Letter from Elder Burns October 25, 2009

Dear Family,

I am doing wonderful I am continuing to learn and to grow from my mission experience. I am having loads of fun I enjoy Australia so much. We get about 6 new investigators a week, some of them stick with it, some don't, but we do our best.

I am so excited that the girls are going to have the opportunity to take the teens 2 class. It will be a great experience and I am so happy for them. I have not had a opportunity to see a Koala bear, but they are supposed to be really cute.

Right now we have three really good progressing investigators Michael Gould, Cheng Yu, and Rueben Sang. Michael is the only one that has a baptismal date, but the other 2 are still strong.

The Spirit guides me mostly when I bear testimony, but yes, the Spirit guides me in all I do.

I love you with all my heart.

To Jared,

IDK what I want for christmas!!! Jared, you are so awesome. I haven't eaten a Koala you silly. I guess if you where really good at it (Throwing A Boomerang) you would be able to kill it (A Kangaroo). That would be funny.

To Mom,

HEY MOM!!
How are you? I love hearing from you every week and I love the opportunity that I have to serve a mission. I have been working very very hard to become better at teaching and it is coming along well. I am still losing weight. I have lost a total of about 15 lbs! It's awesome! I'm gonna come home skinnier than ever - it will be awesome. I have been out a month and a half and I love it here.

Well my time is gonna cut short.

I love you tons

YOUR SON
ELDER BURNS

To Grandma,

Oh how much i wish that I could be there with you right now. Your celebrating your 80th birthday IM so happy to have you around.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!. that is so exciting that you where able to have all of your family over for your birthday.

I want you to know that I think about you every day and I hope and pray that your health will stay in good condition.  I am so blessed to be able to serve a mission and I am blessed to have you as my best friend and my grandma. well I love you tons Im gonna have to go.

I love you so much
YOUR GRANDSON/BEST FRIEND

ELDER BURNS

Letter to Jared from Elder Burns October 18, 2009

Dear Jared,

Yes, kangaroos are very very fast. You can catch them but it's very hard

Dominos Pizza here is terrible, it's not near as good as home, but I am still loving it here and I am happy your goldfish are still alive!!!!!

love you lots

Letter to mom from Elder Burns October 18, 2009

Hey mom,

Thank you so much for the spiritual thoughts - you always know how to brighten up my day.  I am so thankful for everything that you do for me.

This last week was awesome I got called upon in sacrament meeting to teach the gospel principles class.  It was awesome - we taught about the second coming.

LOTS OF LOVE,
YOUR SON
ELDER BURNS

Letter to family from Elder Burns October 18th, 2009

Thank you so much for doing that for me and Michael(Editor's note: I put their names in the Temple) I have already seen a great change in Michael.


Newcastle is a port city on the coast. It's about 90 degrees daily but it's windy so it feels like it's 80, so its pretty nice here.

We're in a city area so we have to go just a little way out so that we can see them[kangaroos], but ya there are alot of them.

I havent been called to speak in church yet, or sing, but yesterday i was called upon to teach the gospel principles class.  So I taught Michael and Deseret, she is a recent convert.

Well twice a week, we have a barbeque at which we eat chicken and sometimes pork.  I mostly eat stuff like pasta and cereal, a lot of hamburger,  so I eat pretty well and we get fed 2-3 times a week from members.

Doing laundry is easy because we have our own washer and dryer so its kinda nice. I'll have to get pictures of the house that we are living in - it's pretty awesome.
I am so glad that you are making the commitment to lose the weight.  I havent lost any more weight since last week. because we ate out this week, but things are going awesome here.

I'll make sure to send you more pictures next week.

LOVE YOUR SON

ELDER BURNS

Email from Australia - 10/11/2009

Dominos!!!

Me and Elder Kingi having a barbecue

Elder Kingi

Kangaroo

My First Tracting Door

I really was able to eat kangaroo its way way good I loved it.

