Letters from Elder Burns Feb 7, 14, and 21st.

From Elder Burns on 2/7/2010


I'm doing ok and I am happy that I am able to email you today. The trials that we receive in this life will make us stronger(1:peter 1:7) . Your grandma and others - mom/great grandma and great great grandma, what a great team that her and grandpa will make in the spirit world teaching through their life experience and not to mention Roger. Read (D&C section 4) " A marvelous work is coming forth among the children of men", and they are helping it come to pass. They are teaching the lost and finding the weak. What greater work is there than that?

(ALMA 7:11-13),(john 3:17),The savior suffered all pains and afflictions we will be required to suffer in this life. Some say it isn't fair, but all things are done in the knowledge of him that knows all things(can't remember that reference). Only God knows why things happen, but this family is indeed being tried and with much suffering will come many blessings.

The baptisms that we had set have fell through because I struggle to commit people to come to church. I could really use some help on that. Metui's baptism fell through because his girlfriend got in the way. She is against the church but that will change and Metui will still be baptized soon.

I have had great success in my teaching skills through studying every day and prayer. The Lord blesses us after all we can do, and I'm doing all that I can.

I love gq-ing which is street contacting, and I like tracting so that's one really good thing. One thing that I have noticed on my mission is that I am always able to stay happy which has helped me a ton. We are now finding a lot of people to teach.

Without prayer I couldn't make It the power of prayer will help us through everything.

Read Ether 12:27. It will help - it helps me every time.

I loved the package that you sent I love the goodies

Happy VALENTINES DAY

I LOVE YOU

YOUR SON

ELDER BURNS



From Elder Burns on 2/14/2010

Well if you do get this Email I want you to know how much I love all of you and how thankful I am to have you as part of my family. This week went great. I have a new companion, Elder Bennett got emergency transferred to Ryde to work in the Chinese program that should be good for him. My new companion's name is Elder Bryner.

He is really nice. There must be some reason he got emergency transferred, but that's ok. My mission is still going awesome and I love Australia. We are still working with Metui to get him baptized.

I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH AND I HOPE TO HEAR FROM YOU NEXT WEEK

LOVE YOUR SON

ELDER BURNS



From Elder Burns on 2/21/2010

I wrote a really long email to you and the computer died and deleted it all so I will just condense it a little.

Elder Bryner is the best companion ever! He is so awesome it's like hanging out with a best friend and we both love missionary work and we get along really well.

I am so happy that things are going really well at home that Jared is doing better and that Crystal is continuing in the piano.

That sucks that no-one would pay more [$150] for the car, but that's ok. Sometimes things like that happen.

Richmond area is going well. We have some people progressing, and I am learning HEAPS from Elder Bryner.

I love you tons,

I'LL TALK TO YOU LATER

YOUR SON

ELDER BURNS

Letters from Elder Burns 01/24/2010

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Dear dad

114 [missionaries from our stake]? Wow, that’s way crazy!

That inspiration that you have received is what i have needed most. Sometimes we struggle to do those things and it throws our entire day off.

Walking and riding bikes is not missionary work. It’s teaching and studying and sharing the gospel with your companion and a lot of times, it is hard but we have been working so hard with that and are getting more consistent.

Just yesterday, our week of hard work really payed off. We went tracting in an area out in the middle of nowhere because when we were planning in the morning the spirit directed us to tract there and no one has ever tracted there before. So we followed the spirit and we weren’t finding much success until we ran into this family. They are a white family from South Africa and when we approached there door they invited us in and we taught them the plan of salvation and committed them to come to church next week. The mom’s name is kinda funny. It’s Birgit and the dad’s name is normal – it’s been and i can’t remember the kid’s names, but they were awesome. The lord will greatly bless us if we are doing our best. I have seen that on my mission.

Just the other day i made sushi and it was awesome... Man, wasabi is hot!

That is such an amazing story of sacrifice [the violin – story told by Thomas s. Monson about Benjamin Landart, a pioneer] and love for the lord and it greatly strengthened my testimony.

Thank you so much for your love

You’re the best dad ever
Love
Your son
Elder burns

Dear mom

It sounds like you had an awesome sacrament meeting. Strength and courage are the things a missionary needs most and praying always that we can be comforted, and honor our heavenly father because even though he knows all of our thoughts, he still needs to hear from us. He requires us to act.

I had the opportunity to go to the temple on the 19th and it was such an amazing experience. You learn more and more each time you go and it’s awesome.

I am doing amazing. Just yesterday, our week of hard work really payed off. We went tracting in an area out in the middle of nowhere because when we were planning in the morning the spirit directed us to tract there and no one has ever tracted there before so we followed the spirit and we weren’t finding much success until we ran into this family. They are a white family from South Africa and when we approached there door they invited us in and we taught them the plan of salvation and committed them to come to church next week. The mom’s name is kinda funny. It’s Birgit and the dad’s name is normal – it’s been and I can’t remember the kid’s names, but they were awesome. The lord will greatly bless us if we are doing our best. I have seen that on my mission.

President Scruggs told me in interviews that i would most likely be staying with elder Bennett one more transfer, so that will be awesome.

