November 6, 2011

Myyyy Friends!

That's what drunk people always yell at us. But I'll type it at you because you are my friends, and my family. Anywho, this week was the best week so far! Honestly, Elder Reeves and I feel super blessed with everything that is happening in our area.

The first thing was with a single mother the missionaries were teaching a while back. All she wanted to do was join the church and be baptized but she couldn't take work off on Sunday. Even though it hurt, the missionaries stopped teaching her for a while because she knew what she had to do, and to give her a chance to think. But a miracle happened with her. We stopped by her house and she told us she found a way so she wouldn't have to work on Sunday anymore, and now she's been to church 2 times, so she and her kids should be baptized by the end of the month!

I'll go back real quick though to our Halloween ward family home evening! That was way fun. Monday afternoon first Elder Reeves had to have our arts and crafts time, which we've now goaled to have every week, and we made a pinata using our cargo boxes and pieces of broken chair. It was really weird looking, but I was well pleased with it. Anyway, at the Halloween we were in charge of that and also a short message. It was way fun though. The kids had never seen a pinata before, but it turned out to be a more dangerous adventure than I had bargained for. We ended up getting 2 stacks of like 12 chairs to hang the pinata from and then the kids would beat it with a broom. It was scary though because if a piece of candy fell out like 20 kids would dive on the floor after it and then the blindfolded kid would still be waving his weapon around. So we made a wall of missionaries and protected kids from going in. Finally, one of the kids made a hole big enough that we could see the candy inside and one of the kids jumped up and pulled the pinata to the ground, as a result pulling the stacks of chairs to the ground too on top of our primary. Anyway, they all died. And we're being sent home for it :( So we'll see you all in 3 days. Hey, just kidding!! Luckily Elder Chandler and I were there and braced the chairs and saved the children!! So it was a successful day. And the children didn't even notice, and they wouldn't share any candy with us.

Anyway, the other blessings we're seeing in our area is just with finding. The mission is really stressing focusing on families. And of course I've known that. My whole mission we've always prayed and searched for families. But it's hard. The husbands are always working or drinking and always busy. It's so hard. So when I kept seeing the announcement my first faithless thought usually was, 'yeah, duh! But it's easier said than done.' But the Lord is really helping us do what we have to do. We're finding in a different way, different style, than I've ever really done before. I'm not sure how, but everything is just working out perfectly, and my testimony is really growing that there are people really prepared and especially families. We didn't really teach too many lessons, but I feel more effective than ever, contacting, focusing, refusing to teach if the whole family isn't there but just testifying. And when the whole family is there the lessons just feel too perfect. It's so easy to relate the gospel to families. That's why God created this plan of happiness for us. And I know it will change lives. One family we had taught we actually contacted like two weeks ago while he was drunk and he asked us if we had any pamphlets. We went and found his house just his wife was home and we tried to make an appointment but he just pulled up in his tricycle and let us in and we taught him, his wife, and his four kids, and it was tight like unto a dish.

I love my apartment too right now. They are all sweet elders and way fun. Last night Elder Reeves and I we're singing a closing him and all of a sudden it actually started sounding good. Elder Chandler and Elder Vennard just walked into the room and started singing bass and the other part which name I don't know. But they are like pro singers, Elder Vennard is like all-state! So it was cool. It's just so fun. We just have hilarious things. Like when we went on splits with the APs Elder Reeves tried to give Elder Misbach some water but I already gave him some juice so Elder Misbach said, "Ha! Now your charity is in vain!" And then Elder Vennard was just like, "No it wasn't!" Maybe you had to be there. A similar instance was when Elder Chandler accused Elder Reeves of leaving his food on the table. When Elder Reeves discovered it wasn't his food he said, "HA! Will you insult my intelligence again?" And Elder Vennard said, "Actually that wasn't an intellectual assault." I don't know, but it cracks me up.

Well, I guess that's it. Thanks for all your prayers. I feel their effects in the work.
I'll look for a nativity!
I love you!
Elder Burton.

P.S. Elder Pettit told me his mom still sends him cornuts because of me. They smell really bad. I thought my biggest desire was to be his companion again, but if he has cornuts. Arghh!!
P.S.S. Jokes lang.