Living in Crescendo

Well. I can't exactly tell you every week that I have the best week of my mission, can I? If I am truly living in crescendo, yes I can. That is certainly how it feels right now.

Highlighted by such opportunities as a trip to the Temple--with the full session in German--the opportunity to have Personal Study with President Kosak, and finding a less-active member who is exactly the person we need to help with one of our investigators--he is from Africa, speaks Portuguese, and can translate from German to Portuguese--this week was great. fabulous really.

I did have a little trouble with my back, more particularly my shoulders, but nothing that needed to be reported, or that should be a problem. It still continues to improve, and with more work and more prayers I should be good moving forward.

Like I said, seeing as the week began with a fabulous trip to the temple, I tried to take what I learned while there and use it to help Gemeinde Dresden. Specifically, I learned and relearned that 1) God will never ever effect our personal agency. He always allows us the personal opportunity to act. As it says in the Scriptures, he did not come to the Garden and say to Adam, ''Get thee Hence!!'' rather, he asked him, ''Where art thou?'' Somehow I doubt that omniscient Heavenly Father really needed to ask that question, but he, again, laid the decision to act, the agency, in the hands of man. Second, I learned a new way to look at my investigators. I already had the basic idea of agency stuff, but I did not have a true VISION for my investigators. More correctly said, I did not look at investigators as they COULD be, dressed in full white, making covenants with the Lord. Regardless whether it is in the temple, in a baptismal font, or in the river. And applying this principle has really helped my to love my investigators in an even greater way. Even so with Members, Less Actives, contacts, everyone.

I am actually planning on giving a talk on Vision this week in District meeting, part of the revelation I received during that very special personal study. I am using parts of Elder Jeffery R Holland's talk ''As Doves to our Windows,'' with vision being the true driving force behind so much of what the early saints did. If we seek to live up to our heritage, and create exactly such a great heritage for our children, we must have this vision--or even greater ones--as well.

This week the district is doing good as well. The key indicators show success and miracles, and the dedication of all these missionaries is both wonderful and commendable. Even Elder Gerhartz has managed to fight off the trunky-bug thus far. The clock is ticking for him, and we as a companion ship have the goal of baptizing 2 people before he leaves. It is both possible, and plausible. He will go home still dripping wet from the font.

Oh, did I mention that Elder Gerhartz does 600 push-ups a day, is a cross-fit specialist, AND did MMA fights for 4 years before his mission? Yeah...talk about opposites...from me, that is....

Elders Roth and Sagmeister are doing a great job, as expected from Zone Leaders. Both very, very German, and thus sometimes a little hard to understand, in action as well as accent. Elder Sagmeister is actually one of the funniest people I have ever ever ever met. So strange as well. He enjoys eating raw fish for breakfast...kind of like Smeagol...

Anyways. Sad to hear that the Patriots are in the Super Bowl. Glad to hear that the Packers aren't--hee hee hee--and yeah...looking forward to maybe getting more information from Grandpa about family connections with Dresden.... :)


Did I mention that we are moving this week? Current apartment is full of mold and crap...going to a new one. Yay!!

Anyways, love you!

Dresden!

So, so much happened this week, that I really don't know where to begin. Not at all.......

Suffice it to say at the start, that I am loving it. learning so much, growing a bunch, and really just...enjoying service.

For some wonderful reason there are 2 mattresses on my bed in Dresden, which is helping make things even easier on my back. I still pop very loudly in the mornings during morning sport, but my back is doing great. I wish still that I could do more morning sport without problems, but we are getting there.

My study of the book of Mormon is going great as well. I do not have my study journal with me--unfortunately--but will be sure to bring it next week to share an insight or two that I have had recently. I would already say, that as Elder Gerhartz and I have really focused on helping others receive revelations--through the Book of Mormon, through prayer, through sacrament meeting--that I have also felt the power of revelation in my life. Really to ''Find out for myself,'' and to help others to do the same thing, that is our purpose as missionaries. I love it!

Elder Gerhartz is doing great as well, I believe. 5 weeks left before he goes home, and still not trunky. He works hard, and I think has taught me more in this 1 week with him then I learned in almost any other week in my mission--at least as much as Elder Poch ever taught me. While Elder Poch was a good trainer, and a good missionary, I really am learning a whole new side of missionary work. Elder Gerhartz gets so excited to talk about the Gospel, and to help people understand it, that one cant help but become excited himself. In a lesson with an investigator just yesterday, we both felt the spirit so strongly that we know that we are doing something right.

Speaking of which, with Elder Gerhartz, we are also really living up to the full standards for the first time in my mission. nine to nine German was always seemingly unreachable before. Now, it is easy, and we almost never use English with each other, regardless of the time. I speak more English with Elder Sagmeister--who is from Bavaria-- then Elder Gerhartz!

We are also speaking with EVERYBODY, which does wonders! No, the numbers don't show it yet, but I believe that they will. With Elder Sagmeister's help, we are really improving our finding, our teaching, and our learning.

