Thank you so much for the tie and letter, Bishop Hammer! I am using it right now.
A new porch on the house, Sam turning two, Alivia going to tolo, Kirstin about to have another baby - what is the world coming to! I feel my world remains the same while all else changes. Now I am beginning to understand why some RM's go into shock upon arrival. If the title RM isn't shock enough.
This week was full of things to do. Transfer week is always a hassle in the office. I, obviously, will be staying here in Santa Maria, but I recieved a new companion in the field. His name is Elder Marx, from southern Oregon. He has only 6 months on the mission, so he is very new; but, he is really good already and is a good guy. It is definitely strange working with a new American - this is the first time that I have really had this experience, but it will definitely be interesting.
So, after a day in the office on Monday preparing everything necessary for the transfer, we headed to Porto Alegre to drop of the missionaries who were going home and to get the new arrivals. This time we had a little bit of a wait in the airport in which we sat there watching the planes take off... haha, que trunkeza. Elder Bryson goes home on the next one so I was making fun of him. The new group had 11 missionaries in total, with 7 Americans who arrived straight from the states. Because the states has made it really hard for other nations to enter, Brasil has made it very hard for Americans to get there visas to come here. Some of the new Americans were in the MTC for 15 weeks in Provo! None of them passed in São Paulo. But, this group was really good - super excited and with prepared missionaries. It will be interesting to see them over these next few months.
Tuesday night we gave a training to all the trainers, and Wednesday to all the trainers and their trainees. Then we sat with President and Sister to prepare the ZL Council next Monday. Then, on Friday, we returned to the office again to prepare trainings for the council. Needless to say, it was an office filled week and I still am a little behind with little time to finish. But, I was still able to get out all Thursday to work with my new companion.
One more note is that we now know who the new president will be in July - President Isaias Ribeiro. He was President Myrrha's counselor in the Stake Presidency and when President was called as a Seventy, President Ribeiro was called as the new Stake President. He is following President Myrrha's footsteps, haha. He works for the CES and President was so happy to have him come here; he says that he is great!
An interesting experience was one I had yesterday while in a staff meeting with President, Elder Bryson and the secretaries. Elder Bryson shared the message and then President told a funny story relating, and I just looked at the scene and thought of how crazy it was to be in a situation so normal or comfortable with a man who was a Seventy. I told this to Elder Bryson and he was like, "Yeah dude, I just shared a message with a Seventy, crazy." I remember meeting Elder Nash when he was the area representative and how it was so different, kind of like, "This man is a Seventy, oh boy." But, now I have a relationship with a man like that and I sit in council with him. He received a phone call later in the meeting from Elder Godoy, from the First Quorum, and who is the 2nd Counselor in the area presidency of Brasil, and they just talked and joked and called each other "cara," which is like man, or dude, or bro, haha. It is just cool to have these awesome experiences as a missionary and be able to work so much closer to the Lord's servants. Then I think of dad who is a stake president and how important that call is (after reading about it in the Liahona) and how it was so normal for me. It is just cool how the Lord takes good, but normal men and turns them into instruments in His service..
Mom, that is so great for Spencer. I am so excited that he is coming here. I love you so much, sorry that this is so big!
Com Amor,
Elder Burnham
A new porch on the house, Sam turning two, Alivia going to tolo, Kirstin about to have another baby - what is the world coming to! I feel my world remains the same while all else changes. Now I am beginning to understand why some RM's go into shock upon arrival. If the title RM isn't shock enough.
This week was full of things to do. Transfer week is always a hassle in the office. I, obviously, will be staying here in Santa Maria, but I recieved a new companion in the field. His name is Elder Marx, from southern Oregon. He has only 6 months on the mission, so he is very new; but, he is really good already and is a good guy. It is definitely strange working with a new American - this is the first time that I have really had this experience, but it will definitely be interesting.
So, after a day in the office on Monday preparing everything necessary for the transfer, we headed to Porto Alegre to drop of the missionaries who were going home and to get the new arrivals. This time we had a little bit of a wait in the airport in which we sat there watching the planes take off... haha, que trunkeza. Elder Bryson goes home on the next one so I was making fun of him. The new group had 11 missionaries in total, with 7 Americans who arrived straight from the states. Because the states has made it really hard for other nations to enter, Brasil has made it very hard for Americans to get there visas to come here. Some of the new Americans were in the MTC for 15 weeks in Provo! None of them passed in São Paulo. But, this group was really good - super excited and with prepared missionaries. It will be interesting to see them over these next few months.
Tuesday night we gave a training to all the trainers, and Wednesday to all the trainers and their trainees. Then we sat with President and Sister to prepare the ZL Council next Monday. Then, on Friday, we returned to the office again to prepare trainings for the council. Needless to say, it was an office filled week and I still am a little behind with little time to finish. But, I was still able to get out all Thursday to work with my new companion.
One more note is that we now know who the new president will be in July - President Isaias Ribeiro. He was President Myrrha's counselor in the Stake Presidency and when President was called as a Seventy, President Ribeiro was called as the new Stake President. He is following President Myrrha's footsteps, haha. He works for the CES and President was so happy to have him come here; he says that he is great!
An interesting experience was one I had yesterday while in a staff meeting with President, Elder Bryson and the secretaries. Elder Bryson shared the message and then President told a funny story relating, and I just looked at the scene and thought of how crazy it was to be in a situation so normal or comfortable with a man who was a Seventy. I told this to Elder Bryson and he was like, "Yeah dude, I just shared a message with a Seventy, crazy." I remember meeting Elder Nash when he was the area representative and how it was so different, kind of like, "This man is a Seventy, oh boy." But, now I have a relationship with a man like that and I sit in council with him. He received a phone call later in the meeting from Elder Godoy, from the First Quorum, and who is the 2nd Counselor in the area presidency of Brasil, and they just talked and joked and called each other "cara," which is like man, or dude, or bro, haha. It is just cool to have these awesome experiences as a missionary and be able to work so much closer to the Lord's servants. Then I think of dad who is a stake president and how important that call is (after reading about it in the Liahona) and how it was so normal for me. It is just cool how the Lord takes good, but normal men and turns them into instruments in His service..
Mom, that is so great for Spencer. I am so excited that he is coming here. I love you so much, sorry that this is so big!
Com Amor,
Elder Burnham
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