"Staying in Lipa"

Family and Friends-

So...no transfer for me!! I'm ending the mission in Lipa!! It's great but I'm going to be super busy, something is seriously going on everyday; meetings or exchanges or going to Manila and preparing to come home. It's crazy going into the last transfer but I'm grateful that I'm ending it here in Lipa. It's home to me now :) And the Gregorio's girls prayers were answered...they prayed that I would stay in Lipa. I guess Heavenly Father is aware of little girls prayers :)

I just love the people here in Lipa. We actually are teaching this new investigator that I didn't think would continue to listen to us but actually she's not only listening, she's reading, searching and asking tons of good questions. And she's not really fighting anymore like she used too. I mean, she keeps saying that she's going to be baptized but I'm thinking, "Just wait until you read the Book of Mormon and pray about it." She will and I know that promise in Moroni 10:3-5 will change her heart just like it has for mine so many times. But to explain the picture with the lipstick...haha she wanted a picture with us to show her member daughter so she put blush and lipstick on us and it was funny and all...but later on I got a terrible cold sore from her!! And I still have it!! I'm going to look great in my passport pictures at immigration tomorrow. Ugh...it hurts too but I'll get some medicine later and all will be well. Just so you know, don't use other lady's lipstick!!

Marissa and Ariel are doing great, didn't come to church yet...sayang. I feel like that is so hard to keep in the Philippines because Sunday is play day. Everyone does their shopping and what not that day or works. Ugh...we'll get them there...just patient is required and the respect of agency. But we actually had a little miracle of teaching Bro. Cardona this week. Bro. Cardona is this recent convert here who's actually been struggling a little bit. The other night we got punted from our last lesson for the night and then ran into that brother. He opened up to us how he drank the other day and just felt bad. We showed concern and told him that he needed to talk to Bishop but he didn't want to. We then asked if we could share to him the why. So we taught him and went over repentance and went over why he needed to talk to Bishop. It was really good and he's doing a lot better. There still might be problems there but I just know that Heavenly Father placed us in his path to help him. It's the little things like that that happen everyday that helps me know that Heavenly Father is really leading us to where we need to be and what we need to do.

I'm just in love with this work, there's nothing more satisfying then coming home at night from a long day of work that you know that you encouraged, helped people to rise above the natural man and follow Jesus Christ. There's a true happiness in this service because it's really changing lives, even some little things but it's really making all the difference to these people and it's changing who you are too into something that God wants you to be. I'm so grateful that I'm still here in Lipa, I still have so much to give here in such a small amount of time but I'll keep doing what the Lord needs me to do and keep becoming what the Lord needs me to become.

Well, I'm off to Manila to immigration and going to the temple!! SO EXCITED!! It will be great :) And then Thanksgiving is this week as well...so Happy Thanksgiving everyone!! Eat lots for me!!

Mahal ko kayo and go make a difference wherever you are!!

Love, Sister Burnham

"Transfer day......waiting for missionaries"

"Lerma and lipstick.....oh my!"

"Marissa and Ariel and their cute family"

"Oh Brother Cardona....."

"Working with my favorite members. They are the best!"

"I'm NOT Trunky!"

Family and Friends!!

Okay I'm not trunky when I say this but...I start my last transfer next week!! I will probably be getting transferred on this Thursday!! So fast and crazy!! I actually go to Manila next week for immigration, so I'll give a shout for you Cameron but ya, I'm dying!! It's weird but I guess we will see what happens...

This week was good and yet busy. The life of a STL is too busy! I've never been so tired until I've been a STL...maybe it's a good thing that I'll be transferred...if not...oh man. We celebrated Sister Dadivas' birthday!! It was super fun and we had Sister Tautali with us for that day. Good decision...she's awesome and her companion went home...Yep the cycle of missionaries before me are already going home, weird. It was great though and we had fun celebrating it :)

The next best part is teaching Marissa and Ariel. They are becoming more and more of a golden family! Just like in my last area, I started teaching this cute golden family before I left...then a month later I heard they were baptized. Probably with this family too so I never got my goal of a completed family but for me, I did. I was a part of their teaching, just missed the baptism. But this family is super good and they're receiving a spiritual witness more and more that what we teach them is true. They believe it's true, just haven't had the answer come yet...but the Spirit is working so hard on them. They'll get it that it's the feeling in their hearts and the thoughts in their mind that these things really are true and that's their answer from the Holy Ghost. We just have to keep cheering them on! I'll be sad to leave them, as well as for the other Lipa Saints...love the people here. Just like I do from all my areas :)

So ya, just getting ready for the next and last transfer...the final countdown. It's crazy to think that it's coming to an end and the feelings of ending a mission are bittersweet. I've loved the mission, so much. The people and missionaries I've come to love so much, the culture and way of life in the Philippines, the lessons I've learned and especially the person I've become as I've come closer to the Savior as I've done His work. You can't really describe a mission to its fullest but I can say that it has been the best decision I've made so far. And I know that Heavenly Father sent me here for a reason, many reasons. I'm just grateful that I trusted Him enough to follow the call.

It may not be on the mountain height

Or over the stormy sea,

It may not be at the battle's front

My Lord will have need of me.

But if, by a still, small voice he calls

To paths that I do not know,

I'll answer, dear Lord, with my hand in thine:

I'll go where you want me to go.

I'll go where you want me to go, dear Lord,

Over mountain or plain or sea;

I'll say what you want me to say, dear Lord;

I'll be what you want me to be.

Be what the Lord wants you to be :) Mahal ko kayo!!!

Love, Sister Burnham

 

"Coordinating training meeting with the ZL's"

"Meetings and MLC"



"Sister Dadivas' birthday"



"My new home!!" :)

 

"Look at what my past Zone Leader sent me.........It does exist in the Philippines!!"

"Look what I found in my apartment" "EL LIBRO DE MORMON" - 'now you can learn Spanish!' From Robyn