Week 53 - Mission Birthday and Ironman

What a week! I got to celebrate my year mark as a missionary and talk to my family on Mother's Day! So many tender mercies this week from God. Thank y'all for your prayers; they helped so much. First off, we aren't in a car share anymore! When President asked the zone leaders how Callaway was doing, they told him that we were still figuring out the car-share situation. President then told them, "Callaway isn't supposed to be in a car share. The Sisters are supposed to have the car, and the elders don't get one!" So they will be the ones needing the prayers now.

TUESDAY 

We have a huge district! There are 13 missionaries, and another senior couple is moving into our apartment complex, so we will soon have 15! I love that most of the sisters are new. Their greenie fire is rubbing off on me again. We also watched training videos from the missionary department, and our church never ceases to amaze me. There is no doubt in my mind that this is the truth, and I'm so blessed to get to share it each day.

WEDNESDAY 

We work out at the gym every morning, and this morning we met a really cool lady named Marilyn. We have been able to talk with her and share a bit about what we do. We also met with an older couple in the ward. When we asked them about how they share the gospel, the sister said that she writes out her testimony with a pass along card, opens up the phonebook, and randomly points to a page. Then she sends it to that address. Once it was to a Baptist Church...  That afternoon, we drove to a far area called Fountain. It is full of dirt roads, so our car got dusty. So did my shoes because I had to keep backing the car out. We only ran into one scary dog. But we were also able to contact 3 less-active families, and they were all surprisingly very welcoming. I don't think missionaries go up there very often. It was so cool to see everyone so receptive and kind.

THURSDAY 

Happy mission birthday to me! I guess I'm getting old, but it sure doesn't feel like it. To celebrate, I made brownies and had ice cream.  We helped out at the thrift store today, and a lot of crazy people were there. I'm pretty sure one guy was on drugs and stealing things because he kept coming in and out with different clothes on. He also called out to us, "Bye Catholic Sisters! Y'all are the prettiest sisters I've ever seen!" And another lady kept accusing the cashier of stealing from her. 

FRIDAY 

We did a lot of service today to prepare for the Ironman race tomorrow. We first helped move in the senior couple that is coming into our complex. And then we headed over to Panama City Beach to help people check in their bikes for the race. We were there for at least 5 hours! We did the math, and the amount of bikes in there added up to approximately 20 million dollars!

SATURDAY 

We woke up this morning at 5:30 so that we could get to the Ironman race. We helped direct the cyclists around a sharp turn in the road. It was so fun to cheer them on! Then after the last one passed by, we helped direct traffic and pedestrians so the cyclists wouldn't be stopped. It was a stressful job, and my authoritative side came out just a little bit. It became super dangerous that the police officers came to take over. There were only a few minor accidents with pedestrians slipping on the road and cyclists almost getting hit by cars, but everyone was okay. I kept forgetting what the cyclists were called, so I called them a variation of things: bikers, cyclers, biklers... The best part, though, was that my companion said that I left them with a smile on their face after they passed by me. It was fun cheering them on, but my voice was scratchy after five hours of shouting.

SUNDAY 

We got to ride to church with the Willmores, a senior couple that works on the church ranch. We had the opportunity to teach in Young Womens, and I felt the Spirit and Heavenly Father's love for them so powerfully. They really enjoyed the lesson. I am more grateful for living prophets than ever before in my life. Am0s 3:7 tells us that God does nothing unless He reveals it to His prophets. That is how He works. What would you not have without prophets?  I am so grateful for the Restoration of the gospel, and for the sure knowledge of the way to salvation that we have.

The Willmore's invited us and the other senior couple over for dinner. We were also able to call home and use their big computer screen! It was so cool to meet my companion's family. And Sister Strong really enjoyed listening to my dad fiddle for her! I loved getting to see my family's faces. I've never been more grateful for eternal families than now. I love them so much and am grateful for the support they give to me!

I testify that God answers prayers. Each hard week or hard day we have is to humble us so we can recognize the many blessing God pours upon us. Just past every dark and difficult day is a day of miracles and light! Hold on and stay strong! It's not about what you've done, it's about who you have become. And that mindset is only possible because of the Savior and His gift of repentance. Love y'all!

