"Your Four Minutes"

Jul 27 at 11:29 PM

Hi guys this is Sister Burnham! (Sister Kinikini says hi. In her creeper voice...)

Hi everyone! Sorry, I just had to pull a little bit of Miranda Sings quote and creeper batman voices from my companions. I have the best companions! It's almost like living with Robyn and Ciera except missionary version. It's the best, I'm loving life :)

We had another crazy week, just adjusting back to missionary life after all the typhoon craziness. We had a service project that took forever! Just yard work for a member and cleaning up the mess around her home from the storm. It was a good thing we got our whole district to help because it would have been impossible to do on our own. It was fun though except getting a cold but that's okay :) We also had a great family home evening with the Gregorio's, I love that family! Except Satan is working SO hard on them right now. Half of them aren't coming to church, we aren't able to teach Jonathon sometimes...ugh...just lots of distractions thrown in their life. But it won't stop the work from progressing! It just takes some time and some personal battles to be one but things always work out.

The highlight though was our zone interviews with President Mangum. He's so different than President Peterson but I love both of them equally. And I'm blessed to have both of them as my mission presidents. Anyways, in my interview he asked me if I had any questions and I just expressed how I had been feeling lately with about facing to go home in about five months...how I had never struggled with being focused in the mission until now. Like this past week and sometimes during the last transfer. And I shared how I just wanted to give my all while I'm here, not to become trunky. He shared with me to picture myself at the end of my mission. And going to the Lord and giving your mission a sacrifice to Him. How would my offering look like? Did I give my all into it and make it something beautiful that I wouldn't be embarrassed to give to the Lord? He also shared to me that I've been given so much in my life, especially a wonderful family that I have this one chance in my life to repay just a little bit, as much as I can. I just loved what he shared to me and I want to make sure that my offering is beautiful to Him.

I later read this talk from last general conference by Bishop Stevenson, Your Four Minutes. And I loved this quote, "Whatever it may be, do it now. Don't wait. Your four minutes (eighteen months) will pass quickly and you'll have eternity to think about what you did in this life." This really applies to all of us, wither we are a missionary or somewhere in life waiting for the next thing to happen. Or just each day that goes by. After this life, we'll have all eternity to look back on what we did. Will we use the time he gave us to become? Will our offering to the Lord be beautiful?

I hope that we can spend each day becoming better. That we'll work on what the Lord has given us and refine it so that after all is said and done we will give the Lord our best self, which will be the great offering we have to give. I love you all, thank you for you letters, prayers and support. I love you all so much and President Mangum was right, I've been so very blessed to have you all in my life.

Mahal na mahal ko kayo!

Love, Sister Burnham

Surviving the Storm!

Dear Family and Friends!
It is so good to be able to email! I was afraid I wouldn't be able to because of the typhoon! Yep, just playing surviour and camp Lipa for the past 6 days...it's been pretty intense but all has been well. Nobody was injured and nothing terrible happened. Just a lot of weirdness and changes! So much happened!

So to start off, I was on exchanges with Sister Price when we got the text of a typhoon heading our way. So we still did exchanges but also went to the store to prepare for the storm. Especially having food and emergency things. Anyway, about 3 am on Wednesday morning, the storm was so loud outside that we all woke up. We couldn't sleep. So we just talked, ate some oatmeal in the candle light and it felt like camping :) Then it became really hard and water was leaking under the front door, a lot! Then upstairs in my room was starting to get a little pond happening. Haha the windows are not water proof!! The front door was like a waterfall and water was everywhere! Haha So we mopped, moved things in the other room, used anything we could to catch water and soak up water. It was a mess! Haha But it was really funny at the same time. I may or may not have biffed it at one point...just saying...Haha At some point we knew that we needed to pray, especially those of more in danger. I knew that we were being watched over and protected as we prayed. Then after three hours of doing that, the rain lifted up and we could rest. But that was the start of no water and no electricity. After resting for a time, we knew that we needed to visit those that were in more danger to the storm. Little Joan actually showed up at our house looking sad and sacred. We rushed over to Gregorio's and their complete house was soaked! So much damage too, it's all wooden planks soaked. Half of the roof was gone and a lot of their belongings destroyed from the rain. Others that we visited had about the same situation, with water up to their knees in the middle of the night. Roofs gone, and trees and power lines knocked over. Branches and debris was everywhere and it seemed gloomy. It still kinda does. But it's getting more Filipino happy because the people here are amazing. That morning they were just cleaning up, helping one other put roofs back on and still said, "Hi, Sisters!" I was kinda heartbroken at first but I knew that I had to be like them. And to help and serve. So we cleaned and cleaned, checking on members, investigators all week and making sure all is well. Nobody was injured. It was a miracle. I love these people, even though this was hard and they lost most of their belongings, they still had a smile on their face and all was well.

