Holly Jolly Christmas

23 December - 29 December 2019

I hope y'all had a happy Christmas! Lucy and I spent a lot of time binge watching Harry Potter and speaking in British accents this week. It's been nice being home because the weather is much warmer than it would be in Utah, I always have delicious food on hand, and I get to rest from school. The only downside is that I caught a cold, so I've been a bit sick this past week. We also watched a lot of movies this week, including the new Star Wars (which Lucy was crying about having to go see but then loved it and is now binge watching all the Star Wars) and Unitards (which mom and Lucy are obsessed with for some strange reason).

Wednesday - Christmas Day
I got woken up by an incoming video call from Aaron at 6:30am! Apparently, I was the only one who had my phone on and could hear him calling in. It was fun to go over and open presents with Aaron able to watch us. It was quite a magical morning. Everyone appreciated the gifts I got for them, and I got way more presents than I bargained for! I thought I was getting one or two, but I ended up with at least six! The real magic trick will be figuring out how to fit it all in my bag when I fly home! Sean and Lucy both received a magic kit box that they have been playing with ever since. We also had the most delicious lunch because my dad cooked a turkey and ham in the family's new smoker. We had the missionaries over. Soon afterwards, we all went over to grandma and grandpa Burnham's home to visit with all of the family there.

On Friday, I was able to babysit the Tilley's grandchildren. There were 11 of them, with the oldest being nine. I only had to change a couple of poopy diapers. They were really good, as always. I love babysitting all of them because they are such loving and cute kids and it helps me realize the kind of family I want to have in the future.

Saturday morning, Symantha showed up to visit. I painted her a cat on a tree as a present from me, and Lucy decided she wanted to paint something as well, so she quickly threw together a desert landscape on a mini canvas in roughly 20 minutes. I went to the temple afterwards, and I got to see Valerie for a split second in the initiatory room.

I went to church with Valerie and felt a recommitment in my study of the Book of Mormon. In Sunday school, we read over President Nelson's talk from Oct 2017 about the Book of Mormon, and what stood out to me was that in the promise he made, he said "daily immerse." That reminded me of how we are baptized by immersion, not by sprinkling water over ourselves. It caused me to reflect over the amount of effort I was making and how deep my studies really were. I want to be fully in. I have felt the difference between reading and studying the Book of Mormon. I have felt pure joy and the presence of the Spirit when my time reading the Book of Mormon is actual studying. There truly is power within the Book of Mormon that will fill us up with righteous desire and power. That evening, we went to support Zeb as he got his eagle. We were the only family on the Burnham side (besides gramps and grams) to show up to support them.

Much love,
Emily Burnham

Finals and Feasting

16 December - 22 December 2019

Hola mi amigos! What an eventful week! Finals ended and I got to fly home on a plane to Arizona. But it was crazy before all that went down!

Monday
This morning I went to Dr. Hershey in Orem to get treated for my egg allergy. I'm really hoping these treatments work (or at least help me feel better). Then I went to lunch with some friends from my Art Education class in the Cannon Center. It was fun to have something exciting to do that day and to get to know them a bit better. Then I left to go study. I was at the library for a couple of hours, studying for my Psychology of Religion final. We basically just have to write three essays within three hours, all from memory. I went home and took a nap because I was so exhausted. Then I studied some more up until that evening when our ward got together for a "finals feast."

Tuesday
I had my second appointment with Dr. Hershey to get rid of my dairy allergy. Then I spent more hours studying for my final. My stomach wasn't feeling well after whatever I ate yesterday, which is a bit frustrating because I'm trying so hard to help my body. Ugh. Anyways, it was my last day working at the MTC, and I brought a camera and took pictures around MTC campus. I'll miss having access to that beautiful building with the murals and numberless missionaries! And I'll miss all of my awesome coworkers and friends I've made there.

Wednesday
I studied in the morning, reviewing all my notes and writing down things on a whiteboard from memory, which really helped. Isaac came over to get some videos to make me a commercial-type video for my channel, The Missionary Approach. I really hope that the channel I started truly will help people! Then... I took my final. Last one! Hooray! I have no clue how I did, but I remembered everything I studied and was able write somewhat coherently. I did my best, so that'll have to be sufficient. I spent time editing videos for my channel. Katie and Kayla got me a cut Christmas present: an extra long spoon that says "My Peanut Butter Spoon."

Thursday
I finished Miranda's painting! I'm happy with how it turned out, even though it is not perfect (can you tell what is missing?). She really loved it. Miranda gave me an awesome present in return, some lotion and pillow spray! I made up a yummy lunch and then my neighbor Mira drove me to the Provo airport. The flight was awful on my poor ear. It has trouble popping, I guess, so it builds up pressure with the elevation change and hurts really bad. It was good to see all of my fam again! And to have a mom-cooked meal :) :) :)!!! I ate at least four yummy tacos and my stomach almost died (from happiness and overindulgence). Grandpa Jim was kind enough to let me stay over there in his extra guest room, so I don't have to share with Lucy in the loft.

Friday
My ear was still hurting me and I had a headache all night long. My stomach was also hurting me. Ugh. It is the worst to be sickly on break, but I guess that is what breaks are made for... Hey, but I was actually able to ride on the motorized unicycle! Lucy has really enjoyed having me home, I believe. We have a lot of the same interests and hobbies (such as art) so it's fun for her.

Saturday
We had the most delicious dinner! The sister missionaries came over for dinner. Right after, we left to go to the temple because Kayla was going through to get her endowments! It was so nice getting to sit next to my mom in the session.

Sunday
We only had one hour of church today, and I walked there with Valerie and Lucy. I took a fat nap after lunch (leftovers from last night). By the time dinner rolled around, I wasn't hungry because I ate way too much for lunch. Basically, I'm just fat and lazy over here on break... though I have been teaching mom and Lucy some good exercises to do, so I'm not completely wasting away! That evening, we were a bit late meeting up to go on a ward missionary Christmas-caroling hayride, so we drove around for 20 minutes trying to find them! But we did, so we joined the ride. It was fun, but then went on so lonnngggg....

