Week 29 - Bag Ladies and Bible-Bashing

Howdy y'all!

I finished the Book of Mormon this week and started it all over again. It's amazing how it answers all your questions, no matter how silly or irrelevant they seem. I know the Book of Mormon was given to us because God loves us. As we read it, He will strengthen us to withstand any trials that come our way. It is a precious book. It is a miracle.

Monday:

We spent a lot of time cleaning, shopping, and organizing the house. We made sure our car was in top shape for the car inspection at zone conference tomorrow! I am pretty sure our house is one of the cleanest in the entire mission. Here is a picture of me with my new companion, Sister Jarvis:

Tuesday:

ZONE CONFERENCE! I love going to zone conference and feeling the power that comes from so many righteous missionaries in one area. Plus, I love seeing Sister Scott! Sister Smith pulled the sister missionaries into a room for a talk away from the boys/elders. I love the other sisters so much, and their testimonies strengthened mine. We also passed our car inspection! Afterwards, we started our exchanges with the Gulf Breeze sisters. Sister Jarvis and I both stayed down in that area. My companion for the exchange was Sister Houston. She is awesome, and I learned so much from her! That evening, we drove to their church building to do service with the "Bag Ladies." They cut plastic Walmart-type bags into strips to crochet into mats for the homeless people! It was so interesting, and one of the ladies taught me how to crochet :). 

Wednesday:

That morning, we had our last call-in lesson with the mysterious JR. Every time after I've talked with him these past two weeks, I've felt anxious and bad afterwards. After the phone call, Sister Houston pointed out some really good lessons: the Spirit wasn't there the entire time. Every time I would testify of something, he would twist the truth, which is a tactic of Satan. He says he is interested in learning, but has no intentions of acting on what he is learning. As I told him that Heavenly Father is waiting for him to act on his faith, he got really offended and went off on a tangent, which made me feel terrible inside, like I had done something wrong. But as I talked with Sister Houston after, she said the guilty take the truth to be hard, just like Nephi's brothers, and that I was a powerful teacher and had great insights, but he just wasn't prepared. Later in my studies I found the perfect scripture to describe him: 2 Timothy 3:7. Sister Houston told me that as soon as an investigator rejects the teachings from Preach My Gospel, it is out of our calling and authority as missionaries to continue teaching them. It becomes "Bible-bashing." I've learned that Bible-bashing doesn't take away from the Spirit, it is what happens when the Spirit is already not present. As you teach them simple truths and scriptures, if the Spirit isn't there to enlighten their mind, it becomes twisted and they want to argue with you.

Awkward moment of the day: As we went out contacting and sharing "Light the World," we ran into THREE Jehovah Witnesses, which was so awkward because they don't celebrate Christmas. One man politely rejected the card, while the other ladies we talked to went on a rant about how Christmas is so commercialized. I just feel so sad because I LOVE Christmas and the cheer it brings! I'm so excited!!!

Thursday:

Happy Thanksgiving! We spent the day with our recent convert, Sister Longs! We met all her non-member family members, and the cutest little kids came. A two-year-old girl, Kianne, gave us hugs. She was adorable and brightened my day. There was lots of food and people to talk to. Afterwards, we went home and weekly planned because no one wanted to talk to missionaries on Thanksgiving. Obviously, they need to get their priorities straight ;)

Friday:

We stopped by and saw Ellen and Lola. We told them about the Bag Ladies, and how I learned to crochet. Lola gave us a lot of her crocheting things that she never finished because now she is too old to hold a crocheting needle. We also went to visit Brother and Sister Wright. They are doing so well, and Johnny told us that he has an interview to get the Melchizedek Priesthood!!!! I am so excited for him that I couldn't help but smile and smile and smile. He looked so nervous, but we were able to share with him all the ways he can bless his family with the higher priesthood power. I love them so much! 

Saturday:

We decided to try a new method of finding investigators: service tracting! We went out in street clothes and asked people if they needed help, or if they knew anyone who needed help. People were friendlier to us. As we were walking down the street, one lady called to us, "What are you doing?" I told her we were walking around, looking for ways to serve people just like Christ did. She was surprised. We offered to rake her yard and she said, "Honey, you can rake all the leaves you want!" But she told us to come back next week because the big Alabama vs. Auburn game was on that night, which is the two rival schools here in Alabama. She was decked out in her Alabama gear and had a giant blanket hanging from her porch. She took a picture of us in front of it and gave us some food! We also met a teenage girl who asked us if she was going to Hell if she did drugs. We had an interesting conversation with her and set a return appointment. We will see how that goes...

