Fresno Days--Best Letter Ever!

January 6th, 2013

So not too much crazy new stuff since last Thursday but I have one experience I wanted to write about. 

We rode the bus again with a recent convert, she's like our grandma. We talked with her on the 2 hr bus ride to church and there came a point in the conversation where we said that we need to visit her in Laos when she goes home...she then said "When you come, you need to find my sons, they will know where I'm at, just in case I might have died already." It broke our hearts so we immediately comforted her and just joked it off and told her not to worry about it. Then she started laughing and then straight to crying. She told us that we were her sons, just like her real sons back in Laos and that she was going to miss us so much. It broke our hearts. We call her mom here and we are her sons. I'm so sad for the day that will come when me and Elder Doane have to say goodbye. However, I know without a shadow of a doubt, that God has sent us here to be with her at this time. I'm so grateful for the people that I've met and that have changed my life by their sincere pursuit to be with God. I know that God watches over this wonderful lady because of her goodness and her obedience to His laws. She faithfully works 6 days a week (sun up to sun down) and rests on the Sabbath so that she can attend church. She gets on the bus for a total of 5 hours to get to church when members aren't available to take her. She pays a full tithe in spite of her destitute circumstances. She gets maybe 4 hrs a sleep each day and she still reads the Book of Mormon daily (She's in Alma). These are the kind of people that are joining the church. She has little or nothing except the Gospel of Jesus Christ in her life and she is happy. I'm so grateful for her. I love her with my whole heart and pray God will continue to bless her for everything she continues to give up for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Anyways, when we are ever tempted to think it is too hard, I'm reminded of people like her...and I know that we can do it. We can live the Gospel and be happy in spite of whatever life throws at us. I love this Gospel.  

 

Love ya all too! 

Have a great week!

Hmong New Year (Pictures!)

January 2nd, 2014

Crazy week: 

Christmas Day: Called you. Opened presents. Went to Sheng's house and watched Monsters University...AWESOME! After, we made our final preparations for Hmong New Years (HNY). 

Next Day: Start of HNY. We got up around 4 and got to the fairgrounds around 5ish. The Merced missionaries came down and stayed the week in our apt. Super tired. We set up the booth and it went very well. We talked to lots of people! After, we went and mapped out all the referrals we received and divided them into the appropriate side etc.  

Next Day: Same as day before...just more exhausted. 

Next Day: Same...More exhausted...But I did meet some really cool Hmong people from France. We've received over 200 referrals for other missions. Also, a random guy came up to me at HNY and thanked me for helping him move his TV a few weeks ago...haha. Small world! There are quite a few thousand people there so it's pretty ironic. 

Next Day: Church. The ward went all in their Hmong clothes to church and we only met for an hour. After, we went outside the building and took ward/family pics. Super fun. Then we went to HNY in the afternoon and set up the booth. Ran into a guy that works at Little Caesar's that we met a few months ago....irony. 

Next Day: Sick...I basically knocked out in the car all day in the HNY parking lot. Super sick. 

Next Day: Woke up feeling great after taking some medicine. Then we went to HNY for the morning and did our last HNY proselyting then headed to Missionary Leadership Council (MLC). We had a ton of FIO sessions and it was really good. We ended around 6ish (RULE: can't be out after 6pm on certain holidays because of safety) and because it was New Year's Eve, we stayed at the assistants home right near the mission office. So we all changed into casual clothes around 6 and ate dinner, watched Ephraim's Rescue, and played Lord of the Rings Risk at the mission office. Then we went to the assistants home and celebrated New Years and crashed. 

Next Day: 25 people in one house...we all had another meeting (leadership training) at the mission office. So we all got up super early, showered, and got back over to the mission office. Then, we had a lot of good training etc. We set the 2014 baptismal goal at 1000. Super awesome! Love being a missionary. 

Today: We moved our preparation day to today so that we could proselyte at HNY on Monday. So today is pretty good too. 

Spiritual thought: 

"Hope On. Journey On."

Jeffrey R. Holland 

Love ya soo much! Thanks again for all the wonderful gifts and the great phone call.

Xoxoxoxoxoxox 

 

Elder Burdick 

 

 

Merry Hmong Christmas!

December 23rd, 2013

So sorry, but I feel like there is no time to get anything done today.  Hmong New Year's is the day after Christmas and goes until next Tuesday. Also Christmas calls have to be 40 min or less. I don't have for sure time to call yet but we're working on it.

Love,

Elder Burdick

It was GREAT to talk to Scott on Christmas Day, even if we weren't allowed to Skype.  Here are some pictures from their Hmong mom's house and celebration.  She really takes fabulous care of these 6 missionaries.