Something that I learned from my studies this week is how much I truly appreciate my Savior and God. I have their promise and reassurance that as I turn to Them, I can be uplifted and given strength beyond my own to bear the trials and hardships of life. However, Cain did not follow the covenant path, and after killing his brother and receiving the consequence, he said "my punishment is greater than I can bear" (Moses 5:38). When we don't accept Jesus Christ and His Atonement, life is greater than we can bear. The next life will be too much to bear. I've been blessed to not have to feel that for an extended amount of time because I always have the Savior there to hastily lift the crushing weight of my burden when I humble myself and turn to him. Turning to Him is repenting. And that's why I love repentance and change and humility--because I can't do this life thing alone. I need my Savior.
I hope y'all have a merry Christmas!

Much love,
Emily Burnham

Trip to St. George

9 December - 15 December 2019

It's that time of the year! ...when you finish your last week of classes and have impending finals looming over your head. I'm actually very blessed this semester because I only have two finals, and one of them is an open-notes, take-home final. The other one? I actually need to study a ton for...

Anyways, on to my week! I performed my song on Monday in front of my music class. Because I had just gotten over being sick, I wasn't as confident in hitting the high notes. But I did well. Also, I had missed my first class that morning because I had a research paper worth 21% of my grade that I needed to finish up before class. As luck would have it, I finished it with only 15 minutes to spare, and my printer ran out of ink when I tried to print it, and I couldn't submit it online. Then I had to rush off to class (without having time to eat lunch) and present on my paper (that I didn't have). But I wasn't too stressed about it because my teacher is pretty understanding, and it all worked out.

Work on Tuesday was awesome! My shift was participating in "Christmas Bootcamp" and so we had a fun training to attend in between our scheduled lessons. I had an amazing elder teach me. The Spirit was with him so powerfully and he was so humble and caring. The Spirit that companionship brought into the room made me want to meet with them again (even though I'm already a member).

Wednesday was good but also weird. I only had two classes in the morning, and in between them, I was able to go to the Wilk to an activity where you can write "thank you" notes to your teachers. Afterwards, I headed to the library to work on videos for my YouTube channel. As I walked out of the library, I ran into Kjetil, a friend from last semester. But it was so awkward because he looked so confused and startled to see me... but then I found out why. He had been writing me an email and was just about to send it when I walked up and said "hi." I would've been freaked out too. The email gave me a lot of closure because I felt bad about being his friend but then not wanting anything more and breaking things off. It made me feel like I'd used him, because I did learn a lot, but then I learned that he learned a lot from me too that helped him a lot this past semester. It made me realize how good God is because He places people in your life to learn from and grow so that you can overcome trials and challenges and be the person you need to be for future relationships.

Thursday. Yikes. Ugh. So after class, I went home and did some filming for my channel. Then I ate lunch and ran some quick errands before heading on the road to St. George for a doctor's appointment to get my food allergies cured! There was an extremely strong wind blowing against my car that made my car unable to accelerate on the freeway, which scared me (at the moment, I didn't know what was causing my car to not accelerate, and last time that happened, I blew my engine). So I pulled off at the next exit on to the side of the road. A friendly man came to help and gave me his number, saying to call if I get stranded and offering to take me to a mechanic shop. What a Christlike man. As I was getting back on the freeway, I was almost hit by a long truck/trailer that turned too narrowly, and I had to emergency back up my car! Then I was running behind schedule and had to speed most of the way there... it was a miserable 4 hours. I made it to the appointment, though, and it was super weird but cool. The treatment method is NAET. I am still a bit skeptical, but I'm giving it a try. After getting treated, the doctor taped a vial of gluten/grains to my arm that I had to keep there for 24 hours. After the appointment, I drove over to the Lyles home. It was so good to see them again! They took me out to dinner at a Thai place, Benja's. Then we went back to their home and visited, looking through pictures of their mission. I then drove over to my dad's cousin's family's house (the Greers) to stay the night. It was fun to meet their two youngest kids, Brinley and Porter. They were super friendly and welcoming of me.

Friday was both good and bad. Good: I checked out the St. George temple. Though it was closed for construction, I was able to go inside the visitor's center and study scriptures and look around. Bad: I didn't have any food to eat, so I went shopping around 10:30am and ate while I started the long drive back to Utah. I was super exhausted, didn't eat well, and when I got home, we still had cleaning checks that night, and I felt nauseous and sick, but I went to the library for 4 hours, working on editing videos for my channel and then forgot to eat until 9:30pm (by which time my stomach was so tight with hunger).

Saturday. I got to sleep in, and then I worked on my take-home final. Work at the MTC was fun. We had a Christmas party, so everyone brought food. I had my last scheduled lessons ever. Bittersweet. After work, I finished up on my final (almost, just a couple of questions I don't know the answer to) and then that night I spent time with Whitney. We had some good conversations.

I taught Sunday school today, and though I wasn't feeling the Spirit or super guided and directed on what to do, I did my best, prayed hard, and went with it. I received many compliments. But wow, did I feel so down in the dumps today! I think Satan is working hard to attack me because of the good I'm trying to do. I felt bad about my lesson, about my YouTube channel, about myself. Ugh. But my mom gave me a good pep talk and reminded me to serve others when I feel that way, so I wrote 10 Christmas cards to people on my mission. I did feel better after that! Then I went to a stake Christmas fireside and listened to a lot of musical numbers. God is constantly needing to remind us of things through other people. That we are good enough and He is pleased with us. If every good thing is from God, then that someone who feels inspired to tell you "good job" on your talk is like God telling you "good job."

Love,
Emily Burnham

Near-death Experience

2 December - 8 December 2019

Hey fam! Before you worry because of my title, I'm alive and well! I've had a great week, even though it was hard to fly in Monday morning from AZ and then jump right back into school, homework, and projects. Monday evening, I was able to attend a work devotional for my job at the MTC, where a couple spoke to us and then they fed us dinner! Plus, we got paid for it, so that was pretty awesome! Tuesday and Wednesday were spent with me just trying to get back into the groove of school and work. Nothing too exciting happened!

Thursday
Class and work, nothing too exciting. That evening I knew I was sick. My throat was sore and my head hurt, so I didn't accomplish much.

