Week 25 - Amish Horns and Grand-youngin's

Hey y'all! So, I've been so excited for the weather to start cooling down. Now I want it to warm back up, and we haven't even reached November! Humid cold is not for me. My fingers and toes are constantly ice! This week I learned the power behind this scripture in 2 Nephi 26:33.

"For none of these iniquities come of the Lord; for he doeth that which is good among the children of men; and he doeth nothing save it be plain unto the children of men; and he inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile." 

No matter who we are, where we've come from, or what we've done, our loving Heavenly Father invites all of us to turn to His Son and be saved.

Monday:

We took pictures by the Brewton wall! There are some other cool buildings with murals on the side that I need to get pictures with!

Tuesday:

In district meeting, we learned about the importance of teaching simply. You know you really understand a topic when you can break it down and teach it so that a child can understand it. We also discussed how hard it is to get people to church because of the racism in Jay. About five years ago, a black man was shot in the back of the head and everyone still talks about it. One sister suggested to bring a black member to lessons with us so they can tell them that going to church isn't dangerous.

After district meeting, we tried contacting a referral, but our GPS led us to a blocked road with sandy roads full of giant water puddles going on each side. We wandered around a bit in the area before we were able to find our way out. But we passed by a construction worker three times, and I thought, "We should give that guy a Book of Mormon." We put in the other sister's information since it wasn't in our area, and I ran up to him and gave it to him. He was so surprised and said, "For me?" I felt so happy afterwards and knew God wanted him to have it. As we drove away, he smiled and waved at us.

That afternoon, we taught Maddie, who is very hard of hearing. I feel like I have to yell while teaching her, but the Spirit was still there and she listened to everything I said. Well, when we told her where church was, she said she didn't like Jay because her great-grandson had been shot and killed about five years ago. I sat there stunned, thinking "What are the odds?" We had found the great grandma of the guy shot and killed. We will probably have a hard time getting her to come to church.

Wednesday:

We went out this morning with a member of our branch, Tommie Richards, to a lesson with Ceola. She was referred to us over a month ago by her daughter and is very nice, but was a bit distant. When we brought Tommie, she opened right up and they were able to talk about a lot of racial issues we couldn't have related to since we are white. Many people in Brewton are black, and they don't want to come to church because it's by Jay. We took the sister's advice from district meeting and can see how much more success we'll have bringing members of the same race as our investigator to lessons. I just love seeing how The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is a world wide church, full of members of every race and culture. It is led by Jesus Christ through a prophet and all are welcome. You won't find that anywhere else.

Thursday:

We got to go to a trunk-or-treat in Milton, Florida to help out the other missionaries in our district. There were so many members. Sister Palmer and I have grown used to small branches, so we were both so amazed to see hundreds and hundreds of Mormons again! 

Friday:

At the senior devotional this morning, we read the story in Matthew 19 about the rich, young ruler, and then watched Elder Lawrence's conference talk, "What Lack I Yet?" One of the seniors, Delray, absolutely loved it! The Spirit was strong, and she said, "I want to learn more about the Lord." It's amazing that even at the ripe old age of 92, she is still actively learning more about Christ. No matter how old you get, there is always something you can work on and improve.

Saturday:

We contacted a referral on the very edge of our area. He is a home-bound man that wants someone to come and talk about God with him. Overall he was very friendly, but it was an interesting encounter because he critiqued us on our "presentation" as we began teaching him the Restoration. Then he told Sister Palmer that he saw her horns and said I looked Amish. But we were invited to come back! That evening we tried to contact a referral we had been given. All the information we had was that they lived in the middle of Jay Rd (which is five miles long) and the house was brick with a tin roof. We knocked on a LOT of houses that evening. People don't know we will knock a whole street to find someone! ;)

Sunday:

I gave a talk in sacrament meeting about the role of prophets. The nice thing about serving in a branch is that there were only about 20 people there. Everyone said I did a great job. Afterwards, Johnny told me that as I spoke, there were bright lights behind me. He said there were angels up there with me and supporting me. The Wrights had been praying for me because they knew how nervous I was. What he doesn't realize is that he is one of the many angels that have blessed me on my mission.

Much love,

Sister Burnham

Southern Sayin's and Moments:

Instead of saying kids and grand-kids, people say youngins and grand-youngin's. It's so cute!

