Y-Group Leader

Howdy fam and friends! What another wonderful and amazing week! Just as classes finished up, they are already starting again. So quick! I am definitely not going to do year-round next year, because it can be very tiring and taxing!

Monday
I had my last basketball class for Spring term today, and our team won! I was somehow on fire today and made so many epic shots! I also went to a two hour review for my psych class, and then Home Evening, which was dinner at our Bishop's home. Yum! It was the fourth time in a row seeing our Bishop and his wife, which was super cool! I truly love them and am so grateful for them.

Tuesday
I studied some more today, and then because institute was cancelled due to finals, Valerie hosted a game night!! A lot of people showed up, including my friend Olivia from work! She is super chill. We had a fun time. I also got to go and see Levi's Boba bus that he bought and renovated. I hope his business does well!

Wednesday
I studied for and took my Psychological Testing final today. It was a relief to get it out of the way, even though I did not do as well as I had hoped for. It's also crazy that I don't get to see Valerie until the evenings! I've been going to work this week from 5am to 9:30am, and Valerie leaves for work before I get back. She works until after 5pm! I really cherish the evenings we get to spend together.

Thursday
Today was a very relaxed day. Finals were finished. I went shopping and then painted a giant sign that afternoon. It's a bulletin board, but I wanted it to have a cool background. It didn't turn out just quite how I was expecting, but it wasn't too bad, either!



Friday
I had signed up to be a group leader for New Student Orientation (NSO), so I left right after work to go. I accidentally missed the first hour when I was supposed to sign in, and I somehow got moved to a new group, but it was cool because I got two T-shirts, plus I was able to join the group of two guys from my Spring basketball class! The crazy thing was that my freshman roommate Bailey's younger sister ended up in that group, so I got to see her again! I really enjoyed serving, even though it was a long day! It really gave me purpose and joy to help others and look at campus through fresh eyes. I also got a voucher to buy something at the Cougar Café, so I ordered from Aloha Plate and got this giant dish of pork and rice, plus a yuppy mango-pineapple Dole whip. I got home around 3pm and went over to hang out with my friend Whitney. We all went to a pool party (but didn't actually swim) and then went to get free Jamba Juice! Then we went back to her apartment complex and played basketball. I got home just in time for dinner. What a tiring, but rewarding, day!



Saturday
It was so nice not to go to work this morning! I got ready for the second day of NSO, meeting my group of kids on campus at 8:30am. We went to the JSB for the devotional, which I really liked. It was a good reminder that I am at BYU for a specific reason, and I have access to so many tools and resources during my time here. The rest of the day was full of giving the freshmen a tour around campus, with a lunch break in the middle. I ate grilled chicken and fries from Chick-Fil-A (because they were out of salads). I really enjoyed the tour because I actually learned some new things from the presentations about some free stuff we have access to! When I got home around 3pm, Valerie and I went to do initatories at the Provo Temple.  That evening, I finished my readings for class, and then took Valerie with me to attend the NSO finale. We played a couple games, but it was kind of lame, so we grabbed some food and left.

Sunday
I travelled to Heber City this morning to attend the home coming of Sister Alyssa Caldwell! I was so happy to see Sister Morgan Black there as well, and it was so fun to catch up with her. After sacrament meeting, I also got to see Sister Bowman and her cute mom, so it was a mini FTM reunion! I attended Relief Society and prayed for inspiration of an insight I could share, and then followed the Spirit and spoke up, which was really cool. I don't always think I sound very eloquent when speaking--in fact, I know I don't. I stumble over my words and have a hard time trying to convey my thoughts and feelings. But I'm sincere and I know the Spirit can help communicate the things that I cannot. Afterwards, I went over to Alyssa's home for a luncheon and ate some very delicious food. Sister Caldwell (Alyssa's mom) made banana bread and sent me home with it! She is so kind! I drove back to Provo and made it back just in time to attend Reconnect at the Bishop's home, even though I was so exhausted and desperately needed a nap.

