Weekly Email -- 1.27.2016

Hello Family!

This week was just wonderful!

I absolutely love Sister Janairo (Hah-ny-row), my new companion! She's just a gem! She's from the Philippines but has been living in Hawaii for the last 10 years. She joined the church around 5 years ago and is just a powerhouse! We have had a great week and have seen so many miracles!

So last night we were going to have a lesson with Sister Reit, a member of our ward, and our investigator didn't show up. But that didn't stop us. We went to stop by a lady, Alex, who we found tracting a few weeks ago and we haven't been able to contact her again. But last night, Sister Reit was driving and was willing to take us over to her house, so that's what we did. We knocked on the door...nothing. And then we tried again....and she answered! She was so happy to see us. She talked about how she is searching for a new church right now and she was so glad we stopped by. She is going to come to church this coming Sunday and we're having a lesson with her after that.

Anyway, after that, Sister Reit and us went to a former investigator and he was home! We were able to share a message with him and we are going to be meeting with him again on Friday. It was just neat to see the miracles that came from having a member with us who was so willing to go around the town to find these people. Because of that, in one hour, we were able to find two people and have two lessons. It was such a miracle! Really, members are the key to successful missionary work!

That was just one good moment from this week and I wish I could tell you all of the good things that happened, but I don't have enough time. But I hope you all know that Heavenly Father is completely aware of us individually. He knows us and loves us. He is guiding us to where He needs us to be -- to where we can find more happiness than we could have imagined. I know He loves us all!


Have a blessed day!

Sister Eleena Burns

Weekly Letter - 1.19.2016

Hello Family and Friends!


This week has been a great one. I feel like it went in a blur.

Highlights:

1) Elder Gong Mission Conference....so good!

2) Mission Leadership Council with Elder Gong.....extra good!

3) WE GOT A NEW CAR!!!!! It's a Nissan Rouge with 182 miles on it. It's smells so good.

4) I got to see President and Sister Brown three days in a row. I'll never complain about that!

5) We found an MIA investigator last night at Bob Evans (like Denny's) and we're seeing her this week. So excited! Not to mention she has been reading the Book of Mormon the entire time and she know's it's true!

6) Setoya and her daughter Letoya are on baptism date now for February 20th! So excited.

7) I ran into Ron's home teacher and he said that Ron is doing GREAT! Whew.

8) A less active and her two kids came to church on Sunday! Funny story...some people here come from a completely different background than I do. We were at her house having a lesson and her little girl is completely obsessed with my hair. Finally she asked me..."Where did you buy your hair?" I told her it came from my head! Then she said, "No, like what store?" She still doesn't believe me that my hair isn't a wig or a weave. Haha.  

9) The Plan of Salvation is a real thing! Families are forever! No doubt! =) This plan is perfect and brings so much peace, happiness, and direction in life.

10) When you work and do God's will, everything is taken care of! Even if you might have an excuse to have a hard day, when you put your hands in God's hands and keep pulling int one more mile, He takes over and helps you go two. It's amazing!

11) Heavenly Father loves me. Highlight every week.


Talley Ho!

Sister Eleena Burns

7800 Kirtland-Chardon Road
Kirtland, Ohio 44094

Exchanges with Sister Guinn!

Elder and Sister Wynder took us to Costco...it was Sister Beck's first time there....she about died with excitement! It was a good day. 

Only near Beachwood would you see this....Kosher whole lambs at Costco....from New Zealand, too! (Sister Beck is from New Zealand) She loved it. 

Snow!

Lots of it!

How Chia Pets should look.... 

How mine looks...

I still love it!

Weekly Letter -- 1.11.2016

Hello All! 

This week has been a slow one, but a good one! One neat miracle happened on Wednesday. We were planning on riding the bus around the city just so we could talk to people, but then the bus station was closed, so we couldn't buy the specific bus pass that we needed, so the bus idea was a no go. A few moments before that I thought about an investigator that we hadn't heard from for a while and then right after the bus fail, Sister Beck suggested that we go try to find him. That's what we ended up doing! 

We knew he had just got a second job and so we weren't sure where he would be, but we decided to walk through a grocery store that we knew was one of his jobs. We walked in and went down a random aisle and before we even made it to the end, he was coming around the corner and down the aisle we were in. What are the odds of that! 

He was so excited to see us. He told about his new schedule and how overwhelmed he feels (he works from 6-3 at one job and then 4-10 at the other). We talked about the blessings of the gospel and he kept saying how he wanted those blessings in his life. He came up with the idea that we could start calling him during his break in the morning and we can start teaching him over the phone. 

It was so amazing to see how God led us to go see him. He wasn't even in our thought process when we were planning the night before, but Heavenly Father knew that he needed us at that moment. We could just see some of his burdens getting lighter at we talked with him about Jesus Christ and the Atonement. Christ truly is the ultimate source of peace and comfort. He knows us individually and He knows how to help us through the crazy events of our lives. He wants us to have all the blessings He can give us and that is why He died for us. That is why Heavenly Father sent us here in the first place. He loves us so much -- more than we can even comprehend. 

