Our mission so far

Our mission, as all missions, has been full of joys and full of trials. Living at home makes housework and yard work a constant challenge which means we don't exactly follow mission guidelines each day. We do try to follow the schedule as closely as possible but our mornings must include mundane jobs like pulling weeds and even striping wallpaper. The regular mission schedule includes temple attendance on Wed. afternoon, service projects Thur. morning, and weekly planning Fri. mornings. We have changed that a little. We go to the temple on Sat. mornings so we don't always go on Wed. unless there are missionaries who need a ride. We figure our yard is our service project for our neighborhood and Friday weekly planning is tucked in anywhere we find a moment. The daily and weekly planning are very important but we figure after 45 years together we can get it done much quicker than the younger missionaries. We still like to get out into the field by 1:30 as many days as possible. We sometimes have appointments in the mornings, however, which is hard for the other missionaries to do. We have one that is 10:00 every Friday and I think it was given to us because the younger missionaries didn't want it to interfere with planning time. Of course, Sunday is the longest day, often there is a meeting at 7:30 am with two or three blocks of meetings to follow. We try to go to at least part of all the blocks in a building and just vary the buildings each week. Then the afternoon usually has one or two appointments in it. After that, we spend time with grandchildren.

Much of our work is with less-actives which means it is slow going. Many people were baptized as children and then were never taken to church. That means they are really investigators who know nothing. Some left the church in their teens and so have strange ideas and prejudices. Some are even returned missionaries who got swept up in life and lost their way. They are very difficult because they have a load of guilt on top of apathy. Some people for one reason or another, missed church for a period of time and got out of the habit. They never had a strong testimony to begin with and only went out of a sense of duty. Now it is too easy to do something else. Each day for us is challenging and rewarding. We make friends with all we meet and try to gradually change their mind-set.

We have had one adult baptism because she was listening as we taught her grandfather. We never got far with him but she asked to be baptized. We have a couple of unbaptized children who want to be baptized but the parents are dragging their feet. It's "teach the children, pull along the parents".

In short, we have all the opportunities the "young" missionaries have except we are given those who need more time and TLC. We don't have to think about transfers every six weeks. We don't have to think about breaking in a new companion. We just have to juggle about 60 names and try to give each some of our time. Some have weekly appointments and some we drop in on. Some have prepared lessons and some get lessons on the sly -- they don't realize we are leaving a message.

We don't have meals arranged for us but we don't get as much exercise sitting in the car so we don't need to eat much anyway. In the summer we need a cooler to carry water and maybe sandwiches, juices, etc. We get quite tired of crackers and granola bars. We figure on both lunch and dinner in the field most days. Even though it is not a long, long way is is time consuming and gas consuming to go back home during the day. That eats up a couple of hours we don't like to give up.

Our family and friends had a little trouble at first but you just have to gently remind them you aren't available. It's harder with grandchildren but they also get used to seeing you when you can not when they want. We do schedule in important events with them. One of the funny side lines is that our ward doesn't seem to know what we are doing. We see senior missionaries doing our same job in missionary cases in other wards but our ward considers us just “gone”. I actually have a visiting teacher who mails me notes and invites me to come to church.

We've come to love the people we work with. We tell them that getting them to church is only the first part. We'll stick with them until they go to the temple, no matter how long it takes. We feel very close to many of the families. We have had some dramatic successes and some very slow successes. We have also had great experiences where we didn't know what to say but the words were given. We have learned to rely on the Lord in every little thing. He guides us and lets us know what we should do.

We would recommend this work to anyone would care to try it. Some of the senior missionaries we work with have health problems and this is the only mission they could have served.

All in all, this is a blessed journey and we are grateful to be on it.

Elder and Sister Burkhart

"The parable of the Prodigal Son [Luke 15:11-32] typifies the condition of too many of our fellow men, who mistakenly feel that squandering their inheritance in riotous living will bring them happiness. But it also portrays those who make another type of mistake---feeling that their righteousness makes them superior to their less-disciplined brethren. Both brothers in the parable desperately need the Lord to free them of their burdens. This is the message of the parable.

