An Answer to Prayer

Peru is awesome! The mountains surrounding this area make walking around a pleasure. The culture and food are fairly different, particularly in the way homes are made, but it makes each day interesting. Sometimes you'll see little people lugging wagons of crops across the town, and sometimes you'll see something jarringly modern. It's an odd conglomeration.

Part of the burden of a missionary is the number of experiences we have that we don't have time to share. Today, for the most part, I want to focus on only one day. Tuesday was indescribable. As we prepared to leave for proselyting, I was feeling despondent. Unfailingly, we contact, we make appointments with everyone, we show up for the appointment, and... it falls through. Never does a new investigator actually receive us.  (Our lessons are with references or less active members.)  This wasn't the only source of my unhappiness. There are times when all the aspects of being a new missionary combine against you. So I just glumly but desperately offered a prayer where I said something to the effect of, "Here's a list of all my problems. It's not as if I'm ever going to stop working or doing what I should, and I know trials are good for me, but please intervene because I feel awful."  

Now I believe sometimes life is just hard and God gives you some room to struggle and grow. So I was very pleasantly surprised when our first return appointment resulted in a lesson in the man's home.  Remember this doesn't normally happen- it was actually my first experience with this. So we gave the first lesson and went to our next appointment and...it happened again. This was even more interesting. I don't want to make light of anyone's trials, but it helped that this boy of about fifteen years is something of a special case. He said something similar to, "I see dead people. I see them all the time."  Or, well, he hears them. And he knows when his family members are going to die, which tears him apart because he could foretell his grandmother's death, and he believes it will never change. He's meek and a normal student and can talk intelligibly about everything else, so I honestly don't know. But it would be kind of awesome if we could bring him peace. Anyway, then we had lessons with our baptismal candidates, one of whom accepted this week's date and the other asked for more time. Then we had a happy lesson with a family in the church, then we had yet another return appointment with a new investigator. Three lessons with new investigators in one day? There is literally no way this could not have been a direct answer to my prayer. So, yes, God lives and answers prayers, and life is great.

Unfortunately, both of our baptismal candidates actually need special interviews concerning some things in their pasts, so we had no baptisms. By the way, I'd like to clarify something I said last week. Our area is extremely small- the smallest in our city at least. So the rarity of baptisms is a little more understandable. Also, the fact that before September we had no baptisms for five or so months was an abnormal draught. Generally, looking at the records, this area used to have about one or two a month. Nevertheless, I'm excited I´m here at this time in Paucarbamba- my companion and I want to baptize five of our investigators before my companion gets switched out of the area at the end of October! Life is a lot more exciting with goals and drive. 

In conclusion, remember the church is true and that the work is good. Please listen to General Conference this upcoming week. I'm beyond excited to hear it. It's particularly interesting as three new Apostles will be called, an event not seen for ninety-nine years. I was very sorry to hear the passing of Richard G. Scott- he was a great man and I always particularly enjoyed his talks. I know he's happy now that he can be with his wife once more. 

In My First Area

It's been two weeks since my last blog post.  Back then, I was still living in innocent CCM fun. Since then, I've arrived in my first area. We travelled from the CCM to Huancayo two weeks ago in a double-decker bus, only holding us missionaries. We met one missionary who was returning from home after being out of action for a couple months. He'd been out in the field for a year before, so of course we peppered him with questions. I think his tall tales were meant to scare us, but they only enthralled us. What adventures and struggles lay ahead of us! Well, they were all no doubt true for him, but they were frankly a little silly. Two weeks in bed from altitude sickness? We were a little woozy for two days. I met my companion, Elder Chujo, then said a difficult goodbye to my good CCM friends.  After a day of training with the mission president, I went off to Huanuco. 

Huanuco

It's a dusty town surrounded by towering Peruvian mountains. I serve in the smallest area of the city. It's a strange conglomeration of lifestyles. I somewhat naively pictured the Shire when I dreamt of my service here. Are there peaceful pastures rolling into the mountains beyond? Well, yes. And do I see at times people who are genuinely half my height? Yes. And do the old women wear garish, bright outfits with munchkin caps? Yes, but sometimes you teach poor families who live with a dirt floor and a single bed and the pig outside the door is drowning out the lesson, but you don't know much Spanish so mostly you just make funny hand signals at a little deaf girl. This certainly isn't the Shire. It's a city of poverty with out-of-place agricultural elements. For here mixes a modern and carefree lifestyle with an older and more difficult lifestyle. It's a little more like home than you'd think in some ways, but a little more different in others. Everyone here rides either motorcycles or funny little moto-taxis that are tiny. It's pretty cool. 

