April 8

Dear family,

Thank you for the easter package. I loved it. And mom, i am excited to use the things you have sent me. you are so so thoughtful, supportive, and helpful! I'm so lucky to have your support. Also, Congrats, janae steve and nate on your new family member. She looks adorable! I also wanted to make sure nate's hair is not permanently banana yellow. i laughed when i saw the picture because his hair is YELLOW! I got a good laugh out of it though. congrats. So, as you know, i bought a dress when i went to mexico thinking nate would be a girl. It is officially aubrey's :) i loved the story. As always, janae doesn't take short cuts or have cheap experiences. She's the real deal! 

I love being a missionary! General Conference is always good but it is so neat to be a missionary during general conference because you receive so much revelation for the people you are teaching. On top of that you learn how to be a better missionary and think about how things would sound to someone who isn't a member. I was disappointed that the people who told us would come didn't come. Lysbett has promised us 3 weeks in a row she would come and hasn't. i think we will have to drop her which kind of makes me sad. But we have faith to keep finding. If she had gone i know she would have felt the spirit. I know. but we will work with her to see if she can watch it. on a more positive note, we are teaching a few new families. two mothers named Alejandra and their kids. They are both married so we want to get the husbands involved so it can be a family process instead of just the wives and their young children. We also were headed to meet an family and saw another family moving. WE hurried and pulled over and helped them move. Called the elders and got them helping too. He said, "one of these churches has to be right. do you have a book or anything i can read?" it was just golden comment after another. He speaks English so the elders will teach him but i know that we are guided to people for a reason and simple moments like that remind me that the Lord is guiding and using us even when we don't recognize. We just have to be obedient, willing and hard working. I was impressed by one particular part of conference. Speaking of the restoration he said, every messenger had a specific purpose and then listed the messengers that visited the leaders of the restoration and their purpose. What is my purpose as a missionary. Well, it's clear. What is my purpose as a baptized member? what is my purpose as daughter and sister? We have so many responsibilities but what matters is our purpose. we have to determine if our responsibilities and daily duties are in line with our purpose. Our way to measure is our goals. I have a testimony of the Savior and His work. It is true! I feel it. I'm happy when i feel it. I'm happy when i do what is right. i'm happy when i work and sacrifice for better things to come. I know that the Lord has a purpose as well. His actions and THOUGHTS are in line with his purpose. diving our every thought and our every action to Him is consecrating ourselves to his, "higher ways." 

To finish, i also had the chance to go to the temple this week with Sister Zegarra. While we were there, a recent RM escorted his younger brother preparing to go on a mission in the temple. The older sister also entered the temple. It was such a tender moment to simply watch from afar at the joy of the family together in the celestial room. I thought of my sweet experience in the temple the first time and later in washington with grandparents and kirsten and mike. then my mind was brought to something else: my purpose. I want so badly to be a tool for god to bless his children for eternities. I know through the temple it is possible. Christian, i probably won't be there when you go through the temple but be at peace. it is sacred and it is an honor privilege and responsibility. The Lord will bless you so much for your coninued dedication to him through service in the temple. I love you all and am so blessed to be a burrup/tingey/ merrill/ pratt/ and (put nicole's last name....i forgot i'm so sorry! you really are a burrup! :)). i love you all and pray for you. Take care and Hurrah for Israel!

Love

Hermana Burrup

ps- christian, do you know an elder Ethen whitby...He is in my zone. we just had a weird Washington realization and talked about basically everyone in Washington. it was pretty crazy and weird but funny. i tried to find my email from you from that garage dance for sadies or the mormon prom but i couldn't find anything. i think i've already lost them. i told him to think hard and give me the dirt on you :)

Dear President Neider,

Faith is real! i know it! First off, general conference taught me about the actual power of faith. Without the whole long story, Sister Zegarra and I set goals to pray with more faith and work on expecting people to be home, expecting people to open, expecting people to want to hear what we know, expecting people to want us to come back. You know what? It is working! Part of having faith is actually expecting the blessings. Of course setting back up plans but expecting people to be home and planning and studying as though they would be. That is full hearted and full faith work. Sister Zegarra is an outstanding missionary. We learned the plan of Salvation together this week and are still working on making our restoration lesson more powerful. We taught a family home evening with 3 families this last week and came out with a new family to teach. We are excited and moving forward. God be thanked for my companion, my area, my leaders, but most of all the perfect example of missionary work: the Savior. May God bless you for your example and service. We love you and are anxious for zone conference tomorrow. Hurrah for Israel!

Love,

Hermana Burrup