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Sister Burr
Taiwan Taichung Mission
#498-11 Wuquan Road, North District
Taichung City, 40446, Taiwan
Republic of China

amanda.burr@myldsmail.net
taiwantaichungmission.blogspot.tw

Sunday, May 26, 2013

Baibai, Baptisms, and BBQs‏


Family,

(someone give me Brianna Pesci's email please)

You are the pearl of my heart! Oh man, oh man what joy there is in the work!

Whoa yes! A campfire in the backyard, oh that is always the funnest. I loved when we did that! Haha, oh daddy, one of my favorite photos of us is when we were scoring Missy's game! I show my family pictures to everyone all the time. Tina! The melophone haha awesome. Send me a picture of her and it! I imagine it as big as her torso. Becki, Taiwan will be hot and sweaty and you will LOVE it! It feels super familiar because all of the food is mom's food and the people are just mom, so it feels like home.

They still think I'm a Taiwan-ren. My half-Asian confuses them so bad and they talk to me and tell me to translate for Sis. C, but in reality it's me that “ting bu dongs” and I need the translations! Actually the gift of tongues is real and God is generous. I can understand so much more and actually understand most of what is being said. It's amazing how quickly it happened. It was like nothing was making sense then overnight a switch happened. Still have lot to learn though! I love mandarin. I love the people! I love Taiwan! I shout it in the streets every morning. Sis. C introduces me as her friend that shouts "I love Taiwan" when we are contacting people.

Guess what. Taiwan has already stolen my heart. I love it here. I love the people. They are the most generous people I have met. Contacting is really fun and I think pretty unique. We talk to roughly 250-300 people a week depending on if it's raining or not. Taiwan-ren are hilarious. It rains ALL the time and if it rains they don't come outside. They stock up on food and stay in their house so, so, so funny. Everyone rides on scooters and so when we are on our bikes riding around we can just talk to so many people and we actually get people to set up to meet with us! We are meeting with 5 new people this week! And 2 are families! And we have more numbers to call. If you work hard here the Lord will guide you to people. It's all about work! You “xinxin” You “banfa”!!! Have faith, have a way!!

Let me tell you about these people who are the nicest. Twice this week Sis. C and I were contacting on our bikes and people gave us pork buns and another bun! Oh man you know me and my love for bread. They say we are really “xingku” (like "oooh poor you" you say that when people just work all the time) and just give us food and they are so kind even when they don't want to listen. And they love to giggle.

So I'm choking down the smoke of Buddhism. We call them “Baibais” here because that is what they say when they pray. Something is going on for it so they put out these fires and burn money. A little parade happened too! It was funny being Mormon missionaries in the middle of it.
I am so lucky to be in Gangshan. It's a little piece of heaven because of the members and it's more rural. The members are so great to work with.

Fams!, appreciate the church in the ol’Merica. It has only been in Taiwan 50 some-years and so the members are the cutest and always asking us how things are done in the states like FHE, Baptisms, and just whatever! If they saw a Deseret Book they would go bananas! They don't have any churchy stuff! If you ever send me something send me primary pictures or things or pictures of Christ or gospel things. Just the cheap stuff. The members are very dedicated to helping missionaries because most of them are converts. There is a 3 generation family in my ward and that is really rare. So we had a BBQ the other night with them! I have the mosquito bites to prove it. Just 9 on one foot! It was so great to talk with the members and they had some non-member friends we got to talk with and we taught them how to pray! The members started teaching them and were doing great! They are so dedicated to missionary work! Anyone can do it!

I had the weirdest hotdog thing, but it was really good! We basically had meat and green bean soup which is super good. Mom really, all the food here is the food you would make and I wouldn't want to eat, but I have ate it here and it's good! You were right all along. I'm really tapping into my Asian roots.

BAPTISM YAY! Baptism day is like waking up on for Christmas morning! When they are having their interview it's like waiting for a baby delivery. Just pacing the halls. Oh man, she was beautiful. She does taekwondo so when she first went down she just kicked her foot straight out in the air out of the water. So, so, funny. It took three times. She was a wet angel! When she bore her testimony she said that she knows God exists because she exists. My heart melted. That's it. Simple truth of testimony. She is so solid and the members love her. We will get our chapel! 18 more members to go!