Sunday:

Three non-members came to church today! They just don't live in our area. But it was so good. They are loving church and want to change their lives. Afterwards, we talked with our Branch President about starting the Bag Ladies here in our area with the Relief Society. We all think it will be a great way to bring the community together and get non-members to visit the church! Something big is going to happen in Brewton in the coming year, and I'm excited I get to be a part of this area's journey. That evening, we visited a former investigator, and she was excited to help us out with the service project. They also pulled out an old violin they had laying around for me to play for her and her husband. The Lord is definitely magnifying my talents out here to connect with others and bring them closer to Christ! I've also been playing the piano in church, and it has been amazing to see how the Lord blesses my ability to play when I am doing it to serve others. I am truly learning what it means to be an instrument in His hands.

Much love,

Sister Burnham

Weather update: IT IS SO COLD IN THE MORNINGS. Humidity makes a huge difference! I think I definitely prefer a dry climate. But the weather is very nice throughout the day :)

Week 28 - Spiritual First Responder

Hey y'all! This week has been hard, but full of miracles and tender mercies every day. I didn't know it would be so hard to say goodbye to Sister Palmer, and I definitely miss her, but Sister Jarvis is very sweet. Change is hard, but also good. It helps us to keep growing and gaining experiences to bring us closer to Jesus Christ. I feel that so many miracles are just around the corner, and I'm so excited to see what this transfer has in store for me! I am also learning to follow the Spirit throughout the day to know what to do. Now that I am leading out this area, I pay close attention to every thought that comes to mind and every feeling I have. 

Monday:

After receiving transfer news, we stopped by Diane's and the Wrights to have a lesson and for Sister Palmer to say goodbye. And of course, we got some photos!

Tuesday:

We had district meeting all morning, and later that evening stopped by Tasha and Darren's for a lesson. They only had a few minutes, but we could tell they are very interested. I am excited to continue to teach them. We also went by the Wrights that evening to teach CJ a lesson. He is so cute!

Wednesday:

Exercise time this morning was fun! Sister Palmer acted as my personal trainer to help me perfect my form for running. I am in much better shape and can run much faster now! Then we drove to transfer spots, where I met my new companion, Sister Jarvis! She has been out for 10 months and is from New Mexico. She has five younger siblings. She loves to laugh, so we are going to have a lot of fun together! But... she doesn't have her driver's licence yet, so my driving skills are about to improve drastically ;).

We taught Tasha and some little girls she was watching the Plan of Salvation. One of her neighbors was over, and she had lost her brother a year ago. She is 16 and really enjoyed the lesson. We gave her a Book of Mormon and scheduled a return appointment.

Thursday:

Happy Birthday Russell! So... I thought I would hug the closest thing to my dad! In celebration of my dad's birthday, we... weekly planned for three or more hours! It will take some time for Sister Jarvis to get familiar with the area, especially since our area is a bit more than half the size of the entire stake. And we are the only branch in the stake.

Friday:

We scheduled with Sister Wright to go and see one of our male investigators. He wasn't home, and neither was the male investigator who we had planned as a back-up. As we walked away from his door, I was thinking, "I guess now Rhoda will go back home and we'll have to figure something else out." Then I remembered praying that morning that when we didn't know what to do throughout the day, we would pray. I felt like there was something else we should do, so we went back to the car and prayed. Afterwards, Sister Wright asked us if we had seen Courtney lately. We hadn't, so we acted on the thought, and she drove us to Courtney's house. When we pulled up, Courtney poked her head out the front door and saw us. She said she'd love to have a bible study, so we drove back to the Wrights and taught her the Plan of Salvation. She loved it! It answered so many questions she had, and she felt the Spirit so strong. After, she told us she and her husband would be moving to Colorado, and I am so happy for her. It doesn't matter if she is baptized here or in Colorado, I'm just so full of love and joy that she is finding peace in this gospel. And it was such a good experience for Rhoda to act on that prompting she had and see the good that came of it. She is definitely a spiritual first-responder! That evening, our Branch Mission Leader took us out to dinner where Rhoda's sister worked, and we were able to leave Ida our number to schedule a time to meet. It was a day full of miracles.

Saturday:

We tried contacting a ton of referrals, but not many were home. Someone let us in, and we taught her the Plan of Salvation up until the Spirit World, because then she said she didn't believe in the pre-mortal life or Spirit world, and wanted to bible-bash with us. As it so happened, I had conveniently left my scriptures in the car, so I didn't engage, and we left after we bore our testimony to her. But we planted a lot of seeds!

