was a real show this guy. But in the end we both bore powerful testimony of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon and the family decided to join our side and bear testimony to this guy. I felt bad for the kid, but what was he thinking trying to combat the truth and steal one of our member families? God obviously won´t let that happen. It was a great experience to use the knowledge God has given me and to see where I really am with respect to the Bible and the teaches it has. Also just to update you on the family of Viviana and the kids. She is doing really well. We had to chance to visit with her a few times. She loves the Book of Mormon. She knows and recognizes the power it has, but she doesn´t want to accept the fact that she has to go to church. It is quite the challenge, but I´m sure that with the power of prayer, God will work a miracle in her.
This past week I had the opportunity to to divisions with another elder in the district. We had an interview to do so I made my way over to his area. While we were there, the whole city had an earthquake simulation deal so the entire military unit was in town. They had helicopter and airplanes flying all around and the kids thought the world was going to end. They have never seen such a thing.  Apparently in the year 1977 there was a massive earthquake there and because of the fact that nobody was prepared, they decided that it might be a good idea to teach the people what to do when the next one hits. I think it might be a little easier to just listen to the Prophet. What do you think?
Anyway that´s about all I got. I love you. I hope you have a fantastic week. I am so blessed to have been born in such an awesome family. I love you all.
Love
Elder Burr

Marc's email 11/9/2010

Yeah another week did come and go. I still dont believe it but the time is just flying by. This week was pretty good. started out last tuesday by listening to M. Russell Ballard talk to us about becoming master communicators. He said the most important tool is our smile.. hopefully mine will suffice. Also i am pretty sure tonight is another apostle so that will make 4 in a row. It is way cool cause an hermana in my district has hook ups so we get on like the second row. it is awesome. also this week i have been praying for patience. I have learned that when you pray for things the Lord will test you. One day i was playing 4 square. Yes 4 square and these elders who were here from their reassignment were playing with us. they thought they were cool or something and were playing so dirty so i took it upon myself to beat them. as i did this and after i was already in my room, elder summers told me that behind my back they were saying stuff like "good thing he has those biceps to play 4 square". Who does that? Needless to say i wanted to kill someone. Then sunday came around and I was talking to elder Roden about some personal stuff before the Devo even started and this kid turned around and said "I think we should sing and not talk". First of all no dont ever tell me what to do. Second the meeting hasnt even started. Third i did not come here to have some self righteous elder like you tell me what to do. So basically i discovered that when you pray for things, be ready to get tested. All sounds well at the casa. Heather it sounds like you and your family are just livin the dream. That picture album i got today was the best thing i have ever gotten, my district loves the kids. Mom thank you so much for all of the packages, some nights that is all i eat cause the food here is so bad. Ben and Olivia...... Still havent heard from you. Cam congrats on the blessing i am sure it was incredible. Dad you surely left me hanging this week on the email. I know your busy its all good in the hood. How are the jobs coming along? The crew? I know if you need help york chappuis would love to work for you. Travel plans... still have no clue what is going to happen but at this point ill go wherever i am sent. I am getting anxious to leave here, it feels like we just spin our wheels during class anymore and i am just ready to get out and spread my wings. I should know by next week what my future is. Well family i still have to email matt so keep on livin it. I love you all and i love this work. I know Jesus Christ is our Savior and I know we are here to be happy. I know Joseph Smith was a true prophet and I know and love the Book of Mormon. Im out until next week. your boi Elder Burr

Matt's email 11/8/2010

Oh buddy you fellows don´t even know how hot and dusty it was yesterday up here in Albardón. I seriously felt like I was walking into the furnace with Shadrac Meshac and Abed Nego. I don´t know if I have ever told you what Viento Zonda is here, but basically it is when the temperatures all sky rocket and then the wind comes. The thing is that the wind isn´t your normal, refreshing wind. No. The wind is even hotter than the air is. And to make things worse, it contains all the gross Argentine garbage ashes and dead dogs and half eaten diapers... All the things that you don´t want to breathe in, but you do anyway. We luckily found refuge in the house of some recent converts. We started teaching them how to have efficient family home evenings, but right in the middle the lights, water and phone lines all got cut. We were basically stranded up there until like 10 40. Then to make things worse, all the fake taxis were out. We thought we were toast, but then came the miracle. Just as we started to make the 2 and a half hour walk back to the apartment, a member passed by, saw us suffering in the elements, and drove us back to the pench. It was definitely an answer to our prayers. Other than that the week went pretty well. On Tuesday we met yet another family that is just golden. We had talked to the mom about a week earlier while I was offering to water peoples dirt and she told us to come back later. We decided to pass by on Tuesday night to see how she was doing, and she just couldn´t stop telling us how intelligent we were. She was impressed that we walk around all day in the heat, cold, wind, rain and everything else mother nature can throw at us, knocking doors and talking to the people. She has a lot of respect for us and loves the Book of Mormon. She remembered at 2 in the morning on Wednesday that she still had to read it and she said she received her answer right there. It was incredible. It is a family of 4 and we are hoping for the best. As for Lourdes and Patricia, the others we found last sunday. They are doing awesome. Lourdes loves the lessons and seems to have a good time listening to my accent. She says that it sounds like here friend´s accent from Spain, so that is pretty cool. Apparently I have a Spaniard accent... awesome ha ha. Life here is still going just great though. Elder Orduña and I are doing work up here. He is a way funny kid. His dad is 72 and his mom is 51... Yeah. He has a lot of cool stories from New York and says I can go over and chill with him in the big city whenever I want. I have received so many hook ups here on the mission, it isn´t even funny. I am loving it out here though. The time is going by way too fast. It seems like the days here are way less than 24 hours, but man when I hit that pillow I can definitely feel it. We do more walking than an Arab in the desert, but I love it. Kicking rocks gets more and more fun every day. The Gospel is true. The church has been restored. Joseph Smith is the Prophet of the Restoration. I love my mission.
Love
Elder Burr

