23 May 2011

Hey Family!

First off! When are you going to Germany, this week? That's exciting about everything that is happening to Dad. He's the man, man.
So this week was pretty exciting, a lot of really cool things happened. It was a really hard week, to be honest, because our teaching pool is so small, we do soo much walking, but there is so much potential here, we are really striving to find out how to help our ward get involved and get some people progressing! God is always preparing people, and Elder Quinantoto have been talking a lot about the spirit, how to find and teach by the spirit, and just really, through the spirit, understand how the gospel will truly touch and bless the lives of the people here in Banga.

I want to start off with a cool experience that happened at our district meeting though. So our District Leader right now is Elder Farnsworth. He was in my last district too in Iloilo, in the office. He's a way good elder, way bold, way loving, and I learn a lot from him. Anyway, in district meeting we talked about How to begin teaching. We discussed how important the first moments in meeting someone is. And as missionaries, we need there to be an atmosphere that the spirit can whisper to the person that we are God's instruments and the message we are teaching is true and they need it. Anyway, he sent us out and I learned another lesson. Anyway, here's the story. He sent us out in groups and we all got to talk to people. One of the groups of missionaries went out and talked to a guy on a bike and gave him a pamphlet and left, not really knowing what would come of it. Anyway, when we came back we all discussed our experiences. One group of missionaries, Elder Scott (our ZL now!), asked who talked to a guy on a bike. We found out and he told us that a guy on a bike came up to him with a pamphlet and asked how he could learn more. Then he told the missionaries that he had some friends too he wanted to introduce to the missionaries and Elder Scott got all their names down and made plans to visit them all. I just thought it was really cool. Just how you never really know how what your doing is blessing the lives of others.

I actually shared that with a sister in Altavas that we visited because I went on exchanges with Elder Perez, a new Elder in the mission. We talked about after we hear general conference or something we sometimes get way excited to share the gospel or give a referral to the missionaries, and then we try, and it seems nothing happened, or we failed. But we talked about how we never know how what we are doing is helping. As long as we are diligent in keeping the commandments of God, we'll be blessed. We talked about Moroni, the last prophet in the Book of Mormon. He's probably my favorite prophet. There's only a couple verses about him personally, but they tell me a lot about him. He's the only one, there's no body else with him, and he's hiding because he'll be killed if he doesn't deny the Christ. He didn't really think he'd have to write any more in the Book of Mormon, but he did, because God commanded him too. He just hoped that his works would be of worth one day. Well, in Moroni's life, he never saw the results of what he did. But because of his writings, because of what God promised to us through him in Moroni 10:4-5, millions of people know the truth of what is written in the Book of Mormon and the truth of this church. As children of God and members of his church, we're expected to be obedient to the commandments of God. It doesn't depend on the result of our obedience, but we're obedient because we love our father in Heaven, and we have faith that we will and others too will receive the blessings of what we do. I read a talk by President Eyring called Serve with the Spirit. I really like it, you should read it! Anyway, he said something like if we serve with the spirit, it doesn't mean we'll do everything perfect. It doesn't mean we're the perfect teacher, or perfect primary president, or the perfect quan, but it means we simply do the thing that God has asked us to do. If we serve, if we go and do, God will show us how.

Elder Quinantoto have been really trying to focus on that. How can we be more bold with people? How can we really invite the spirit into our lessons and everything we do. I have one experience with that this week. We studied that and were making goals with it. Anyway, one day we were teaching and I was talking. We were teaching the restoration and I just didn't really feel it. I mean, the person we were teaching wasn't really listening, they didn't seem too interested. I was really striving to get them involved but it just wasn't happening and the thing we were teaching just didn't seem to be important to this person. Anyway, I felt this and was thinking this and paused and prayed. When I paused, I guess it was a little too long for the investigator because they said something like, "Oh, Elder Burton forgot what he was suppose to teach, or suppose to say." Anyway, after that, Elder Quinantoto stepped in, and said very lovingly and very boldly, "Sister, Elder Burton and I pause, and think, and ponder, because we want to make sure that what we say to you doesn't come from us, but that it comes from God, through us." After that the revelation just flowed in, and the lesson went well. The spirit is key to what we do. If we're willing to let the spirit in, he'll come, we just have to wait and create an atmosphere for him to testify.