Love,

Sister Burnham 

Our district's rendition of the Provo Temple

Week 52 – Major Road Trip!

The time has finally come... my year mark is this Thursday! I cannot believe I have been a missionary for that long. Time does seem to go by quickly as you serve the Lord with a specific purpose. This past week has been a rollercoaster of emotions. Let's see if I can sum it up.

MONDAY 

We decided to take a road trip with the Milton Sisters to Brewton! We got to stop by and see all of the recent converts I got to work with, and I got to show them around the small town that has become a part of my heart. It was so fun for me and the elders to show them around. They loved every second of it and soaked everything in. To them, Brewton is still not a real place. We had a bonfire at the Wright's home, where we burned all of the pages in our area book. Good riddance! Then we roasted hot dogs over it! We had such a great time there, and it brought back so many memories.

Milton district at the Brewton wall. I really love them all!

TUESDAY 

We had district meeting today, and I realized how much I'm going to miss everyone. This has been one of my favorite districts so far! Afterwards, a couple in the ward took us out for lunch one last time to say goodbye. I will miss everyone so much. I'm so sad to be leaving. I wanted to say goodbye to lots of people, so Sister Scott bore with me and we visited just a few members that I have come to love so much. It was good closure. We had a service dinner down in Pensacola with the zone, and it was great to see all of the missionaries one last time.

Seeing Rhoda, Johnny, and CJ one last time. Love them!!!

Saying goodbye to Brother Tom...

...and Maddie

WEDNESDAY 

The day of transfers! I finished packing all morning, and my amazing companion, Sister Scott, cleaned the entire house! Then off to transfer spots! It was really hard to say goodbye and to leave everything behind, but I am excited for the adventures that lie in store. I got to ride the transfer van for a few hours with a bunch of other missionaries. Major road trip! I met my new companion, Sister Strong. She is amazing! I am so excited to be working with her. We already feel like instant friends and have a ton in common. I'm happy and grateful to get to be with her! We drove back that evening and had a dinner appointment with a very faithful man. Even though his wife is very against the church, he is remaining true because he said what God thinks is more important. Then we went to choir practice. The member in charge was very grateful that I could sing alto! 

Sister Strong

THURSDAY 

We have a nice gym to workout at. My apartment is so nice! Unfortunately, there is still a lot of area book left to do here. And I thought I had escaped that! Also, we are in a car-share with the Callaway Elders, so I will have to bike and walk for half of each week! I might be dreading it... just a tiny bit. Some prayers would be nice. There are a lot of challenges that lie ahead, but I know with the support of my companion and the Lord, I will be able to overcome them. We weekly planned (well, my companion did, and I tried to follow along ;) and did some service today at a thrift store. We don't have any investigators we are working with, so we just knocked doors and tried talking to people that evening. We got to meet one of the two senior couples serving in our ward. They all work out at the church ranch and love it! I'm excited to be able to work around senior missionaries!

FRIDAY

We finished making plans for the area this morning. Sister Strong is doing a great job leading everything out. She is already a pro, and is so understanding. We went finding all day, but only ran into some rude/creepy people. I'm working on not getting frustrated or annoyed when random people tell you that you have been endoctrinated into your religion and discredit everything you say. Hey, it's a part of missionary work, and the hard times help you understand on a a small level the mocking that Christ suffered. We got to have dinner with a recent convert, and she has been through so many things. I just have to remember on my hard days that everything is not as bad as it could be! 

SATURDAY 

We helped serve at the Methodist Community Breakfast. Sister Strong is a great violinist, so she plays along with the other musicians during the breakfast. She is trying to enlist me to help her out though... It's funny because after we clean everything up, we help set up for their church service the next morning. I don't know why I find that so funny and ironic! Later that day we had to figure out how to hand over the car to the Elders. They live 15 minutes away by car, 45 minutes by bike. So they biked and contacted people along the way to our apartment all day to get the car. I'm grateful they are willing to make sacrifices for us.

SUNDAY 

It was hard walking into church and not knowing everyone. Pace truly felt like family. I decided to try to love this ward as quickly as possible so I feel like I belong. I went around and said "hi" to everyone, and made sure to bear my testimony during sacrament meeting. There are some pretty amazing members here that I'm excited to get to know better. Since we didn't have the car, we had to walk an hour to go play bingo with seniors for service. Maybe my shoes are worn out from the past year because that much walking gave me blisters on the bottom of my feet! Sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven, right? The old bingo ladies are so cute and loving. They gave me huge hugs and told me how grateful they were that I came and how special I am.

