Week 29 - Bag Ladies and Bible-Bashing

Howdy y'all!

I finished the Book of Mormon this week and started it all over again. It's amazing how it answers all your questions, no matter how silly or irrelevant they seem. I know the Book of Mormon was given to us because God loves us. As we read it, He will strengthen us to withstand any trials that come our way. It is a precious book. It is a miracle.

Monday:

We spent a lot of time cleaning, shopping, and organizing the house. We made sure our car was in top shape for the car inspection at zone conference tomorrow! I am pretty sure our house is one of the cleanest in the entire mission. Here is a picture of me with my new companion, Sister Jarvis:

Tuesday:

ZONE CONFERENCE! I love going to zone conference and feeling the power that comes from so many righteous missionaries in one area. Plus, I love seeing Sister Scott! Sister Smith pulled the sister missionaries into a room for a talk away from the boys/elders. I love the other sisters so much, and their testimonies strengthened mine. We also passed our car inspection! Afterwards, we started our exchanges with the Gulf Breeze sisters. Sister Jarvis and I both stayed down in that area. My companion for the exchange was Sister Houston. She is awesome, and I learned so much from her! That evening, we drove to their church building to do service with the "Bag Ladies." They cut plastic Walmart-type bags into strips to crochet into mats for the homeless people! It was so interesting, and one of the ladies taught me how to crochet :). 

Wednesday:

That morning, we had our last call-in lesson with the mysterious JR. Every time after I've talked with him these past two weeks, I've felt anxious and bad afterwards. After the phone call, Sister Houston pointed out some really good lessons: the Spirit wasn't there the entire time. Every time I would testify of something, he would twist the truth, which is a tactic of Satan. He says he is interested in learning, but has no intentions of acting on what he is learning. As I told him that Heavenly Father is waiting for him to act on his faith, he got really offended and went off on a tangent, which made me feel terrible inside, like I had done something wrong. But as I talked with Sister Houston after, she said the guilty take the truth to be hard, just like Nephi's brothers, and that I was a powerful teacher and had great insights, but he just wasn't prepared. Later in my studies I found the perfect scripture to describe him: 2 Timothy 3:7. Sister Houston told me that as soon as an investigator rejects the teachings from Preach My Gospel, it is out of our calling and authority as missionaries to continue teaching them. It becomes "Bible-bashing." I've learned that Bible-bashing doesn't take away from the Spirit, it is what happens when the Spirit is already not present. As you teach them simple truths and scriptures, if the Spirit isn't there to enlighten their mind, it becomes twisted and they want to argue with you.

Awkward moment of the day: As we went out contacting and sharing "Light the World," we ran into THREE Jehovah Witnesses, which was so awkward because they don't celebrate Christmas. One man politely rejected the card, while the other ladies we talked to went on a rant about how Christmas is so commercialized. I just feel so sad because I LOVE Christmas and the cheer it brings! I'm so excited!!!

Thursday:

Happy Thanksgiving! We spent the day with our recent convert, Sister Longs! We met all her non-member family members, and the cutest little kids came. A two-year-old girl, Kianne, gave us hugs. She was adorable and brightened my day. There was lots of food and people to talk to. Afterwards, we went home and weekly planned because no one wanted to talk to missionaries on Thanksgiving. Obviously, they need to get their priorities straight ;)

Friday:

We stopped by and saw Ellen and Lola. We told them about the Bag Ladies, and how I learned to crochet. Lola gave us a lot of her crocheting things that she never finished because now she is too old to hold a crocheting needle. We also went to visit Brother and Sister Wright. They are doing so well, and Johnny told us that he has an interview to get the Melchizedek Priesthood!!!! I am so excited for him that I couldn't help but smile and smile and smile. He looked so nervous, but we were able to share with him all the ways he can bless his family with the higher priesthood power. I love them so much! 

