Zhai You! Add Oil!

Sweetest Family,

 

I can't believe I'm still here alive and kicking because at least 7 times this week I felt like my heart was going to burst with love and gratitude. It was so overwhelming and It happened when I thought about the fact that I'm actually here on this mission working with people to help them understand and find God and help them along the way as they develope a relationship with their creator and Savior! It pours, i'm sososo sleepy without naps, it's so hot, but I'm so happy. It really hit me the other day as I killed another cockroach in my bathroom how hard this is, but how happy I feel. So don't cry for me Argentina. I get to work with people that really open up to us and trust us enough to tell us about their fears, desires, and hopes and then I get to share what's so dear to me and changed my life and help them apply the gospel to their lives. Oh man oh man. What joy. Sweeter than the mangos in Taiwan during mango season (which is now!!! sososoo good)

 

What's Becki's email? How long is she in Taiwan! MY TAIWAN! I'm so happy she can experience the people and this life. I have that picture of her at the night market (yueshi) and it's great! So much stinky tofu there. Oh man I need to tell you that I have UV sleeves now. They are like really really long hobo gloves that go up to your shoulders. A member, He mama, gave them to Sister C and I. She is the cutest. A bouncy little pixie.They have pick poka dots >_< (//)!

 

Let me tell you about the people of Taiwan that have my heart. I haven't told you much about our investigators! So mainly it's sad right now because only one is coming to church. Our goal is to get them to church so we can get them progressing, but things just keep coming up or it's too early blah blah. Jk. xoxo.

 

Zhou JM: My heart! She is married to a member and has been coming to church for a couple years now. She says she is man man lai (slowly slowly coming) to understand the gospel, but she gets it! She's afriad of something. I think it's of falling away. She wants to make sure her faith is strong enough. Isn't that what we all want. We need to help her see it is pretty strong and to mainly help her use it. We taught her the law of Chastity just this last Thursday and emphasized modesty. She loves her litte shorties. We invited her to try to not wear them and she gave a tentative okay/maybe/ba/??? and wasn't super committed BUT guess what the next few times we saw her she didn't have them! This is a big change for her and yeah it's a little think but it's her using her faith and following a little rule that okay might seem silly (I thought it was silly for a while back in the day) and so it was beautiful to see.

 

Yang JM: Really my heart. She is so broken. She's a single mom of two and she is just soso broken and she feels so alone. We started meeting with her last week and she really opened up to us and she really needs the healing power the gospel brings. She has a 12 yr old son and They are kind of like equals in their relationship. He really takes care of her and he walks to a Christian church everyday. He really likes our church, but there just isn't one near his dad's home (his parents are divorced and in Taiwan the men usually get custody of the kids so woman are afriad to get married in case it doesn't work out and they lose their kids :( ) Anyways, she is really big on family and will do anything for her kids. God ABSOLUTELY led us to her. We ahve visited her twice and each time we got there right as she was coming home from somewhere. God's hand is really working with us here. The nicest guy.

 

Qiu JM: She is the funniest and a little borken too. She has diabetes and some health problems, but she is hillarious and she doesn't know it. We were teaching the plan of Salvation and I asked her where she thought we went after we died. She said she thought we become little angles. LITTLE ANGELS!! Could you imagine??? I kind of wish this did happen. Just imagine little angels flying around and resting on your shoulder. Alson in Buddism they believe the way you die is how your spirit remains. Her daughter died in a car accident and lost her legs in the accident so Qiu JM was so confused at how her daughter could wonder with no legs. We calmed her fears. The spirit is intact. She almost came to church, but family trouble came up. NEXT WEEK FOR SURE!

 

The gopsel is amazing. These people are all so different. WE are all so different. I'm working with happy, married, single, sad, strange, or faithful people and the gospel relates to them ALL. It relates to each one of their problems and just where they are in life. No matter where we are in life, what stage or situation the gospel can help us in some way. It really gives us hope Ether 12:4. That's something I've been thinking of and how this is a happy happy message! When I contact people on the streets at the stop lights one of the first things i say is something like cute shoes or cool hair or it's really hot (the icebreakers you know) and then I say "ey I have a super happy message" because that's what it is! We have a God! A loving God! We know our life purpose! We HAVE purpose! And we have direction from the Gospel. And last of all we have a Savior.

 

Mosiah 2:41 has been a favorite lately. Commandments. Follow them and then see the joy.

 

Family you are joy I love you so much. You are a support. Brother, the field is white and I can't wait for you to struggle over the zhongwen with me and fall in love with the LA people.

 

xoxo

Sister Burr

 

ps So I'm Bu JiMui (Sister Burr) and it's hard for them to understand which bu (character) so I say "bu ji sai ren" 's bu to help them pronounce it. Bu ji sai ren means gypsy. MY DREAM!!!!