Ward Christmas Party, Christmas Mission Conference, and Feeding Miracles

December 16th, 2013

Answer to your questions: 

1. Got the package...super awesome! Loved the tree and loved the much needed pants. 

2. Christmas conference was great! President blew our minds with training on the historical nativity. Like BLEW our minds. We also had 210 missionaries at our stake center so it was crazy getting everything set up (especially when the YM of another ward destroyed it all the night before). So it was interesting trying to get everything set up again before the meeting started. The zone hosting conferences are responsible for getting everything set up (for meals, trainings etc.). The stake provided lunch and it was OUTSTANDING!!! Best meal every. I also met Norma Burdick from the Orchard View ward (she gave me extra ham because we're Burdick's). We also had to do musical numbers for each zone...so we completely winged Silent Night in Hmong, English, and Portuguese (the visa waiters). Crazy fun! The musical numbers are always awesome. You know its going to be good when they're prefaced with "If you feel the spirit tell you to sing with me, then go for it." Haha. I love being a missionary. We also sang "Called to Serve" as our thank you to the members that prepared lunch. Best called to serve rendition ever! I'll have to explain Called to Serve CFM style another time....we added some stuff. ;) 

3. I have no clue what time I'll be calling. Probably in the morning...but maybe afternoon...and the night-time would be great too! Hahaha. I really have no idea. Have I ever been one to plan these things out? 

4. I'm excited to talk to you! xox 

Highlights to the week: 

Every night we don't have a meal, people always invite us to eat with them after a lesson etc. It's crazy weird. Totally being watched out for. Happened this Monday night at our recent converts house. They totally invited us to eat with them and we had to drop our dinner a few hours earlier...miracles or what? 

We helped take down a chain-link fence and haul it to the members house. Super crazy. Then they treated us to Denny's. 7 Pancakes (all you can eat meals are so WORTH IT!). 

Also, we had delicious papaya salad and Hmong sausage a few nights ago. 

(I'm looking at my journal and I seem to be writing a lot about food???) 

We had 9 people that wanted to get to our ward Christmas Party and no rides. Of course, right when we went to the apartments to FIO the situation, a member pulls up in his SUV to give 6 of them a ride; Miracle #1. Then we still had 3 others that didn't have a ride, and after we exhausted ourselves calling all the members to give them a ride, we got desperate. Humorously a van pulled up, and we joked that we should just ask them...so we did. It turned out to be a former investigator that decided to graciously give the 3 people a ride and had 3 others come with her; Miracle #2. So in total, 12 non-members are at this Christmas party. However, in the middle of the party, the lady with the van has to go to her other church's choir practice. So she ditches 6 extra people with us. Party ends and there is no ride for the rest of the people. However, miraculously another member crams all the people in her car (10 people in a 7 passenger van) and everyone gets home safely; Miracle #3. Sunday rolls around and 2 of the 12 actually come to church! Hallelujah shout; Miracle #4. 

Also, we had a great stake correlation meeting with Pres. Gelwix and the Stake President and High Councilman for missionary work. SUPER SPIRITUAL. Gotta love a good coordination meeting! Something I really like was a scripture President Gelwix shared. DC 78:10 "Key phrase: 'are prepared.' They're already prepared for us. Things have already been set in motion for the things God has prepared. It's dependent on our worthiness and faithfulness." I love it! 

So things are going great! I love being a missionary! Keep the questions coming! 

LOVE YA ALL TONS! xoxo 

Hlub Koj, 

TSEEM FWV LEEM VAJ! 

Another Short Letter...

December 9th, 2013

We rode the bus to church with our recent convert. She's way awesome. She was a math teacher in Laos at age 17. She was on a dance company. She was in some sort of circus where she walked the suspended wires. She's awesome! We love her. She's in her 60's now but she is so cool. 

Elder Porter of the Seventy came and instructed us. Super awesome! Blew our minds away with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Gotta love it. 

Love you all very much!xoxox

 

Elder Burdick

 

 

 

Short Letter and 2 Pics

December 2nd, 2013

Super crazy week! We had a baptism this last Saturday and it was awesome!

I have a recording that will get to you eventually. Also, I don't have enough time to write today but know that I love you! 

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Elder Burdick 

Thanksgiving Pictures

A sister in the Pioneer Park Ward where Scott serves was good enough to create a group on FB and now we can actually see some pictures of him.  Here are the pictures of them eating Thanksgiving at their Hmong Mom's house.