So about the title of the email. We're going to teach someone named John in our area and we've started the lesson and one of his friends shows up completely drunk and can barely walk. Well this man is convinced that he is John Cena and is trying to show off some of his moves and also his muscles. Keep in mind that this is a short, overweight Hindustani man and looks pretty ridiculous. The entire lesson he just makes more wrestling poses and also tried talking in Spanish and English which he can barely speak. Good times in the mission field. Gotta love Suriname!
We had a pretty sweet week this past week. Hardly anything went as planned, but we saw some pretty cool miracles so that was awesome. Tuesday we were doing some contacting and we contacted this family named the Ramadeen family and we were just talking about our message with them and then the father goes, "wacht een minuut. Ik kom terug." That translates to wait one minute, I'll be back. So we waited and he goes inside, grabs some more members of the family and grabs some chairs for us all to sit and have a lesson together! Super awesome and we had a sweet lesson and they seem pretty interested, so we'll see what happens with them! Friday we had a sweet lesson with one of our progressing investigators named Christine. She had a question about the word of wisdom, but we felt to talk about the Restoration so we talked about it and then at the end, it all came together and we talked about the word of wisdom a bit. Pretty sweet lesson and it was really guided by the Spirit. There was a member there as well who bore powerful testimony of the Book of Mormon and how she knows that the church is true and Christine was just loving it. Great lesson and she's on a baptismal date so we're pretty pumped for her! Things are going really well with her. We just had a bunch of really good lessons this week but the highlight was probably Sunday at church. Elder Lunceford and I were walking to church and we see a car go by and pull up into the church and it's one of our investigators and her two kids! (Fenolia, Shanelve and Mary-Kate) They came to church and stayed the whole time and just had a wonderful experience. The members did awesome to welcome them in and they just felt the Spirit a lot. Before she left after church was over, she said that she'll see us next week here as well. We have another lesson with her on Tuesday and are just super pumped for her. I also gave a talk on Sunday about Missionary work and I think it went pretty well overall so that was sweet. Sunday was just awesome and we had a super good lesson with the Tapoh family and also with the Waterval family. They are returning less actives and just are doing awesome so we're pumped for them as well. The work here in Uitkijk is going great, I just with that there was duplicates of Elder Lunceford and I so that we could do more work! There's so much to be done! Love it here though and the branch is doing awesome.
I shared a little bit out of a talk by Dallin H Oaks and I'd like to share it with you as well and just encourage you to continue to do missionary work! It's so worth it!
There are three things all members can do to help share the gospel,regardless of the circumstances in which they live and work. All of usshould do all of these.
First, we can all pray for desire to help with this vital part of the work of salvation. All efforts begin with desire.
Second, we can keep the commandments ourselves. Faithful,obedient members are the most persuasive witnesses of the truthand value of the restored gospel. Even more important, faithfulmembers will always have the Savior’s Spirit to be with them to guidethem as they seek to participate in the great work of sharing therestored gospel of Jesus Christ.
Third, we can pray for inspiration on what we can do in our individualcircumstances to share the gospel with others. This is different thanpraying for the missionaries or praying for what others can do. Weshould pray for what we can do personally. When we pray, weshould remember that prayers for this kind of inspiration will beanswered if accompanied by a commitment—something thescriptures call “real intent” or “full purpose of heart.” Pray with acommitment to act upon the inspiration you receive, promising theLord that if He will inspire you to speak to someone about thegospel, you will do it.
We need the guidance of the Lord because at any particular timesome are—and some are not—ready for the additional truths of therestored gospel. We should never set ourselves up as judges of whois ready and who is not. The Lord knows the hearts of all of Hischildren, and if we pray for inspiration, He will help us find personsHe knows to be “in a preparation to hear the word” (Alma 32:6).
As an Apostle of the Lord, I urge every member and family in theChurch to pray for the Lord to help them find persons prepared toreceive the message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. ElderM. Russell Ballard has given this important counsel, with which Iconcur: “Trust the Lord. He is the Good Shepherd. He knows Hissheep. … If we are not engaged, many who would hear the messageof the Restoration will be passed by. … The principles are prettysimple—pray, personally and in your family, for missionaryopportunities.”3 As we demonstrate our faith, these opportunitieswill come without any “forced or … contrived response. They will flowas a natural result of our love for our brothers and sisters.”4
I know this is true. I add my promise that with faith in the Lord’s help,we will be guided, be inspired, and find great joy in this eternallyimportant work of love. We will come to understand that success insharing the gospel is inviting people with love and genuine intent tohelp them, no matter what their response.
Sorry that it printed so weird, but oh well, what can you do? I hope that you all have a wonderful week and keep up the Christmas spirit! Love you all! Lobi!
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~Elder Burr
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