Meeting Many Amazing People!

Another week in the field. How crazy is it that this week I will have been gone for a week? I left Oct 1, and Nov 1 is this week!!!

The missionaries who went to Fort Worth with Jenny

This week we met way more people from the ward. Which is great, having been white washed in we didn't know anyone the week before. So it's improvement.

We had a couple crazy experiences. And ever got a door slammed in our faces. (YES, it does happen to sisters) I guess we are leading the zone with receiving referrals. We received 13 this week! And got a huge text back from the zone leaders. We met with Mary (on date for baptism) twice this week. And guess what...she doesn't have any desire to smoke! She has literally only had 2 puffs and the next time she went to lite one she felt like she was going to have a heart attack so she threw it away! How Crazy! She is golden and so willing to follow the example Jesus Christ set for us. It just amazes me so much every time we meet with her. Great example!

We have another investigator Carly, she is 21, and been looking into the church for herself for the last month or so. Her sister Rachel (16) just joined the church about a month ago. At Rachel's baptism Carly was overcome with the spirit and ever since then she wanted to learn more. Her parents are not religious and don't want anything to do with it, but they are open to letting their children learn and what not. Which I think is way cool!

Melissa is another one of our investigators. She is a single mom who was in the Marines. Heavenly Father is amazing isn't he? I've had some amazing experiences meeting with people in the military throughout my life and know a fair amount about the marines specifically. So how great is our Heavenly Father. Her sons name is Logan and he's a hand full. He's such a sweetheart though.

 The members here are so great. They are so willing to work with the missionaries. We get feed so good. Dinner every night, with active, less actives, and even part member families. I love this area so much and the members as well.

As much as I love Elder Holland I thought I'd share this “Don’t give up, boy. Don’t you quit. You keep walking. You keep trying. There is help and happiness ahead—a lot of it—30 years of it now, and still counting. You keep your chin up. It will be all right in the end. Trust God and believe in good things to come.” No matter, what as long as we keep pressing forward we will find happiness, We believe in enduring to the end. Well, we don't know when the end will be so for now we endure 7 days over and over again. So keep pressing forward. Don't give up no matter how hard things may be.

Love, Sister Burden

MTC Pictures

Pictures from the MTC:

First Investigator = First Baptismal Date

I'll start off now saying sorry. No pictures this week...We made it all the way to the library and I realized I forgot my chord to upload pictures. So next week I'll send some.

 I left the MTC Tuesday Oct 14, at 3:30 am! I guess they weren't aware I need beauty sleep, so I went to sleep at midnight and woke up at 2 am. Yah! Right? Working two jobs and trying to have a social life taught me how to do that. (Never doing that again) Ever! (I hope).

So we got to the mission home at 11 am. I didn't get to sleep on the plane. Ugh! We still didn't know where we were going or the name of our companion. President Brown (my Mission President) went over ALL the rules. It took what felt like forever....luckily they let us have a nap after! They do love us...we felt it when they said "go take a nap" -only time I'll ever hear that on my mission! Well then they had my favorite food (key lime pie), Elder Garfield and I couldn't be friends because we'd fight too much over who got the last slice!! lol

The next morning I got to meet my trainer Sister Brittney Clark from UT. She is a big time basketball player...she might play for BYU when she gets home. She is a little older than me and way nicer then me. I was told she is the best and I believe it. She is such an example to me. I love her to death. The other day I was talking about my old Stake President (President Littlefield, Orem YSA 3rd stake) and we then realized we were in the same stake. I was in the 32nd ward and she was in the 37th ward.

This transfer, Sister Clark and I are opening an area (we do have elders in our ward). They haven't seen sisters in over 25 years! (sounds something like Paintsville) Every mission has an armpit and well, my first area (where I've been born) is the heart. We live maybe 15 minutes from our mission president. (no outer darkness for me).  When we got here we knew no one . . . just the name and number for our ward mission leader . . . so we did what anyone would do, and we called him. He told us we had dinner with a member set up so we decided we'd teach them the Restoration.

We went to dinner and (the food was great) this member has a daughter who is not a member (Mary). Mary is in her 40's and helps take care of her mom. We were so excited! At the very end of the FIRST LESSON she told us she has a desire to be baptized!!! How great! The next day we were told we went to the wrong dinner....nope Heavenly Father just had a different plan for us. lol. So Mary needs glasses and can't read the Book of Mormon. However, since we are in the heart of the mission, we drove to the mission office and got the Book of Mormon audio and then went to drop it off to her and shared lesson 2 (plan of salvation) and set her with a date (Nov 15)! Holy Cow! How much crazier can this get...right? -Just wait! Progressing...I think so! Saturday we had a lesson (member present ) taught lesson 3 (Gospel of Jesus Christ) we asked her to come to stake conference on Sunday and she came! Wow! She then told us she smokes...(I could tell, my companion couldn't...oh well) she told us that was day 1 of not smoking! WOW! She is amazing! Right now she is on day 3 smoke free. But she used to smoke 2-3 packs a day. So she will need some prayers for sure. Saturday after conference she received a blessing. Super powerful. So please pray for Mary.

