Matt's email 3/10/2012 #2

You have just converted yourself into a mountain biking fool huh?
> That's great though that you are out having a good time and checking
> out all the sweet digs in St. George. I'm going to be honest, 23
> miles sounds like a whole lot of bike riding, but I'm sure you just
> have a blast.
> This past week has been excellent. It is impossible for me to
> imagine that it is all coming to a very rapid close. The simple fact
> of not being able to accept it has helped me keep the foot on the
> old accelerator pedal. I seriously feel that I have grown this past
> week more than I have in any other week of my mission. I have had my
> mind open up to many new realizations and I have come to really
> comprehend the idea that yeah maybe my two years as a full time
> missionary may be coming to a close, but the mission experience has
> no end. I will never stop being a missionary.
> I have also realized the importance of continual spiritual growth. I
> have been able to think about many different situations that I have
> been placed into here on the mission and I have been able to
> evaluate how I reacted in each one. I wish that I could take the
> knowledge and the experience that I have right now back to those
> situations and hit the redo button. The 100% that I was giving a
> year ago would only be like a 25% of what I am giving now. It's
> amazing what happens when one grows.
> This weekend is going to be awesome. We are leaving in about an hour
> to go with President and Hermana Avila. This afternoon we will be
> working with the zone leaders, doing exchanges with them. I'm
> excited to get out and away from these offices and get my hooves
> dirty. Then tomorrow we have the stake conference where I will
> hopefully see many old friends. I will be setting up some times with
> them when I can bring you and Mom around so you can meet them and
> trust me, we will be eating quite a bit of food so you may want to
> begin fasting now. I hope you don't plan on keeping the rules of the
> diet here because that won't be possible! When we get back tomorrow
> I will be finishing up with the last minute preparations before I
> have my exit interview with President then I will have the
> interview, in the which I am sure that my mind will be blown, then
> it's off to stuff up the old Ogios. Monday I will finish packing up
> the stuff, I will probably go to centro with Elder Menocal so he can
> buy some souvenirs, then we have the farewell dinner, then it's off
> to the cama. Then comes Tuesday.... What a great day it is going to
> be! Giving the old man a big bear hug and then seeing mom... It is
> too good to be true. Right now it is hard for me to completely
> comprehend it, but the day will come. I hope you have a great travel
> and that you get here well rested because we are going to have a
> blast!
> I love you dad. You're the greatest!
> Elder Burr

Matt's email 3/10/2012 #1

Well Mom, I know you are sleeping right now seeing how it is like 5 in the morning, but I just wanted to write you a quick email and let you know I love you! I can't believe how close the time is that I am going to be able to see and hug you again! It is going to be great! I still remember so vividly that day when I began this amazing journey and now here I am a 21 year old grown up! What happened there?! This mission has changed my life. I am so excited to share some of it with you and Dad. It is going to be such a blessing for me! I hope that you have a great travel and that you take yourself some Ambien because it's a long one!
Right now I am off to San Juan with the Avilas to go to some work with the zone leaders and visit their stake conference tomorrow. I am way excited for the travel and for the work that I am going to be able to do! I love being a missionary and I'm so happy that it doesn't all end when I step off that plane!

Love your son
Elder Burr

Matt's email 3/3/2012

Well it sounds like February is now packed up in the bags. I can´t believe how fast that month passed by. Everytime I want to look at the calendar I realize that 3 or 4 days have passed. It is incredible the rate at which time is going by. Hopefully real life doesn´t go by this fast because if it does I will be 85 and in a motorized cart in no time.
This week was just jammed packed with important events. On Monday we had all the zone leaders up in Mendoza so that we were able to have a Pday together. They all got here in the morning and we played some basketball and soccer all morning then we had a great spiritual discussion on miracles and what precedes them and after that we sent them out to work and were left to plan all of the consejo that we had with them on Tuesday. After we finished with the consejo I was able to go out pretty much all day on Wednesday with Elder Wheeler and we had an amazing day. We went to contact a man that we had talked to a while back and when we got to his house we noticed that he had one of those handy little intercom doorbell deals on his wall. Those things are not very missionary friendly, but we pushed it anyway and noticed that a girl had attended us. We asked for her dad and she cut the line. About 2 minutes later we heard somebody fuddling around with the keys at the door and in no time we found ourselves talking with the same girl that had attended us. She is amazing. As we were talking with her we noticed the mom in the background sweeping and we began to talk to her as well. We were at the door conversing when the girl, Vanina, asked us if we had eaten anything all afternoon. We told her we had not and so she invited us in for a cake deal. We passed and started talking a little bit more in depth with Vanina about God and about the church. She began telling us how she doubts that the Catholic church is true and she was saying that if there is only one God, there should be only one church. Just as we were about to start with the Restoration, her mom said that the cake thing was done. Vanina left and came back with a platter full of cake and two cups of.... Tea... We quickly refused the tea and told her how God has law of health and then she offered us the cake. We each grabbed a little piece and began eyeing it a little bit. She then informed us that the cake was made with red wine.... OH MAN I was just speechless. She then promised us that the alcohol had all evaporated out and that all was left was grape juice. Let´s just hope she was right! The lesson we had with her was incredible though and she is reading the Book of Mormon like a champ. She´s great and I hope all works out well with her. On Thursday we had the old new missionaries with their trainers in and we had another training meeting with them. Yesterday we had a new missionary in that we had to get all oriented with his companion and all that and then today was just great. In Mendoza there is this holiday called Vendimia. It is basically to be able to celebrate the grape harvest and the wine in Mendoza. The main act is the parade though. Just imagine the provo 4th of July parade, but instead of child themed floats, a beauty pageant. It was really a cool experience to see. Mendoza has the coolest culture. The beauty queens of each department in Mendoza each had their own float and they all threw out fruits. They threw grapes, peaches, watermelons, melon dew, plums, just the whole cornicopia. It was amazing BUT obviously as missionaries dressed in white shirts we stood out like big fat sore thumbs which was a huge benefit because these beauty queens always threw us everything. It was great. Plus we were able to spend the entire day with the Ávila family, which always makes for an incredible day. I will attach some pictures so don´t worry!