Friday
I had a lot of fun plans today, but they fell by the wayside because I felt super sick. Even my essay had to wait because while I did all the research, my brain would not cooperate to write it. I did attend my class today and presented my semester-long project (a book full of pictures of hands that tell a story of someone's life), which everyone loved. My teacher cried at the end of the presentations and said she felt the Spirit as we shared. We learned an eternal truth in the process of brainstorming, planning, and creating, just like God. I also gave my roommate her Christmas present, which she absolutely LOVED!

Saturday

It was my FHE groups turn to clean the church, and so I went down over at 8am and cleaned all the bathrooms (my mom trained me well). I then worked on my giant essay that I have due on Monday... which is all about near-death experiences! It's been super interesting to learn about, but not fun to put together into an essay. Work at the MTC was pretty awesome today because I was able to film some videos of my co-workers and my supervisor for my YouTube channel! I have some AWESOME videos coming your way! After work, my friend Kathrine drove me to a friend from the ward, Elizabeth's, wedding reception. Afterwards, I went with my friends to see Much Ado About Nothing on Saturday evening. While I'm not the biggest fan of Shakespearean language, the actors were so expressive and did a phenomenal job! One guy was so expressive and hilarious!

Sunday
Wow, I had an amazing and Spirit-filled day. I drove over to Payson, Utah (which was almost a near-death experience because of the rain and snow) to attend Sierra Stites' homecoming. She was the missionary I was blessed to train on my mission. She did such a fantastic job and shared such a touching poem she wrote about her mission. Afterwards, we went to her house for the homecoming party, and she hugged me and told me how grateful she was that I was her trainer because she needed me and my knowledge to help her become the missionary she needed to be for the rest of her mission. It made me so happy and full of gratitude and love. What a special moment. Haha, then Tanner (formally Elder Argyle) broke us up because he wanted a picture with us since he was our district leader. I also really enjoyed watching the Christmas Devotional, and one cool thing that really hit me hard is that it is our FOCUS that brings us joy. Miranda had invited relief society girls over to watch with us, and while it was a kind thing to do, the girls would frequently talk or make comments that made it hard for me to focus on the speakers and feel the Spirit. I began to feel annoyed and wanted to watch it alone in my room or somewhere else until I realized that I just needed to focus in on the speakers and not let my external circumstance distract or distress me from being able to feel the Spirit. I had to work hard to tune in and listen to the speaker, and I think it made it all the more worth it and spiritual. I need to focus in that diligently to Jesus Christ and the Spirit every single day.

Much love,
Emily Burnham

Giving Thanks

25 November - 1 December 2019

Wow, just a year ago I was a missionary, about to head home. Last year I ate with a bunch of members in Tallahassee, and this year I got to be home with my family in Arizona. The pies I made in Tallahassee with the Holdaways sure tasted a lot better than the ones I tried to make this Thanksgiving! I have so much to be grateful for this past year since being home from serving the Lord. I am grateful that I feel the Spirit every day. I am grateful for the education I am obtaining at BYU. I am grateful that I am brave enough to follow the Lord's promptings--like starting a YouTube channel, which has given me purpose and direction. I am grateful for the things I've accomplished--I stuck it out with my job as an early-morning custodial, even though I swore I'd never do it again. Ever.

Monday and Tuesday were mostly spent doing as much homework as humanely possible so I could fully enjoy my break with my family. I had booked days of classes and chunked out time to work on projects back to back to back. It was so nice having a full week off of work as well! Now I only have two more weeks more! (and I need to find a new job...).

Being back at home was fun, even though it sometimes felt like I was camping. Because, you see, some days we didn't have running water, and we didn't have a working shower or microwave. So yeah, I had to run across the yard in my robe one morning so I could go shower at my gramps' place. The new kitchen in the house is absolutely gorgeous, just like it came straight out of a designer magazine. I'm excited for what the rest of the house will look like! My mom made sure to spoil me with food, fattening up in preparation for the sure starvation I will face once returning back to Provo.



Thanksgiving day was good. We had Symantha over, and it was good seeing her after such a long time! Also, I worked on a book project for school that took me many hours and caused me many pricked fingers.

On Friday, Lucy went with me to a book signing by Sarah M. Eden, and it was cool to meet her and get free bookmarks and stuff. She is so cute and fun! They had goodies they'd baked and prizes they'd made... future goals for me as an author one day!

Ben Hughes hugged me at least six times at church. He has grown so much! I sure love that family! After church on Sunday, and after dinner, we went down and took family photos. It was funny because we taped mom's phone to a tripod and had it on selfie mode! We make such a cute family, thought, don't you agree? ;) We are just missing our brother Aaron.

All in all, it was a relaxing week and a time for me to love my family and try to help them any way I could--with mindful meditation, massages, or hugs.

Much love,
Emily Burnham

God Has a Plan

18 November - 24 November

Hey oh hey, what a wonderful day (week)!

I have had a lot of good things happen this week! No music class on Monday! Whitney went with me to institute on Tuesday, and we had a good talk afterwards! On Wednesday, I performed my music solo, "Caro Mio Ben" (a song in Italian) and did a great job. I could see how proud my teacher was of me! That evening, Isaac from the ward came over to help me edit the Plan of Salvation video that was just posted today. I was so excited about it! I was literally jumping for joy all around my apartment :)

Two of the missionaries who taught me this week

I've had some great lessons with the missionaries (and some not so great lessons) this week. I've cried and laughed! Seriously, one set of elders told me jokes every time before they started the lesson. It was GREAT! Why do ghosts love to take the elevator? So their spirits can be uplifted! Also, I ran into an elder that I met when I was a missionary! I had dinner a few times with his family, so it was so fun to see him and send a picture to his mom!

Elder Reynolds from Tallahassee, FL

I've also been filming people this weekend. I'm so excited for my roommate Katie's video to be posted soon! She is literally the cutest and has brought me so much joy! She is so kind, thoughtful, giving, and Christlike. God knew what I needed in a friend when he sent her and her sister to be our new roomies this semester!

