"Ode to Elder Selman"

Monday, August 1, 2016

This week has been crazy.  Lots of things happening.  Elder Selman is going home.  

There are going to be a lot of missionaries leaving from our zone this transfer.  There are going to be two new district leaders, I’m going to be training a new companion to be a zone leader, and there will be a lot of new people transferred into our zone. It’s a bit crazy thinking about so much change. It is actually really sad.  I’m going to really miss Elder Selman. He’s really awesome. 

Our Zone

 These last four months have been a such a fun time.  We’ve had the chance to get to know each other really well, and have grown as a companionship, as we’ve gotten to know the Lord through study and prayer.  We've learned so much while teaching others.  It’s going to be very sad to see him go.  It feels a bit surreal.  I feel like I'm watching it all through a window, like it's not real.  

It’s strange to watch someone end their mission.  It’s crazy to think there is actually an end to this journey.  Up until now, there really hasn’t been an end, or a life after. My whole life has been preparing to serve a mission, and I’m finally here.  Anything after a mission has never really been on a to-do list.  Now, watching him get ready to go home has made me think that this time won’t last forever.  So I need to keep going, keep running, doing all I can before it's over.  I don’t want any down time to let Satan get in and mess things up.  

I’ve learned so much from Elder Selman.  I’m sitting here on my bed thinking about the time we’ve served together, and I’ve opened up the scriptures to Moroni 10:21 “Except ye have Charity, ye can in no wise be saved in the kingdom of God. Neither can ye be saved in the kingdom of God if ye have not faith. Neither can ye if ye have not hope.” I hope that’s right in English.  I think this is one of the biggest things I’ve learned from Elder Selman, his example of living a life of true Charity.  Loving people without a reason to love, seeing people for who they are, and loving men for what they can become.  Loving the progress of people and trying to help them grow.  He’s been such a great example. 

This week is really bitter sweet.  We’ve had a lot of good-byes and pictures.  We had two baptisms this week, Sister Angela and Sebastian, the last child in his family to get baptized.  We rescued his mother when she came back from Santa Marta.  She became active in the church again, and he is now getting baptized.  The baptismal service was so sweet!  There were over SEVENTY people in attendance.  For this mission, and this area, that is a lot of people at a baptism.  There are some wards that don’t even have 70 people in them.  The ward leaders took over and helped a lot with planning and running the whole thing.  It was so exciting! 

#Splashparty Angela's Baptism, Sebastian's Baptism
Elder Selman's last Baptismal Service on his mission.
aka. grand finale

Angela was baptized by her husband Dido.  Sebastian was baptized by his uncle. And there was an 8 year old member baptism from the ward and he was baptized by his father Jorge Dias, who is so funny.  He’s one of my favorites. He’s got this tiny white car that he drives around and tells funny jokes, we call him the 'bulldog' in ward council.  We finished the week really strong.  We worked our hardest to make it happen for Elder Selman to finish his mission at his very best.  We are really happy with how things went.

I love you guys.  Have a great week!

Elder Burk

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 "super atractivo Elder Selman"  He'll be missed.

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Ok, Mom, a little side note, between you and me...  

Braden and Madelyn at the Callister Family Reunion

I’m a little bit confused and a little bit hurt here, I don’t know what to do about Braden’s haircut??!

It’s kind of making me worried as his big brother.  It’s a little bit… how do I say this nicely, It’s really weird!  It’s kind of a little like Justin Beiber.  I’m really questioning what’s going on at home??!

I hope you guys are eating enough meat.  Are you letting him listen to country music??!  I hope everyone is watching out for Braden.  We really want him to go on a mission and get married…to a girl.  So if there is anything going on, or if I should write him a letter, I hope you’ll let me know.  Yeah…so, love you guys. 

Hope everyone else is doing great. 

Bye Mom.