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! :)
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| 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
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| Sitting in a cupboard at the Christensen's house |
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| Ronnie's baptism |
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