I was a bit overwhelmed this weekend with the sheer amount of work I need to finish before I fly home for Thanksgiving break next Tuesday. On Saturday, I was so stressed, but I ended up sitting in the celestial room after work for a bit to say a prayer of gratitude. Every time I wanted to ask for something, I stopped and rephrased it to be something I was grateful for. After that prayer, I felt the so loved and full and peaceful and joyous. I just sat there and soaked in all the good feelings for a while, then read a bit in the New Testament before going home to finish an assignment (that literally took me 3 hours...). But I did it! And I'm on track to get everything done before break so that I can enjoy time with my family :) Just have to keep working hard.

We used random things (like this potato!) to create stamps in art class!

Drawing I did of my skates for Art Education Class

I know that my Savior lives. I strive to follow the Spirit and help others. I had the special opporutnity to cry with a friend today that was in need. I was able to be there for her and offer encouragement and love. But I am far from perfect. When it's late at night, my filter disappears and I let my annoyance show (like at ward prayer... yikes...). But God loves me. Imperfections and all, God loves me and is so proud of me. He knows I have righteous desires and that I am working so hard to follow the promptings I recieve from the Spirit. Afterall, I've put in so many hours to this YouTube channel thing that I'm doing, and the fruit is very small. But I'm trusting in God and trying my best to be a light in the lives of others. Have a happy Thanksgiving and don't gobble til you wobble! ;)

Much love,
Emily Burnham

Plan of Salvation "LOVE" Cut-outs

Plan of Salvation "LOVE" Cut-outs:

   

 

 

 

 

    

Friends and Filming

11 November - 17 November 2019

What a phenomenal week! I felt so loved and cared about in my lessons with the missionaries at work. I was able to open up to them about real struggles I am having, and the Spirit was so strong. I know they are called of God to do His work, and despite their imperfections, the Lord carries them through the work. I am so happy to be fulfilling my purpose at my job: helping the missionaries become excited about their purpose.

On Monday, I had my own private voice lesson (for 15 minutes) with my singing teacher, and I feel like I am improving a lot! It's getting easier to hit the high notes.

On Wednesday, I got to go to my art teacher's house to take pictures of her children and her elderly neighbor. It was a fun time! Her kids were more than willing to be hand models, and it was fun getting to interact with them all. Especially because as a student, I am rarely around kids and the elderly. That evening, I went to a social event called "Friends and Floats" on campus and talked with a variety of people, but didn't really make any new friends. It was fun though!

I had a great Friday because my three-hour 8am class was cancelled! Also, I was able to edit Miranda's video to post. While it almost took me an hour and a half, it turned out great and I'm super happy about it. I had the best evening ever! So, I went ice skating with my friend Kathy and her younger sister. It was super crowded and we didn't have much skate time, but I got to interact and talk to so many people. It was awesome! I was so giddy and energetic that I stayed up talking with my roommate until 11:40pm! Wow, so unlike me!

Saturday was booked! I filmed more people for my YouTube channel this morning! Two peeps from my work. I checked out equipment from the library, so I had a prety legit setup! I went to work, the temple, and then with Whitney to her stake dance (which was lame, so I left early) and then to bed. That was literally my whole day. Oh, and I finished writing my essay.

I taught Sunday School and felt so underprepared. The only thing I knew I should do was to show a slide show of pictures of Christ (I found quite a few that I'd never seen before) and play music while the class pondered about Jesus Christ. Everyone loved the lesson, for which I am so grateful. I am constantly being reminded that God will help me in the moment I need it, not necessarily days or hours before. It all worked out! Also, Isaac helped film me teaching the Plan of Salvation, which is the video I want to post next Sunday. He also told me that I needed to work on my flirting with boys... (insert laughing-crying face here). We had Come, Follow Me at our upstairs neighbor's apartment, which was really good, and then my friend Kathy came over to be videoed. That evening, Kathrine invited me to play a game with her, and it was super fun (also, I won!) and sweet of her! Also, Katie let me eat some of her dinner because mine didn't cook in time. #blessed

I felt God showing me that I do have amazing friends here this week. I have people who love me and look up to me. I've also been blessed with opportunities to meet new people and hold genuine conversations with complete strangers. I am grateful that God is answering my prayers and helping me grow as a person.

Much love,
Emily Burnham

Author for Intuition!

4 November - 10 November 2019

This was a great week! I found out such good news and have been busy doing productive things. Well, trying to! 

Monday

We had a combined FHE to celebrate the Day of the Dead. We had chips, salsa, and guac at the church and watched the movie Coco. It was so fun! On my way home, I felt prompted to stop by and say "hi" to Whitney. I didn't realize she had people over for FHE, but she was glad I stopped by because she had a picture to give me. She said in Sunday School they were asked to draw someone who is an amazing example to them, and she drew me! It made me feel so good and loved.

Tuesday

Work was super interesting. A small group of the actors are pulled aside that week and don't have lessons. Instead, we attend "boot camp." We played two truths and a lie to start off, and then talked about different things. The teacher had to leave early because she had class, so she left us with an activity to finish where we created a lesson plan, then swapped with the person next to us and taught them the lesson they had written. I was looking forward to it, but the girl I got paired up with made it one of the worst experiences I've had in a looonnnggg time. She got very defensive because I "already knew" everything she was trying to teach me and she felt frustrated. Then when it was time to switch and I was going to teach her, she closed off herself to me and was making it difficult. The Spirit was not there. After about three minutes of this, she finally broke her wall and opened up about why she was feeling that way and said it was intimidating that I knew so much and started preaching at me and getting super defensive and asking me intrusive questions. I had a lot I could have said to her, but I knew they would offend her, so it was emotionally exhausting to try to follow the Spirit to know what to say and how to react... for the next hour that we kept talking. She wouldn't let it go until she thought "it" was resolved. Ugh. So I was drained for the whole rest of the evening and hope I am never like that ever. And if I have been, I sincerely apologize. So sincerely.

The best thing also happened today! The giant research paper I wrote last semester got accepted into BYU's undergraduate psychology journal, Intuition! I'm going to be a published author! And it will look soooo good on my graduate school application! Wow, that makes me soooo excited!!!

