I'd Rather Be Wearing This Tag -- Weekly Letter 4.28.2015

Hello All!!!

I have very little time today, so I'll keep it short...for reals this time. 

Our investigator, T, is getting baptized on May 9th!!! 

Miracles happen every day!

He is beyond prepared and he was prepared far before we began teaching him. Nothing is better than seeing the Lord's hand in someones life and seeing that it has been there all along even if they didn't realize it until later. 

We were able to teach him the Plan of Salvation this past week. He normally is full of questions and pretty deep ones at that. During the lesson, he didn't have any. As we were talking, he kept saying he felt like he already knew these things and it all made sense to him. He would make comments and the things he was saying, to make sure he was understanding, were truths that we never taught him nor did M. I've come to see that the Spirit truly testifies of truth when we invite him to do so. T studies so much on his own and is seeking for that truth. Well, last Thursday he sent us a text saying that he has been praying and that he knows he needs to get baptized. We went over the night after to plan everything and he already had his baptism planned out. Ahh, he is the best!!! And he has changed so much in just the few short weeks that we have known him. The gospel really is amazing and brings such a strong feeling of happiness and security. 

The Lord is amazing and the gospel helps in every aspect of our lives if we just let the Savior in. Also, T would not be where he is today if it weren't for M and her being willing to listen to the Spirit and share her beliefs with a pretty much stranger. Member missionaries are the best! 

Also, I have a new motto: I'd rather be wearing this tag. 

Nothing is better than wearing the Savior's name every day and being a literal representative for Him. If I ever have a negative/sad/upsetting/etc thought or if an ounce of homesickness sweeps in, I think of that and nothing else matters. The time I have to wear this tag is so short. I love it and I'm going to use every second to the fullest. Nothing is better!!!

Okay, I love you all!!

Sister Burns 

Sister Myers and I. Sweet member!

T, M, Sister Heckert and I!

Ohio State national championship shirts!

Member feud. Brother Sposito wasn't home, so we got to sneak into his Steelers shrine (you're only seeing a fraction of it) and take pictures to send him with our new Ohio State shirts given to us from his wife. Priceless.  

After we painted at the Spositos.

Sister Heckert at the Melt...she was told she couldn't eat the entire thing...she did to prove them wrong....she was sick all day.

It's sitting on a massive dinner plate. I wish you could tell how large this grilled cheese sandwich really is. I barely finished half.

M!!

Weekly Letter - 4.21.2015

Hello everyone! 

This week has been one of my favorites!

First off, T is the best!!!!! We had our first official lesson with him last Tuesday and he is so prepared for the gospel! He is beyond smart and seeks answers for himself. We are there to give him information, but he truly takes it to the Lord for validation. The best part is he's getting his answers. He loves knowing that he has a Father in Heaven who loves him and knows Him. That concept was completely foreign to him. He didn't grow up with any religious background, so it is a very special time for him right now. He is literally a sponge just soaking in everything he can get. It doesn't stop at the one lesson either. He is always texting M or us asking questions as he reads through the Book of Mormon. He got more insight/personal application out of 1 Nephi chapter one than I ever have before. He loves it. 

Sunday night he came to a fireside at the Kirtland Visitors' Center and loved it! Then last night they came to sites for a tour. He asked so many deep and meaningful questions. Things that I completely take for granted that I have had my entire life he is coming to know and grow a testimony of each day. There is nothing better than seeing the Savior touch the heart of another person as they let Him in.

We get to meet with him for another lesson tomorrow and we are so excited! All of us. T is always the one counting down to the next time we meet. Ahh, nothing is better than sharing the gospel with someone else!   

The rest of the week was full of service, finding, lessons, and sites days. Seriously so great! 

Funny, panic story: We took this tour yesterday. The kids, four under the age of five, were so hyper and that's always harder to have a more serious tour when kids are running everywhere. Don't get me wrong, those are my favorite tours, but this one was speedy fast and a bit crazy. Anyway, as we finished the tour one of the kids ran to the end and President was standing right there. (We hardly see President, so this wasn't normal.) He turned around and the kid ran straight into his arms. The mom was like, "Oh yeah, we pulled one on you. President Vellinga is my father-in-law". *Heart dropped!!! Panic attack started* Ha. I'm sure glad she told us after and not before the tour started. You never want to be more perfect than for your mission president. I survived though and we had a good laugh over it.    

