Sa Tree Falls!

Kumusta pamilya ko?! 

This week was a hard yet great week, hard because contention in a companionship is NEVER good...talaga. But things are really good now. Sometimes it's funny how our enemy at first can become our greatest friends. The same with Sister Maagad. I had wished at one point in our companionship that she wasn't my companion...but we learned to work with each other, we learned to love each other and I can say that she is one of my best friends. She helped me become a better person. Same with Sister Temwaaka. We are different and we had our struggles but now we are on the road to becoming great friends. She's amazing too, it amazing to me how just after one year after her conversion, she decided to serve the Lord. She only has one sister that supports her in her mission because only she is a member. All her other siblings don't. Both her parents have passed away and she's been through some hard times in her life. But the beauty of the gospel really changed her and it's still changing me. I've learned a lot to look more at where they are coming from and realizing that we are on the same now because we are in the same culture of the gospel. And we are on the same team :) And we are making a pretty good team. But it's awesome, word of advice Robyn, your companion comes first. And Heavenly Father puts you with them for a reason. Look for that reason. And enjoy ever moment you have to learn and become better from them :) 

Anyway this week got a lot better once I realized that, again! Haha You think you would learn one lesson once but may times lessons have to be relearned. Our investigators are doing good, we got a lot of new ones lately, hopefully we can just get them to progress!! But we've really hit a bump in the road for Anna and Emmaunel. So I met Anna's mom, the one who won't sign the marriage papers and I found out why...she really hates Emmaunel. Like really! She was making up stories how she saw him drinking the other night and he abuses Anna...I just don't believe it. Maybe he drank in the past but he treats Anna so good and their little baby. They live in really poor conditions...their home is a cement square room...the size of mom and dad's walk in closet. No joke. But ya, she does not want them to get married. She's also a less active and we were teaching her about plan of salvation. I asked her if she desires the same thing, receiving the gospel by being baptized for her kids. Siempre, of course. But I told her Anna has to be married before she can be baptized. Then she said she would rather not receive the gospel then have her be married to him. YIKES!! It's hard, talaga. She's a very stubborn woman and it took all of me to get angry with her. Promise, I didn't but ugh. I don't know what happened in the past to make her like that but people can change!! That's what the gospel is, a gospel of change! I've seen it so many times in my mission and it's changed me. I'm not the same person I was before I left because the gospel is continuing changing me. It's just said when people don't allow others to change and in their case, become an eternal family. I guess all we can do is pray and fast for hearts to be soften. 

But the highlight of my week was today, we went to the Tree Falls with some members and it was a blast!! Quite the hike and I'm starting to feel really tired but it was so much fun :) And me and Sister Temwaaka needed the fun :) I have more pictures but sadly my camera died, I'll send more next week! Anyways, I feel like I'm becoming more close with this branch, they're becoming family to me and I'm really starting to love it more and more here in Santa Maria. It's a cute place :) And I feel like I'm meant to be here, for what I don't know yet but I'll find it, or find them :) Haha :) 

I love you all so much!! Remember to look for the good in each other and allow others to change. Because they can and the can through the gospel. It is possible. Have a good week and always remember that the big Americana missionary in the Philippines always loves you!! 

Love, Sister Burnham 

P.S. Funny story of the week...while I was washing my clothes last night, and finishing up, I got to see my landlord in just briefs! Ya, true story. Haha Our houses are kinda connected and we share the back/side yard part and he just came waltzing out in just briefs but once he saw me and I saw him he booked for it back inside! Haha I just about died! Haha And he was a little bit awkward around me the morning when I saw him. Haha It's just more fun in the Philippines :) 

A Birthday In Paradise!

Hey everyone!!

Another beautiful week has gone by and I became older!! I'm so old now, you can practically see the wrinkles! Haha But I had a good first and last birthday in the Philippines. It started with zone training which was really fun to get together with my new zone. Were a small zone but I like it that way. I also have my tatay in the mission in my district! He was my first district leader but I only had him for about two weeks because he was emergency transferred. So now tatay and anak reunited once again. Haha And he bought me a cake for my birthday, he's a great tatay. 

