Monday we had the chance to met with a less active and speak with her about prayer and the Book Of Mormon. She had told us how she had never read the Book cover to cover and how she'd love to start, she told us of her desire to have more heart felt prayers. She is amazing.
Tuesday we did service and a member got us Cafe Rio for lunch! (:
We were able to met with a new family who moved into the ward. The dad is not a member and the son and brother are baptismal age. So we are teaching them. It is always super fun....also they always give us ice cream. Gotta love it!! I sure do.
Wednesday always seems so long...then all of a sudden its gone.
We started out the day meeting with a lady named Lori who is reading the Book Of Mormon cover to cover (shes a member but less active) but she is amazing. I love her so much. She wants to have more meaningful prayers and all these things. She is on fire. We also had our interviews with our mission president which was very good. I love President Brown. He is great.
Thursday we had district meeting and did service at Habitat Restore then went to do more visits. We even had dinner at Panera - I love that place.
Friday we had weekly planning. I love Fridays! "Friday, Friday,...." Anyways we had family home evening with a part member family and had the chance to get to know them better. They are a great family and they've been through so much. I am excited to be here and just having the opportunity to teach so many. Friday we hit our goal of 20 lessons. :)
Saturday we did more service helping make t-shirt bags for the Women's Safe House In Fort Collins. It was loads of fun. We also started helping Madi and Julie make their mormon.org videos. Which is super fun. Those two girls are so talented. We met with the Rovabado family and we got Chinese Food...Heavenly Father knows how to keep us happy....Food. We get fed really good. And luckily my stomach is able to handle food again.
Sunday we had church which was super good. We came home and ate left-overs. yum! (no really yum. it was pizza) one of our appointments canceled on us...bummer. But we were able to meet more with Madi and look at what we were able to get the day before and see what more we need to do this week. We met with a family who has a son who doesn't know if he wants to serve a mission or not but during our lessons it was good to see him open up and talk about how he knew it all to be true. We ended the week with 28 lessons. Not that numbers are important. It was really nice that's for sure.
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/10/put-your-trust-in-the-lord?lang=eng
Just hiding yourself from your fears doesn't always cut it. You need to have faith in the Lord and confidence in yourself that you can do hard things. When you learn to face your fears with faith in Jesus Christ, anything can become possible.
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
Even if life Feels Unkind....Keep Going
A family in my ward helped me with genealogy. They unlocked 66 of my family names (family history) to take them to the temple. What a blessing for those people!
Tuesday we met Besty, a girl we started teaching. And so far things are going well. Its a blessing to be able to help others feel the spirit and know when it is there.
Wednesday we made cookies for a members wife. She loved them and was able to reach out to us to do service. It was the first time we had heard from her in months.
Thursday we were super busy. Which was great. We taught 6 lessons.
Friday we did weekly planning. And taught 4 lessons. We were busy.
A couple weeks ago I knew one of the youth was struggling and I knew what she was dealing with. It was something I myself and many of those around me have gone through. Hers was more extreme. I have depression and although I've learned more the last 2-3 years about how to cope with it in ways that work, for me some people don't learn that ever. And what works for one doesn't always work for another. She was put into the hospital and we received a call asking to find someone to give her a blessing. We called the Elders closest to the area. They came, we sat with her and her mom in the ER for 3 hours (it was past curfew- but my trainer taught me a great lesson -people come first not rules: do what Christ would do).
Life didn't feel so kind, I hate seeing those around me struggle with things like this. But before my mission a friend gave me a blessing when I wanted to give up on going on a mission because my call was taking so long....in that blessing I was told my whole mission I will be helping people who are going through similar things I have gone through. I was grateful to be able to be there for this girl. She is amazing. I know Heavenly Father needed me to be here at this time now for her and many others. I am grateful to be a missionary. There is so much in life that is beautiful. Open the windows of your heart and let the love of the Savior in.