Johnny has devised a plan to "fatten" me up so he can eat me. He said he was saving an apple to put in my mouth for when he decides to roast me. On the bright side, after the talk I gave on Sunday, he said he has changed his mind and has decided to keep me after all!

The cotton fields are ripe! They are so pretty!

Week 24 - Perdido Appreciation Day

Happy fall, y'all! Can't tell you how many of those signs I've seen here! Love it!

I know the Holy Ghost speaks to each one of us individually and gently. As we strive to listen, so many miracles will happen. They may seem like a coincidence, but I know it is by divine design. So many miracles happened this week because of small promptings we had from the Spirit and from sincere and heartfelt prayer:

2 Nephi 33:4 "And I know that the Lord God will consecrate my prayers for the gain of my people."

Monday:

After the beach, we had a lesson with our investigator Alex. She is so sweet and her testimony of the Book of Mormon is growing. Last Monday at the beach feels like a dream. Maybe I'll get to serve in that area one day! But I am so grateful to be in Brewton, because so many miracles happened this week.

Tuesday:

Today was a strange day. After district meeting, we drove to a super far part of our area and tracted a new complex that was being built. I realized how overly optimistic and hopeful I am for people. I really want to give them every opportunity to accept the gospel because I love it so much. We parked in the lawn of a man, and as we approached his door, he was sitting outside. He looked so dark and angry. He asked us to walk away. I asked if he was at least interested in family history. He again told us to walk away. As we moved on to another house, Sister Palmer had a distinct impression that we needed to go back and move our car. We drove away and parked at a nearby member's house. Then we met an old man who was friendly, and then another man who was so arrogant and prideful. I didn't catch on at first, but Sister Palmer said that the way he was leaning on his door and looking down at us was very condescending. Then as we offered him a Book of Mormon, he said, "Well, I'll take the book because you walked all the way up here." We had a nice evening with the Wrights, teaching them more about temples.

Wednesday:

Funny story: most of our plans today fell through. An investigator dropped us, we taught a lady with dementia the Restoration (she agreed with everything we said at least!), and got barked at by angry dogs. I didn't let this get me down though. We went to another set appointment, and the lady wasn't there, so we decided to try a boy I had given a Book of Mormon to last week. He wasn't home. His neighbor was a former investigator we had tried multiple times, but no answer. Even when we heard people home. We decided, "Eh, let's just try her again. Why not?" Well, She has a camera at the front door, so we maneuvered our bags so she wouldn't see who we were and turned away from the camera when we knocked. The friendliest mom opened the door, saw we were missionaries, and invited us right in. She started apologizing for not having us over for dinner, and about how much she loves missionaries. She told us about all the service she did for the elders in the past, and that if we ever needed anything, to come on over. She has two adorable kids, 8 and 9, and they are all huge Harry Potter fans! It was such a tender mercy, and I knew we were led there by God.

Thursday:

I pulled a muscle in my back yesterday and woke up in a ton of pain. But that didn't stop us from going out and teaching. As Sister Palmer always says, if you are having a hard day, that means some amazing miracle is going to happen because Satan doesn't want you out and about. It's true. We had the most spiritual lesson with Dysane. I testified so boldly and lovingly, and I knew she felt the Spirit so strong. We are slowly making progress with her!

Friday:

We had a devotional with the seniors at the senior center, and I played them some hymns on the violin that Johnny is loaning me. They love it so much. Then we stopped by Ellen's shop on our way to visit the Wrights. She is doing very well. Then we had a lesson on prayer with the Wrights. I had felt prompted during my personal study that morning to share something from Preach My Gospel about the proper language of prayer. When I did, Rhoda said that she had just been wondering about that a few days ago. It was amazing to see how God leads my studies to help those we teach. 

Scary moment of the night: we went to visit a less active member, and as we pulled into the trailer park, Sister Palmer pointed at the one next to the family and said never to knock on the door. It was her nonmember son who was obsessed with death and had threatened to kill his family before. As we said a prayer before going to visit the less active family, I felt a dark presence in the middle of the prayer, and knew that if I looked up, I would see him in the doorway staring at us. Well, right when I ended the prayer, I looked straight up at the door, and saw a large silhouette of a man. Staring right at us. It totally freaked me out. He wanted to know who was parking in front of his place, and I called back in an unnaturally high pitched voice, "The missionaries!" Then we quickly walked to the other trailer and everything was fine.

