Hello
Family!!!! May 5, 2014
Well,
first off, it sounds like it was a big week at our house in Provo!!! With
the dance concert, and then everything with your new calling dad, I think that
it is great! And well, remember that the
Lord qualifies those whom He calls! :) I think that you will be
great though, as you serve in that capacity! :) That is so cool that
you were able to talk to Elder Falabella, and cool that he remembers
meeting me...that was what feels like so long ago, I feel like I've changed and
grown so much since he came to our mission!
Lets see,
what else! I am glad that concert went good. Ronnie did show me that
quick video clip. We went over on
Saturday and she told me that she had a surprise for me, so that was a nice
surprise! But anyway! Sounds like
things are good at home, and I'll mention more about my thoughts on everything
as I go throughout my email. :)
This week
has been a good one! As I mentioned in my letter last week, right after
we finished emailing we got a call from Chevy telling us that our car actually
needed to come back to the shop, and that it was their mistake that they had
given it back to us, so we've been driving a rental this week, a Chevy Malibu,
we miss our Cruze, but it drives and so that is all we need! :)
This week
has been HOT!!!!!!!!! And by hot I mean
like high 90's nearly all week. Even in Laguna Beach, which the members
in our ward told us over and over how unusual that was for Laguna, so that made
things exciting! :)
But things
were happening this week! We were able to see Linda this week, and she is doing
great, and she came to church yesterday, and we will be seeing her soon, and
inviting her to be baptized this month!
She's all in, so we are excited for that!
We were
also able to meet with Catherine this week, and she is so GREAT! The
lesson was very spiritual, and we all cried. One thing I learned this
week really is how much the gospel can bless our lives as we choose to accept
it and follow it. :) It truly is a remarkable thing. And it is so
great to see how much it helps those who we get to see on a weekly basis, it
really does change us! :)
On
Thursday I had Mission Leadership Council, and it was so great. (I think that is my phrase for the week...it
was just "so great!") Anyway, it really was good, and one thing
that really stuck out to me, not only at MLC but also throughout this week was
really as I commit myself to the purpose I have been called to, then I will
learn all that I am supposed to, and become who I am supposed to become.
I feel so blessed to be serving a mission right now, learning to trust in God,
and give myself to Him, I really hope that I can do that for the next few
months, not worry about life after the mission, but truly give all my heart, all
my might, all my strength to this great work, because right now this is the
greatest thing that I could ever be doing, and I love it! :) I really
do!! :) But those have been some of the things I've been thinking about this
past week, just how I don't have a whole lot of time left, yes I still have
time, yes there will be miracles and many people to accept the gospel, but I
want to give my all till the end, and that is what I am going to do :)
Thursday
was also Sis. Hurst's birthday, and Ronnie threw her a surprise party, so that
was really sweet of her, and the ward is just so great! So it was good, and fun, and I'm glad, since
for most of Sis. Hurst's Birthday I wasn't even with her! But, it was a
good day and I think she enjoyed it!
Thursday
night was an interesting one for me. Most nights on my mission it really
has been so easy for me to fall asleep, but not on Thursday. And it
wasn't even 11, but I was frustrated that I was still awake, so I went into our
bathroom (so I could have light, without waking up Sister Hurst) with the
Book of Mormon. I was almost done with Ether, so I was like, well, I used
to read all the time before bed, so let's try that tonight. As I started reading, I was again frustrated
cause I was reading about all these wars, and I was like, this is not what I
need right now. (So yes, I got mad at the Book of Mormon). So I skipped
ahead to Moroni, and for some reason I was crying, not really sure why,
but I think I cried until about Moroni 8. And by then I had calmed down,
and I was feeling the Spirit, and then I finished reading the Book of Mormon.
And I again prayed, just as we are invited to, and the feelings of Peace that
the Spirit bring are so remarkable. I love the Spirit, I love the Book of
Mormon, I want to read it everyday (just like you dad) and I want to share the
joy that comes from the gospel with any and all who want to let it be a part of
their lives. Needless to say, I went back to bed, and was asleep with in
minutes, but this time with an even stronger testimony of the restored gospel!
:)
Friday we
did a lot of service, got to paint a wall and help some people move! We
also got to sing at a youth conference. It was really powerful, and it
just reminded me of pivotal points in my youth that really shaped me and helped
me be more prepared to serve a mission, even though that thought had never
crossed my mind. Saturday was good as well, we talked to 102 people, and
that was just fun! :) I love talking to people! :)
Yesterday
was GREAT! Testimony meeting was really wonderful, Chloe (Brian and
Kristy's four year old) bore her testimony, she said, "Jesus loves
me." Then she stopped and smiled, then Kristy asked her if she had
anything else to say, and she said, "Choose the right." It was
so simple yet so profound. I love little children, they really are close
to God!
We had
dinner with Brian and Kristy, and in the midst of our conversation, we found
out that Ethan had shared his testimony in one of his classes after sacrament
meeting (Giselle had shared hers in sacrament meeting), and before we knew it
we were having our own mini testimony meeting. It was so great to hear
Brian, who is a recent convert talk about how the gospel has changed his life
and his family. And to hear Kristy share
how much she knows that God loves each of us, and how He always will. And
then for me and Sister Hurst to also share the love that God has for us, and
for the power that this gospel brings into our lives, and the desires that we
have to share that with many people. And then to hear Ethan and Giselle,
who are not yet members, but who have strong testimonies of the gospel.
It really was remarkable, and something that I hope to remember for a long
time!
So that
was my week! Good things are coming this week, we are excited for everything
that is happening in Laguna, we are working hard and showing the Lord that He
can trust us! As for transfer predictions, I've felt both that I could
stay and that I could go. I really honestly have no idea, but when I call on
Sunday I'll be able to share with you what is happening, cause we will have
found out the day before!!! :) Wow, crazy to think that it is already
time to call you again! We are excited
for that and it really will be so great! :) I hope you have a good week until then! Stay safe, do what is right and SMILE! :)
Be an example in all ways!
Something
to ponder on until Sunday, how have you been changed as I've been on a
mission, I'd like all of us to share our stories, so be thinking about that!!
I’ll talk
to you soon!!!
I love you
so much!!!!
Love,
Sister
Taylor Burningham
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