October 29, 2012

My Dear Family!

I love good news and every week you seem to be so full of it...that is the good news :) It's true that a lot of people have moved but we are not discouraged! Jonny, i loved your mission story. I have faith that little by little our influence in this area can bless people. I might be the 50th missionary to talk to someone and they need 100 to actually get it....at least they are one missionary closer to understanding. I'm simply committed to make sure that every interaction someone may have with us is a positive one so that they want us to come back or want to see us or at least stop running away from us. I'm not worried about numbers but the numbers are helpful in reaching goals and motivating us to be better. With 3 sisters, we will be doing more splits which will also help us contact more people in what little time we have. The word that always comes to mind is urgency. We have an urgent message and if we really feel that way, we will walk faster, have more energy, be more engaged, not spend too long at appointments, never leave the apartment late, we will be more successful because we will have more contact with others as we serve them genuinely, effectively, and efficiently.  We are starting to teach a new family, jorge y laura. Sister Oyanedel taught the restoration with them on saturday while sister dickson and i went to a baptism with Sister Caballero. Sister oyanedel is a powerful missionary because she is firm but also loving. i'm so blessed to be with her! Either way, we have some investigators that have been making progress. We dropped several this week that have been super flaky and we were dropped by a few others this week. We have goals set for the rest of the year. I was looking at the calendar and we are running out of weeks. Please pray that we may find those who are prepared. We have mission goals and i have faith that they can be met but we do need help!

In response to your letters: Mom, christmas to me just sounds like the best chance in the world to teach people! i'm excited for it to come closer because i know people will be more open. Really, though. i don't need or want anything at all. I'll think this week because maybe i can find a few members or investigators. Or if you'd like i can find out if there are a few missionaries that don't recieve anything. Kirsten, i couldn't see the pictures you sent but please try again. i want to see them. I also recieved your letter. thank you! Janae and steve, i'll be praying for you. the office missionaries showed us a picture of the hurricane. hope you are ok. way to be prepared with your 72 hour kits :) Mom, i'm so sad to hear that about sister hare's mother. Will you send me her address please? i'd love to send a small letter next week. About the stake, new callings, and dad....what news!? The Lord always qualifies His servants. What an opportunity you have Dad to meet with a general authority. I'm excited to hear more. Christian, sounds like you had an intense week! Lax sounds like it was way fun. send a picture my way. and GREAT job with your many friends and sharing the gospel! Sounds to me like you understand that you really don't have to do anything that big to be a missionary. Little things make the difference! I have been working on your birthday present :) Happy Birthday next week and know that i'm thinking of you and praying for you. When are you expecting to recieve your mission call? how are the papers? Your mission prep assignment this week is find scriptures in the Bible and Book of Mormon about authority! then you can email them to me and we'll both become better missionaries....deal? deal! sure love you! 

Thank you again family, you mean the world to me! Hurrah for Israel!

Love

Sister Burrup

ps- happy halloween. almost forgot.

pss- Kirsten, any news on babies? Janae, are you still doing well? Nicole, keep you head up. you were the best mom and friend in provo for me. Your children will be so blessed to be a part of your family! :) i'm still praying for you!

Dear President Neider!

Being a trio is way too much fun especially with Sister Dickson! We are enthusiastic and happy to have her and honestly, we don't want her to go to Costra Rica...ever! :) Sister Dickson is starting to participate more. We also did splits on Saturday and i think we all had a positive experience. Sister Oyanedel said that she suddenly felt the responsibility of teaching clearly and correctly but felt led by the spirit in her words. Sister Oyanedel is an incredibly example to me of sincerity, humility and obedience specifically. We love having Sister Dickson here. She's energetic and has an incredibly positive attitude about everything. Personally, I've found it difficult to balance training the two.  All 3 of us could use the practice. I'm trying to serve them both and be an example. I pray daily that i can be a leader and example even with less experience. President, i truly love the Lord and i'm grateful to have the sacred opportunity to be a threesome of rookies together. We can feel the Lord's help. Thank you for your support and prayers. We also support and pray for you and your wife. Hurrah For Israel!