Last week we got to hike up in the mountains. We walked by pristine lakes, waterfalls, and rocky cliffs. Slopes and slopes of pale green mountains stretch on for as far as the eye can see. The geography of this place is magnificent, the sort you dream of when you hear of far-away places. I love looking up past the city while we're walking, especially at night. The houses that climb into the hills twinkle as the mountains fade into the same shade as the sky. A little higher, you see at times the dying embers of a wildfire pulsing in a quiet manner. And at last, you see the stars of a new and strange hemisphere dotting the sky. The temperature's just perfect.

Well, this is all well and good, but how goes the work? Everyone says the work is much slower than you'd think here. This is true. Aside from this month, our area hasn't seen a baptism since April, I believe. Well, yes, we had two this month before I came and two more planned for this week, but this is exciting and different. My Spanish is improving exponentially, though I'll still sound extremely silly for some time to come. The work is good, and hard, but it's worth it. Whenever it gets difficult, I can remember how grand a purpose we serve, and how much joy I need to share with these people.

Until next time, my friends. I'll try to send pictures.

Elder Burt

Goodbye CCM, Hello Paurcarbama!

[Andrew sent a very short note on Monday, explaining that he had arrived safely in Huancayo at the mission home.  On Thursday, we received a note from the Mission President with news of where Elder Burt would be assigned: a small town called Paurcarbamba in Huanuco.  His new P-Day is Monday, so we'll look forward to hearing from him at that time.]

Elder Burt with President and Sister Henderson

P-Days / Elder Bednar / Off to the field

Hola, y Feliz P-Day! Here at the CCM (In spanish, it's say-say-emmay), pretty much every week is Christmas.

Twas the Night Before P-Day, and all through the CCM

Not a creature was stirring (not even Presidente!)

You get out of bed earlier than most days since we've got to pack in a bunch of shopping and a temple trip in the day. 





And if all the missionaries have been really good, the Janitors open up the Laundry Room! This makes missionaries extremely happy. Usually breakfast is something just slightly better than the usual bread, bread, and more bread of every other breakfast. 



And then we wait, patiently, for the doors to open. 

P-Day is a time for gifts, so we go and buy all sorts of stuff for ourselves, like Hymnals and ties. P-Day is also a time for friends. We play a bunch of soccer, hang out in the dorms, and generally have fun. P-Day is also a time for family. We get to look to see if we got letters, and we also get to email home.

P-Days are good. And last P-Day, Elder Bednar came and spoke to us. We had the opportunity to gather with all the missionaries of Lima and hear from one of the Twelve Apostles. He was sincere and funny, and taught effectively. At the beginning, he told us he knew we only ever saw him when he was very serious during General Conference, and that we likely expected him to lecture us in a similar manner and we would obediently take notes. However, he said, he's not a very serious person, and he didn't want us to take notes on anything he said. Elder Bednar then told us we do many things for culture's sake which, he said, is stupid. His wife then got up and told us she tried to get him not to say this word over the pulpit.

In other words, it was a very human contact, and his message was that he was not the teacher. The Spirit was, and whatever answer or guidance we received that day would come from impressions to our mind. He asked broad questions, seeing as specific questions put people under pressure in big meetings like this and diminish the Spirit. He said to never, ever play the game "Guess what's in my Head" with anyone you're teaching. Then, as people raised their hands and gave their thoughts, he would politely ask if he could ask another question about their answer. He'd expound on their answer and teach a principle. Now, I don't intend to relate everything he shared, but the point I want to make is that he was teaching by example. Elder Bednar is an extremely accomplished teacher, and instead of telling us how to conduct our lessons, he showed us by being open and friendly, asking inspired questions, and watching individuals learn for themselves.  The main thing he wanted us to learn was simply in how he spoke. Then he'd bear powerful witness of truths and share simple but effective examples from his life. He'd frequently ask his wife, also, to help answer questions. He committed us to studying further in other areas and showed that he cared about us. All of it was done in a very genuine, humble manner. And this is what impressed me. It was in no way fake (he probably only prepared by choosing the subject and praying about it), and it was in no way self-righteous. It was just... a very committed and wise man sharing powerful messages that invited the Spirit more than any other speaker I've listened to. In other words, he seemed like what a real apostle of Christ ought to be.  It was my favorite and most inspirational experience of the mission thus far- and it's up there in life experiences, as well.