Saturday:

There is an area in our zone, Perdido, that doesn't have a car. Our whole zone had a "Perdido appreciation day," where we couldn't use our car. Sister Palmer and I had planned to go to a distant part of our area that day, but decided to change our plans so we could honor this idea that seemed silly at first. We walked around that day in Brewton and talked to everyone that we saw. We found a family at the park and people sitting on their porches that all became new investigators. One lady walked out her front door when she saw us walk by and gave us a big hug. She took a Book of Mormon and said we needed to come back and teach her. We're not sure if she's all there in the head, but she was so sweet!

Well, we had walked all day and then went back home to refill water and eat a snack. I was so tired, but we felt we needed to go back out, so we did. We walked to another park and found a group of teenagers, one of which was named Courtney. As soon as I saw her, she looked so familiar, like she reminded me of someone. Her eyes were so bright and I felt her divine potential. It turns out she is actually the cousin of a recent convert that moved away from our area. She said she would love to come to church with us but didn't have a ride. We got her number and asked the Wrights if they could give her a ride. That night, my feet were so sore, but it was so worth it. We walked 11 miles and found 11 new investigators--one for each mile we walked. I thought that was cool, especially since I really didn't want to walk all day at first. 

Sunday:

This morning, we went with the Wrights to pick Courtney up, and she came to church and loved it. One awkward moment that happened was that a member bore his testimony about polygamy in his talk! Of all the days, we had an investigator there! It was fine though; she didn't ask us any questions about it, and she loved how small the branch was. It felt like one big family to her. She felt so welcome and peaceful. After Relief Society, she asked if she could hang out with us. We were like, "Yes, of course!" So we drove back to the member's house and taught her the Restoration, and she cried and cried. The Spirit was so strong. We set a baptism date, and she is looking forward to coming to church next Sunday. It was so cool to see just how prepared she was and how perfect the timing was of finding her. We really connected with her and know God sent us to her that day. 

After our lesson with Courtney, we had a return appointment with a lady we had met yesterday, Centoria. She has six adorable children. We were able to teach her the Restoration, and four of her little ones sat in. Of course, in the middle of the first vision, the baby started screaming. We waited as she calmed him down and then continued. She said she would read the Book of Mormon and that we could come back next Sunday!

This area is so prepared. The Lord continues to place people in our path, and all I have to do is stay humble, obedient, and work hard. The rest is up to the Lord. I know sacrifice brings forth great blessings. No sacrifice is too great in the eternal scope of things! I am so privileged to be serving in this area and meeting God's elect. I love them so much--sometimes I wonder if my heart is big enough for all of the love I feel for these people I am meeting. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else in the world!

Much love,

Sister Burnham

Week 23: Paradise on the Beach

Hey y'all! This has been such a great week. It was full of a lot of growth and experiences that have strengthened my testimony that "hard is good." And the reason I am emailing so late is because of a tender mercy: one of our investigators, Ellen, took us to the Pensacola Beach this morning! It was a blast!

Monday:

Today wasn't super eventful because I was still feeling sick. We went shopping and emailed, and Sister Palmer cleaned the entire house! She loves cleaning. I was able to practice the violin for CJ's musical number and take it easy.

Tuesday:

ZONE CONFERENCE! It was so amazing. I learned so much about being bold, and I have a stronger desire to be more bold with door approaches. We learned about "sifting" the moment you meet someone by introducing yourself as a minister for Jesus Christ, called by a prophet. This will help you determine who the elect is that is willing to listen, or who isn't interested and would drop you anyways. It has worked effectively throughout the week. We also got flu shots... yay. That evening, we stopped by Erica's. She wouldn't let us in, but we found a new investigator. That is the fifth one from her house!

Wednesday:

Today was super busy. We had appointment after appointment scheduled. We were walking home from one this morning, and I waved at a lady. She signed to me that she was deaf, and when I signed back that I knew some sign language, her whole face lit up. We were able to give her a Book of Mormon and Restoration pamphlet. She started signing from it right then, and I knew she felt the Spirit. We asked her if she wanted to learn more, and she said yes! So, Sister Palmer and I are now the unofficial ASL missionaries in our mission! We are so excited, but also have been praying fervently for the gift of tongues (or would it be the gift of arms?). But anyways, we have been practicing signing and know the Lord will bless us and the deaf lady (we forgot to ask her name). We took Rhoda and Jonny to a lesson with Ben. They loved it! They are quite the member missionaries. Then we had a lesson with Dysane on prayer, and I promised her a lot of blessings, then invited her to pray. She did! What a miracle. 

