It's...ALIVE!!

Dear friends and family,

I am alive.

The past couple weeks have been something else! So I'm sure many of you are wondering, "Where is Elder Burgess?", well I come with an answer. I'm in Mpumalanga, South Africa. That's the province anyways. The town we live in is called 'Witbank' but the area I'm serving in is just outside of Witbank. It's called 'Kwa-guqa'. Now there's a click in there so the ending sounds like a pop. Maybe one day I'll share with you all how these places are pronounced.

Anyways, to answer the real question at your hearts...yes, I was evacuated out of Botswana. It's a shame, yes, but now the church knows how to go about things. So we hope and pray that the problem can be done and over.

I was told I was going to Kwa-guqa the Thursday before last. Now I've heard and known about this very ward from previous companions so I was excited. I'm now here with Elder Shorthill, my new companion. He is officially my first American companion (unless you count Elder Phillips in the MTC, which I'm not really). He's a great kid and he just so happens to be from Orangeville, Utah. What are the odds two Utah kids white wash an area? Actually likely... but that's beside the point.

So to inform you all, I'm well. I'm healthy, I'm happy and there are no complaints.

The work is a bit slow because we're opening a new area (again) and the missionaries that we now share the ward with were only working on the side that was divided to them. It's understandable though. The area is quite large and they were working close to the chapel and where the work is progressing. As for us, most of our area has some distance from the chapel. Nothing new though. I'm grateful for the chance I have to take the gospel to the people here.

More will come, I'm sure, as we spend more time here.

Love you all,

- Elder Burgess