Sept 17, 2012

*This week we got some not so good news and what strength Laurel brings to our family.  Even far away with limited contact, she is an example of mighty faith and sincere compassion.  She truly mourns with those that mourn and rejoices with those that rejoice.  She's such sweet girl and we're grateful for her goodness and her wisdom. 

My lovely family,

Thank you for the emails. You all know how much i want to be a part of your lives. In the middle of dad's cancer i had to go to school and my fear was that all of a sudden i wouldn't be there anymore to hurt when the bad news came or to be there in tears of joy when the good news came. As you can imagine, that fear isn't really gone. Thank you for keeping me updated on everything... I will certainly continue to pray for you. Kind of neat tidbit, i've been praying for you all this week. I didn't know why but i do now. The prayers won't stop, i promise. I wish i could do more than just pray for you. It seems so small but it's more effective than anything i would have to offer even if i were with you. Thank you for the faith that you have. The answer to have faith seems so simple but it can be hard. I know you both love the Lord and i know the Lord absolutely loves you so he WILL sustain you! always!  i hope you are smiling. know that i'm still smiling here. By the end of everything we always look back smiling about the good and the bad. The bumps in the roads are just a tool to get us where we need to be, want to be, and will be IF we consecrate everything to the Lord! How we love the Lord, burrup/merril/pratt family :)  I know each of you love the Lord and i add to it my testimony and love for him. His plans are great and his sight is better than ours. we just "be believing, pray always, search diligently, and all things work together for you good" (thanks for teaching me that scripture mom and dad ) I testify that He is aware 100% and i testify that everything is ok! not will be but is because he is in control. i see my "I am a Burrup" card several times each week and family picture is on the cover of my notebook. I think of you often and i love you! through our obedience and worthiness, the Lord will work miracles for us!

Well, quick update on missionary work here. Ethel and Cristian are moving on thursday. we are super sad but also excited for them. if everything works out right our last lesson is going to be at the temple about eternal families before they leave. we want them to feel the spirit strongly so that they never forget it and never settle for less. we asked them if they would make baptism their goal. Ethel wants to be baptised so so badly. she smiled big then looked at her husband to see what he would say. He did't say yes but he didn't say no either. he needs to pray. he has been listening but hasn't yet prayed or read like he has commited to do. I know when he does he will also have the desire to join his wife. Well, times up but once again, i love you so so so so so much! thanks again for being your best! you mean the world of me! Hurrah for Israel

All my love and more!,

Hermana lufer Burrup

ps- picture of sister cedillo, her two daughters, and her 1 grandaughter :)

She's gorgeous

Dear President Neider,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, President! I hope it is an extra good one this year! 

Well, the weeks are flying by! We have been trying to use every minute here. anytime we had time before 9 we used to visit people at bus stops. Sister Oyanedel had the idea of going to neighborhoods instead of bustops. We say a pray and then go where we feel we should. On tuesday we only had 15 minutes to find someone. Sister Oyanedel said a prayer and we simply decided where to go together. It was actually a pretty neat experience because we were led directly to a house. Of course not any house but a house full of hispanics. We are hoping to teach 2 families from that contact. It was so simple but a neat experience to see how simply praying with faith leads us to people. How i love prayer! I set goals just yesterday to help our prayers to be more effective as a companionship and personally. We studied prayer as part of our 12 week training program. I have really enjoyed doing the program again. I feel that i am better able to apply Preach my gospel as a missionary by evaluating again and setting goals. President, we are trying hard to work together. We have a lot to learn together. Sister Oyanedel has a lot of a faith and it's helping me to expect the miracles that the Lord CAN perform. Thank you for everything you do president and happy birthday again! :)

Love,

Hermana Burrup

Sept 10, 2012

Oh my family!

