"Waiting Out the Storm!"

Magandang Araw sa inyo lahat!!

Okay, well not so much here because we are going through Tpyhoon Ruby!! Woo hoo!! It's actually been all fine in Lipa, just a lot of non stop rain and some winds but nothing like Glenda...that was a lot worse, but we just have to be careful, safe and prepared but all has been well for us. But it's been nice to kinda chill in the apartment for the past two days, but it's even better to be out!! So no worries; typhoons are becoming normal for me but I think I'm starting to get all typhooned out. Haha

This week was just another busy week...STL life just keeps me busy and it's a been a really good way to end the mission. Sometimes the drama is annoying and other things come up that I feel like I'm being stretched in all ways but you learn to do what you can and give the rest to the Savior. But I love the things that I learn from the other sisters. This past week I was with a sister who just barely started her mission and she shared such beautiful words of wisdom to me, that it's not about the number of baptisms but about conversion...and that's all she wants in her mission. And then the other sister I was with is ending her mission with me and she shared how the mission doesn't end when the name tag comes off, it's just the beginning. It's so true, this was just training :)

But I really feel like this past week I've come to know why I needed to stay in Lipa, it was for the sisters. I feel like I was kept here because I still need to learn about what a leader really is and become more like the Savior in that way. I really feel like this past few weeks I've come to really know who He is as I've been reading the gospels in the new testament and as I've pondered about Christmas. "For God so loved the world that He gave His Begotten Son." He really is God's gift to us and that through Him, we can come to our Heavenly Father and be saved. We can all return back home through Him. It really is beautiful and I invite you all as well to read about it...to pray and to come to know what God's gift is to us and who the Savior really is. I love the video too that the church has sent out and we as a mission are doing what it's invited us to do. And encourage you to do the same, it's been amazing to really focus on the gift of Christmas this year.

I hope that we are doing all that we can to serve Him and pay somewhat back for what the Savior gave us. I know that He loves us and that God loves us and because of that love, we can overcome all things through Jesus Christ. I love you all and I'm excited to see you soon and spend the end of December with you. Keep blessing the lives of others, just as the Savior would do.

Mahal ko kayo!! Have a great week!

Love, Sister Burnham

"The rain created a blowout!"

"Cup games and song"

"Exchanges"

"Devon.....you win mash!"

"President & Sister Mangum at our MLC"

"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

"Manila"

"Philippines Sunsets" :)

"Holly Anne Gregario"

 

"Happy Birthday Devon!"

 

"Thanksgiving"

 

"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!"