Letter from Elder Burnett

Greetings from the dangerous land of; floods, tornadoes, west nile virus, hail storms, lightning, and crazy farmers! ;)‏

Dear Family,

Things are going very well here in Pipestone, MN. I am having a wonderful time sharing the glad message that we are able to share everyday. My testimony has grown the few weeks that I have been here, and I am trying everyday to learn to forget myself. I am doing much better now with the constant striving my companion and I are exerting to have the Holy Ghost with us.

I have only one problem with Minnesota. Seeing it is the "Land of 10,000 Lakes", it is also the land of MILLIONS OF MOSQUITOES! We deal with them everyday as we bike and have to be careful we don't bike into a swarm of them :/ They even permeate the apartment and I got bit 42 times last night alone! It seems to be a trial that the Lord is extending to me that I welcome with open arms; no mosquito is going to stop me!

Well, the day is getting old and we need to get to work! The Lord is requiring of us to get 1 new investigator a day...and we are determined to get it! With our faith last week, we got 3!

I love you all so much! Thank you for your support and I look forward to hearing from you again!

--
Elder Burnett

Pictures!

Dear Family,

I have safely made it to Pipestone, MN. It was a long trip crammed in a van like our old one full of missionaries and their belongings. However, I had a blast and we all got a little crazy! ;) The mission is going great and gets faster and faster with every transfer call I receive. Elder Johnson is awesome so far and we are getting along well. I keep you all in my prayers and hope things are going incredible :)

With love,
Elder Burnett

Me saying good bye at the Carter's. A family in Lead that I got really close to. Obviously, the girls are a little crazy :) We were always a jungle gym in their house, and Dayne, the older girl, is a wonderful dancer who is going to Nationals in her age group.

Me saying goodbye to Elder Pugmire, my uncle. He is the current AP and is going home :( However, I am fairly sure that he will have a blast in the Land of Eternal P-days!

When I was in Gillette waiting for the train to arrive, the Otts came and took me and another Elder out to lunch. We then had a farewell and took some pictures. I am so grateful for everything that they have done for me.

Me saying goodbye to the Sisters :) The far left one is Sister Crandall. She and I get along so well, both total dorks and she drew me a picture I will show later. Sister Bennion (Onion) is going home now. The one to the right of me is Sister Merrill. She was in my district in Sturgis and her companion, Sister Dierenfeldt came out with me.

Those same Sisters trying to get my to break a mission rule by touching me. Just so you all know... "Girls are UNAPPROVED!" :)

"Do you see what I see? ... Yeah, nothing."

Missouri River

Only 1/3 of the Elders in the train to Sioux Falls.

The picture that Sister Crandall drew for me.

Transfer Time!

Just got word from Cameron...he is being transferred again..Six months in one location is now catching up to him. Two transfers in two months. The mission President wants him to train a "greenie" so as Cameron put it he now has a "kid," so that makes him a "Dad".

Here is his new address as of Monday, June 7th:

Elder Cameron Burnett
418 7th St SW Apt 4
Pipestone MN, 56164

Pictures!

A few pictures with some notes from Elder Burnett...

My first manga drawing! (I am working on my drawing skills cause it's free and a great way to relax.)

We took a trip to Devils Tower. Read up about it; its got great lore!

(Aunt Michelle here -
For those that are unfamiliar with Devils Tower, it is a volcanic neck located in the Black Hills of northeastern Wyoming. It rises dramatically 1,267 feet above the surrounding terrain and the summit is 5,112 feet above sea level. Devils Tower was the first declared United States National Monument, established on September 24, 1906, by President Theodore Roosevelt.

There are several Native American folklore's that describe the formation of the rock. Here is one of them...

American Indian legends tell of six Lakota Sioux girls who were picking flowers when they were chased by bears. Feeling sorry for them, the Great Spirit raised the ground beneath the girls. The bears tried to climb the rock, but fell off, leaving their scratch marks on the sides.

For more information, including the other folklore tales, CLICK HERE.)

In this picture is a old wood ladder people would use to get to the top. See if you can find it.

Elder Burnett in front of the Wyoming State sign...

Little Update

Elder Burnett didn't send a big letter this week, just that there is no washer or dryer in his apartment and he isn't getting any DA's, but that he made pumpkin pies and was the hit at his district meeting!! He does enjoy his district despite his small trials.

6-Month Tie Burning!

Apparently, there is a tradition among missionaries to burn their tie at their 6 month mark. Here is Elder Burnett's tie-burning ceremony! Be patient... there are some technical difficulties. :)