Sister Burnham: "We Can Pray"

Family and Friends!!

What a week!! It went by so fast as well and I can't believe that after this email I'll only be doing three more!! That's so weird but it just means that I need to work, work and work!! More than ever before! Wow, so much has happened this week, I guess I can start with a baby being named after me!! Haha I guess I can check that off my bucket list. Haha So, Winona Gregorio had her baby! I don't know if I told you she was pregnant but she was and just had her 10th baby! WOW! Anyways, we went over to visit and she asks what my real name is. So I tell her and she then says, "Sige, Holly Anne Gregorio." I was shocked!! I was like, do you really want to use my name? I'm not that special. But she insisted that's what she wanted and it was really sweet...she said that she wanted to remember me for all that I've done for them and for her new daughter to be named after me in that remembrance. So ya, a baby was named after me. Haha And she's the cutest! Already love her :)

I also went to Manila this week...it's insane!! Manila is so big and Cameron, you have to tell me about how it was like serving there!! It's so city and doesn't feel like the Philippines! I don't really like it, I prefer the rice fields and even Lipa, which is not a city compared to Manila. Haha That place is crazy!! The only thing I liked was their tagalog, it was pure tagalog and so much easier to understand and communicate. The further you get away from Manila, the more the accents are different. It's funny how it's like that. But it was good :) Got to go to the temple as well :) And Thanksgiving was this week! Which was great too, had a family fix us a real Thanksgiving dinner for all us missionaries. It tasted like home :) But I'll be ready for the next one to actually spend at home :)

So with this last transfer already going and the craziness of everyday and what not...I was just feeling a bit of a breaking point. There's just a lot on my mind and lots of different feelings about the end of my mission. And other things as well but that's not what matters. I was just at a breaking point feeling like I can't go with things still not the way I want them to be (like Gregorio family and other not progressing yet and the area kinda struggling). I just felt like I can't leave with the Philippines still like this. They need me and I won't be here anymore soon. I was just struggling when my dearest companion simply hugged me and said, "We can pray". It was so simple of an answer but she was right. We can pray. Things might not go the way we desire them to go, even righteous desires. Or things may be hard at times where we do feel like we have too much of a load to carry. And missionary work feels like that at times...but what I can do is pray. And I did. And I always will for the people that I've come to love so much...the Filipinos have a very special place in my heart now, and always will.

I was also reminded yesterday of a quote in Mom and Dad's room, "When life gets too hard to stand, kneel." It's true. I know that God loves each one of us so much. And that He is always there when we pray. I know that those feelings of so much love for people and wanting the best for them is just a glimpse of what Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ feel for us. I'm so grateful that I've had the opportunities to just see and feel, even just a glimpse of what they see in others and feel for them. I know that this is the Lord's work and that there is nothing better to do than to preach the gospel and love our brothers and sisters the way the Savior would. When I was in the temple, the Spirit whispered something to me, that my mission will never be done. I'm still His missionary, whether I have a name tag on or not. This was just training. And now I know that these things are true, I could never deny anything that I have learned here on the mission because I've been His representative and I've gained for myself my real testimony.

I love you all so much. It's really been the best past 17 months. It's been hard and I've been tried and still am but I can do hard things now because of this "training" that I've had. I'm grateful that the Savior has given me 18 months to just taste a little bit of what Him and the Father really see and feel.

Mahal ko kayo and have a great week!!

Love, Sister Burnham