Email August 29, 2016

Email August 29, 2016

Mission tour with Elder Packer

What an awesome, crazy, busy week! We started it off on tuesday by receiving all the new missionaries! I think out of everything that I've done up till now as assistant that has been the best. New missionaries just are so excited to work and get into the field, it's contagious being around them. And it's also kinda fun to see how nervous they are too. It doesn't feel like it was too long ago when that was me. How time flies. So we spent the day with the newbies, training them and helping them feel comfortable, up until they met their trainers. It was fun. We received 9 new missionaries and they are super great. With a little bit of experience theýll be a huge addition to the mission. 

Photos from Banfield 2

Email August 22, 2016

Email August 22, 2016 – Elder Isaac Kenneth Burton

Stick shift in Argentina

Wow, what a crazy crazy day. Today we had transfers and we kind of experimented with a new way to move the missionaries. Before what we did was that all the missionaries who had chances would get picked up by a rented car and all meet up in the mission offices. Then from there they would get with their new comp and head out in a car to their new area. It worked well but it was super expensive to do and took a lot of time. So today we changed it. Now a car picks up a missionary and takes him directly to his new pench where that same car picks up the missionary in that pench and takes him to his new area. So the cars just have a route to do and that's it. A ton cheaper and way faster. So today was the first go with it and it got kinda crazy. First off, part of the plan was that two of the office elders would help move people with the office truck and My comp and I also with President's car. But unfortunately on Friday the Office car broke down so they couldn't do their part. So this morning at 6:00, My comp and I went to Capital to pick up a new car. And then we spent the rest of the day driving all around the mission moving missionaries. Long day jaja, but it all worked out, we got it al done! ANd now we know what we need to change and improve for next time. But It was so fun being able to drive all day! After a 14 months of not touching a steering wheel, it was awesome. And stick shift too, that was a little rusty at first. Especially with the crazy argentine drivers. But I got the hang of it after a whole and it turned out great. 

Email August 15, 2016

Email August 15, 2016 – Elder Isaac Kenneth Burton

Back in Banfield 2

Wow, what a week. Life with the assistants is super fun and super busy. This week was the 5th week of the transfer which means we planned the changes that will happen next transfer. Almost everyday we had meetings with president to talk about that. But it was awesome, it's a super cool experience to be able to help with that and see the inspiration that the lord works through us and the president. I learned a ton about how the lord works with us and how the mission works as a whole. We are also tring to figure out a new system to do the transfers to make it more efficient and cheaper. It´ll be interesting to see how that turns out.  The truth is I´ve been super lost this week with so much new stuff going through my mind. But it´s been great, Hopefully I´ll catch on fast. I´m so gratefull that I have so much of the lords help cause I know I couldn't do it on my own. This next week is going to be crazy too getting everything ready for transfers and preparing for the visit of Elder Packer. SHould be fun :) It´s been fun getting to be with President Calquin and his family so much. He´s super funny and loves to tell stories. It happens a lot that he gets off topic to tell us some cool story from his mission or something. Super fun jaja, I´m super excited to be able to get to know them so well. It´s gonna be a fun few months.  

New Companions

Elder Burton with his new companions Elder Pribyl and Elder Maldondado

Email August 8, 2016

Email August 8, 2016 – Elder Isaac Kenneth Burton

A gospel of happiness

Wow what a crazy, incredible week! I had one of the best moments of my life this week that I will never forget. There is a lady in Lanús named Ines. Her daughter was baptised 3 years ago and Ines also wanted to be baptised but wasn´t able to for a few reasons.So for the last three years Ines has atended church with her daughter even though she´s not a member. She is now basically a member, just not officially because she's not baptised. About two weeks ago Elder Ginatto and I decided to talk to president about her situation and he gave permission for her to be baptised. On tuesday we had the amazing opportunity to tell Ines that she could finally be baptised after 3 years of waiting. I have never seen someone so happy in my life as Ines was in that moment. She literaly was crying, laughing, yelling, and shaking all at the same time. The spirit was so so strong, the pure joy was just spilling out all over the place. In that moment the spirit put into my mind the words of my patriarchal blessing that say that during my mission I will see the joy that the gospel of Jesus Christ brings to people. I felt that promise fulfilled. It was one of the best moments of my life, I can´t even explain it. As we left, the member who was with us reminded us of the scripture in Alma 26:16  when Ammon talks about the joy he received from his mission service. That scipture holds true for me. 

Email August 1, 2016

Email August 1, 2015 – Elder Isaac Kenneth Burton

Interviews with Pres. Calquin

Wow what a week! We started it off on tuesday having our first interviews with President Calquin. And wow haha. I don´t think I´ve ever left an interview feeling so humbled and excited to change the way I do things. The interview was competly opposite of how our old president did them but it was awesome. We did a little practice of a street contact and I learned a ton. When I contacted him I started off by explaining that I´m a missionary from the church of jesus christ and what we do, things like that. The basic, simple contact that has been ground into every missionary. I had only been into the contact for about 15 seconds when he just stopped me and said "ok thats enough". Then he went on and told me to throw contacts like that out the window cause thats not how we would be doing them anymore. He then contacted me to give an example of how he wants it to be done. He started off by stating that he was a representative of Jesus Christ, and then began imediatly to testify of the savior and the blessings recieved from his gospel. He explained that we should never do a contact saying that we are just missionaries because we are so much more than that. We are representatives of Jesus Crist and thats how we must present ourselves if we want other people to know it. And imediately after you must testify of him so that the person can feel the spirit that we carry.

So this week my comp and I have really been trying to put that in practice. And it´s made a huge difference. People really do receive us diferently.