Other than that not much is going on. My two homeboys got confirmed on Sunday which always makes me happy. This week I´m going all out. On Wednesday we have a training meeting with the new district leaders, we have a lot to teach to Elder Jacobs and we also have to help with transfers but bring it on! It´s going to be an amazing week. On Saturday elder Menocal and I are heading up to Chimbas with President because we have a few converts receiving the Melchezidek Priesthood in Stake conference so that is going to be awesome. Other than that, nothing is new. I am still just living the dream. I have no doubt that this is the only true and living Gospel over the entire earth and it is the only Gospel that will bring us exaltation if we apply it everyday in our lives. I love my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I am so grateful for him and for his sacrifice on my behalf. I love you all and wish you all a great week!!

Elder Burr

Matt's email 2/25/2012

Hey I´m just writing you letting you know that I got your emails and everything is going great. We just finished baptizing Gaston, who is a miracle that I will have to tell you about a little bit later but today was definitely just a mix of emotions. It was amazing though and I was able to baptize a very good friend.
I got your package on valentine´s day and I absolutely loved it! The dried mangoes hit the spot!
I have one more favor to ask of you... So Gaston, this kid we just baptized, loves the brand Penguin. SO.... It would be amazing if you could pick this kid up a sweet Penguin t shirt or tie for an awesome baptismal gift. I hope you catch the drift. You will get to know him and feel his spirit, but he would absolutely love something like that. I´m sorry for the late notice, but know that you would be helping the cause. Gaston is the kid in picture number 1214... he is a stud!

Love you mom. I hope you have a great time celebrating my birthday without me!
Love,
Elder Burr

Matt's email 2/18/2012

Well I'm glad the 3 ward dance went well... For some reason I don't
think I will be attending those activities, but I'm sure you both had
a BLAST! I sure hope that you were able to dance with dad... I am sure
that it has been a LONG time since you have done that...
To answer one of the questions you asked, no I have not talked to Emma
in a very long time. I think it has been close to a year, but that's
sad that she had to break up with her boyfriend... I guess I will be
praying for her so that she can feel better and find someone even
better! That's crazy that Carissa is getting married... I thought that
she would already have a kid by now, but it looks like I was wrong!
When is she getting hitched?
This past week was just a blast. I left with Elder Jacobs on Monday
and we hit the road for Villa Mercedes. We got there and early that
day the entire city had been flooded so I am sure you can imagine the
heat, humidity and the mosquitos that were all pestering me. It was
quite the experience. On Tuesday we went to the district meetings in
the morning then I went out with one of the zone leaders to an area
called Justo Daract. The area is pretty close to the border of Cordoba
and it is a beautiful little city full of a bunch of grumpy old men. I
have never been rejected so badly as I was there, but it was all an
amazing learning experience. I honestly felt like every time I opened
my mouth to talk to someone, the automatic punching glove came out and
hit me in the teeth. It was an amazing experience to be able to
testify to these people about the truthfulness of this Gospel and
invite many of them to repentence, just as Abinadi had done with King
Noah. Even though I was being rejected, I still felt that my purpose
was being achieved, and that brought me great happiness. There are so
many stories that I wish I could write right now, but I am afraid they
are all going to have to wait until a further time because they are
going to be a lot better in person.
I am happy that all is going well in your life. I love you a lot. You
are the greatest mother in the world!
Elder Burr

Matt's email 2/4/2012

Well another week has come and gone and I have been left wondering where in the world it went. We started last Monday at about 9 in the morning and didn´t stop until last night at 10 at night. It was a week jam packed with stuff and little of it had to do with investigators which was something that made me sad. I feel that sometimes the investigators that we have slip lower and lower on the priority level as our weeks are filled with conferences and training meetings and planning meetings and all that stuff, but I have felt that the Lord has given me strength in my times of trials and has directed my actions towards Him.
This week Elder Menocal and I were able to receive the new assistant, Elder Jacobs. He is a great missionary and I feel privileged to be able to be with him as his companion and help him learn the ropes around here. These next few weeks we will be around travelling with him throughout the mission and working with the zone leaders and helping close off some baptisms. It is going to be an incredible transfer and we will be baptizing a fair share in our area, which makes the work only that much better.