Ethel said she wants to go the temple!!!!! Cristian and Ethel are the couple we saw, thought they looked hispanic so we knocked. but they are moving!!!! we are so so sad. they have 2 little boys that have SOOOO much energy. They attack anyone, everyone, anything, everything. it was crazy the first visit with them but it has gotten better little by little. Sister Cedillo, Sister Oyanedel, and I are going to write our testimonies for them before they go. It was some needed good news. We have a lot of investigators that are coasting right now. they let us come but they are doing a whole lot. Sister Oyanedel and I are going to fast that we can learn quickly how to teach better together and that we may be inspired in how/where to use our time. We have had a lot of appointments. We really are working hard because we love the work and because we love the lord and because we love these people. We get nervous sometimes but we've been remembering something sister oyanedel once said. "There's no reason to be nervous when you are teaching the truth." I loved it when she said that! Paco was supposed to be baptized yesterday but he missed church for the second week in a row when he said he was coming the day before and he has canceled his appointments. we don't know what happened. It really does hurt when people you have grown to love reject the best thing they can possibly accept. We are working really hard. we have given out a lot of referrals this week :) just last night we prayed that we would be guided to the people that were prepared and needed the gospel. everyone we talked to wouldn't even let us give them a card but walking back to the car there was one person, claudia that accepted a return appointment. Whenever there are rough days or nobody listens or nobody opens the door the Lord always sends us someone or something to keep a smile on our face. Sometimes it's something someone says or maybe just a goofy looking guy on a scooter. I'm just amazed by the Lord. Sister Oyanedel and I sing for our investigators frequently. we like to sing how great thou art because it helps the investigators recognize how much the lord has done for them and in turn they have a greater desire to act.  sorry the letter is scattered. we didn't have as much time today  to write but know that i love you all! I'm so excited for Weston and the mission and i'm excited for Christian to get ready and go. "the best way to prepare for a mission is to be a missionary." be a missionary christian! sure love you and thank you again for everything you do! Hurrah for Israel!

Love

Hermana Burrup

Cristian y Ethel

Dear President Neider,

Another good week! Sister Oyandedel and I are working hard and having a good time together. She really is an incredible missionary already. After each lesson we've been doing a small evaluation on the way to the next appointment. I think it has been really good for the both of us because we both have great suggestions to make our teaching together better. I also love that she is so eager to learn. She is humble and takes suggestions well but she also gives suggestions in such a loving sensitive way. Thank you, President, for always following the spirit especially when assigning companions. I am so blessed. We are trying to prepare well for each and every lesson we have because it is a "sacred responsibility." Studying and practicing the lessons has taken a lot of time. To stay caught up on the 12 week program we have used our language study to read from Preach my Gospel in our second languages. It has been really good because we have studied together and we can hear it in our first language while following along in our second language. i hope that makes sense. We are focusing on balancing the teaching between the two of us as well as adding our testimonies to each others'. I hope that all made sense. This last week several of our investigators didn't keep their commitments nor appointments but it all turned out ok. Yesterday, one investigator, Ethel, told us that sometimes she is going to enter the temple. We have truly grown to love her. She is moving out of state in about a week and a half but she asked us to help her find the chapel there in Georgia. We are excited for her and her family to continue to see the blessings of the gospel. Even though there were moments of discouragement this week, it all seemed worth it to see Ethel excited about the gospel with the goal to get to the temple. Thank you President for all you do for us here. We love you! Hurrah for Israel!

Love

Hermana Burrup

Sept 3, 2012

Well Family,

By the end of my mission i think everyone in the whole mission will know random things about you. Janae and Steve, EVERYONE in las vegas knows your pregnant and that i'm excited...especially the office missionaries. Thanks for always helping me feel included. I tell everyone about the nephews and the funny things they do and say. i am laughing out loud every every monday. Thank you so much for your support, love, fasting, and prayers. I am so blessed by you! 

Well, my new companion's name is Sister Oyanedel. She is from Chile but she knows english really really well. She was going out with the missionaries for 3 months before entering the MTC so she really already knows what she needs to know. That's probably why president put her with me so she could keep training me :) If you remember Emma Hoggan, my roommate in monticello, she reminds me a lot of emma. She's really cute and we have already had fun together. Mom, i am definitely following in your footsteps in regards to the mission because my first week with my trainee we got in a car wreck. Don't worry one bit. i didn't feel anything at all. Sister Oyanedel said she only felt like we were going over a speed bump. Our seatbelts didn't even lock. I don't even really consider it a car wreck but i had to open the "what to do if you are in an accident" packet in the car. Because it wasn't my fault i think they will still let me drive but i guess i don't know. We may be on bikes for a couple of days while they fix the car though. that will be a lot a lot of fun! New experiences everyday! the good news is that before i let her leave we made sure to give her a pass-a-long card. I hope she actually calls for the DVD. i bet she will.

