Swip-Swap!

Hello family and friends!

This week has been, yet another, great one! It flew by so quickly! This week was packed full of amazing experiences, so much that I can only scratch the surface today.

First off, on Monday we were able to go to Liverpool with the Crosby elders! It was fun to go outside of Southport. We did some of our shopping there (I found a really nice dark blue suit coat that was on sale from £99 down to £15! It is beautiful, and machine washable!), and then we headed to the Liverpool chapel, where we met several of the other missionaries and YSA. There we were able to finish emailing, and then we played some basketball! It was really fun to be out doing sports!

On Tuesday we had the beginning of my first companionship exchange! It was with Elder Beck, who happens to be my zone leader! He and I have a lot in common! We both have a deep love for music, we both had Southport as our first area, we both play the piano, we both sing (yes, even on the streets). It was really fun to be with him, and I learned a lot!

The first thing that stuck out to me was that Elder Beck talks to everyone! Even if they say they "don't have time"... they do. I thought I had been doing good at this, but I've learned that I can still do better! We spent some of our time in Southport, where within the first couple hours, we met three new friends! The Lord truly blessed us.

Later that day we went to the Chapel for District Meeting. It was difficult, because the weather was bad, and it interrupted the WiFi, so we couldn't video call the Sister missionaries! We ended up doing it over the phone, which was a little more difficult, but it worked. After district meeting, we were able to watch the live broadcast with President Nelson! It was great to watch that with the other missionaries. I know with great assurance that the new presidency of the church is called by God, and that He is the leader of this Church. I give my full support, trust, and love to, and sustain the new first presidency. They are all men of God, and dutiful servants of the Most High. I know they will lead this church according to the will of God, and that our lives will be blessed as we heed unto what they teach and caution.

After that wonderful broadcast, we were able to travel with the zone leaders to Liverpool, where we were going to stay that night. The next day we continued our exchanges in Liverpool! We had so many great experiences, as we met people that Elder Beck and Elder Souza had been teaching. I am a witness of how the gospel blesses people's lives, and that the truly converted will put what they have come to know above all else, even if it's difficult or changes your entire life course. Some of these people I met have such strong testimonies, and truly know that we can become better people through the atonement of Jesus Christ. What a wonderful blessing it is to be a part of this great work, and helping others find this joy!

Elder Beck and I, during lunch, were able to go into a room at the chapel, and play the piano for a bit. We are both good at the piano, but in extremely different ways! I'm pretty good and reading music and adding a bit of my personality to it, but he can just hear a song, sit down, and make an amazing arrangement of it! For instance, I played "All of Me", which he has really wanted to learn, and he watched me play it once. Then he hopped on and played it really well! I definitely want to be able to that at some point! 

Exchanges were just... so great!

The rest of the week, Elder Carroll and I did a lot of walking! We tried by several of the new friends we met on Tuesday.. One of them gave us an address that we know exist, because Elder Beck had been there before, but Elder Carroll and I could not find it anywhere! We walked for hours up and down the street, and house #10 seemed to not exist! Anyways, there weren't any buses in that area, so we had to walk all the way home, which took quite some time on it's own!

I truly have gained a higher appreciation for the pioneers! We have to walk all the time, and while the weather has been really decent, this week it decided to show it's true colours, and in came the rain! So, lots of walking and lots of rain! (I definitely miss the sun!) It's been really great though, and the Lord has been blessing us! There was one day that we were out knocking on doors, and we came to a home. When we knocked, hail started to immediately come down! Elder Carroll and I huddled under the small canopy in front of the door. We knocked twice, but no one answered. We turned around, and stepped out from under the cover, and I kid you not, the hail immediately stopped! It was near the end of the night, so we headed to the bus. As soon as we got on the bus, the hail came down again! Then stopped again as we went from the bus to the flat! It continued to rain/hail that night! The lord was definitely watching over us! While we had our umbrella and rain coats, we didn't need to use them, because the Lord was watching over us and keeping us safe and dry. 

"Has the day of miracles ceased?... Behold I say unto you, Nay" (Moroni 7:35,37)

Invitation of the Week

Remember the basics for maintaining spiritual life... CPR: Church, Pray, Read. I invite you all to attend church every week, Pray often to Heavenly Father, and Read the Scriptures daily!

Through CPR, we are promised great blessing from the Lord including peace, direction and guidance, and answers to your questions. Following these simple acts are the best ways to strengthen a testimony, and to gain one. I know, and bare my witness, that the three tools are the foundation of gaining and maintaining a testimony. I know that these three simple things have blessed me so much in my life, especially on my mission! They are what I most look forward to in my day and week. My knowledge of Heavenly Father, and my relationship with Him have grown immensely since I have applied these principles in my life. I know that God lives. I say these things in the name of His son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

I love you all!

Elder Burns

England Manchester Mission

Springwood, Suite G5

Booths Park

Chelford Road

Knutsford

England WA16 8GS

United Kingdom