With Love

Sister Burrup

October 22, 2012

Family Family,

I'm a winner! i get two companions! :) Sister Dickson arrived from the MTC on thursday. President called us this morning and asked Sister Oyanedel and I if we'd like a new companion. We're excited to have her here. She is from NY and she was actually in Bridget Ostler's MTC district. Bridget was one of my best friends at Helaman. What a small world! Either way, She's a lot of fun and now we are a trio. I attached a picture of her too. 

I also attached a picture of Paco. We've been teaching Paco for about 4 months now. He shared his testimony with us just last week. We were about to choose a new baptismal date together for before the end of the month but he told us he is moving on monday!!!!! I was trying hard to be optimistic. He found a good job in CA which really is good news but i'm so sad that we won't be seeing him. I'm not worried about me being the one to baptize him at all. I am not worried that he won't get baptized because he has expressed the desire himself but i'm bummed i won't be able to come back and visit or be at his baptism. Either way, i'm sure he will do/be great! 

Besides Paco, we are teaching a new family, Jorge y Laura. They are a cute little family of 4 and we are excited for them to start progressing and reading the book of Mormon. We also started teaching someone name Adela. she is working for a strictly catholic couple so we aren't allowed to go into the home. We have lessons at a park every saturday. She has a lot of faith but she is hesitant to change. Please pray for her that she can recognize the spirit and be willing to change. There are so many people that need the gospel but simply need humility to change. I am often impressed and touched by the sacrifices that many faithful people make to become members of the church and reap greater blessings from the atonement of Jesus Christ. Our training at our District meeting was about how to teach the Atonement with a baptismal commitment. It was focused on how absolutely nobody can reap the full blessings of the atonement without being baptized  Without baptism, the sacrament only helps you think about and remember our savior but after baptism, it becomes a weekly ordinance with renewed covenants and renewed cleanliness. The Sacrament is so vital to our progress and success in this life. We need The Saviors help!

Nicole, your brother is leaving so soon! that's very exciting! The best advice i recieved was to learn how the spirit communicates with you and just act! another little bit of advice is to invite every one to his farewell ESPECIALLY non-members! "The best way to prepare for a mission is to be a missionary now!" quote from...i think elder bednar. i learned that from him in the mission prep. class at institute. Christian, Austin....take advantage of the time you have to prepare. it really is small. Prepare for the temple and prepare to teach by studying thoroughly the lessons in Preach my Gospel!

Christian, you really could get called to the same mission. There is a sister here that served in the same branch as her brother. How Crazy but how cool would that be!? You will be a prepared and effective missionary as you practice exact obedience and discipline. Keep  it up. I have some stuff heading your way soon for your birthday! :) Maybe we can set up a personal mission prep email class :) For starters, next week will you tell me what you are doing to get ready for you mission? maybe some goals? I'm sad i won't get to see you but i'm excited for you to go and be a part of the work as well! 

I'm a mormon, i know it, i live it, and i love it! thanks for your examples and i will keep praying for you. Dad, when are your next scans? Dad, i'm sorry you had/have cancer but i'm grateful for the experiences and sacred experiences it has brought. maybe you got cancer so christian and i could be better missionaries :) Mom and Dad thank you for your love and examples since day 1. i don't know how or why God allowed me to be so blessed to be a part of this family but i thank him for it! :)

All my love,

Sister Burup

ps- HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MIKE AND NATE THIS WEEK. Wish we could celebrate together! Mike thank you for keeping every moment fun and having a positive and faithful attitude no matter the circumstances. I love you! Little Naterade - you are so so big. Stop growing! I love you and take care of your parents :) love you nae and steve!

Dear President Neider,

4 of the families and investigators that we visit are moving! That's a lot! But the good news is that i'm sure a great referral to missionaries in California will answer somebody's prayers. either way, we are going to keep working hard even if it means just preparing people for later. It's all part of the same work! We are super excited to have Hermana Dickson here. I'm absolutely humbled to be with both of my companions. I am learning from them both. Having Sister Dickson here has already but new resolutions and changes. We are going to work towards doing splits so that we can get more accomplished and make sure that  Sister Dickson and Sister Oyanedel both have opportunities to study for, learn with, and teach investigators. President, I am so grateful to be a part of this work and this mission. i often feel undeserving of the many many blessings the Lord pours out on us. I KNOW He is aware and that these blessings come from Him. Thank you for your example and thank you for this opportunity. It's a great blessing to be under inspired leaders! 