We had a lesson later on that fell through because the lady wasn't home, but then as we were driving away, Sister Palmer thought she recognized her car, so we totally started following her. Sure enough, it was her! Sister Palmer is a pro-stalker. She ended up being busy and didn't let us in, but it was really fun!

At the Wrights house that evening, a miracle worked out so that CJ could have his baptism this Saturday, and both of his parents would be able to attend. We had family home evening, and CJ's dad attended. We were able to leave him with a Book of Mormon.

Thursday:

We had a correlation meeting this morning at the Wrights about CJ's baptism. Rhoda made us all breakfast, and we were able to work things out for the baptism. Then we drove all day to a city in Florida for a meeting I had with the mission counselor. I've been having to work on not stressing so much, and it was really good. I was able to have a break through and really understand how much God loves me and that everything will be okay. I have been able to learn so much and know that Heavenly Father is preparing me to be able to help so many people in the future. 

Friday:

We had a lesson with the deaf lady, Brenda, this morning! I remembered to ask her what her name was! When we showed up, she said she hadn't read. We talked with her for a bit and set up a time to come back when she had read. As we were walking away, we felt bad that we hadn't just asked if we could teach her right then. I'd also practiced praying in ASL so we could start with a prayer and teach her very simply. We decided to turn back and tell her we had forgotten to pray with her, and then teach her about God being our loving Heavenly Father. She was so happy to pray with us, and she taught us how to pray correctly (because my prayer obviously needed a lot of work). She said she wanted to help us learn more sign language so we could teach her better! We gave her a hug and left with the Spirit shining brightly in her eyes. Then we drove to Gulf Breeze for exchanges with our Sister Training Leaders. Sister Sjoblom and I drove back to Brewton. We got chewed out by a lady for "lying" to her, so that was a fun start to exchanges. But a miracle happened. We got new mattresses! My old one has been hurting my back a lot. We did a lot of tracting and a lot of sweating in the heat, and got preached to for 30 minutes by a man. It was cool to see the little tender mercies of the Lord throughout the day, even though a lot of our plans had fallen through--like setting return appointments with potentials to start teaching!

Saturday:

Today was CJ's baptism! We finished up our exchanges in the morning, and then left to prepare for CJ's baptism in Atmore, because our building doesn't have a baptismal font. We made up the programs, filled the font, and cleaned the room. I was able to practice the musical number on the violin. I played a medley of Nearer, My God, to Thee (CJ's favorite hymn because of the movie The Titanic) and When I am Baptized. When CJ showed up that evening, he was SO excited. He kept saying, "I'm getting bab-ee-tized!" because he can't say "baptized." His nonmember parents came. We left CJ's mom with a Book of Mormon. We saw how she had felt the Spirit and promised her she could find just as much happiness as CJ if she read the Book of Mormon.

Sunday:

CJ was confirmed a member of the church. It was fast and testimony meeting for us since church was cancelled last Sunday. CJ got up to bear his testimony, and it was the cutest thing ever! He thanked everyone for coming to his baptism. He said, while gesturing around the room with his arm, "Y'all are awesome. Sister Potter, Sister Wright, y'all are the best. Ever!" After church we had a linger-longer. Sister Fox made me cupcakes using rice flour, cashew mild, and pumpkin. They were super good! It was fun talking to members in the branch and eating food. Then we went home to weekly plan... because we haven't had time for it all week... again.  

Monday:

This morning we left with Ellen and Rhoda to go to the beach. The sand was white and beautiful. I felt like I was in paradise. I got so many cute pictures and enjoyed myself so much. I had fun jumping in the water, running in the sand, making shapes in the sand... It was a very good way to de-stress. We talked and laughed all day. I loved the salty breeze and the cool weather. Rhoda said that now that CJ has been confirmed, he has been telling everyone at school that he is a missionary. He really is such a special boy with a big heart and strong testimony.

I absolutely love being a missionary. I know this is exactly where God needs me. I have been learning and growing so much, and I know I will not be the same when I come home from my mission, because I will be more like Christ. I am so grateful for my companion and how much she has helped me these past seven weeks. I know Heavenly Father loves y'all so much. He is a God of miracles. I've been witnessing them all week. I testify that this is His true church, and that we will find the most joy by being faithful and obedient.

Much love,

Sister Burnham

With Ellen

Week 22 - The Moon is Shining

Hey y'all, it's been quite the week!

