Headed Back to Fresno

August 12th, 2013

Crazy Awesome Week.

To answer our questions about how his companion is, Scott said:   Elder Bone is awesome! He's awesome at fixing things. He worked at taco time back in Utah and is certified in Diesel Mechanics and small engine mechanics. He's a boss! But in sad news, I'm getting transferred back to Pioneer Park to train one of the new missionaries. So Elder Dunnaway is coming up to be with Elder Bone.

Monday: Ate a whole thai pepper whole....super hot.....burned my insides.

Tuesday: Put holes in concrete....Ridiculously Hard. Talked to an investigator/Part member who wants to get baptized this weekend. Super Great!
Wednesday: Fixed brakes...hurt my hand.
Thursday:  1 year mark in the field...crazy fast
Friday: Had volleyball sports night at church. Way! Fun! Taught True Vang who is getting baptized this weekend.
Saturday:  Went to Los Banos for a baptismal interview and baptism...craziness. Found out I was getting transferred back to Fresno to train in a new Hmong area. (They split my old area in half.) Fresno: Elder Davis and his trainee, Elder Doane and his trainee, and Me and my trainee. Merced: Elder Bone and Elder Dunnaway.

Sunday:

Had baptism and confirmation for True Vang. Awesome service. The branch is amazing. Spirit is the best.

There can be miracles...if you believe.

Funny Thoughts and jokes of week

Phone conversation with sister missionaries in district:

Me- "Does he have the Melchizedek priesthood to do the confirmation?"

Sister-"Oh...do you need that?..."

(Long Pause)

(Laughter)

Life is awesome...Ask me more questions. LOVE YA!

Elder Burdick

                                      

More Service Plus Pictures in Merced

August 5th, 2013

Tuesday-Service! We went and washed down a truck to get it ready to sell. Then we painted the sides of a house. Super fun! After we went and met with our investigator at a member's home. We watched Prophet of the Restoration....it was sooo awesome. Church is true! You should totally invite someone to your home and invite the missionaries to watch a church movie/have a lesson.

Thursday- Service again. We went and did a zone activity/service at this family's home. We went and dug up old concrete and then poured new concrete around a fence post. Tons of work....but always fun working with concrete. Also, that evening we went and saw a part member family and it was way fun. We played this fun ropes game...super hard to describe but fun.

Also on the way to service we found this really cool stump which we jumped our bikes off of.

Saturday- We drove an hour to a baptismal interview...super awesome...then the family wanted to feed us so we stuffed oursevles with waffles...then when we got back to Merced, one of our member prepared us some delicious food and of course we ate everything....It was crazy delicious! So going into fast Sunday...we stretched our stomachs to the limit...awful. 

Well I’ve got to get going but love you all a ton! Keep me posted!

Love,

Elder Tseem Fwv Leem

xooxoxoxo

Yardwork and Service in Merced

July 29th, 2013

 

I'll write Papa Jess today! Also, tell Ray to stop crashin' the car...she's freakin' me out! Haha Just playin'.

Answer to your questions:

We ride our bike to service every Saturday. We also ride them when we're on exchanges in an English area. So 1-2 times a week.

Types of service include, cement, mowing lawns, cleaning storage units, fixing sprinkler systems etc.

I gave my talk in English because there are people that only speak English in our South Asian branch.

News of the week:

Tuesday: Went on an exchange in Merced 1st ward. Lots of biking. You're always sweaty but you get used to it. Talked to tons of people when you're on a bike. Also, found a lot of really cool prepared people.

Wednesday: We had a really cool lesson where we light a tea-bag thing on fire while you're holding it. Look it up on youtube or something. Missionary Lessons using a tea bag...really cool!

Thursday: We went and tracted and had some really good lessons. We also went to mutual with the scouts and did an arts n’ crafts activity making copper wire trees and putting beads on them like the Tree of Life.

Friday: Had a great tour around the church. We also did weekly planning and did stewardship reports (paperwork on the status of missionaries in your district: referenced for transfer boards). After we went and had our weekly sports night at the church where people come out and we share a spiritual message and play volleyball. Went super well. We used a Mormon message! Those things are the best!

Saturday: Went and gave our usual service. We mowed a lawn and did weed-eating. (Joke: Ma, I do more yard work on a mission than I ever did at home...and I used the bag for the lawn mower...haha.) We also found a really cool stump while we were biking to service that we rode our bikes off of.

Sunday: Was really funny translating about pioneers. We taught a lesson for youth sunday school. We're teaching the adult sunday school in hmong next week. Should be good.

Today: Highlight: Emailing you <3!

Well that's the week!

Spiritual thought:

When we are building faith, its like building a house. We don't build the foundation so it can crumble or so that we can easily take it apart. Its the same with faith. We build it strong, only looking forward to continue to build upon it. Lead with faith, not unbelief. ("Lord I Believe" Jeffrey R. Holland). "Lord I believe; help thou mine unbelief."

Well Love You All A TON! Have a great week and ask any questions if you have any!

Love,

Elder Tseem Fwv Leem

xoxoxox

Another Great Week in Merced/Atwater

July 22nd, 2013

So super sad to hear about Papa Jesse! Tell him I love 'em and I'll be sure to keep him in my prayers.

Glad to hear that Mom's class went really well. Also, its nice Ray likes her new job. Keep me posted on everything.

This week has been pretty good. I gave a talk in Sacrament meeting yesterday on the atonement. Went pretty well! Its always scary talking in front of a bunch of adults. Its weird that I'm 20...probably am more of an adult that I thought. Still scary though speaking in front of people even when you're not a teenager anymore.

We also had training with President Gelwix this last week. He's the best! He said something that was awesome. He was talking about Nephi and how long they got to the land Bountiful. He said it didn't have to take 8 years, it's just that they weren't ready. He said the same thing about the Children of Israel fleeing out of Egypt. He said the Lord couldn't use them because they had an Egypt mentality. He had to wait for those with that mind set to either die off or change. I think it's the same for us, too. Can God work with us right now or do we have to change? Anyways, I love zone conference and training from president. So much inspiration.

Also, this last Tuesday, I went into a biking area. Super hot. Its crazy how much you sweat on a bike.

Well life is going awesome! Keep me posted! Let me know if you have any questions and thanks for the spiritual thoughts!

Spiritual thought:

"His Grace Is Sufficient" -Brad Wilcox (BYU Devotional)

Super awesome talk....definitely should look it up!

Love,

Elder Scott Burdick

xoxoxoxo

 

Merced/Atwater Days

July 15th, 2013

Things are going great. We had a super fun week. We went and did more service. We helped a non-member re-arrange her home so that carpet people could come in and stretch her carpet. We also went and put down a sandstone tile pad at a landing for some stairs, lots of fun actually. The members here are amazing. They feed us so well. We actually just got a new branch president this last weekend. The new one seems pretty cool. Still getting to know everyone! I'm happy you got the whole recording thing working. Totally send me them when you can and you I can record more. Well I forgot my journal to use to tell you what happened this week in detail but I do have a good MLK quote from Elder Xiong for my spiritual thought.
 

Spiritual Thought:

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”

“There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must take it because conscience tells him it is right.”

I think these are some great quotes especially for all the opposition that comes towards the church because of our positions.

Well, I love you all very much! Keep the questions coming!

 

LOVE YA,

TSEEM FWV LEEM