"Tiring, But AWESOME!"

¡HOLA!

So this week was legit CRAZYYYY!!! There was so much stress, no eating, eating like a cow, fasting, baptism, no sleep, sickness, etc. But by far, the best week in my mission :) 

So Maria Jesus was BAPTIZED this Saturday and confirmed a member yesterday in Sacrament. It was so amazing! Because, first of all, our ward mission leader was running late and so we had to fill up the font with water. Well, long story short. The hot water wasn't working. So Maria Jesus was baptized in cold water. Poor lady!!! I felt so bad! I had to be the one to tell her that the water was cold too. She was nervous to begin with and then we tell her the water is cold. 

 

I was so stressed out about the baptism this week that I was beyond tired and my companion has been really sick with bronchitis this week. Everything was so hectic up until the baptism started. Actually, until she was baptized! Hahahaha! I can't even begin to describe how I felt seeing Maria Jesus be baptized. We stood in the back and watched and it was so sweet. I may have cried tears of happiness :) She is the first person that I have baptized in the mission. I met her, taught her, and then baptized her and the members LOVE her. She is so great :) After, we were in the bathroom with her and I just hugged her forever. She was soaking wet and we both just cried. And then Hermana Matias hugged her and we were all laughing. Then crazy Hermana Gladis came in with a mop for the floor and almost fell on her face. Hahaha! Needless to say, it was hilarious and very espiritual :) 

 

I still can't begin to describe how I feel with her baptism! It's so weird to think that me and my companion helped Maria Jesus come to know the Gospel and make this covenant with God. And yet, there is so much more in store for her! When she came to church yesterday, she wore a skirt for the first time and just had this special glow about her. It's all so sweet and unreal for me. I have never felt so happy! Maria Jesus is going to change lives and her family is going to be raised in the gospel. QUE GENIAL! :) 

 

I know this is the true church of Christ and that this is His gospel. I love this work with all my heart and I know that Christ is real. It's so awesome to be on the Lord's errand. Tiring, but awesome :) I hope you all can do the same and play a role in this great work! 

 

Con amor,

Hermana Burnham

"Tan lines for miles!"

"Pregnant cats man!!!!!"

"The youth of Cautin!"

"Maria's baptism"

"Trying to take a normal picture. It's so impossible!"

"Hermana Sandra and her beautiful self."

"Hermana Gladis.....man that woman sure is short!"

 

"Maria Jesus is Getting Baptized!"

Wow. This week was CRAZY!!!! I don't even know where to start. I have had the most amazing and tough week of the mission.

 

So we had zone conferences this week that were so good. First on Wednesday. Before this, I had been struggling a bit with my companion We just are really different and have different cultures. Right before this conference, we kind of had a little struggle. But then in the conference, we learned all about the Atonement. We watched a video called Missionary Work and The Atonement. It was so moving to see this video. I watched it in the CCM but still, it gets to ya! All of us were crying. Even the elders! But what really hit me is what Elder Holland said. He said that as missionaries, we need to walk part of the path that Christ walked. And that His mission never was easy, so why should ours be easy? I was just sitting there thinking wow. Here I have almost 9 months in the mission (the middle) and I just barely realized what I have been doing wrong. I was judging and comparing people when I should have been loving and caring. It really touched my heart and I grew such a deep love for my companion. Also, for everyone that I have been in contact with, that I need to see them like Christ sees them. I am here to HELP people. Not tear them down. That was never in my call packet. 

 

After that conference, I got to do an intercambio for a day with Hermana Davidson. She is ending the mission in just a month. She is so awesome! I learned so much that day with her. One thing I really love is that she always applies everything the people say, to Christ. I thought about that a lot and that in every situation, we can apply Christ. And how I always say that we are representatives of Christ, but how often do I talk of Christ? Or how often do I act like Christ? This week was just amazing. It helped me put a lot of things more into perspective and change the way I thought. Even though I have been doing things a bit wrong for about 9 months, I still have 9 months to change and improve here in the mission! The mission isn't easy, but I wouldn't change it for anything. My testimony of Christ and His Atonement have sky rocketed here. 

 

We had another conference on Thursday with Presidente Bluth and Hermana Bluth. Let's just say that they are awesome. Even if we read in just about everything I couldn't understand in Spanish :) hahahaha! But Presidente Bluth talked about faith and that basically, we need more faith! Hahahaha! He said how it's the first step in the gospel. Faith. Lots of times, we doubt ourselves when really all we need is faith. Faith in the atonement and faith in Christ that we can do anything. It was a good conference and also very straight forward. President Bluth is the bomb. 

 

GOOD NEWS OF THE WEEK

 

Me and Hermana Matias are...... planning a baptism for Saturday!!!!!!!!!!! Remember Maria Jesus? She is getting baptized this Saturday :) She will by my first convert that I found and baptized. Maria Jesus is awesome :) Our leaders went and visited her on Wednesday and then called us that night to tell us she had a baptism date for the 28th. I literally cried tears of happiness! I couldn't believe it. Then yesterday she didn't show up to sacrament and me and Hermana Matias were having a bit of a panic attack. Then she called after an hour and said that she had been waiting for her bus to pass and it never came. But then she said she was in the bus on her way. So she came to sunday school and relief society all frazzled with her 3 little kids. She loves the church and the members are so cute with her. They all love her and they announced her baptism in Relief Society and she says, " ahhh! I am so nervous!" Its basically the cutest thing ever. But ya! We are planning her baptism and so that's why we are super tired this week and stressed out. Its crazy. 