I feel like a puppet right now. I feel like this life isn't my own and it's awesome. This is the Lord's work and I know that 100%. Every miracle that happens, every time I speak with someone, or teach them I know it's just Him through me and it's the most beautiful thing. Speaking of beautiful, I saw the OCEAN. Oh my heart, it was gorgeous. I hadn't seen the ocean since Hong Kong. It just went on forever. We rode out to a secondary and found a less-active and a former. The ride took about an hour and we were just barely in it. My area is really, really big. I'm so lucky because I get to ride everywhere. The family we met with out there was so surprised we weren’t chased by dogs!

My trainer is amazing. She is such a missionary to be like. She loves with an endless love and she is a great trainer. She lets me teach! The second day I was here she let me teach and I think that is what has helped my language so much. I love teaching. She flies airplanes for fun. She is really cool! And she's an artist and she is tall and she is so kind and funny. She loves to talk and be funny.

Let me tell you about my English class (I just realized this is so long sorry). I teach the little kids, so if you have any game ideas send them my way! (BRIANNA!) There is one girl I teach and she is 8. I'll call her Lilly. She is golden in every way. I taught them about prayer and the next week I asked her if she did it. She did! I asked if she did it with her mom and she said no by herself. I asked her how she felt and she said hot! The spirit jumped right in the room and I told her about God's love and God's love for her then we sang I am a child of God and she said she felt happy! AH! This girl. We talked about God for a bit and her relationship with him and I committed this 8 year old to pray every night. Oh, and she taught me the whole story of Noah. As she left, she took a Church tract which talks about our church. I'm trying to meet with her and her mom! Pray for her! Pray that I can meet with her and teach her! I can't even express how ready she is and how loved she is!

Family the work is real. I've been thinking a lot on obedience. It's the first law of heaven! You need faith to be obedient and everything is built on obedience!
I love you all! Till next week!

ps if you ever send things just send stuff to teach kids English, church picture/stuff I could teach with and whatever you feel is good! I love you all!

Sister Burr

The joy of baptism
My Taiwan
I love my life!
No-bake cookies

Monday, May 20, 2013

"I am born in Gangshan‏"



Ni hao from the Island!

Oh family it is pouring acid rain, my skirt is soaked, my toes are pruney, my legs are mosquito bit, I just ate three buns, and I love my life! I love my mission life because I love these people and Taiwan. I yell it out loud every day. It's a great way to get people to look at you so you can talk to them. 

Wow so it was so nice to talk to you last week! So much love all around. This computer place (everyone is playing W.O.W., seriously) doesn't have a place to put pictures or the recorder slot so I will send a bunch next week! So my trainer is Sister Christensen. She is great and from Logan. She knows who Meggie is! She has been out 10 months and has a Taiwanese accent and knows her stuff. I'm so grateful to be learning from her. She has been helping build this place. My area is huge! My main area is Gangshan and I have 8 secondary areas to take care of as well. They are like my babies. I love them. It reaches all the way to the west coast. There are 2 other companionships of elders, but we are the only sisters and miracles are pouring each day. Elder Bean is in my district! Funny huh.
Our apartment is super nice and yesterday we made no bake cookies. We eat out for dinner and usually lunch most days. So cheap and so good. A lot of the food is just like mom's cooking so honestly, I feel right at home. I love riding my bike. Oh the pure joy and bliss! I hope I get a helmet tan line. Let me tell you the people of Taiwan are so nice. Oh my MTC teacher opened this area for sisters. She died here as a missionary and I was born here as a missionary. I feel so privileged. My favorite pastime is to eat Taiwanese peanut butter (which is super sweet) and read the area book looking for former investigators to help and to visit.
 I saw a baptism last week and it was scary/funny. So the ward doesn't have a chapel and they meet in a building on the 4th and 8th floor. Their baptismal font is basically a little swimming pool. A big guy was getting baptized and he didn't bend his legs! Ah you! I thought he was going to smack his head! He had to do it 4 times. This Friday we have baptism for the sweetest solid girl. She can roundhouse kick someone in the face and wants to get baptized because it is a new start. Wonderful. It really is. Baptismal covenants and the sacrament are great. How lucky are we that we can renew our covenants each week.
Miracles are really happening each day. I wish I had enough time to tell you all about them. But I'll settle for one: So I am the new trainee and Sister C and I went to a curry place for dinner. Taiwan has these little holes probably 3-2 inches in diameter. I drop my bike lock keys and they bounce into the hole into the gutter! Now mind you dear family my bike is my transportation and we needed to go teach English that night at the church (we find a lot of investigators this way). I was in a pickle! Sister C and I ran around looking for a wire that we could fish the keys out. We go to a guy and he lets us use his pole that he closes his garage with. He said, “you can use it, but if you don't bring it back I can't close my shop" I thought that was hilarious. Anyways, we were walking back and I was thinking, God thinks he's super funny right now I can't wait to see how this turns out! Family always trust God. He is GOD and number 1. So we are trying to fish out the keys and one guy buys me a magnet, another guy gets on his belly and moves the drain cover nearby and starts fishing in the gutter with HIS HAND!!! And a lady comes to help! I had a crowd of Taiwanese angels coming to my aid. Finally a lady comes and says I'll just bring you a lock smith and leaves. She does and he breaks the lock for FREE. Then Sis. C and I are riding back in a hurry and the lady that got the lock smith yells at us to pull us over. She wants to come to English class! She does and then we are setting up to meet now. That's why I dropped my keys. We needed to meet her. God is funny. Very funny, but we can always trust him. I've learned to really trust him. The language is man man lai (coming slowly) it's humbling.
Helaman 5:12 - Jesus is the rock
Read all the verses to "How Firm a Foundation" Christ will never forsake! I have felt that so strongly! TRUST TRUST TRUST! My life is a missionary and it's awesome.
I love you all so much!
PS HAPPY BIRTHDAY BECKY!!!!!!!!
Love Sister Burr
ps can you send my baptism picture, more family pictures of us or whatever, I don't need anything else! I love yo!
pss mom I teach the little kids English. Got any ideas for the little ones?