Remember the challenge I proposed a couple of weeks back? Well, this week I decided to study Alma 37:37. I've really needed to check my attitude towards the car-share and trust in the Lord. He knows I can do it, or He wouldn't have put me here. I've really strived to arise every morning with a heart full of thanks unto God. I know as I continue to look for the positive, no matter how exhausted or heartbroken I am, God will direct me for good. I'm so grateful for my companion. She has been my rock during this crazy past week. She truly is strong. I'm grateful for each one of you and your prayers. 

And Happy Mother's Day! I'm excited to talk to my family on Sunday! It's crazy to think I was skyping home from the MTC last Mother's Day. 

Much love,

Sister Burnham 

Week 51 - Off to Callaway

Howdy y'all! I received transfer news this morning... I am leaving Pace and going to Callaway to be with Sister Strong. Fun fact: Sister Palmer just finished training her there! Crazy how small the mission world is. I'm absolutely heartbroken to be leaving Pace. I love the people here so much, but I know I have done what the Lord needed me to do, and now I get to go and make new friends!

MONDAY

We went to practice singing with Sister Jones, the ward organist. She is so talented! She can put anything together on the spot into an amazing arrangement. We had so much fun practicing with her, and she told me that I had an amazing voice.

TUESDAY

We had another lesson with Sarah's friend, Hayley. She is so interested because of the good examples around her, and she accepted a baptismal date of June 2! Sarah also brought another friend with her. Now she is also interested in learning more. Sarah is slowly baptizing in all of her friends and is such a great example!

We had dinner with the Weingartner family, and I love them so much!

WEDNESDAY

We had lunch with a bunch of amazing women in the church. Sister Weingartner said my spiritual insight from last night really struck a chord with her and it was just what she needed to hear. We also visited our ward mission leader in the hospital and sang for him. He kept introducing us to all of the nurses that would come in to help him. He is a great missionary! We played chair soccer at mutual with all the youth, and I already knew I wasn't a fan of the game. But tonight proved that I really, really don't like it! In the first round, I accidentally got myself out... Then I rolled my ankle and got kicked in the foot. On the second round, somehow the last two people ended up being me and my companion. I tripped over the ball, fell on my back, and then Sister Scott got me out. Oh, and I got kneed in the leg. So. Watch out world!

Sister Weingartner

THURSDAY

We went to Bishop's Storehouse this morning with all of the other missionaries. It was good to serve, but when we got home, I wasn't feeling very well. Without even saying anything, my companion noticed and said I was scaring her. She made me lie down, and my body just felt so weighed down, and my whole body was burning up. She suspected I had the flu, because I was exhausted, achy, and delirious. I just slept the rest of the day.

FRIDAY

I was still sick today, so a member dropped off a bunch of food and medicine for me and stuff for Sister Scott to do all day. It was such a tender mercy. A bright spot in an otherwise dingy day. I felt so loved and cared about.

SATURDAY

I felt a bit better today!  Unfortunately, Sister Scott wasn't feeling well. She didn't show the same symptoms as me, so hopefully I wasn't the one to get her sick! She felt well enough by the afternoon, and we went out and had a lesson with our investigator, Brother Tom. Afterwards, a member drove him to a baptism happening at the Stake Center, and we went too. It was fun for Sister Scott to see members from her last area. When she hugged her recent convert, I knew the meaning of the scripture that talks about Alma being overcome with joy when he sees his brethren still active in the gospel. I want to have that relationship with those I teach and come into contact with. 

SUNDAY

Sister Scott and I sang a duet in church, and it went so well! The Spirit was so strong and it was amazing to see how God was able to magnify my talent to bless others. So many ward members complimented me on my voice. The lady who accompanied us on the piano made me promise to continue to sing and bring the Spirit in the future! Talk about a major confidence booster! Our investigator, Brother Tom, drove himself to church! He really enjoyed it and definitely wants to keep coming back. Pace is like one big family.

