Being the only missionaries here in Miskolc has been a lot of work,
but in turn a lot of fun. We're still making time to find between
teaching appointments, and we've seen tons of miracles already. The
highlight of our week was definitely Norbi's baptism!
Elders Peery and Hudson came up for the baptism and the service was
great. Elder Peery baptized him by water, and I had the privilege of
baptizing him by fire (confirming him and giving him the gift of the
Holy Ghost)! We are so excited for Norbi. He knows
so much about the Gospel and has a real thirst for knowledge. It was
such a blessing to teach him and I am so grateful for the experience.
Our Church services this week were also amazing. President Klinger
of the mission presidency came to Miskolc for our Branch conference and
gave an amazing talk. Here are some highlights from his talk:
- Each of us has 24 hours in every day. What makes the difference is how we use that time we've been given.
- Salvation is entirely personal. You are the "main character" of
your life, and God is working with YOU. Everyone else is a side
character, and you are likewise a side character in the lives of
everyone around you. This doesn't demean the value of anyone's
role or life, but it does imply that our relationship with Deity is not
influenced by Deity's relationship with others. In other words, God has
all the time in the world to focus on YOU; and your neighbors, friends,
and family, too!
- What blessings do we sacrifice on the altar of comfort? Would I
be blessed by sacrificing my comfort for someone else's benefit? (hint:
the answer is yes, you would be!)
- When we place a priority on God, everything else falls into it's place in your list of priorities.
- Saying, "I don't have time for it" is basically just saying, "it's not important enough to me."
- The Spirit can be with us only as much as we live clean lives.
The more aligned our will is with the Father's, the more abundantly we
can feel the Spirit and therefore the greater its influence will be on
us.
That last thought was actually a theme throughout my week. Even
before President Klinger talked about it, I was thinking about a
question I read in the new "Come Follow Me" manual. The question was,
"How would my life be different if the Holy Ghost had
a greater influence on me?"
The list of ways my life would be different could really be
endless. I believe that I would be more kind, understanding, and patient
with myself and others. I would be more willing to help, and quicker to
respond to the needs of others. I would be happier.
I would feel more peace. I would feel closer to Heavenly Father. I
would be more grateful. I would bear my trials with hope.
These are just a few ways that my life would be different if I paid
more attention to the Holy Ghost. The partner question to this is,
"What things do I need to do/change so that the Holy Ghost can have a
greater influence on me?"
I'm grateful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and grateful for Him
and His influence on me in my life. Because of Jesus Christ, I have hope
and peace.
I can't help but lay in bed at night and think about these things and feel overwhelming gratitude.
Life is good!
Szeretettel,
Elder Burnett
Bonus funny story: Tons of people baked süti (baked goods, lol) for
the baptism and there were tons of leftovers that naturally fell into
our possession. Well, Elder Brown and I were cleaning up after the
service and noticed a drunk man laying in the grass
outside of the Branch house. We decided to bring him a plate of süti,
and he very happily accepted it hahaha. Hey ate everything on the plate
and kindly placed the plate near the door of the Branch house before
taking off.
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