March 3, 2014

Jon what a neat experience you had to bless your little baby girl....wow you are a father :) so cool. You guys are going to have a blast with kirsty and mike and the boys. Ten cuidado con los sobrinos y tu hija. jaja I can picture it now tanner o austin o weston pinching her little cheeks or something haha :) 

Janae and Steve i got your little note :) thank you so much it meant a lot to me and geave me a little turbo boost :) Hope your vacation is the bomb diggity.

Thanks for all the pictures :) i love seeing my wonderful family and my sobrinos :) especially nate with a lacrosse stick :)

I am still here in San Borja....yup :) and working hard. We are going to have a baptism this week and i am so excited. His name is eric and he is PERFECT. He is from gold. We are inviting every single member personally to come to the bautptism so we can have a mountain of people there. 

Laurel, like your trainer my trainer taught me how to work and love the members. How necessary it is to work with them to have success. Espceially here in san borja its a little limited but with the help and suppiort of members we can succeedd and have success. 

My new comp is elder martinez, from argentina and he is the bomb diggity. The first day i was with him i couldnt understand him.... :) it was kinda funny cuase I had to ask him like three times what he was saying everythime there was y or ll. He thought i just couldnt speak or understand spanish :) jaja. 

This week was a little hard we had 2 days of straight walking contacting and trying ot find people to teach and citas que fallaron. It was hard. But htis week we are going ot have success and follow forward...seguir adelante...push forward. What we are struggling with that you guys can pray for is the finding aspect of the work. That we can find the people that are ready that are chosen. Maybe they are hiding but they are ready and we need to cross their path and find them. Becuase we don't really have any new investigatores. But in know that the lord has someone prepared and ready we just have to hunt them down. A funny story that happened this week was we went to talk with a hna that we had previously contacted last week or something and toque el timbre and the mom or someone came out and i asked if andrea was home. She told me no and she didnt live there. Well i said ya okay that's alright but i began to contact this lady. And i asked her name. Her amiga or sister or someone came out in this moment and began to yell at me....in english. good enlish saying don't worry about that you don't need ot know her name and this and that. I pretended like i didnt kniow english. I told her in spanish that i didn't understand. And that i am from cajamarca (its a place her in peru that there are white people and blue eyes) and the lady said ..oh....a little confused and then began to yell in spanish. Me and elder martinez turned around laughing hysterically. Sometimes when the old ladies and grandmas just yell at us its kinda funny and we cant help but laugh. haha. 

Ernesto recieved the priesthood yesterday and i he was so so happy. He is progressing really well in the gospel. 

My scripture is alma 8:10. (Read it).......alma esforzaba in the spirit and worked and prayed and fought to have baptisms. En his previous area of melek he was baptizing a whole ton but then he got transfered to ammoniah and the key indicatores were low. He tried so hard, he prayed and worked ot have baptisms. You guys know how it is to be missionarys and not have baptisms. You guys were once missionaries. Maybe a whole ton of years atras but you guys have experienced this desire to bring people to the gospel and the celestial kingdom. Somethimes we hace the desire and the we are willing and working hard but we lack the people to teach. Support the missionarys in the ward. En realidad the missionarys are their to support the membros not the other way around. Work with the missionarys. talk with them. support them in their sacred calling. I know that if you can particpate in the work the lord will bless you tremendously and youy will have more joy more success in your small families. We work in the vineyard of the Lord alongside the savior. I know this is his work of salvacion. En el nombre de Jesucristo Amen.

Sure love you family :) you guys are amazing :) keep up the work.

Elder Burrup

February 24, 2014

We had baptism!!!!!! :) it was so beautiful :) i felt so much joy. He shared his testimony in the service and it was so beautiful. It put me to cry a little. My first convert that ive seen the whole process. He has progressed and i have seen his spiritual growth tremendously. In almost exactly 6 weeks. He has told me he wants to go to the temple so so bad. I am so happy to be part of this work of salvation. 