I've learned a lot during my time here in Pace, and I'm ready to apply those lessons to my new area! One major thing Sister Scott has taught me is about friendship. I used to always look for the lessons I was supposed to learn from each companion and area. But she told me that when God sends us on missions, He gives us our companions and our investigators to be our eternal friends. They are not just check-lists to learn from, but life-long and eternal friends to love and cherish. As I look back, I can definitely see that. Who we are with is not by random chance. God sent us to our specific missions at this specific time to meet specific people that become a part of our life. A part of who we are. I know that one of my best friends is the Savior, Jesus Christ. Even when we make mistakes and break covenants or promises, His nail-scarred hand is stretched out still. He will never forsake us as we turn to Him. He is our Eternal Friend who loved us enough to die for us (John 15:13). 

Much love, 

Sister Burnham 

Here's Sister Scott at a baptism we went to! Brother Tom loved it so much that he told people he was getting baptized next week, and then I had to tell him it was actually next month. He was like "oh okay, I mean next month.

Week 50 - Brazilian Red Neck

Howdy everyone! This week I have seen countless miracles and felt evidence of Heavenly Father's love for me. It truly has been an amazing week! After some really hard weeks, God has blessed me immensely. It has reaffirmed my testimony that when you are going through a hard time, push forward with grit and persevere!

MONDAY

We taught Seminary this morning! The kids are so great. That evening we had dinner with the Bishop's family, then stayed for their family night. IT WAS SO FUN!!! I have not laughed that much in a long while. I love their family so much. We played games and solved riddles together. Apparently, the Bishop thinks my companion and I are geniuses and tried to get us to help him on a trivia game on his phone. His wife shooed us out the door "away from temptation" and held her husband back while he called after us to help him. It was hilarious.

TUESDAY

The Relief Society workout this morning was ridiculously funny. We did a Brazilian dance workout... Y'all, I make a much better Southern than a Brazilian dancer! That afternoon, we went tracting in a neighborhood Sister Scott felt inspired to go to. Turned out to be interesting because the first 7 or so people rejected us, and we also had 10 to 12 year old boys jumping on a trampoline and cat-calling to us. "Hey, you're pretty! Girl scouts, come sell us cookies!" And we found a guy on drugs. Yes, that all really happened. But then, on the last door, we found a very solid potential named Scott. He had a sweet Spirit about him, and I testified so boldly and felt the Spirit witness my words to him. #fourthfloorlastdoor (minus 4 floors)

Also, at dinner that name, a member made us awesome t-shirts with an inside joke on it: "I just want to travel the world and baptize cats). She's amazing, and we found out she is also in High School Musical 2! 

WEDNESDAY

We had exchanges with our sister training leaders here in Pace, and so man miracles happened! I was with Sister Call, an amazing human being, and we went to a lesson with Brother Tom. She followed the Spirit and invited him to be baptized on May 26th, and he accepted! We are so pumped! After our dinner appointment that evening, we got into the car, and this lady and her daughter were walking by. We made eye contact, and I instinctively rolled down the window. She walked up and asked how we were doing. I responded, "Chocolatey" (because I was eating a dessert I had taken from the dinner appointment). She laughed and offered us free facials. She gave us her number and we gave her a pass-along card. Now that's the best kind of missionary work: when they come to you!

THURSDAY

I awoke so excited and happy to go out with Sister Call. We went out tracting, and nobody answered their door. But it turned out good because then we were able to just talk about things I was struggling with, and she gave me good advice, but most importantly, she just listened. Listening doesn't mean that you listen to try to fix a problem. You listen to help them feel valued and understood. That evening, we went over to the ward mission leader's home for dinner, and it was soooo good! I ate so much I felt like I was going to burst. His wife told us the secret to her steak fajitas: she slow cooks the steak, then puts it in the frying pan after so it is tender and falls apart in your mouth.

