"Try a little harder to be a little better"

Mission Tour

This week we were blessed to have Elder Jorge F. Zeballos from the seventy and his wife visit our mission. It was an amazing opportunity to learn and grow and to also receive some personal revelation about what I need to improve on to be the missionary Heavenly Father expects me to be.I want to be better. Especially since being a STL...I make so many mistakes but I know Heavenly Father is still doing his work even if I'm a super weak instrument.

Exchanges

Exchange 3 this transfer was with the Frontier sisters I was with Sister Glover There was a quote inside their home I love:

"Try a little harder to be a little better"

-President Hinckley

This exchange I had prepared way more than the other ones... mostly because I couldn't sleep the night before and spent over two hours reading in "Adjusting to Missionary Life"...I had felt for days it should be my focused. But didn't know why. On exchanges we got rides from members the whole day so it was hard to talk because,  well, I can't drive and neither could this sister. But at the end of the night we were talking and it was very apparent why the spirit kept guiding me to that booklet. She is doing great and their was a lot of lessons I learned. Most importantly:  follow the spirit even if it sounds crazy.

Exchange 4 this transfer...by the way I feel I'm never in my area... But I got to meet "Grandma." She a like 80 year old woman in Laramie. She has such a strong testimony and every one who serves up there  loves her. I was with Sister Thomas and we were on bike...no worries I didn't die. We met with lots of people. She is my ginga sista. This sister is so great. She taught me many great lessons. This sister taught me The importance of pressing forward. We must not slow down or give up.
I loved being able to teach with both of these teachers and hear their testimonies. They are both amazing.

(pictures to come, my computer will not upload them right now)

Satan will torment you, don't let him!

This week was crazy and  long. 

So for starters...exchanges:

 

First I stayed in Wellington and Sister Jenson came here. It was a good exchange. we contacted 10 people. Only three lessons but overall it was still a good exchange. Being a STL isn't to bad...I mean you get to know the Sisters pretty good. I learned to turn to the Lord and how important it is to give that accounting to him and allow him to let you know if you are giving your best. 

Second Exchange:

I went to Longmont and was with Sister Guymon. She came out with my group of missionaries. It was such a great exchange. The spirit was so present and it was nice to talk about things now in life vs the MTC. We have both grown so much. It was nice to hear someone tell me things I've improved on, and to just be able to tell them likewise. Its hard to believe who we were 10 1/2 months ago. 

This week was hard...Saturday we had a member tell us to give a letter to the bishop telling him she doesn't want to be a member anymore...a referral tell us not to come back and literally we only taught one lesson. It was hard.

 My sweet companion left me a sweet sticky note that said "You are beautiful Sister Burden. Your Heavenly Father loves you because you are his daughter. Turn to him in prayer- He is listening, stay strong, remember to smile. " Those were inspired words and what I needed to hear.  I love how much Heavenly Father is aware of us...I didn't need to say anything to my companion but the spirit told her what to say. I love her. 

Satan will torment you, don't let him! 

 Enjoy the photos 

Next week I will tell you about some more exchanges, mission tour with Elder Jorge F. Zeballos that happened Monday, and hopefully some other exciting things to come.

Chick-Fil A day

Well we finally made it inside the Da la Cruz's home. Talk about a miracle. Only took basically 6 months of knocking on the door almost weekly to get inside. It was hard to get a lesson in but I've learned that as you let the spirit guide, things will always tie back to the gospel, and the spirit will testify to you what to say. So things will be brought to your remembrance and typically for me it's scriptures...which is great leeway into a lesson. It worked. The joy of applying principles from chapter 2 of preach my gospel.

This week we taught two lessons in Spanish...and by we I mean my companion...because well guess who dropped out of Spanish class...oh yup me! But it's amazing how much I understood..oh and he wasn't just a Hispanic man, but a drunk Hispanic man...which is harder to understand. We did set up a return appointment so we could introduce him to the Spanish elders...he ended up dropping us but it was interesting because even they (Spanish elders) said they had a hard time understanding him...and those elders go home pretty soon. I was grateful the spirit helped me know what was going on even if I can't speak it hardly at all. I do however have a desire to speak it. We have a app we are allowed to use and I've been practicing Spanish on it. I use to have a terrible job at remembering things but I believe working in a food place where order is so important that it helped me but coming on mission helped way more. It crazy how we are prepared to serve a mission each of us, all so different and each prepared so differently. Being a manager at work has helped me so much while training. I have been worried every day the last 10weeks about every Little thing, hoping I don't mess up to bad. And living up to the trust Heavenly Father has in me. I haven't figured out why he wanted me to train but I do know he has loved me enough to help me progress. And I think that's a huge part of it. It's amazing as we study the nature of Heavenly Father we truly see ourselves as he sees us. I know he loves us. He wants what's best for us. And he wants us to have joy in this life. And we can only have true joy that is eternal within the gospel. I know Christ paid the price so that we can come unto him and continually change to become better. I love the Savior, and I'd give up anything for him, every weakness and shortcoming to stay by his side. "If life doesn't suit you, try and have a change of sene. " -Newsies. Christ doesn't just change us he changes how we see things, how we see ourselves and others. We can be free from it all as we turn to the Savior. I know this to be true. Don't believe kneel down and ask him yourself. we went to dinner and she told us about how you get a free meal when you dress up like a cow...so after dinner we dressed up like a cow, and got two free meals. Yum! Made great lunches for later in the week. And our appointment fell through so it was good. We even gave out some pass along cards. Never let a opportunity pass you by!! (Photo credit to Sister Danz...she's a creepy stalker)

Companions and Friends

I wish I had time to say all the things I needed to, or even that the Internet worked...ugh!! This week has been exciting though. Monday night we found a new investor. Woohoo!! We were tracking and we found Lilie. She is a super sweet lady in her early 50's. Last night we found a man named Zach. He asked if we were Christians we said yes, then he was like good, because those Mormons are weird....we then had to wait for him to stop talking so we could tell him we are Mormons but how it's a nick name the world has given to us. Awkward. 😉 but he told us he'd love to have us come back and met with his family.