"We learn from this parable that all of us, regardless of our status or condition, have an absolute need of the Lord's saving grace. We are all dependent on him for peace in this life and for eternal life" (The Teachings of Howard W. Hunter, p. 33).

Truth

Words to meditate on.

Harold B. Lee
"Satan knows truth, but he has no intelligence, or he would yield obedience to that truth. Knowing the truth isn't the thing that saves us. I think that perhaps loving the truth is the only thing that can give one the capacity to avoid sin. The scripture doesn't say: 'If ye know me, you will keep my commandments,' but it says, 'If ye love me, ye will keep my commandments'" (The Teachings of Harold B. Lee, p. 104-105).

Fear and Faith

When we live in fear, change becomes very hard if not impossible. Christ's atonement makes the ability to change possible. Fear is the opposite of faith.

Fear is a little like a cold virus, always around us but usually does not take over unless we let down. When I feel that scratchy throat feeling before the real sore throat takes over I know that a little cayenne pepper judiciously placed will prevent the cold and sore throat. Sometimes I am so engaged in what I am doing I don't pay attention to the things that are important and the cold takes over. When I was in college I was so worried about studies and friends that I failed to take care of myself and ended up in the hospital with pneumonia. I then learned to take symptoms seriously —pneumonia can be life-threatening, you know.

Fear is out there all around us like a virus. There are times we feel discouraged and doubtful and afraid to take the initiative in introducing gospel topics into conversations with neighbors and friends. Those are also symptoms that needs attention. Such fear can also be life threatening.

Why do we fear? Often we fear the reaction of our friend. Often we feel we are too lacking in knowledge to defend our beliefs. Often we aren't sure enough what our beliefs truly are. But, when we are fearful we are usually hopeless. Without hope we become paralyzed. That fear is the failure of faith.
The power of faith can overcome and even eliminate fear. Moroni taught us in Ether 12:6, I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith.
The children of Israel following Joshua did not have a parting of the River Jordan until after they stepped into the waters. Then the water parted.

It's been quite awhile now, but we used to go rock climbing together and we joined a mountain-climbing club. Since I had never gone climbing before I enrolled in a class. The first time I was expected to rappel off a cliff I was very afraid. Why would I step backward off a cliff?

Thus we see that faith is a choice. Faith is a choice to believe and then act upon that belief.

There is a song the children sing, I'm Trying To Be Like Jesus. They sing it with all the faith of children who have been told something is true. They have a perfect faith that what their parents tell them must be so.

We often have the idea we are doing fairly well in life but often that is a delusion. After all we can do – which we find out is not near as much as we would have liked – Christ's gift of the atonement is our route to wholeness. We remain less that we could be until we learn fully how to accept this gift and use it in our lives.

Our need for the atonement isn't based alone on our sins. It isn't that we made a mistake yesterday and need to repent of it. We make plenty of mistakes – it is part of being human. Our need for atonement includes specific acts and thoughts but is so much more than that. Our need is so much greater.

The atonement can transform us altogether so that the very tendency toward our mistakes is no longer a part of our being. We say an angry word, we repent, we are forgiven, but we have shown that anger still has a place in us. It is the very tendency toward anger or resentment or despair or selfishness that resides in us that the Lord's atonement will cleanse if we open ourselves to his gift.

It isn't our obvious weakness; it is that we are still weak.

We are still tempted to go it alone. Sometimes we think we are so unworthy we can't come to the Lord now or conversely that we are doing well on our own and we'll think about it when we need help. The truth is we all need help and we all need it now or else we will be forever incomplete and full of limitations.

The atonement not only cleanses us but it empowers us. His ways are not our ways, nor his thoughts our thoughts, but through the gift of the atonement, we can become at one with him until we have been completely changed and our thoughts and our hearts are like his.