So, we found out that 2 of our best progressing investigators are moving. we are super disappointed but they already told us that they want to find the church once they move to Georgia. How we have grown to love Cristian y Ethel. They are a couple that we saw, thought they looked hispanic, and so we knocked. come to find out that they were near divorce and in just 1 month's time they don't fight anymore. They already love the gospel and they love coming to church. We are excited for the progress they have made of where they want to go from here. 

Paco lost his baptismal date because he didn't come to church. he has never not kept a commitment before so we are anxious to talk with him see what was the problem. We are also teaching a man named daniel. He has so many questions and he has come to church twice. we want to set him this week and start teaching him twice maybe 3 times a week. He has made a lot of progress already, is excited about the gospel, and has 2 great fellowshippers. I wasn't really stressed at all before but this last week has been exhausting. I actually really like it. I  want to exhaust my efforts, my emotions, my mind....everything. I sleep better at night when i do! :) I asked for a blessing this week. Elder Martinez gave me the blessing (yes in spanish). It was a very nice blessing and very much needed. He talked a lot about the support i have from my family and the love that you have for me and he also talked about how missionary work is never ever alone. It was perfect. Thank you once again for you examples and for all that you do for me. i love you all so dearly! Hurrah for Israel

All my Love and More

Hermana Burrup

Her new companera

Dear President Neider,

I only have 11 weeks left with Sister Oyanedel? I'm already bummed. She is a wonderful sister and she is working super hard. It is so clear that she is trying her hardest to say things the right way. She's positive and she loves the people we are teaching.  I feel a great responsibility right now to make sure things are done correctly for the people we are teaching and for my companion. I hope that i can be an example and teacher by the spirit.  I believe one tender mercy i have personally received has been the ability to understand the people better than ever before and the confidence to ask questions and speak freely without feeling embarrassed or dumb with my imperfect Spanish. This IS the work of the Lord. We have started the 12 week program again. We talked about the role of prayer in missionary work and specifically in planning. I don't think i have said so many prayers in my life nor on my mission yet. I am very humbled by the great need we have for divine direction in every decision we make here. President Neider, i know the Lord answers our prayers because He loves us. I'm grateful for the blessing it is to be here in the Nevada Las Vegas Mission under your direction. I'm grateful to be in the Desert Bloom branch and I'm grateful to be with my companion. Thank you for all you do. I again apologize for all the trouble that i know comes with car wrecks. I prefer to give good news especially to the people i respect. Thank you for your concern and patience.

Love

Hermana Burrup

**Laurel also sent us a note from her mission president.  It's nice to know she's in good hands :)

Dear Sister Burrup,

Is not this the fast that I have chosen? . . .  Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, here am I. . . .  And the Lord shall guide thee continually.  Isaiah 58:6, 9, and 11.

Thank your for fasting together as a mission this past Fast Sunday.  I felt the strength and spirit of the Lord helping us raise our spiritual expectations and goals.  Elders and sisters, let your voices and hearts be heard in Heaven!  Please pray every day that each companionship in our mission will baptize at least 2 persons a month, and that you will be able find families to teach.  Then go forward to work and show Him we will do our part.

Let us go forward in faith and witness the miracles and blessings of the Lord.  He has prepared many here in our mission to receive us.  I promise you that through our faith and work we can find them and he will also bring many of them to us.  Our job is then to teach people and help them keep their commitments.

The stakes have set goals to "Rescue" souls in their stakes and I have promised the stake leaders we would help them.  I know you want to do so and the Lord will help us.

We have received 78 new missionaries this Summer and they have added great faith and strength to our faith and strength.  We welcome each one.  Please be examples of faithfulness and diligence to each other.  Nothing can stop us in this work.

I have great confidence and trust in you.  I know that Jesus Christ will help and bless you.

I love you and plead with you to be faithful,

President Michael A. Neider