Monday:

We met with Ellen this morning. We were so nervous and decided to sing Nearer, My God, to Thee. She loved it and it brought the Spirit in. Then we read 1 Nephi 1 with her. She had a lot of good questions, but she is having a hard time understanding why we need The Book of Mormon. I asked her how long it would take her to read a 500 page book. She said, "A day, maybe a week or two." I then challenged her to read the Book of Mormon and to pray and ask God if it was true. She accepted. I know that as she starts a serious study of the Book of Mormon, she will feel the Spirit and come to know it is true. 

Tuesday:

When we showed up at district meeting, there were a bunch of cop cars and a fire truck. A mother had accidentally locked her baby in the car. We stood out there with the other sisters and watched them break into the car and get him out. He was covered in sweat and was screaming when they finally got him out. :( 

That evening, the lesson with Erica fell through, but we met her cousin and gave her a Book of Mormon. We got her number and will meet with her soon.  

Wednesday:

We went to Ellen's that morning, and as we sat there, we didn't feel like we should bring up the Book of Mormon. We just listened as she talked about all the pets she used to have: African bobcats, cougars, monkeys, etc. She absolutely loves animals. She says God has a polar bear and grizzly bear waiting for her in heaven. We went and saw Diane, who had surgery yesterday. She is alive and well! We watched President Nelson's talk on The Book of Mormon with her and Dysane. We love them so much. Then we had a return appointment with "Kid," the lady who got out of prison. She dropped us because she said their wasn't a voice inside of her saying to "shut up and listen" when we spoke to her. But, we asked the 13 year old girl, Raydha, if she was interested in learning more. We had seen her flipping through the Book of Mormon and reading it. We set a return appointment for Friday. Then we went to the Wright's for CJ's baptismal interview. We are planning his baptism for this Saturday. Our district leader met us there and had just driven back from Tallahassee, where he picked up a new missionary to train! The new missionary, Elder Thomas, plays the violin and fixed up Johnny's violin. We stopped by Erica's that evening. She wasn't home, but her mom was. She said she was interested in sitting in the next lesson because she has seen how the book we gave Erica is already changing her. We gave her a copy too!

Thursday:

Every Thursday, we have to drive a 6 hour round trip to Bristol for a meeting. I learned a lot about how the only thing we are in control of is our agency, and that is the only gift we can truly give to God. As a missionary, we face a lot of stresses, but we have to remember what we are in control of--knocking on doors, talking to people--and not worry about what can happen in response: doors being slammed in our faces or people bashing with us. I have more courage and motivation to talk with everyone! On our way home, we stopped by a referral. She wasn't home, but we met her sister, Chasity. She had a baby named Emily, so it was cool to connect with her and tell her that was my name too! We promised her that as she read the Book of Mormon, her grades for nursing school would improve and she would know exactly how to raise her daughter! Then we had dinner with the Foxes and played Skip-Bo with them. I was sooo close to winning! On the way there, we stopped by a historical site of a well on Damascus street (a lot of streets in the south are very biblical!)

Friday:

I felt a bit sick today, but we had a full day scheduled, so I went out anyways. We also got a text from our leaders that there was a hurricane headed our way! In the morning, we had a devotional at the senior center, and I played some songs for them on the violin.They loved it! Then we had a lesson with Ben. Rhoda took us to it, and we taught the Restoration. He felt the Spirit and realized the importance of reading The Book of Mormon. Rhoda loves coming out with us and wants to serve a mission. She shared such a powerful testimony of The Book of Mormon and the Atonement of Jesus Christ. 

Then we went back for our lesson with Raydha, and three other kids were there: Gavin (9), Ashanti (12), and Janazsia (10). They loved listening to the Restoration and are excited to read The Book of Mormon. I was able to explain how Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are separate beings as we taught the First Vision, and Ashantie said, "That makes sense because Jesus Christ is the the Son of God." After this lesson, Sister Palmer and I decided that we needed to focus on the youth of Brewton because they are a lot more open and sensitive to the truth. 

