This Week in Argentina (Week 15)

FAMILIA!

Hola loved ones! How was your Valentines Day? I hope it was wonderful. I send my love! I just want to let you know how much I really do love and appreciate each one of you and all of your support. I really do have the BEST of the best family in the entire world!

I don't know if I told you this about my compa yet. Hermana Gerber is from West Jordan, Utah. She has 13 months in the mission. She went to one semester at USU before she left on her mission. She studied mechanical engineering! Let me know if there is something else you want to know.

This week my companion was sick for a day so we were not able to leave the pension and work on Friday. On Tuesday we had divisions. Hermana Zamora came to Padua to work with me. I enjoyed this experience. It was good for me to live with a Latina for a day. It helpd me to know I am doing alright with my progress in the language, but still am progressing. I also enjoyed learning about different ways to teach, explain, and invite. I think lately I have been having a problem with always keeping a positive attitude throughout the day. But yesterday during my studies I had a little aw-ha moment that so far has helped me to have a more positive attitude and work better with my companion. It is also going to help me understand the people of Argentina and be able to serve them with more love and devotion.

This week I had an experience that helped me understand the importance of always inviting people. We were on the colectivo. Hermana Gerber was on my right and a man was on my left. I knew that I needed to say something to this man. I was trying to think of what to say, Hna. Gerber leaned over and encouraged me to talk with him and helped me know how to start up the conversation. As we were talking we brought up the church, of course, and invited him. He said that he had been interested in coming, but had never been invited so he has never come. (I think this is what happend. I'm still having a hard time understanding everything people are saying.) This helped me understand how important it is to extend simple invitations.

Also, yesterday a man just showed up to church. He said that he stopped by the church during the week and someone that was having a meeting had told him when our church services were. So he showed up yesterday. That is really awesome to me that he is searching for the truth. The catch is that he wouldn't give us his address because of his parents. They are really Catholic or something like that. He doesn't have a cell phone so we can't call him, this is no good. We tried to set up an appointment with him to meet him at the church, but that didn't work. So he took our number to call us. So I am praying that he will call us and that all will work out.

This week we were visiting some menos activos. The mom, Milagros (13), Martina are members. They have a girl named Veronica (14) living with them. Well we taught Veronica about the restuaracion. A day later we had lunch with them, all four of us hermanas serving in Padua. Well this was the day that my compa was sick. So the other two hermanas went. They talked more about the restauracion and set up a date of baptism with Veronica. Yesterday she came to church with Milagros and they stayed for the baptism after church so that was really good. (the other Hermanas had a baptism). Then they both came to choir practice last night! (my compa was asked to play the piano for choir, that's why we were there). This is a great thing cause it is helping to reactivate the family and bring a soul to Christ. I am excited to keep teaching Veronica and see her progress. I have already seen a lot of progress in her. I am also excited to witness the reactivation of this family through a new investigator. I love the Lord's work.

So I need help with something. I really need each of you to do this for me. Write me and tell me how you have been blessed by obeying a specific commandment. You can pick any commandment it doesn't have to be one of the ten. Thanks!

Have a fantastic week! I love you all sooooo much!

Con mucho amor,
Hermana Burr

Cecilias Birthday

At church with an investigator and member sorta ma

Divisions with Hermana Zamora from Mexico

My twin Betsy (her family are members and dad is an investigator)

Twinning is Winning!

The Week! (Week 14)

Hola Familia!

I want to start off with a birthday shout out to Grandma burr (aka g-ma pants!) I hope you have a wonderful day!

Oh I got some Christmas cards and letters about two weeks ago and I want to thank everyone that sent me a card or letter! I loved getting them. It is so exciting when they are handing out the mail and they call your name. Especially when they call your name more than once!

Funny story, so our toilet broke right. And I, being the bright young girl that I am, checked out the situation and determined I could fix it! So I was feeling really good once I was done fixing it. I felt like dad would be proud of me in that moment. Well I tried flushing it and well, it didn't quite work all the way. So I made some adjustments and tried again. But it still wasn't fixed. After a few tries of making adjustments I just couldn't get the tank to fill back up with water once it was flushed. So I came to the conclusion that we should just call the offices. I quickly hurried and made it look like I hadn't done anything to the toilet. Then I was all bummed cause I couldn't fix the simple problem and dad couldn't be proud of me for fixing it.