Wednesday

Y'all. I made an appointment to meet with a guy who apparently cures food allergies. I heard about him from a couple in my mission. The guy lives in St. George, and a senior missionary couple I love just got back from their mission, and they live in St. George. I was able to plan a weekend trip to stay with them and visit the doctor's office. They live twelve minutes from the place! What a cool blessing! I hope everything works out so my stomach can stop hating me. 

Thursday

What a solid day. At work, we were given one to two hours to go to the new building at the MTC where they have giant murals throughout the building (twelve total) and find one that spoke to us. I saw this one of Moses parting the red sea and was immediately overcome with the Spirit. God truly does accomplish the impossible through us. We might feel insignificant--Moses vocally expressed his insecurities--and yet God uses imperfect people to accomplish miracles. So many of the murals spoke to me. I was able to contemplate my standing before God and feel that He knows I am trying and is proud of my efforts. That evening, I went with Miranda and a sister from the ward we minister to, Andrea, to eat fries at The Wall and then to a movie called The Price of Free. It was a very emotional movie about child slavery, but really cool to be informed about and inspired in knowing more ways to help others.

Friday

I need to quit my early morning job on Fridays. It's just so hard because I love my boss and the people there, and I wouldn't get to be part of their lives if I quit! I went to my 8am class and had a fun time painting a Moon Jelly (type of jellyfish). That class has made me so artsy. Plus my teacher told me I can come over to her place to take pictures for my project, since all my friends have flaked out on me! I went to a training for my TA job and worked on my essay for the rest of the night. Since I'm such a genius (read this with a sarcastic tone), I wrote 7.5 pages for my 4-5 page paper and then had to worry about condensing it.

Saturday

What a day! Y'all, I can see myself improving in trusting God. I woke up, ate breakfast, spent 1.5 hours on homework, then rushed to get ready to attend the temple. I needed to make the 11:20 session so I could make it to work at the MTC on time. I got into the session, but I was in the very back row and was worried it would take too long and I'd be late. I was stressing and not feeling the Spirit, but then decided to trust God. He's a God of miracles and has promised all things will work together for our good. I put aside my worries (eventually. It was still a struggle) and enjoyed the session. By the time I was done with the session, it was only 1:05, so I plenty of time to change and make it to work by 1:30! God is the best! And I love the temple. I heard a super cool story from my supervisor at work and asked her to be on my YouTube channel, to which she happily agreed! Yay!

Sunday

I had a great Sunday. The talks in sacrament meeting were awesome, and we had an emotional relief society lesson about weaknesses and challenges we are going through. It made me realize why I feel so lonely, and why so many people of my age group feel so lonely. I am missing love. I have been away from family so long that I forget what it is like to love someone so unconditionally and to feel that kind of love back. You love your friends, but you naturally have a higher and holier love for your family. Like, even when they bug you and hurt you and annoy you, you still love them. I don't feel loved deeply and cared about as much as I want or need, because my friends are busy with school too. They have other obligations and family members. It made me realize how excited I am to be with my family again and to one day have a family of my own. It also helped me not to feel so alone or like I was a bad person for not feeling loved or cared about. Family is so special. I wasn't able to post a video today for my YouTube channel because we ran out of time to film it, and the video that was filmed wasn't edited enough to be put up just yet. Stay tuned in because there are some amazing experiences that are going to be shared in the following months!

Love, 

Emily Burnham

Trip to the ER

28 October - 3 November 2019

What better way to add excitement to your week than by taking a trip to the emergency room? Completely unexpected, but I passed out and felt like I was going to die. I didn't, though! And I'm doing much, much better. I am grateful for my amazing roommates who jumped straight out of bed to drive me to the hospital and then wait there with me for 3 hours! So blessed and grateful for the guys in my ward who were awoken by my roommate's phone call, asking if they could come down to give me a blessing. And I'm so grateful for that blessing. I felt so much love and reassurance from my Heavenly Father. Well, now that the most exiting part of my week has been explained, I guess I'll start from the beginning of the week :)

Monday

We got to eat dinner at Bishop's house with another home evening group. Bishop added way too much hot sauce to my chili that I accidentally choked on it and water came out my nose when I tried to wash it down... haha, fortunately nobody saw me!

Tuesday

I went to institute! Yay, I'm keeping my promise to God that I would go. We got to talk about the mothers of the Stripling Warriors, and I realized that many of them who lost their husbands went through such hard trials, but they remained faithful and their children got to see first-hand their amazing strength and faith, which enabled them to develop strong faith of their own.

Wednesday

The ward Relief Society Halloween party was super fun! We made up candy bags to distribute to the men in our ward. I made lots of cute ghost suckers and wrote Halloween pick-up lines on the bags. My favorite two were, "I don't have a costume... Can I go as your girlfriend?" and "You look like such a treat, I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me."

Thursday

Happy Halloween! I didn't do any homework today, and it was glorious! I got to meet with missionaries, and I felt God planting concerns within me that I never would have thought of on my own so that I could better connect with and help the missionaries I met with this week. That evening, we had a group of friends get together to go to a haunted house. They guy I'd asked to go as my date had other plans (and I don't think he even realized I was asking him on a date because my wording was too casual) and so I asked my friend Vincent from work if he wanted to come with us. It turned out to be so fun! Then we had hot cocoa afterwards :) This Halloween was a fun one because of that! AND, let it be made known that I did NOT even get scared! Which surprised me. Miranda got super freaked out, and even my friend Vincent reminded me of Shaggy from Scooby Doo! Haha :)

Friday

Art class this morning was fun because we got to make a puppet head out of clay. I made a chicken! After class, I went home and got ready to head over to work at the Harman building, where I spent three hours grading papers. Blah. It's good money though. I worked on my quiz and test all evening before hitting the hay.

Saturday

I was a little off on my lessons at work today, but I think I still did a good job. I am finding more job satisfaction, especially as I have felt the Lord guiding me with what to say to help these missionaries. I had a pair of elders who were teaching me...  rather, talking at me. After 20 minutes of them throwing scriptures and doctrine at me, I told them, "It's amazing that y'all know so much about your church, but I don't want to waste y'alls time because that's not what I'm here for; I thought you were here to help me with my questions and concerns. What are you doing here if it's not to help me?" It sounded way better than that because it was led by the Spirit and definitely took them aback and humbled them. Things got a lot more sincere and better after that. After work, I went to the temple session and was so happy to see that the men doubled the amount of women in the session. Usually it is always the opposite of that.