I have continued to work very very hard and just this last week we where blessed with 4 new investigators. The baptismal date for michael had to be set back because we found out that brother gould had some other problems but we are still working with him tons.
some of the new investigators names are kyla, cheng, ashley, lisa.
and when we teach some of them their families will become new investigators as well. its so exciting the work of the lord is amazing
this is already the most memorable point in my life. I know that the church is true I know that we are led by a living prophet today.
And I love Joseph smith for fulfilling the lords council and establising christs church again on this wonderful earth. And only through Jesus christ will we be able to live with our father in heaven again.

Ya jared my companion knows the HAKA he says it is alot of fun

I am so happy that you got more fish.

and dont say that stuff about dad he may not show that it hurts his feelings but it really does hurt his heart he is your dad show him how much you really do love him by being nice.

LOVE
ELDER BURNS

To Mom,
mom I want you to know how much i love you and how much I have been able to look up to you througout my life. you are the most amazing mother that anyone could ever ask for.

I pray for you and the entire family each and every day and I love you so much.
This week has been amazing we were able to get 4 new investigators its so exciting.

I love you lots

YOUR SON
ELDER BURNS

Dear grandma,

I want you to know how much i love you and how much I look up to you.
you have always been there in my time of need and I greatly thank you for that.
I love austrailia and I love the people there is no greater work than what I am doing now I am bringing others to christ this opportunity will not come again and I want you to know that I am making the most of my time.
Every day since I have been here i have brushed my teeth and done my hair I have shaved too!!!
I am doing the lords work I love you TONS!!
your best friend/grandson
ELDER BURNS

Written Letter From Elder Burns received 10/10/2009

Dear Family,


Australia is so awesome! I love the food, the people are a little ignorant, but they are still nice. My first week here was awesome. We have one investigator with a baptism date. His name is Michael Gould. He is a lot of fun. He has some weird concerns about Church History, though. So the date we had set for the 17th of October might not happen, but we are working really hard with him so we will get him baptized soon.

We taught 0 lessons with a member present, 5 other lessons, 1 progressing investigator, 1 new investigator. Her name is Ashley. We taught 3 less active lessons. IUt wasn’t really that great of a week. I was really sad on Sunday. None of our investigators came. But we will get them to come.

Kangaroos are so awesome. We got to chase flocks of them around. OH!!! One very cool thing is that the mission president put out a challenge for the biggest loser!!! The companionship that loses the most weight gets to go to the movie theater with President and Sister Scruggs. So we are dieting and exercising heavily so that we can win. I’ve already lost like 5 lbs. My companion, Elder Kingi is awesome. We are learning to teach better together.

Our apartment is way nice. No A/C, but we have fans, though it hasn’t gotten that hot yet. The wards here are small – only about 50-60 people. How are things going at home?

I would love to hear again soon from all of you, but so far everything is wonderful. I love you tons.

Your son,

Elder Burns.

News from Elder Burns - Week of 10/4/2009

Sorry I havent sent much, I've been extremely busy with the work and getting settled in. The reason I didn't write you this last Monday is because it was a public holiday and the email places werent open yet.


I had a really good first week, it kind of pissed me off a little that none of our investigators came to church.  It kind of sucked.

I am doing so wonderful.  The work is going great I have been able to teach alot of lessons and I am getting better at teaching with the spirit.

The people here are just all around grumpy. you just dont find very many happy people.

My companion ELDER KINGI IS SO AWESOME! He is from New Zealand and he is Maouri.   It's a type of native to New Zealand.  He is a zone leader and knows alot about the gospel and is very good with finding people.

The church here is awesome.  The ward consists of a good 60 members which is kind of small, but they are wonderful.

We have one set baptism date which is for the 17th of October for an investigator named Michael Gould.  He really is alot of fun. He has a really small drinking problem that we are working on with him, but I have a strong feeling that he will make it.

I haven't got to hear any of conference yet.  It will be broadcast this Saturday and Sunday at the chapel.  The buildings here are awesome.

I love you guys so much, sorry for the delay.

OH!!!!  One more quick thing before I have to go is that I've lost like 10 pounds, which is awesome!  The mission president put out a challenge that whichever companionship loses the most weight will get to go to the movie theater with president and sister scruggs. So we are going to do it, I have until Christmas.

lots of love,
your son
Elder Burns