 

All in all, this week was a week to remember. I loved everything I learned and applied in my life. The mission has changed my life and I am only half way done! I am excited to see what these next 9 months have in store for me. I am ready to climb this mountain and face challenges. 

 

I know that Christ lives and that He is our Savior. He died on the cross for us and that He loves all of us. He walked that long path and He suffered in Gethsemani for all of us. I know He did and I can't deny it. Whenever we struggle, we can turn to Him and He will always help. I love my Savior :) I know He lives. 

Con amor,

Hermana Burnham

 

A great scripture to read, 3 Nephi 11 :) Have a great week!!!!!

"There was a big fire here in Temuco really close to another house of missionaries."

"TORTA!"

"Eating lunch with Hermana Gladys. She is crazy!"

 

"Eating corn with less actives. That's how we get people to reactivate in the Church."

"I got to work with my Sister Training Leader.....Hermana Davidson. She goes home in just 4 weeks." :(

"A less actives cat knows how to sit like this. It's so weird!"

 

 

 

 

"Where is the Rain?"

It is so HOT here in Temuco. I think I will die of heat one of these days. All the people are saying that this time last year, it was freezing cold with tons of rain. Where is the rain now!?! We need it. All the grass is ugly yellow and it's so hot that I sweat like there is no tomorrow. But it's all good! Part of the mission, right? And less fleas. YAY!

 

So this week was super tiring. I don't really know why, but it was tiring. I never wanted to get up or even do exercises. A hermana in our house woke me up 15 minutes early every day to go running and every time I said no. Hahaha! LAZY people. Lazy. No but we had stake conference this week and it was SO GOOD! They had all the recent return missionaries from the stake give their testimonies and also all the future missionaries that have their calls. The stake Temuco Cautin has 16 missionaries and that's the most they have ever had. Our investigator, Maria Jesus, came on Saturday night and the talk was all about baptism and being a new convert in the church. It was great! Hahhahaha perfect timing :) Maria Jesus has arthritis in her wrist and in the talk the guy talked about Priesthood blessings. Hermana Matias asked her if she would like one and she said yes right away. 2 elders gave her a blessing and she loved it. She said she felt so comforted and after her little son, Francisco, asked if he could have one too. Hahahaha! It was great to see it and also that her kids could be there. I love that woman! :) 

 

We have also been teaching Melissa but her mom had her baby this week so it's been a bit hard to get in with her. She is the 20 year old and super awesome. We are just waiting. 

 

Nothing big has happened. Today, I tried reading out loud to my companion in English and couldn't do it. That was awesome for me! Because I haven't read out loud in English for almost 9 months. 

 

I love the mission and never want to go home. I am about to hit my 9 months and I can't believe how fast the time is going. LA MISION ES TAN RAPIDO. No se como tengo 9 meses en la mision. Es super loco. Pero bueno. 9 meses para mejorar y cambiar mi vida MAS. Jajajaja :) 

 

LES QUIERO

 

Con amor,

Hermana Burnham

 

"Workin' hard in Chile"



Yes folks. A volcano about 1.5 hours away from me exploded this week! It was all over the news and EVERYONE was talking about it. It was great. One of the members, Hermana Sandra, her sister lives in Villarica, where the volcano is, and she had to evacuate and helped the missionaries there evacuate. The missionaries from the mission Osorno. It was crazy and cool. I loved seeing that everyone in their house had the news on and it was a video of the exploding volcano. Super cool. 

 

Besides exploding volcanoes, today is TRANSFERS! I am staying with Hermana Matias in Cuatin Temuco :) No transfer for me or the other sisters in our house, Hermana Wrathall and Hermana Sanchez. We are all staying. I was happy to stay because we have some awesome investigators and I think I couldn't have said bye to them just yet or the members of the ward. I hope I have another transfer here in Temuco. Fingers crossed.

 

Yesterday our investigator, Melissa, came to church with us!!! We were looking for a less active member and knocked her door thinking he lived there, but Melissa answered and let us right in. She is 20 years old and doesnt work or go to college right now. She is the bomb! We all instantly became best friends and laugh more than we teach. She has so many good questions about the gospel and said she has always been looking to find the true church. I just want to shake her and say, WE HAVE THAT! But I didn't. She wants to be baptized, but she smokes. Not A TON, but ya. She smokes. She told us all that she wants to quit, but needs help. The church has a little program and we have part of it in the house so we are going to use it to help her :) We laughed so much together on Sunday because just about everything that could have gone wrong with an investigator in the church, went wrong. Talks about excommunication. Great, huh? But she is super cool. We walked to the bus drop off with her and just laughed. I could see us being great friends forever :) 

 

Maria Jesus is kind of struggling. Just not coming to church and reading other things. Its a bit hard, but I know she will progress. We just need to be patient.

 

Well everyone! Have a great week! And CONGRATULATIONS HOLLY AND DEVON!!!!

 

Con amor,

Hermana Burnham

 

"This was my last zone.....pretty cool peeps!"



"Me with little Josefa."

"We had a fun day taking pictures."

"Maria Jesus"



"My awesome tan lines....Be Jealous!"



"Chinese food in Chile!"



"We hiked a mountain today."




"I cut off my hair."