Email November 17, 2014

Email November 17, 2014 – Elder Kenneth Wm. Burton

Bunch of Burtons

New area, New companion! Elder Amos is from England! My first companion from outside the States. Should be a lot of fun the next six weeks. He has just finished his training and seems determined to work hard. I would send a photo but I forgot to unpack the cord for my camera before we came to the Library.

 Thanks for the one year package! I love the tie! It goes perfect with my new suit. We were at the Copenhagen Designer Outlet last Monday and there was a 40% off sale on Bertoni suits. The pants are being mailed to me once there hemmed so I'll send photos once they come.

This last week was interesting. Monday and Tuesday we were on splits in Taastrup, and then Wednesday we were in Copenhagen for my one year meeting so we weren't in our own area until late Wednesday evening. Yet we were able to still meet most of our goals. At our year meeting President Sederholm talked with us a lot about where our desires our. What and who we want to be. Easy enough to answer with words. A lot harder to become. Lawrence E. Corbridge said to his mission when he was a mission president "Turn it all over to Him. You will create an ordinary man. He will create a god." It is so incredible what we can become because we have a loving Heavenly Father. "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things witch God hath prepared for them that love Him." The difficult thing is remembering what we want to be and what our full potential is.

This is where the "thinking straight" comes in. "(We) change immediately with each good thought, each good act, every good word changes (us) for the better." - Lawrence E. Corbridge. Every thing we do, think, and say is immediately put into a "bank fund" deep in ourselves, full of our experiences and choices. When we consistently "think straight" and make correct choices it becomes easier to make those choices later on because they become a part or our "fund of experiences" it becomes a habit basically.There are two ways to create a habit, one try as hard as you can to follow a pattern forever, which for some reason we always forget until later. Or we can do all we can to remember the habit we are trying to make and apply it every time we remember, that way we build up experience in doing that thing and later its much easier to remember, in fact it becomes a natural choice to make. Heber J. Grant said "That which we try to do, and persist in doing, becomes easy to do, not because its nature has changed, but because our power to do is developed." Our nature changes.

We need to keep in mind who we want to be by trying to be that person evey time we remember, and we will begin to remember more and more as it becomes a part of us. And we wont be discouraged the same way we are week after newyears when we miss a day in our goal.

I've been working out a vision of who I want to be and what I want to have accomplished by the end of my mission. I have noticed recently that its hard to create an image of ones full potential, but it can be felt. There are moments when you truly know your on the right path, right in line with Gods will. You feel joy, a sense of urgency, and a peace. Along with an excitement and a drive to be more and do more. "God is easy to please but hard to satisfy." I've defiantly felt that. My goal is to get to the point were I can feel that way often, maybe not constantly because I understand there are hard times ahead, and its never fun watching those we love sin and deny the truth, but I want to be able to feel that I am on the right path. There's no way I'll reach my full potential in the next year. But I can get onto the path completely and let this next year be a spring board to launch me towards that potential. I have so much to do to get there. I need to continually give my desires to the Lord. I've noticed they can't all  just be shipped off at once, because desires tend to come out of nowhere, but as I give each one to the Lord my focus becomes greater, and it becomes easier to accept the Lords desires as my own. "Are my desires sufficiently educated to choose wisely?" (Neal A. Maxwell) Not completely, but with each thought and decision the Lord educates them a little more.

Each choice made is put into our "fund of experiences" that makes us who we are, and allows us to make good decisions easier if the fund is full of well made choices.

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Our friend Mike believes in God! We haven't been able to meet with Mike for almost a month because of different things he's had going on. Ever sense I met him he has been unsure if God really exists, very hesitant to accept it. last night when we met with him he confidently said yes to the question, and said a very sincere prayer. He's not yet sure about the Book of Mormon but he is wanting to start meeting more again and is excited to come to church and meet some more of the members.

The Møller family is amazing! They are members in our ward who have been giving a ride to familien Pelargu to church for the last few weeks and yesterday invited them to their home for dinner and kept the family entertained as the Pelargu boy went to a bishop youth fire side with the Møllers son. They know how to fellowship someone into the ward that's for sure. I'm so grateful for their help!

So many goodbyes this week. The Pelargu's I know I'll see again when I come to their baptism, (they don't know yet)  but everyone else it might be a while. 

Sorry I'm out of time, the computers here don't have a timer so its harder to recognize when you are done. I hope everyone has a great week!

Meget Kærlighed!

Elder Ken Burton