Weekly Letter 2.17.15....My Title Skills Are Lacking

Hello World!!! 

Here are some updates from The Ohio: 

The weather is really cold...freezing. Our entire stake canceled church on Sunday because it was supposed to reach -20 to -30 degrees in the morning. Brrrrr. Needless to say, we weren't allowed to leave Kirtland. Before the mission, I would have loved to spend cold days inside, but missionaries hate having nothing to do! There are only so many thing we can do to stay productive and purpose driven while stuck inside. Monday was a bit warmer, -15, so we decided to leave the house and go to the gym. The car started! Miracle. But then we started out the driveway and I felt that the car was going to break from the cold any second...we turned around. But! We were able to go out yesterday! Thank heavens. 

Other congregations didn't get to go to church on Sunday, but we did! There ended up being a cadet regiment from West Point in New York that came through Kirtland, so we were able to hold a Sacrament Meeting at the Visitors' Center. Such a blessing! It was a pretty special moment to have a room full of military men and women and missionaries all together. Powerful.  

Update #2: I'm getting transferred!!! I knew it was happening, but it's still a crazy thing. This is my first time being transferred on my mission. I've grown to love every single person in the Shaker Heights Ward, so I'm sad to leave, but I'm excited to meet knew people. I'm thinking I'm going to Kirtland North. but transfers aren't till tomorrow and you never know what President will do from now until then. Dun dun dun! That just means I'm moving proselyting areas, but I'll still be serving days at the Visitor's Center, too. And I'll probably be moving to the house next door. (Still the 7800 Kirtland-Chardon Rd. address) Sister Call is training, so I'm going to be a grandma! Who would have guessed. 6 months and I'm already a grandma.

We visited 8 families yesterday! It was my last full day in the area, so we took full advantage of that and saw all of my favorites. I literally feel like I'm leaving my home and family. The only way I got to this point was through service! Truly, service is the key to everything. If anything, I'm glad for my time in this area because I've learned that one lesson. And guess what we have planned for tonight...service!! Nothing is better. "When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God" (Mosiah 2:17). That's truth right there. It's amazing the blessings and complete happiness that comes from serving God. There is truly nothing better. Go out and serve if you're feeling stuck, down, happy, any time... and life goes up from there. After all, Christ was perfect and that's what He spent His life doing. What's a better example to follow? 

Well, I've got to run pack. Moving time! I'll let you all know next week where I got transferred. 

I love you all!

Sister G and I on our six month mark!

Sister Burns

Teach Me, Teach Me, to Walk in the Light -- Weekly Letter

Hello All!!! 

Happy Valentines Day!!!

In light of my six month mark this coming Friday (Friday the 13th...yeah, we'll ignore that....) I've decided to share six lessons I have learned on my mission! Brilliant, I know. 

1) Patience -- This is the number one lesson learned (and I'm still working on it). Patience with the work, members, investigators, people on the street, the mission in general, the snow, (the hardest part) myself, and so on. But as we put all of our burdens and faults in a bag and give them to the Savior, He will hold onto them and make our weaknesses become strengths. I have a lot of weaknesses...more than I ever thought I had, but goodness, Heavenly Father can help us grow stronger with anything as we turn to Him. It's a constant day by day check-in, but we can be better and better as we strive to work at it.  

2) Perseverance -- Ooo, the mission is hard. It's by far the hardest thing I have ever done. But as I have pushed through, the blessings have made everything worth it! There is no greater work and nothing I'd rather be doing. Yes, the mission is FULL of hard times. Every day there is a new hill to climb over, but it can and will be conquered as I keep going. God has my back. 

3) Perspective -- While looking at tasks, people, problems, lessons, the gospel -- anything really -- I have been able to change my perspective and see things through Heavenly Father's eyes. Everything I'm doing is to "invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His atonement, faith, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end". This isn't about numbers or making myself feel accomplished. All of this is about helping Heavenly Father in anyway possible and His work and glory is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. That's what's important -- an eternal perspective. Nothing else matters in the grand scheme of things. Who cares if someone shuts the door in my face as long as I'm doing what Heavenly Father has asked of me.    

4) Positive -- The Spirit doesn't like negativity and I cannot do anything without the Spirit. Therefore, I have to be positive to accomplish anything. And when I'm positive, everything else is better! "Come what may, and love it!"

5) Plan -- God has a plan for His children. It's simple and He loves each and every one of us. We can know for ourselves the direction we should go and what our Father in Heaven would have us do. Perfect happiness comes from understanding and living Heavenly Father's plan for us.  

6) Prepared -- "If ye are prepared ye shall not fear". Never before has this scripture stood out to me so much. For me, it's preparing lessons, preparing to talk to others, preparing to help others come to Christ, preparing myself to feel the Spirit. There are so many ways to apply this scripture, but I know as I rely on the Lord, have faith in Him, and do all that I can, God will take care of the rest. It's a promise. 

They all ended up starting with the letter "p", but they have been the best lessons to learn. I'm not perfect at these things, but it has been great to work on them and I'll keep doing that! I know that if you feel like you need help in one of these areas that God will help you, too! It's such a blessing to know that we can change and progress. 

Also, just a quick update...

MARY CAME TO CHURCH!!!!!!!!!!!!! Miracles happen! She loved it! It was different for her, but she quite enjoyed it. She keeps saying how she doesn't want to move forward in her current religion right now because she doesn't feel peace. I keep praying that she feels that peace as we continue to meet. And to top off the day, she has read 14 chapters of the Book of Mormon in less than a week. We only asked her to read one. Ahh, I'm so grateful for her!

You are all wonderful! Thanks for being such a support. 

Love, 

Sister Burns

Karl & Joyce Anderson....yeah, they're pretty awesome! Such a blessing to have them in my area!!!

​

Serving members -- the Dickson's. Ten hours of service this week. =)

​

Sending Love From Ohio! - Weekly Letter

Hello all! 

I love the ward I am serving in! I have come to realize two important things while being here: 

1) Service helps break down any barrier. We have been able to serve so much lately! There were doors we couldn't get into and hearts that were a bit hard to touch. Through service I have seen so many miracles happen! It makes sense and I don't know why I didn't' realize this before. All Christ did was serve while He was here. He loved all of God's children and truly set the ultimate example for us. Serving others = serving God. What could be better?   

2) Fellowship is key. This last week was a miracle and it all came from fellowshipping! I'm not sure if you have ever seen this or felt this yourself, but there are some people who don't feel included anywhere they go. They feel lost and unimportant. Well, there are a few in our ward that we have been visiting regularly who felt this way. As we worked with them, we have been able to invite others to fellowship them, some of which were struggling themselves. As they reached out, every single person involved has been uplifted. Yesterday at church all four sisters were sitting next to each other in Relief Society and each one had a magnificent smile on their faces! Another miracle from fellowshipping happened to a less active who normally only stayed for Sacrament Meeting and left as soon as the prayer was said. Last Sunday the new RS presidency reached out to her and showed her love. She stayed the entire time and could feel that love. Miracles.

It all goes back to Christ. He showed us how to love and how to serve. He wants us to lift one another and all gather in Heaven together with Him and our Heavenly Father one day. And what a great day that will be!! Anyway, I'd love to invite you all to serve and love others more this week. Reach out to someone in need. I know there are those out there who need it. We all need some extra loving. =)   

Also....

Shout out to Grandma and Grandpa Gravatt!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Have a great day!

I love you all!

Sister Burns 

Cory, our favorite recent convert, who is going out on the road to be a trucker! He is so missed!!!!

Bowling with the district!! We love it!

Mary!!! Investigator and sweetest lady ever! 

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!! ​