Email June 15, 2015

Email June 15, 2015 – Elder Kenneth Wm. Burton

Bunch of Burtons

Well, starting a new transfer. Elder Reber has been moved to Taastrup and I am now serving with Elder Porter. I've gotten to know him a bit already in the last couple transfers, because he just transferred from Aarhus which is in our zone. I'm excited to be able to work with him the next few months.

Our district has changed up a bit as well. There were some areas in the mission that had to close due to not having enough missionaries, and so things were moved around. The district use to be us, the Sisters here in Horsens, and the Elders in Silkeborg. But now Silkeborg is in the Randers district, and we will be combined with Aarhus. Where there are two Elders, two Sisters and a Senior Couple. So our district just got quite a bit bigger. Four Elders, four Sisters and an Ægtepar, and I'll continue serving as district leader. 

Lets see... this last week was super busy, trying to meet with everybody before Elder Reber left. Just on Saturday we had three back to back eating appointments. I've never eaten so much food in a day! First potatoes with a meat sauce. Then a huge bowl of rice, with more sauce of course, and a stack of American pancakes for desert. Then over to eat with Jens for a ham and potato dinner. So a lot of heavy foods. It was great! I felt really bad though at the end because Jens noticed we weren't eating very fast and asked if we didn't like it. Witch wasn't the case at all, it tasted great! Oh, and then the next day we had two more eating appointments, not back to back, but still.... lots of food. Being a missionary is great!

Mitch's baptism has been moved back a little to the fourth of July. He was having a hard time with his health and it was hard to meet with him to help him be prepared for this last Saturday. He also has been having a hard time recognizing that the fact that he feels the spirit while reading the scriptures and coming to church is the Holy Ghost testifying of the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Book of Mormon. He's coming though. It was him who asked to set the next baptismal date, specifically asking that it not be too far in the future.

One evening we went to a teaching appointment and one of the young men had come along. We showed up and the investigator we were going to teach wasn't home so we began walking with Christian, the member who was with us, and we came across this cultural fest in the city center. We asked someone in a tent what was going on and ended up being invited in and had a great conversation. This tent was kind of displaying Turkey, and these three Turkish men talked with us for a while asking a lot of questions about the church. One was super excited to find out we had a church building here in Horsens and is wanting to come.

Elder Reber shared with me a great quote/poem this week.

"If you are poor, work. If you are rich, work. If you are burdened with seemingly unfair responsibilities, work. If you are happy, continue to work; idleness gives room for doubts and fears. If sorrow overwhelms you, and loved ones seem not true, work. If disappointments come, work. If faith falters and reason fails, just work. When dreams are shattered and hopes seem dead, work. Work as if your life were in peril, it really is. No matter what ails you, work. Work faithfully and work with faith. Work is the greatest material remedy available. Work will cure both mental and physical afflictions." - William Wallace Rose

So true.

"Do not be so concerned with what you do, but what you do, do with all of your heart, might, mind and strength."

That which we give our heart to, we come to love. Work is good. Work is pure. The world has tried to corrupt the true meaning of work. It is not just a job or occupation, but it is the love we give to a person or task. Christ said "If ye love me keep my commandments." It requires work to follow Christ. The best kind of work.

"Love is the most costly of commodities, the more your willing to pay the more valuable the price. The question is, are you willing to pay the price?" - Johnny Lingo

We work hard for the things we love, and we come to love when we work. Are they not interlinked?

Just some thoughts.

I love you all. Have a great week!

Meget Kærlighed,

Elder Burton