FRIDAY

This morning a miracle happened with JoJo's lesson. Here is her whole story: Just over a month ago, we knocked on a door, and I had a Book of Mormon under my arm, but as we talked with her, I felt prompted to just share family history. We set a return appointment for 3 weeks later, which was when she would be the earliest available. Due to sickness, it got pushed forward another week. We finally were able to meet with her, and she was skeptical at first she would find any family names. I'd been praying for a miracle to happen, and it did! We found so much and she was amazed. We set a return appointment, and when we returned she had worked even more on it and had printed off documents. I knew the Spirit of Elijah had softened her heart. Well, on the second appointment, family search decided not to work. Convenient. So we asked her a bit about her religious beliefs, and in return, she asked us what we believed. We took the opportunity to share the Restoration with her and testify of the Book of Mormon. She is excited to read it and said she has been searching for something more, for a church she agrees 100% with, even though she likes the people at the church she currently goes to. She admitted after that she had agreed to come to family history so she could also learn more about our beliefs, and when Family Search wasn't working, she took it as a sign that she needed to learn our beliefs.

That afternoon, we had a lesson with Hayley, a friend of a young woman in the ward. We taught her at the park, and it was loud and distracting, but she wants to be baptized!

SATURDAY

Today I was a real redneck because we did service outside in Pensacola for 8 hours and I got BURNT. The thought had crossed my mind to put on sunscreen... well, I definitely learned my lesson for next time! We helped out at a food truck fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity. I was helping out at a tent with some other missionaries, and the lady in charge had been asking some questions,  so I gave her a pass-along card and taught her the Restoration with another sister. Use every opportunity to testify! 

SUNDAY

Our investigator, Brother Tom, came to church! He really enjoyed it and said he would be back next week! Miracle after miracle, I tell you! The best part of missionary work is seeing how lives change as they accept the gospel. 

I know this gospel is true because nothing else brings lasting peace and joy. No where else will you feel as loved and comforted. Stand tall and stay true. Heavenly Father knows you, loves you, and will make so much more out of you than you can imagine. I know this because He is doing so with me.

I have a 6 week challenge for you, if you choose to accept. Pick one scripture to focus on each week that promises eternal life, and strive to apply it each day. You will develop a stronger relationship with God and your family, and you will have eternal life. As you show the Lord you are doing your best, no matter how inadequate you feel, I promise you that the Savior will make up the difference with His divine help. For it is by grace you are saved, after all you can do. In spite of what you can do. Here are some suggestions, but also search out your own versus: 2 Nephi 31:20, Mosiah 18:9, Alma 37:37, Alma 38:5, Moroni 8:48, Moroni 10:32. Email me how it goes at emily.burnham@myldsmail.net

Much love,

Sister Burnham 

Week 49 - Service to the Sick

Hey all y'all! I hope you have been reviewing general conference and applying things you learn! One thing I have been studying over is Elder Bednar's talk on meekness. My mission president pointed out to me that it is beneficial to study the footnotes of conference talks because it helps walk you through their thinking process as they composed the talk. He said that President Nelson has been known to have over 100 footnotes in just one talk! So I took the challenge and have been studying the footnotes to the talk and have learned so much more as I feel the Spirit teaching me too.

TUESDAY

Have I really been on my mission for 11 months? Doesn't feel like it! In district meeting this morning, we had a training on listening that really touched me. I am a terrible listener! I interrupt people when they talk, I assume what they are able to say, I think of what to say in response before they are finished... But that is going to change. In fact, I've already started working on it! I want to listen with love. I want to listen to understand and help people feel loved and valued. Not because I can "fix" their problems, but because sometimes people just need to talk. The district leader made everyone pizza for lunch, and that includes me! He found ingredients I could have!!! We taught Brother Tom a lesson afterwards, and he committed to come to church in preparation for deciding if this is the true church and if he wants to be baptized! It has been a slow progression, but is steadily moving along. We had also made cookies for JR, and so after our dinner appointment, we drove over to have a lesson with him, and he felt so loved. He had a smile on his face the entire time and may have teared up. I made him a journal to keep spiritual experiences in, and Sister Scott testified that an Apostle of Jesus Christ had looked at our pictures and sent us here because God knew we needed to meet JR. I am feeling deep in my heart that these are people God has sent me here to find. Friends I had in the pre-mortal existence. 

WEDNESDAY

Sister Scott had a migraine today, so we weren't able to go out until the evening to a dinner appointment and then to mutual. I felt bad that she wasn't feeling good, but I also took it as a tender mercy for me because I didn't have any pressing matters, and for the first time in a long time, I felt so peaceful. I got my companion cold clothes to put on her head and rubbed her back, and just tried to help her feel better. 