Okay, one last thing. This Saturday, April 25th, is Social Media Splits for the entire mission. It's where members from the ward are shadowing us all day and posting things we're doing to social media. We're getting out to the world what we do behind the scenes. Pretty cool. So, you all should look for me in a post and share it with the world!! There are three hashtags we're using in order to find the posts. #adayinthelifeofamissionary #socialmediasplits #clevelandldsmissionaries  If you think about it, we can only contact a few people each day, but you can share the post and within a few moments, that post can be seen my hundreds. Such an easy way to be a missionary. =) 

I hope you all have a good day!!

Love you!!

Sister Burns

The lake is melted!

We were stuck here for a while. Stinky.

Ha! Meet Ahchoo. Sister K's cat. Seriously, everyone in Ohio has a cat or a dog and they're obsessed with their animals.

Sister K!

Another Miracle From Ohio -- Weekly Letter 4.14.15

Hello!

I'm going to try to keep this one short and with lots of pictures so you will actually want to read this. Ha.

Miracle for the week!!!

Okay, we have been working with M, a member my age for a month or so. She met this guy, T, who was not religious at all. They started talking about hockey and the conversation switched to religion. He was so interested in what she had to say, so they started spending more time together and they would always talk about the gospel. As time went on, he became more and more interested in her beliefs. Meanwhile, she was texting us for support, encouragement, and guidance. The week before conference she invited him to church and HE CAME! It was his first time ever coming to church or any religion. He loved it and stayed all three hours. 

He wasn't sure about meeting with missionaries, but M was the perfect support for him. During the week leading up to conference, she invited him to pray to know if God was there. He had been looking for a job for months and the day after he prayed, he got a perfect job offer out of the blue. Miracles! That was his answer! For the first time in his life, he felt like there was a Father in Heaven who cared about him individually. From that moment, he has been on fire! He even told his friends he would be their designated driver because he felt so good and didn't want anything to get in the way of what he was feeling. He hadn't even learned about the Word of Wisdom yet!  

T watched General Conference and loved it. He is soaking in everything. Last Saturday, we had Stake Conference and we were finally able to meet him and sit with them! Every single talk in that meeting was exactly for him. That night he told M that he was ready to meet with the missionaries. The next morning he went to the special "New and Returning Member" meeting and almost introduced himself as a new member, but had to stop himself before and change it to investigating. He wants this for himself so bad!

Well, we get to start teaching him tonight and we are so excited!! He is, too! He has told M 6 or so times today how excited he is for tonight. I love seeing the gospel bless others lives! Also, member missionaries are a must! We would have never met T if it wasn't for M being such a great example. She was there for T and shared her testimony in a way she could and relying on the Savior through it all. Goodness, if every member cared about other how M cares about them, there would be so many more happier people in the world. 

Ahh, so much for keeping this short! I'm just so excited!   

To sum up my week, the Lord is CONSTANTLY aware of you. He loves and will never give up on you! He knows what you are going through and is right there helping you conquer it all. We can see Him if we look for Him. His hand is all around. There is nothing better than knowing there is someone who is always forgiving and is there when no one else is. Such blessings!

I love you all!!

Sister Burns

Remember that one time we went to Target to get a few needed items and thought, "We should just do all of our shopping here, it won't cost that much". #fail

At least we still had fun being broke. =) #princesdiaries

Our area goals we wrote up last week after an amazing ZTM (Zone Training Meeting). We're revamping the area.  

Members!! 

Marge and Hilda  = silly hoots! 

 So much fun!

Spring!

Just taking some pictures outside the Whitney Store. 

Happiness Is... Weekly Letter 4.8.15

Hello!

Once upon a time in my college days, Kara Lynn and I would swing back and forth and tell each other what makes us happy. So, I'm not in Idaho anymore, but things here sure make me happy! I figured I'd share the list that I sent her today. 

Happy list: 

(Not in order of importance, of course)

1) Family!

2) Memories

3) KARA LYNN!