Sunday:

During sacrament meeting, I gave CJ a mint, and he bit it instead of sucking on it. It got super spicy, and he starting waving his hand in front of his mouth like a fan and whispering, "Hot, hot, hot!" Fortunately, Sister Jarvis had some chocolate with her, so we gave him one to calm down his taste-buds. He looked back at me with accusing eyes and said, "You tricked me. You sly dog!" I sat there for the next five minutes trying so hard not to laugh. Lesson learned: Don't give little kids breath mints. We also stopped by Diane's granddaughter's house and saw her and her mom for a bit. Hopefully we will get to start teaching them later this week!

I have a testimony that we go through hard times in our life so that we can learn to appreciate the good days that much more. I am grateful for every single day I've had on my mission, because whether it was a good or hard day, I've learned so much. I've grown so much. I am learning how to be grateful for challenges and trials, or at least to appreciate what I learn from them. As you go throughout this Thanksgiving week, be grateful for everything you have gone through, because no matter how hard it was, it has made you who you are today. 

Much love,

Sister Burnham

Week 27 - Six Month Mark

Hey y'all!

Transfer news: I'm staying here in Brewton, and Sister Palmer will be heading to Calloway! I am sad that she is leaving, but she is going to have many fun adventures! She has changed so many lives here, including mine. Now I will get to make a new friend with Sister Jarvis as my companion :). I am slightly nervous to be leading out the area, but it will be a good learning opportunity for me.

Monday:

We took a lot of pictures around town! I've been wanting to do this for over a month. Also, I love small towns. Brewton has already decorated for Christmas! So cute :)

Tuesday:

After district meeting, we stopped to get some more pictures. Plus, I really wanted to poke the rectangle things of cotton laying around in the fields. We went to a nursing home in Jay and I played the violin for them for half an hour. My neck was hurting, so we switched over to the piano and sang some songs for them. Sister Palmer's voice started cracking, so next thing I knew, I was singing them a solo. That's one way to develop my musical talents! And one of the old ladies brought us some sweet tea to drink...

That evening, we went over to the Fox's home for tacos and a game of Skip-Bo. 

Wednesday:

We tried contacting some former investigators, and two people let us in, but there was absolutely no interest. They thought of it as more of a social visit and were content with where they were at. It is so sad when people truly aren't searching for more in life than to wait around for the second coming. Well, we didn't know what else to do, so we prayed and felt like we should go to Wrights early. As we pulled up, we saw Jan and Zavier walking outside in front of their house. We were able to teach them both a bit about the Restoration, and they live right behind the Wrights. We chatted and Zavier said he was interested in music. We invited him to come see all of Johnny's instruments. They hung out and played all the instruments for an hour. It was so good for them to be in a home with a good influence, since they don't really have any positive parental influence.

Thursday:

A very relaxed day. We weekly planned and decided to organize the area book by street proximity. We also called a lot of people to schedule appointments.

Friday:

Today marks 6 months since I left for the MTC! I can't believe I'm already 1/3 of the way through my mission. Time has really flown. Well, coincidentally, our mission president picked today as a
"No Car Day," so we biked 4 miles to Diane's house and helped her clean some things. She fed us dinner and Jessie shined my shoes (they were getting a bit green at the toes). And my companion surprised me this morning with a note on the bathroom mirror :)

Saturday:

I had a feeling I was going to be leading out this area soon, so I've been paying extra attention to the Spirit and really trying to follow His guidance. I felt like we should walk a certain way this morning, so we did. I felt a lot like Nephi, who said in 1 Nephi 4:6, "And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do." No major miracles occurred, but I had many opportunities to follow promptings to knock on certain doors or turn back and talk to a certain person. That evening we had dinner with the Kelley's. They made a yummy meal of pork, rice, and sushi. I also tried this new fruit, which is a mixture of an apple and some other Southern fruit I've never heard of before. It was good though!

Sunday:

Wonderful way to end the week! We had a linger-longer after church, and the Wrights brought me lots of gluten-free snacks and food. Many branch members also talked to us about friends they are going to invite to church or send as referrals. This has been the biggest miracle, because we truly are running out of people to teach despite how hard we are working to find people on our own! That evening, we went with the Wrights to see them receive their Patriarchal blessing. I felt so much love for them, and Rhoda said the blessing answered so many questions and concerns she had. It was such a spiritual and peaceful experience!

I know so many great things are ahead of me! Every hard day makes the good ones even more special and joyful. I know that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ loves each one of you. Read through your patriarchal blessings often so you can feel just how special and loved you are. I know each of us has a special purpose here on earth, and as we follow the promptings of the Spirit, we will be able to bless the lives of many people.