Elder Johnson and Elder Burt

Quickly, I also thought I'd mention that he said Elder Oaks (another apostle whom Mormons in general are very familiar with) was the most hilarious man he'd ever met- that the man starts shaking with laughter before he ever finishes a joke. I thought that was kinda funny, seeing as we mostly know Elder Oaks from Conference as well.

Also, I leave for Huancayo this upcoming week! I'll send the new address to my family next week, whenever my P-Day is, and they'll put it up on the website. If you do end up writing, know that just this week I received letters from about two weeks ago- it'll be longer from Huancayo up in the mountains, so feel free to email me! I can't answer every week, but I don't know how long the mail service will take from up there. Next time you here from me, I'll be in the field!

Elder Desposorio, Elder Johnson, and Elder Moss

Some Noteworthy Stories

Yet another solid week has passed in the CCM, and this one was slightly more eventful than the previous ones. The schedule is mostly unchanging, which makes time run strangely. While my life generally carries on in the same manner it has in past weeks, I thought I'd share some noteworthy stories.

Lessons with Elder Burt: Each day, as I've mentioned before, companionships teach "pretend" investigators for about twenty minutes. The act is fairly realistic, with "pretend" one-room houses and teachers who take on well-crafted personas.  One night, we needed to convince our investigator to give up alcohol. He asserted he needed three years, since he had a heavy drinking problem. We wanted him to beat the obstacle in three weeks. It took a good deal of testimony and promises of God's help to change his mind. Yet he wasn't sure, so I decided to go out on a limb. With the depths of emotion from my heart, I looked into his eyes and said, "Yo veo en sus ojos el mismo miedo que puede tomar mi corazon."  Or, being interpreted, "I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me!" Subtly changing the words to make it sound somewhat reasonable, and hoping Lord of the Rings wasn't extremely popular in Peru, I continued.  "A day may come when your courage fails. When you turn back to the world, but it is not this day. This day you choose! An hour of alcohol, when your faith fails, but it is not this day. This day you choose! Between the gospel of Jesus Christ and the world, and I testify joy is in Jesus Christ."  I enjoyed the lesson immensely. And yes, he accepted the commitment to stop.

Proselyting: We had an opportunity to go proselyting with the missionaries in Lima as practice on Saturday, which was a memorable and heartfelt experience. It was magnificent being out in the city after being in the CCM for so long- finally doing the real work. We spoke to people in city parks and amid the bustling city.  Stray dogs wandered everywhere you looked in the city.  At one point, we travelled up into the rocky hills midst criss-crossing steep stairs into a land of poverty.  The houses were more or less four tin walls propped up against each other with a flat roof, perched on the flats of rough ground. It was hard to tell where the tattered garbage ended and the houses began. Dogs looked glum in the sun at every turn, as their fleas made friends with the children. We visited one house where a small monkey sat on a chair in front of the door, making the experience entirely more foreign. We shared some lessons with a few less-active members, including two small boys who came forth out of a house to learn about the scriptures in front. A gaunt woman was standing a little further in the house, and a child. Our guide missionary muttered something in Spanish to the affect of "don't say anything about...", but I didn't catch it.

The lesson of most interest was back down in the city near a park with a member and her investigating cousin. The woman was extremely enthused that I was going to Huancayo. Her father lives there and hopes to be baptized but, from what I could understand, has difficulty leaving the house at his age and contacting the church. She gave me his name and address, and I'm to give the mission home this information when I arrive. The highlight of the week, however, was in the restoration lesson that followed. I followed very little, and felt silly as my explanations clearly had little to do with what was being talked about. My guide and the other CCM practicing missionary (a Peruvian) took control for the most part. My impetuous, fellow CCM missionary had been fairly obnoxious the entire trip, and dismissive of my Spanish ability. Yet when I knew we were talking about Joseph Smith, I could come in and explain the story of Joseph Smith coming across James 1:5, and quote the scripture: "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him."  I could look the investigator in the eyes and explain what then happened on an April morning, quoting Joseph Smith's own words in Spanish,  'I saw a pillar of light, exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it rested up on me. No sooner had the light rested on me, when I saw two personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name, and said, pointing to the other, This is my Beloved Son- Hear Him!' There was little else I could say in Spanish aside from my testimony, and there was little else I could understand. I knew the woman spoke to me and said something of angels, and I knew before we left the man grasped my hand and sincerely thanked me for my words, eagerly taking a pamphlet on the restoration. When I got back to the CCM, we were given our scores from our guiding missionaries, and mine were terrible. He said my Spanish was clearly a challenge and gave me low numbers. So no, as to my strength, I am weak. But I think the trip was my favorite part of the week, all the same.

