Matt's email 1/28/2012

It was great to hear that all is well and that everyone is home from the land of eternal happiness in Hawaii. Now back to work right??
This past week, on Tuesday, we ended with the last of 11 zone conferences. It was a huge relief to be done but I had a blast being able to participate in it. Elder Menocal taught about how to begin teaching, seeing how the first few moments are so important in the progress of any investigator. We were also able to create a plan of action in the mission of how we are going to be able to baptize two people per month per companionship.. We were so blessed as we could put our minds together with the Lord and President and come up with ideas. We were able to reteach the plan 5-5-5, talk a lot more about references, explain retention and support President with his talk he gave on working with all our heart might mind and strength. As we were advancing with the zone conferences and learning about the principle of giving 100% to the Lord I realized just how true the principle of line upon line, precept upon precept really is. I was able to think a lot about the beginning of my mission and remember how my 100% in many ways is not the same as it is now. With added knowledge and capacity, our 100% is continually growing. That is one of the many reasons I feel blessed to be where I am now. I have the opportunity to go out with many missionaries and help them increase their 100% more rapidly. I would have killed to be able to go out in my first few transfers with an assistant and see what it was that he had to show me and in what ways I could do better. That was an opportunity that I never really had. For that reason I am excited to stay and work even more with the amazing missionaries that are here. I am humbled everytime I am with them and can feel their spirit and just the energy that they have to work. That is something that pushes me to become better each and every day.
After the zone conferences ended, we stayed up in Chimbas and spent the rest of the week with the missionaries up there. I was able to go out with a missionary from Peru and work in his area. It was a great experience. The goal of the exchange was to get permission from a mom for the daughter to get baptized, but sadly, we were unable to find the parents. We were able, however, to teach an amazing lesson with an 18 year old kid who is incredible and he then passed us a reference of a family with 16 children... We went and contacted the reference and the dad made us walk right in. This family was great. Then on Thurday I went with one of the zone leaders to another area to help get things ready for a few baptisms that they were going to have and we were only able to find one of the 2 people that were getting baptized. That was a bummer, but it was a great opportunity to show the elder that I was with that we are all the same and that we have citas fall too. Whenever I am doing exchanges, the missionaries always expect that everything goes perfectly, just because they are with me, but one thing that is hard for them to understand is that we all have the same calling. I am just a common missionary like everyone else who loves serving the Lord and depends on His hand to help me out in times of need. I know that my own strength is weak, but when I depend on Him, I am able to see miracles.
This next week coming up is going to be crazy. Another first week of the transfer with all the fun that comes with it! I love this work. I know this church is true. It is impossible that a church progresses so quickly and so perfectly unless it were guided by God from the heavens. I am so grateful for the opportunity to be a missionary. It is the best calling I have ever had and probably ever will have. I love you!
Elder Burr