Sunday

Because I was at the hospital all morning, we were able to have some guys in the ward bring over some sacrament to bless for us. It was so nice to have them do it right in our living room, just for the three of us. It made me feel very special and honored. I am grateful for my Savior and my opportunity to renew the promises I made with Him each week. I am also grateful for the people who have served me through my afflictions. Like Kathrine giving me some of the dinner she made. I also made the cutest ring holders for my engaged friends! So proud of them! Today as I studied in Joseph Smith History, the account of God and Jesus appearing to Joseph Smith felt so real. I could almost see them and feel how Joseph must have felt. I know they appeared to him because I feel it deep inside. I know that our God is aware of us personally. He desires to bless us simply because He loves us so much!

It was a hard week emotionally for me (and physically) but I'm just amazed at how I am learning to enjoy every moment life has to offer me.

Love,

Emily Burnham

Pumpkin Painting, Hot Cocoa, and The Magic Flute

Hello my amazing friends and family! As I write this week's synopsis, my heart is so full of gratitude for my Heavenly Father and Savior. I've been blessed with joy this week. I've had lots of happy moments, but also have experienced a peace and joy that has brightened each day.

Monday
I learned some Indian and Jewish dances at Home Evening tonight! No, I will never prove it to you by showing you because I looked absolutely ridiculous! I don't think my body was made for dancing...

Tuesday
After work at the MTC, I went down to the Harman building to grade some papers for my TA job... I completed two in 50 minutes. I have 40 students to grade, so this'll be fun! Lexy made me a delicious dinner with sautéed onion, apples, bell peppers, and sausage! I also went to institute.

Wednesday
After my two classes in the morning, I had the rest of the day to myself because my music class was cancelled! I took that opportunity and went ice-skating. My friend Dani was there and taught me really cool jumps. I've been landing them, though not as gracefully as a pro, but it's been so fun! My does did feel rather crushed afterwards. Y'all ice-skating has become such a passion for me!

Thursday
I had my mission friends, Becca and Morgan, over for dinner tonight! We had yummy tacos! I fried up some shells and everything :) It was so fun to catch up with them. They are both soon gonna be married :0! I truly trust in the Lord's timing for me, though, so I'm not worried. I know my time will come eventually! For now, I'm doing the best I can to be an instrument in God's hands!

Friday
I was a bit late to my 8am class this morning because I had so much to do at work! I just had a blast today because while I was home doing dishes and laundry, I jammed out to some good tunes and had a party all by myself! I also got some homework done, then some grading for my TA job. I got to go ice skating with my friend Whitney and then attended an opera, The Magic Flute, that evening to see my teacher. He was the comic relief in the show!

Saturday
This was the best weekend I've had in a long time. I took time this morning to go shopping and get lots of things I needed, and then I ate lunch and went to work. I felt like I performed the best I have yet at work, really being sincere and allowing the missionaries to feel the Spirit as they teach me. Then after work, I went to the temple. The session was super small! When I got home, Miranda was on the couch watching Halloween Town. I made us dinner and then we watched it together, painted pumpkins, and had hot chocolate. It was so peaceful and nice!

Sunday
I woke up and looked out side. What did I see? Snow! Today marks the first snow of the season... I'm not ready! I had my friend Isaac film a video for my next blog video, and I'm super excited (and slightly nervous) to see how it turned out! He said he will help me film one each week, and I hope I don't overwhelm him! Later that afternoon, I was able to take a video of my friend Vincent to post on the channel next week. So y'all will have much to look forward to! I went with my friend Helena to the BYU Men's Chorus fireside and loved the beautiful music and testimonies of the converts. It was so precious and it was cool to see a couple of people that I knew! I was funny because after the meeting, I saw a missionary there that had taught me in the MTC. When she saw me, she said, "Hi Emily! Are you still meeting with missionaries? Did they bring you here?" I told her (a little sheepishly) that I was already a member. During the last song that was performed, a video of the life of Christ was shown, and as I watched Jesus, a thought came to mind, "That's my Savior." I felt the Spirit fill me and can testify that the Savior was friends with each of us personally in the pre-mortal life. Our relationship with Him is eternal—without beginning or end. I'm honored to be part of His church, the church of Jesus Christ. I'm grateful for the daily opportunities I have to feel the Spirit and share my testimony.

After writing down my prayers to Heavenly Father every morning, I record how I felt during and after the prayer. I reflected on it and realized that after almost every single prayer, I feel reassured. It hit me that my number one love language is words of affirmation, and that God shows His love to me through my love language: affirmation/reassurance. It made me think about how God can show us love in multiple ways, but He is especially aware of the ways that make us feel the most loved. If your number one love language is quality time, then spend some more quality time with Him so you can feel extra loved!

Have a wonderful week!
Love,
Emily Burnham

BYU Spectacular!!

14 October - 20 October 2019

I survived another week! Hallelujah! It was actually a good week! I got everything done without any pressure. Projects got finished in time, quizzes got taken earlier than usual, and I even got to go ice skating for 2 hours AND to the BYU Spectacular on Friday! 

I turned in a paper that was worth 15% of my grade on Monday, and my friend Helena from the ward brought me lunch (we have English together), so I didn't have to go home to eat. I could stay on campus and get things done. I'm so grateful for the ministering angels that God sends my way to remind me that he loves me! I am enjoying work a lot more now that I'm getting more into my role and can be myself. Missionaries are great! They're not perfect, but they are pure in their intent to learn and teach the gospel, to serve the Lord. While ice skating on Friday, I was able to share about the Plan of Salvation and the Gospel of Jesus Christ with my friend Dani. She shared that she believes in reincarnation and that birthmarks symbolize how you died in a previous life. I'm so grateful for the time she puts into teaching me! I was a little shaky after not skating for three weeks, but I got the hang of it again pretty quick. I met up with a friend from my singing class to go to the BYU Spectacular with that evening. We got to listen to Ben Rector (who I had never heard of until the BYU Spectacular), Hilary Weeks, Vocal Point, and BYU Men's Chorus. Plus, we got to see the Dunk Team. They were my favorite part because they would do all these crazy flips off of trampolines and then dunk the ball! Overall, a blessed week! And I finally took time to go shopping so I have food!!!

