Week 5 - MTC Update 안 영 하 새 요!!! (Hello)

 Zone Photo! (Yes Elder Maio and Elder Ha from my district have the cameras by their faces haha)

안 영 하 새 요!!! (Hello)
(I would type more but typing in Korean is hard!)

This week really flew by!! All of a sudden it was Sunday and then all of a sudden it was Wednesday all over again! We hit our half way mark at the M.T.C last weekend and it's crazy to see another group of Elders and Sisters from our zone preparing to leave this week! I just can't wait to get into the field!

This week we had some more awesome experiences during our lessons and T.R.C's with real Korean members. One of the companionship's in our district learned some funny Korean culture this week when they taught an entire lesson standing up. It's common in Korea for younger kids to wait for their elders to sit before they do, and since they taught a tenth grader he was just standing there. Our teacher taught us to just wait till they sit down and so the companionship just started teaching standing.

My companion and I taught the same kid and it was the best lesson we've had here. We were able to just talk to him for ten minutes about his hobbies and school. He said he liked computer games hiking, playing sports and rapping! And he told us every day he wakes and writes "I will go to Harvard on his mirror". Our lesson was on praying often and studying the scriptures as commandments and it was perfect for him. He had told us its hard to do that so often because school is the most important thing by far in Korean culture. but we promised him as he continued to pray and read he will come closer to God, receive his blessings and feel his love. It was awesome to be able to motivate and help him to keep praying daily and read the scriptures.

The craziest thing is that were doing this in Korean! I don't think I could have said all I did even in English. I'm just so excited to get to the field and try and meet a ton of people like this kid and many others, and to do all I can to help them come unto Christ and the happiness that comes with doing so.

Last night we were able to hear from President Maynes as he addressed us in our Tuesday night devotional. He talked to us about missionary work and also Joseph Smith History. He talked about how there are so many people waiting to hear our message and that if we talk as much as we can we can find them. He also talked about the worth of one missionary. He powerfully told us the story of how one missionary in South America converted just one man on his mission, but that his one convert brought so many unto the gospel. It's just crazy to think how much of an impact one missionary can have on so many lives and the happiness he can bring if he works his hardest and loves the people.

While I'm anxious to leave and we're less than a month away from being in Seoul, I know the work here is important and preparing me to bring that same happiness to so many souls.

I love and miss you all and love hearing from you all each week!
Thanks for all the support,

사 랑 해 요! (Love ya!)
Elder Burridge

With Elder Folkman

Sacrament talk from this week, Look at all those Korean characters!!! (We all have to prepare one each week and its random who gets called)

Week 4 - MTC Update

Elder Burridge and Elder Folkman both heading to Korea!!

Wow I can't believe I've been "M.T.C ing" for nearly a month now. The time has truly started to fly by. A lot of cool stuff has happened since the last P-day here.

First off, our language studied has definitely ramped up. We've been learning so much and it's quite a lot to take in, but we just try and retain as much as possible and try to SYL (Speak Your language) as much as we can. We learned testimony form this week so that we can bear our testimonies in lessons, and it's been super powerful so far. As we learn more vocab and grammar our lessons have improved as well. We can actually have English fasts now, where we only speak in Korean. While it's frustrating, it's crazy we can communicate so well in 4 short weeks.

The lessons and T.R.C lessons with members have been the most fun and rewarding part of the M.T.C. Teaching with Elder Maio is such a thrill and we always come out of our lessons so pumped and excited to serve in Korea. We've had much more spiritual lessons as well. We've been focusing on asking thoughtful questions and letting the investigators talk a lot more and be involved. We challenged ourselves to bring as little notes into our lessons as possible and we found that we speak much more by the spirit having to make up sentences on the fly and let the gift of tongues guide us.

Korean is tough but I'm so surprised at how far we have progressed in such little time. When you truly are focused on serving and loving the people it makes hard things much simpler. I'm beyond excited to fly into Korea in 5 weeks and start meeting and talking to so many people.

We got the chance to hear from the Nashville Tribute Band the week for a devotional and their music was super powerful. If anyone wants a spiritual lift go check them out. Their song called "My Call to Serve" had half of the room in full tears. It made us all truly realize how important that work is and how little time 2 years is to serve them. Our devotional speaker Juan A. Uceda from the Seventy talked to us last night and gave us a powerful message. He encouraged us to continue to serve with all of our heart might mind and strength (Doctrine and covenants 4:2 if you want to read the scripture), and that if we do God will take care of the rest and silence our doubts.

I'm so thankful to be here at the M.T.C preparing to serve the people of Seoul and I can't wait to serve with all my heart, might, mind and strength every day.