 

oh and I get a new mission president this week! And I am 1/2 way done with training!! YIKES!!!!

Happy Baba's Day!

Happy Father’s Day to my Pappi and Hello to my family,

Wow. So the Cedar Hills Family Festival? Oh I love going to that. I love carnivals! This Wednesday at English class we are having a party! It's the 4th of July/Carnival themed sooo I'm doing face painting and making funnel cakes. The things you never knew you would do on a mission. Soso excited.

Evan Braithwaite saw Becki at church! I'm so glad she is braving the humidity. I'm telling you this out of the truth of my heart, my hair smells like mildew because my towel will never dry. #missionproblems #ilovethelordandtaiwan.

Daddy, I'm so glad you are riding you bike! The other day we had a rainstorm. So awesome. It was like waterfalls coming off of the roof and I had a rain jacket but forgot my rain pants so my skirt was completely wet and I was wet with sweat so I was basically all wet even though I didn't have a jacket. It POURS here! I love it! I secretly pray for the big rain storms.

So let me tell you more about the people I'm working with. They are the cream of the crop. Gangshan is a little piece of heaven. Really the ward members are great and work with us so well. They peike (sit in and help with the lessons) all the time and are really so willing to help with missionary work. The chorister is a little lady I want to put in my pocket and when she leads her arms just flail around. And we have a 60 year old Joseph Gordon Levitt look alike. 

Lilly's Family: YES! So this week we were able to meet with them and not only that but they came to a baptism and saw a little 8 year old get baptized! They are so nice and receptive, but we just need to meet with them more to get them more progressing. It's just hard time wise but you xinxin you banfa!

The Lu Family: I wish you could see them. We taught them the Restoration and the dad (who wears these chemistry goggle glasses) claps his hands in the air and says I get it!! And he then says it was like aliens appearing to Joseph Smith and pray is kind of like talking with aliens! He's the best. Lot of teaching to be done but he'll get it! Their son asks great questions. He’s 29 and lives at home which is kind of the norm here so I feel like church could help him in a lot of ways. 

We are working with about 13 investigators and 4 are families so it's awesome. I love teaching families. Families are so important! Let’s talk about our biggest family! Our spiritual family of everyone with God as our loving Heavenly Father! Elder Groberg said, " since all love emulates from God, we are born with the capacity and the desire to love and to be loved one of the strongest connections we have with our premortal life is how much our father and Jesus loved us and how much we loved them. Even though a veil was drawn over our memory, whenever we sense true love it awakens a longing that cannot be denied" I believe this! The strongest connections we have is the love God and Christ have for us and the love that we have for them! When all else fails always hold on to that love! That's what I really try to aim for when teaching. Helping them feel the Love of God, because once you feel it strengths and changes you!

You're all sounding so great!

I love you all so much!

Sista Burr

Greetings from the Heart of Asia

The Heart of Asia! That's where I am at!

This is going to be a shortie but look at those pictures and just BASK in the joy of that!

This week was so crazy, I had Zone Training Meeting, exchanges, and zone conference. There was one day that I rode a bike, taxi, train, and subway. All I needed was a boat, plane and car and I'd hit up all the transportation! The Dragon Boat Festival (National Holiday) is coming and the smell of zhonzi (rice wrapped in bamboo leaves) is in the air. People are cooking them everywhere.

Oh let me tell you about the cockroaches. So when they clean the sewers, all the cockroaches come out and they climb up people!! Yes real. This hasn't happened yet but I have killed two. I flushed them down the toilet. They are sneaky little guys. I'm so tan right now and I even put on sunscreen. Today we are painting with a less active member! It'll be way fun. She has all the Bob Ross videos so she is one to remember. A real Ross-ian . (Amanda LOVES, no WORSHIPS, Bob Ross)

Investigators:

So we are working with a lot of people (3 families!), but we only have 3 progressing which is like this : (,  but in due time. We just need to hit them with that spirit. And show them the way.

Lilly: This girl! So we haven't been able to meet with her family because her parents are busy so we just stop by their store a lot and remind them to pray and show them the love and help out at their fish store. Miracle! They fanged us and we didn't meet with them, but we were contacting at the park and ran into Lily and her dad and got to talk for a while! God provides a way.

Jo: She is a hoot!  Her husband is a member and she has been coming to church for the past so-so years and she gets everything, but she is afraid of baptism. This week we are going to invite her to just make a goal of baptism we can work towards. She is great and loves to zap mosquitoes and wear miniskirts and I love her and she really gets obedience which is key.

