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 :)
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