Love,
Sister Burnham

Funny moments:

1. Apparently, I am terrible at fishing. So, as missionaries, we have to be outside the car and back our companion when they are driving in reverse. I try to make it fun because otherwise it can get annoying. Sometimes I dance if no one is around. Well, I've never been fishing before (that I can remember), and I decided to "fish" the car with an imaginary rod as Sister Palmer backed out of our driveway. She said it was the most ridiculous thing she has ever seen ;).

2. A random man called us out of the blue on a private number, acting very cryptic. He said he was given a Book of Mormon and our phone number. He said his name was JR and worked at a military base, but wouldn't tell us anything else. And he talked for 20 minutes about the Israelite God of the temple and some other things. We have no idea what it was about but had to get going to an appointment, so we rescheduled to call him back next week.

3. Other random people have sent us the strangest text messages this week...

The "underground" theater!

Week 26 - The Field is White Already to Harvest

Hey y'all! Hope you've had a great week. Nobody really let us talk with them this week. We actually dropped many investigators, so I think we have two or three left now. But that's okay. The cotton fields have been beautiful this week, and every time I see them, I think of this scripture: "Yea, verily, verily, I say unto you, that the field is white already to harvest; wherefore, thrust in your sickles, and reap with all your might, mind, and strength." 

It is quite the motivation to keep carrying on this great work no matter how much rejection we face. There are those out here that are prepared, and the only way to find them is to keep trudging forward!

Monday:

Well, all our appointments dropped through, so we tracted for a bit and then ended up over at the Wrights. Their house always feels like home. There is a tender mercy for each hard day.

Tuesday:

We took pictures at the beautiful cotton fields on the way to district meeting! I also got a piece that had dropped on the ground for a souvenir :)

In honor of it being Halloween, I decided to dress up as my companion, which consisted of stealing her name-tag, wearing blue, and doing my hair in a bun with a braid in front, since that's how she does her hair most days.

That afternoon, we went to a senior living place in Jay, FL. I brought my violin and we played and sang for them for an hour. They absolutely loved it! They were all so happy, and the Spirit was so strong there, especially as one nurse cried because her patient, an elderly woman with dementia, was singing along to the hymns. She couldn't remember much of anything, but she could remember every word to the songs about Christ.

Wednesday:

Rhoda took us to see a male investigator that the missionaries haven't been able to see since before I got here. As we pulled up, we ran into a less active and his girlfriend, an investigator. It was such a miracle because we hadn't been able to get into contact with them either!

Later that day, we had planned to tract a street a Bible referral lived on, which happened to be the street the Wright's son lived on. They pulled up while we were walking by, and little Kenna ran out of the car and called after us, "My friends, come here!" We were able to talk with them for a bit. I love how innocent and receptive to truth little children are!

Thursday:

We spent the day in an area called Flomaton. We had about four or five set appointments, and every single one fell through. It doesn't seem like any of the other areas besides Brewton is prepared for the gospel right now.

Friday:

We were tracting in an apartment complex, and we see a lady sitting on some steps. We start walking towards her. She must have known we were coming to talk to her because she quickly gathers up all the things on her lap, jumps up, and starts speed-walking away. In her haste to escape us, she had dropped her phone under the steps, so I picked it up and called after her. She wouldn't turn around or look at me until I said, "Is this yours?" I held up the phone, and she turned around and was surprised when she saw me holding it. She walked back, grabbed it, then hurried away again. It was pretty strange.

Saturday:

This morning we picked up Sister Richards for another lesson with Ceola. We read from the Book of Mormon, and she enjoyed it. She saw the story of Nephi killing Laban and putting on his clothes as similar to David and Goliath. Afterwards, she let us serve in her yard! We put on some pants and raked up her back yard. I must have been doing something wrong because I got a blister on my hand through the glove! Afterwards, we were talking with Sister Richards, and she asked about Diane. We said she is okay, but hasn't been able to come to church because of her shoulder surgery. As we dropped her off, she said, "Maybe I'll text her and see if she wants to ride with me." I said, "That would be an answer to her prayers!"

Sunday:

Sacrament meeting was so special. A ton of recent converts and less actives bore their testimonies today. CJ got up and said in a very serious tone, "It's daylight savings." Then he talked about some things he was learning in primary, like "It's good to say 'I'm sorry.'" He then ended it with a thumbs up to everyone and sat back down. This inspired a few of the other little kids to want to get up there. He is already an amazing missionary and example! Diane shared about praying to find a ride to church, and then Sister Richards texting her if she wanted a ride. Well, that morning, she arrived an hour early because she forgot it was daylight savings! At church, there were a few members who said they wanted to take us to meet some people who were interested. We are seeing the Lord blessing us for our perseverance by having branch members reach out to us with people to visit and see! This is truly His work, and He will provide a way.