I read a talk President Uchtdorf gave about walking in circles. They did an experiment where people walked in circles because it was a cloudy day. When it was a sunny day they could walk in a straight line. What was the difference? They could see landmarks and move ahead. We have landmarks! Scriptures, prayer, church! They keep us on track and from going in circles to reach our goal. We need goals. How do you know what you can accomplish without them? I feel like I went in a circle this week and honestly as much as I hate to say it it's because I lost sight of my goals and slacked on my prayers. Yes, even missionaries do that. Everyone does! Just get back on track and so this week I'm going to make sure I'm not doing circles and moving ahead. So scattered. Sorry. Time to paint with the Ross-ian.

I love you all so much. Really thank you for the support. This work isn't easy, but it's so happy. Your support means so, so much.

axoxooz

The love that let us share our name xoxo

Sister Burr

Beloved Gongshan

Jesus loves you! They tell us that every morning, the sweeties

my bling on ma bike

Backsweat. The sweet sea. 1 hr bike ride

I'm happy. xoxo

Off to the Sea!

Dearest Family,

Today I'm off to the sea! Let me tell you about the week and day: yesterday we had an earthquake (so awesome). I wasn't sure if it was real or if it was the fast Sunday woozies, but it was real and it was crazy. We are on the 6th floor of our apartment so we really felt it. I don't say this to alarm you! We were safe. Apparently it always happens.

Today is Sister Cs birthday so after prayers last night I locked myself in one of the rooms and made decorations. She probably thought I was having a breakdown because I was in there so long, but behold I was preparing to make her queen of the day. I hung stars everywhere because she likes them.

It's so hot, I don't even remember what it feels like to not be sweaty and dirty anymore. So I wish I could tell you everything about Taiwan. This really is my place. To take out the trash we need to chase after the garbage truck. It has a little jingle like an ice cream truck and we just run after it! If we don't make it back to our apt on time to take out the trash then it just builds up! We had 9 bags. YIKES! Because we were just so busy. There really isn't enough time in the day. Blissful exhaustion every night.

Oh, I have zone conference this week and an exchange tomorrow so I will see a new area! We found out we have 2 new secondary areas which makes a total of my one main area Gangshan and 11 (YES!) secondary. Sis. C and I are the only Sisters and we have to take care of so much! It's awesome. Up for the challenge.

So everyone gives us fruit on the street and everyone we teach because it's so dang hot and they xing ku us and feel so bad for us. Just on Saturday we got lychee, watermelon, apples, and mangos (the best little gems of Taiwan). The fruits of our labor! Literally. Now for the eternal fruits of our labor.

Lilly: That little girl I was telling you about. The one that prays. Well we set up an appointment and when we got there we realized it was her MOM??? What? Miracle? Yes! I don't know how it happened really, I don't, but I know that the Lord put her in our path. We invited her to church and she wants to come, but her mom says it's too early in the morning 9am but I think next Sunday we can do it! Pray for her please? The faith of a child. Really it's amazing. There's great things with this family. The dad is so nice and tells us where the most people are so we can go meet and contact them.

Sherri: She had a baptism date and she just can't quite understand faith. It's funny how faith is really hard to describe until you see it in action. That's why using our faith in something is so important. It helps us recognize it

The Family: The coolest family. The dad is in the air force and he made a HUGE picture of their family made up of little pictures of the family and it's on their wall. They want to learn about our church but also American culture so we really had to make our purpose clear. They know a little about Christ because of their neighbors. We shared Mosiah 4:12-15. I love this one with families! It really teaches you what the gospel teaches you to become and how to act and treat others. Serve and love! We met with them once and we have another day set up!

We meet so many great people! It's hard to really organize it all. Sister C. is so great at organizing stuff. She is a great missionary. I'm going to teach her how to break dance a little and teach her how to do stalls.

This week was really humbling. I realized how much I need to learn still and where my teaching was at and where I was at as a person. I'm still me! I'm a missionary, but I still have my weaknesses and my personality and everything. I kind of forgot that. I really evaluated my teaching and thought about "missing the mark" there was a conference talk on that a while ago. The mark is Christ and with teaching it's bringing others closer to Christ helping them use faith in him and develop that faith. It was humbling to know that I think I was missing the mark in teaching. Family! Pondering about Christ's sacrifice is so vital and so wonderful. We need to take time to think of what he means to us and what he did.  The sacrament is the perfect time. A time when we recommit to follow him and be better, but I encourage you to ponder daily! Power in pondering. I love you all so much

2 Nephi 25:25-25

Omni 1:26

Becki is driving and dating??? What? Give me the details fam.

I love you all so much and I'm glad to hear you are doing well!

xoxoxo

ps take some "me time" like Queen Elizabeth says. Really.

Love

Sisa Bu