This week we had a zone conference and guess what we did at zone conference (it was a special one)...we watched the movie Meet the Mormons in Spanish!! It was awesome! I have now seen this movie five times (I think) and when I left for my mission I had only seen it once. I love this movie cause it simply testifies of the truths we believe! We can learn a lot from it. Also at the end the song glorious was in Spanish, so that was cool cause all the other music was still in English. We also learned about extending commitments and doing contacts.

President came and spoke at our ward yesterday for sacrament meeting. So that was awesome! Also this week there was a broadcast from Paraguay I think. I didn't get to watch the entire thing, but the part I saw was Sister Linda K. Burton! She spoke in English and there was a translator, so that was cool. I love listening to our leaders. They are inspired of God and I know that as we listen and ACT upon the words they speak we will be blessed.

This week was a good week overall. We had some very spiritual lecciones. One in particular that I enjoyed was with a menos activo. Actually, I am pretty sure that she is excommunicated. The thing is, that she still believes and lives many principles of the gospel and teaches the gospel to her children. We talked about the reason for going to church and the importance of partaking of the sacrament each week. We committed her to coming to church on Sunday with her children. On Sunday they were in church for the entire block. yay!

This week we had a lot of people that told us they were going to come to church. With some of them we had members lined up to help them get to church. Unfortunately, not all of them were able to make it. Three in particular that make me the most sad when they didn't show up were Javier, Julieta, and Franco y Fiorella. So this week when we visit we will have to see what happened cause they didn't answer any of the times we tried to call them.

We had a leccion with Alfredo, the esposo of a recent convert, Rosemary. Alfredo really likes to play soccer and drink with his friends when he is not working. I am pretty sure he was a bit drunk during the leccion. I think he has sincere desires deep down to change. He wants to be a better father and husband. After persistence we finally got him to agree to coming to church with his wife. Well Sunday rolled around and guess who showed up for sacrament meeting, Alfredo! Yesterday I was sitting with Rosemary, Alfredo, and their son during sacrament meeting. After the block we were talking to them and Alfredo said that he is going to come back to church next week. He also said that we fit well with him and invited us to come to lunch after church the following week. My heart jsut melts when I think about the potential he has and I can't wait to see them as an eternal family. I have much faith that he is going to change.  Also, we are going to work with Rosemary to help her with her family history.  We have an appointment to take her to the family history center in the church on martes.

We also have an investigator from London, England named Brian. He is very interesting to me. I think he has expressed his dislike for tithing and temples. He says it is because Jesus gave and didn't ask for things. He is highly intelligent and when we go to lecciones, we have had two, he wants to talk about Jesuchristo. But he also tells us that we need to have an open mind and listen to the advice and things he gives us. I will be honest, when we are talking to him I have a bit of fear about what is going to happen. I am a little confused about what to do in this situation. What I have been thinking is that we should continue to visit because it sometimes takes a lot of time to soften people's hearts and we shouldn't give him a bad image of the church because of something we do.

My invitation for the week is to find a Mormon message video that you can share with someone and then share it1 It doesn't matter if they are members or not. Have a fantastic week!

Con mucho amor,
Hermana Burr

My cumplimes (the day I turned three months in the mission, I don't know how to spell the word) . My compa made me this delicious breakfast! and guess what is on the pancakes...peanut butter! Also the pancakes were like the ones in the US, fluffy! Here pancakes are flat and more like crepes. 

Us and Cecilia! She is awesome. She has been baptized for about a year. Once she finishes school she is planning on going on a mission! 

First day with Hermana Gerber! (2nd Argentina Companion)

New Compa and Week of Miracles (Week 13)

Hola familia!

First off I want to send a Birthday shout out to the greatest sister in the whole entire world Ashley "Bug" Burr!!! I hope you have a wonderful day cause you deserve it!

My new compa is...Hermana Gerber! I love her, she is super wonderful! She has about a year in the mission. She is from West Jordan Utah. She is really sweet. I would send a pic, but I don't have the capabilities this week. I think that Hermana Gerber and I are going to have miracles this transfer. We have had a lot of success this past week. I am really starting to feel like a missionary with her. This is good cause that is what I have been needing.

Hermana Gerber and I have decided that the only time we are going to speak English is at night. In the past four days I have seen progress in myself because of this. (Although sometimes I just don't understand something so we have to speak some English during the day). I have already learned a lot more about my area this week that I didn't know before. I feel like I am learning right alongside my compa. I know things are going to be hard with all of the progress I still need to make in all areas of the work, but I am ready to buckle down, learn, and grow.