Transfer Day still happened and I have my first American companion! But she is half Filipina. Haha :) Sister Lacanieta. She's from Saratoga Springs, Utah. And she's basically awesome! I love her so much and it's actually really nice being with an American. Haha I didn't know how I felt about that at first but I love it now! It's great :) And I'm actually kinda in a threesome with Sister Kinikini right now too. So even better except her new companion might go home. She got really sick and is throwing up blood. It was scary. She's in Manila right now so hopeful they can get her better. But I guess she went home from her mission from this before...we'll see.

But all has been well, just kinda weird days, not really acting like missionaries. Lots of service projects and we have one tomorrow in another sisters area...our district's project! Haha But it's good, I love to serve them. No better place to be than here. Things are getter better though, little by little. Please keep them in your prayers though, we might have another one hit daw...but we'll be ready for it. But we always have prayer, I have been so grateful for that I think the most this week...things being out of my control and what not, all I can do is pray. I know that God is aware of all of us and I've seen it the most this week, I'm just grateful to be here for the people I love so much.

I love you all just as much! Thank you for your prayers! Please keep praying for the people here, they need them.

Mahal ko kayo!
Love, Sister Burnham

P.S. So Elder Mcmillan, one of my old zone leaders, he has a bunch of those flashlights that mom sent, haha. Anyways, he said that he used them during the storm and all of these and was saying "Thank you Burnham Mortuary light!" Just so you know, we got an Elder advertising for you :) Haha Thanks again for the lights!

"Mopping up the water.....almost had a pool!"

"Me and Sister Price had a shower in the rain........so worth it because we didn't get to shower afterwards! We got pretty desperate!"

"Cleaning up!"

Gregorio Home - "It's a lot better now."

"Ralph, just chillin' on the roof."

Wilkins Water!!!!! "That was our gallon of shower water for the day."

"NO FLUSHING!"

"Marshmallow roasting for Sister Kinikini's birthday."

"She really likes Harry Potter so we always say 'Happy Christmas Harry' to her."

"If God Commanded Me to do All Things, I Could Do Them"

Family and Friends!

This is been quite the week for me, and I'm sure for you as well. Especially Robyn with your first week as a missionary in the MTC. I remember when they would only speak tagalog to me. Haha And teaching in tagalog. It was the beginning of developing faith in Christ. Those first moments as a missionary. Then you continue on and you have more and more hard experiences but they always lead to good, especially becoming a better person. I've seen that happen to me every week. 

Well this past week I had some good things and bad things occur. My second anak, Sister Temaaka went home. She's really sick and just wasn't getting better. It was hard to hear that and even harder to say goodbye to her over the phone. But I know that she'll finally get to rest and get the help she needs. I was just grateful that I was the lucky one to be with her for her mission. I owe her a lot for what she taught me. As I talked with her I learned the death of Brother Diola in my last area. He was a member that I was pretty close to, him and his family. They were working to going to the temple but had to stop that progression since brother got really sick. He passed away last week. I know that they weren't able to go to the temple together but I'm grateful that Sister Lyn can still go with her two kids and still be sealed to him. It's sad that he died so young but we know the truth and that he won't suffer anymore. I just wish I could drive up to Santa Maria and give Sister Lyn a big hug. 

But good news...the brother in Santa Maria, Vaugh that would work with us got his mission call, Salt Lake City, Utah! Haha I got to talk to him as well because Sister Temaaka was saying goodbye to him and his family while I called and it's just great and perfect for him. I'm going to go to conference for April and visit him I've decided. Haha :) And we also had a baptism this past week. Celia and the Gregorio kids! Reymark, Ralph, Joan and Joy (oldest to youngest). It was a beautiful service with Sister Kinikini and Sister Buckley's investigator too. Tatay Cardona, he's awesome. We're good friends too since I went and taught him a lesson while on exchanges with them. Haha :) It was just a good day to see lives changed and to feel Heavenly Father's love for them. 