I spent that night at my branch president's house with some of the members and Emmanuel and Anna, our golden investigators. (I'll tell you about them later.) But it was awesome, they don't even really know me yet but they threw me a birthday party. It was a great birthday :) Had lots of fun with them. They might be a small branch with problems but they are so loving. I feel like they're going to become another family to me in the mission field. 

Emmanuel and Anna are awesome! They are this cute couple with this adorable baby. They've going to be a completed family once we get them baptized but they have to get married first. Everything is going to work out for that except Anna's mom doesn't want to sign the papers. They have to get permission since she's only 19. It's a law here. Marriage is very complicated and expensive here, that's why a lot of people don't get married here. But we have the branches help and we have prayer and fasting. I know things can work out, we just have to have the faith and act to make things happen. But they are great, Emmanuel is always reading the Book of Mormon, he told me that he just hungry for the truth and he knows that it's all in that book. He has a great desire to become more, especially for his family. 

I'm starting to love this area more, as I forget more about myself and love the people, love my companion, things become better. I love this life as a missionary. I'm meant to be here and I won't change it for anything. 

Oh funny story, so the other night. We got home the other night and we were starving!! Haha Like everyday. So I started to boil some water before we started our planning to make spaghetti. Well, during the middle of the opening prayer for planning, our stove caught on fire! Haha Sister Temaaka saw and was like..."umm...SISTER!!" Haha We got it out in with no problem...nothing too big but there was flames. Haha Our connector from the gas tank to the stove had a hole in it, which caused the flame. Haha So ya...cold food for that night. Haha We only have stoves here. But we got it fixed the next day from the missioanary couple and all is well. I'm just grateful we didn't burn down our apartment. 

Well, I hope you all have a great week. Oh and Happy late Valentines Day!! Maybe you'll get flowers from a old tatay like I did while I was tracting. Haha I probably only did because I'm white. Haha :) Anyways, have a great week! Mahal ko kayo! Ingat kayo palagi! 

Love, Sister Burnham

I lost my pamangkin!! :/

Hello everyone!!

So this morning they took my pamangkin...my niece. Sister Japus. She got transferred this morning because there is a sister now that doesn't have a companion. So now it's just me and Sister Temaaka banished in Santa Maria. Haha No, I love this place, it's really beautiful here but it is somewhat feeling banished. Our house is kinda falling apart and you can hear mice running around within the walls and the deceiving washing machine we have...it worked before but it hates me and doesn't want to work for me. So back to washing clothes by hand. Haha It's all good though, it's more fun in the Philippines! Just me and my anak all alone, two crazy foreigners. This is going to be interesting...haha it will be hard but it will be good. I'm going to really have to become fluent in tagalog and everything! Yikes!!

But I'm grateful it's just me and Sister Temaaka, it was really hard in a threesome and it was hard to all be in the same page and work together in unity. And I feel like I was lacking in her training and everything because I had to put half my focus on SIster Japus. So change is hard but it's good. It's time to really learn and grow and come close together. I wish you could meet Sister Temaaka, she is the sweetest and funniest Kiribati sister. Love her to death! 

This week was good, kinda long because I'm figuring out the area and we don't really have work yet. Things are kinda a mess here but it will just take some effort, diligence, and time to get things better. I'm so determined though to leave this area better then I found it. It's hard right now to love it though...I really am homesick for Calapan but I'm trying harder and harder each day to love it more and more and especially the members and people here. They need my love and I need to give it more. I just realize more and more how much I truly loved Calapan. 

Lots of changes for all of us and I'm so happy for all your changes! Especially you Robyn, let me know where you are going to go!! Wherever you go, you're meant to be there. 

Happy advance Valentines Day!! And thank you for the birthday wishes! Excited to celebrate my one birthday in the Philippines, it will be good :) 

Mahal na mahal ko kayo!! I love you all so much :) Ingat palagi!!

Love, Sister Burnham 

2nd area ako....sa Santa Maria!!

