Living in Adventure Mode!

Hello World!

This week has been great! 

Okay, we are still teaching our two investigators, so I guess I can tell you about them. (If they fall off the face of the planet it's all your fault. Haha)

Mary is wonderful! 60's, bit of a hoarder...two cats...welcome to Ohio. But I sure do love her! She was a Sunday School teacher for 25 years at her church, so she's very knowledgeable when it comes to the Bible. We have been able to teach her the Restoration and the Plan of Salvation. She loves the story of Joseph Smith. She says she understands how he was seeking because she feels like she has been seeking for years and hasn't found what is missing yet. (Umm, Mary, we can help with that.) As we taught her the plan of salvation she sat and stared at the diagram we made. Mary is a chatter box, so it was great seeing her in such deep thought. We asked what was on her mind. She said in all her years she never thought about anything before this life. She believes in Heaven and Hell, but she loved the idea of life with Heavenly Father before this life. I love being able to share truths with her and see the Spirit teach her. 

Karen is our other investigator. 60's, clean home, two dogs. She is wonderful! It started out that she only wanted service and didn't want to hear a thing about religion. She was born Jewish, switched to a Christian religion, and then that church kicked her out for not being active. She was completely offended and told us she didn't want anything to do with religions. Since then she has agreed to listen to the lessons and this past week she prayed! And we didn't even ask her that time! It was the sweetest prayer I have ever heard. She thanked God for sending us when she was at her lowest. I can tell you right now there is absolutely nothing better than helping someone see God's love for them. Miracles.   

Other happenings this week:

We were practically proposed to not once, but twice! A least one was our age...the other man was 60. Ha. His name is Bob. Oh dear Bob. He is Mary's neighbor and we served him last week. He came to sites yesterday and was a bit...inappropriate? He tried to give me butterfly kisses and hugs and...Ahh! Missionary bubble!!! I know now that the Spirit helps you out in any situation! I knew we needed to get out and with one look, the senior couples were right there! (Biggest blessing!) He said he really wants to take the lessons. Well, the Elders are on their way! Haha. I have to tell you all more about that one later. 

Dave is still great! (Investigator via chat) He is looking to be baptized in the coming month or so! He goes to church every week and cannot wait to go to the temple! He has changed so much since we first started talking. 

But learning from this adventure and everything else I go through, God knows what we need. He will always help us through thick and thin. He knows our worries and fears. He is our comfort and strength. He loves us deeper than anything we can comprehend. It truly is a blessing to know that. Pray, read His words, do what He asks...you can all know that, too!

Okay, I have to run. 

Love you, 

Sister Burns  

Endurance, Trust, Faith -- Weekly Letter

Hello!!!

So many things happened this week! I would tell you about our two new investigators, Mary and Karen....but I always jinks it, so I'm going to not mention a single thing yet! ;) 

I love teaching though! That is one aspect I didn't think much about, but there is nothing better than teaching someone about Christ, feeling of the Spirit in the room and knowing that every single person can have pure joy as they strive to follow Heavenly Father's plan for His children. Christ's gospel is amazing and I wish everyone could hear it!

Lately we've come across some great scriptures and have been using them while we've been teaching. I'd love to share them with you all! 

"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it" (1 Cor. 10:13). We go through trials and temptations on a daily basis. That's life. But God didn't send us here to go through it with no way out. He wants us to be happy and He loves us so much that "He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). 

How wonderful is that! There is someone who loves us so much -- more than we could ever imagine. He suffered for each one of us so that we don't have to. Yes, life is hard and it's supposed to be or else we wouldn't be able to grow or change, but there is always a way out of the hard spots we inevitably get in when we rely on the Savior. It wont come how or when we think it will, but that way to "escape" always comes when we keep our eyes on the Savior. "But behold, the life of my servant shall be in my hand; therefore they shall not hurt him, although he shall be marred because of them. Yet I will heal him, for I will show unto them that my wisdom is greater than the cunning of the devil" (3 Ne. 21:10). God knows what's going on and He will always heal us. When we come to Him, He heals us and the devil can't do anything about it! 

Heavenly Father knows what you're going through and He's standing right next to you the entire time. "[He] will be on your right hand and on your left, and [His] Spirit shall be in your hearts, and [His] angels round about you, to bear you up" (D&C 84:88). We might not see Him at first or feel like He is near, but as we seek to find Him, we will look back and notice His hand the entire time. He would never send us here and expect us to figure this life out alone. He is a loving Father who still wants to give us advice and comfort. He never stops -- we might just stop listening. "Have miracles ceased because Christ hath ascended into heaven, and hath sat down on the right hand of God, to claim of the Father his rights of mercy which he hath upon the children of men? ... And because he hath done this, my beloved brethren, have miracles ceased? Behold I say unto you, Nay; neither have angels ceased to minister unto the children of men" (Moroni 7:27,29). The miracles we see might not be someone walking on water or a blind man seeing once again, but it could just be someone smiling at you during a very bad day or someone paying for your groceries when you didn't know how to make ends meet. God knows what you need and He always will help you. Always.  

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/10/living-the-gospel-joyful?lang=eng

(See section: God Knows Something We Don't...soooo good!)