I am so grateful for the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. While many people have been brought back from the dead, according to the scriptures, what Christ did was unprecedented. He did not simply come back to life. He had power and authority to become an eternal physical being, never again to be corrupted by time and physical affliction. He is eternal, constant, and permanent. So many other things in this life come and go, including loved ones. But because of Jesus Christ, we can live again. Eternally. Together.

When Your Bishop Stalks You...

Hola, mi amigos! My goals have been going very well! I've been practicing Spanish all week long and writing every single day! It truly has brought a sense of meaning and purpose in my life to set meaningful goals and to work hard at them.

Monday
For some reason, I woke up around 3:30am and had the hardest time going back to sleep. So finally, I just got up and went into work early, at 4:40am. I had my basketball class, then came home and worked on homework. I went to my Psychological Testing class, which was very inspiring. We talked about the essential importance of practice in developing our talents. Some people may have natural talents, but without deliberate practice, they will never obtain "expert" level. My teacher made a comment that stuck with me, "Happiness is found in working hard at something you find valuable." And because we live in a world where it is so easy to be distracted and to procrastinate, we must schedule into our day the things that matter most, and work on them no matter what else arises. That evening, we met up with our new Home Evening groups and got to know each other.

Tuesday
Work has been fine as long as I have something to listen to as I'm working. Thank goodness for the Deseret Bookshelf app! I had basketball class again, and my team lost, but I scored the first three or four baskets! But mostly because of another really good kid. I worked on some readings for tomorrow, and that evening, went to institute. So, our regular teacher was gone and had called a lady to substitute. She was very knowledgeable about Jewish history and the Bible, so I learned a lot, but it was more like a lecture than an interactive learning experience. Everyone has different teaching styles, but I guess I prefer letting the class speak up and share insights, because I feel that is when everyone learns the most, from each other and the Spirit.

Wednesday
We won our basketball game today, but only because we were being crushed and our teacher jumped in to help our team! He scored a couple three-pointers to help us catch up. I also officially ordered a very nice, and expensive, pair of figure skates today. That is going to be my hobby! And with the pass I bought, I get free admission for the next few months! Today was my last day of class for Psychological Testing, and we talked about psychopaths and differentiating between sane and insane people. Is a person insane or can their environment make the insane? Now that I am in my major classes (I only have a couple of generals left to take), my classes are super interesting! Although our discussion was interesting, we went overtime and had less time in lab to work on our paper. This was inconvenient because one girl didn't do her part fully, so we had to all step in and do it for her. Then the wi-fi in the building decided to stop working... so I had the burden of finishing up the assignment once I got home, which was due before midnight. I got home later than usual, rushed over for ward prayer, couldn't stay for the games, rushed back home and finished writing and editing the paper before bed. And yup, I skipped dinner... yikes. But hey! I classes are over now and the future is bright!

Thursday
I felt exhausted today, between work, basketball, and shopping. And I legit have so many disgusting bruises from basketball class this week! We've been playing pretty rough, plus I bruise easy, and so my legs looked atrocious after class today. I need to stop jumping on the ground after the ball! I also had to return some items and buy groceries, but I wasn't prepared for rain to come pouring down in the middle of my shopping adventure! I had planned to get a car wash, but didn't want to look ridiculous, so after I got home and put my groceries away, I went down into our parking garage and washed my car by hand. It is looking nice and spiffy now. That evening, Valerie planned a fun activity for Relief Society sisters to stop by and sign hearts that we can hang up for Father's Day on the guy's doors, but only one person came! She had the cutest set-up though.