THURSDAY

We went to Bishop's Storehouse this morning, then out to lunch with a member. I was feeling terrible afterwards, so I just had to lie down. I felt bad that I couldnt do anything, but my stomach hurt and I couldn't move my body. Everyone noticed I was a bit off today because I guess I wasn't smiling and as cheery as normal. Sister Scott returned the favor of serving and made me pancakes for dinner. She's awesome :)

FRIDAY

Interviews with our mission president. It was hard for Sister Scott because she found out the missionary she trained went home for medical reasons. She just felt so sad for her. We had a family history appointment that we had scheduled for a month before it finally happened! I prayed for a miracle to happen, and we were able to find a lot of information! She wants to keep meeting and is definitely feeling the Spirit of Elijah! We had another lesson with Tom. He has more light in his eyes than when we first started meeting.

SATURDAY

We went to a stake primary event and taught the kids about family history. We painted at a less-actives house for service, and they made a GIANT pot of soup for dinner. Like, the biggest pot of soup I've ever seen. We didn't even eat a dent into it, but we got sent home with soup for DAAYYSS ;).

SUNDAY 

I love musical numbers in church. We had two. A nonmember came to our gospel principles class with his girlfriend, and our teacher didn't know, so he started going into deep doctrine about the apocrypha and missing books. Fortunately, bishop was there and invited us to teach him the Restoration when we were talking about the Book of Mormon. Another tender mercy was that a family was visiting that day, and one girl had just gotten home from her mission a week ago, and was still in missionary mode and kept the lesson on track! We found out after that they are not actually in our area, but it was still a cool experience, and the guy hugged us both at the end of church.

If I've learned something on my mission, it is the importance of not giving up. Sometimes you question if things or people are worth it. It is. They are. Keep going and don't give up, no matter how many times you hit rock bottom or seem to have to start over again and again. I've also realized how much I really miss my family and loved ones. I really appreciate all the support I've been given and have really needed it this past week. 

Much love,

Sister Burnham 

Week 48 - Dobby and Baptizing Cats!

Hey, what's up family and friends! I have loved re-reading general conference talks. I'm catching so many things I missed before. It was amazing to hear Elder Cook bear humble and subtle witness that the Savior has personally ministered unto him. These men truly are special witnesses of Jesus Christ, who leads His church in person. 

MONDAY

We helped a member make flower crowns for her daughter's wedding, and she fed us yummy food afterwards. As we were about to leave the house, I spotted something out of the corner of my eye... the head of Dobby from Harry Potter! Of course we had to get pictures with it!

Me and Dobby... I tried copying his face... was I close? 

TUESDAY

Today I learned a great lesson on the importance of listening. I have a bad habit of jumping to conclusions, and the past week, I've been wrong time and time again. I need to learn how to listen differently and hear people out, so I made it a new goal. We had a great time at District Meeting, and on the way home, Sister Scott said that as we passed a particular apartment complex, she felt the prompting that there was someone there waiting for us to find them. That was so cool to hear, a referral straight from God! We had another lesson with Tuesday, and she sees so clearly how the Book of Mormon brings light and joy into her life everyday. I testify that the Book of Mormon is true and brings a light into your life when you ponder from its pages. We had dinner with a member. It is rare if we do not have a meal appointment. I braided a little girl's hair at dinner and now she thinks I'm the coolest ever! 

WEDNESDAY 

Brother Tom is progressing so well! We knocked on his door over a month and a half ago, and he has slowly but surely changed so much. He has much more light in his eyes and is happier! We had a lesson with him at our bishop's house, where we taught the gospel of Jesus Christ. We extended a baptismal invitation, which he was very accepting about. He brought up the concern about already having been baptized. Throughout the whole lesson, bishop's wife had been making analogies to a cake, and so I was able to make that analogy connect to baptism. I told him that other churches had bits of truth, or bits of cake, and it was good and delicious. But he only had half the cake. By being baptized with the priesthood authority, he would get the whole cake. He really liked that image. After the lesson, he said he felt positive, happy, and more committed. We went to another dinner appointment. Members love me! I received lots of yummy leftovers. At mutual that night, we were able to talk with a sister in the ward who was having a stressful day. I felt a prompting to tell her she looked beautiful, and it really touched her because she'd been struggling with her looks (apparently you shouldn't trust your husband to cut your hair...). We chatted and laughed with her for almost 20 minutes, and she really warmed up to us. We then made a new inside joke that she's going to put onto matching t-shirts for the 3 of us: "I just want to travel the world and baptize cats!" 

