Photo Post Archives - Good Morning Susan

My Departure is at Hand 9/14/15

By Sariah September 14, 2015 April 5, 2017 Elder Ammon Burdge, I Believe in Christ, Photo Post, September 2015

I admit it, I’ve totally failed at posting Ammon’s emails : ( But on a positive note, he’s coming home on September 30th! Below is today’s email from Elder Burdge.

At the end of a missionary’s service, their “life” so to speak, they are called upon in their final mission meeting to give a departing testimony. During Zone Conference I was asked to do so. What my companion transcribed during that meeting is written below:

I’ve heard it said that at the end of your life you see it flash before your eyes. Here at the end of mine I’ve seen exactly that. Two years ago I saw these same trainings. They’ve made me who I am today. I testify that they will make you mighty in the hands of the Lord. So go out and apply it, just do it.

On New Year’s Day 2013, I made a New Years resolution that I would go to church every week for the next year; something I hadn’t done more than a handful of times prior. 10 months later I received a name tag.

I don’t know if you can tell but my name tag is different. For those of us that went to the Mexico MTC are name tags are a little unique. The lettering for our names isn’t as defined. It’s thinner, it looks a little worn out. Whenever I’d visit investigators or eat dinner with members they’d say, “Elder what’s your name? Your name tag is too worn out. I can’t read your name. Get a new one,” they said. The name that I’ve worn for the past two years has been worn and it’s become His name. I’ve been changed through Christ. This is how He made me. That’s how I’ve been changed. I now stand resolute with a solemn resolve to give Him everything.

Often during these occasions we read 2 Timothy 4:6-7 which reads:

“For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.”

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.”

Elders and Sisters I’ve kept the faith. But I’m not ready to be offered, I’m ready for combat. We aren’t here to keep the keep the faith but to defend it. I invite you all to do so. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but from day one we’ve been in training in the service of our God. It is now our responsibility to go out and defend this work, today and always.

There are no breaks in the rest of the Lord. This is not a gospel that we can just give up. We’ve received the hope and we’ve crossed that line. We swore by oath and covenant that this would be the name by which we would live and the truth that we would defend.

Jesus is the Christ. Joseph Smith is His prophet and he still holds the keys. The Book of Mormon is the word of God. I cannot and will not deny that. But most importantly, Jesus Christ is the Savior and Redeemer of the world. He is my Lord and my God. I know Him. I love Him. I trust Him.

En el nombre de Jesucristo, el Santo de Israel,
Amen.

Elder Burdge

Use Facebook to Comment on this Post

No comments

Elders Burdge and Vazquez 2/17/14

By Sariah March 3, 2014 April 5, 2017 Elder Ammon Burdge, I Believe in Christ, Letters 2014, Photo Post

“Here’s a picture with my companion Elder Vazquez at the famous Salt Lick BBQ” -Elder Ammon Burdge

Use Facebook to Comment on this Post

No comments

Elder Ammon Burdge 12/30: “The End of the Holiday Season”

By Sariah January 6, 2014 April 5, 2017 December 2013, Elder Ammon Burdge, I Believe in Christ, Letters 2013, Photo Post

Christmas flew by rather quickly, but I enjoyed it very much. I loved opening the packages and things I received from my family and feeling the love and support they each give to me. I had the great opportunity of calling home and talking with my parents again. I know that they worry and pray for me. I appreciate those prayers and the assistance they give me. What I have missed most this Christmas is my siblings. As a missionary I am with someone every second of every day. I’ve had people ask if that is difficult for me or something that was hard to get used to. In all honesty, it’s not.

Most of my life has been spent right alongside all of my siblings. I remember all of us playing together in the various places we’ve lived. I remember Ben and Helaman riding the bus with me to school. I remember Sariah always being there to teach me rhymes and play music. When we were little we all used to play with a tape recorder and have radio talk shows pretending we were radio DJs. Growing up I never had my own room. Helaman and I always shared a room and because of our closeness in age we’ve done so many things together. So having a companion is nothing new to me. However, I missed being woken up Christmas morning by Ben and going out to see what Santa had left us. I missed having my siblings there to enjoy the holiday. But I am grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ because I know that we will never be separated in the eternities as long as we remain true to what we know.

The pictures are of our paper Christmas tree with our presents below it and a Christmas Cactus!

Love,

Elder Burdge

Use Facebook to Comment on this Post

No comments

Elder Ammon Burdge: 12/2 Texas San Antonio Mission Pics!

By Sariah December 2, 2013 April 5, 2017 December 2013, Elder Ammon Burdge, I Believe in Christ, Letters 2013, Photo Post

More pictures from Ammon! I love it when he sends these. Click on the gallery to read about each photo. -There’s an awesome story behind the tie.