This week we started to work with two menos actives (less actives), Gonzalo and Hermana "Fanny". With Hna Fanny we are going to work on getting her to read the Book of Mormon daily. She told us that she is praying daily. Something Elder David A. Bednar said is that if you are reading the Book of Mormom and praying daily then you won't fall away. So I believe that this will reactivate her. Gonzalo told us that he wants to stop doing drugs and is looking for a church right now. So we are working with him to remind him that he is already a member of the Church of Jesus Christ, the only true and living church on the earth, the true gospel of Jesucristo.

We are also working with a Franco and Fiorella. They have two small children. They are a reference from a member. Hermana Benson and I had tried to talk with them before, but weren't able to. So it was a miracle when Hermana Gerber and I were able to have a leccion with them. Fiorella is quite intelligent and helps explain things to Franco. I think she has an interest in our message. Oh and I think they have had some of the missionary discussions in the past. They are on the path of searching for a Church. As of about a week ago they joined the universal church. I believe that our Father in Heaven put us in their lives at this time to help them come to the true gospel of Jesucristo.

We also got a new investigator named Javier. He had long hair (it is awesome) and has some troubles with the word of wisdom. I believe he has real potential to change though. Yesterday at church someone told us that a eprson showed up and was looking for us, but then left cause he didn't feel comfortable the way he was dressed. Well it was Javier. Too bad no one told us he was there when he was actually there. Que triste (sad) that he didn't actually end up coming since he came. So we will work with him this week and pray that he will come next week. He has already shown faith in trying to come yesterday. I think he has a real desire to change his life for the better and come unto Christ.

Sorry I don't have time to write everyone every week. I print off your letters and read all of them. It is just I am a slow typer and by the time I write president, my family letter, and send pics if possible there isn't much time. I really try to write to everyone, I promise!

Well love you all soooo much! I hope you are all enjoying your cold weather! Have a fantastic week!

Con mucho amor,
Hermana Burr

Desayuna y Cambios (Breakfast and Changes) (Week 12)

Hola familia!

First things first. Traslados (transfers) are this week. Can you believe that I have been in Argentina for 6 weeks, cause I sure can't. In my mission we usually find out if we are leaving or staying Tuesday at district meeting. But this morning we got a phone call and they said the cambios (changes) were decided and they told us this morning. Hermana Benson is leaving and I am staying in Padua. I will be honest, I am a bit scared to death! Cause that means that I am the one that is supposed to know the area, investigators, members and all that jazz. The thing is--I don't feel like I know any of that well enough. This also means I am getting a new compa. She could speak English and she may not. We'll have to wait and see. This is a bit nerve wracking but I know that the Lord knowns what is best and that He won't give me anything I can't accomplish without His help.

Something that hit me yesterday is I need to be praying for strength, knowledge, and confidence to improve the work in my area. And not think if this thing were to change things would work better. Even though I have only been doing this for a day I have already seen changes that the Lord is going to make which will push me to become the missionary and person He wants me to be (aka these cambios). So at this time half of me is ready to "seize the moment" and the other half of me is nervous, but I can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for me.

We have seen many miracles this week. One day at lunch, we received three references. Later that day we found a family of four! Javier, Noel, Franko, Dameon, and Gabriel (baby). They are all highly intelligent. Hermana Benson and Hermana Gassaway had talked with Noel outside of their house one day and gave her a Book of Mormon. There had been no progress after that until we were able to have a leccion with them. Javier is catholic and he told us there are things in his religion he doesn't agree with. As we talked about the restoration he identified with some of the things we were testifying of. They said that they wanted to come to church but were not able to come this week (yesterday), but wanted to the week after (this upcoming Sunday). We have not been able to have another leccion with them. We called them yesterday and they said that they had read what we left for them, yay! They didn't know their schedule for the week yet so we are gong to call them again to set up an appointment. Javier and Noel are not married, but they have plans to be married. They have plans for February, but Javier broke his arm. Now they think they will push it to March because he can't put a ring on his finger. We are going to keep working with them and hopefully they will decide to be married sooner.

This week we had breakfast with our investigator Julieta and her three children. Right now finding a job is really important to her so that she can support her family. While we were there we talked about prayer and the blessings we receive by praying. We extended the commitment for her to pray everyday and she said yes. She is making slow progress. I don't think she fully understands our purpose as missionaries. Tonight we have a Noche de Hogar (family home evening) with her and we are going to focus on our puropose as missionaries and what actions she needs to take.