Love

Sister Burrup

October 15, 2012

My Family,

Time is incredibly short today because we did online training, and a survey because a member of the 70s is coming to tour our mission. I'm sorry i won't be able to write more but know that i think of you often and i am feel so strongly your support, prayers, and love of the gospel. Each of you are such examples to me! 

Kirsten and Mike, i'm so happy for you! Sister Oyanedel and I snuck into an empty room in the church to offer a prayer of thanks right after reading the news. I loved your insight on how being realistic is simply an excuse to not stretch our faith and expect miracles. Thank you

Christian you are so great! skipping ski-doos (?sp), making fun of my english, admitting that i was first on your list to the sisters because i'm your favorite, loving general conference, getting ready to go professional for Lax, AND getting ready for you mission! Christian i will miss you big time. 3.5 years is a really long time but i know it will be wonderful. I'll have to work extra on your bday gift :) I was planning on having a few weeks with you to shove all my favorite missionary discoveries at you and get you pumped just before going into the mtc. Either way you will be a wonderful missionary.

missionary work: it's moving forward and we love our investigators! Paco said he is starting to feel more ready for baptism. He's hilarious and we are always laughing with him but we have had some powerful lessons with him as well. The lessons are most powerful when we ask questions and they discover that they already have a testimony that it is true. We have also had a lot of positive experiences with member help. The members here are powerful examples and great fellowshippers. they make all the difference in the world. Janae and Steve keep up the great missionary work. It is so exciting to be a part of this work and the spirit testifies that it is true simply with the joy we feel after opening our mouths!

How i love you! sorry again for a short one but know that I think of you often! Hurrah for Israel!

All my love

Sister Burrup

Dear President Neider,

I LOVE being a missionary! The Lord has blessed us this week as always. Small blessings one after another but I know they are from the Lord. One blessing that i feel has been particular obvious is simple confidence and better understanding of how to teach investigators not lessons through the spirit. I truly love the members and the investigators here and i am determined to serve them more diligently. After watching some of the Preach My Gospel DVDs, Sister Oyanedel and I set a new goal to contact our branch president weekly. I think it will help us work better with the branch and gain their confidence. We are working hard and learning every day because, honestly, we still have much to learn. I'm excited for all that will come soon. I know that the Lord will help us because he loves the people here so much! Thank you president for sharing your testimony daily with us missionaries and working hard to help us be a successful mission. Hurrah for Israel!

Love

Sister Burrup

October 8, 2012

My dear dear family!

I'm so glad you loved conference too! i though of you many times throughout the talks. We watched general conference at the stake center and i just imagined our whole family sitting on the benches back at home with the new goal of always going to the church so that we would be able to focus better on conference....but i didn't think of it very long because then it was all missionary work. i just wanted to say thanks mom and dad for setting good examples and helping us as a family to set goals and work to complete them. Goals of excellence. I carry my "i am a Burrup" card with me everywhere we go along with my temple recommend. How i love you and how i love Las Vegas! I think by the end of my life i am going to have 12 homes. Washington is home, provo feels like home, and Las vegas feel like home. All three places hold sacred memories,  sacred discovering, and sacred changes for my life. Well, transfers are on tuesday and i'm super happy that i get to have at least another month and half hear in warm springs with Sister Oyanedel. I'm already heart-broken at the idea of leaving but i don't think about that because of what mom taught me, "don't worry about tomorrow or it will still my today and today, my life is great!" I share it with a lot of our investigators and members too because it is true. We have to take advantage of every day and not let worries of the past or future damage, taint, or rob us of the opportunities we have today and now. Coming out of conference i felt inspired, excited, and motivated. I took notes, of course, but i also had two post-it notes with post-conference checklists of things that i felt inspired to do myself or for our investigators. What a blessing it is to communicate directly with God and recieve revelation in return.