Love you all and thanks for the letters/ Dear Elders/emails etc,

Elder Burridge

 Elder Hanson heading to the Philippines

Sister Boyack and her Companion heading to Alabama.

 Temple Selfie

 Chilling with the Companion

 Elder Ha in my District

Church Talk in Korean!

Week 3 - MTC Update

Today is my one third mark of the M.T.C! While sometimes it feels like I've been here years, it's really crazy how fast the time has flown by and how much I feel like I've grown in 3 weeks! While the routine here is pretty much the same each week the experiences have been awesome and truly amazing from day to day.

Asian languages are no joke, Korean is one of the easier Asian languages and it's been extremely tough to learn. Korean has 3 forms, Low form for friends and family to use, middle form most people use, and then a high form to show much respect and honor. We as missionaries learn the high form which is the most complex and then in the field we can use the middle form too. I've really tried to not stress about where I'm at, and to just work as hard as I can and I know the language will come to me eventually.

We learned a lot more about Korean culture this week too. Me and Elder Maio have been taking off our shoes and teaching on the floor to practice for lessons in Korea. It's pretty funny but kind of relaxing at the same time. I also learned that in Korea I would be 20 years old technically so that's pretty cool.

We got our English last names translated for our Korean name tags and mine is pronounced "Buh Ri Jhi " I'll type it out in another Email later in Korean characters. It sounds super close to the verb that means "throwing something away" So people there might think I'm Elder Trash... oh well. Our teacher also told me that one lesson I called her "Ha Mae Neem" instead of "Ja Mah Neem". So instead of calling her Sister I called her a Hippo so that's hilarious. We also have a kid in our district who has been saying "O Bah Ji' instead of "Ah Boh Ji" in his prayers. So instead of saying oh God our Heavenly Father, he has been saying Oh God, Our Heavenly Pants, I'm sure God understands Korean is tough.

This week me and my companion taught A T.R.C lesson which is a lesson with a real Korean Member. We were super prepared and the spirit was so alive as we gave our message about faith and the Holy ghost in Korean. It was one of the most powerful spirit filled moment I've ever had. After Elder Maio in Korean said "While our Korean is still bad, Our message is true" and I'll probably never forget that.

The oldest district here left this week, and no one warned me I would have even more goodbyes once I started my mission. They were all super great examples and awesome friends and I can't wait to serve with some of them one day and see how well their missions go.

After this week I feel ready to be in Korea and to start having real experiences in the world. While the time at the M.T.C is super important, I just want to be there so badly. But, I know this gospel is real and that there are people in Korea ready for me to meet and serve and invite to come unto Christ.

As always thanks for the emails and Dear Elder Letters, I love hearing from all of you

Love you all,

Elder Burridge

Week 2 - MTC Update

Hello Everyone!!!

I just finished my second week here at the M.T.C, and everyone whose been here longer is sure right. The days feel like weeks and the weeks feel like days. This last week went by in a flash but I for sure had a lot of awesome and inspiring moments throughout this week.

The biggest thing I've learned so far was actually the main theme of Elder Neil L. Anderson devotional to the M.T.C last night. Oh ya BTW we had an apostle speak to us last night so that was pretty amazing. Elder Anderson's message was that learning to be a missionary isn't complex, but it isn't easy. The work here has been really tough and learning the language is definitely a real challenge. But, our message and purpose is simple; To invite others to come unto Christ. Elder Anderson also told us, that even if we can't say much in our new language, if we talk about Christ and testify of him the members will feel the spirit and happiness of our messages and that's our purpose as missionaries.

I think that was pretty much directed to me and my district because we needed that confidence this week with the language. For as fast as we've learned to read and speak Korean, we still have a long way to go. The best advice we keep receiving is too not worry about where we are at and to just keep working hard and LOVE THE PEOPLE. I already feel so much love for the people of Korea and can't wait to serve and teach them.

The Last message from Elder Anderson was to believe in miracles. He encouraged us to work hard, push ourselves, don't get discouraged, and believe in miracles of Christ. While the language has been hard and I miss everyone back home so much. I know The gospel is perfect and that Missions are part of miracles.

Thanks for the emails, Dear elders, and letters, I love you all so much and hearing from you is the best.

Elder Burridge

Elder Maio is awesome and my district is literally the best, God blessed me with amazing friends here to help me through the tough times.

Week 1 - MTC Pictures

Name Tag

My companion Elder Maio

My MTC District

Elder Wilcox

Provo Temple

Studying Korean

Classroom Selfie