Today as I was studying the Book of Mormon I read something that I absolutely loved and taught me a ton about Nephi and his character. I was reading in Chapters 31-33 in 2nd Nephi when Nephi was talking about why Jesus Christ was baptized. This chapter is one of the most used chapters in missionary work but there was something that really caught my attention. In a few different occasions Nephi quotes words from the Father and then he quotes words from the Son. First of all, that must have been a HUGE spiritual experience for Nephi. To hear the voice of both the Father and the Son as they testified of each other. That would have been an amazing experience for him. Nephi then concluded his teaching of the doctrine of Christ and then said that the Spirit stopped his utterance. Nephi, being obedient, quit talking and then invited his people to pray. This story applies so much to the missionary work. There have been so many times where I have been in lessons with my companion and we have been talking about baptism and we have been inviting people to be baptized and the people struggle against the Spirit. Once we see that the person is not going to accept the baptismal invitation we always end up leaving them with the commitment to pray. It was the exact same model the Nephi used and it works like a charm. Nephi is an incredible example of a fantastic missionary.

On Thursday we had the opportunity to be with the zone leaders and teach them a little bit about what it takes to ¨Mark the Path.¨ It was great being able to plan for it but what made it even better was the video we used of the Blue Angels and how there is always someone calling the shots and organizing the formation. We related this to the role of a zone leader and how they are the companionship in the zone that calls the shots and guides the formation. It is hard to explain in an email, but it turned out great. We were able to have a great meeting with them and they all left excited to work which is a big mission complete.

I´m sorry this email is all over the place, but I hope you were able to get the point. I am super excited for this week to come and for the opportunity to go out and work with the zone leaders. It is going to be a great experience.

Well not much else to report on the battlefield. I´m still loving life and having a blast out here. I love preaching the Gospel to the Argentine people. It is an amazing experience and it has changed my life forever. I know that this is the work of salvation. It is more than just baptizing converts, it is strengthening the infrastructure of the full and true Gospel of Jesus Christ. I love it!

Love,
Elder Burr

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

Matt's email 1/21/2012

Well I just wanted to let you all know that I am still alive after a long week of zone conferences. We started early Monday morning and didn´t stop until midnight of last night. Tuesday morning we woke up at 4 to make our long journey over to Villa Mercedes where we began the travelling. It was a great wake up call, but before the conference even started I was already tired. My body clock didn´t like that very much but after the zone conference we made our way back into San Luis to prepare for the zone conference with them on Wednesday. I found out that Zulema is still way active and she is preparing to go to the temple in May! There is another family of converts that are still active, but they still have a few more obstacles to jump before they can make it to the temple. On Wednesday we had the zone conference in San Luis and at about 8 at night we started another long travel down to San Rafael. When we got there, it was way late and there was only ONE motel room in the entire city so to make a long story short, President, Elder Menocal and I all slept in the same, tiny motel room. Elder Menocal slept on a mattress thrown on the floor, President got a decent bed, and I slept on the foam pad placed on a bed frame. I didn´t have a pillow or sheets, but it was still a night for the records. We woke up early, excited to be up for the next day, and had the zone conference with San Rafael and then returned to the same motel for the night. This time they had switched up our rooms and we finally had decent living conditions, but the three of us were still in the same room. Yesterday we finished up the long week in Alvear and then coming back we ran into another mess. Just as we got on the highway, the famous Alvear hail storms hit us hard. We had to pull off to the side of the road in order to escape the falling rocks and spare the windshield and man was that a journey. We were all super tired, ready to be home, and now waiting on mother nature to do her thing. After about 15 mintues of waiting we finally got on the road again. Heading back to Mendoza we saw a sign indicating us to make a left turn off the the highway... Note to self: DO NOT TRUST THE STREET SIGNS IN ARGENTINA. After about 30 minutes of travelling down this po dunk road it all of a sudden turned into dirt... Yeah it wasn´t the right road. Not even close. SO we turned around and turned on the GPS and tried digging ourselves out of the predicament we were in. As we went following the GPS we noticed that it told us to make another random right hand turn. We doubted, but then decided to follow the 21 century liahona. This time we were on a paved road for a while and, not to our surprise, it suddenly turned into dirt... again. Luckily at this point there was a house so we decided to ask them where in the world we were. They gave us two options: Or turn around and backtrack about another half hour, or cross the river... Well it had been raining and hailing for the past hour and a half, but we decided to cross the river. You know that picture of the Martin Handcart Company crossing the Mississippi River? Yeah picture something like that... Alright, not quite, but the river was still pretty impressive but what did we do? We plunged right into it! It was great. President´s Four Runner deal of an SUV handled great and we made it through! After another 5 minutes of dirt road, we finally intersected the highway and started on out way home. After one more stop for a hail delay we finally made it back at around midnight! I was SO happy to be back. Now we have this afternoon and tomorrow to work in our area and on Monday morning we head on up to San Juan to finish off the two more zone conferences that we have pending. President is thinking of having us stay up there for the rest of the week to work with the zone leaders in Chimbas, but we will see what happens. He was to organize transfers and will surely be calling on us to help him, but to make a long story short, this week was great and I had a blast. It is such a blessing to be able to know all of the missionaries at such a personal level. It is something that I never thought was possible, but I feel like some of my very best friends are out here with me serving the Lord. At times I feel like Alma and the Sons of Mosiah... Our hearts are all dedicated on the task we have at hand, which task is to declare this amazing gospel to everyone, baptizing them by the Holy Priesthood. What a blessing it is! I absolutely love it! I love you all and hope the rendezvous to hawaii ended happily!
Elder Burr