But this part of this story is a little sad, not one single member came to the baptism. Okay well the mission lider and his mom. His cousin that baptized him and his wife. No member of the bishopric or other member from the barrio. NOBODY. I was a little saddened by this. And then the following day in sacrament meeting is always the confirmation and they forgot about that. This ticked me off a little. I have grown to love this man and when the ward doesn't support him and completely forget about his baptism it tweeks me a little. The problem was there was a ward activity competition thing with a different ward a championship futbol game and ping pong championship between this ward and the other. I understand for the poeple and families that are in it but....i dunno i was a little tweeked that we had absolutely 0 members that came. And the siblings of ernesto came too. Not members. The work is with the ward. Support the missionaries. even if you dont the person getting baptized GO. Every soul is precious in the sight of the God. 

Jon i met another buddy of yours Eric Mejia. He told me you and dad and janae had helped him a lot and supported him. He told me to give you his numbers 943750853  and 5749564. Its been great experiences when people express their love for you dear brother. You were truly a marvelous missionary. (Hope you still are tehe) 

Laurel glad to hear you were able to go to the baptism of franky. Was a blessing and a miracle :) You were an amazing missionary :) Keep it up. Sure love you dear sister.

Kirsten and Janae....In sacrament there was little boys sitting in front of me and a family that is recently investigating and their boys were next to me. I have stickers...thanks mom :).....that let me interact with the little ones. And i had a flash mode in my mind of my beautiful sisters and their children. of tanner and austin and nate and you guys being so patient and loving with your sweet little boys. I kinda started to cry but i felt the love of moms. Kinda silly but i thought of my wonderful sisters and their children. (Nicole will be teaching and having patience with her little girl too:) )

A experience i had this week that was absolutely wonderful was i was doing divisiones and our citas had been cancelled or pushed back. And we decided to do contacts. We were walking and i felt we should contact the green house. And even cooler it was 111 and then yo toque la puerta and i told my comp that we were going to enter and teach which is rare in san borja. But then we went in and taught :) the mom told me when she was younger she wanted to get baptized but her parents wouldn't let her and her best friend was baptized it was amazing. It was a testimony to me that we can work by the spirit :) it was an awesome experience. 

Im a little short on time but this is the scripture i wanna share is 2 nefi 3:21 that says la debelidad de sus palabras yo fortalecere en su fe. Mom with your faith en the discussion with this hna you can speak by the power of the God with poder and with the spirit. Have faith in the power of God and the spirit and you can speak mighty things. I have seen this promise fulfilled countless times in my mission todavia. How glorious is the gospel!!!

Hurrah for Israel 

Elder Burrup

Love you all :)

February 17, 2014

Okay...well i am so excited to hear about the Kulmus family :) how beautiful and wonderful for them. How is the lady that wants to be sealed with her family that grandpa is working with? Sounds like the family and the sobrinos are all growing up...its crazy how fast the time is going! Elder Toro finishes this week. Im kinda bummed especially because we aren't going to be able to contact with toro y burro tehe. (Mom toro es bull y burro es donkey we always contact with this little joke to break the ice :)

Please pray for these people and there needs so they can progress in the gospel

Familia Blotte-they are miembros but the wife is recent. They have problems in their marriage, she is like our mom she we dinner with them almost every night. Pray that the esposo can have patience and contiuna faithful in the gospel and in his covenants. 

Eric-that he can feel the truthfulness of the BoM and that he can come to church with is sons

Yola cuyubamba-that she can feel the same feelings of the spirit, that she can act and have the desire to be bauptised.