After church, we went over to Diane's house and we were able to teach her 9 year-old granddaughter the Restoration. We had to teach it very simply because she wasn't very familiar with the Bible or Christ's earth life. 

Much love,

Sister Burnham

Funny moments of the week:

1. I left a message on the phone of a less active, and sometimes I panic about what to say when I leave messages... so I wasn't sure how to end it, and I caught myself starting to say, "We say these--" and then frantically hit the END CALL button. I was about to close the call with, "We say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen." My companion laughed hysterically at me.

2. You know how no one really wanted to talk to us this week? We know they feel the Spirit when we talk to them, and they get really scared. I told Sister Palmer, "We need to find people who like pain because the truth hurts!" But really, people don't like to feel the Spirit telling them when they are doing something wrong, so sometimes they try to avoid us. The truthfulness of the gospel does require a lot of change and sacrifice, and it is very hard, but so worth it!

Week 25 - Amish Horns and Grand-youngin's

Hey y'all! So, I've been so excited for the weather to start cooling down. Now I want it to warm back up, and we haven't even reached November! Humid cold is not for me. My fingers and toes are constantly ice! This week I learned the power behind this scripture in 2 Nephi 26:33.

"For none of these iniquities come of the Lord; for he doeth that which is good among the children of men; and he doeth nothing save it be plain unto the children of men; and he inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile." 

No matter who we are, where we've come from, or what we've done, our loving Heavenly Father invites all of us to turn to His Son and be saved.

Monday:

We took pictures by the Brewton wall! There are some other cool buildings with murals on the side that I need to get pictures with!

Tuesday:

In district meeting, we learned about the importance of teaching simply. You know you really understand a topic when you can break it down and teach it so that a child can understand it. We also discussed how hard it is to get people to church because of the racism in Jay. About five years ago, a black man was shot in the back of the head and everyone still talks about it. One sister suggested to bring a black member to lessons with us so they can tell them that going to church isn't dangerous.

After district meeting, we tried contacting a referral, but our GPS led us to a blocked road with sandy roads full of giant water puddles going on each side. We wandered around a bit in the area before we were able to find our way out. But we passed by a construction worker three times, and I thought, "We should give that guy a Book of Mormon." We put in the other sister's information since it wasn't in our area, and I ran up to him and gave it to him. He was so surprised and said, "For me?" I felt so happy afterwards and knew God wanted him to have it. As we drove away, he smiled and waved at us.

That afternoon, we taught Maddie, who is very hard of hearing. I feel like I have to yell while teaching her, but the Spirit was still there and she listened to everything I said. Well, when we told her where church was, she said she didn't like Jay because her great-grandson had been shot and killed about five years ago. I sat there stunned, thinking "What are the odds?" We had found the great grandma of the guy shot and killed. We will probably have a hard time getting her to come to church.

Wednesday:

We went out this morning with a member of our branch, Tommie Richards, to a lesson with Ceola. She was referred to us over a month ago by her daughter and is very nice, but was a bit distant. When we brought Tommie, she opened right up and they were able to talk about a lot of racial issues we couldn't have related to since we are white. Many people in Brewton are black, and they don't want to come to church because it's by Jay. We took the sister's advice from district meeting and can see how much more success we'll have bringing members of the same race as our investigator to lessons. I just love seeing how The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is a world wide church, full of members of every race and culture. It is led by Jesus Christ through a prophet and all are welcome. You won't find that anywhere else.

Thursday:

We got to go to a trunk-or-treat in Milton, Florida to help out the other missionaries in our district. There were so many members. Sister Palmer and I have grown used to small branches, so we were both so amazed to see hundreds and hundreds of Mormons again! 

Friday:

At the senior devotional this morning, we read the story in Matthew 19 about the rich, young ruler, and then watched Elder Lawrence's conference talk, "What Lack I Yet?" One of the seniors, Delray, absolutely loved it! The Spirit was strong, and she said, "I want to learn more about the Lord." It's amazing that even at the ripe old age of 92, she is still actively learning more about Christ. No matter how old you get, there is always something you can work on and improve.

Saturday:

We contacted a referral on the very edge of our area. He is a home-bound man that wants someone to come and talk about God with him. Overall he was very friendly, but it was an interesting encounter because he critiqued us on our "presentation" as we began teaching him the Restoration. Then he told Sister Palmer that he saw her horns and said I looked Amish. But we were invited to come back! That evening we tried to contact a referral we had been given. All the information we had was that they lived in the middle of Jay Rd (which is five miles long) and the house was brick with a tin roof. We knocked on a LOT of houses that evening. People don't know we will knock a whole street to find someone! ;)

Sunday:

I gave a talk in sacrament meeting about the role of prophets. The nice thing about serving in a branch is that there were only about 20 people there. Everyone said I did a great job. Afterwards, Johnny told me that as I spoke, there were bright lights behind me. He said there were angels up there with me and supporting me. The Wrights had been praying for me because they knew how nervous I was. What he doesn't realize is that he is one of the many angels that have blessed me on my mission.

