My mission so far is startlingly comparable to a new hit T.V. show. The first season started off in the MTC; new Elder Burgess thrown into Mormon Hogwarts with a class of seven other fresh noobs learning the ways of the spirit. Two weeks, 14 episodes, The Elder Burgess Show (hint hint Truman Show hint hint) built the friendships between me and my MTC district in our condensed adventures, like Elder Abraham taking laxatives and accidentally pooping his pants while making his bed at 6:00 in the morning. LOL. 

Season two is my first transfer here out in the field, which began with all of us going our separate ways in the mission, introducing a cast of new characters. This past week was the mid-way season, hour long special episode of the second season, where we all came back together as a district one last time to do a trainer-trainee conference. It was astonishing how much we had all changed and grown since the MTC. We're all spread out across the mission, from West Virginia all the way to the Chesapeake, and we've picked up what it means to be a missionary pretty dang quickly. 

This past week has been tough. Elder Van de Graaff and I are tight now, which is good because literally every person we meet on the street completely ignores us. You know in those movies when the main character wishes he had never been born and afterwards tries talking to his friends but no one acknowledges his existence? Yeah, that's us. Although 99% of people ignore us, we've met a few people this past week that made it all worth it.

Thursday we were street contacting while walking from appointment to appointment in 40 degrees 70% humidity, and no one was out. Our motivations were near rock bottom when Elder Van de Graaff knelt down to tie his shoe. I stood leaning on a stop sign looking around when I focused on a log cabin house down the street. I couldn't take my eyes off of the one single candle light in the upper left window, a hint of a spark in the frigid dark day. Without a second of doubt, I told Elder VDG we needed to knock on the door. He followed me, just as confused I as I was up to the porch and up the steps. I knocked on the door and a smile immediately formed across my face despite not being able to feel my ears. A giant Santa old man hesitantly opened the door and peered out at us. I thought he was gonna yell at us or point us off like most people, but I kept the smile up and said I don't even know what. Whatever it was, he grinned a heart-warming grin and said, "Y'all have a gorgeous church in San Diego. How can I get up in there?"

BAM we shared our genuine testimonies on how the restored gospel has brought happiness into our lives and the hope it brings, which leads us to the Temple. We're meeting with him day tomorrow.

Long story short, the Lord prepares those that are in need of the gospel in their lives to cross paths with us every day. All we have to do is have faith in the spirit and strive to align ourselves with the character of Christ by forgetting about our problems and devoting ourselves to the aid of our fellow man. Listen to the promptings of the spirit not in a physical sense, but with honest, humble, complete love for one another. If our minds are set to bring pure joy to others through loving acts of kindness, the Lord will guide us in all things.

Ya boy Elda burgess be doin reaallllllll goooooood

Don't worry about me! I love you all and hope you're ceasing every opportunity to live life to its fullest!

Until next week!

xoxo

Elder Burgess

ATTENTION!

ATTENTION*****! 

As we were driving home last Monday, I was reviewing my letter to y'all in my head and I realized I wrote "cease" instead of "seize" and I was soooooooooooooooooooo mad at myself. I am embarrassed still :/

ANYWAYS The weeks are starting to blend together. They zip by, although the days themselves last forever. I am constantly exhausted and don't get enough sleep because Elder VDG is a fitness nut and we wake up at 5:30every morning to go running outside in 30 degree weather before lifting. There isn't enough time in the days to do anything other than work. My mind is constantly on overdrive, but I'm hoping I'll get used to it. The missionary work itself has been really slow this week in terms of finding new people to talk to, and our only on-date investigator couple have planned their marriage for April, meaning the soonest they can be baptized is the week after the marriage. That made Elder VDG frustrated, which frustrated me. Too many missionaries, actually every missionary I've come across besides my MTC friends, measure their success based on baptisms. It drives me insssannnne!! Our purpose is to invite others to come unto Christ through His restored gospel. THAT'S IT. Sure, baptism is an essential part of truly following Christ and His gospel, but that's not up to us, nor is it our purpose. It's through absolute, unconditional love to others that brings others to find for themselves that God lives and that Christ is our Savior.

Our car got backed into by a Priest 18 year old in our ward after we ate dinner at his house. He was about to cry and I felt bad for him. It was, however, a miracle that stemmed from the crash. We were about to go teach our investigator couple about Temple marriages and Temple work after that dinner, and our members that had planned on accompanying us had all bailed. We have no idea what it's like to be married in the temple, so we were freaking out. If Zion (the kid's name) hadn't crashed into our car, his Dad would have left top go to Young Men's. Sinc ehe had to stay behind for insurance, his Dad was able to come with us to our appointment. He saved our buttttssss with his experiences and knowledge from being a convert to the church and getting sealed together after he was already civilly married. It was crazy.

The people we've worked with this week ranged from giving a blessing to a 20-year convict drug dealer, unintentionally entering a pagan prayer ritual, and witnessing an overly-drunk old hag puking 5 feet in front of us. It's been great. Keep in mind that I'm in one of the wealthiest areas in Maryland, not the hood of Baltimore.

Before these past two weeks, I couldn't have said with complete conviction that Joseph Smith was a prophet. I knew that the Book of Mormon was the word of God, but the connection between it and Joseph Smith never clicked. It wasn't until I prayed with all sincerity out-loud in my kitchen at 11:00 p.m. (way past bed-time I know) that the revelation of the truth of the restored priesthood on the Earth hit me. I know that Joseph Smith was called of God, no different from Moses. I know that the Lord works through all of us normal, generally fatally-flawed people to bring to pass His work for all of us to find true happiness and joy. I know this because I sought out for myself. I know this from the bottom of my heart through experience. 