Anyway, for the reason for this title is because this brought me a lot of comfort me this week as bad and good things happened. I was at MLC and my dearest MTC companion, Sister Reed gave a beautiful talk and she shared 1 Nephi 17:50-51. She taught me to really come to know who God is to you and what He wants you to become. As I've been working on overcoming shortcomings and weaknesses, letting go of the natural women inside of me...I know that it's only possible with heaven's help. I can do all things with His help. So, it's time to let go off myself completely and lose myself in this work, and do all things which He has commanded me to do, because we can. And then to see the miracles happen because of heaven's help that is always there if we rely on it. And to pray for those angels to assist us so that we can become who we are meant to be. We can do all things. 

I love this work and I love the truths I know. No matter what hard things come into our lives, I know that God is by my side and His angels are there to assist us. I love you all! I know I always say this but really, look for the miracles and even more, pray for them and the help of angels. It really does happen. 

Mahal ko kayo! 

Love, Sister Burnham

Hand Readings - "He told me that I had sleeping problems and that if it wasn't for the gospel and my happy personality I would be dead"

 

Joy & Jessel with the Book of Mormon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Just havin' fun!"

 

William & Flor - He has giantism: the one I told about in my last letter

Most Worth to You!

Family and Friends!

What a week and sobrang mabilis! It was so fast! The weeks just go by faster and faster. We met our new mission president this week! President and Sister Mangum, they are so funny and so sweet! Love them already. Miss the Petersons like crazy but I'll love this new one just as much :) Anyway at the meeting, one of the AP's, Elder Bodkin who was my zone leader in Siniloan once upon a time, told me that he's already working on getting us home for Christmas. Haha He's going home with me so he's determined to get it all worked out. Haha So, just to let you know, I might be home before Christmas! Haha I'll let you know but that's a ways off. Let's not talk about it anymore. Haha :)

We also had 5 baptismal interviews this week, Nanay Celia- I just love her! Cutest nanay. She's so funny, strong testimony of the Book of Mormon and the church but she doesn't understand the Book of Mormon at times because it's really deep tagalog. Haha We asked her who her favorite character was in the Book of Mormon so far and she said Heavenly Father. Haha Ah...ya. Haha It's okay, we're having her read the kids BOM version with it. Haha so she can understand the stories. Then we have the Gregorio kids- 4 of them are getting baptized, Reymark, Ralph, Joan, and Joy (oldest to youngest). The cutest kids and my favorite family of all time. I just love them so much. We're so excited for this weekend, our hard work is going to pay off! :)

Something amazing happened this week. I went on exchanges with Sister Hingano and she is a great missionary with great power. Every time she spoke, just great power was in her voice and people could immediately feel the spirit. It wasn't the way she talked or anything like that, it's just there was this feeling, this power that she had that I realized I was lacking. Well, I studied and I prayed this whole week for that power and I'm still working on how to get that. But we taught this lesson the other night, to a less active. It's a wife and a husband who have been sealed in the temple but because of trials in their life (Brother has giantism, he's super tall and huge...he doesn't stop growing), they've become less active. We had an amazing lesson where I started off with just a question that popped in my mind and he opened up how he has all these problems and what not but he doesn't know what to do, and he felt like God just doesn't talk to him anymore. We turned to the Book of Mormon and quickly learned that he hadn't been reading. Before I knew it I could feel the spirit guiding my thoughts and my words, and I could hear power in my voice. We read 2 Nephi 32:3 and shared experiences and it was just powerful...it was hard not to cry because the spirit was so strong in that small, rundown apartment of theirs. But that power of the spirit brought a light back in his eyes and he knew that God could talk to him again, if only he would turn to him and especially by reading the Book of Mormon, for it would tell him all things, which he should do. It was just an amazing experience to have and another testimony of the power of the spirit and the Book of Mormon.

I've also come to learn this week, as I was reading and pondering yesterday in my studies how I wanted my last 6 months to be. As I did so I found this scripture... D&C 15:6. The thing that will be of most worth to me, will be the souls I bring unto Christ that we may rest together after all is done. I know that more than ever is my time to give my all so that I can have what will be the greatest worth unto me, the souls I've come to love so much. I love this work, I love the people, and I love how it has helped me become the person I am today. I'm just so happy and filled with so much gratitude that I came on this mission, it has changed my life completely.

I love you all so much! Thank you for all your love and prayers, I can feel them helping me everyday. Remember to look within yourselves and see what it is that will be of most worth to you. To me, it's these people and you :)

Mahal ko kayo!

 

Love, Sister Burnham

The Gregorio Family

 

Teaching the Plan of Salvation

Interviews with Elder Shaw and Elder Garcia

Minute to Win it Eating Contest - Super Fun!

My Zone P-day - Kami!