Much love,

Sister Burnham

Southern Sayin's and Moments:

Instead of saying kids and grand-kids, people say youngins and grand-youngin's. It's so cute!

Johnny has devised a plan to "fatten" me up so he can eat me. He said he was saving an apple to put in my mouth for when he decides to roast me. On the bright side, after the talk I gave on Sunday, he said he has changed his mind and has decided to keep me after all!

The cotton fields are ripe! They are so pretty!

Week 24 - Perdido Appreciation Day

Happy fall, y'all! Can't tell you how many of those signs I've seen here! Love it!

I know the Holy Ghost speaks to each one of us individually and gently. As we strive to listen, so many miracles will happen. They may seem like a coincidence, but I know it is by divine design. So many miracles happened this week because of small promptings we had from the Spirit and from sincere and heartfelt prayer:

2 Nephi 33:4 "And I know that the Lord God will consecrate my prayers for the gain of my people."

Monday:

After the beach, we had a lesson with our investigator Alex. She is so sweet and her testimony of the Book of Mormon is growing. Last Monday at the beach feels like a dream. Maybe I'll get to serve in that area one day! But I am so grateful to be in Brewton, because so many miracles happened this week.

Tuesday:

Today was a strange day. After district meeting, we drove to a super far part of our area and tracted a new complex that was being built. I realized how overly optimistic and hopeful I am for people. I really want to give them every opportunity to accept the gospel because I love it so much. We parked in the lawn of a man, and as we approached his door, he was sitting outside. He looked so dark and angry. He asked us to walk away. I asked if he was at least interested in family history. He again told us to walk away. As we moved on to another house, Sister Palmer had a distinct impression that we needed to go back and move our car. We drove away and parked at a nearby member's house. Then we met an old man who was friendly, and then another man who was so arrogant and prideful. I didn't catch on at first, but Sister Palmer said that the way he was leaning on his door and looking down at us was very condescending. Then as we offered him a Book of Mormon, he said, "Well, I'll take the book because you walked all the way up here." We had a nice evening with the Wrights, teaching them more about temples.

Wednesday:

Funny story: most of our plans today fell through. An investigator dropped us, we taught a lady with dementia the Restoration (she agreed with everything we said at least!), and got barked at by angry dogs. I didn't let this get me down though. We went to another set appointment, and the lady wasn't there, so we decided to try a boy I had given a Book of Mormon to last week. He wasn't home. His neighbor was a former investigator we had tried multiple times, but no answer. Even when we heard people home. We decided, "Eh, let's just try her again. Why not?" Well, She has a camera at the front door, so we maneuvered our bags so she wouldn't see who we were and turned away from the camera when we knocked. The friendliest mom opened the door, saw we were missionaries, and invited us right in. She started apologizing for not having us over for dinner, and about how much she loves missionaries. She told us about all the service she did for the elders in the past, and that if we ever needed anything, to come on over. She has two adorable kids, 8 and 9, and they are all huge Harry Potter fans! It was such a tender mercy, and I knew we were led there by God.

Thursday:

I pulled a muscle in my back yesterday and woke up in a ton of pain. But that didn't stop us from going out and teaching. As Sister Palmer always says, if you are having a hard day, that means some amazing miracle is going to happen because Satan doesn't want you out and about. It's true. We had the most spiritual lesson with Dysane. I testified so boldly and lovingly, and I knew she felt the Spirit so strong. We are slowly making progress with her!

Friday:

We had a devotional with the seniors at the senior center, and I played them some hymns on the violin that Johnny is loaning me. They love it so much. Then we stopped by Ellen's shop on our way to visit the Wrights. She is doing very well. Then we had a lesson on prayer with the Wrights. I had felt prompted during my personal study that morning to share something from Preach My Gospel about the proper language of prayer. When I did, Rhoda said that she had just been wondering about that a few days ago. It was amazing to see how God leads my studies to help those we teach. 