Saturday:

We decided to try a new method of finding investigators: service tracting! We went out in street clothes and asked people if they needed help, or if they knew anyone who needed help. People were friendlier to us. As we were walking down the street, one lady called to us, "What are you doing?" I told her we were walking around, looking for ways to serve people just like Christ did. She was surprised. We offered to rake her yard and she said, "Honey, you can rake all the leaves you want!" But she told us to come back next week because the big Alabama vs. Auburn game was on that night, which is the two rival schools here in Alabama. She was decked out in her Alabama gear and had a giant blanket hanging from her porch. She took a picture of us in front of it and gave us some food! We also met a teenage girl who asked us if she was going to Hell if she did drugs. We had an interesting conversation with her and set a return appointment. We will see how that goes...

Sunday:

Three non-members came to church today! They just don't live in our area. But it was so good. They are loving church and want to change their lives. Afterwards, we talked with our Branch President about starting the Bag Ladies here in our area with the Relief Society. We all think it will be a great way to bring the community together and get non-members to visit the church! Something big is going to happen in Brewton in the coming year, and I'm excited I get to be a part of this area's journey. That evening, we visited a former investigator, and she was excited to help us out with the service project. They also pulled out an old violin they had laying around for me to play for her and her husband. The Lord is definitely magnifying my talents out here to connect with others and bring them closer to Christ! I've also been playing the piano in church, and it has been amazing to see how the Lord blesses my ability to play when I am doing it to serve others. I am truly learning what it means to be an instrument in His hands.

Much love,

Sister Burnham

Weather update: IT IS SO COLD IN THE MORNINGS. Humidity makes a huge difference! I think I definitely prefer a dry climate. But the weather is very nice throughout the day :)

Week 28 - Spiritual First Responder

Hey y'all! This week has been hard, but full of miracles and tender mercies every day. I didn't know it would be so hard to say goodbye to Sister Palmer, and I definitely miss her, but Sister Jarvis is very sweet. Change is hard, but also good. It helps us to keep growing and gaining experiences to bring us closer to Jesus Christ. I feel that so many miracles are just around the corner, and I'm so excited to see what this transfer has in store for me! I am also learning to follow the Spirit throughout the day to know what to do. Now that I am leading out this area, I pay close attention to every thought that comes to mind and every feeling I have. 

Monday:

After receiving transfer news, we stopped by Diane's and the Wrights to have a lesson and for Sister Palmer to say goodbye. And of course, we got some photos!

Tuesday:

We had district meeting all morning, and later that evening stopped by Tasha and Darren's for a lesson. They only had a few minutes, but we could tell they are very interested. I am excited to continue to teach them. We also went by the Wrights that evening to teach CJ a lesson. He is so cute!

Wednesday:

Exercise time this morning was fun! Sister Palmer acted as my personal trainer to help me perfect my form for running. I am in much better shape and can run much faster now! Then we drove to transfer spots, where I met my new companion, Sister Jarvis! She has been out for 10 months and is from New Mexico. She has five younger siblings. She loves to laugh, so we are going to have a lot of fun together! But... she doesn't have her driver's licence yet, so my driving skills are about to improve drastically ;).

We taught Tasha and some little girls she was watching the Plan of Salvation. One of her neighbors was over, and she had lost her brother a year ago. She is 16 and really enjoyed the lesson. We gave her a Book of Mormon and scheduled a return appointment.

Thursday:

Happy Birthday Russell! So... I thought I would hug the closest thing to my dad! In celebration of my dad's birthday, we... weekly planned for three or more hours! It will take some time for Sister Jarvis to get familiar with the area, especially since our area is a bit more than half the size of the entire stake. And we are the only branch in the stake.

