Weekly Letter - 2.23.2016

Hello All!

Well, today has been strange. 

You spend your entire mission planning your days out and they normally go as planned....sure, it might be our backup plans, but at least we planned those, too. 

Today is not at all what we planned for. 

Last night we finished planning and all was well. Today we were supposed to be at Mission Leadership Council, but your plans changed drastically last night. 

My all time favorite missionary and her brand new companion were in a car accident lat night. They were life flighted to Cleveland Clinic and that's all we heard. 

The entire mission world paused. 

I cannot explain how lost we felt last night. We couldn't do anything. We didn't know what happened, how they were doing, or if they were even still alive. In times like this we often think of the worst possible outcome. We tried to push those thoughts away. I literally just read an article of the Sister Missionary in PA yesterday -- that wasn't helpful.

We all sat in our apartment in shock and silence for a while. But it was then that we did all that we could do -- we knelt down as sisters together and Sister Saunders offered the sweetest prayer I have ever heard.. She prayed for both sisters, for their families, for the doctors, for President and Sister Brown, for those involved. There is power in prayer and my testimony was strengthened of that last night. I have never felt God's love more for another person than I did at that time. There was an overwhelming Spirit that filled the room and I knew that Heavenly Father was watching over them. He loves His missionaries. There was and is great comfort and peace as we turned to the Lord and gave our will over to Him. 

They are doing okay. It's going to be a long road back to recovery, but the doctors say they should be alright.

This opened my eyes a bit. We are so blessed. You never know when, in a flash, your life is changed. Why do we ever complain? Why did I ever complain? The worst I have is an aching back, toe, leg, etc. Heavenly Father loves us so much. We do have trials, yes, but even through those hard times, we can and are strengthened through the power of the Atonement. The Lord never leaves us alone. He is always helping us along, even if He has to carry us at times. 

I know He loves us and I hope we all remember that. Count your blessings. They are everywhere. 

We're all doing alright. It's times like these that you draw closer to the Lord and rely on Him even more. That's what we're doing.     

 

Please keep them in your prayers. 

As for the rest of the work, it's going great. We had a lesson with Dante and were talking about The Book of Mormon when out of the blue he says, "Can I be baptized?" and continued asking more questions about what he has to do, etc. This is when a missionary pauses and has to think for a minute just to comprehend what he said. "Yes! Of course you can!". He hasn't been baptized and that's what he wants. It really did come out of nowhere, but hey, that's exciting! He's getting baptized next month! 

Well, know that I love you all! And I'm happy even with all of the sad. That's what happens when you keep God and the front of all that you're doing. =)

Have a blessed day!

Sister Eleena Burns

7800 Kirtland-Chardon Road

Kirtland, Ohio 44094

P.S. Sorry for all of they typos. 

P.p.p.s.s.s....yesterday was my 2 years through the temple mark...on 2.22....I was thinking of Kendra all day!! 

Morgan took us to the Cleveland Museum of Art last Preparation Day. It was so good!

                                            and all I did was take pictures of furniture.... classic.  

Harry and Ron....do you wanna play chess?

It's a Frank Lloyd Wright window. 

Exchanges with Sister Edwards. She is a powerhouse!

District Meeting/interviews with President and Sister Brown.

Brooke and Jeff! Brooke is a member and we're teaching Jeff. I love them! And that cute little baby is Ella. She is so adorable!!!

Bill! Also, it reached 70 degrees outside. =)

Uma and Patar! I just love this family!!!

Marika  and her kids. They are from the Solon ward, but her parents are in the Shaker ward, so I got to see them on Saturday!! Also.....Kendra (or anyone), do you know of a single man in his 40s who has a job, testimony, and teeth? Marika is looking. Haha.  

Alexis. Only my favorite!

Here she is, fellas! 

Just Kirtland.