Friday
I tried to get to work early today because I had to leave at 8am to go to a Y-group leader service training for New Student Orientation next weekend. I volunteered because I wanted to force myself to be more social. Luckily, I packed my own breakfast. The training was good, and I talked with a couple of people. Two guys from my basketball class were there, so I was able to chat with them for a bit! I couldn't eat the lunch they had, so I left just before noon and went home to eat. That evening, Valerie and I went to the Disney showing of Newsies in Orem. We got free tickets! I had accidentally cut my fingers while opening a can for dinner, so I had my fingers wrapped up pretty good. We randomly got texts from Bishop and his wife asking what happened to my fingers. We were so confused as to how they knew. I responded, and they replied back that they hoped we enjoyed the rest of the play. Now we were really confused. How did they know? Who told them? Well, we found out at intermission that they were there watching the play too! We had a good laugh about that.

Saturday
This morning I awoke feeling so tired and groggy. My roommates and I got ready for the ward temple trip this morning, and it was funny because Valerie and I ended up sitting next to the Osborns in the chapel, so now it is a running joke that they are stalking us! After the temple, I got to see my trainer from my mission! Vanessa Wall was in town for EFY training, so she came over when I was home and we talked for two hours before I took her to the front runner station so she could go home. We reenacted a photo that was taken from me being in training over two years ago! I spent the afternoon writing. I'm mostly just working on creative writing, like stories, and my little sister wants me to finish a book to gift her with at her next birthday...

Sunday
I awoke this morning and finished preparing my lesson for Sunday School! I was actually very excited to teach. I had many inspired ideas throughout the week, but also, I was blessed with the honor of teaching on the Atonement of Jesus Christ. After church, I was able to receive a priesthood blessing from Bishop Osborn. I had been studying my scriptures earlier this week, pondering about times when I felt close to Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father. On my mission, I had some sacred experiences with receiving blessings in my hard moments that kept me going, and I had been feeling lately that I needed more direction and guidance in my life, plus some reassurance and comfort. It was exactly what I needed, if maybe not what I wanted, to hear. I need to be patient and wait for the Lord's timing. But I'm humbled to have His direction and will do my best to live worthy so all the blessings I have been promised will come true.

This week I was thinking about the question, "How can I cheerfully submit my will to God?" Just like Jesus Christ did, in His greatest moment of uncertainty, said unto the Father, "Nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done." I've always thought that either our will is aligned with God or it is not. However, Elder Neal A. Maxwell shared a more nuanced perspective, "As you submit your wills to God, you are giving Him the only thing you can actually give Him that is really yours to give. Don’t wait too long to find the altar or to begin to place the gift of your wills upon it!" Wills. Not a singular will, but many wills. We each have many, many desires and wants and wishes. Some of them we cannot currently fathom giving up. But just as everything else in the gospel is a process, turning our full will over to God happens piece by piece, small sacrifice by small sacrifice, will by will. As we continually turn over small pieces of our will to Him every day, with His help, we will one day (maybe a thousand years from now) accomplish the impossible: turning every single one of our wills over to Him. What small sacrifice can I make this week to give up one of my wills to God?

Love,
Emily Burnham

Hub Caps, Hiking, and Hymns

Howdy mi amigos! This week has blown by surprisingly fast, and I think it is because I am making an effort to stay busy with goals to work on.

Monday
Nothing too exciting went down today. Just work, homework, basketball class, and my other three-hour class. For Home Evening, we played ultimate frisbee at the park.

Tuesday
After work, I quickly got ready for the day so I could go to a two-hour test review before basketball class. After basketball class, I ate a quick lunch and then picked up my friend Whitney to go and watch the new live-action Aladdin! Overall, I really enjoyed it and had a great time. That evening, I went with Valerie to institute. I am really enjoying learning about the women in the Old Testament!

Wednesday
Again, I got ready quickly after work so I could go to my TA's office hours before basketball class. I got a great start on some homework. Later in my psychological testing class, we rushed to finish our paper that was due before midnight. When I finally got home (15 minutes later than usual), Valerie told me she had made me popcorn. What an angel! But little did I know that was only the beginning... she had two other surprises for me to find (and it took me until Thursday to realize what they were)! Then we went to ward prayer and got some popsicles!