We are not yet today what we will be tomorrow. Our journey will always be made not on our strength but on his. Choosing fear – like choosing faith – is a choice. President Hinckley said these words of wisdom many times.
It isn't as bad as you sometimes think it is. It all works out. Don't worry. I say that to myself every morning. It will all work out. . . Put your trust in God, and move forward with faith and confidence in the future. The Lord will not forsake us. He will not forsake us. . . If we will put our trust in Him, if we will pray to Him, if we will live worthy of His blessings, He will hear our prayers.

The first three lines of that statement were part of his comments at the funeral of his beloved wife. I think if President Hinckley needed that reminder, we can also take comfort in our needing reminders. Moroni also needed help with his fears. In Ether 12 he described the fear that he wasn't up to the task. And he was right, he wasn't. And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weaknesses that they may be humble. And my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.

President Benson said, Men and women who turn their lives over to God will find out that he can make a lot more our of their lives than they can.

The process of sanctification is to become more and more like God. Elder Bruce R. McConkie taught that true worship is emulation. We can become like him with his help.

When we find ourselves fearful – when that cold virus is taking over – we should consider it a symptom of our need to return to the Lord so He can strengthen our faith. In faith, we are free of fear. In faith we take that first step into the River Jordan, we take that backward step off the cliff, we turn our thoughts outside our self and learn the needs of our neighbors so that we might help them come to Christ. And in so doing, we can come unto Christ.

Sue

A dear friend passed away recently. We attended her funeral mass yesterday. Yes, mass. She had been investigating the church for some time and, I believe, was ready to be join except that she somehow felt it would be disloyal to her mother.

Sue was an very special person. She graduated head of her class from high school and went up from there. She was one of five siblings, one of which was her twin sister. She was so interesting to talk to with a great love for science. She had worked as a researcher and had a doctorate in Chemistry. She also loved the outdoors and being in the wilderness. Hiking was a love.

All this was made more tragic by a terrible disease that finally took her life. She lived over 15 years in constant pain with all her connective tissues breaking down. For several years she has been confined to a computerized wheelchair. She even had to have a neck brace to hold her head up. Yet, through all this she thought of others. She took care of others instead of thinking of herself.

According to her sister-in-law her mother was actually interested in joining the LDS church and had no problem with having her work done for her. I'm sure she and Sue are discussing that right now.

We miss Sue a lot. Somehow our discussions are going to be lacking a very strong spirit. However, I am so grateful that she is now free of pain and is with people who love her.

Faith and Science

I think that it is interesting how emotional people can get about science and religion. Yet, they are quite similar in ways. A scientist must have a large amount of faith to begin with. The steps to scientific discovery often mimic the steps to gaining a religious testimony. One must start with a question, something they don't really understand. They come up with possible answers but they don't really know. Then they read what other people have come up with. They talk to other people. They do research. With what they find out they come up with experiments, ways to prove what they now have faith in. Does any of this sound familiar? Check Alma 32:26-28. After the experiment, one either proves or disproves the hypothesis. If the hypothesis is valid the faith then moves to knowledge. See Alma 32:19. Once you have proved your faith you are obliged to live it. Knowing that walking off a tall cliff can be fatal will not save you if you do it anyway. Our knowledge will not save us if we do not act on that knowledge. All of our steps--questioning, study, experimenting, proving, are wasted if we do not act on our knowledge. Our actions show what we know to be true. That is who we are.

The Song is Eternal

If music is the voice of God then we were once all singers.


Do You Hear the Music?

If movement is vibration
and vibration has sound then
all matter sings. The blood
in the veins sings with a heart
beat accompaniment.
The trees hum a chorus in
multiple harmonies. The stars
sing through the universe
spinning etudes of sound.
The concert master directs
the progress, accentuates
important passages and leads
all creation to the dynamic,
final climax of one movement
segueing to the beauty of the next.

KDFB 2.22.10