Sister Burnham: "Conversion"

Magandang umaga po sa inyo!

Another week has already passed by?! WOW! It's almost a year since I've lived in the Philippines, it's crazy! I remember my first week here, treking through the jungle, sweating from every pore, eating rice every day and not understanding anything that was going around me was a HUGE change! Now, that's just life. Haha Still like that but I've grow to love it more than ever, so much FUN!! It's all I know now. Haha

So I learned the biggest lesson this week! Well, lots of lessons but this one hit home to me. It's about conversion. So I've always struggled throughout my mission with beating myself up if someone wasn't progressing, or they weren't having spiritual experiences or witnesses that what we were teaching was true. I always thought it was my fault that I was doing something wrong was the reason they weren't becoming converted. But it finally clicked to me this week that it's not the missionaries job to convert, it's the spirit. And especially with the spirit that is able to work in them from the Book of Mormon. In Helaman 15:7-8 it says that they were brought to a knowledge of the truth through the holy scriptures OR the Book of Mormon that led them to faith unto repentance. And that it brought a mighty change upon them. Well, this past week, I saw this in Yasmin (a former investigator of a part member family) and Jonathon. Their lessons were amazing! We had kinda missed out on them lately because of the typhoon and being sick, but we finally were able to teach them again this week and the spirit that has been working with them while we were gone was a testimony builder to me. They kept reading the Book of Mormon and prayed even though we weren't there and the light that was on their faces, the change that I could tell was already taking place softened my heart and the Holy Ghost whispered to me that it wasn't me converting these wonderful people, but the Lord and the spirit that was sent to them to confirm the truths that they had been reading from the Book of Mormon. It was almost unreal to see this change take place and I know with all my heart that the Book of Mormon changes lives. It brings the spirit into their lives to lead to that mighty change. My job simply is to just teach the doctrine clearly, testify and invite. The Spirit does the rest. I love this gospel, I love this work that I've been called to do. I too have experience many times what that scripture says while here on my mission and I hope that when that day comes that I come home, that I will be a better person, a person that had a mighty change of heart.

I know that this work is the work of the Lord. That it is Him that does the converting. I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God and that it truly brings others unto Christ. That's why we preach the gospel. To bring others unto Him. I know this to be true with all of my heart, it has changed me and I hope that each one of you will let it teach you. Forget yourselves and preach the gospel, do your part. And watch the conversion happen, sometimes it takes time but it happens.

I love each one of you so so much. Thank you for your prayers and your words of encouragement over the past 13 months. I know that I wouldn't be able to do this marvelous work without you. Go have those experiences and see the Lord's hand in your life and especially in others.

Mahal na mahal ko kayo!! Maraming salamat po para sa inyo!

Nagmamahal, Sister Burnham