Christian!!!! are you going on a mission right away!? i didn't cry but i was thinking about it right after they made the announcement. Either way, you MUST prepare prepare prepare. They teach us " Proper Preparation prevents poor performance" and i promise you, you do NOT want your mission to be "poor performance." Either way, keep me updated on life's big decisions and keep your eyes on the mission. (you are still allowed to tell me about your dates though:) 

Elder Nash's talk was outstanding - is that the one that put Dad's name on the temple role? There is a peruvian women her in our ward and she always says, "Oh mis angelitos de dios, mis angelitos de dios. Mis preciosas...." and then she keeps going. It's kind of funny actually. Jon, are all peruvians super small and really sentimental? I think of you being called a precious angel every time we see her.  :)

As for the missionary work, it is going well. I don't know if you remember the Caballero family or not but they are the family of a recent convert, Martin. she's been coming to church for the past 2 months and really enjoyed it. We committed his mom to be baptised on November 17th. She basically told us she wants to be baptised as soon as she can. We chose that date for the whole family and focused on eternal families. We are praying hard that the other family member will also have the desire to make covenants on that day. We have faith that the Lord will still work miracles in their family.

Brenda, we have had 3 lessons with brenda but they have been super spread out. We hadn't seen her for several weeks, so we heart-attacked her door, and the next day she finally she opened the door.  We thought it was because we served her but she told us that she had actually had a dream that two young girls knocked on her door and she didn't open the door. In her dream she prayed to find out why she didn't open the door and God responded that he sent the two girls to her but she didn't want them. Brenda knows it is true and she has felt the spirit strongly. We are having trouble contacting her again. Please pray that her heart will be softened and that she will again let us teach her.

To finish off, i loved the song that said "weary not" i thought of missionary work, of course, but i thought of you my dear family. Thank you for never losing faith. Nicole and Jon, thank you for keeping your heads up and still smiling. I love you. Life aint for whimps as mom says it but these bumps sometimes pot holes in the rode sure do bring us great blessings and great joy. I love you all and admire you greatly! Hurrah for Israel!

All my love and prayers

Sister Burrup

ps- the picture is a zone picture attempt and then a picture with bobbi at her baptism. sister cedillo and i found her and had a really special experience doing the blessing contact with her then kept in contact...even though she's english. we love her

Dear President Neider,

Our leaders are so inspired! These last two weeks we studied Follow the Prophet, taught the lesson, and invited everyone to conference! The Lord really does inspire and reveal truths to these men of God. My entire life i have been blessed with the influence of righteous men of God who receive revelation and inspiration from the Lord. I think of my father, my bishops, home-teachers, now my district and zone leaders, i think of you, and without a doubt the general authorities and other leaders in the church and mission. Many did not come to the chapel to watch conference with us but i have faith that at least someone watched it or will watch the recordings online. We were very excited to see the Lopez family at the church though. They are an inactive family of about 20 years in the church. We have been working with them and they have the desire to return to church. We are so excited for them to also reap the blessings of the gospel. After Conference they asked us if they are allowed to go on missions. They are reading again in the Book of Mormon and we are praying that they will be at church this Sunday. It is so easy to see the difference in their countenance, their zeal for life and the gospel, and their confidence when they keep their commitments. I know that inspired men of God, our leaders answered not only my prayers but the prayers of my family and many more! Thank you President for being inspired to let me stay in Warm Springs with Sister Oyanedel. I'm looking forward to the next 6 weeks! May God bless you for you service! Hurrah for Israel!

Love

Sister Burrup

October 1, 2012

I LOVE MY FAMILY!

It's amazing how much smiling and laughing i do by myself reading your emails! haha, everyone around me probably things i'm crazy but oh well. bring it on because it means i love my family! :) I said booya this week and sister oyanedel asked me what that means. i had zero idea how to explain it. It has become a small inside joke of ours. I think of janae and christian everytime i say it. 