Elder Holland:
"Whatever your struggle, my brothers and sisters—mental or emotional or physical or otherwise—do not vote against the preciousness of life by ending it! Trust in God. Hold on in His love. Know that one day the dawn will break brightly and all shadows of mortality will flee. Though we may feel we are “like a broken vessel,” as the Psalmist says, we must remember, that vessel is in the hands of the divine potter. Broken minds can be healed just the way broken bones and broken hearts are healed. While God is at work making those repairs, the rest of us can help by being merciful, nonjudgmental, and kind."
Pictures are from Bear Lake. Estes Park from P-day today...more to come next week.
Tuesday we met Besty, a girl we started teaching. And so far things are going well. Its a blessing to be able to help others feel the spirit and know when it is there.Wednesday we made cookies for a members wife. She loved them and was able to reach out to us to do service. It was the first time we had heard from her in months.
Thursday we were super busy. Which was great. We taught 6 lessons.
Friday we did weekly planning. And taught 4 lessons. We were busy.
A couple weeks ago I knew one of the youth was struggling and I knew what she was dealing with. It was something I myself and many of those around me have gone through. Hers was more extreme. I have depression and although I've learned more the last 2-3 years about how to cope with it in ways that work, for me some people don't learn that ever. And what works for one doesn't always work for another. She was put into the hospital and we received a call asking to find someone to give her a blessing. We called the Elders closest to the area. They came, we sat with her and her mom in the ER for 3 hours (it was past curfew- but my trainer taught me a great lesson -people come first not rules: do what Christ would do).
Life didn't feel so kind, I hate seeing those around me struggle with things like this. But before my mission a friend gave me a blessing when I wanted to give up on going on a mission because my call was taking so long....in that blessing I was told my whole mission I will be helping people who are going through similar things I have gone through. I was grateful to be able to be there for this girl. She is amazing. I know Heavenly Father needed me to be here at this time now for her and many others. I am grateful to be a missionary. There is so much in life that is beautiful. Open the windows of your heart and let the love of the Savior in.Elder Holland:
"Whatever your struggle, my brothers and sisters—mental or emotional or physical or otherwise—do not vote against the preciousness of life by ending it! Trust in God. Hold on in His love. Know that one day the dawn will break brightly and all shadows of mortality will flee. Though we may feel we are “like a broken vessel,” as the Psalmist says, we must remember, that vessel is in the hands of the divine potter. Broken minds can be healed just the way broken bones and broken hearts are healed. While God is at work making those repairs, the rest of us can help by being merciful, nonjudgmental, and kind."Pictures are from Bear Lake. Estes Park from P-day today...more to come next week.
Tuesday, January 13, 2015
New Companion and a "blessing" from Elder Bednar ;)
Staying Still...In Loveland
With A New Companion..
This week was hard with transfers. I'm still having stomach problems and not able to keep much food down and getting a new companion. Plus, my mom went to the hospital and I had other challenges that came. I know Heavenly Father helped me through that. He gave me strength and a great trainer who taught me how to endure and keep pressing forward.
Monday we went had dinner with the Brandts and sadly as good as the food was I just got sick...ugh! We visited the Andersons, VonKampen, and Leonhardt families and had the opportunity to let Sister Clark say goodbye and share her testimony and talk of how we strengthen our testimony while sharing it (Elder Bednar talk).
Tuesday I got my new companion and we only taught one lesson to the members we live with because I was so sick. Also, because my companion was super late getting to transfers.
Wednesday we did service at Habitat Restore. And we met with Mary and taught about the Atonement and read a conference talk about it. It's amazing to see the changes in Mary from Oct to now.
We met the Allen family. Brother Allen brought his family here because he is a construction manger for the temple. We then met Sister Korman and taught on prayer.
Thursday we helped pack the mission office up for the move. Then we had dinner with a less active and taught on the Book Of Mormon. It is nice hearing people say they want to read more often. We met with our Relief Society President and her family.