: This is our area.

: This is our bikes. Mine’s the black and red one. It’s awesome as you can probably tell.

: Don’t worry Mom, we have food.

: The room of Elder Franks and I.

: My desk.

: The work of our area. That white board takes up the whole wall and we hardly have space for all the work that goes on.

: Apparently there was an Elder Burdge who served in TSAM before me. One of the assistants gave me a tie that Elder Burdge gave to him.

Use Facebook to Comment on this Post

No comments

Elder Ammon Burdge: 11/26 Leaving for Texas and More Pictures

By Sariah December 1, 2013 April 5, 2017 Elder Ammon Burdge, I Believe in Christ, Letters 2013, November 2013, Photo Post

Ammon left for San Antonio, TX, Wednesday, November 27th at 6am. He asked me to post this video for the week. The song is called, “Nephi’s Psalm”, it was performed by the BYU Men’s Chorus in the April 2007 LDS General Conference. Click the photo below to listen.

Click here to listen to Nephi’s Psalm

Ammon also sent some pictures of his time spent before leaving Mexico. Click on the gallery to read a story about each photo.

: This is me and Hermana Maama who I played volleyball with a lot.

: The second is me and Elder Worley. We both thought we knew each other before the CCM but we figured out that we’ve probably never met before. Nevertheless we became pretty good friends.

: Elder Cook, Me, and Hermana Pettit.

: The entire district with our other teacher Hermano Guttierrez

: Our district with the branch presidency.

: Here is the Missionary purpose in español.

: There were only three of us left on Tuesday. We got to know the secretary of the CCM presidency and his wife pretty well and they helped us pull some strings so that we could go to the temple one more time with our teacher Hermano Gutierrez and also see the visitor’s center that just opened up.

: These next pictures are from the Mexico City Visitor’s center. The first is a really awesome hallway with flowers and things from the ceiling and a fountain at the entrance.

: The sort of evolution of temples as they went from tents, to Soloman’s temple to Kirtland temple. This helps us see that the temples we have now are in the design of the Lord.

: Here is a picture of what the Celestial room looks like in the Mexico City Temple.

: This is the Christus statue

: The visitor’s center has a really clever children’s area that teaches about temples and the Book of Mormon.

: This picture is of a giant picture book about stories from the Book of Mormon. It’s turned to Samuel the Lamanite.

Use Facebook to Comment on this Post

No comments

Elder Ammon Burdge 10/30

By Sariah November 16, 2013 April 5, 2017 Elder Ammon Burdge, I Believe in Christ, Letters 2013, October 2013, Photo Post

These are some pictures Ammon sent me a few weeks ago. He included descriptions, which I’ve inserted in the captions. Click on them for a better view. Enjoy!

: “The enterance of the CCM and the Thomas S. Monson building in the background.”

: “We were extremely fortunate to share a room with Elders from Mexico. They were only here for two weeks but they were more than welcoming and kind. We grew close. This is a picture of me and Elder Portilla outside of our dorm room.”

: “This is our room”

: “This is the view from our dorm room. The entire city is so dense and there are so many houses that extend way up the mountains.”

: “My name tag and D&C Section 4”

: “Onward, ever onward”

: “The bus ride to the Mexico City Temple”

: “This is one of the Green Indian statues”

: More of the bus ride

: “The picture here is of a beetle taxi! I thought it was cool.”

: “These vibrant purple bushes are all over the city.”

: “Mexico is so colorful!”

: Mexico City Temple

: The front of the Mexico City temple. “I think it’s awesome how they have added carvings to it that reflect the culture.”

: Back of the Mexico City temple

: “It’s so cool seeing Holiness to the Lord the House of the Lord in Spanish!”

: “This is me in front of the temple”

: “All the Elders in our district (note Angel Moroni looking over our shoulders). From left to right: Elder Goodspeed from Utah going to South Carolina, Elder Odle from Nebraska going to Georgia, Elder Snow from San Diego CA going to San Antonio TX, Elder Cook from Knoxville Tennessee going to Reno Nevada, Elder Burdge, and Elder Hendricks from Bountiful Utah going to San Antonio TX.”

: “This is a picture of a pole. Mexico City is built on a lake and the city sinks little by little all the time. When important buildings are built, they drill these pylons into the bedrock of the lake. This white pole between the two trees used to be at ground level. It is now sticking out about four feet from the ground. This means that the temple has sunk four feet since being built.”

: “These are some sweet carvings on some of the other buildings on the temple grounds.”

: “In the classroom buildings there are these awesome pictures that look like they were drawn with pencil of scenes from the Book of Mormon that I’ve never seen before but they look awesome. The second picture is Ammon teaching King Lamoni “