I hope you all know that I pray about literally all of you every night in my 20-minute prayers <3333333 I am completely unworthy to have all of you in my life. Thank you for showing me the love that has built me to who I am today. 

It might snow on Thanksgiving this week, so I'll keep you posted! well, next week. Ah the joys of being a missionary.

xoxo 

Elder Burgess

P.S. ........SEIZE the day ;D

Marriage Planner

Hey everyone! Honestly it's a little hard to recount what happened this past week. Time really is flying by faster than I could have imagined! Probably what stood out the most this week was when are where we had our lessons.

For about half of the week I was on exchanges with one of our zone leaders, Elder Hanneman, a hilarious yet diligent missionary who's knowledge and experience is even higher than Elder VDG's! I think of all the missionaries I meet by ranks, like jedi padawans, knights, and masters form Star Wars, or different ranked ninjas in naruto (Shout out to Jackson: Elder Hanneman is a like a Sannin LOL). Yeah I'm still a nerd

We had some pretty crazy  experiences together, Elder Hanneman and I. Our first night together we taught a less active lady in the middle of Chipotle at the busiest day and time, in the middle of the restaurant. We were teaching a full out lesson with scriptures and pamphlets and prayers in the midst of at least 100 bystanders staring at us. Initially I thought it would be weird, but we made an atmosphere of the spirit despite all the chaos around us, including some refreshing red hot chili peppers background music LOL

While I have taught a bunch of first lessons, and even more pamphlet lessons to less active and active members, I hadn't begun teaching initial lessons to investigators to be baptized yet. We finally got in touch with a couple who are on date for baptism, and I taught the law of chastity to a 30 year old unmarried couple who have lived together for four years. I taught the law of chastity before the Restoration to an investigator. I doubt that's happened to many missionaries before. It went great, and, I know this is going to sound crazy, I committed them to get married. Me. A fairly newly turned 18 year old. I extended the commitment to be married and they accepted it and have plans to be married within the month. WOW. I never would have thought I'd be a marriage planner. 

I'm back with Elder VDG and he's sick :'( He's getting better though. Thank all of you for even caring to read these emails, and even replying too! It warms my hear to know that everyone one of you that have sculpted my life to where I am now haven't fallen off the edge of the earth. :')

Everyday out here I learn what it means to continue to be converted to Christ. It's a life-long challenge; to forget about ourselves and turn out to others. To serve with all my heart those in need of love. It fills me up with a joy beyond description, a joy that solidifies the knowledge that I know that my Redeemer lives. When we fall, and we all will, it is on the rock of jesus Christ as our foundation that we are able to pick ourselves up and learn to push forward in life, having perfect unconditional love for all people.

Life is tough, but life continues. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.

I love all of you with every fiber of my heart <3

Until next week!

xoxo

Elder Burgess

I am Alive..part 3

Hey hey! I'm doing a lot better here, even though the temperature is dropping almost as fast as Elder Van de Graaffs' receding hairline! hahaha that's mean that's mean xD We're getting a long really well now, which honestly surprises me! I think the relationship started getting better after i schooled him in basketball, then especially after we went on exchanges with the other missionaries in our district.

I was exchange companions with Elder Plumb for two days, who is from Casa Gande, Arizona. He fits the stereotype of a hardcore conservative Arizona desert rat PERFECTLY. He made me laugh a lot, but we also got in little arguments fairly frequently about whether being a Democrat is sin or not. Yeah. I know -_- While with elder Plumb we rode bikes. I hadn't done that yet, but I actually enjoy riding more than driving! It makes me feel like I'm a real missionary and makes every successful appointment feel that much more rewarding. However, biking in the freezing rain in dress clothes is a paiiiiinnnnnnnn.

Once Elder Van de Graaff and I were reunited I think we both realized how much better we get along with each other compared to our exchange companions. From then on we've been warming up to each other bit by bit and this morning he opened up to me about his inactive father and it was really sweet.

Our street contacts and tracting contacts generally go one of two ways. Here in Arnold there are super rich reitred old people, or lower-middle class black families. Most of the time with the rich old people we are given a colllllldddd shoulder or, more commonly, given stone-faced silence with a strongly thrusted fist and a point to leave. They don't even talk to us most of the time.
on the other side of the spectrum, I absolutely LOVE meeting with black families because of how warm and kind they are to us. Everyone here goes to a church; I don't think we've met a single person who doesn't go to a specific church around here. So saying prayers with the families is an almost guaranteed event. As we meet with these strongly religious black families, my vocabulary and language is slowly changing. It wasn't until yesterday when we were eating dinner with one of our investigator families, the father of which is the head minister of a black Methodist Church in downtown Baltimore, that I realized how far I've changed. I always say, "mhhhmmmmmm" as we discuss Christ and I say "Praise the Lord" and "Lord bless us" allll the time now!!!! It's hilarious!!! 

I've made the goal of sharing my testimony at every fast and testimony sacrament meeting on my mission, and I started it off yesterday. It's when I sincerely open up in testimony and with faith of the spirit to guide me to help others that I can see what I truly believe. I don't even think about what to say or how to say it. My feelings and emotions are what testify of what I know to be true, not the words. This is only the fourth week of my mission and yet I can feel and know with an absolute surety that my faith has grown beyond my comprehension. Seeing the light in others' eyes spark when they receive the hope of happiness through the gospel of Jesus Christ brings enough faith in itself to keep me going for days on end.

I'm so eternally grateful to have all of you in my life, backing me up and supporting me. I wouldn't be here without Christ, I know that, but I also know that I wouldn't be here in the fulness of my life without all of you and your influences on me. I love you all more than I could ever hope to explain

Here's my inspirational teacher from the MTC, brother Whiting, who served in Spokane! <3​