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