Well, the work is moving forward here! We have been visiting 3 completely inactive families and i felt like this last week all 3 really showed progress. We have a new Relief Society president, Sister Carla Lopez. She is probably the Sister in the branch here that i admire most. She served a mission as well. I admire her for her dedication to the Lord and to her family. Her home feels like my home away from home :) Anyway, we've been meeting with her to help her meet all the inactive members that we visit weekly. One family has been inactive for 20 years. They didn't come to church but they did come to a fireside last night. With them, we have very very bold. We have a list of scriptures that talk about baptism with fill in the blank sentences to emphasize certain parts of the scriptures that we give to investigators that don't feel ready. We also gave them the list of  scriptures this week and told them that everything the scriptures teach about baptism applies to the members as well in preparation for the sacrament. They have a desire to come back they just need to actually do it and stop the excuses. We have been bold and blunt with them. They expressed that they aren't even sure what covenants they made nor do they know who the prophet is anymore. It's like teaching a brand new investigator! We love to visit them and they love when we come because we all able to feel the spirit as we talk about the need for the gospel in our lives and their truly earnest desires to return. 

We also invited someone named raquel to church and she actually came. The english elders have been teaching her on and off for 3 years now and i think this week she will be transferred to the spanish. The only thing that is keeping her from being baptized is her job. Las Vegas has many jobs that absolutely make me sick. It literally hurts me to realize how little many women know about their worth. What a blessing it is to have the knowledge of divine worth in myself but to take that knowledge and realize it applies to every individual on this earth. I can't imagine the sorrow that we cause the Lord at times but I also think that the Lord has many many children who make him happy as they valiently sacrifice and work to show their faith as they make sacred covenants and participate in sacred ordinances. We are praying that raquel will find a new job soon. She doesn't even like her job

We also taught the familia caballero this week. They are Martin's family. Martin was baptized in april. With them it has been difficult to teach them when they are all home. But this week, not only were they all home but their cousin was in town. We taught lesson with the entire family. The spirit truly does testify of eternal families even when you aren't giving a lesson on families. I'm excited for their family! We taught the restoration and testified that this is the church of christ, not of joseph smith, mormon, us, the prophet, but of HIM! They just sat their nodding their heads. As Sister Oyanedel was speaking, i was silently praying for her and i looked around to observe their responses. Everyone was attentive and listening. We really felt guided by the spirit. Not because we are great but because these are God's children, this is His work, and They need the gospel!

The work is going forth BOLDLY, NOBLY, AND INDEPENDENT! We are so blessed to be a part of it!

Thank you again for all you do! i love you and pray for you! Kirsten, i'm glad the embryos are strong. I pray that they will take and that you the Lord's promises can be fulfilled this time. if not....promises are promises and they will come! Hurrah for Families in Israel!

All my love,

Sister Brup - that's what most people call me ;)

ps- christian, i hope your applications are going well! i'm editing an elder's essays for his application to byu. i think of you lots. keep preparing and always keep your head up. i love you!

Dear President Neider,

Sometimes i just have to ask if life gets any better after the mission. I know there is more to life after the mission but i'm not sure that i ever want it to come. Just this morning i asked Sister Oyanedel if i have too much fun as a missionary. I truly love being here. Yes, people disappoint us sometimes but there are a lot of people that are also becoming my role models. There are many people who are willing to make changes in their lives for the Savior. We just have to help them understand what changes need to be made and the purpose behind them so that they too can have all the blessings of the gospel. While in a lesson with an inactive family, I realized the emphasis in the gospel is on ordinances. First we help people make covenants and participate in the ordinance of baptism. Then the focus moves to the sacrament. Then the focus moves to the temple. How i love the gospel and how i love living it and sharing it! I remember my first moments in the temple to do baptisms and entering the temple to receive my endowments. The temple truly is a sacred place. I pray that i may have the opportunity to enter the temple someday with a family that i teach here on my mission. President, thank you again for being inspired to put me here in this area with Sister Oyanedel. I have been incredibly blessed by my companion, the members, my family, and my leaders in the mission- district leader, zone leaders, assistants, and mission presidency! thank you! Hurrah for Israel!

Love,

Sister Burrup

September 24, 2012

Dear Family,

Never be greedy or selfish because it comes back to bit you! :) This week Sister Oyanedel and i were cracking up because she and i both served ourselves a bowl of soup. We both like meat so we were both trying to get as much meat as possible. Come to find out later that was definitely NOT meat. it was pig ear. it really wasn't too bad. but it wasn't too good either.  So, Moral of the story: don't be greedy. We're in the US but being in a spanish branch we eat food from all parts. This sister is named Hermana Arango. She's from colombia and she has the greatest love the book of Mormon that i have ever seen. She reads it cover to cover about every other month. She's also hilarious. she calls us gorditas (i hope it's not super true.) and she always answers the door asking us where the wedding is because we look so nice in our dresses. We love Hermana Arango. We visit her every week because we love her and as assignment from the branch president. She is in her 80s and very sick so she often can't come to church. 