You are the best mom ever and I love you, and you are always in my prayers. You don’t know how much you have helped me in my life, but I want you to know you’re awesome

Love

Your son

Elder burns

Letters from Elder Burns 01/17/2010

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Dear dad

I love you so much and thank you for the last minute message. I had the opportunity to go to the temple today. It is always such an amazing experience to go into the house of the Lord. I actually put Jared’s name on the prayer roll and I also put Grandma Brown’s name on as well.

We have 2 [baptisms] that are going to happen this month - Matui and also Amol. Alf and Joan have been pushed to next month so that they can come to church more.

Thank you so much for the letter
I love you tons
Your son,
ELDER BURNS

Dear MOM

I have baptized 1 so far and have a few incoming. The work is going awesome. The word on the street is that I might be training a new missionary next transfer, so that will be fun. I hope that I am up to it.

I have got all of the packages you sent and I love them so much you are such an amazing mother and thank you for everything that you do for me I love the jammies. Let Barbara know that I am thinking about her and I love her.

I LOVE YOU SO MUCH
YOUR SON
ELDER BURNS

Dear Grambo

Thank you so much for the pajamas and the pillow cases you made for me. I love them. I want you to know how much I love you. You are so awesome and your letters are awesome. I’m so grateful to have you as my grandma and I love you for that.

The mission is going awesome and I love the work. The best thing is that I am doing the best that I can for once in my life.

I love you so much!
LOVE
YOUR FRIEND
ELDER BURNS

Dear crystal

I love you so much

I am doing wonderful and my teaching is going awesome. Ya, kangaroos are funny looking lol. I love pork roast, it’s the best!!!!

Thank you so much for your letter

I love you tons
Your bro
Elder burns

Letters on 01/10/2009

Dear Mom,


I have had an awesome week. I haven’t gotten any other packages other than the Christmas one. I don’t know if you had anything else that you sent. I carved the little knife myself...:)

I love you tons! I’ll talk to you later.

Dear dad

Man was that clip funny! The monster truck usually doesn’t tip over, so that was kind of wierd...but awesome at the same time.

Ya, it’s awesome we have an appointment with Alf and Joan today. We are sacrificing half of our preparation day to find new people. I know that we will be blessed in doing that. It was no problem getting those Christmas presents.

I sent Jared a birthday gift...DONT TELL HIM!!! It’s been hard to lose weight because we have a car, but I am still trying really hard to lose weight.

It's pretty hard to have a favorite scripture but I have chosen that one [Ether 12:27] as my favorite. I try harder and harder every day to center my life around the Lord and be the best I can be. I am always striving to do my best.

It’s crazy to think that I have already been out on my mission for 5 months, but I’m seeing the lords hand in all that I do and I am becoming better and better at sharing the gospel. I love the Lord; I love this gospel, and I love you. Thank you for all that you have done for me.


Dear jared,

I loved getting that stuff for you and it was fun to make the little knife.

Ya, I love monster trucks.. You got a new suit for church? That’s awesome:) Ya, Christmas was awesome. I miss you too. Love you tons!

Love

Elder Burns

Letters from Elder Burns on 12/20/2009

VIEW FULL TEXT at blog.darrellburns.com

Dear Jared,

The reason that my hair is so short is that my mission president said it could be.  My companion is awesome! Nikki is 3 years old?  LOL

Dear Family,
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! I am doing awesome I miss you guys so much. But I stay busy enough that it doesn't get to me.   Uncle Sterling has gone through a lot in his life and he has always been able to pull through, but I'm sure this is one of the hardest things or maybe the hardest thing that's happened to him in his life, but as he has in the past, he will pull through.  I know that he can. But I will always keep him in my prayers.

OH BTW Josh Thomas got his mission call to Lansing, Michigan.  That is so awesome!

The missionary work has slowed down a little bit.  It's just really hard to get a lesson with people because everyone is so busy. This last couple of weeks we have had the chance to go out caroling with brother Brooks, our ward mission leader, and a bunch of members in our ward.  We went around to non-member homes that the ward members selected and sang.  After the first verse of Silent Night, one of us stepped forward and bore our testimony of the Gospel, and alot of people accepted our invitation to learn, but not until after the Christmas season. It is quite difficult to get people to church.  A lot of it comes back to how well you teach, and I'm still working on getting better.

Australians really aren't that receptive to missionaries, because most are American, and they dont really like Americans, but yes, usually if they accept to learn, they are very serious about it.

How did grandma brown hurt herself?

I think it's (Jared's anger difficulties) something to do with the fact that its starting to really hit Jared that I am not there.  It's a great change in the Christmas time.

oh, Btw, Christmas zone conference was alot of fun.

I love you so much and am so thankful for your love for me.

P.S. could I get a recipe sent to me for mom's peanut butter bars.
I havent opened the package yet.

LOVE

YOUR SON
ELDER BURNS

Dear mom,


I love my new area in richmond it is so awesome the ward is so focused on missionary work. Elder Bennett is awesome.  He is a legend, and he is probably my favorite companion so far in my mission.

I got the package but I havent opened it yet.

I have 3 members that I am spending Christmas at.  2 of the families are the Pauna families and then the Wilcox as well.  It will be awesome!

I cant wait to talk to you either. I get to talk for 80 minutes!

Love you tons!

your son
ELDER BURNS

Dear crystal


I LOVE YOU TO I miss you tons

My companion is awesome!  I still think you are a nerd, but thats ok :)  Got to go.
LOVE YOUR BRO ELDER BURNS