Honestly, I could go on for pages about what I have learned this last week. Suffice it to say, that I love Dresden. Beautiful city, lots of people to talk to, hard working district, and a great opportunity to learn from so many great missionaries.

As a district leader I had kind of a rough start, unsure exactly what to do, and how to help. But we had a great district leader school with Elders Roth and Sagmeister, and since then I feel that it has improved greatly. Nightly calls are productive, and I am starting to find new ways to help the other missionaries in my district.

Shortly about the other 3 companionships in my district:

Elders Sagmeister and Roth: Zone leaders, and great missionaires. Elder Roth is from Switzerland, somewhere near Zürich, and Elder Sagmeister is from Passau, Bavaria. Needless to say, I am learning some very new, very different accents, but it is also a great opportunity to learn a lot how Germans really speak, to practice my colloquial German you could say. They are also great leaders, and a great resource to have in the apartment all the time.

Sisters Hill and Bills: The self-dubbed ''Hill Billies.'' They said it, not me. Sister Hill is actually training sister Bills, and is only in her 3rd transfer, which was exactly how I was. That means that between them, they have exactly 2 transfers of experience. So, they are learning. But both great, hard workers, and a lot of fun. One just needs to learn to be careful what questions one asks during nightly calls, or the Sisters can talk for nigh on hours.... :)

Elder and Sister Packsten: our lovely Ehepaar. Older couple. Senior missionaries. They are awesome. They work a lot with the young single adults in the ward and stuff. Oh, and they are actually driving Elder Roth and I to the TEMPLE TOMORROW!! Yay!! I get to go!! It closes from this February till May 2016, so this may be my only chance, which means I am way excited. Yeah!!

Elder Gerhartz: Like I said, my companion, and a really great guy. Seriously the most spiritual and loving guy ever. He was also a boxer for years, and has a goal to do 1,000 pushups a day, so needless to say he is beyond muscular. Awesome guy.

Yeah, that is my brief introduction to Dresden...Answers to Questions:

Our Warm Mission Leaders name is Brother Barsch, and he is really cool. We are going to his house for dinner NEXT Monday, which we are really excited about, I guess his wife is a great cook. He seems like he really wants to help too.

Only 1 ward in Dresden, with about 200 active members. There are also about 300 inactive members, so...we have work to do.

Well...that is pretty much all I got this week. I am so out of time...love you all!

Transfers!

So, this has been one of the more eventful weeks of my Mission. No 7 day baptisms this week, but still a lot done, too much left undone, and plenty of stress and excitement.

Monday was started off by a decent P-day, and an amazing Joint teach. With a Kazaky investigator, and a member whose dad currently has cancer--diagnosed a month or so ago. Unknown to us, the investigators step-father also had cancer, and they really spend significant time discussing that and reading scriptures about the atonement. Way cool. I say had cancer, because the step-father died 2 days later, and though we do not know if the talk with the member helped him or not, I have the Feeling that it did.

Tuesday we had the opportunity to overnight in Altona, an area in Hamburg, and I got to know Elder Despain from my MTC Group a Little better. interesting character. He has served in some pretty cool places already, and had some really cool experiences. I really liked his companion, Elder Bingham, as well. He seemed like a very humble, sincere missionary. Exactly the missionary I am hoping to become.

Wednesday we had the fabulous 6 hour conference with Elder Kopischke, of the first quorom of the 70, in which I feel I learned as much as any Meeting I have had the opportunity to attend since arriving in Germany.

 (Elder Burton is near the back on the right-hand side.)

Except maybe for the New Missionary Conference, and the Elder Bednar Mission Conference. Still an amazing experience. The questions that I recorded and attempted to answer, as he asked us to do, were: ''What is the difference between a good missionary, and a teacher come from God?'' Also: ''How do I become a teacher come from God?'' Some thoughts about that that I recorded in my Study Journal:

A TFG(Teacher from God) does not use tricks, they are authentic.

Authentic Testimony is sometimes better than formal testimony.

In Alma 38, Alma is encouraging Shiblon to be a TFG.

A TFG wants is also a learner from God. They want to know, they are not just curious.

A TFG Lives in Crescendo.

A TFG has a child-like, pure testimony, and a child-like excited to share it--just with better vocabulary.


Skipping over a few days and several great experiences, we come to Saturday, where I am literally sitting with Investigators, explaining to them that I do not know where I am going yet, and the phone rings. Conversation goes something like this:

Assistent to the President Elder Schaal: 'How are you doing today?

Trainer and lowly missionary, Elder Burton: 'We are doing great, thank you.'

ES: 'Good. This Transfer call will be in English, to make sure everyone understands. Are you ready?''

EB: Yeah we are.

ES: Okay, Elder Burton, you will be transferred. Your next area will be Dresden.

EB: Sweet! I am excited.

ES: Your companion will be Elder Gerhardt, and you will be Distrikt Leader.

EB:.............................................what?''

So that was interesting.
I am just awfully surprised by this. Transfers, I expected. A really really cool City, I hoped for. A larger district, I prayed for, and the Chance to learn from experienced missionaries, I begged for. District leader? Unexpected, not truly considered.