BYU Spectacular Men's Chorus

I got to teach Sunday School today. It's amazing how much more revelation God gives me as I prepare to teach His children. I really enjoyed it and everyone said it was really good. Miranda said that the time seemed to fly by, which was really good because that's how it always feels to me! Also, Miranda and Lexy convinced me to ask a guy out to go on a triple date with them in a couple of weeks. I made up a ton of popcorn for Come, Follow Me today! And Miranda invited a lot of sisters from the ward over for dinner, which was amazing. I got free food and good company, so what more can you ask for? (Though we did spend a significantly large amount of time talking about alligators and losing limbs). Also, my friend Vincent was able to help me with my art project (telling a story through hands) today after Come, Follow Me by taking lots of pictures of my hands. He's the best!

Something that really resonated with me this week was about the power of accepting other people's offers to help us. There is a special love that will enter your heart when you sacrifice your pride and the worry of being a burden, and allowing someone to do something for you. That is one way that God reaches out to us and lightens our burdens, but only if we accept it! Just think--God commands us to serve Him. If we want to be like Him, we need to get used to allowing others to serve us, even if we think we could do it better. Instead, allow them to serve and bless you, and meanwhile they are serving God and feeling loved and blessed by Him. If I hadn't let so many people serve me a couple weeks ago, I wouldn't feel such love and gratitude when I see them. Truly service AND being served brings us closer to others. I love my Savior Jesus Christ. I would literally and figuratively be lost without Him, and I want to make a better effort to put Him at the center of everything that I do.

Love,

Emily Burnham

Harry Potter and Painting

7 October - 13 October 2019

Hey! So, in all honesty, this past week sucked. Not all of it. But I just didn't feel very well all week long and became overwhelmed and stressed with all that I had to do. Wow, I'm so grateful that it is Sunday so I can rest from the craziness that is my life! I have a headache for the third day in a row and will feel nauseous/dizzy on and off. Despite all that, the Lord has sent ministering angels my way and has strengthened me through it so I could accomplish the things I absolutely needed to get done.

Monday
I did not feel well today. Mostly emotionally/mentally, so I didn't go to my first class. Instead, I went shopping because I needed food. It was cool to run into six different sets of missionaries at Walmart! During my second class, we were asked to draw pictures of God, and mine actually turned out pretty good! So I gave it to Miranda as a gift. We had a Harry Potter themed Home Evening tonight, complete with a realistic looking Hagrid-made birthday cake for Harry. It was super cute and a lot of fun.

Tuesday
Ironically enough (or maybe it was planned, I don't know), the speaker for today's devotional related 5 principles from Harry Potter to the gospel. So that was pretty fun! That evening, I felt so sick and did not go to institute. Then I felt super bad and disappointed in myself. I think I have felt so bad these past few days because I was just on a conference-high and now Satan is striking me down. But not for long! I also surprised my roommate Kayla with some watercolor paintings I did for her because her room is so empty with zero decorations.

Wednesday
I ran into so many people I knew today on campus! I saw Whitney Callahan twice, Lexy Rowberry, and Spencer Ashworth! It was fun to get to chat with them all for a second before getting to class. I am also really enjoying my singing class, and think I'm getting better, but it's hard to tell. I also called and talked to Johnny for half of an hour, which made me so happy! I love hearing from the Wrights and the joy that comes from staying close to those you met on the mission that changed your life forever. He is doing well, but may have cancer in his ear, so I'm keeping him in my prayers.

Thursday
After my Social Psych class today, I was talking with Haley Bell and she thanked me for my comments that I give during class, which made me feel good. She showed me pictures of her cute kids and said she was open to being set up on dates. It was a really good conversation and I gave her a hug. Then I remembered she said she had the flu! So I stopped by the JKB on my way home for a free flu shot! I went to work at the MTC and had an amazing lesson with these two elders. What made it so great was how excited they got about teaching me the Plan of Salvation. It felt so good to obviously be helping them to fulfil their purpose. That evening, I spent a lot of time printing, cutting and finishing up my poster for my art class tomorrow. I had a small bit of time to do some readings but then needed to go to bed.

Friday
I went into work. I don't know why, because I felt absolutely awful. But I did. I got to talk with Ben and give him Haley's number so he could ask her out when his divorce is finalized (I never considered myself to be a match maker, but who knows what'll happen). Then I had my art class. It was really good! I got to present my painting projects and was super proud with how well they turned out. My teacher seemed pretty impressed. Then we had some free time at the end to work on our next project: guerilla art. I got the whole class in on doing a flash mob on campus where we will freeze in place for 4 minutes. I'm super exited about it and recruited some friends to help me out. I had a QPR training about suicide prevention for my TA job, and it was actually very good and informative. I held my TA office hours and went shopping and then to the temple, and then came home to do homework. I went with Whitney to a game night for about 45 minutes that evening. All my other time was spent doing homework!

Saturday
I did not sleep well, and I couldn't sleep in until 6am. My body was too stressed, I think. I had a service project out in Lehi, UT, so I left with Helena (she's in my ward but she's also in English class, which is the reason we had to do this service project) at 7:30am. I thought that when we showed up, they'd put us to work digging ditches for five hours or something. But no, we totally got spoiled! They had breakfast laid out for everyone, a junior high choir serenaded us as we ate. Then we got to pick which service we did (we helped paint the mural outside) and they had food trucks feed us for lunch. Plus they had water and snacks for us. I got to meet and talk with some pretty cool individuals and feel reassured that I'm doing the right thing. I brought home a doughnut from one of the food trucks for someone and ended up giving it to Kayla's fiancée, Matt. He was so happy. I quickly had to leave to go to work. I just packed a lunch with me and ate there. Then, because I only had one lesson scheduled, I was able to clock out for a bit to get some homework done, and then I also could leave early since I wasn't feeling all that well. My cheeks were flushed all day and I was a bit out of it. All week. I went to the Harman building for a few minutes to finish up some work and then went home to work on homework. I got a perfect score on my quiz! And I got pretty far on my essay that is due. I'll just need to wake up early on Monday to finish it up.