Also, this week we had a crazy leccion with two people, Graciela and Miguel. They are Christians. It was rough for me because I didn't really understand what was going on. I just know there was a bit of contentious spirit in the air and something about the Book of Mormon. Overall Hermana Benson did a good job of staying calm and patient. She kept trying to bear her testimony to bring the spirit, but the woman kept cutting her off. I was trying to help but didn't really know what to do, so at the end of the leccion I literally raised my hand and asked if I could share my testimony of our Savior Jesuchristo. They said yes. So I bore my testimony of Christ and the Book of Mormon.

I got an email from Grandma and Grandpa Burr with this quote in it that I absolutely loved so I wanted to share it with you all cause really it can apply to everyone.

"Things come together when you are trying to do the Lord's work...in a remarkable way. It all works out. There are obstacles..problems...concerns. But the Lord lets you worry. He lets you fret, stew, and wonder, but He sees you through."
-President Gordon B. Hinckley

There is a video from Elder David A. Bednar that I watched at the MTC called the Character of Christ. It is sooooooo amazing. This week I read through my notes I took when I watched it. I am not sure if you can find the talk on LDS.org or not, but you should try to find it because it really is fantastic and something everyone could benefit from. One of the main things I got from it is that Christ always looked outward. He was not selfish. He acted out of love for others, not for the benefit of himself. So I am trying to implement this into my work better.

To answer your question I have heard about the new Buenos Aires East mission that they are going to make. I don't know how much of this is true, but this is what I have heard. The temple will no longer be in our area. When this change happens, a few sisters and elders that are serving in a specific area will be transferred to the Buenos Aires South mission. Loco!

I am so glad that I was able to get some of my baseball pics in the Shutterfly book! I was excited when I read that! I will have to see them in more than a few months.

Thanks for always writing and sharing inspiring, spiritual, and uplifting things. I really appreciate it, so don't stop! I love you all so much. Hope all is well. Remember LOOK OUTWARD like Christ. Have a fantastic week!

Con mucho amor,
Hermana Burr

Hola! (Week 11)

Hola!

So this week has been crazy! The past two days it has been raining! So now I have really experienced the rain of Argentina, at least I think!

Also it is super hot here, that info I found before I came was wrong cause it is hotter than high 80's everyday practically. I have that cool alarm clock that has the temperature gauge on it correct. Well guess what, the hottest our bedroom has been when we got home at night was 93 F!!!! So we drip sweat all day and sleep in our sweat at night, but it makes you feel good and helps you know that you're working hard!

Guess what!!! Yesterday at our lunch appointment we got to talking and then this family invited us back that night for a pancake dinner. Here is the best part they had Peanut Butter AND Maple Syrup!!! That doesn't happen in Argentina, so that is AWESOME!!

Well as far as investigators go the ones I thought would have potential to be baptized in February have dropped us...so that is sad. But that means we just have to work that much harder! Which is good cause sometimes I wonder if I am working hard enough, which means I need to be doing more. This week I have been thinking how I can be a better missionary. I have decided that I need to have more charity for the people. But how, well I was studying about charity and found that the way you gain charity is by acting out of love. So I am going to be better at acting out of love. Also, my compa said that the goal is to be able to train after your 12 weeks of training. Well at this point I feel I am nowhere near that. So we are going to let me be more of a leader this week. Which scares me, but I know that I need to learn this now so that I can become the missionary and leader that the Lord wants me to be.

Con mucho amor,
Hermana Burr

There is a family that we have eaten with a few times that had us over for dinner again. Last time we were there they asked what some of our favorite foods were. This night they had a special surprise. They had us each what we had said! So they gave me this box of empanadas! Hna. Benson had a happy meal, Hna. Allen and her compa Hna. Hale (in photo) had ravioli (pasta with cheese in it).

This is a woman that is a professor at a highly accredited university. She teaches Italian and is teaching us some! It is hard for me to translate in my brain from English to Spanish to Italian! But I am learning patience!

This is a photo from the MTC with Branch President Carter and His wife and Hermana Allen.

Messi, Goat, and Tender Mercies of the Lord! (Week 10)

Hola mi familia!

