A Christmas Miracle!

Hello Everyone!

I have a small favor to ask...and if you could ask others to help, too, (Facebook, Wards, and whatnot) that would be great! 

There is a member of our ward who is in a rehabilitation center. His family is in California, so he is completely alone and will be alone for Christmas. Anyway, he is the best person! He has a Facebook group where people who don't have family or things like that will request a card for the holidays. Last Christmas this Brother sent over 100 personalized cards out to those in need. Well, this year we thought we could give him something back! 

Here's how you can help -- just send a letter or a card to me at the address below and address the card to Brother Vine. Also, there are two more seniors in our ward that will be in the rest home alone for Christmas, too. Could you send cards for them, too? Sister Wolf and Brother Billingsly. 

Thanks for making this happen! You are the best!   

Have a blessed day!

Sister Eleena Burns

7800 Kirtland-Chardon Road

Kirtland, Ohio 44094

Weekly Letter -- 11.16.2015

Hello Everyone!!

I just have a quick miracle to share! 

I might have told you about Fabian about two months ago. We were walking down the street and this deaf guy came up to us. We started writing notes back and forth and he said that God didn't love him because he was deaf. We told him that was the furthest thing from the truth! We gave him the Book of Mormon and a promise that if he read that book he would know that God loves him! We got his information and sent him a text a few days later. We waited for a response, but nothing came. 

Last Wednesday this text came in, "Hello Sister Hancock and Sister Burns. This is Fabian. Remember me? I'm deaf. I read your book. What's next? Text me back."

That was the best moment ever! From then on, everything worked out so perfectly! There is a member of the Kirtland Ward who is fluent in ASL and is going to come teaching with us. Fabian is so excited and ever eager to meet with us. I love seeing the Lord's hand in all of this. We weren't planning on walking that street at that time and we were down to our last Book of Mormon. We weren't even going to talk to him because we were in the middle of a conversation with another man. But God knows His children and He knows what we need -- even if it doesn't make sense to us or the rest of the world at that time. Miracles happen every day! 

I love this gospel and I love having the Spirit with me always! He truly leads and guides my every step when I let Him. I know that this is the Savior's restored church. I see proof of it every single day! It hasn't been easy getting to this point and to be able to see it, but it is so worth every step. Nothing is better than knowing my Savior loves me and every single child in this world. It's a wonderful thing!

Have a blessed day! (Everyone here says that at the end of everything! I love it!)

Sister Eleena Burns

Decorating the Christmas tree!!! I swear we just did this. 

Our 15 months on the mission!

It's the "city lights" setting on my camera. Haha

So at FHE Ron always sits in the corner in this chair with the red blanket that is always there waiting for him. This is how the sisters were when he came around the corner. haha. 

Ooops...and I just realized I left the city lights filter on. Oh well...

Weekly Letter -- 11.9.2015

Hello!! 

I have zero time to write this email! Oops!!

But I had to share how amazing this past weekend was! We were able to do a veterans program last Saturday and there were so many veterans that came! The miracle was that two weeks ago we sounded like cats falling down a chalkboard....no joke. It was horrible! 

Well, the day before, we had our rehearsal and we actually sounded okay. And then we sounded so good the day of. We all had speaking parts, too, and as a missionary we don't have time to learn a part, so we were all struggling, BUT we all did so good!! It was a miracle! So many of the people that were there had never been to Kirtland before. Awesome missionary tool.  

Sorry it's short. Know that I love you all!!

Sister Burns

                 A member brought us breakfast for dinner last night completely out of the blue! It was the best ever!!!!!!

Just some random train pictures I took one day. I can't decide which one is my favorite.

Weekly Letter -- 11.2.2015

Hello All!!

Well, this week has been a bit crazy! I got a new companion! Sister Sorensen! She might look familiar. She was my companion for two weeks a long time ago when I was still serving in Shaker Heights with Sister Call. Now we get to be companions for longer! 

Things here are going well. We're doing this Veterans Day concert this coming Saturday. It should be good! Sister Sorensen, Call and I are singing this amazing song. It's called "Inscription of Hope". The words come from the wall of a cellar in Germany and were written by a little girl who was in hiding during World War II.  

It has made me realize how truly blessed I am. God loves us so much. He is always there during the hard times and will strengthen us even when the odds are against us. Heavenly Father loves each one of us. I am so grateful to know that. 

Alma 7: 11-12. One of my favorites. 

It was Halloween this week.....we forgot until that night. Oops. I guess that goes to show what's really important on the mission. But, I am happy to say that candy is now on sale and it's Preparation Day! Wahoo! 

Oh! I have a HUGE favor to ask anyone and everyone. We are teaching a few kids and we are running out of creativity. Is there anything in your head, Pinterest or anything like that that can help struggling, old, missionaries? Haha. We have the classic Restoration Cups and things like that, but we'd love more ideas. We did a "magic trick" with one girl and now she wants them every time we go over. So we need help. Anything is appreciated! Games, visuals, activities, more magic tricks. Haha. Anyway. Thanks!

Alright, I have to end on a Spiritual note. 

So my Ponderize scripture last week was 3 Nephi: 21:10

"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."

I loved this scripture so much especially since I am currently serving. But really, if you think about it, we are all serving the Lord. Heavenly Father cares about us all so much and His wisdom is greater than anything we are going through. Sure, there are going to be hard times -- we are going to "be marred" through things -- but He will help us. He will heal us. This is such an amazing promise. It has brought so much comfort as I was studying and ponderizing it. There are so many blessing from the scriptures. So, what's your verse?

I love you all! And happy November!

Sister Burns 

Ohio is pretty....and I really like the leaves here...if you can't tell.