Saturday we started meeting with one of the young women to help her make a Mormon.org profile. We are going to help her make a video soon. We also got into the home of a referral given to us back in Oct! (glad we never gave up) she is now taking the lessons.
Sunday was crazy. Between church, studies, and two canceled appointments we only taught two lessons -people don't like drop by on Sunday. Crazy right! But this week even with transfers and being sick and combining with the Elders area book we taught 19 lessons. (goal is 20...so not bad for everything that went on)
So, Elder Bednar came to our mission and he drinks Fiji Water! One of the many things that he taught was about conference talks and how the Apostles teach. He said that in every talk they give they will 1. Emphasize a doctrine 2. Give an invitation to act 3. Promise blessings. Elder Bednar said that after every General Conference he takes the 14 other talks of the prophets, seers, and revelators and goes through them and finds those 3 things and then that is what he lives by for the next 6 months. I want to encourage all of you to do the same. I know that it will bless your lives tremendously. When Elder Bednar came he did a Q&A meeting for 3 1/2 hours...cool huh? Well, I got to stand up and speak with him and tell him what the spirit taught me and it was so scary. But his reply when I sat down "Bless you, Bless you, Bless you" HOLY COW HOW GREAT IS THAT! I won't ever forget that!
Love, Sister Burden
This week was hard with transfers. I'm still having stomach problems and not able to keep much food down and getting a new companion. Plus, my mom went to the hospital and I had other challenges that came. I know Heavenly Father helped me through that. He gave me strength and a great trainer who taught me how to endure and keep pressing forward.
Monday we went had dinner with the Brandts and sadly as good as the food was I just got sick...ugh! We visited the Andersons, VonKampen, and Leonhardt families and had the opportunity to let Sister Clark say goodbye and share her testimony and talk of how we strengthen our testimony while sharing it (Elder Bednar talk).
Tuesday I got my new companion and we only taught one lesson to the members we live with because I was so sick. Also, because my companion was super late getting to transfers.
Wednesday we did service at Habitat Restore. And we met with Mary and taught about the Atonement and read a conference talk about it. It's amazing to see the changes in Mary from Oct to now.
We met the Allen family. Brother Allen brought his family here because he is a construction manger for the temple. We then met Sister Korman and taught on prayer.
Thursday we helped pack the mission office up for the move. Then we had dinner with a less active and taught on the Book Of Mormon. It is nice hearing people say they want to read more often. We met with our Relief Society President and her family.
Saturday we started meeting with one of the young women to help her make a Mormon.org profile. We are going to help her make a video soon. We also got into the home of a referral given to us back in Oct! (glad we never gave up) she is now taking the lessons.
Sunday was crazy. Between church, studies, and two canceled appointments we only taught two lessons -people don't like drop by on Sunday. Crazy right! But this week even with transfers and being sick and combining with the Elders area book we taught 19 lessons. (goal is 20...so not bad for everything that went on)
So, Elder Bednar came to our mission and he drinks Fiji Water! One of the many things that he taught was about conference talks and how the Apostles teach. He said that in every talk they give they will 1. Emphasize a doctrine 2. Give an invitation to act 3. Promise blessings. Elder Bednar said that after every General Conference he takes the 14 other talks of the prophets, seers, and revelators and goes through them and finds those 3 things and then that is what he lives by for the next 6 months. I want to encourage all of you to do the same. I know that it will bless your lives tremendously. When Elder Bednar came he did a Q&A meeting for 3 1/2 hours...cool huh? Well, I got to stand up and speak with him and tell him what the spirit taught me and it was so scary. But his reply when I sat down "Bless you, Bless you, Bless you" HOLY COW HOW GREAT IS THAT! I won't ever forget that!
Love, Sister Burden
Monday, January 5, 2015
Diligence is Taking Care of Yourself
Well this week was really well.