Matt's email 1/14/2012

Well here I am... again! I was glad to hear from you and to find out that all is going well up there on the pacific coast. I can't believe the dream that you are living over there... Keep livin it up. You deserve it!
I too have started reading the Book of Mormon this year and I have learned things that I had never even imagined before. One of the greatest lessons I have learned thus far is when Nephi broke his bow when he was out hunting. I have read it and re read it and each time I learn something new. There are many things that blow my mind. First of all, it wasn't even feasible that a bow made out of fine steel, could just break, thus showing us that the Lord had something to do with that. Then after breaking the bow, his brothers got mad at him. Why couldn't they keep hunting? Because they were so occupied with their murmurings that they couldn't focus on their real objective. So we keep reading that even Lehi and Nephi were saddened by their circumstances so what does Nephi do? He goes and finds a piece of wood to make a bow and a straight stick to make an arrow and grabs his sling and stones and goes to Lehi and asks where he should go. I love it. The solution was so simple. They were surrounded by the solution the whole time, but they never saw it until Nephi focused more on the solution than the problem. That was a great lesson for me. Focus more on the solution than the problem because 9 times out of 10 the solution will be right in front of our eyes. I love applying this principle with the investigators.. Helping them look at the positive rather than the negative. Sadly enough, we live in a world where many people only see through the eyes of pessimism. They blame their situation on the circumstances. If only we could just open up our eyes and find the solutions around us. How hard was it for Nephi to find a piece of wood and a stick and grab his sling and a few rocks?? I have learned to love this lesson and it has had a huge impact on my life in these past few weeks. I have come to love studying the scriptures here on the mission. It is something that I look forward to every day because I know that I feel closer to God when I read them. The Book of Mormon is incredible. Yeah it tells a great story, but the lessons that it teaches are life changing. I would have never been able to learn that lesson if I hadn't made the decision to serve a mission. This mission has literally saved me. It has made me open up my eyes to the Spirit.

This past week was crazy and this next week will be even more crazy. We're pounding out the zone conferences like's its nothing. We've only got like ten bails left, which is only five more turns for Randy. I can't wait until it's over and we can focus 100% on the STREETS. I have come to miss the early morning lessons and the 12 o clock door knock, but I have gained a strong testimony being here in the offices. I have learned a ton from President and I still have a lot to learn. I just need to be humble and listen. God gave me two ears and one mouth so I can listen twice as much as I talk. I love it.

I hope you have a great week in Hawaii and the sun treats you well. I love you all!! Keep doing work!
Love,
Elder Burr

Matt's email 1/7/2012

These next few weeks have a ton in store for me. On Monday we are
starting off with some zone conferences. Tuesday we will continue, but
after the zone conference we have 2 new missionaries coming which
means on Wednesday we will be doing the training meetings with them,
but on thursday we will start back up again for 2 more days of zone
conferences then we will have the weekend to work in the area and then
the next monday through friday night we will be travelling the mission
doing zone conferences every day and after that we will be into the
last week of the transfer and two of the days we will be finishing up
the zone conferences and then we will do the last touch ups with some
families and put them in the water to end the transfer off well and
then after that I don´t quite know what will happen... But as for now,
I am not thinking that far ahead, this week has enough for itself. It
will be crazy... But it´s all part of life right? Just have to keep
one foot in front of the other so I don´t fall...
Also this last week my 2 year temple recommend expired... It has been
two years since I went through the temple to get endowed...
Incredible. I have thought back on that moment many times, and few
experiences in my life compare to the happiness I felt at that moment.
Alright now to answer a few of your questions...
I really haven´t thought too much about what we are going to do when
you get here. I was thinking spend a day in each area that I have been
in and see a couple people in each area and see some of the cool
tourist places. That would require a rental car, but no worries, I am
a legalized driver here in Mendoza so no fret, I drive like a champ.
We will be able to return to Mendoza every night I believe.
Know that I am going to end my mission
with all that I can possibly give. the Lord deserves nothing less that
that and I owe Him a lot for forgiving me of my sins and allowing me
to be out here serving Him.
Have a good week on the beach! I love you mom!
Elder Burr

Matt's email 12/31/2011

Well the holidays just keep on going here in mendoza. This week we had two mission parties and tonight President and Hermana Avila have invited all the office elders up to their house to have yet another party with them. The new year´s festivities here in mendoza are super sketchy and people start drinking at like 6 so President doesn´t want us out in the streets at night. I really is so sad so see so many people breaking God´s commandments without even thinking twice about it. They think life really is just go out and have fun and wait until the day you die cause nobody know what happens afterwards. I am so grateful for the knowledge and the testimony that I have come to have about the Plan of Salvation. It really does bring so much happiness into my life knowing that it all doesn´t end at death and that if we do all things right, we will be able to live in the presence of God. We will be able to see, one day, the face of the most powerful man in the history of the eternities... How amazing is that going to be?!
I was so happy after I got done talking to you all on Sunday. I felt just a glimpse of eternal happiness. It was amazing being able to see all of you and talk to you and just be there for the moment.
It is crazy that you were able to go to Kyle and Rachel´s reception... to be honest, I am kinda glad I missed it! I am so happy being here on the mission that not even things like that really call my attention. I know that might sound a little bad, but I just feel like I am at home out here in the sticks. Not even Disneyland can compare to the happiness that is felt out here on the mission.