We went to Rhoda and Johnny's to teach CJ, and they told us that his baptism had been postponed due to Hurricane Nate... CJ was so sad and disappointed. We had dinner there and I decided to try the ghost pepper sauce in my chili. Well, since my stomach is sensitive, it made me really sick. But after a while, I felt good enough to leave, so we stopped by Erica's. She wasn't home, but a friend name Chris came out and said he was interested in meeting with us. We set an appointment to visit him next Friday. Literally every time we stop by her house, we pick up a new investigator! Then we stopped by a gas station and I felt prompted to give two people copies of The Book of Mormon. They were very interested :)

Saturday:

Well, we had to be inside by 5pm because that night the hurricane was supposed to hit. I wasn't feeling well, so I mostly slept all day. I had a fever and was burning up. Well, we felt like we should go to the Wrights that afternoon when I felt a bit better and watch The Testaments with them. It was so cool to watch their reactions as they saw how The Book of Mormon worked together with the Bible, and they were both crying at the end when Christ came to the Americas. It was exactly what they needed. Also, Sister Palmer cleaned out our closet in preparation for the hurricane that didn't hit us...

Sunday:

Church was cancelled due to the hurricane that was supposed to head our way. Other than heavy rain during the night, nothing happened. No flooding, no destruction. But it was a blessing for me because I was sooo sick all day. Whenever I wasn't sleeping, I was watching church videos on our small DVD player. We don't have a large variety, so I watched the Restoration three times...

I know that The Book of Mormon is true, and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is God's true, restored church here on earth. Joseph Smith was a prophet called of God, and we have a living prophet on earth today. A scripture that really spoke to me this week was in 1 John 3:2-3 "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure." I know we are children of God, and we will one day be perfected through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. We can stand clean before our Heavenly Father and be just like Him. We can't imagine all God has in store for us, or what it will be like to be perfected, because we are imperfect. But as we have hope and faith, we will become pure.

Much love,

Sister Burnham

Funny Sayin's:

1. Rhoda told her husband: "Your shirt is short and the moon is shining!" when he bent down to grab something. 

2. With hurricanes, missionaries send a lot of fun hashtags and sayings. For hurricane Irma, the joke was "Irmapocolypse" and "I don't know about you, but Irma little disappointed by the hurricane."

With Hurricane Nate, we received a message with a #nastynate. This cracked Sister Palmer up because her dad's name is Nate. (And it is funny now how both of her parents' names have been used for hurricanes, because her mom's name is Katrina).

3. My companion says I look like the grinch--when he turns good at the end--when I'm super happy and smile really big. I still don't see it...

Week 21 - Potato Couch and Dead... Tired

Transfer news: I'm staying in Brewton with Sister Palmer!!!

As I've been pondering over this week, the scripture that I put on my mission plaque stuck out to me: Alma 29:9 "I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I do not glory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me; yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy." I know I am called of God to do His work.

Monday:

We had another lesson with Ellen and Lola, where we were able to answer some questions and concerns. This was the most bold I've ever been in a lesson, keeping it on track and following up with the commitment we left. I had this feeling that we couldn't lose them, so every time the lesson would get off track, I brought it back. It was cool to see how bold you can be when you truly love them. However, Lola gave back her copy of The Book of Mormon and said she is too old to read and understand it, and isn't changing religions. We were still able to set a return appointment to come back with Rhoda and teach the Plan of Salvation to Ellen. That evening, we went over to the Wright's home. Johnny fixed up a violin for me! I had to tune it by ear using their keyboard, and then I was able to play some songs for them. It was a blast!

Tuesday:

At district meeting, I played the opening and closing hymns. Usually Sister Palmer plays, but since her hand was still swollen like a balloon from the wasp sting, I volunteered. And usually I hate playing in front of people! It's amazing to see the Lord working through me as I use my talents to bless others. He magnifies my talents so I can be of more service to Him--I truly an instrument in His hands :)

We contacted some referrals that afternoon and tracted into some homes. Well, we met some pretty strange people. One man kept cussing a lot and said he was interested in having multiple wives. Then we tracted into a Jehovah Witness lady who wouldn't give us referrals for people who needed a message of peace because "she was going to go visit them herself." 

Wednesday:

