01/22/2012

Hello,

I am sorry that last weeks letter was shorter and was without details. I will try my best this week to fill you all in about whats going on here. You are right dad, LOTS of change. one thing I realized with the change was how crazy Esmeraldas was. I started there so I didnt quite realize it until I got here. Where I am is a smaller city called La Concordia. Its about an hour outside the bigger city of Santo Domingo. It is really relaxed here. I remember how I felt in Esmeraldas, you kind of always had to have the look out for sketchy looking people, watch your things on the buses and just be careful. Here it is so tranquilo. The people all smile, and it just has a different feel. Its more safe I guess you could say. I dont know its kind of hard to explain but just know that Esmeraldas was nuts and here its not. :)

My companion is great. He is only a change in so I am finishing the 12 week training program with him. Its good because with Pineda, we couldnt do it. We had to be out of the house at 10 in the morning and we only had an hour of companionship study. I dont know if you have heard about the program but its an hour of personal study, 2 hours of companionship study with different exccersizes to do including videos to watch, (we have a mini dvd player in the apartment.) and one hour language study. Its kind of boring to be in the house until noon every day but its good because the study program is inspired. i like it alot. Anyway Elder Rogers is awesome. he is a great example to me. He cant speak very well yet and he struggles understanding but i keep telling him to just pay close attention and it will come. He has a great desire to contact everyone, and work hard so we are working good together. He is a great missionary and has a great desire to serve.

Our ward we are in is amazing. sunday, the entire sacrament meeting room was filled and people were in other rooms listening over the speaker. It looked like a ward and not a branch. The leadership is well established and there are a lot of really strong members. We received more references this week than we did the entire time in esmeraldas. The people just seem to be juiced to work and excited to give references, even though they are giving them to two gringos who dont speak all that well. They trust in the spirit, as do we, as we teach there friends and family. We had a lot of people to teach and we are busy. I am really looking forward to working here.

We had 4 baptisms this week. Early in the week we got a reference of less active family. The little boy, Estivan wanted to get baptized and told us that some day he wants to be amissnioary.  He asked  us for a book of mormon. We were able to teach him all the discussions this week, along with his family. They all came to his baptism and confirmation. It was a great experience to see the faith of the 11 year old and you could see the affect it had on the family. We taught about the book of mormon and I asked the mother if she had ever read the book of mormon.She said no. Hmm..why could she be inactive? anyway, I bore testimony of its power and truthfulness of it, and promised her that if she would read it with her kids and husband that her life would be blessed beyond comprehension. I then asked estivan if he would read it with her, and make sure that his family reads it. He said he would. He took it like a calling and a responsibility. It was just a great experience.

THe other 3 were a family that the missionaries have been working with for a LONG time. 5 months. They have missed many baptism dates and to be honest didn't have testimonies. Well, when I got here, I asked elder rogers if they had friends in the ward. We call them Hermanadores. He said no but that he had suggested it to his previous companion several times, he just blew it off, or didnt understand him. haha but anyway, we went to the relief society presidents house and asked for her help. She said OF COURSE! she is great. we set up an appointment with the family and we were over there the next night. It was us, the ward mission leader, the relief society president and her counselor. We started the lesson off great, just small talk getting to know one another. Then, we talked about baptism. The sisters both shared their experiecnes, and being converts within the last year, it was very powerful. Besides that, they are women. They can give a little kiss to greet them, hug them, touch them,  and just love them. We can only talk and shake hangs. Its amazing how far a little beso can go, a tight hug and a short little visit. . That is basically all they did. Then the counselor asked them if they had testimonies. they said, kinda kinda. she then changelled them to pray and find out for sure if this is the true church. Me and elder rogers just sat there mouths open. We watched the affect that the members had on them, and above all, the spirit burned and festered the whole lesson. It almost brought tears to my eyes as I watched these sisters testify, invite, and show love. We did the same and I think it was equally as powerful. Long story short, they prayed with real intent and on Friday received an answer, saturday were baptized and sunday confirmed. Great experience of working with the members for both elder rogers and I. Everyones testimony was strengthened. Elder rogers companion before caught word and called me. he was happy. But honestly we did nothing. It was nothing but the spirit. and a short little love visit of the members.

I got the package with the gel in it,  the awesome pens and candy! haha thanks so much. It was fantastic. we are only 4 hours out of quito now so I think the packages will be easier to get, as opposed to being 7 and a half. But thank you!

District meetings are every thursday morning. Then we have a leaders meeting every friday morning. I would love ideas for the meetings dad. That would be fantastic. Its just important to keep everyone pumped up, focused on the purpose and working hard. The missionary commission we are using as a mission right now. President used it in the first of the year trainings that he did to every zone. he gave every companionship one and told us to put it on the door. It's a coincidnece you say that dad.

Will you be sure tell grandma and grandpa that I love the church news they send and the letters. I love them so much and think of them often. I shared the quote about the toilet paper roll with the zone and they all laughed. They said, "your grandpa is the man!" or "thats so coool that your grandma and gpa send you that every week. I wish mine did" Be sure to tell them that I love them.

Thanks so much for all you do. mom and dad, be sure to use sunscreen. have fun!!! Josh good work on duty to god. Love you guys!

Elder Burr