This are just a few of the biggest needs with our investigadores. This week i have i seen the need to invite to be baptized in the first lesson. We know have investigadores that are progresando for a fecha. I was scared to do it the first couple times but once i did it i want to do it with everyone now :) i want to invite every single person on the street to be baptized in the following month :) My purpose is to get people bauptised. Through the means of repentance and strengthening their faith but the ultimate goal is baptism. Well the ultimate goal is the temple and the celestial kingdom. But with me as a missionary--baptism. My invitation for you guys is to be missionaries. Remember you can all be a missionaries. Just simple open your mouth....JTAYCL. This was something i heard when i was at home...just talk about your church life. If you go to the grocery store or out in public you can always find a route to open your mouth about some principle or doctrine or something to talk about the church. ALWAYS. If you say something silly or its awkward. Its okay, the lord will bless you and you'll never see them again. It seems kinda scary sometimes but in realidad nah its super easy and you can do it :) remember the covenant we made with baptism, to be a testigo de el. to take is name upon us. We hear this every sunday when we take the sacrament, it is a covenant that we made to be always be missionaries to the world. My invitation is to give a least one reference to the missionaries so they can invite to be baptized in the first leccion. If you give a reference they should have a date to be ready for baptism. A goal to progress and achieve. I know if you can do this your lives will be blessed and see the joy and gozo from someone elses progreess in the gospel and see their salvation. 

LOVE YOU SO SO SO MUCH FAMILY :) :)

Elder Burrup

p.s. We have a baptism this saturday...Ernesto :) he is so excited to be baptized :) love you!

Feb 10, 2014

This week has been full of miracles! :) it is just so wonderful to see the miracles in this work :) We went and contacted this reference and he is de oro! Seriously. We began with a prayer and he just started crying and crying during the prayer. The spirit was so strong. Feeling the spirit in a leccion or contact is amazing to feel. The other miracle was we had 9 investigadores come to the chapel yesterday. It was glorious. This week esta llena de citas :) i am very excited for this week. We asisted a bauptimsal service with an investigador and afterwards he told me that he made his decision. he wants to be baptized :) i was so happy i AM so happy :) not this week but the next week is his baptism service. 

That is such an amazing experience with Grandpa! I am so happy for him and you all :) Good work mom shoveling the walks and doing service :) You are an amazing missionary you all are :) Mom...send me a picture of you and dad :) I miss seeing your face and giving you a super tight hug :) sure love you mom :)

pray for them please 

Jussep-(its pronounced joseph)-that he can act, his mom can give permission to be baptized and he can open up and not be so shy

Eric-he can come to church and we can have more time in the week to teach him

Julio-he can act and have a desire to know more about the marriage of his daughter in the temple. 

Hernesto-seguir adelante and finish preparing for bauptism

Maria del Carmen (madre)-can come to church

Maria del Carmen (hija)-have time in spite of her studies to study te scriptures and have lessons with us. and have a deseo to learn more

This week my thought is about murmurring. Presidente y su esposa nos quemaron toda la mision because i guess there has been problems with murmuring like laman and lemuel. En 1 nefi 17:2 it talks about how great the blessings of the lord in their lives.He was always blessing them in their lives. And in the end of the verse nefi says that finally his bothers began to bear their travels without murmuring. When we murmur we cant focus on the miracles of the lord or the blessings or his hand. We cannot murmur. It destroys everything good. Our hopes, dreams, espirtualy and optimism our fe. In exodus 16:8 it explains that the murmuracion es not contrary to us our our leaders or companero but its contrary to the lord. My invitation is to look for the blessing, look fo the miracles, look for the hand of the Lord in your life, in your day, Because he is in the details of our lives he loves us and wants the best for us. Nos cuida. He will always bless us. Be grateful fo every blessing. Offer a pray of gratitude. 

Sure love you family :)

Elder Burrup

P.S. Got the valentines package :) loved the spanish from mom and nicole :) tehe

February 4, 2014

Dearest Family, 

Thank you for emails. I absolutely love mondays to feel the spirit through your letters. I can feel your desire to be better, to stay close to the spirit and strengthen your families. Ayer en the church the teacher asked us to close our eyes and think about exaltation what we imagined and when i closed my eyes i thought of playing football with the boys en the park, tan austy nate grandpa mike jon steve and my beautiful sisters and mother and the babies having a picnic and cold watermelon. Kinda silly but i thought of the joy of our family. I think janae is right that it could be a little hard to keep in contact with our cousins now that grandpa is gone. Hopefully we can stay close as cousins. 