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Letter from Pres. Bishop



15 May 2013

Dear Brother and Sister Burr:

Sister Bishop and I would like to inform you that Sister Burr arrived safely in Taiwan on 9 May 2013. We are excited and grateful to have her in the mission. 

Sister Burr stayed near the Taichung Mission Office a couple of nights for orientation before receiving her initial assignment to the city of Gangshan. Her companion is Sister Christensen. I have carefully and prayerfully selected an outstanding missionary to serve as her first companion to ensure that her initial assignment will be a successful experience. My objective is to help each missionary reach his or her full potential and accomplish all that the Lord has sent each of them here to do. In this regard, your weekly letters of encouragement will be invaluable. I have also instructed Sister Burr to write or email you each week so that you may share her progress and spiritual experiences. 

Please feel free to contact me if you have questions or if I can assist in any way. We thank you for the solid foundation you have provided for your daughter and look forward to serving with her.

Sincerely,

President Clark T. Bishop
Taiwan Taichung Mission

Please download the picture attached and go to the youtube site to watch your missionary in action.

President & Sister Bishop with Sister Burr

Sunday, May 12, 2013

Monday, May 6, 2013

"These are days to be remembered"



Loved ones,

THESE ARE DAYS TO BE REMEMBERED MOST INDEFINITELY!

Wow so in less than 20 hours I will be en route to the land of acid rain and MA PEOPLE! Valeria said it is super rainy right now. I can't wait to wear rain pants over my skirt. I’m so ready for this. I'm so pumped up right now. This is mainly due to a couple of reasons 1. Chad Lewis (our own Cedar Hills hero) spoke last night for Sunday Devotional. Man! I hadn't heard the words dude, awesome, you guys (you are supposed to refer to people as Sister and Elder), man, and so forth in so long. I really felt like it was a locker room pump up talk and now it's time to hit the field because it is white. The Lord has prepared a way! 2. In-Field Training on Thursday talked about what we would be doing in the field and the man that was in charge went to Taichung so it was amazing to hear his stories about the mission!

Also, I'm not scared. I'm a little nervous because I'm doing the real thing now but Jacob 5:72. I have been loving Jacob 5 lately. It's my life right now! Laboring with the Lord. And D&C 84:88. The Lord will be with us! Forge ahead. You xinxin, you banfa. Have faith, have a way.

Well Jai you!
I will talk to you all tomorrow!
Love,
Sister Burr
 
Visit from baby brother

Official name tag

Last day of class after nine weeks

The District - the end of the Empty Sea