Emily Burnham: Week 6: PSI and Birthin' Prophets

One thing I love about being a missionary: you put on one of these missionary name badges, and suddenly people think you are a certified therapist and start spilling their entire life story and problems to you. The fun part is then following the Spirit to know which scriptures to "treat" them with.

The highlights of my week:

Monday: We got together with the others in our district and played a lot of fun games at the church. I won at a game of half-court speed! Who knew I was good at making baskets from the half court line? It was the most exhausting game of my life. We also played chair-soccer and signs!

Wednesday: We found a new investigator named Denise. We were able to teach her the Restoration very simply, and the Spirit was very strong. At the end, I asked if she would read the Book of Mormon, and she replied very firmly that she would. That night, we went to a relief society event, where we were taught by a less-active how to paint a picture of a vase with flowers. Mine is still in progress, but so far the blue flowers look like blueberries, and the purple flowers look like grapes! But she promised by the time we were all done with them, they would look professional... so I'm still waiting for a miracle to happen!

Thursday: Sister Wall and I volunteered at the Ronald McDonald House for six hours with the other missionaries in our district! It was a lot of fun, and we made about 1,700 meals for people. The best part was that so many people asked us questions about what church we were from simply because of our example. Service is missionary work!

Saturday: The day started off terribly. We had three set appointments and had a youth named Robyn come out with us. All three lessons fell through! That meant we had to tract around in the rain, and since Semmes, Alabama gets the most rain per inch in the U.S., that meant leaping over rivers of mud that used to be roads and driveways. Even through all of this, the Lord blessed us with miracles. Robyn was able to give out a Book of Mormon, and then her mother bought us all lunch. We went over to their house to eat, and her dad, Brother McCullough, is hilarious! He said his feet always hurt, but it was just another case of PSI--Pounds per Square Inch. He also took pictures of Sister Wall and I on his professional camera. They are super cute (even though my outfit totally wasn't matching) and he will hopefully send them soon so y'all can see them. Later that afternoon, we tried to find a referral, and ran into a religious lady who was excited to receive a Book of Mormon. She leaned over and whispered to us, "I don't tell very many people this, but I birthed a prophet!" She looked so serious, and Sister Wall and I had a hard time keeping straight faces. She was so sweet and invited us back anytime. We then went Gator hunting in the swamps next to her apartment. Five other men and boys went with us and threw bread in the water to attract them... but no such luck. When we go back, we will just have to try again!

Sunday: We biked to church, but then got a ride home from some awesome members because it started pouring. Brother Shoemaker, who owns the farm we live on, gave a talk during sacrament meeting. He said, "Lehi must have been a great father because he had two idiots of a son." He also told a story about the only time he was every so scared, his frame shook like Laman and Lemuel: He said, "My frame shook when I was knocked out of the crib by my pa for wasting corn!"

The members here are so funny and great! As I lose myself in the work and focus on my purpose as a missionary, I see so many miracles. During the hardest days, the Lord blesses us with the biggest miracles. I am so grateful for my companion and for the amazing memories I am making! I know that as a missionary, I get to have the closest life-style to Jesus as possible. It is the greatest to be fully focused on His work and His children.

Much love,

Sister Burnham