THURSDAY 

Service is the best! We pulled weeds for a member for a couple of hours, and then she took us out to lunch. She told us the craziest stories about her time in the Navy... like when she kidnapped a baby from a hospital! Granted, it was a fake baby and she was on assignment... She is hilarious and had us laughing so hard! She grabbed the baby doll from under the nose of a nurse, kicked the back door open, and sprinted down the stairs with a doctor chasing after her calling in a resigned voice, "Ma'am, I'm supposed to stop you!"

FRIDAY

Sister Scott was sick today, so we stayed inside. Coincidentally (I mean, by God's divine design), all our appointments, including dinner, cancelled on us. My tender mercy was a member stopping by with lunch for us unexpectedly. I just found things around the house to do to keep busy, including updating records for hours...

SATURDAY 

We had a stake bag ladies event this morning! I got to see Chloe from Jay Branch again! When she saw me, she exclaimed, "Cupcake!" and ran to give me a hug. The other missionaries in the district came, and I felt very accomplished for teaching one of the elders how to crochet!

SUNDAY

I had a prompting to bear my testimony in sacrament meeting about how much I loved and appreciated the ward, and home I was grateful for the special bonds I had made here. It was so good to see so many large smiles on their faces as I looked out at them. They are like my family. That evening we had a dinner appointment with a member family and their non-member relatives. We got to share part of the Restoration and set a return appointment!

MONDAY

One of the members in our family found black mold growing in their brand new house. It was making their kids sick, so they rented the closest B&B while their house gets fixed. The nearest one was on Pensacola Beach, about an hour away. Her husband asked if we could go visit his wife today because she'd been so stressed. While down there we decided to get some pictures around the beach!

This week I've been studying about personal revelation. Our prophet has warned us, "Our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, will perform some of His mightiest works between now and when He comes again. We will see miraculous indications that God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, preside over this Church in majesty and glory. But in coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost."

What will you do to increase your spiritual capacity to receive revelation? I promise you that as you strive to follow the prophet's guidence, you will feel the palpable presence of the Holy Ghost bringing you the answers and comfort you seek.

Much love,

Sister Burnham

The paper I was asked to make to hang on the ward bulletin board :)

Week 47 - Saintly Sisters

Hope y'all had an amazing Easter Sunday and General Conference! It was so exciting to hear about all of the changes taking place. The Lord truly is hastening His work because these are the last days!

MONDAY

For proselyting time, we had to upload paper teaching records into the phone, which is very long and tedious. I've realized no future missionary will appreciate what we are spending hours upon hours doing. At least the Lord does :). We also spent some time with our district, and I've gotten pretty good at lassoing! One of the elders brings them every p-day to the church.

TUESDAY

Y'all are going to be amazed and shocked. Today I played the piano in Zone Conference... and sang with my companion for a musical number! I was terrified all day, but I did it! I had a headache and sore muscles from being tense all day. My mission president was impressed because he didn't know I could play or sing, and when I got up from behind the piano on the last verse and started singing it, he was surprised and told me after, "I've never seen anything like that before!" Afterwards, we had a lesson with Tuesday (yup, on Tuesday) and it was so amazing. We brought a member that clicked with her so well, and we all were crying and pouring out our hearts and souls. I sure love her!