Elder Bednar visits us today, incidentally, so I'll certainly mention that experience in the following week. Thanks for reading!

Clarifying the Reasons

Hello, everyone! Life is going great at the CCM, and I'm learning a ton of Spanish. I'm learning a bunch of new stuff and trying to apply myself as best I can. We take morning classes about language and the gospel. We teach a lesson to a fake investigator, and bare our hearts out to our teachers as if our lives depended on it. In the afternoon is physical activity (lots of soccer) and study time on the computer. And in the evening is more classes and another lesson with a different investigator. It feels good at the end of each day. 

Elder Godoy spoke to us last night, which was really cool- he's a great public speaker.  He spoke in General Conference, I believe, a couple sessions ago. And ELDER BEDNAR'S coming in a few weeks!!!!! Rumors have been circulating for a while now, but they're confirmed. YES!!!!!!! This is extraordinarily amazing news, as he's an apostle whom I've looked up to for a good portion of my life. Today, we also got to go to the Lima Temple. This was a sacred experience, though it was in a different language, and I'm so grateful for the opportunity we had to go. 

Though life is going great, I'm pining to get out in the field and start moving...that is, after all, why I came here.  I'm afraid it may not have been completely clear to some concerning the reasons I went on my mission. The enthusiastic sentiment of how great an experience it will be is by no means incorrect, but nevertheless avoids the heart of the matter. I'm learning a new language and will be living in far more humble circumstances than I'm used to, which will undeniably help me understand the world in a sense that would otherwise be impossible. Miracles and stories I'll see will stay with me for the rest of my life. I hope I'll become a better person. I'll develop skills and habits that benefit my future education and career paths, and ultimately (hopefully) become a better person than I was before.

All of these, I think, are valid reasons for going on a mission. But the heart of it all is that there are people whom I can teach the most spectacular truths of mankind; people who would otherwise, by necessity, live without them. I'm learning a new language because back in the 1800s, God gave a promise in the form of revelation that said everyone will learn the gospel in their own language across the world (Doctrine and Covenants 90: 10-11). Keep in mind, of course, that at this time the idea of "Mormons" branching out across the world seemed fairly ridiculous, being a struggling new religion of three years that seemed doomed to suffer persecution to its end even in the land of religious freedom. Yet, of course, God's words shall all be fulfilled, and now I and more than 80,000 other missionaries travel the whole world with a single purpose: to teach the gospel. So I intend to become completely part of this story. To take Huancayo and the mountains around it as my own and teach all who will listen. It's cold, all the natives say adamantly. We have a Quorum of Twelve Apostles, one of whom personally through revelation called me to this place.

So why not give everything for something this magnificent, right? It's a good work, and I know it's true. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen

It's the Simple Things

Elder Burt with his District

Week two in the CCM went by with the seamless feeling of being one long day. Time works completely differently, feeling simultaneously like I've been here forever and like the days are half as long. My teachers are great, and most days we have fake lessons with them as though they were investigators. It feels extremely real (they have us knock on doors in the little *house* section of the CCM), and it's a little stressful when you don't know the language much. It gets particularly difficult as you're juggling all the other things you're learning- you're supposed to ask questions frequently, lightly asking about their life in a non-intrusive way. You're supposed to teach the lessons as the investigator needs. And teach equally with your companion in a language neither of you know, and respond correctly to answers you don't quite understand. It's outstanding practice, but it's definitely the most stressful part of the day.

TALL is this computer system for missionaries learning the language. It's efficient and thorough (the church's language program is outstanding) but is quite hilariously outdated. I wouldn't be surprised if it was made during the 90's. Our teachers give magnificent lessons that tie together the language and the things we need to teach efficiently.

But perhaps my favorite parts of the day are in the more relaxed moments just after class or right before we go to bed when we just talk together as a district. It feels a little like Harry Potter in the common rooms with his friends. Elder Johnson has this amazing voice and musical talent, as does Elder George. We'll relax and talk about Batman, or old movies we liked, or spiritual thoughts. One spiritual thought I want to get in really quick is as follows. Sometimes my plans and goals get a little larger than life. I get consumed, particularly with the mission, with my responsibility- because, as I'm fond of saying, our capacity is our responsibility. Elder Desposorio asked what inspired me one evening, and I talked a little about that and our duty. He said it was the small things each day for him. The idea that each day we can do something important that builds up. It released a lot of stress.

That's all for now, folks! Life is about doing the simple things each day, and seeing what they make of us. I know this, and say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Andrew on a crowded bus, going into Lima on his P-Day.