Friday:

We scheduled with Sister Wright to go and see one of our male investigators. He wasn't home, and neither was the male investigator who we had planned as a back-up. As we walked away from his door, I was thinking, "I guess now Rhoda will go back home and we'll have to figure something else out." Then I remembered praying that morning that when we didn't know what to do throughout the day, we would pray. I felt like there was something else we should do, so we went back to the car and prayed. Afterwards, Sister Wright asked us if we had seen Courtney lately. We hadn't, so we acted on the thought, and she drove us to Courtney's house. When we pulled up, Courtney poked her head out the front door and saw us. She said she'd love to have a bible study, so we drove back to the Wrights and taught her the Plan of Salvation. She loved it! It answered so many questions she had, and she felt the Spirit so strong. After, she told us she and her husband would be moving to Colorado, and I am so happy for her. It doesn't matter if she is baptized here or in Colorado, I'm just so full of love and joy that she is finding peace in this gospel. And it was such a good experience for Rhoda to act on that prompting she had and see the good that came of it. She is definitely a spiritual first-responder! That evening, our Branch Mission Leader took us out to dinner where Rhoda's sister worked, and we were able to leave Ida our number to schedule a time to meet. It was a day full of miracles.

Saturday:

We tried contacting a ton of referrals, but not many were home. Someone let us in, and we taught her the Plan of Salvation up until the Spirit World, because then she said she didn't believe in the pre-mortal life or Spirit world, and wanted to bible-bash with us. As it so happened, I had conveniently left my scriptures in the car, so I didn't engage, and we left after we bore our testimony to her. But we planted a lot of seeds!

Sunday:

During sacrament meeting, I gave CJ a mint, and he bit it instead of sucking on it. It got super spicy, and he starting waving his hand in front of his mouth like a fan and whispering, "Hot, hot, hot!" Fortunately, Sister Jarvis had some chocolate with her, so we gave him one to calm down his taste-buds. He looked back at me with accusing eyes and said, "You tricked me. You sly dog!" I sat there for the next five minutes trying so hard not to laugh. Lesson learned: Don't give little kids breath mints. We also stopped by Diane's granddaughter's house and saw her and her mom for a bit. Hopefully we will get to start teaching them later this week!

I have a testimony that we go through hard times in our life so that we can learn to appreciate the good days that much more. I am grateful for every single day I've had on my mission, because whether it was a good or hard day, I've learned so much. I've grown so much. I am learning how to be grateful for challenges and trials, or at least to appreciate what I learn from them. As you go throughout this Thanksgiving week, be grateful for everything you have gone through, because no matter how hard it was, it has made you who you are today. 

Much love,

Sister Burnham

Week 27 - Six Month Mark

Hey y'all!

Transfer news: I'm staying here in Brewton, and Sister Palmer will be heading to Calloway! I am sad that she is leaving, but she is going to have many fun adventures! She has changed so many lives here, including mine. Now I will get to make a new friend with Sister Jarvis as my companion :). I am slightly nervous to be leading out the area, but it will be a good learning opportunity for me.

Monday:

We took a lot of pictures around town! I've been wanting to do this for over a month. Also, I love small towns. Brewton has already decorated for Christmas! So cute :)

Tuesday:

After district meeting, we stopped to get some more pictures. Plus, I really wanted to poke the rectangle things of cotton laying around in the fields. We went to a nursing home in Jay and I played the violin for them for half an hour. My neck was hurting, so we switched over to the piano and sang some songs for them. Sister Palmer's voice started cracking, so next thing I knew, I was singing them a solo. That's one way to develop my musical talents! And one of the old ladies brought us some sweet tea to drink...

That evening, we went over to the Fox's home for tacos and a game of Skip-Bo. 

Wednesday:

We tried contacting some former investigators, and two people let us in, but there was absolutely no interest. They thought of it as more of a social visit and were content with where they were at. It is so sad when people truly aren't searching for more in life than to wait around for the second coming. Well, we didn't know what else to do, so we prayed and felt like we should go to Wrights early. As we pulled up, we saw Jan and Zavier walking outside in front of their house. We were able to teach them both a bit about the Restoration, and they live right behind the Wrights. We chatted and Zavier said he was interested in music. We invited him to come see all of Johnny's instruments. They hung out and played all the instruments for an hour. It was so good for them to be in a home with a good influence, since they don't really have any positive parental influence.