Other news, Ethel and Cristian moved. We went to do a lesson with them and they didn't really have time because of packing so we helped them pack then we sang a hymn to them and gave them a gift of "the living christ" and "the proclamation to the world" along with all the information for the spanish branch in Georgia. We will miss them but i'm excited to see what happens in the future. We are also working with someone named Paco. He is in a part-member family and has already had a baptismal date but he says he isn't ready anymore. our apppointment was canceled this week because he got sick. yes, it's a bummer BUT  it was also an answer to our prayers. We've been trying to find ways to serve him and we finally found one! He's a big joker so we wanted to do something that would make him laugh so we wrote our own 10 commandments based on the few jokes that have come up from lesson to lesson. We hope he is willing to make covenants because he is certainly prepared.  

Well, family, the work is moving forward here and we truly love it here. I'm already starting to panic about the fact that someday i have to leave this area. The Lord has blessed us a lot. We have many people to teach right now and many members needing visits as well. We are staying optimistic and working hard. Sister Oyanedel's favorit quote is, "work like everyone depends on you, and pray as if everything depends on the Lord." She says it a lot. Earlier this week we had a bit of a downer morning with canceled appointments, disappointments, and frustration. we recognized it right away and both said personal prayers. How prayer can change everything! we got back together to finish our studies and everything was more effective, energized, and loving. The power of prayer truly is great and the knowledge that we can pray directly to him is a blessing! 

I'm glad you are all doing well and better than last week. Sounds like maybe a rougher week for the whole family but that means it will only get better, right?! Steve, thanks for writing every week. i've been impressed. Whoever you end up working for will be lucky to have you. i'm excited to find out more. Christian, I'm glad you are enjoying seminary. I've fallen back on my New testament studies quite a bit in the mission. you will need to understand it well. And thanks for sending me pictures. Your date looked like a cute girl. It was fun to see handsome smiling christian again. i miss you and think of you often and the missionary you will soon be. Keep preparing and keep working hard in school. don't get senioritis. it's not worth it! :) remember your dependence on the lord and on dad/mom. We all need them a lot and will continue to need them for a long time. Sure love you and thanks for the details! Kirsten, sounds like a crazy week. thanks for the update on baby stuff. we're praying for you. Thanks again family for you support. i think of each of you individually and i pray for you too! i appreciate your support and love! keep smiling and keep working. as mom says it, "life aint for whimps, is it?" but everything is so worth it when it comes to an end. Until next week, Hurrah for Israel!

Love

Hermana Burrup

ps- thanks Cyntha and Elder tingey for the letters! rumor has it that i might get the chance to go to lunch with cyntha....rumor has it :)

Dear President Neider,

Another good week! I feel like i start my letters the same every time but it's true. With district meeting, interviews, a temple trip, and a fireside it has been a busy and good week. As I mentioned in the interview we had many many appointments canceled this week. It's disappointing when you spend the morning preparing to teach a lesson that you don't get the chance to give....and then it happens over and over and over again BUT we are not discouraged. Just disappointed. Sister Oyanedel took the week a little hard because of the many disappointments but she is so full of faith that it never lasts long and soon we are back at it and even stronger and more motivated.  We are considering doing splits soon so that we can get more people on board, members and investigators both!  I loved the prayer in the temple this last week. He prayed that all in the temple would be blessed according to their needs, faith, and God's will. It's so easy to forget one of those three requirements. In missionary work, there is a great need and i know it is God's will to bless the people here so now i need to continue building my faith.  President, thank you for your faith and thank your wife as well. At interviews we definitely walked away with renewed faith and and excitement for the miracles that are coming. We are truly blessed in this mission, in this area, in this branch, in this companionship. Prayer has helped me come to know how true that is and that i have EVERY reason to be happy and faithful. God be thanked!

Love

Hermana Burrup