Thursday
I finally found out what Valerie's surprise was! Dad kind of let it slip on the phone when I talked to him on my way home from an appointment with the writing lab. She bought me hub caps for my car and put them on! Also, she got a magnetic phone-holder for my car! She is such a great sister and friend!

Friday
At work this morning, we watched Mulan and ate granola and fruit. Yum! Of course I sang along to my favorite song... Let's Get Down to Business! Then I studied for a took a test, scoring a 93%. Not bad! I had the afternoon free to do laundry and relax. I really can't remember what else I did... I do know that I have been looking into buying a nicer pair of figure skates with more support for my ankles.

Saturday
Val and I went to the temple early this morning, and then we went home and got ready for a Relief Society hike. It was a bit chilly, but very beautiful! Afterwards, we went with a small group to the Seven Peaks Water Park, where I swam for the first time in three years! It felt so weird for a second, but I quickly got used to it ;). We got home late that afternoon, and I spent the rest of the time working on homework and completely small projects around the apartment. I thought about staying up late to watch a movie... but when 9:30pm rolled around, I was out like a lightbulb! My early-morning custodial job has turned me into a grandma!

Sunday
Relief society was really good. We talked about the Relief Society Declaration and shared personal experiences in small groups. I was able to feel the Spirit as I testified of Christ and other spiritual experienced I had. I love the reminder that I do not have to be a missionary testifying to have the Spirit bear witness of my words. It can happen in everyday conversations. After church, I went with a group to sing at an old-folks home and brought my violin along to play. I was pretty rusty, but I felt so happy and energized afterwards. It was such a blessing to be able to lighten the day for them!

In relief society today, I had a conversation with the girl next to me about how important it is to invite the Spirit into our lives every single day. Often times, we aren't doing anything bad that would drive the Spirit away. But just as we are counselled to seek, knock, and ask in prayer, we are also told to invite the Spirit to teach us in our scripture study and other aspects of our life. Sometimes we become distracted or caught in a rut and start going through the motions. How sad is it that we can go through our scripture study without being taught by the Spirit, simply because we didn't actively pray to invite Him to be there and to learn something. It is so important that we make these conscious decisions or else, in a way, we are letting the adversary win. I have been able to invite and feel the Spirit this past week as I sang a sacred hymn before studying my scriptures and listened to conference talks when I wasn't otherwise occupied.

Much love,
Emily Burnham

Always Happy?

Wow, what a week! I only had two days of classes, since Monday was a holiday, but it still felt like a full week for some reason.

Monday: I went with Valerie and some other girls in our ward to the Fun Center in Lehi, UT! With our passes we bought, we can get into all kinds of things for free now! I played three rounds of laser tag and went mini-golfing outside, only getting my golf ball stuck in the water once! I missed the first round of laser tag (because I had to go to the bathroom and they didn't wait for me...) so while I was waiting for them to finish, I took a peaceful walk outside and found a pond full of fish by the mini-golf!

Tuesday: One tender mercy that happened today was that I called a man who sharpens skates and set up a time to go over today... and he did it for free! I'd heard he usually $15, but he was a member and we were talking about my mission and BYU, and so he decided to do it as a service. That evening, I was a bit sad because Valerie was leaving with a group of friends to see the live-action Aladdin in theaters, but I couldn't go because it would be too late and I have work tomorrow. Instead, I went over to institute, even though I was feeling a little glum. I'm glad I went, even if it was so I could show the Lord I loved Him and was willing to be obedient and do what I promised I would do.

