Brett's 1st E-mail from Spain

This was waiting for me when I get up this morning. How it does a mom's heart good to know that her children are so happy! I didn't edit this but posted it with typos and all.


So I don´t know if Kyle can read this because he is off to the Philippines right now, but I though I would send it to him too. So I´m sorry for not emailing last preparation day. It was actually really funny. I spent 30 minutes writing a whole long email for the family and then I had 10 second left on the countdown. When the countdown hits 0 it deletes your email and closes your time on the computer. So I hadn´t signed my name on the thing yet so I decided to go for it. however, I was not fast enough. Oh well. So I was kinda mad and wanted to help set an example so I didn´t get back on and write something. however, yesterday I saw a sign that you could email for an hour instead of just 30 minutes, so I could have logged back on.lol. I learned 2 lessons- know the rules, and don´t play the time game.lol. So there wasn´t a whole lot of stuff in that email that was vital but the things I did want to tell you are still written in my notebook. I love it here in the CCM and can tell that I will grow a whole lot. Maybe not in ways that I though I would. But first some Provo wrap-up. Tell Trenting I found the blanket room- not the pillow room, and still have hope and a strong belief that there does exist a pillow room. So also congrats to Trevor for the 5 on his AP test. That´s amazing! Tell him not to waste his time with Freshman english at BYU unless he does honors, cause I heard those classes were really fun- but you do have to write a lot. Also make sure Elders going out into the field from our stake know how to shine shoes. It was the funniest thing ever to see my roomates whip out their little shoe shine kits their parents gave them and try to figure out what everything was for. I laughed a lot, but please don´t let anyone from memphis go out like that.lol. So the CCM is amazing. Our President, President Hill has a lot of fire and zeal. In our first interview he asked if I thought I could baptize and I said yes, and he was like, yeah, we need you all to believe you will baptize many, because today is the day of the Spaniard. Chile and the Philippines had their day, mexico blossomed, but I believe we can cause an earthquake in Spain to wake up those who are not listening. I am really excited. He and his wife are so great. I am excited about these next five weeks because I know what I have become in just 3 at Provo. This is a different type of place. Obedience is not continually stressed and the rules are not enforced. There is a lot of responsibility upon the missionaries to do what they need to and some are foolishly wasting their time here. I am working hard to make sure I don´t waste my time and it is easy for me, but my companion is having a harder time. It is an interesting matching, and I think that is where my biggest growth will come from right now. We are so close to the temple and it is beautiful and whenever I look out the window I get comfort and strength. So I am very happy about the package- I did get it and those pictures are awesome. They actually help me a lot. So We go in the parks on Saturdays and it´s crazy cause we try to contact Spainiards. I am paired with a native and we can barely communicate, but I think this week will be much better. I will at least bear my testimony this time.lol. It is hard. But we did run into a lady from England and I talked to her for a bit, but she wasn´t interested. The park is beautiful and i enjoyed it. however, it was funny, cause we got yelled at once that we were going to hell-in English. And also one Elder was ripped on for not knowing Spanish by some guy he was talking to. So it is a learning experience. It´s fun, though because at the end we get in front of a fountain-all 26 of us- and sing hymns and then some missionaries talk to people who stop in this really busy park. I loved it. Before I forget, if you could please send me Allison´s paper on types and shadows, because I felt like i would enjoy reading it - Elder Anderson

Our Colorado Vacation

We rode the cog train to the top of Pikes Peak. It was amazing. We saw so much wildlife! Deer and elk, mountain sheep and yellow-bellied marmots. We almost saw a bear. He was at the station at the bottom of the mountain a few minutes before our train got in. But I guess he didn't want to stick around and meet us!

Here is one of the views from the top of the mountain. It rained just a tiny bit on our way up and there was a rainbow. Can you see it? The temperature at the top of the mountain is about 40 degrees cooler than at the bottom so it was about 45 degrees and dropping while we were there. There were lots of patches of unmelted snow!







Trent and Grandpa went fishing. This is Trent's trophy. He was 18 inches long and weighed about 3 1/2 lbs. It fed six of us for dinner! I don't know if he'll get to again, though. Grandpa has a strict rule about you catch it-you clean it. Mom cleaned this one:)











When you have teenage brothers you get to do things like watch the Ninja Warriors all day marathon on G4. Sydney decided to make her own Ninja Warrior course. The picture of Trent swinging on the tree was part of the course as well. And maybe some day I will figure out how to upload pictures and get them to go where I want them to go.