Elder Quinantoto is a great elder. We're really making great plans together and real good goals on how to improve. He's also teaching me a lot about nature. Okay, this may be weird to share with you but I think it's way cool. So we were walking down the street working with our Ward Mission Leader, Elmer Villanueve (he's only 18 years old!) and a Recent Convert, Sister Angelyn, she was baptized two months ago. She's way solid and has a way strong testimony. Anyway, suddenly Elmer walked past me and through some plant into the water and said, "look!" And I looked, and beheld... nothing really. Just a bunch of brown seed things floating in the water. Then all of a sudden, they all exploded. It was crazy! Water just splashed up in my face. It was weird! But way cool. Anyway, they showed me where to find them and you just have to get them wet with anything! I used the sweat dripping from my face. They just explode. And then there is another weird plant that you just poke and it like pretends to die. It like closes and droops down and comes back up in a couple minutes! It's way weird!

I guess I better tell you about the dogs here too. They are way scary. Early in the week I worked with the 2nd conselor in the bishopric brother Valmer (he's like 23), and he was making fun of me because I'm a little scared of dogs here! For a good reason too. When I first arrived until now, when we go to some areas Elder Quinantoto tells me to get some stones, because there is a giant dog there that will eat me and can jump over my head. Anyway, so we always carry stones with us to scare the dogs off when they are charging at us, just for imitation. Anyway, one time this dog was charging at us and Elder Quinantoto grabbed me and held me in front of him! What a punk eh? But we lived that time.

When I worked with Valmer he helped me overcome some fears. He said just stop and look at the dogs when they are angry and they will back off. Also we were walking and I looked at my shoulder and there was a giant spider there! So I, naturally, was surprised, so I flicked it off. Valmer made fun of me and said I'm suppose to play with the spider. So I did. You just put it in your hand and it will web itself out of there. So it was actually cool to play with it. When the spider gets close to the ground, you just grab the web and fling it back up. It's a cool pet.

Anyway, back to dogs. So I kind of became less scared of dogs again till Sunday, I saw a dog, it seemed way angry. So I just tried the Valmer method and stared it down. It was working and the dog wasn't moving, just barking. So I felt pretty cool. Then all of a sudden, I heard a bark and felt something clamp down on the back of my leg! Ouch! My entire life flashed before my eyes. I remembered when I was 6 and ate some chicken nuggets, when I was 7, and jumped on a trampoline. I thought my life was over, everything was over! But then I looked back and it was just Elder Quinantoto's hand, he was messing with me. Ahh snap!! Him and our ward missionaries all thought it was hilarious.

So Noel Arrieta, and his wife Rutchie, are doing great. They've gone to church the past too weeks. We actually gave Noel one of my ties and he came to church wearing it. He's a gwapo man! I love them. They are awesome. The progression in Noel has been amazing. He wouldn't even answer questions last time. Even like about what he likes to do. But he and his wife have been working together, studying together, praying together, and they've grown closer together to God and to each other. It's awesome. At the end of our lesson with Noel on Thursday he knelt down with us and prayed for the first time with us. It was amazing, one of the most sincere prayers I've heard in a long time. He'll be ready for baptism. Even though he can't read or write, he's felt the spirit, he's opened himself up for revelation, and the spirit's told him this is true. It just goes to show God's plan, God's gospel, is for everyone, as long as we open ourselves up to feel it, to receive guidance from him, he'll lead us to this gospel. He'll lead us to find the fulness of truth that we have through our living prophet! \

So last Saturday we went out in the morning and taught this less active family. They were baptized a couple years ago. Anyway, we were sharing with them and their like 6 year old daughter walked out with like a piece of bamboo. I saw it and thought, that's a cool looking piece of bamboo. All of a sudden this girl started chomping down on this bamboo. It sounded way painful. The mom was just sitting there. Anyway, this girl kept eating it and I was way confused. I thought to myself, "If my mom saw me eating a stick, she would probably stop me, right?" (would you mom?) Anyway, the mom must of noticed I had a question about her daughter eating a stick, so she asked if I knew what it was, I told her no. She told me it was sugar cane! Then it all made sense to me. Haha. I thought she was just eating a stick. I'm not very smart I guess. But Nature amazes me! haha...

So that's basically everything. I just should also warn you about texting. Make sure your not doing anything else while you are texting, we were walking at night with our members and Elder Quinantoto were in front. It was dark and no street lights really but we had a flashlight. Anyway, there were a bunch of caribou lying in the middle of the road. So we pointed the flashlight at them and looked back. Our member (I won't name names), a sister (she kind of reminds me of Hattie), was just texting and walking. Anyway, she was heading straight for the caribou. I called out to her and she broke free of her well paced walk just in time and escaped stepping on a caribou! She was like one step away. I'm not sure what would have happened if she stepped on a caribou, the reactions of those well maimed beasts, but I'm glad we didn't have to find out. Once again, the day was saved! So I exhort each of you to be careful texting!

Anyway, that's my week. I love you all!

Elder Burton

P.S. Do you know someone named Andrew Prutus? He's from Payson I think. My ward mission leader in Roxas was his companion on his mission I guess.