Last night we got our first referral! Holy Cow we had the biggest smiles on our faces walking out of the that house! Wow! It's crazy. The members told us they never give referrals because they don't trust the missionaries . . . wow!!! We got into the car and my companion was so happy she screamed a little! Crazy, the little things that make you happy.

 Lesson # 100000: P-day on the mission doesn't mean pants day.

On a more spiritual thought, I read a scripture this morning in D&C 3:8 and it made me think about all the times in our lives Satan tries to tempt us to do the wrong thing. And the scripture is so true if we reach up Christ will protect us. Christ never leaves us. We leave him. He is always there for us and willing to do anything for us. I love that. I wanted to share my testimony of that. Christ is there, he does hear and answer our prayers and he loves us more than we may ever know. I know if we turn our 'burdens' over to Christ he will protect and support us every step of the way.

Love, Sister Burden

Packed Days at the MTC

Life at the MTC. Crazy as it sounds at times, I love the MTC! I Love it with all my heart. I've had some crazy experiences. And I'd be lost without PMG (Preach My Gospel) and my planner. Luckily I spent enough times with sisters before my mission to understand planners and how to use them. I love feeling like I know what I'm doing.

 A typically day at the MTC looks like this...

6:30 wake up
7:10 breakfast
7:40 Class
10:40 personal study
12:10 lunch
12:55 gym
 1:45 prepare for class
2:15 class
5:15 dinner
6:00 daily planning
6:30 doctrine study
7:30 zone teaching
8:30 learning assessments
 9:30 prepare for bed
10:30 lights out

Every minute or every day is planned. I love it. I loved using goggle calendar and now its easier basically having a planner with me at all times. Conference was this last weekend and I loved it. It did however complicate our schedules and we never saw our teachers, sad stuff right? I thought so. My teachers are Sister Lyon, Brother Kendall, Brother Winters, and Brother Lee. I really enjoy them all. In one of the pictures of the district we had a sub Brother Rockwood (who used to be Lauren's team teacher *inserted by Lauren). He was great. Sadly he doesn't get to teach in the classroom often at all. But he was great. He taught us about ...Have you found Christ today? It was a very power house lesson. Its a question I think everyone should be asking themselves..have I?

 Good news about this Tuesday, I fly to Denver at 7:30am. Bad news is yesterday I had to get the rest of my shots...ugh Also the day before I was going down the stairs and missed the last four steps. I fell in front of elders and that wasn't the only bad thing that day...literally all I wanted was cinnamon rolls and a hug... Luckily I did get a hug. And last night I found out I have two packages! Thank you who ever sent them. Love you already.

We had a devotional the other night and learned about pruning rose bushes. And how Christ is the stem and we are the branches and how only through him can we grow. And if you don't prune the roses they can't grow, The Savior sees and knows you, He will help you with anything. He is there with arms wide up waiting for us to come unto him.

Love, Jenny

First Days at the MTC

First day Crazy! I was lost walking around the MTC but luckily kind Elders and Sisters who have been here longer were able to point the right directions.. I'm in branch 31...I know a branch in Utah! pretty sure its only because its easier at the MTC. Also, important fact, my branch is the ONLY English branch with ASL combined into our district. There isn't any others I've seen. The district is super close, we do everything together. The Elders even empty our trays and hold open doors, even better, our Branch President told them last night to protect us. So no worries everyone, I'm being taken care of.

 I love love love the MTC. Its like the happiest place on Earth besides the temple. Next Friday is my next p-day. I'll try and have pictures by then. Sorry the last two days have been super busy. Funny fact, many sisters in the MTC call p-day (preparation day) Pants Day. Its not encouraged. I could see why. My companion is Sister Wooten she is 19, from Georgia., and is also a middle child. She has one sister one brother. She was going to school to be a nurse and has one semester left after her mission. She is super kind hearted and compassionate. And she says I'm just a hair taller she is (more like 2 inches!).  The MTC is different and yesterday was my first experience being late to class (hardly 1 min) but I figured we'd just get chastised but our teacher asked why we were late and was super loving. I felt super bad about being late. (I like 5 mins early, not a second late for that matter. Things are good though. The food is interesting. I've mostly been eating healthy. Another tip for sisters at the MTC, The BYU ice cream in the vending machines on your floor of the residence hall (not a dorm) . . . doesn't come with a spoon. Be prepared or at very least creative.

 The MTC has been a crazy testimony building experience. We have one investigator (role play) and his name is Zachary, we get to teach him this afternoon More to come on that later...I'm sure. I love you all. Life at the MTC is crazy busy but great! I want to encourage everyone to go read Reflections of a consecrated heart. Its an amazing talk, You will love it.