District meeting was really good this week. This picture was taken at district meeting. Saturday we didn't have a dinner, so we ate at home and then quickly went to the lake in hopes of skipping some rocks....no rocks on the shore where we were but it was beautiful...

My hazel eyes were having a great day. My companion and I. I haven't figured out why we are companions but I know it was inspired. We have just picked up on being friends as if we've known each other our whole lives...well that's how I feel. I know we must have been friends in the pre earth life. She is just so great! I have so much fun with her. She is a great example to me. And a great leader, to it just me but everyone around us. I'm blessed to be companions with her.

21st Birthday!

This week where to start. Sorry about just sending pictures last week, we had to pack and clean....and get rid of stuff we had acquired. (6 months somewhere can give you so many things you don't need) bad excuses...sorry.

Wednesday I went to my first DLC (District Leadership Counsel) where the district leaders and zone leaders, STL's get together and counsel on the needs and goal setting of the districts. It goes about a hour unless its like the one we just had and it goes to be almost two hours....We had dinner with the Matlock's I don't have a photo but Sister Clark might...anyway Sister Clark (my trainer) told the people here in Wellington my birthday was Wednesday...so I had cake at dinner and then we went to the Eldrige and they had cake....oh no, I fear I'll get fat in this ward everyone is such a great cook. And cake is so soo good! And Earl (baptized in Nov/I went to his baptism with Sister Clark) he got me a card for my birthday it was so sweet. I love how in the church you always have a family wherever you go!

My birthday: big old 21 

What did we do:

Studies, driving and we went to zone meeting...gave a training...on my birthday! It was pretty nerve racking because 6 Elders in our zone have been in leadership positions and so forth since I've been out, or 2 of them came out in my group of missionaries. I get nervous speaking in forth of people but I am working more on putting aside fear. After we tried some unknowns in the ward we don't know, we met Galen he polishes rocks, and he gave us some...even a polished rock necklace since it was my birthday. After we had dinner with the Thompsons gave us a apple pie for my birthday and we had dairy free ice cream! woohoo! Also for lunch Sister Helsing took me to Olive Garden, it was so good. I love her! not just because she took me there but because shes so kind!

 Friday we had MLC's which are the first Friday of every month...they start at 9 am and end around 4 pm...so long. But there are 31 sisters in the mission, Sister Helsing and I are over 10 (5 companionship's) none of them are in our zone. We are over Longmont, Laramie, Loveland, and Cheyenne so needless to say exchanges will be fun, lots more traveling then I think I expected. But I'm excited. Our Bishop always says "Stuff like that there...." you'd think he was the one from the south not me...Oh well...people get disappointed when I don't sound like I'm from Kentucky...sad days of my life..

Yesterday we were about to drive to our dinner and we were leaving this neighborhood and we say a small, fat dog walking down the street I felt we should pull over to help, so we crossed the street so we could turn around, during that time a truck hit the dog...we parked the car and walked over to help...during this time the owner and her older son came running outside and some elderly ladies riding bikes stopped.At first we stood at a distance..I'm not sure either of us knew what to do. I kept saying a prayer I'd know what to do...I felt prompted to go stand beside this lady scratch her back while she knell above her now dead dog...the dog was so gross, blood was everywhere....but as I looked past that and stood silently beside her I was able to feel a sense of the Saviors love for her. I'm so grateful for the spirit and for the opportunity we have to help one another.

I love being a missionary. Thank you everyone for all you've done to help me learn and grow.

Thank you for having faith in me.

Jenny is an STL in Her New Area! (Sister Training Leader)

This is Lauren: Jenny sends her blog updates to me and I post them but for some reason this weeks was chopped off. What I did get was her pictures and a few descriptions. The gist is that Jenny has been transferred to her third area.

Jenny has been a missionary for ten months, spent the first 4 in Loveland, the next 6 in Greeley and now Greely is being closed to sisters and Elders are moving in. Jenny is getting sent to Wellington where she will be a Sister Training Leader. An SLT is something like a Zone Leader or a District Leader. She and her companion will have leadership over the sisters in her zone and will frequently go on exchanges with them for training purposes. She will also be attending leadership meetings with the other leaders in her mission.

I, like all of you, have been impressed to watch jenny blossom on her mission! She is diligent, and obedient, and knows the power of the Atonement.

Keep her in your prayers!

Love, Lauren

Notes about the pics: 

This guy is way funny. And has been such a strength to me this
transfer. I'm grateful for him and his desire to serve those around
him.

Last district meeting photo. #curlyhairdontcare


This family is from my last area...they just moved near Greeley back
in May. When I found this out I couldn't help but visit. Love them so
much. #permissiongranted2visit


Last Photo from Habitat. "We built this 'house' on rock n roll"
(redo...we ain't building a city...not yet)
Birthday celebration with some Elders in the area. Super nice. And
it's Olive Garden 😀

Martins
Saying 'see ya laters'
Mortensen's