I am also looking Forward for the opportunity to serve with Elder Gerhardt. I spent some time with him before the Elder Bednar Conference, and already know what a great missionary he is.

I do seem to recall something about our Family, and a Connection to Dresden...will someone remind me please?

Anyways. Oh, after Transfer calls Comes a day and a half of painful goodbyes, slight tears, and lots of German chocolate. I still have one more beloved Family to say goodbye to, but as the Picture I will send will Show you, me and my girlfriends have already had our last date.

Nora, Aurelia and Emma

Looking Forward to serving in Dresden, and the opportuntiy to learn and grow. I will let you know next week how my first week as district leader went, along with my first few experiences calling sisters on a nightly Basis and in a 4-man Apartment. Oh dear...

Schönes Freues Jahr!

So this has been a very eventful week. We actually achieved the largest single key indicator I have ever had, unfortunately it was other lessons. We also found some new investigators, at least 1 of which I feel is incredibly promising. And we had a pretty eventful New Years--the first for both Elder Warby and I in Germany, punctuated by a January 1st trip through the more poor area of town, with fireworks going off like gunshots in the distance. Less then ideal: We spent as Little time as possible in that area, moving on to brighter--and perhaps more secure--locales.

Also this week I started--with the Whole mission--once more with reading the Book of Mormon, which will be for the 3rd time since arriving in the Mission field. A start. I am now studying the Book of Mormon in German, as I was before, along with the New Testament in German as well. It really is very enjoyable to get that new perspective that Comes from a new language. The parables of Matthew 13-15 in particular have interested me. Not only was it enjoyable to read through them in English and German, but with 2 different German translations, as well as ''Jesus the Christ'' from the magnificent James E. Talmage, I feel like I was able to learn an incredible amount in just a couple of days.

Actually, shortly, I would like to share what I recorded in my study Journal after reading one of the stories in Matthew 15, that is also recorded in Mark 7. The Story in particular that I am thinking of is that of the Greek or Phoenecian woman who Comes to Christ, hoping and begging to have her daughter healed from a evil Spirit. At first, Christ's Initial refusal to help her--or at least the fact that he seemed to lack compassion--bothered me. However, with further study of the parable in the Einheits, Martin Luther, and King James translations, as well as reading the Explanation given in Jesus the Christ, I was not only able to resolve my concerns, but also able to learn some beautiful principles for missionary work. I apologize here if I begin to advocate false doctrine.

From my Study Journal:

''When at first Christ refuses to answer the Canaanite woman, he is not just being cruel or impassionate. As it says in Jesus the Christ, he is teaching her, the onlookers, the disciples, the gentiles, and us as well.

''Let us compare this to the idea 'First, seek to obtain my word.' Israel, at the time, had not yet received a Portion of Christ's teaching, much less what one could call his Full Word. If they at the time did not understand, or if they had not even received the majority of the Savior's teachings, how were they supposed to Share it with others?

''Then, perhaps we can compare ourselves to each Person in the Story. First, the woman. She knew who had the words of Eternal Life. She knew where to go to obtain help for her daughter. And she endured embarrassment, seemingly Initial rejection, and a Trial of her faith to get there.

''Then, compare us to the disciples. Have we yet received the fullness of the word? Or, as Christ says in the Story of the Children--who he constantly exhorts us to emulate--are we filled with the Bread of Life? And are we ready to share that with others? Have we Partaken of the Fruit? (1 Nephi 8:10-12, which I also read today during BOM study).

''Or are we the Onlookers, merely witnessing what appears to be an embarrassing Scene? Are we Israel, for a large part ignoring the unfolding Events of Christ's ministry, or focusing on the physical Blessings? Or are we even the Gentiles, Aware of a political figure Jesus of Nazareth, but playing no role at all in the Scene or Scenes of his work?

''Or could we even take the place of Christ, be the bearer of the word, the sharer of the Good Tidings of Great Joy?

''Who Should We Be?''

Other then the remarkable steps I feel I have made in my personal study, life is good in Kassel. My back in doing well--push-ups, I have learned through painful experience, are to be avoided--but other then that it is well on the mend. Elder Warby is doing good, and a couple of rough lessons aside, is well on the way to being a competent missionary.

I also had my Exchange with Elder Süffert, an experience I greatly valued, as any opportunity to work with a new companion, to learn more ways, opinions, and methods of missionary work is always a great Blessing.

Other thoughts for this week:

Going back to Hamburg this Tuesday for a Mission conference. Yay!! I love Hamburg.

They announced that the Freiburg temple will be closed between February 2015 and May 2016. Guess what? That means it is very likely I won't get to go during my Mission to the temple. :( Maybe if I am in the area like, next week, or if right when it opens, but otherwise...

Transfer Calls ARE THIS SATURDAY. This could be my last week in Kassel with Elder Warby. I will not say that I want to leave, no matter how true it may be.

Not too cold right now. The Germans always said that last winter ''Fell out.'' Looks like that may be the case here too.

My last companion, Elder Poch, goes home this week. Shout out.

That’s all I got. I love you all!!