Sister Clark has been such an example to me of a diligent missionary. So far my mission seems to be one physical problem after another . . . ugh . . . It started with not being able to sleep. Then being able to sleep but having pains in my left side . . . now I've had a bad stomach pain for well over two weeks. This week we ate out for the first time in a while and I got very sick afterward. Sister Clark told me I had only been getting worse and that I needed to call the mission nurse. So finally I did. I didn't want to because I was worried if I told then I wouldn't get transferred. Sister Clark (the mission nurse) told me to try tums and see if that changes anything. Nothing has changed. Last night was really hard. Its particularly hard because we don't know what is causing the pain. It doesn't matter what I eat, I still get a sharp pain that stays throughout the day. After eating, it increases.
Sister Clark has taught me that I have to take care of myself. I usually just ignore pain and press forward, I thought being diligent was ignoring the pain and not saying anything about it so 1.) others didn't worry 2.) so I didn't hold the work back. Although I now know now being diligent means consistent, valiant effort, especially in serving the Lord and obeying his word. But part of his word is taking care of our temples because our bodies are a temple.
So now I'm trying to figure out all this but I know I know none of these things make me weak. If anything, they've helped me to find Christ in my life each day because it's not easy it never will be. It's helped me trust in him and not be prideful. But I know I'll be okay, I know everything will work out.
This whole week I felt like I was getting transferred, well guess not. Sister Clark is getting transferred and my new companion will be Sister Johnson.
This last week I was able to see a glimpse of how Heavenly Father sees me. With the new year it was a great time to set goals of where I want to be at the end of 2015. Its a blessing to think this is my full year as a missionary. I'm excited!! When I came out I was very scared to open my mouth. And over the last 12 weeks I look back now and can see that I'm not so scared. Unless I'm speaking in front of the mission president.
Elder Bednar is coming to our mission this Friday! We are all so excited, so hopefully next week I will have some awesome things to tell you about his visit!!!!
Sister Clark has been such an example to me of a diligent missionary. So far my mission seems to be one physical problem after another . . . ugh . . . It started with not being able to sleep. Then being able to sleep but having pains in my left side . . . now I've had a bad stomach pain for well over two weeks. This week we ate out for the first time in a while and I got very sick afterward. Sister Clark told me I had only been getting worse and that I needed to call the mission nurse. So finally I did. I didn't want to because I was worried if I told then I wouldn't get transferred. Sister Clark (the mission nurse) told me to try tums and see if that changes anything. Nothing has changed. Last night was really hard. Its particularly hard because we don't know what is causing the pain. It doesn't matter what I eat, I still get a sharp pain that stays throughout the day. After eating, it increases.
Sister Clark has taught me that I have to take care of myself. I usually just ignore pain and press forward, I thought being diligent was ignoring the pain and not saying anything about it so 1.) others didn't worry 2.) so I didn't hold the work back. Although I now know now being diligent means consistent, valiant effort, especially in serving the Lord and obeying his word. But part of his word is taking care of our temples because our bodies are a temple.
So now I'm trying to figure out all this but I know I know none of these things make me weak. If anything, they've helped me to find Christ in my life each day because it's not easy it never will be. It's helped me trust in him and not be prideful. But I know I'll be okay, I know everything will work out.
This whole week I felt like I was getting transferred, well guess not. Sister Clark is getting transferred and my new companion will be Sister Johnson.This last week I was able to see a glimpse of how Heavenly Father sees me. With the new year it was a great time to set goals of where I want to be at the end of 2015. Its a blessing to think this is my full year as a missionary. I'm excited!! When I came out I was very scared to open my mouth. And over the last 12 weeks I look back now and can see that I'm not so scared. Unless I'm speaking in front of the mission president.
Elder Bednar is coming to our mission this Friday! We are all so excited, so hopefully next week I will have some awesome things to tell you about his visit!!!!
Monday, December 29, 2014
No Room for Growth in the Comfort Zone
There is no room for growth in a comfort zone.