Kirsty and Mike i am glad to hear that mike is okay. Demonstrates the power of the preisthood and the temple. We have promises that we can be healthy. Go the temple often juntos to enjoy the blessings that can strengthen your family. Your little boys are growing up says mom. Sure love you guys! :) Mike hows the practice going? Keep me updated that everything's okay.

Janae and steve thanks for your emails :) I feel your spirit in your letters, how wonderful your family is growing! Sounds like your little family is growing rapidly. The lider misional has a nephew that is in between the age of aubrey and nate and i was think of them when i play with this little peruvian boy :) Janae thanks for sharing your experience with me. Demonstrates the love the Lord has for us and revelation por medio of the prays. Steve good to hear you are doing well! Good luck with your exams and your little fam :) 

Jonny and Nicole thanks for the pictures agian :) she is a cute little bugger. Kinda crazy that you guys are moving away from provo for forever! What a crazy exciting time in your lives as your little family grows :) Sure love you guys and Clara :)

Laurel hope all is well with you, the whole college life tehe :) I sure love your emails and i pray for you and this change for you. I wanna hear about and boys....tehe :) 

Mom and Dad thank you so much for your letters also. I sure do feel your love and strength. I feel an increase of love for my family every monday :) I am so glad that you are my parents and i have been taught by you. I always have the desire and ejemplo to become like you two. You guys are amazing :) sure miss you and the days and nights we had solo getting ice cream or sneaking out from grandmas house to go to kirstys for dinner...tehe :) Just laughing with you guys :) Thanks for telling me about the dirks, their family will be in my prayers and mind. Will be a grand trial but a time of strength and more close to the savior. He is such i good boy and can see it! 

So yesterday after church we went to a members house and had a HUGE feast and it was huge, loosen my belt and pants huge. The following cita we went and this is an hna that ahs been menos active for 30 years plus. She asked us if we were going to almorzar con ella. We about died. But her daughter isnt a member and we began to teach her daughter, during this lesson the spirit was strong and i was able to speak spanish clearly, and express myself. And even more they were able to understand me :) but i felt the power of the gift of tongues. The spirit is such a neccesity in our lives. Especially to teach people and be a missionary of success. Everything balances on the Holy Espirit. To feel the spirit is glroious. Always strive to have the spirit and feel the spirit. Strive to have experiences espirtuales with your families and personal also. This week i have felt the need and desire to strengthen my spiritual power. En 1 nefi 10 17 dice que lehi hablo por el poder del espiritu santo poder que recibio por la fe que tenia en el Hijo de Dios. The faith in the Savior strengthens our power to teach and speak by the power of the spirit. My invitation is to strengthen your spiritualness this week.

I pray for you and my family often and love you a whole bunches :)

Elder Burrup 

January 27, 2014

Buenos Dias mi familia :) 

Glad to hear all is well with nicole and the new sweet baby girl :) also i am so happy about kaitlin and robert :) how wonderful for them. It is a little crazy that weston is about done with his mission! How crazy. Seems like yesterday that he left! How cool that all my buddies are headed out on there missions as well. Couple of quick questions? How is mike and the practice going? and is janae, steve, nate and aubrey alive?! I haven't heard from them! 

Thanks to family Scott and Janel for the package :) 

Mom thanks for your letter :) i am definitely seeing the hand of the lord in the work here in san borja and i am learning a monton de cosas de mi companero Elder Toro. El es from Colombia. He es el maximo. I have difficulties talking english now! The other day elder toro asked me to pray in english and i tried....i couldn't! It was the weirdest thing ever. 

The work is pressing forward here in San Borja. it is exciting to be part of this work! Please pray for this people in specific:

Hernesto-so he can receive his answer

Estela-live the ley de castidad y dejar su esposo o el corazon de su esposo puede ser ablandado

Hna Delia-puede tener su deseo para continuar y actuar, sentir

Hna Yola Cuyubamba- Ella puede sentir el necessidad de bautismo, ella puede sentir los mismos sentimientos y sus esposo es un desafio tambien. 

