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