Things on the mission front are going super well. I was able to go out yesterday and work the whole day and we saw many miracles. We received a reference from Neoquen, which never ever ever happens, but the lady is a champ. She was just waiting for us to show up and was so glad when we shared with her the miracle of the Restoration. She loved the message and committed to pray and ask God if it is true. She is an amazing person. We were also able to find another family who just barely had a daughter that died and the other daughter was super depressed. It was a depression that I have never seen before and this poor woman didn´t see a way out, until she heard about the Plan of Salvation. It was amazing to see the light that slowly came into her eyes as she learned that she would one day be with her sister again and that they would both be happy together if she obeys the commandments of God. Moments like these just make me love the mission even more. Just being able to help someone have a little better day and knowing that they will be eternally blessed if they can just pray and ask God if these things are true. I am often times surprised at how little I am to the world, but how much I am to God. I know that He loves me and I am so blessed to be able to be a tool in His hands here in Mendoza. I absolutely love it.

I have attached a picture of before the run we did this morning. It was a LONG run, but it was a good way to say good bye to 2011 and to say what´s up to 2012. I also attached a picture of me with Elder Christensen at the Christmas Party. This elder is great. He has inspired me in more ways than one!

I love you all and hope you have a happy new year!
Elder Burr

Matt's email 12/24/2011

Mom! I was glad to get a little update from you today knowing that tomorrow we will be talking but I am glad to hear that all is going well.

I have to tell you that today I went out and bought myself a sweet Christmas present. A new pair of running shoes! Ha ha it's great huh! I bought them on my personal card, but I just had to let you get excited for me! They are some nike lunarglider 3's. Let's just say they were a lot cheaper than buying a trip to the moon and back! This week I have had a great case of plantar fasciitis and I have realized that it is because I have been running with the worst pair of shoes that I have ever owned. They are torn and broken and my foot hits the concrete on every step, but I hope these new ones help!

I will save the great stories of the week for tomorrow! I can't wait to talk to you. Last night we were with the Bishop... An amazing man. Tonight we are going carolling and then to President's house and tomorrow in the daytime we will be with President again but then we will be coming back to the offices to do some skypage!! I am super excited. At first I wanted to just call, but President has convinced me to skype so here we go.

I love the Christmas season. It is filled with so much joy. It is sad being in a culture where the idea of the birth of our Lord and Savior has been replaced with bottles of fernet, cheap wine and goat meat, but I'm so greatful for our tradiciones and for all that I carry in my heart. I love you mom. See you tomorrow!!

Elder Burr

Matt's email 12/17/2011

I have successfully received 2 packages this week that were UNOPENED when I got them! One of them had a nativity set in it that is now on my study table reminding me of the real reason we have Christmas and the other, which was full of amazing treats and beef jerkey and spitz and all that good stuff is also on the table waiting for Christmas. The gifts are still unopened so you have no need to worry! Thanks for the packages. They were perhaps 2 of the best that I have received while being on the mission and I am super grateful for them! So thank you very much!
This week was fantastic. Elder Menocal and I have been continuing travelling throughout the mission working with the Zone Leaders and it has proven to be super successful. We are happy to know that the vision that President Avila has for the mission is being put into practice and that the missionaries are seeing miracles by applying the simple principles that have been taught. This week we went up to San Juan to be with Elder Roché and Elder Baker which are two really good friends that I have here on the mission. Elder Baker was in the zone in san luis and Elder Roché was travelling for 2 transfers here in the offices so that made it really easy to go and do what we were called to do. I had the opportunity of working with Elder Roché. On Tuesday night we went to accompany a companionship of hermanas to an appointment that they had with one of their investigators. I had never worked with sister missionaries before, and honestly didn´t know what to expect, but I was amazed. These two sisters taught with a Spirit that was incredible. They changed the way that I think about sister missionaries. The lesson we had with this investigator went really well and he is getting baptized today! On Wednesday morning, Elder Roche and I worked in their area and saw another miracle. We were teaching a man who stopped them on the streets and said that he wanted to get baptized, but that had a huge doubt about the virgin. We were explaining to him about how we think about the virgin and how she was obviously chosen by God to be the earthly mother of Jesus Christ, but that she has no power or authority to be our intercessor between us and God and that the only true faith is faith in Jesus Christ, not in the Virgin. The man understood it well and then we asked him for a reference. He started explaining his neighbor to us and how she was this woman that was always with different men and didn´t know how to raise her own children and how she was just a mess, but we went and contacted her and the story was nothing short of a miracle. We knocked her door and I promise you that I have never seen a bigger smile in my entire life. She seemed so happy to see us and it felt as if we had known each other for years. She immediately made us pass in to her house and we started figuring out who this person was. As we were asking a few questions she asked us in the most simple wording I had ever heard what it was that we had brought to her house. We told her that we brought the most important message that she would ever hear in her life and then explained her the story of the Restoration. As we were sharing the story of Joseph Smith she stopped us and said, ¨chicos, I now know that God is not a God of coincidence. Just 20 minutes ago I was thinking about the church and why there are so many and I was wondering how I could become better. Then I heard a knock on my door and it was you.¨ I know that God is continually preparing His children and how blessed I felt at that moment to be worthy enough to listen to the Spirit and act and spiritual promptings. I wish I could be there to see how her progress continues, but the stories like these are ones that make the mission amazing. On Thursday I had the opportunity to work with another really good buddy who started out the mission when I was down in Alvear and we had a blast and were able to do one more baptismal interview and then yesterday morning Elder Menocal boarded the bus and headed on back to Mendoza to have interviews with President. The interview that I had with President was fantastic and we talked about what I am learning and what are some of the hard parts about being where I am at. I answered him honestly and told him one of the hardest parts is always being me. Sometimes we show up to a zone and in order to resolve some of the problems I am often tempted to be someone that I am not and every time I give in to those temptations, those situations never turn out the way I intended them to turn out. President helped me see that the Lord called me to be where I am because of who I am. He doesn´t expect me to be perfect and he does expect me to repent and change some of my old habits, but he doesn´t expect me to change ¨me.¨ I felt really good when he told me that and it made me excited to keep on keepin on. This has been the hardest, most rewarding time of my mission for sure and I am so happy to be serving the Lord in this amazing Christmas season.