This morning, Rhoda came with us to teach Ellen. When we got to the three kingdoms of glory, I shared an analogy I had come up with: Those in this life who love working out and training to run marathons get to enjoy the blessings of a fit body and can do a lot. This is like those in the Celestial Kingdom who have strong desires to serve God and do all they can to follow Christ. Then there are the people who work out occasionally to keep in decent shape, and sometimes become super motivated to work out and get healthy... but this lasts for a week and they are back to being lazy. This is like people in the Terrestrial Kingdom, who had desires to do good things, but didn't fully commit and follow through with it. Then there are the couch potatoes, who really don't care about exercising and sit around all day. They are fat and unfit, and can't do much with their body, but that was their desire. They are content with it because they didn't want to put forth the work and would rather laze around all day. This is like those in the Telestial Kingdom who live in their sins. Well, the analogy was great and all, but Sister Palmer informed me afterwards that I had said, "And then there are the potato couches" instead of couch potatoes. They all tried so hard not to laugh and I didn't even realize my mistake until she told me afterwards! Well, that was just the start to me mixing up all my words! Later that day at Diane's house, she told us she was so nervous for her surgery next Tuesday. I said we would see her next Thursday if she wasn't dead. Her eyes widened and she looked freaked out. I hastily added, "Tired! Dead tired!" Whoops... 

We also met with a lady who had gotten out of jail a while back. She has a lot of tattoos and a tough exterior. She was freaked out that we knew her real name, Lora, because everyone else knows her as "Kid," which is her prison name. We didn't feel comfortable sharing who had given us her name as a referral, so we just said we had talked with a lot of people that day. So... then she asked if we knew her name because we had been down by the prison.  

Thursday:

I've always hated road trips, but I think they are growing on me, just a bit. We drove three hours to another part of our mission for the day, and I stayed productive by gluing cards together for an object lesson with CJ that evening. They had different aspects of the gospel written on them, like faith and repentance, for us to build a card house. I taped them to the dashboard to keep them still, and when we stopped for lunch, we saw a man peering into our car at them. He had a preacher vibe about him and said he liked our cards because it reminded him of a bible verse. We are definitely sharing the gospel in strange ways!

Friday:

Sister Palmer is a runner, so she decided to teach me the correct way to run (because I've apparently been running incorrectly my whole life). Now I actually enjoy running a lot more! We visited a man, Ben, in a wheelchair who requested to meet with missionaries. He has a lot of potential! Then we returned back and taught Lora and some children who are staying with her. Sister Palmer taught me a cool way to teach the Restoration using the pamphlet. She had learned it from a talk she read. You show them the pictures on each page of the pamphlet and ask them what they see. Their response helps you determine how much they already know about God and Christ, prophets, the Priesthood, and so forth. It also gets them more involved.

Saturday:

General Conference was amazing. I had so many questions that were answered because I had prayed and prepared for this special day. I loved Elder Holland's talk about not beating ourselves up over our mistakes. We live in a fallen, telestial world and cannot be perfect right now. I'm kind of a perfectionist with super high expectations for myself, so this hit home. I'm now working on having more patience with myself. Between sessions, Rhoda and Johnny took us out for lunch. I got a salad at Subway, and one of the workers decorated it beautifully and said to post a picture of it on twitter with a #subway. Well, this is the closest I can get to social media!

Sunday:

One cool thing Sister Palmer and I applied during general conference was listening to each talk with our investigator's needs in mind. As we did so, revelation came for what they need, and we were able to write down their name next to the talk that would help them. It was cool to see that afterwards, we had written down the same person for the same talks. That evening, we stopped by a bible referral that we received a week ago, but hadn't been able to contact. She was home! And she came outside and asked what we were doing as we were in the car praying, so I quickly had to end the prayer, and we jumped out of the car. She invited us inside, and we taught her the Restoration. She is so prepared and willing to learn more. We walked through the pamphlet with her, asking her what she saw. I enjoyed watching her eyes light up as she made connections and was taught by the Spirit. We really are just guides for them to learn from the Spirit. Instruments in the hand of God :)

If you missed any of the sessions of general conference, I invite you to go online and watch them. It is such a privilege to hear from God's apostles and to receive answers to our questions and concerns. They really do speak for Christ!

Much love,

Sister Burnham

Saying goodbye to Curtis and Rachel! They are moving this week :(

I love being a missionary and wearing a tag with Christ's name on it!

Week 20: Book of the Mormons

Hey y'all!

Over 20 weeks ago, I left for the MTC. It's crazy to think about how fast time passes when you are serving the Lord. This week has been crazy because we have practically been everywhere except here in Brewton! 

Monday:

We were able to meet with Rhoda's sisters and mom. We taught them the Restoration, and during the entire lesson, Sister Palmer and I could feel the potential in the room. We were both so nervous because we knew we were teaching the elect of God. The anticipation and Spirit was so strong. Rhoda's sister Ellen sat on the edge of her seat and was so interested. When we started talking about The Book of Mormon, she asked us if she could have a copy! She is so excited to read and learn more with her sisters and mom. Their eyes are so bright with the light of Christ!