Scary moment of the night: we went to visit a less active member, and as we pulled into the trailer park, Sister Palmer pointed at the one next to the family and said never to knock on the door. It was her nonmember son who was obsessed with death and had threatened to kill his family before. As we said a prayer before going to visit the less active family, I felt a dark presence in the middle of the prayer, and knew that if I looked up, I would see him in the doorway staring at us. Well, right when I ended the prayer, I looked straight up at the door, and saw a large silhouette of a man. Staring right at us. It totally freaked me out. He wanted to know who was parking in front of his place, and I called back in an unnaturally high pitched voice, "The missionaries!" Then we quickly walked to the other trailer and everything was fine.

Saturday:

There is an area in our zone, Perdido, that doesn't have a car. Our whole zone had a "Perdido appreciation day," where we couldn't use our car. Sister Palmer and I had planned to go to a distant part of our area that day, but decided to change our plans so we could honor this idea that seemed silly at first. We walked around that day in Brewton and talked to everyone that we saw. We found a family at the park and people sitting on their porches that all became new investigators. One lady walked out her front door when she saw us walk by and gave us a big hug. She took a Book of Mormon and said we needed to come back and teach her. We're not sure if she's all there in the head, but she was so sweet!

Well, we had walked all day and then went back home to refill water and eat a snack. I was so tired, but we felt we needed to go back out, so we did. We walked to another park and found a group of teenagers, one of which was named Courtney. As soon as I saw her, she looked so familiar, like she reminded me of someone. Her eyes were so bright and I felt her divine potential. It turns out she is actually the cousin of a recent convert that moved away from our area. She said she would love to come to church with us but didn't have a ride. We got her number and asked the Wrights if they could give her a ride. That night, my feet were so sore, but it was so worth it. We walked 11 miles and found 11 new investigators--one for each mile we walked. I thought that was cool, especially since I really didn't want to walk all day at first. 

Sunday:

This morning, we went with the Wrights to pick Courtney up, and she came to church and loved it. One awkward moment that happened was that a member bore his testimony about polygamy in his talk! Of all the days, we had an investigator there! It was fine though; she didn't ask us any questions about it, and she loved how small the branch was. It felt like one big family to her. She felt so welcome and peaceful. After Relief Society, she asked if she could hang out with us. We were like, "Yes, of course!" So we drove back to the member's house and taught her the Restoration, and she cried and cried. The Spirit was so strong. We set a baptism date, and she is looking forward to coming to church next Sunday. It was so cool to see just how prepared she was and how perfect the timing was of finding her. We really connected with her and know God sent us to her that day. 

After our lesson with Courtney, we had a return appointment with a lady we had met yesterday, Centoria. She has six adorable children. We were able to teach her the Restoration, and four of her little ones sat in. Of course, in the middle of the first vision, the baby started screaming. We waited as she calmed him down and then continued. She said she would read the Book of Mormon and that we could come back next Sunday!

This area is so prepared. The Lord continues to place people in our path, and all I have to do is stay humble, obedient, and work hard. The rest is up to the Lord. I know sacrifice brings forth great blessings. No sacrifice is too great in the eternal scope of things! I am so privileged to be serving in this area and meeting God's elect. I love them so much--sometimes I wonder if my heart is big enough for all of the love I feel for these people I am meeting. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else in the world!

Much love,

Sister Burnham

Week 23: Paradise on the Beach

Hey y'all! This has been such a great week. It was full of a lot of growth and experiences that have strengthened my testimony that "hard is good." And the reason I am emailing so late is because of a tender mercy: one of our investigators, Ellen, took us to the Pensacola Beach this morning! It was a blast!

Monday:

Today wasn't super eventful because I was still feeling sick. We went shopping and emailed, and Sister Palmer cleaned the entire house! She loves cleaning. I was able to practice the violin for CJ's musical number and take it easy.

Tuesday:

ZONE CONFERENCE! It was so amazing. I learned so much about being bold, and I have a stronger desire to be more bold with door approaches. We learned about "sifting" the moment you meet someone by introducing yourself as a minister for Jesus Christ, called by a prophet. This will help you determine who the elect is that is willing to listen, or who isn't interested and would drop you anyways. It has worked effectively throughout the week. We also got flu shots... yay. That evening, we stopped by Erica's. She wouldn't let us in, but we found a new investigator. That is the fifth one from her house!

Wednesday:

Today was super busy. We had appointment after appointment scheduled. We were walking home from one this morning, and I waved at a lady. She signed to me that she was deaf, and when I signed back that I knew some sign language, her whole face lit up. We were able to give her a Book of Mormon and Restoration pamphlet. She started signing from it right then, and I knew she felt the Spirit. We asked her if she wanted to learn more, and she said yes! So, Sister Palmer and I are now the unofficial ASL missionaries in our mission! We are so excited, but also have been praying fervently for the gift of tongues (or would it be the gift of arms?). But anyways, we have been practicing signing and know the Lord will bless us and the deaf lady (we forgot to ask her name). We took Rhoda and Jonny to a lesson with Ben. They loved it! They are quite the member missionaries. Then we had a lesson with Dysane on prayer, and I promised her a lot of blessings, then invited her to pray. She did! What a miracle. 