Just to let you know we have permission to use Skype for the phone call home or if you would like we can just use the good ol telephone. I am good with either option so just let me know which you would all prefer. I need to know what time you will all be available if we are using skype so that I can get the account set up and do all that good stuff so an email back asap would be great.
I hope you all have a very good week with the last minute preparations and dinners and good stuff that you will be doing. I love you all!

Matt's email 12/10/2011

Alright I have realized that if I don´t answer the questions first in the email I never answer them so I am just letting you know right now that I have gotten one package that had the popcorn and a way sweet rvca shirt in it. I don´t know if the envelope had anything in it besides a letter and pictures because when I got it it was opened up with a razor knife and all I found was the letter and pictures. If there was anything else in it, I didn´t get it. I don´t know why but all the packages that I get have been opened up in the customs so I have no idea how much is actually getting through. The popcorn and the Ensign are amazing though. I have been studying all the talks lately and I have realized how much more I am learning now. I love being able to go back and read the words of the modern day prophets and meditate on the teachings that they have for us in our day.
This past week was full of many great things. We spent up until yesterday afternoon working over in Valle de Uco with the zone leaders and a few of the other missionaries over there. I felt like I took more than a few steps into Bolivia. Every person in the entire city was bolivian and like 15% of them only spoke quetchua, which is nothing like spanish. It was a little frustrating, but I was amazed at the amount that the other missionaries taught me as I was working with them. I feel so blessed to be able to serve the other missionaries here in the mission and the memories are always something that I will keep close to my heart.
Last night we had the yearly Christmas party in our ward in Godoy Cruz and it was amazing. There were so many inactive member that brought friends to the acitivty that it was just incredible. There were members that recently got baptized in Utah that came and another that got baptized in Buenos Aires that are all just bringing in the friends. It is a huge miracle and the biggest miracle of the night was that we found out that towards the end of January Cristian and Yemina are getting married!! They finally have been touched by the spirit and have gotten over their worldy desires and want to follow Jesus Christ!! I was so happy to hear that news that I almost fell down in shock. It was amazing. On the other hand, the dad of Andrea passed away this week which is an amazing opportunity to touch her heart and see the importance of baptism with her kids. The miracles are just flowing right now and I am loving it. I
I hope you all have a great week and that you enjoy this amazing Christmas Spirit. I love you all!
Elder Burr

Matt's email 12/3/2011

Sorry I didn´t have any time to write you last week but now I am a
>>> little bit more relaxed with some more time to write and say what
>>> ´s up. The past week was pretty hectic, but it turned out to be
>>> pretty good. We had a lot of missionaries coming in for different
>>> meetings which is always a pain because that means that we have to
>>> be in planning with President and figuring out what we are going
>>> to teach, but I have to say that it has helped me become a better
>>> teacher, which will hopefully be a benefit in the future. I am
>>> sure it will be. I have to be honest, working this close with
>>> president brings with it a lot of stress. We are always having
>>> phone calls and people asking us a bunch of different things, but
>>> I am so grateful for the opportunity to kneel and pray whenever I
>>> feel like I need it. It has been such a help to me to be able to
>>> get on my knees and talk with my Heavenly Father. It is what I
>>> most look forward to at nights and every morning I wake up
>>> thinking about it. It is something that without the mission I
>>> never would have been able to pick up as a habit.
>>> So a while ago I got the form that I have to fill out to get my
>>> flights home and all that good stuff. I have been putting it off
>>> because I don´t want to think about it too much, but the time has
>>> now come to ask a few questions...
>>> First and foremost, Do you and mom have any desires to come out
>>> and see what Argentina has to offer?? I know it will be a
>>> sacrifice on your part, but if you and mom want to, I think it
>>> would be awesome. If not it would also be cool if you were waiting
>>> in Atlanta or something like that so that I could fly home with
>>> you in the Mooney. That would be quite the homecoming huh?? And if
>>> you don´t want to do either of those, I can just make the journey
>>> alone and see you all at SLC. So those are the options that we
>>> have now to deal with. I trust that the decision that you make
>>> will be the best so just let me know as soon as you can. I am
>>> perfectly fine with any of the three.
>>> I want you to know that I´m finding joy in the service. It isn´t
>>> all color of roses out here, but it is definitely a battlefield
>>> for learning. I know that everyday when I wake up I am
>>> strengthened by the Lord and I know he watches over me as I sleep.
>>> I love knowing that I am a child of God and that He loves me as
>>> you do. You are the greatest!!
>>> Elder Burr