The rest of my week was pretty eventful. Not all good events, but events nonetheless. Car wreck (other sisters, not me...but our car), a scary lesson with a less-active, they took down the Christmas decorations and lights, contacting in the rain and getting soaked from head to foot and being soaked for the rest of the day, one recent convert had a seizure in Sacrament Meeting and another little kids projectile vomited all over the pews, we had an awesome meeting with President and Sister Brown (highlight of the week!!), and one more sad thing...it finally snowed. On the 9th, the grass was still all bright green and it was 40 degrees outside...and when we got out of church yesterday everything was white! I can't complain though. We lasted so long without it all.

But even with all of the ups and downs of missionary life, I love it. There are so many miracles every day and the Spirit is there guiding every step. And the great thing about it all, is that doesn't ever have to stop. Miracles always happen and the Spirit can always be with me! Tag or not. =) The gospel is AMAZING!!! 

Alright, I love you all and I hope this week is a great one for you!      

Have a blessed day!

Sister Eleena Burns

7800 Kirtland-Chardon Road

Kirtland, Ohio 44094

Weekly Letter - 1.4.2015

Hello All!!

This week was a pretty good one. It was a slow one, but still good. Our ward is mostly made up of medical students or those who are in residency programs...and many of those families are from Utah. So, they all went home for the break! Our ward was so sparse on Sunday. So with all of the holidays, the work has been a bit slow. We have found many new investigators, though, so that's exciting!

I was able to go on exchanges with Sister Talbot. It was so much fun! It was freezing cold that day and we ended us walking all day long. Also, why does everyone think that jsut because it's New Years Day and it's freezing cold that they can all stay inside? The missionaries are out, so should they! Haha. We saw no success all day long, but the end of the day was great! We found two new investigators, handed out three copies of the Book of Mormon and randomly helped some people move. The other sisters on our area (there are two sets serving on one proselyting area) were walking, too, only the other direction. There were able to see so many miracles, as well! It was just neat to see that it didn't come when we wanted them, like any time during the day, but they all came in God's timing....the last two hours of the day.

Stay tuned for next week when all of the miracles start flowing in! (And when everyone gets back from Christmas break!)


Have a blessed day!

Sister Eleena Burns

7800 Kirtland-Chardon Road
Kirtland, Ohio 44094

P.S. Happy birthday, Tayla and to everyone else celebrating this month and last month!!! I love you all!

Birthday! Breakfast at the Community of Christ. Shalom! 

Birthday dinner at Olive Garden! Thank you Elder and Sister Wynder! 

Tracting on Sunday before church! FROZEN! (but the grass is still green!)

It's all coming down. =(

My favorite nativity from Peru! Haha. If you know me, you know why. Haha

Just some of the natives. So pretty!! 

I really don't want them to come down!!!

The lights are coming down soon. =( 

I was SPOILED on my birthday!!! I literally have seven sets of grandparents here, if not more! And so many amazing friends that came to see me! The Markers made me homemade caramel apples! Yumm! (Don't judge my looks...it was at the end of the day. Haha) 

Weekly Letter - 12.30.15

Hello All!!

This week has been a great one! Christmas in Kirtland is just so special. We were able to send a lot of time in members homes and share in the Spirit of Christmas with them. Not to mention Courtney and Zeena got baptized the day after Christmas! I wasn't much a part of teaching them since I was just transferred here, but it's still so amazing to see someone change their life around through the atonement and find so much happiness! There are miracles all around us.

Okay, Christmas miracle time!! We went caroling with our district and had no luck....at all. Each door was a flop. So we started to head back to the cars because it was time to go home and we decided to stop at one door just across the street and down one house from the elder's house. We knocked and started to sing. Then this lady came to the door, and a man, and another lady and a few more men, until we had a party on the doorstep! They all loved it! They were singing along and recording it all. After we finished the first lady came around and gave us all hugs....all of us....you should have seen the elder's faces. Haha!!

Then they invited us in! They gave us water and it was like we were a part of their Christmas party. Anyway, we shared #ASaviorIsBorn with them and they loved it! We ended up getting two different return appointments from that one stop. The first lady's husband has cancer and she loved the message that we shared and is keen to learn more. Another lady that I was talking to  said that missionaries had stopped by her house in 1993 and never came back. She always wanted to learn more, but just didn't know where to find them. So neat!

What would have happened if we didn't follow the promptings of the Spirit and stop by that door. I am in constant awe of the miracles that come as we strive to be worthy of the promptings of the Spirit and follow those promptings. So many wonderful things happen! Heavenly Father loves us and wants to bless us so much! There really is such a joyful spirit that exists this time of year. It's all because of our Savior -- because He was born for us, lived for us, suffered for us, died for us and was resurrected for us. It's the biggest miracle. Truly we are blessed because of Him and He changes our lives when we let Him, love Him and follow Him.

I love you all!!!

Have a blessed day!

Sister Eleena Burns

Senior missionaries are just the cutest! They would through us "Christmas Parties" almost everyday leading up to Christmas at the Visitors' Center. This is a cheese ball made by Sister Marker. Too cute! 

Weekly Planning on Christmas Eve....with frozen drinks instead of hot ones. It was a strangely warm Christmas this year. Like 60 degrees warm...

Christmas Eve nativity with the Christensen's! I just love these kids! 

Christmas breakfast at the Visitors' Center.

Cha, cha, cha, Chia! From my brother! Literally, the coolest thing. 

Courtney and Zeena after their baptism!!! 

Exchanges with Sister Call! Mother and daughter reunited once again!