We had a lesson later on that fell through because the lady wasn't home, but then as we were driving away, Sister Palmer thought she recognized her car, so we totally started following her. Sure enough, it was her! Sister Palmer is a pro-stalker. She ended up being busy and didn't let us in, but it was really fun!

At the Wrights house that evening, a miracle worked out so that CJ could have his baptism this Saturday, and both of his parents would be able to attend. We had family home evening, and CJ's dad attended. We were able to leave him with a Book of Mormon.

Thursday:

We had a correlation meeting this morning at the Wrights about CJ's baptism. Rhoda made us all breakfast, and we were able to work things out for the baptism. Then we drove all day to a city in Florida for a meeting I had with the mission counselor. I've been having to work on not stressing so much, and it was really good. I was able to have a break through and really understand how much God loves me and that everything will be okay. I have been able to learn so much and know that Heavenly Father is preparing me to be able to help so many people in the future. 

Friday:

We had a lesson with the deaf lady, Brenda, this morning! I remembered to ask her what her name was! When we showed up, she said she hadn't read. We talked with her for a bit and set up a time to come back when she had read. As we were walking away, we felt bad that we hadn't just asked if we could teach her right then. I'd also practiced praying in ASL so we could start with a prayer and teach her very simply. We decided to turn back and tell her we had forgotten to pray with her, and then teach her about God being our loving Heavenly Father. She was so happy to pray with us, and she taught us how to pray correctly (because my prayer obviously needed a lot of work). She said she wanted to help us learn more sign language so we could teach her better! We gave her a hug and left with the Spirit shining brightly in her eyes. Then we drove to Gulf Breeze for exchanges with our Sister Training Leaders. Sister Sjoblom and I drove back to Brewton. We got chewed out by a lady for "lying" to her, so that was a fun start to exchanges. But a miracle happened. We got new mattresses! My old one has been hurting my back a lot. We did a lot of tracting and a lot of sweating in the heat, and got preached to for 30 minutes by a man. It was cool to see the little tender mercies of the Lord throughout the day, even though a lot of our plans had fallen through--like setting return appointments with potentials to start teaching!

Saturday:

Today was CJ's baptism! We finished up our exchanges in the morning, and then left to prepare for CJ's baptism in Atmore, because our building doesn't have a baptismal font. We made up the programs, filled the font, and cleaned the room. I was able to practice the musical number on the violin. I played a medley of Nearer, My God, to Thee (CJ's favorite hymn because of the movie The Titanic) and When I am Baptized. When CJ showed up that evening, he was SO excited. He kept saying, "I'm getting bab-ee-tized!" because he can't say "baptized." His nonmember parents came. We left CJ's mom with a Book of Mormon. We saw how she had felt the Spirit and promised her she could find just as much happiness as CJ if she read the Book of Mormon.

Sunday:

CJ was confirmed a member of the church. It was fast and testimony meeting for us since church was cancelled last Sunday. CJ got up to bear his testimony, and it was the cutest thing ever! He thanked everyone for coming to his baptism. He said, while gesturing around the room with his arm, "Y'all are awesome. Sister Potter, Sister Wright, y'all are the best. Ever!" After church we had a linger-longer. Sister Fox made me cupcakes using rice flour, cashew mild, and pumpkin. They were super good! It was fun talking to members in the branch and eating food. Then we went home to weekly plan... because we haven't had time for it all week... again.  

Monday:

This morning we left with Ellen and Rhoda to go to the beach. The sand was white and beautiful. I felt like I was in paradise. I got so many cute pictures and enjoyed myself so much. I had fun jumping in the water, running in the sand, making shapes in the sand... It was a very good way to de-stress. We talked and laughed all day. I loved the salty breeze and the cool weather. Rhoda said that now that CJ has been confirmed, he has been telling everyone at school that he is a missionary. He really is such a special boy with a big heart and strong testimony.

I absolutely love being a missionary. I know this is exactly where God needs me. I have been learning and growing so much, and I know I will not be the same when I come home from my mission, because I will be more like Christ. I am so grateful for my companion and how much she has helped me these past seven weeks. I know Heavenly Father loves y'all so much. He is a God of miracles. I've been witnessing them all week. I testify that this is His true church, and that we will find the most joy by being faithful and obedient.

Much love,

Sister Burnham

With Ellen