Matt's email 11/26/2011

I know it's really early to be writitng today but I have to tell you that this week was absolutely nuts. We started last Friday with training meetings with the zone leaders and the district leaders. We had a few days break and on Tuesday we started back up again. We were teaching for 8 hours per day and then we got in the car and drove for 3 hours to the next destination and woke up the next day to do the same thing. In the week we taught for over 40 hours and drove more than 1200 kilometers. Needless to say, I'm more tired than I ever have been. Then last night on the way home President asked me to help him drive again to San Luis today and accompany him with Hermana Avila to the stake conference. It was hard for me to decline knowing that tomorrow Wilson will be receiving the Melchezidek Priesthood. So to make a long story short, within the next 15 minutes we are parting again from Mendoza and heading on out to San Luis for travel trip round two! It has been absolutely amazing being able to spend time traveling with president. We spent many of the travel hours talking about the blessings that come from living the Gospel in every aspect of life. He shared a bunch of stories of when he was starting out with his company and how he overcame the difficulties by simply living the principles of the Gospel. I came to a new resolution in life that I am never going to let the Gospel take a back seat role in my life. It is the most important thing that I have and I feel so blessed to be able to share it with the other people here in this mission. President is an amazing man and has taught me so many things that are going to be huge benefits for when I start getting things going.

I'm glad that all is well at home. I hope you enjoy the weekend in Virginia. Tell all the family that I say what's good. I will send that testimony hopefully on Monday because right now I have no time because we are headed out. I love you all. You are the greatest. Sorry for the short email but the next one will be better and filled with details so don't worry!!

Elder Burr

Matt's email 11/19/2011

Hey mom how are you doing?? Don't be scared that I am emailing you
> right now, I'm just trying to be disobedient... ha ha no I'm just
> kidding. I just wanted to tell you that I love you and you are the
> greatest mom ever!!! I also wanted you to know that I will be
> emailing home tomorrow instead of Monday. Our p-day has been changed
> here in the offices to saturday so I would love a quick update if
> you have some time for tomorrow! If not I can just wait until next
> saturday. I love you mom!
> Elder Burr


This means that Matt's p-day is Saturday so if you want to write, you
need to do it Friday night.




So I´m going to be honest, I don´t know how I feel about this whole
emailing home thing on Saturday, but I guess it is what it is. The
thing is that life gets so busy around here at the first of the week
that it was just impossible to have a p day on monday so after about 2
months of not having a real p day, President decided to change the day
to saturday. I was really happy to read the weekly update and it
really does surprise me how much you can fit in to such a tiny week. It
´s like a Longaburger basket... somehow you can just never fill them
completely up. I am thoroughly surprised that dad allowed you to buy
two new Christmas trees. I am guessing he wants double the Christmas
cheer now that nobody is home or maybe he wants double the presents
for himself. By any means, I can see an advantage to the buy.
The miracle of the week happened on Thursday right as we got here to
the offices. I was figuring out a few things with the nurse when a
member from another ward walked in and told us to go with her because
there was a man that she didn´t know who wanted to see the family
history center. Let me tell you that a more than a year and a half has
passed by since someone has ever mentioned anything about family
history centers here in mendoza. But anyway this man said that when he
was about 5 his dad left him and a short time later his mom left him
as well. He was forced to live on his own and make do with what he
had. He made himself a living off of whatever he could find and many
times went without. A little while ago he was in Chile and he walked
past the temple and saw on the gate a flyer that talked about tracking
you ancestors. He said that it really caught his attention, but after
reading it, he forgot completely all about that service that the
church provides. He never lost, however, the need and the desire to
know who his parents and brother are. As we bore testimony of the
miracle of family history, the sister from the other ward worked
diligently on trying to find the records of his dad who was born in a
tiny city in the southern part of Chile in the region Bío-Bío. As she
was searching these family names I noticed the changed look on this man
´s face as the spirit of Elijah filled his soul. He read every name
that appeared on the screen and asked if that was his dad. Although we
couldn´t stay around long enough to find the exact records of his dad,
we are sure that this man will be coming back to continue doing family
history work. I was completely taken away and gained a huge testimony
of the reality of doing family history work. There is no doubt in my
mind that this church is true. It is just too perfect and fills any
hole in any heart if we are just humble. I love being able to share a
message that I know that God is not quiet. He is very much involved in
my life. He has spoken to me and I have been able to hear. I love my
life!
Love you
Elder Burr

Matt's email 11/14/2011

Hello my dear family! I am glad to hear that all is going well and that you are all enjoying yourselves being pregnant and going on vacations and "working" and all that good stuff. It makes me happy to know that you are all happy. I'm also pleased to find out that Cameron and Ashley are having a boy! That should be really fun for them. I swear they just had a child, but hey, when the prophets command, we have to obey right? I love the story in first Nephi when Nephi and his brothers have to return AGAIN to Jerusalem searching for Ishmael and his family so that Lehi's lineage could continue. I especially like the part when they are in the desert on the return trip and Laman, Lemuel, a few daughters of Ishmael and the two sons begin complaining against Nephi and he begins to drop the cane on them in a very loving way. Many times we find ourselves like Laman and Lemuel, questioning the words of the prophets, but I love what Nephi said in chapter 7 verse 15. He basically says that if they want to go back to Jerusalem, they could do so, but he also promised them definite destruction. He promises them that they will perish. I love that theory. It is up to us to decide if we are going to follow the prophets or not, but if we choose not to follow them and "return to Jerusalem" we are for sure going to perish.
Things are going really well here on the mission. Elder Menocal and I are keeping our heads above the water and we are having a fantastic time. This weekend I was surprised with some awesome news. I found out that 2 families that the Lord had guided me and my companion to were baptized! It made me so happy to find out that amongst many planted seeds, at least two have begun to sprout. I was such a happy man on Saturday night when I found that out! There is nothing that brings me greater joy than finding out that people that I love and care for decide to follow Jesus Christ.
I love you all. I thank you for your support and your prayers!
Love,
Elder Burr