Thursday:

A very relaxed day. We weekly planned and decided to organize the area book by street proximity. We also called a lot of people to schedule appointments.

Friday:

Today marks 6 months since I left for the MTC! I can't believe I'm already 1/3 of the way through my mission. Time has really flown. Well, coincidentally, our mission president picked today as a
"No Car Day," so we biked 4 miles to Diane's house and helped her clean some things. She fed us dinner and Jessie shined my shoes (they were getting a bit green at the toes). And my companion surprised me this morning with a note on the bathroom mirror :)

Saturday:

I had a feeling I was going to be leading out this area soon, so I've been paying extra attention to the Spirit and really trying to follow His guidance. I felt like we should walk a certain way this morning, so we did. I felt a lot like Nephi, who said in 1 Nephi 4:6, "And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do." No major miracles occurred, but I had many opportunities to follow promptings to knock on certain doors or turn back and talk to a certain person. That evening we had dinner with the Kelley's. They made a yummy meal of pork, rice, and sushi. I also tried this new fruit, which is a mixture of an apple and some other Southern fruit I've never heard of before. It was good though!

Sunday:

Wonderful way to end the week! We had a linger-longer after church, and the Wrights brought me lots of gluten-free snacks and food. Many branch members also talked to us about friends they are going to invite to church or send as referrals. This has been the biggest miracle, because we truly are running out of people to teach despite how hard we are working to find people on our own! That evening, we went with the Wrights to see them receive their Patriarchal blessing. I felt so much love for them, and Rhoda said the blessing answered so many questions and concerns she had. It was such a spiritual and peaceful experience!

I know so many great things are ahead of me! Every hard day makes the good ones even more special and joyful. I know that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ loves each one of you. Read through your patriarchal blessings often so you can feel just how special and loved you are. I know each of us has a special purpose here on earth, and as we follow the promptings of the Spirit, we will be able to bless the lives of many people.

Love,
Sister Burnham

Funny moments:

1. Apparently, I am terrible at fishing. So, as missionaries, we have to be outside the car and back our companion when they are driving in reverse. I try to make it fun because otherwise it can get annoying. Sometimes I dance if no one is around. Well, I've never been fishing before (that I can remember), and I decided to "fish" the car with an imaginary rod as Sister Palmer backed out of our driveway. She said it was the most ridiculous thing she has ever seen ;).

2. A random man called us out of the blue on a private number, acting very cryptic. He said he was given a Book of Mormon and our phone number. He said his name was JR and worked at a military base, but wouldn't tell us anything else. And he talked for 20 minutes about the Israelite God of the temple and some other things. We have no idea what it was about but had to get going to an appointment, so we rescheduled to call him back next week.

3. Other random people have sent us the strangest text messages this week...

The "underground" theater!

Week 26 - The Field is White Already to Harvest

Hey y'all! Hope you've had a great week. Nobody really let us talk with them this week. We actually dropped many investigators, so I think we have two or three left now. But that's okay. The cotton fields have been beautiful this week, and every time I see them, I think of this scripture: "Yea, verily, verily, I say unto you, that the field is white already to harvest; wherefore, thrust in your sickles, and reap with all your might, mind, and strength." 

It is quite the motivation to keep carrying on this great work no matter how much rejection we face. There are those out here that are prepared, and the only way to find them is to keep trudging forward!

Monday:

Well, all our appointments dropped through, so we tracted for a bit and then ended up over at the Wrights. Their house always feels like home. There is a tender mercy for each hard day.

Tuesday:

We took pictures at the beautiful cotton fields on the way to district meeting! I also got a piece that had dropped on the ground for a souvenir :)

In honor of it being Halloween, I decided to dress up as my companion, which consisted of stealing her name-tag, wearing blue, and doing my hair in a bun with a braid in front, since that's how she does her hair most days.