Tuesday:

We drove an hour to district meeting and had an amazing lesson on the authority we have as missionaries to promise specific blessings. We have the ability to discern their needs and leave them with commitments that will help them to exercise faith in Christ, repent, and lead towards baptism. Then we have the power to know exactly what God wants to promise them to help them along the path. 

We served that afternoon in a hot warehouse with barely any water, and I felt so tired afterwards! I think I might have had some heat exhaustion...

Wednesday:

We drove to Pensacola for interviews with President Smith for most of the day. While in the area, we were asked to see two less actives. One of them had holes in the floor of her house, which scared Sister Palmer because she hates snakes. She also had a 14 year old, tiny dog that was insane! Her bark sounded like a chicken. Then we went to visit the other lady. We opened the side gate that said "Beware of Dog" and walked all the way around past giant spiders, and then a giant Rottweiler dog ran out of the house right at Sister Palmer and scared her half to death. Then the owner came out so Sister Palmer decided to pet the dog. Turns out she was friendly! That evening, we went to a branch Lu'au. We had been asked to do some hula dancing, and since we both can't dance, we were dreading it. But tender mercies are real because we didn't have to hula dance after all! 

Thursday:

Today was a day for weekly planning and recent convert lessons! We met with the Nelsons, who are actually moving out of our area soon. Then we got to see Diane and Dysane. We read from the Book of Mormon and invited Dysane to be baptized. She said she isn't ready yet, but I know it's only a matter of time before she realizes that this is the path for her. Then we had dinner at Rhoda and Johnny's house. Rhoda made us a ton of Southern dishes, including lima-beans, peas, okra, and beans, dumplings, chicken and rice, and corn bread. I love spending time with them. Their house feels like a second home. 

Friday:

We left at 7:30am to drive to Bonifay, FL for a Sisters' Conference, and we arrived home around 6pm. It was amazing to see all of the sisters of the mission in one area. I got to see my trainer, and Sister Palmer got to see her trainer (who is actually my mission grandma because she trained Sister Wall too). I learned so much about de-stressing and being in a frame of mind where you are always focused on what others need to grow in the gospel. As you focus about others and how they feel about themselves, you don't have to worry about yourself at all, which leaves room for God to take care of you. This is when you can actually grow the most!

Saturday:

Wasn't the General Women's Session amazing? We drove with members to the stake center and had snacks before it started. It was so cool to witness how Diane and Rhoda loved everything that was said. I know they felt the Spirit and heard exactly what they needed. 

Sunday:

We taught the Restoration on a porch to a bunch of ladies. We drove by them, and I had waved. They all waved back. We kept driving by. A few blocks later, Sister Palmer pulled a sudden U-Turn and said we needed to go back and talk with them. They were so friendly and invited us to sit down. They were welcoming at first, but then the uncle came outside and sat in. He started bashing us, so I just bore my testimony and witness of the Book of Mormon and invited him to read it and pray about it for himself. That evening we had dinner with our branch president and his wife. Right beforehand, Sister Palmer got stung by a wasp and her hand started to swell! Hopefully it will heal fast in the next few days. Dinner was enjoyable. The branch president has two adorable little boys, and they truly are amazing examples of Christ. 

Prophesies being fulfilled in the South:

One of our recent converts calls The Book of Mormon "the book of the Mormons." It is so cute. Here in the South, people call it the Mormon Bible. They have a hard time understanding it is completely unrelated to the Bible and the events that take place in it. They literally think it's our own version of the Bible. We have a fun time explaining that to people! It's especially crazy when we introduce the Book of Mormon to people, and they quote 2 Nephi 29:6 about having a Bible and not needing another Bible. We truly are living in the last days, and prophesies are being fulfilled all around us! It just adds to my testimony that the Book of Mormon truly is the word of God. This book is miraculous proof that the heavens are open today. I know as we read it with real intent, we will come closer to our Savior, Jesus Christ. 

Much love,

Sister Burnham

We ate dinner at Rhoda and Johnny's house. We had some fine Southern style dishes! 

Yum :)

A three generational picture! Sister Wall trained me, and Sister Richins trained her AND Sister Palmer. So, fun fact: I am currently companions with my mission aunt!

With Diane and Dysane! We are teaching Dysane, and Diane, her sister, is a recent convert. They are so sweet!

Zone Conference! We combined with the Mobile Zone last Saturday!