I like thinking of it in terms of each of us being a goldfish. Goldfish grow based on the size of there surroundings. And I myself I don't want to be in a fish bowl. I want to be in the biggest tank. In that tank there is everything we need and excess room to grow. This last week we were in a lesson and I was taught in terms of this fish tank analogy. In an ideal tank, there is ample food, a filter, and an owner who cleans the tank. The owner is our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. The feeder is the prophet who we do learn from. And the filter is the spirit. If we don't allow our tanks to be clean, we can't have the spirit. If we don't feast upon the words of Christ how would we grow.
I taught the Restoration all the way through, I even taught the full account of the first vision . . . to President and Sister Brown! I know that even though I was so scared, that Heavenly Father helped me every step of the way. I know he knows each of us by name and loves us. I know that we are made in his image. And we can be perfected through him. I know He is our Father and I know we can talk with him through prayer. I know it's through the scriptures and the conferences talks we can learn of Him and how we are to live our lives. I know He lives. I know that because He lives, we too live. I know that when we learn of Him our desire to follow Him will increase and we will desire to share it with those around us. We will desire to serve him because of our love for him. In time we to will be like him. "When we decide to embark in the service of God, great things begin to happen in our life and the lives of people around us. We learn of Him. We come unto Him.” —Neil F. Marriott of the Young Women general presidency I know this statement is true. What did you do this year?
http://www.mormonchannel.org/youth-theme-2013?v=3358025307001 http://www.mormonchannel.org/youth-theme-2013?v=3358025312001
Love, Sister Burden
P.S. Thanks to everyone for my Christmas gifts and packages, we had a great Christmas!
Monday, December 22, 2014
Pray with Faith and Your Prayers Will Be Answered
This week has been really good.
With that said Monday was the start of it all . . .
Chris, our investigator messaged us telling us he would be back in town (he works in Utah on a oil rig). He invited us to dinner and to share a message. I was so excited. He has such a great family. I know we didn't meet him by chance. We first met Chris trying to visit a family in the ward. They were busy so we couldn't. Walking back to our car we met Chris. We started with a service approach since he was removing stuff from his truck to his house. Although he didn't let us carry it, he instead stood talking with us and told us he wanted to know more. We gave him a Book of Mormon. Well, Monday we went over and shared a message and gave his wife Mariah a Book of Mormon too.
Tuesday, while doing service Carmen, (She is Catholic) we were helping at Restore, we were in the middle of service and she closed the door and told us of her sick sister in Australia and how she was dying and how she was going to visit her soon but worried her sister wouldn't make it that long. We talked with her about blessings and how she could have missionaries go give her a blessing. She asked us to say a prayer with her. She also told us she'd like a blessing, so later we called the Elders and they agreed to do so. Carmen is so great. We went caroling with some other missionaries this week and had the chance to go to our mission President's neighbors. His neighbor Connie told us to come back (tomorrow) and we should be able to share a message.
This week we invited one of the families feeding us dinner to invite a nonmember and they did. Kathy (the friend) told us to come by and share a message with her, we also gave her a Book of Mormon. Holy Cow how great is that!
Things are great in Loveland, so many great things are happening. We have so many potentials and have picked up 7 more this week. (we had 17 at the beginning of the week now 7 more!!) We were very blessed to be able to see so many people this week and be lead by the Spirit to find new investigators this week!
Yesterday we were finishing up weekly planning (because we've been so busy this week and could not finish on planning day) and Sister Clark looked over at me (while texting Chris) and says "I want to tell Chris if he reads from the Book Of Mormon it will snow" (he's been asking us to pray it will snow)
last night we were at his house helping wrap gifts and having dinner after dinner we played 'Jenga ' and the deal was if we beat him he had to read from the scriptures . . well, we beat him 4 out 5 games. When he started reading it wasn't snowing . . . he read 6 verses, we looked outside and the snow was down pouring! Holy Cow! Crazy! Right?!!?!??
Today he messaged us and told us we are angels because its snowing.
The spirit will always tell you what to say. And what to do. "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (John 14:22–23, 26).
