Friday, March 7, 2014

Focusing on Jesus Christ


Dear Family,                                                                                                                 February 3, 2014

It sounds like you had a fun and busy week, but it is good to hear that things are going well!! :) 
  
This week has been a good one for me!   Not too many crazy things happened, but it was a good week, and we are super pumped for this next week!  So that is a great thing!
So lets see...what did we do this week, now I need to remember... ;)  

On Tuesday I was on an exchange with Sister Oswald, and that was really great! We had quite a few teaching appointments, and I learned some great wisdom from a ward missionary, who said that if we can make just one person smile in a day, we have made the world a better place! Which I thought was pretty cool!! :)  So now, I’ll just try to make all of you smile! :D

I've recently been praying about how I can be a better STL, how I can help the sisters that I am over, because I've felt like I haven't been able to in many ways.  But as we were on our exchange, our dinner canceled, so we ate at home, and we were able to just talk, and I felt prompted to share a personal story which ended up being something that she needed to hear.  So I'm glad that I listened to the Spirit and shared something that I normally don’t, but that it was able to help this sister missionary and uplift me at the same time! It was a really great experience!

Wednesday we had district meeting, Sister Hedrick had quartet rehearsal and then we opened a widow kinda by the beach in Laguna, and Sister Hedrick played her violin and we talked to people who were walking by.  We did end up teaching a guy, Richard, but we don't have his phone number (oops…) and he didn't show up for his return appointment, but we were able to find 2 guys who aren't from here that really wanted to read the Book of Mormon, so it was still really great!  :)

Thursday was great! Simply because I was in a good mood! :)   We had choir, and then dinner, and then met some recent converts in the Marina Hills Ward, and we were just talking to them, and it was really cool to listen to this man’s story, of how the missionaries found them, and how the gospel has changed his life! It really helped me remember that even the small things we do as missionaries really does make a difference, and it really does help people, the service that I am doing! :)

Friday was good, we planned, had a meeting, had dinner, we saw Ronnie and watched Mormon Messages with her! (Origin is really, really great!)  And I can't remember what else we did! haha.

On Saturday we went to Irvine and had a brief meeting about how we can get more lessons, we are going to start teaching the lessons to members, in hopes of getting more referrals! But we will have a member of the ward scheduling our appointments with members, and well...it will be fun! There are just a few wards that are piloting this right now, so we will see how it goes, but we started yesterday and I just love teaching, no matter who it is, the Spirit is there!   It is great, and I love that I have the opportunity to be in so many homes and help them come unto Jesus Christ! :)

Then Saturday afternoon, we felt like we needed to go contacting on this trail, so we went to it, and there weren't very many people, and it WAS SO WINDY!!  We were laughing our heads off, just because of how windy it was...it reminded me of Pali lookout in Hawaii!  It was a blast though, and we met a guy who was pretty interested, but he was on a 20 mile run (who does that...)  so we weren't able  to teach him, so we'll see what comes of that! :)

Here is the ocean view from our windy walk


Yesterday was good but weird, we dropped of Sister Hedrick at her Relief Society president’s house in the morning and then me and Sister Morgan went to our meetings, and church was good, and then we taught a few members in the afternoon and evening! :) Which was fun, and then at 9 we got back with Sister Hedrick, who had been with ward members all day who were being her companions, so it was interesting, and it will be nice when we are only over one ward :)  

But, things are pretty good. We fasted for rain yesterday (along with all of Southern Orange County), and it poured last night. But it is sunny again today, so we will see what happens! :)   I wouldn't mind rain, though I do need to get a rain coat…or an umbrella, or I’ll just be wet ;)  haha.   Our teaching pool isn't very big right now, so we are searching for those precious souls who are searching for the truth!  We hope we find them soon! :)   

But things are good.  And this week, I've really been thinking about how much we need the Atonement, and how because of what Jesus Christ did, it covers EVERYTHING!   As we turn to him, we will be lifted, we will be released from the things that bind us, we will be free!  We will be happy!  We will be full of the love of God, and we will want to share this gift with EVERYONE that we meet!   And that is why I am here, that is why I'm on a mission.  Because the Atonement changed me, and I HAD to give that opportunity to more people.   And there are rough days, missions are not easy, but they are worth it. Because salvation is worth it, but it is hard, because salvation isn't cheap.  But it is possible.  :)  And I love that everyday I get to go out and testify of Jesus Christ, because he is the CENTER of all we talk about.  He is the only way we can return to our Father in Heaven, and as missionaries, and as members we have this gift, and we have the ability to share it with this world that needs a Savior. So this week, I’m going to open my mouth more, I'll testify more.   I'll pray more sincerely, I'll study harder, and work as hard as I can, so that someday, I will be able to look back on my life and know that I did all I could, that I held nothing back as I represented Jesus Christ, because He never held the truth back, so why should we?

Well, that was kinda deep... but just the thoughts that have been running through my head!   But, I hope that you all have an amazing week, and I hope that you turn to Jesus Christ and let Him carry you!   (Matt 11:28-30)  

I love you all!   And know that you are in my prayers!!! :)

Love,   

Sister Taylor Burningham

Sitting in a cupboard at the Christensen's house

Ronnie's baptism

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