Matt's email 11/7/2011

So I have decided that I am going to make a drastic change to the way that I am writing these emails home. I have been writing about the events that are going on in my life. I have been duplicating what I am putting in the daily agenda, but what I need to be doing is "sharing." I apologize for that misunderstanding on my part, but we'll give it another shot!
The other day, I had the chance to go on divisions with Elder Ostler to the house of one of the investigators in our ward. Her name is Virginia and she is the wife of a very inactive member. Her husband, at around the age of 20, had the opportunity to be baptized in the church. After being baptized he decided to go on a mission and serve the people of Buenos Aires. From the sounds of it, he served a very successful and honorable mission. He had many pictures of baptisms and had certificates congratulating him on various callings that he has had in the church and advancements in the Priesthood. that was all 30 years ago. Now he is a man that has everything with respects to the world, but nothing with respects to God. He let himself be carried on the waves of uncertainty and doubt. His big claim now is that if he would have known that Joseph Smith practiced polygamy at the time he was baptized he never would have taken the step of being baptized or serving a mission. He has let a little stupid doubt ruin his whole life. He now supports the idea of Solomon Spaulding and his made up theory of the Book of Mormon, and just as Korihor did in the olden days, he is a current anti christ. He is walking around trying to destroy the church and he has done so in the life of his wife. Virginia, who was so happy about the step she was taking by being baptized, was convinced otherwise by her oh so "loving" husband. Her husband has literally ripped out this little seed that was planted in her heart and replaced it with a rock. It really is one of the saddest cases that I have seen thus far on the mission. I have dealt with many antimormons and people studying antimormon websites and all that, but never have a met a returned missionary so twisted and turned around. It really did break my heart to hear him say that he never wanted us to return to his house. I hope that one day he will open up the door to God just to get a little bit of His light back. I hope that one day he can excercise just a tiny drop of faith so that he can come to understand the reality of God and His son Jesus Christ. I have been reminded various times of the teaching of King Benjamin in Mosiah 4 when he said, " 9 Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend." All we have to do is BELIEVE, but there are just so many people who can't even do that. It seems so simple, but in a carnal mind it is impossible and as we know, to be carnally minded is to be dead to things spiritual. I have come to love the Book of Mormon and its teachings. I have come to have a great appreciation for Joseph Smith and the amount of dedication that he had for bringing about this work of God. I know he entered the grove not knowing much of anything, but he left it knowing more than any other man on the earth at that time.
I love you all. I love this Gospel. It is true and DONT DOUBT IT!!!
Elder Burr

Matt's email 10/23/2011

Now mother if I am sending you these emails to your email address you have to be letting other people read them. I got an email from Heather saying that you are hogging all the spiritual insight so you have to be showing some love. I don't want the family thinking that I forgot about them cause we both know very well that that wouldn't ever happen. I love you though!!

This week was amazing. It wasn't full of amazing miracles like last week, but it was amazing none the less. On Tuesday I spent the entire day... sick. I woke up and was trying to do workouts, but as I was working on the fitness, the inner parts starting doing workouts on me. I Threw up for the first time on the mission and the nurse, the amazing Hermana Packer, wouldn't let me leave the offices. She made me stay in bed with the Secretary who was also sick and she made us rest.. all day. It was by far the most boring thing that I have ever done. Before the mission I loved sitting, but I think my mind has changed. It was seriously torture, but I quickly recovered and now I am feeling good. On Wednesday and Thursday Elder Menocal and I went and did divisions with Zone Leaders in Lujan and helped seal a few baptisms that they were expecting there. I had the chance to work with Elder Passantino, who has become a great friend on the mission, and the two of us together saw miracles. On Friday we had to go pick up a new elder that was coming in, which pretty much occupied the entire day getting everything ready for him and then on Saturday Maria Santos got baptized!! She was the happiest old lady after her baptism. She absolutely loved it and her service turned out to be a huge success. The ward is excited to finally have elders back. They are excited for the change.

This week is going to be a blur. We have President Aidukaitis from the 70 coming to visit the mission and light a little fire underneath us. The last time he came, last year, he really focused on having faith enough to baptize every weekend on the mission. He talked a lot about the invalidity of excuses and taught us some amazing things that really helped the mission and I am sure that this week is going to be the same. He is going to come with some amazing insight and Elder Menocal and I will be blessed to be able to participate in all the meetings throughout the mission. It is going to be an amazing week. Aside from that we are going strong for beating the record that we set last month in the mission of baptisms and I think this little visit is going to do us real well.

I love you all. I love the faith that you all have. I love that you are all "busy" and that the life is treating you well. The work is moving along in Mendoza Argentina. It is the greatest place on earth!
Love
Elder Burr


Oh and PS What does many grandchildren coming mean?? Olivia is my prophecy fulfilled??