Parley P. Pratt gave us a vision of what the gift of the Holy Ghost could mean to us when he said:“The gift of the Holy Ghost … quickens all the intellectual faculties, increases, enlarges, expands and purifies all the natural passions and affections; and adapts them, by the gift of wisdom, to their lawful use. It inspires, develops, cultivates and matures all the fine-toned sympathies, joys, tastes, kindred feelings, and affections of our nature. It inspires virtue, kindness, goodness, tenderness, gentleness, and charity. It develops beauty of person, form and features. It tends to health, vigor, animation, and social feeling. It invigorates all the faculties of the physical and intellectual man. It strengthens, and gives tone to the nerves. In short, it is, as it were, marrow to the bone, joy to the heart, light to the eyes, music to the ears, and life to the whole being” (Key to the Science of Theology, 9th ed. [1965], 101). Listen or Read the Whole talk here
Chris, our investigator messaged us telling us he would be back in town (he works in Utah on a oil rig). He invited us to dinner and to share a message. I was so excited. He has such a great family. I know we didn't meet him by chance. We first met Chris trying to visit a family in the ward. They were busy so we couldn't. Walking back to our car we met Chris. We started with a service approach since he was removing stuff from his truck to his house. Although he didn't let us carry it, he instead stood talking with us and told us he wanted to know more. We gave him a Book of Mormon. Well, Monday we went over and shared a message and gave his wife Mariah a Book of Mormon too.
Tuesday, while doing service Carmen, (She is Catholic) we were helping at Restore, we were in the middle of service and she closed the door and told us of her sick sister in Australia and how she was dying and how she was going to visit her soon but worried her sister wouldn't make it that long. We talked with her about blessings and how she could have missionaries go give her a blessing. She asked us to say a prayer with her. She also told us she'd like a blessing, so later we called the Elders and they agreed to do so. Carmen is so great. We went caroling with some other missionaries this week and had the chance to go to our mission President's neighbors. His neighbor Connie told us to come back (tomorrow) and we should be able to share a message.
This week we invited one of the families feeding us dinner to invite a nonmember and they did. Kathy (the friend) told us to come by and share a message with her, we also gave her a Book of Mormon. Holy Cow how great is that!
Things are great in Loveland, so many great things are happening. We have so many potentials and have picked up 7 more this week. (we had 17 at the beginning of the week now 7 more!!) We were very blessed to be able to see so many people this week and be lead by the Spirit to find new investigators this week!
Yesterday we were finishing up weekly planning (because we've been so busy this week and could not finish on planning day) and Sister Clark looked over at me (while texting Chris) and says "I want to tell Chris if he reads from the Book Of Mormon it will snow" (he's been asking us to pray it will snow)
last night we were at his house helping wrap gifts and having dinner after dinner we played 'Jenga ' and the deal was if we beat him he had to read from the scriptures . . well, we beat him 4 out 5 games. When he started reading it wasn't snowing . . . he read 6 verses, we looked outside and the snow was down pouring! Holy Cow! Crazy! Right?!!?!??
Today he messaged us and told us we are angels because its snowing.
The spirit will always tell you what to say. And what to do. "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (John 14:22–23, 26).Parley P. Pratt gave us a vision of what the gift of the Holy Ghost could mean to us when he said:“The gift of the Holy Ghost … quickens all the intellectual faculties, increases, enlarges, expands and purifies all the natural passions and affections; and adapts them, by the gift of wisdom, to their lawful use. It inspires, develops, cultivates and matures all the fine-toned sympathies, joys, tastes, kindred feelings, and affections of our nature. It inspires virtue, kindness, goodness, tenderness, gentleness, and charity. It develops beauty of person, form and features. It tends to health, vigor, animation, and social feeling. It invigorates all the faculties of the physical and intellectual man. It strengthens, and gives tone to the nerves. In short, it is, as it were, marrow to the bone, joy to the heart, light to the eyes, music to the ears, and life to the whole being” (Key to the Science of Theology, 9th ed. [1965], 101). Listen or Read the Whole talk here
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