WEDNESDAY

So, I don't know why, but it takes me about a week or so to adjust to new people and be comfortable around them. Sister Scott and I were able to talk a lot this morning about expectations and communications, so I felt a ton better. We had a lesson with Brother Tom, and it was really good. We shared about prophets and invited him to come to Bishop's house on Saturday to watch it. He was excited to experience it, but since he is old and doesn't have a GPS, we agreed to drive over and have him follow us to Bishop's house. In the lesson, he came up with a tongue twister for us, "Saintly Sister Missionaries saving souls." He is really opening up, and I hope he continues to progress! That evening, we went to a member's house for a "girl's night out." She has a baby boy with a rare genetic disorder, so she can't always get out. She took us shopping at Publix and gave us money to spend on whatever food or snacks we wanted. She showed me all of the vegan and gluten-free items they have there. I had pizza and cookies for dinner!!! For the first time in forever!!! She is amazing. And we had invited another lonely lady in the ward to come, so it was so good for her too. Then we had mutual that evening and visited less-active young women. The girls in my group got a small taste of what real missionary work is often like: one of the girl's mom that we visited said she appreciated us, but she really wasn't interested in coming back, and that the church wasn't for her or her family. They were a bit sad as we walked away.

THURSDAY

We went to Bishop's Storehouse this morning, and it was the BEST EVER!!! Why? Because the Brewton Elders hitched a ride with Brother Wright, so I got to see him again! I literally had the hugest, cheesiest grin on my face all morning. It was so good to talk with him and see how everyone is doing. I just love the Wrights so much. I miss a lot of people from my last area, but hopefully I will get to see them at the stake activities coming up! The members that drove us to the storehouse took us out for lunch, but afterwards my stomach started hurting really bad, so I knew I must have eaten something bad accidentally... I was in a lot of pain that afternoon, so we had to cancel our plans and I watched the Restoration movie in bed. It's my favorite thing to watch when I'm sick. I felt a bit better that evening, so we were able to go to our dinner appointment and visit a less-active to wish her happy birthday. 

FRIDAY

We had a pretty open day, so we decided to drive up to the very top of our area to visit a less-active that no one has heard from in a long while. Well, his wife answered the door and informed us that her husband had converted to Catholicism when he married her, and politely said not to come around. But maybe she felt bad because she offered us some water. Even though I had a full bottle in my bag, for some reason I said, "yes." We waited there for a minute, and she brought be out a water bottle. I threw an arm around her in a hug of gratitude, and she was very surprised and softened up a bit. Letting people serve you is just as important as serving others sometimes. We tracted the rest of the street, and no one was super interested. We decided to walk back to the car and only knock on doors if we felt prompted. Well, as we walked back, we saw a group of people gathered around a trailer, so I said, "Let's go talk with them." It turns out the wife had met elder missionaries 17 years ago and still remembered their names because of how nice and caring they had been, but then she moved and lost contact with them. We were able to teach the restoration briefly to her husband, give him a Book of Mormon, and set a return appointment to visit them next Saturday. What a miracle! Those elders have no clue of the impact they left.

SATURDAY

We went to Brother Tom's house for him to follow us to conference, and when we got there, we were talking a bit with him, and then we asked him if he was ready to follow us. He said, "Saintly Sisters, I'd follow you anywhere!" Back in our car, Sister Scott said, "Even into the waters of baptism?" Haha, I hope so! Watching conference at Bishop's house was such a treat. His wife made us delicious snacks, and also lunch when she found out we didn't have any plans for lunch. She is amazing! And Brother Tom stayed for both sessions, so he was there for SIX HOURS! Wow! We had dinner with the Wheelers, and Sister Wheeler made me a cake! She is an amazing cook. 

SUNDAY 

The sisters serving in Milton had a baptism this morning that we went to. After the baptism, a random man walked into the building and said he had decided to spend Easter at our church because he was fascinated by the Mormons and wanted to learn more. The sisters taught him the restoration on the spot and he stayed to watch conference at the church building with all of us. What a miracle! For the afternoon session, we headed over to Bishop's house because we had planned on meeting up with a less-active, but unfortunately she was unable to make it. Sister Welty made us delicious snacks. We had Easter dinner with the Tucker family, and they are actually from my home area! We also picked up an easter basket from the lady who took us out shopping. It was full of all sorts of amazing goodies! I am being so spoiled here in Pace, and I absolutely love everyone! You can tell that the members are all trying to be like Jesus everyday.

I love how the church members are going to grow in their ability to seek, recieve, and act upon revelation with the new changes in the church! This is like the process we go through as missionaries, seeking the Lord's will for those we have stewardship over, because He knows them perfectly. I testify that President Nelson stands for Jesus Christ and is His living prophet and special witness here on earth.

Much love,

Sister Burnham 

With Sister Smith