4) Preparation Days

5) Green grass 

6) #BecauseHeLives

7) Easter

8) General Conference and the feel goods/personal revelation during it

9) My companion: Sister Heckert

10) Wearing this tag on my chest every day

11) ALL of the snow is melted

12) Hymns (I Believe In Christ sung by MoTab. Wow)

13) Smiles. Giving and receiving 

14) Birds chirping

15) Feeling the sun on my skin. It's always overcast here

16) Knowing that life is crazy, but the Lord's hand is guiding me, so it will be amazing in the end

17) Letters in my mailbox

18) Taking a tour where the Spirit is so strong!

19) Sitting in the School of the Prophets every day

20) Seeing a less active of 11 years go back to the temple

21) Reading the Book of Mormon for an hour straight but it feels like two seconds

22) Getting a referral!

23) Walking where the Savior, Joseph Smith, Joel H. Johnson, and so many wonderful/influential people have walked! 

24) Laughing to the point of tears with my companion and recent converts while eating delicious pizza. Priceless  

25) Testifying of my Savior and feeling the Spirit speak through me into the hearts of those listening. Doesn't happen all the time, but nothing is better!

You know, it didn't take me long to think of this list and I could keep adding to it. After I wrote it I felt happier and happier! It's amazing what happens when we look over our lives and see God's hand in it. That's true happiness right there. So go ahead, make your own list! =) 

Thought for the week: 

We went to three services at the Kirtland Temple with the Community of Christ. Maundy Worship, Good Friday, and a Sunrise service on Easter. It was great being inside the temple and I love the friendships we have with members of other faiths. It's a testimony to me that Heavenly Father loves all of His children no matter who they are or what they believe. 

Most importantly, I love pondering on the Savior and what He means to me. With those three services and then Easter and General Conference to really bring in the Spirit, I have felt so close to my Savior. He truly lives for me and you. He loves us more than we can comprehend and He's always there with open arms. I'm so grateful for that. He lives!

Funny for the week: 

Tracting. Sister Heckert and I knock on a door. A little boy, maybe two years old, opens the door. Puppy runs out the door. Father standing in the hall...in his boxers....is in shock. Says, "I wasn't ready yet, son". The father quickly runs to the door (bright red), grabs puppy and #BecauseHeLives card and runs back inside. Meanwhile, missionaries are speechless and have a good laugh lasting hours on end. Oh the joys of missionary work!   

Miracle for the week:

This is just the most recent one. The area has been dead. Literally, dead. We've been praying to know how to help the area grow and to see miracles. Well, this morning we received a referral for a man up by the lake! It's a little miracle, but it was a reminder that the Lord is watching over the area and this is His work. As long as we are doing His will, the area will grow and we will see miracles.  

  

I loved General Conference! I'm sad it's over, but I cannot wait to read it all. Ensign here we come! Nothing is better than studying the words of Christ's prophets and apostles for the next 6 months. 

Yes Mom, I had a wonderful Easter dinner at the Schembre's and a huge pot luck lunch with the ward in between sessions. We were well taken care of. =) 

We were at sites a lot this past week with transfers and all. Oh, did I tell you I'm still with Sister Heckert? YES! I can't remember if I did or not. Anyway, sites are getting so busy!! When there are too many tours and not enough sets of sisters we have to split up, so I took two solo tours without Sister Heckert yesterday. I've come to realize I like having a companion and I might have had major separation anxiety. Haha. I've been told that as Summer comes and things get crazy I'll get use to it. So we'll see. 

Monday at sites a couple and a sister came in and they all served in Emily's mission on her island! It was so cool to see them. I was able to take them on tour as well. They were constantly talking about how amazing Sister Welch is and how she's the best missionary...completely genuine. Goal in life: be more like Sister Welch. =) 

Anyway, that's the life this week. Missionary work is the best!

Love you all!

Sister Burns

Jack Frost doughnuts! Recent converts are the best!

Easter Sabbath at the Kirtland Temple!

Sister Hunt

Sister Hancock, Bird, Saunders, Fitzgerald, Hunt, and me!

Sister Allen and I!

Sister Isabella Heckert!

Key to getting less-actives in Ohio to love you: get on their cat's good side! Charlie a.k.a Char Char Binks LOVES me! Score!

SUNSHINE!!!

HUGE tree outside our house. #treehugger

Our house!

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