Hello again!!
It's been a while since I've sent out a group email
so I hope you are ready for a few weeks
worth of news squished into one email!
We got our transfer calls on Sunday and I'm leaving pv. I'm going to N__ up in the S__ Valley. The land of Feliz Navidad. There's supposed to be lots of Spanish speakers up there so that should be fun! I'm follow up training an Elder from Henderson Nevada named Elder Leishman. Should be awesome! N__ is going to be great!
Being in Palos Verdes has been lots of fun for many reasons. Obviously the view is one of my favorite reasons. It's so cool to be up on the hill and to be able to look out in one direction and see the whole city and then look in the opposite direction and have an amazing view of the ocean. A member related the view here to life and I really liked it. This is what she said.
In LA there are a ton of things always polluting the air. So over time the pollution builds up and the air gets smoggy.
The smog blocks the view and makes it hard or even impossible to see what's really there. The only thing that clears the smog and brings back the incredible view is a storm. The storm and the wind it brings clears out the smog and fresh air fills its place. After the storm is gone we are left once again with the incredible and clear view.
In life the gospel brings us an amazing view of the bigger picture or an eternal perspective. But there are always things that are trying to distract us from what truly matters and there are voices that are trying to make us doubt what we believe. These things can make it hard for us to see what really matters in the long run and why we are really here. They make us lose our eternal perspective. But as the storms of life roll in, if we handle them with faith, they will clear what was blocking our view and stopping us from having an eternal perspective. We can always come out of trials stronger and a better disciple of Jesus Christ with a clearer and refreshed view on life. Trials are how we learn, grow, and become more like our savior.
President John Taylor said,
"What if we have to suffer affliction? We came here for that purpose; we came in order that we might be purified; and this is intended to give us a knowledge of God, ...to give us a knowledge of eternal life, that we may be enabled to overcome all evil and be exalted to thrones of power and glory.
We call it suffering. I call it a school of experience. What are these things for? Why is it that good men should be tried? … I have never looked at these things in any other light than trials for the purpose of purifying the Saints of God that they may be, as the scriptures say, as gold that has been seven times purified by the fire."
I just really like that. I thinks it's really cool to understand why we are given trials in this life. With faith we can not only move mountains, but we can get on top of them and have a better perspective.
Another thing that I have really liked about being in Palos Verdes is the fact that it gave me the opportunity to figure out how to do things I haven't done before like teaching English class. It went super good this past transfer! I started to really enjoying teaching it. We were able to find some new students that are just so hilarious and so much fun to teach. I've loved it.
We had our mission Christmas devotional and it was so great. We watched the movie Coco as a mission so that was a party. I love this time of year so much. It's such a great time to be a missionary. More people are focused on their families and Jesus Christ which is what the Gospel is all about. So it's great to see how everyone is a little happier and kinder during the Christmas season. It just goes to show that focusing on the things that are most important is what will bring us lasting happiness.
Have a great week and merry Christmas!
-Elder Burgon
Pics:
- the Hawaiian Christmas wedding
-the gang
- the thanksgiving dinner crew
- the soccer squad