That afternoon, we went to a senior living place in Jay, FL. I brought my violin and we played and sang for them for an hour. They absolutely loved it! They were all so happy, and the Spirit was so strong there, especially as one nurse cried because her patient, an elderly woman with dementia, was singing along to the hymns. She couldn't remember much of anything, but she could remember every word to the songs about Christ.

Wednesday:

Rhoda took us to see a male investigator that the missionaries haven't been able to see since before I got here. As we pulled up, we ran into a less active and his girlfriend, an investigator. It was such a miracle because we hadn't been able to get into contact with them either!

Later that day, we had planned to tract a street a Bible referral lived on, which happened to be the street the Wright's son lived on. They pulled up while we were walking by, and little Kenna ran out of the car and called after us, "My friends, come here!" We were able to talk with them for a bit. I love how innocent and receptive to truth little children are!

Thursday:

We spent the day in an area called Flomaton. We had about four or five set appointments, and every single one fell through. It doesn't seem like any of the other areas besides Brewton is prepared for the gospel right now.

Friday:

We were tracting in an apartment complex, and we see a lady sitting on some steps. We start walking towards her. She must have known we were coming to talk to her because she quickly gathers up all the things on her lap, jumps up, and starts speed-walking away. In her haste to escape us, she had dropped her phone under the steps, so I picked it up and called after her. She wouldn't turn around or look at me until I said, "Is this yours?" I held up the phone, and she turned around and was surprised when she saw me holding it. She walked back, grabbed it, then hurried away again. It was pretty strange.

Saturday:

This morning we picked up Sister Richards for another lesson with Ceola. We read from the Book of Mormon, and she enjoyed it. She saw the story of Nephi killing Laban and putting on his clothes as similar to David and Goliath. Afterwards, she let us serve in her yard! We put on some pants and raked up her back yard. I must have been doing something wrong because I got a blister on my hand through the glove! Afterwards, we were talking with Sister Richards, and she asked about Diane. We said she is okay, but hasn't been able to come to church because of her shoulder surgery. As we dropped her off, she said, "Maybe I'll text her and see if she wants to ride with me." I said, "That would be an answer to her prayers!"

Sunday:

Sacrament meeting was so special. A ton of recent converts and less actives bore their testimonies today. CJ got up and said in a very serious tone, "It's daylight savings." Then he talked about some things he was learning in primary, like "It's good to say 'I'm sorry.'" He then ended it with a thumbs up to everyone and sat back down. This inspired a few of the other little kids to want to get up there. He is already an amazing missionary and example! Diane shared about praying to find a ride to church, and then Sister Richards texting her if she wanted a ride. Well, that morning, she arrived an hour early because she forgot it was daylight savings! At church, there were a few members who said they wanted to take us to meet some people who were interested. We are seeing the Lord blessing us for our perseverance by having branch members reach out to us with people to visit and see! This is truly His work, and He will provide a way.

After church, we went over to Diane's house and we were able to teach her 9 year-old granddaughter the Restoration. We had to teach it very simply because she wasn't very familiar with the Bible or Christ's earth life. 

Much love,

Sister Burnham

Funny moments of the week:

1. I left a message on the phone of a less active, and sometimes I panic about what to say when I leave messages... so I wasn't sure how to end it, and I caught myself starting to say, "We say these--" and then frantically hit the END CALL button. I was about to close the call with, "We say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen." My companion laughed hysterically at me.

2. You know how no one really wanted to talk to us this week? We know they feel the Spirit when we talk to them, and they get really scared. I told Sister Palmer, "We need to find people who like pain because the truth hurts!" But really, people don't like to feel the Spirit telling them when they are doing something wrong, so sometimes they try to avoid us. The truthfulness of the gospel does require a lot of change and sacrifice, and it is very hard, but so worth it!