Wednesday: During basketball class today, I jumped up and intercepted a pass from the opposing team, but a guy jumped up behind me and accidently hit his head into mine. It really hurt, so I had to sit out the rest of the time. The guy felt so bad that he gave me his pack of fruit snacks, which was so kind of him! After class, I went to the library to meet up with Whitney, my freshman roommate, so I could give her the birthday present I made. It was a painting of the Virginia flag with her mission name in the middle. She loved it! Then I stayed on campus to finish up some homework that I had before class. Class was pretty interesting because in our lab, we ran the statistics for our project we have been working on, and I think our results worked out pretty well! After class, I rushed home and went to ward prayer to play dodge ball! I didn't get out, of course ;)

Thursday: I didn't go to my basketball class today because I needed a break (and I was still slightly bitter that my head was hurting...). But I have become a believer in taking "mental health breaks" every once in a while. When life becomes overwhelming, it is healthy to take a step back and spend some time recuperating.

Friday: Whitney texted to ask if I could go to the temple with her this evening, so I quickly got ready and we made it (just barely) to the 4:40pm session. I had a really great experience in the temple today. It felt like I was having my own private conversation with God and my mind was enlightened more about premortality. I'm grateful for the knowledge I gain each day, along with the peace and comfort Heavenly Father is so willing and eager to give me when I reach out and ask Him. Afterwards, Whitney invited me to come over and watch Nacho Libre (which I had never seen) with a bunch of her friends. It was fun! I made apple crisp and everyone else had pancakes. I also got to sit next to a pretty cute guy, so that was a bonus ;).

Saturday: I met up with some mission friends for lunch at Costa Vida, and I didn't realize how hungry I was until I ate the entire salad and didn't feel stuffed. It was a nice reminder of my mission and I'm amazed that I have so many friends now because of those special 18 months serving as the Lord's missionary. That afternoon, I went ice-skating with Valerie and Kathrine (a girl in our ward). With our special passes, we get free admission! And I have my own skates, so I get in completely free!! Though I'm not the biggest fan of my new skates because they don't have enough ankle support, so after an hour, I start tripping over my skates :(. I worked on homework until it was time for me to meet up with Whitney and her group of friends to go country swing dancing! It didn't start until 9pm, which is pretty much my bed time any other night of the week. I danced with four different guys, but for the most part, I stood on the sidelines watching everyone else dance because not a lot of people asked me to dance. But I learned a few cool tricks.

Sunday: So, fast Sunday, right? Well, we had the most amazing testimonies born during sacrament meeting, and I was willing to bear my testimony if I felt prompted, but the entire time was taken with one person after another standing up to go. Finally, the time was coming to a close, and I was just about to get up to go when another girl got up. I thought, "Well, maybe it's just not my month to go." The clock on the wall said it was 11:25, which was when the Bishop said we would conclude, but then the thought came to check my phone, and my phone said 11:22, so I took that as a prompting and started to stand up right as the girl finished. But the Bishop had also been about to stand up to end the meeting! When we saw me, he promptly sat back down, and my sister urged me to go. I got up there and said, "I know the clock says it's 25 after, but my phone said it was only 22 after, so I figured I had a minute to share a quick experience!" I told about a time when I was a missionary teaching a lady, and her fiancé was set against her joining. I wanted desperately for her to read the Book of Mormon and join the church, and so I promised her as she read and came to church, she would always be happy. She gave me a long, hard look and then said honestly and skeptically, "Always happy? Are you always happy?" The question took me aback and I thought about it for a minute... no, I wasn't always happy. And I couldn't promise that to anyone. But it was this gospel, which I so desperately wanted her to accept, that carried me through those moments of sadness and depression. I bore my testimony to her of the gospel and the Savior carrying me through my hard moments so that I could be happy eventually. Happiness may not always be found in the moment, but it can often be found looking back on the hard things we have overcome with the help of Jesus Christ. I felt so Spiritually uplifted from church today, which was exactly what I needed after these past couple of weeks. I may not feel happy every single day, but I am filled with gratitude and thanksgiving when I think of all the tender mercies God has blessed me with. I also took the opportunity to listen to some hymns while I painted, just wanting a peaceful moment with myself.

Much love,
Emily Burnham