Howdy! I've had a long and tiring week, but it ended on a very sweet note! What made it so long was how dedicated we are to talking to literally everyone and striving to have a constant sense of urgency about us. And then facing a lot of rejection on top of that. But Saturday made It all worth it! Two baptisms in one day :)
Monday
We had dinner with the Peacock family, and they truly live up to their name. It was an "I spy" game during dinner to see how many peacock knick-knacks they had decorating the room.
Tuesday
A huge blessing happened today. I was able to receive a much needed Priesthood blessing at District Council. I testify that God speaks through worthy Priesthood holders to give us the comfort and advice we need to continue on the right path. I am so full of gratitude and love! Also, Marti passed her baptismal interview! We went and did family history with her afterwards... y'all, the biggest miracle happened. We were able to connect her back to thousands of years before Christ! She has so much royalty in her :) We also stopped by the home of a lady who serves at the food bank with us to deliver her a free Bible. She let us come inside and we had a great discussion with her. I could envision her as a member and know she has so much potential!
Wednesday
Prayers are answered! As we left the house this morning, the name of a guy we met a few weeks ago came to mind and I prayed for him. On our way back home from exercise (we run laps around the church parking lot), we happened to drive right past him! We pulled the car over, rolled the window down, and shouted, "Peter!!!" We were able to set up a lesson with him! We did a lot of service and contacting, and I actually chased a guy down to give him a copy of The Book of Mormon. ;)
Thursday
We had a lesson with Denise, and we came to the heartbreaking conclusion that we are going to have to stop teaching her. She knows this is true and feels the Spirit so strongly, but won't go against her fiance. He told her that she isn't allowed to read The Book of Mormon or become a "Mormon." On a brighter note, we had a lesson with a recent convert, Everett. We taught the Plan of Salvation with an emphasis on temple work, and he was so excited to start doing his family history that we headed over to the genealogy library right after the lesson!
Friday
We cleaned the font in preparation for Marti's baptism tomorrow. That is always an adventure! Funny moment of the day: we went to heartattack Marti as a surprise to boost her spirit, and her neighbor across the hall, Charles, was coming out right when we were taping the hearts on the door. We swore him to secrecy (but he's a really old man with slight dementia). He said he was excited to see her face when she opened the door. We knocked hard then started running for the stairwell (the elevator is broken). Next thing we know, Charles starts following us at a jog down five flights of stairs, calling out "Wow, y'all run like deer!" It was the funniest thing!
Saturday
Wow! Two baptisms in one day! We got to the church by 7am so we could start filling the font. The plug for the drain had been previously broken, so Sister Caldwell came up with the genius idea of sticking a plastic bag down to clog it, and it worked super well! Marti's baptism went so smoothly, and everyone felt the Spirit so strongly. The three of us had practiced a beautiful arrangement of "I Know that My Redeemer Lives" for the musical number, and we had almost everyone in tears. While Marti was changing, we showed my favorite Easter video, "Because of Him," and then taught and testified about simple restored truths. It really brought the Spirit, and we asked them to think of people they knew that needed to know these truths and feel what they were feeling. It was perfect timing, too, because right after we ended, Marti came back out. She bore a powerful testimony that impacted everyone there. That afternoon, a member drove us down to Callaway for Maurice's baptism! It was so good to see her smiling face, and I got to see Sister Stites again! I almost cried when I hugged her! I also was so happy to see the Lyles again, and Sister Lyle had got me a treat to accommodate my food allergies. They are the best! The saddest part of the baptism was that Maurice had to get baptized 3 times because her dress kept floating to the top. She was having a hard time breathing and bending back, and we were all praying her dress would stay down! Finally, someone tied her dress at the bottom with a hair-tie and it worked! We were all so relieved and happy! Also, at our English class tonight, we started with two people, and a while later, in walked 7 more! Aww yeah! I had a fun time teaching them the alphabet.
We had an area seventy come and speak at sacrament. His wife gave a great talk about how Heavenly Father blesses us much more than what we ask for, and how we too must be willing to not only run a mile, but run two miles! That is definitely something I need to work on. How often do I grudgingly agree to go the mile, but then when it's over, no way am I going that second mile! That is something that will take a lot of practice before it becomes a natural part of me. Marti was glowing after she was confirmed! She is so happy, and that makes me happy! In our combined third-hour, a lady that had heard us sing at the baptism volunteered us to sing the opening song for everyone, so we got up there. One poor sister was confused about what was going on and got up to sing with us, so we said, "Okay, if you really want to!" She insisted... but then she got real anxious and starting shaking when she realized it was a special musical number we had practiced and she wasn't supposed to be up there singing. But she stuck it out anyways! It was hilarious! That afternoon, we visited a less-active family, and their grandson showed off his pet snake to us! I politely declined the offer to hold it, though... We had the most delicious dinner that evening at the Sims' home: the most tender and tasty steak! We had a great time talking with them, and they have a son who lives down in Gilbert, AZ! Small world!
Spiritual Thought:
2 Nephi 9:52
"Behold, my beloved brethren, remember the words of your God; pray unto him continually by day, and give thanks unto his holy name by night. Let your hearts rejoice."
If we pray continually by day and give thanks by night, we will have more joy. I have been counselled to pray even more to my Heavenly Father, and so I've been looking for every opportunity to have a private conversation with Him throughout the day: when I'm getting ready in the morning, driving, eating, or walking between appointments. I've been so blessed with an even closer relationship with God, but also with a sound mind because I have less room for temptation. And I was also pondering about how often the prophet prays to Heavenly Father for guidance and strength--probably all of the time! How little to no room that must leave for him to be tempted by the adversary! I encourage each one of you to take even more time throughout the day to pray continually, and to take time at night besides your "goodnight prayer" to reflect over the things for which you are grateful. As you do these simple things, your hearts will rejoice and you will find joy to carry you through the hard times.
Much love,
Sister Burnham
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