Here are Sydney and Trent at the top of Pikes Peak. Does Sydney look pale? She sure did on the way down. I thought we were going to loose her. She lost all the color, I mean ALL the color in her face and lips. I had to keep telling her to breathe. Once we got below about 11,ooo feet she was fine. I hope she doesn't have dreams of climbing Mt Everest.

Kyle's MTC departure letter

Hola, mi amigos! como estas?
Nope, not as cool as Tagalog. I just wanted to try that out in spanish.
Anyways, I'm totally taking off in a plane tonight, and getting to the Philippines on Wednesday. I still have no idea what happens once I get to manila, I think I have a couple hours bus ride though. At least I'll get to see the countryside.

During our preparation day today we signed up for a teaching evaluation with our teacher, and he basically told us stories the whole time. And practiced casting out demons in Tagalog (We actually didn't get to the last part, but it was on the agenda). He told us how his first day was in the Philippines, and it got me so excited to get out there and meet all the people, even though it will be ridiculously hot and humid, especially compared to Provo.

Our flight will be chasing the sun the whole way, so we get a really awesome delayed sunset to LAX. I'll call you once we get to LAX and we have a long layover there. So it'll be kind of late, but I guess we'll see how much you really miss me. And if you get tired, just put trevor on. I'd be happy to talk to him.

Holy Cow I'm Going to the Philippines-
I'm so glad I'm not going to Mexico or Argentina (poor Elder Gilmore). Their visas are crazy delayed from what I hear, and the list to get visas is over 200 names long. So alot of the Elders on our floor are stuck here for an indefinite period of time, and they've already been here for 10 weeks. I feel bad for them, but not for long, because I'll be in the Philippines. No, I'll still feel bad for them.

Koreans-
So a person who went to Korea on their mission brought a native korean friend to the weekly teaching lesson to help with the language, and the person got really interested and brought their whole family. So the missionaries headed to Korea are actually going through the lessons with a real family. Needless to say,they don't need any encouragement to use their study time well.
I think for my plaque I want 3 Nephi 5:13. It's pretty cool to think about. I've been waiting for this and thinking about it for ever, I don't even know when I decided to go, I just always thought about how it would be when I did go. And tonight I get on the plane to go out into the field. The MTC has been good, I probably won't even realize how good until I'm gone, but the field is different. It's going to be awesome. Our Mission President at the MTC told us some advice that I want to be first on my mind: "Love the people, Love the challenge."

I'm ready to throw myself out there, and soak it all in. It'll probably be pretty hard. Actually, it will be hard. But I'm ready for it. And the Lord's waiting to help me as long as I ask. For "...it is not the work of God that is frustrated, but the work of men." (Doctrine and Covenants 3:3)As long as I do it His way it'll be work out.

A quote that I enjoyed:
"When all hell breaks loose, you're just about there."
-Brigham Young

We have literally spent the last two months sending our kids out into the world. My parents (Don and VaNeal Burgess) took Kyle to the MTC for us on May 28th. Then Andy took Brett on July 2nd.

Don't they look happy:)

Brett flew to Madrid yesterday where he will spend 8 weeks in the MTC learning the right kind of Spanish. I got to talk to him for about 45 minutes while he waited for his flight to leave Atlanta. It is amazing how much he has grown already. I can't imagine what two years will bring. Here is an excerpt from the e-mail we got this morning:

We got here to Madrid safely if not rapidly and are trying to stay awake the whole day. It is very challenging.lol. At least I am not sick like one poor Elder. He looks like death. Anyway. So it is really cool here-real small and I will tell you more about it on my preparation day, which this week is Friday, but all the rest is Thursday. We get to go to the temple every Thursday so that is real cool. Anyways. Take care and I love you all. also, it is really cool here. really cool. and the city reminds me of Athens. -Elder Anderson

I think he likes it so far, don't you?

Kyle will leave on Monday for the Philippines. He flies to Taipei and then Manila. Then a very long bus ride to Cauayan City in the Isabela province. I can't wait to get his phone call!

Matt and Allison are vacationing in Fiji--her blog will tell you all about that . And Andy spent a week in Central and South America and is now enjoying 10 days of flying around Europe.

Sydney and Trent and I went swimming in the back yard.

I really think I am too old to join the blogger craze. But then again it is a great way to let my family and friends know what we are up to. So we'll see if I can figure this out or if I will have to get my kids to help me!!