How are you all doing? I have had a really good week. It has had its ups and downs but our companionship has really been able to see the Lord bless us this week. One day we were looking for an address and we could not find it. We approached a family that was outside to see if they could help us. We had intentions to talk to them about the gospel as well. Before we could say anything gospel related they had their children taking us to a man who knew where every address was. The children showed us where to go and then left. Hermana Benson and I wondered if we should really bother the man cause we thought the address didn't exist. But we decided we shouldn't pass up the opportunity to talk to him cause we need to talk to all people. After he helped us with the address he asked if he could ask us a question, so of course we said yes. He said he was interested in understanding how Mormom missionaries work or the logistics. (I guess you could call it this, I don't really know how to explain it). We got to talking and the conversation slowly turned to a gospel discussion. He asked us if we had a pamphlet or something he could have. We left him with the restoration pamphlet and a Book of Mormon. He said he wants to read the entire book. He also asked if he could come to church sometime and bring his family. He wasn't able to come yesterday but he hopes to this upcoming Sunday. It really amazed me when he asked "all the right questions" before we asked them to him. We had recently fasted that we would be able to find an investigator that is prepared for the gospel and will be baptized in February. That the investigator would become truly converted and remail faithful. This may be him and it may not be. We have seen other simple miracles this week that could also be our answer. I absolutely love the tender mercies of the Lord. Looking for his hand in my life really makes a difference and makes a bad day into a good day.

I have been studying about the enabling power of the atonement. I have come to realize and better appreciate the Book of Mormon because of how much it testifies of the enabling power of the atonement. I really love this quote from Elder David A. Bednar:

"The enabling power of the Atonement strengthens us to do and be good and to serve beyond our own individual desire and natural capacity."

If you want to read more, it is from the talk "The Atonement and Our Journey through Mortality". At least I think that is what it is called. It came highly recommended by the amazing Sister Bailey!

Here are just some cool things that have happened to me this week:

• Someone thought I was from Columbia not the United States!
• In my setting apart blessing I was promised that my Spanish would sound like I have been in Argentina my whole life. The other day someone told me I have a better accent than some of the missionaries that have been here for a year. So I am already starting to see the blessings there. Also, my companion has an Argentine accent so I feel like that is one of the reasons we are companions. 
• We found a man that speaks really good English the other day! We are going to teach him in English, yay yay yay! We have already had one leccion with him. 
• The first time I played soccer it was with some teenagers and a few younger kids. Guess what I made TWO goals! And one of the members gave me the nickname "Messi". The next time I played soccer was with the other Hermanas and a few girls that are about our age. They said I was really good at soccer. I think they mean for a gringa hermana they think I am good. So this makes me happy that they all think I am good at soccer! 
• We were taking a recent convert back to her apartment after she had been at leccions with us and her older brother was out front with his friends. They are more of the crazy not so good people you usually try and avoid I guess you could say. They were playing darts and wanted us to try. Well it turns out I am not too bad at darts. I kept beating Hermana Benson and the "brothers friend" I played against. So that was good cause now they know who we are and they like us so we are safe and other people won't bother us!
• One day we were so thirsty and we finally found someone to put water in our water bottle for us. After we left we were just gulping down our water in front of a house. Well I noticed an elderly woman. So I said Hola! At first she was a bit confused and asked if we know her. We said no we were just saying hi. Then she started talking to us about religion! yay! She invited us in to see her paintings she has done and talk some more. She is 88 and lives alone. She said we were an answer to her prayers. And she is an answer to ours as well cause we can share the gospel with her. She actually already has a pretty good knowledge and believes a lot of things we do. She is Christian. I look forward to teacher her more! Also she gave us an alfajor so she is golden! 

Well I love you all and hope you have a Fantastic week! Put forth the extra effort to look for the Hand of God in your life! You will realize how truly blessed you are and you will realize that your bad days are actually good days! 

Con mucho amor,

Hermana Burr

We ate goat! It was delicious! No joke! 

Twins! a member made these shirts for us!

Recreating Ashley kissing a gator!

 Head of the goat we ate. Check out the tongue. We didn't eat this part.

Family we ate Christmas Dinner with. 

2 Meses (Week 9)

Hola Familia,

Today marks two months in the mission! Can you believe that I have been out for so long! Well unfortunately I don't have much time to write this letter so it may be short sorry!

The temple trip was AMAZING! The Buenos Aires temple is beautiful in person! It was so nice to feel the peace of the temple. It is amazing how much you can feel the spirit on the temple grounds let alone going inside! We did an endowment session. Here is the catch...it was all in SPANISH. They didn't have translator things for us. It was still amazing. What a blessing it was.

On the 31 de diciembre we had lunch with the Lo Giudice family. And then that night we went back and had a mini dinner fiesta! They taught us how to make empanadas! I love empanadas! It was so fun to learn how to make them. Then we had this fancy pinapple and apple cider stuff in fancy glasses!

Love ya I will write more next week! Stay awesome!

Con much amor,
Hermana Burr