Sister Burnham: 2014

Family and Friends!!

Wow, it's crazy how this will be my last email as a missionary. It's hard to describe everything from a mission and especially the past 18 months of my life but overall it's been amazing. And I wouldn't change it for anything.

So I feel like I have so much to tell!! I think I might wait till I'm home to tell one story...haha let's just say that I've been stoned and almost punched. Haha It was scary in the moment and everything and I should have seen it coming but all is well and me and my companion were safe. We really were protected. So just had to experience that before I came home. It's a long story and I'll tell it when I come home or maybe over skype! I'll be seeing you soon!!

Besides that happening, I had the opportunity to go to Calapan!! It was the best trip and I realized that I had left a big piece of my heart there. It was home to me and the people are family :)

I think the most rewarding part though of the mission and the most beautiful part was serving and loving the Filipinos. I love these people so much and especially the ones that I had the opportunity to help into the waters of baptism. In Calapan I got to see Jane, Dorina, and Ricky. Ricky was the best part...he was just so excited to see me and I was too. And he's so converted!! Still goes to church, passes the sacrament and everything...he opened up to me when we visited how he was struggling right after I left and still is at times but teaching about the atonement and how through grace we can do all things through Christ, through faith and relying on Him, we can do ALL things. He cried and thanked me. I did too. I know that Ricky was one of those that I promised I would come to him. I just feel that kinda connection with him ever since I knew him. Same with others as well but him, he holds a very special place in my heart.

It was great to see the changes in Calapan, both good and some bad but even in me. A lot of people said I was skinnier and could speak tagalog now but I saw even more than that. The mission really did change me...but for good in so many ways. I still have a long way to go to become more like the Savior but I feel like this mission, has been the start on how to do so. And has given me the opportunities to become so. And I now know of a certainty of the truths that I've always known. But once you're tested, physically, mentally and spiritually, challenged by others of what you believe and had a few moments in Gethsemane...then you can really say that what you taught for 18 months or 2 years is really all true. And my life is changed because of that. It's amazing to look back now and see that. And now to look forward and see how much more prepared I am and how now I can face the future because of what the Lord has made of me in the past 18 months. My mission really means everything to me now.

This poem is something that Sister Peterson shared to us sisters when I was just new in the mission...it describes everything perfectly :)

As I stared out the window in silence
and wiping the tears from my eyes
I see all the faces of those that I love
we had just said our last good-byes.

The ride was long and trying
And two questions were plaguing my mind
Do I want the life that lies ahead
or the one that I just left behind.

Eighteen months is such a long time,
But others have given much more.
It’s contagious, this desire to keep driving on,
And hope for the very next door.

In no time at all you cherish each day,
The work is replaced with a song
All the good you can do, today’s not enough
There’s more and then more as time goes on.

As I sit once again reflecting
That the time has so swiftly gone by
It’s strange how this feeling’s familiar
And I blush cause I’m starting to cry.

As I stare out the window in silence
Wiping the tears from my eyes
I see all the missionaries and the contacts I love
We have just said our last good-byes

The ride was long and trying
And two questions were plaguing my mind
Do I want the life that lies ahead
Or the one that I just left behind.

It's hard to leave this life behind but I know that it will be okay. I can now come home as a changed person and continue to be what Heavenly Father wants me to be. I just want to let you all know how grateful I am to all you. I am so eternally grateful for all your prayers, your love and support. Thank you for loving me enough to let me go for 18 months and for allowing me to give back just a little of the many blessings I have. It will be good to come home to my greatest blessings :) I love you all so much and I'll see you all soon!

Mahal ko kayo!!!

Sister Burnham

"My man....Ricky!"

"Christmas lights in Mindoro."

"Yasmin....in the blue."

"Lots of good model shots."

"And back with my "peeps"!

"Exchanges"

"Calapan-Mindoro"

"The Ting Family"

"Zone P-day"

"We did Amazing Race in Lipa......Go Lipaites!!"

Hello Family and Friends!!

Another week come and gone and only one more email left as a missionary...that is so weird!! And crazy!! I think I need a vacation, haha it's a good thing I'm running away to Mindoro this weekend with my companion for my last Sunday! Woo hoo!!

We weren't able to work as much this week because of things going on but little miracles did happen anyway :) Especially this new mom that we began teaching, she's a referral actually from one of our investigators who is not progressing and is never home...long story there but we've started to teach her friend and she's great. She has three daughters and is pregnant...but poor girl, her husband is in prison and she now takes care of the family on her own. She's really opened up to us about how she feels like she can't do this anymore and that she's not aware that God is very aware of her. What's amazing though is that look in her eyes when we read a story from the Book of Mormon to her, that light of hope that came when she could feel truth and God's love from a book. The next lesson we just taught her about the Book of Mormon and gave her a copy and she's read. We weren't able to teach her again about it but just from her reading as I could tell from just stopping by, I could see a hope in her that I didn't see in her countenance our first visit. It's something that I see in everyone's eyes when we read the Book of Mormon and when truth is understood and when the Hope of God's light is seen, even from a book.

There's this one video that me and Sister Dadivas are showing for our zone training on Wednesday called, "The Hope of God's Light."

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2014-07-006-the-hope-of-gods-light?lang=eng

I hope that you can all watch it and see the things that I've seen from my mission, people looking for His light and how they find it, it was through others. As we go about each day, I pray that we may be more aware of those that are in the search and that don't feel or see that light yet. That we can be an answer to someone's prayer and bring that light into their lives. Just like Henry B. Erying said in the Christmas Devo, " All of us here have experienced an influence to want to be kind or to help someone in need. All of us have felt an increased desire to stay away from evil. And we each have felt a desire to be less prideful, boastful, or critical—to be more like the Savior. As we have felt the pure love of Christ, we have felt more His love for others. Charity is the pure love of Christ. Whatever we feel now is only a beginning. The Lord promised each of us a glorious future this way: “That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day^."
Go and be the light to those that sit in darkness. I love you and have a great week!!

Love, Sister Burnham