I hope this isn't too long for you all to read. Haha. But honestly, God loves you. Don't forget it. Don't let yourself get taken down by the worries of the world. Let Him lift you up. He always will. That's a promise. He loves you!!!

Okay, I am going now. Until next week!

Love you all, 

Sister Burns

President Velinga, Elder and Sister Sorenson (the Kirtland site director), and some sisters! The Sorenson's are leaving literally right this very moment. They will be missed!

Better picture of the Sorenson's. 

Sister Guinn, Sorenson, Hunt, me, and Elder Sorenson.

There Is Sunshine In My Soul Today - Weekly Letter

Hello World!

This week we saw a great deal of miracles! They were little ones, but they were miracles! First, it snowed! A TON! Normally I'd be wrapped up in a blanket at home sipping on some hot chocolate and would not be thankful for the snow in the slightest, but the snow has proven to help open the hearts of others. Service -- it's a wonderful thing. 

We spent almost all of the time in our area shoveling this week. Some for members, less-active members, former investigators, or others we hadn't even met yet -- wherever the Spirit directed. One driveway is a miracle I want to share with you all! 

We felt like we needed to serve a former investigator for a while now. The snow came and we knew it was a perfect opportunity for that! We got there and they weren't home. We shoveled anyway. =) We left a note on their door and went to the next house. They hadn't met with the missionaries for over a year, so we didn't think much of it. That night they sent us a text thanking us and asking if we could come over for dinner this coming Friday! We are so excited! It didn't come from being pushy -- it came from pure Christlike service. We didn't want anything out of it, but we are more than excited to help their family in anyway we can. So sweet! 

Moral of the story is serve. Serve even when it's 1 degree outside and the ice seems impossible to scrape off the concrete. Christ will always help when you go about doing good. That is what He did, after all. We can all be disciples of Him as we strive to gain and share that charity for others. It is such an amazing gift! I know Heavenly Father wants to give it to us if we only ask and seek for it. 

Yep. I love seeing moments like that. Makes serving a mission...and being out in the freezing cold...feel like I'm in paradise! 

So.....go about doing good! 

Love you all!

Sister Burns  

​Bowling last Preparation Day with some of our Zone...I totally broke 100....with both games combined. Haha 

God Loves You!

Hello from the snow covered Ohio!

Yep, the snow finally came and it hasn't stopped since Sunday night. On the plus side, snow tracting gets to happen!!! I've been looking forward to this all winter! 

Well, I have wanted to share one amazing experience with you all week. So here it comes!

Last week we were at sites watching the nativities and we were called out on a tour! (Blessing because tours are really slowing down for the season.) It was an investigator, four people from her ward and the elders she has been working with. Throughout the tour, the ward members talked and joked a ton and we hardly heard from the investigator. Don't get me wrong, the tour was amazing, but I felt like the investigator was getting lost behind all of the comedy and she wasn't getting the best experience she could have. 

As we left the Newel K. Whitney Store, the members and the elders had to leave. We went through the Whitney home and ended in the Johnson Inn. While there, Sister Call and I were able to talk with Shonda about her story. That is where the Spirit came so strong. Amazing! She told us of the two members who invited her to dinner the same night the missionaries were there (member missionaries are the best!). She said she wanted to say no to meeting with the missionaries, but she found herself saying yes. Before that moment she didn't know much about the church, but over the last month she has grown to love it. She started reading a verse from the scriptures and now she can't put the Book of Mormon down. She had some questions about some commandments that she was struggling with and we were able to talk about them. We were able to help resolve her concerns and she said she's praying for a baptismal date in January. The gospel of Jesus Christ has completely changed her life -- she kept saying that over and over again. Ahh, I love that woman! We completely connected! That moment was so wonderful! We talked for 30 or so minutes and the Spirit was so strong. That tour, for her, resolved any worries she had and her testimony grew so strong. She kept saying how she loved the Spirit there. The feeling was so strong. We exchanged addresses and will keep in touch as she continues to grow and progress. I have never waned to get transferred to Ashtabula until now. Haha

To me, that is what a mission is about. God placed me there at that specific time with that specific tour so we could help one of His daughters. I know that Heavenly Father has a plan for each of us. He knows what we need and if we follow His guidance our lives will be wonderful! He wants us to be happy and we will if we just follow Him. 

This morning in personal studies I was reading Matthew 4. I love where Christ calls His apostles. It says they immediately followed Him. They didn't know what was going to happen, but they had faith to follow the Savior and trust that it was the right thing. I cannot imagine seeing the miracles they were able to see when they followed Christ. The great thing is God is the same yesterday, today, and forever -- the same things happen today. We might not see 5,000 people fed or a man raised from the dead, but we will see the miracles in our lives each and every day when we put aside the natural man and follow Him. Just like in Shonda's life, the miracles come and they are wonderful. 

Okay, story over, but it was amazing! I hope you all have a wonderful new year! It's going to be a good one!

Love you!

Sister Burns  

                                       Seeing a member at the hospital in Cleveland! I love the city!!                                       During the day...and not downtown....safety first! ;)

Birthday dinner at Cheesecake factory!! ​