My Dearest Family and Friends, 

Wow, a lot has happened this past week but first off I want you to know how grateful I am for the gospel in our lives and especially the knowledge of the plan of salvation. It was sad to hear about Grandpa's death, I will miss him greatly but I'm so happy for him and his reunion with Grandma. Having the knowledge of the Plan of Salvation is such a blessing. And it makes me want to share even more about it with the people here who don't know that we can be with our loved ones forever and that through Jesus Christ, there is hope in this life and the next. It's such a beautiful truth to me and one that sustains me. And I can feel now Grandma and Grandpa by my side helping me in this work so others can have the same blessings we have. How beautiful it really all is. 

Well as you all know, I was transferred!! Leaving Mindoro was so hard for me. I really feel homesick from Mindoro right now. Haha, but I had a good departing- all day on Tuesday, I went and said goodbye to Ricky, Jane, the Ting's and some other members and investigators. Ricky was the hardest. In our lesson to him about service he shared to me how great of a blessing I have been to him and serving him by sharing the happiness of the gospel to him. We both were having a hard time holding back tears as we expressed that we changed each others lives for good. He wrote me a note too that made Sister Maagad cry too. Haha She had the hardest time with saying goodbyes. I know we had our differences and struggles with each other but we really learned and grew from each other. We made each other better people and came to love each other and it was really hard saying goodbye to each other. It was also hard saying goodbye to the other sisters and elders there...I miss them a lot. 

But we had fun traveling, Sister Dadivas got transferred with me as well as three other Elders, one my old district leader. Haha we're on good terms now but I'm glad he's not my district leader anymore :) Haha good guy but you know...haha But I'm so glad travels are done, two days of traveling...ugh...But the second day I finally got to the mission home in the morning and when President pulled me into his office, he told me that he had an assignment for me...that's always good to hear, right? Haha So the assignment is being in a threesome companionship, following up training with Sister Japus and...drumroll...training a new sister!! Yep, I had another baby!! Haha :) Sister Temaaka, she's from Kiribati!! It's this tiny little island by Fiji and Samoa. Ya, CRAZY!! I learned I was training 2 hours before meeting my next anak! Haha But it's great, she is the sweetest sister and hilarious!! Sometimes I struggle understanding her because she's learning english AND tagalog- hard, right? But she's the sweetest thing. And she comes from a hard life and she's only been a member for a year. She's awesome. So happy to have her as my anak. And Sister Japus is super sweet, Filipina siya and she's always smiling. It's a good companionship. Kinda hard because it's three and I'm the senior companion leading the way for both of them, but if President changed things at the last moment because he felt inspired to, then it's meant to be. 

I'm in Santa Maria, it's in Siniloan but it's this little province with nothing. Haha I mean nothing. Okay, it has a 7 Eleven and tindahans but other than that...ya. Haha But it's so beautiful here! With mountains and rice fields surrounding the area. I think I'll come to love it :) But there are some problems here...the branch is not functioning and we don't really have investigators. Starting over...so ya. Hirap talaga. But President knew that and he warned me but he also told me he knows I can do more than I think I can. I know I can do this because we can't fail when we are on the Lord's errand.

Well, I'm still just trying to take all this in but something the Lord really has blessed me with is helping me in my Tagalog. I feel like I can understand so much more here and talking is getting easier. I don't know how, but I'm grateful for that blessing. And I think helping my anak learn tagalog and having Sister Japus help us is going to help me get fluent. Haha Nagpapasalamat ako talaga!! 

Well, I love you all so much! Keep sending the prayers because I need them! Haha :) I'm praying for you all as well. I know it's hard with Grandpa's passing, but we all know he's with Grandma now and that's what he wanted the most. What a blessing it is that we can be with our loved ones forever. And I'm grateful that I have that blessing with you :) 

Mahal na mahal ko kayo!!

Love, Sister Burnham 

"Last Sunday Goodbyes..."

"Zone p-day!! So much fun!!"

"Last boat ride, leaving paradise heading to the unknown!"

"My anak!!"

"New area, sobrang maganda!! Left the sea, now to the mountains and rice fields!"

"Our new companionship :)"