Szia emberek!

This week has been pretty fantastic. My companion went home last Wednesday, leaving me in a tri-panionship. It has been strange, but good. I wish my old companion all the best! He's an amazing man who loves God and I know he will continue to help others come unto Christ no matter where he goes! As far as the tri-panionship goes, its been a ton of fun! I love it here. It's crazy to think that in just 2 short weeks, I'll be in Hungary somewhere, surrounded by all new people! I have enjoyed my stay here at the MTC thoroughly, but I am very eager to get out and serve the people of Hungary. I'm not going to lie, I'm also looking forward to Hungarian food!

Watching General Conference at the MTC was a unique experience. All of the missionaries just sit in the gym as if it was a devotional and the broadcast is displayed on several screens. It wasn't much different than watching the priesthood session at the church. We sat with our zone and played Conference Bingo (thanks Corinne) and it was a lot of fun. After each session, we went back to our classrooms to have a review. The sisters watched the general women's session while the elders watched the priesthood session. It was really cool to see Joaquin E. Costa and S. Mark Palmer, because both of them came and spoke to us at the MTC recently! The sessions seemed to go by pretty quickly, but the days felt really long. On Sunday, we had 2 sessions of conference, a devotional, and a film that we had to watch. We were sitting from about 9:30 am to 9 at night! I'm so grateful that I was able to be here for General Conference. I feel as if I was able to appreciate the messages on a much deeper level than I ever could at home.

On Sunday, I got to celebrate my birthday! It was so amazing. I seriously have the best district ever. Also shout out to Corinne for all of the effort she put into getting me a gift this year! It was so sweet of her!

Last night, as I was writing in my journal, Elder Bond, who is going to serve in Korea, came into my room with a little bag. He told me that this bag had been handed down from generation to generation since last November at least. In the bag was a symphony bar of unknown age or origin, and Fred. Fred is a giant, dead tarantula who has been kept for who knows how long! So yeah, I guess that's pretty fun.

It's amazing how much I've grown already. The experiences available through serving a mission will be the best for your life without a doubt. Just for fun and practice, we go street contacting here at the MTC for 15 minutes a day. First of all, it's a great time, second of all, what kind of missionary is going to tell you they don't want to hear a message from you? It's perfect hahaha. I haven't yet shared a message with another missionary without seeing their countenances brightened with a renewed feeling of hope, happiness, or desire to serve! The Spirit can work through us to uplift anybody, and it's really incredible. I encourage everyone to be bold this week. Just try it! Next time you're waiting in line at the store, filling your car up, or find yourself in awkward silence next to a stranger, try to talk with them. It doesn't even have to be about the Gospel. Just see how you can brighten their day! As you make an effort to do so, you'll feel happier, guaranteed. Even if they want nothing to do with you!

I wish you all the best in this coming week! Recognize the hand of the Lord in your life every day, and you will realize how richly blessed we each are, even in times of affliction.

Sok szerettetel,

Burnett Elder

Hungarian word of the week is türelem which means patience. I've been studying patience a lot since being here, and I can't stress enough how important and helpful it is!