Sunday
I slept in a bit past 8am. And I still didn't want to get up. I'm so grateful that Sundays can be a day of rest for me! With how busy my weekdays are, Sunday is a mental rest day too! I started my fast and was almost ready for church when I started have violent waves of nausea and knew I had to eat something or I very well might have thrown up. So I ate a banana, but that's all I had! I enjoyed listening to everyone's testimonies today and being filled. I sat next to Lexy in Relief Society and we talked afterward about how time-consuming it is to cook for ourselves, and we decided to do a small food group. She'll cook for us on Tuesday and I'll cook for us on Wednesday. That way we have motivation to cook and don't have to feed ourselves once a week. Kathrine may be in on it as well. As we were walking home from church, Lexy and I stopped to talk to a guy in our ward named Isaac, and he said he is a videographer and offered to help film my weekly YouTube videos so they are not ghetto-quality. Wow, what a blessing! He is my new best friend. Also, I need to actually have more coherent and meaningful things to talk about... yikes! But it'll be good :). I posted some new videos to my channel today as well, and I don't think they are as bad as the first couple, so that's good! Vincent and Kathrine came over for Come, Follow Me study group, and it was nice having a small group today. I'm grateful for the many friends that I have and the ones I am making each day!

I've been thinking a lot about the joy and love we will experience in Heaven. I know that it will be so great--and so worth our every trial and hardship we had to go through here in order to get there. I am filled with hope that my hardships happen for a reason. Waking up for work at 5am, walking there in the cold feeling nauseous from hunger. That'll be a fun story to tell my kids one day! It has helped me see that I can do hard things and overcome anything with the help of the Lord. I know what awaits me in the future will more than make up for every misery I go through now.

Much love,
Emily Burnham

Mission Reunion!!!

30 September - 6 October 2019

Howdy howdy! It's me again! I had such an exhausting week, but it was also wonderful! I know you'll be disappointed if I don't give you a play-by-play of my day, but I'm super tired, so I'm just gonna give the highlights!

Monday
I woke up an hour early to finish homework for class, and then did homework between each class. The fun part of my day was that after FHE, I stopped by BYU's Museum of Art to scope out the pieces for my art class paper. Then I ran quickly by the store to grab some needed materials for the rest of the week. I loved all the artwork of the Savior and the pioneers, who sacrificed so much to follow Jesus Christ.

Tuesday
Another day of waking up extra early to do homework in the morning. With general conference this weekend, and my mission reunion, I need to get a lot of homework done early! I began working on my test for my Social Psych class, and I feel blessed that it is open notes and textbook! However, I also felt so stressed that I could not bring myself to attend institute. I just mentally couldn't go. Sometimes you just need a break, and it's okay to say no to things that you usually do when you aren't feeling well emotionally. Ooh, I also got to see Elder Hughes at the MTC when I was getting off of work!

Wednesday
Today between classes, I took the essay I'd written for the Brimhall Contest to the writing center. The girl who helped me had some good suggestions. It made her laugh a lot! I hope I have a good chance of winning, because I really poured my heart and soul into the piece! When I got home from class, I opened a giant package that had arrived for me: a set of my very own pots and pans! Ones that I won't have to share with anyone; that gluten will never touch! Did I mention how amazing my mother is?

Thursday
I got to hold baby Parker (Miranda's nephew) this morning while she got his bottle ready. He's so cute! I had to leave early to meet with my professor about my performance in my English class so far, and I was surprised that he was really happy with me, because I'd been pretty sure he didn't like me very much... After my class, I met with my TA to go over some test questions. After my shift at the MTC, I went over to do initatories at the Provo City Center temple, which was a blessing. Then I had to do a lot of homework and personal business stuff all night. I turned in my essay for the contest! I hope hope hope it wins!

Friday
I didn't go into work this morning. What a blessing! I went to my 8am class until 11am, then went home for lunch. I left to go to the Harman building to hold my TA office hours and grade the big assignment that was due. Blah. Took me three hours! I rushed home and got ready and was able to carpool with Jessica Church, Becca Strong, and two others to SLC. The mission reunion was held in a chapel, and it was so overwhelming to see so many people I knew all at once! But it was also good. I know that life moves on and that friendships change, but I'm grateful for the amazing memories I get to share with these people. I was able to drive home with Ashleigh Jensen, and we had such an amazing conversation! We both want to go into Marriage and Family Therapy.

Saturday
For the morning session of general conference, we ate breakfast at Lexy's apartment and watched over there with a group of friends! I absolutely loved general conference! I also worked on my art project about the 5 senses while watching ;). Even though I was busy and had a lot to do, I learned so much and have felt prompted with ways that I can improve. I was able to finish all my homework and assignments by 9:30pm, which was such a blessing! I'm so excited for the changes that are happening! A temple in Orem?? So cool!

Sunday
I feel like I am coming down sick. Two of my roommates have been/are sick, and I am feeling dizzy, nauseous, and tired. I felt the Spirit a lot while watching conference, and truly had so many questions and concerned answered. I realize that I need to pray with REAL INTENT. Not just that I'll act on the answers I receive, but that I really care about what I am saying and praying about. I also want to be more generous with my time and resources. Satan has spent over a thousand years coming up with the best strategies to distract me from my divine role and purpose, and I feel like one of them has been putting so much focus on school and work, stressing over both so that I put service on the back-burner. I need to realign my priorities and really seek out ways to love and serve my fellowmen. I have started a service journal, where each week I will make a list of things I want to schedule and do to serve and reach out to others. I want to be a blessing, a force for good, in the lives of others! Also, we have the best prophet ever! Love him so much! Also, I posted another video to my YouTube channel! It's so hard putting myself out there like that, but I hope and pray it will do good in someone's life!

Love,
Emily Burnham