This quote from elder Maxwell and i've thought about the atonement a lot and how it plays a roll in the process of conversion. How it is the base of my proposito. It is central to all. 

Elder Neal A Maxwell..... Consider this: What of Jesus’ ministry if He had performed additional miracles but without the transcending miracle of Gethsemane and Calvary? His other miracles brought blessed extensions of life and lessened suffering—for some. But how could these miracles possibly compare with the greatest miracle of the universal Resurrection? (see 1 Cor. 15:22). The multiplying of the loaves and fishes fed a hungry multitude. Even so, recipients were soon hungry again, while those who partake of the Bread of Life will never hunger again (see John 6:51, 58).

The lord can work miracles but more important is the need to change with the atonement, to change and use the atonement. Spiritual healing is more important than physical healing. I thought of dad and the desafios that we had with dad and i thought that all is for not if we do not use the atonement to become clean again, live as a family with our Heavenly Father. It is critical that use this part of the atonement. Other miracles are wonderful and glorious but we must use the redeeming power of the atonement. Not sure if i explained myself clearly but PME dice that we must repent on a daily basis. I know the power of the atonement is real and it can work in our lives, i invite you to use the atonement DAILY. In the name of the savior and redeemer Jesucristo. Amen

Con amor y carino

Elder Burrup

January 20, 2014

Well i have heard that all my buddies are headed out to their missions! So crazy. What a grand opportunity to serve in the Lords army. Couple things, I gave a talk in church yesterday, i've never been more scared in my life to give a discourse. Wow. I about peed my pants and i think nobody understood me. tehe. but was good :) I have a new comp, elder Toro. kinda funny, elder toro y elder burro. tehe. But he extended his mission to be with me! :) he shoulda been home the past wednesday but he extended a little bit more, he has 24 years and is a convert of 6. I am learning a whole whole whole ton from him. The work of the salvation is stretching forth in san borja and i think the hermanas are taking over next change which is a little sad but the work is going forth. english is getting so much harder and harder which i like :) tehe 

Glad to hear about my new niece :) Clara? why hasnt anyone sent pictures yet? i wanna see her :).....well just got the pictures from jon :) ask and ye shall receive. 

Kinda wierd but in my zone i have 2 "cousins", hna byington from moses lake and an hna winterton from heber. Wierd connections and a different hna was companeras with miranda rhoten in the ccm. crazy connections.

Well we have been working with some investigadores but 1 in particular who showed up at church and told us he wanted to learn more about the mormons and he is progressing super rapido and we are hoping to baptize him here soon. and 2 others that are on the edge that want to progress but need to complete there compromises. 

What i wanna share a little bit is simple but beautiful. Marcos 6:12. Talks preaching repentance. I thought about my objective has a misionero. My objective in realidad es to help people to repent and change their lives through the atonement and to receive the saving ordinances. But all of it starts with repentance. If they don't change their lives, repent and utilize the atonement they cant continue. I don't know if i explained this very well but my purpose is to call everyone to repentance. It says it countless time in the libro de mormon. The need to repent is universal and is necessary to return to the live with Heavenly Father. My purpose is to help people repent and be baptized and confirmed and then they can continue their path of enduring to the end as they make other covenants with God. In PME it says something like the central to life is repentance, i cant remember exactly and im translating it in my mind too tehe, but life is all about repentance, if we can learn to repent and do it every day every night then we will be happy and truly eternally happy. My invitation is to be accountable in your nightly prayers before God and repent each day form the faults we all have. There is no other way or name that we can be saved in the kingdom of heaven. only in and through Our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. I testify of these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Hurrah for Israel

Elder Burrup

Sure love you guys :) send me pictures of my family my sobrinos everyone. I haven't gotten a picture of mom i a long time :)