Marc's email 11/2/2010

Dear family,

So another week has come and gone and I dont know where the other 6 days went. I dont get how the time goes by so slow and fast at the same time but it does and it is awesome. This week was awesome. On our tuesday night devo a week ago elder scott came and talked to us about following the spirit and listening to it. He gave us a hand out thing that has like 40 points on ways to follow the spirit and i guarantee once the outside world gets a hold of it it will become scripture. I will try to send a copy home but the coolest part was when he bore his testimony. he started it off by saying he didnt want to close as elder scott but rather as an apostle of the Lord. He ended saying "He loves us. I love Him. I know Him." so pretty much an apostle said he has seen and knows Christ. The Spirit there was incredible. Not to mention his three apostolic blessings he gave to all the the missionaries. He gave us the gift of tongues pretty much saying that he does it through the apostolic power that he has he invoked it upon us. It was amazing. Sorry mom for not answering your questions in the dear elder last week i seemed to have gotten it after i emailed so i have to wait until right now. I loved the package and so did my district. The sobe energy drink thing was a miracle cause it has just a little caffeine in it and that worked miracles. Also the beef jerky i got is all gone. could be a hint for some more. I hear the Utah is creepin up on the BCS boards? that is tight. Also evan sounds like a ton of fun. No matter how old we get he will always just tell us to expect some pressure and some wiggling. I hope we are all used to it. Visas... I dont have mine yet but i think i will know by next pday a little bit more. If they think that i will get it within two weeks of when i am supposed to leave they will keep me here but if not they usually reassign. one kid i know got reassigned to Birmingham Alabama so it is very possible that i get sent out there with holy waffles. I am just ready to get out of here. i am at the point where we have learned all of the spanish lessons and I just need to practice. but i know the time will fly. My district couldnt be any better. I got put into a threesome companionship with elder gonzalez and it is so fun every day. I think the Lord knew that i couldnt handle this place with a bunch of met kids. Also 4 square is my new sport. I just make alliances and never lose.. It gets intense. But anway it sounds like you are all busy. let me know about Mike and stuff and Dad it sounds like you have some work ahead of you. 4 helicopters is going to be alot hopefully the landing can keep up or else clint and randy might be layin down the wood. hopefully randy doesnt unleash the fury that would suck for them. But hey at least you are working and that is a blessing. I finished the BoM this week and that book is so good. I read it in about 3 weeks and i love it. As a missionary it was so powerful and I know without a doubt that it is true. I love the book of Alma and pretty much the whole thing. The people in that book are studs. I also know that the Lord answers prayers. this last week I Have had 6 prayers answered and i know He answers our prayers. I love this work and I cant wait to get out and get people to realize what really matters in life. Its crazy the change i have felt in my life and i love it. I know before this i was completely different and that was definately not worth it. I love our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and i love being His hands and His missionary. But im out i have to go eat some nasty food. wouldnt mind some protein bars and some snacks.. Mom and Dad you are the best i love you guys so much. Every day i realize how amazing you are and i wish i honestly realized how amazing you are before this. but anyway family keep on keepin on. i love you all.

Elder Burr

Matt's email 11/1/2010

Man halloween definitley isn´t as cool here as it was back home. The people here had no idea what it was, but it was a great tool to use to talk to people and share the message of the gospel, so it was all good. This week was awesome. We have continued finding a lot of new people and many of them have been committed to baptism. With the help of the Lord, we will be seeing many miracles here in Albardon. I believe the greatest miracle of the week came just yesterday. After church and the siesta we set out to contact a few references that we had received. It was all going pretty well until the last guy. He was a brother of one of the members in the ward and he and his wife had recently lost a baby. He lived in a shack. The dumpiest house that I have ever seen, but he was still too pridefull to let the missionaries in. It was pretty hard being rejected by someone like that, but we continued, trying our hardest to help the people. A few hours later we saw a lady out watering her front dirt, and me, being the professional dirt waterer that I am, asked her if I could help. She accepted and bam, the Spirit took over. Before I knew it she had turned off the water and told us to sit down. We began talking about the church and explaining where it was when she said, ¨Oh the big beatiful church on the Nacional? I always thought that it was just an abandoned building. I have always wanted to go inside, but nobody is ever there.¨ As a missionary, you dream for times like this. People that are willing to come to church without putting up a fight. Then after saying that, her 18 year old daughter came out and her mom explained everything that we had told her and the daughter told us that she has dreamed about going into the church. It was amazing. They both accepted to come next sunday, and they both seemed really excited. The only problem is that the daughter recently converted to an Evangelical church, so we have to save her before she goes too far. It was an awesome experience and taught me that following the Spirit is the only way to do this work. You can knock every door in the city 10 times over again, but it won´t do you any good until you have the Spirit.

I am glad to hear that everyone is doing good back at home. It sounded like you all had a very happy halloween. It seems like the past 10 halloweens have been rainy and cold. Maybe it is because of the global warning. One last quick fact... The ex president of Argentina passed away on Wednesday. You would have thought that he was best friends with everyone in this country. Everything closed down for 2 days to mourn his loss. These people will use whatever excuse they can to get out of work. You used to think that Marcus and I are lazy, you should see an Argentina. Anyway I love you all. I pray for you daily. I know the Lord lives and He directs this church. The Holy Ghost is the spirit of God given to all who are worhty and have been baptized. It is the most valuable gift we could every have.

 

Have a great week

Elder Burr