Magandang Hapon Po!!!

Magandang Hapon Po!!

 This week has been crazy!! Lots and ups and downs but mostly for my

 poor companion...kawawa siya, poor girl. We're doing good in our

 companionship but she has been sick! She possibly might have

 arthritis...not fun. She has this really bad pain in her hands and

arms...it's not fun. We're been to the doctor and got medicine but it's not working...we'll probably go back tomorrow...ugh...it's about

 an hour and a half away. Sa Santa Cruz. But that's okay, I just want

 her to feel better, it's really hard on her. If you could keep her in

 your prayers, I would appreciate it.

 We've had some changes too, my new district leader is my tatay in the

 mission!! Elder Kavaca!! Love it! He's the one that bought my cake for

 my birthday, he's a great missionary. And I'm a proud nanay of an

 Elder in our district now. He's from California...and super big and

 tall white American...sometimes I forget how big Americans really

 are...haha It's going to be a culture shock to me when I come

 home...Haha :)

 Besides that, we're having some success in our little area...The lady,

 Sandy that I told you about is progressing like none other! She had a

 baptismal date for April 12th and she's already been to church twice

 now. I think she feels like a peace and a fulfillment has come into

 her life, she's all by herself and really lonely and this gospel fills

 in that hole in her life. It's been really exciting to watch her

 progress and seeing how the Lord has already prepared her and we are

 just simply the tools in His hands helping her come along :) We have

 this new family we are teaching, Melmar. We meant him as we were

 tracking, talking to people and he owns this little halo-halo shop. He

 was trying to sell some to us but we said we would only buy some if he

 would listen to our message. Haha It worked. And He's so interested

 now. So many good questions and they last two times, most of his

 family has joined in to listen to us. Hopefully we can get them to

 progress as well and things well work out. :)

 That's great to hear all about Callin and Tiffiani's wedding :) Super

 happy for them :) So many changes, life really just moves on without

 you. A year ago I went through the temple and I'll be coming home in a

 year. Can't believe it...I'm not ready yet!! Haha But maybe I will be

 in 9 months :)

 I love you all so much!! Mahal ko kayo!! Have a great week and give a

 piece of heaven to the people you meet each day and those you are

 around. I love you all!!

Love, Sister Burnham

Patience is Required

Family and Friends!

This week was a good one, lots more success in our little area. We have a very potential investigator! We've only taught her twice but she has accepted a baptismal date, came to church yesterday and had some friends there. I think they, the members felt kinda bad for not referring her to us earlier...we found her, Sandy one our own. She's super sweet and I'm starting to feel like things are picking up. We also have lots of new investigators and hopefully things will start progressing for them as well. It's a good time, lots of lots of work to do! Love working as a missionary and meeting people everyday. It's just fun :) No other time in my life except now can I just go out everyday and talk to people and share the message of happiness and love to people. It really is a once in a lifetime opportunity. 

We also are helping a lot of less active families out here...by teaching their kids who are 9 and haven'y been baptized yet. It's going really good and we're becoming good friends with them and they are starting to reactive. This one family, Saguinsin, I love them! They are so sweet and lots of fun...super poor though. I think this is one of the poorest families I have even visited and probably have the hardest struggles but it's amazing to see the gospel help them. Brother, or President, he is actually the second counselor in the presidency. (Ya, our branch has a lot of struggles). Anyways though, he's coming back more fully and we are also helping them work towards going to the temple, the same for a lot of families. It's fun been working with all these families working towards the temple. And as a share about it, I can't help but feel the peace that comes to my heart that I'll be with my family forever. And I want that same thing for them. As I use that eternal truth in my teaching more lately, it really intrigues people how they can be with their family forever and they understand more why they need this in their lives. It's really true about that saying about missionaries, that we leave our families for a short time so others can be with theirs forever. There's nothing more that I want for these families that I'm coming to love to be sealed together in the House of the Lord. 

Well, why this is titled "patience is required" comes from a quote that I love and feel like I have been learning a lot lately. "Life is full of difficulties, some minor and others of a more serious nature. There seems to be an unending supply of challenges for one and all. Our problem is that we often expect instantaneous solutions to such challenges, forgetting that frequently the heavenly virtue of patience is required." - Pres. Thomas S. Monson. Isn't that true? And I feel like it's something Heavenly Father is really trying to teach me right now with everything. I also read in the Book of Mormon in Alma 17:10-11 about the sons of Mosiah going out as missionaries and later the hardships they had. But later the Lord gave them success...Alma 26:27. I really love how they were able to overcome all and how at one point, they were about to turn back...but they didn't. And look at all the good they did...(the rest of Alma 26). I know that I need to be more like those missionaries. And especially through everything and being patient, I'm becoming the kinda of person Heavenly Father wants me to be. I'm grateful that I'm in His hands and that He loves me enough to mold me. 

I love you all so much!! I pray that we can all be a little bit more patient and especially see in life the things that matter most. Especially always becoming the person Heavenly Father wants us to become and working towards an eternal family.

Mahal ko kayo!! 

Love, Sister Burnham   

"New butt bag...love it!! Haha"

"Diola Family working with us, they are working going to the temple :)"

"Sis. T with Saguinsin Family"

"Jollybee with the district!!"

"Anna and Emmaunel and their little baby and little home (their home is the size of mom's walk in closet...no joke.)"

"Halo-halo day! (we had three :D)"

"Nanay Bining...member that works with us. So cute :)"

"Jane, our investigator"

"Church with members, love Sister Lyn Doila. She is seriously my mom here. (She's the one in the white shirt.)"

"Visiting less actives with the members, then merinda afterwards!! Maybe I drank a little...shh.."

"Zone P-day...going on this crazy hike up in the mountains!! But so worth it :)"

I'm a Barbie!!!

Hey Everyone!!

So apparently I am a barbie...haha I've been called barbie three times this week from little girls just as we are out working because of my white skin and curly hair. Haha It's been so funny...seriously, sometimes I feel like a rock star here in the Philippines...but only because I'm the only white person in all of Santa Maria. Haha But it's all good, I love it :) I also had a drunk guy proclaim his love to me yesterday...that's always nice and so flattering :) Haha Life in the Philippines is always so much more fun! 

So we got to travel to San Pablo this week for a training check up, it was good but a long trip. Took all day to get there and to come home but it was a trip riding in jeepneys all over the place. I love the transportation here, it's my favorite. And it was fun for Sister Temwaaka see all her batch matches at the meeting, it was good for her I think. I think she gets bored with just me. Sometimes it's lonely for us since it's just me and her in Santa Maria, I wish we had two other sisters living with us here. But it's all good, "come what may and love it." 

Our work is kinda hard, but we have some potential coming up. Some referrals that hopefully will be good investigators. But my two favorite investigators right now- Jane and Edwin, both different but with the same concern make me want to know what to do to help them. They both know that the Book of Mormon is true and that Joseph Smith was a prophet and they feel the church is true but they haven't come to church yet. I think they are nervous to change...people sometimes are scared of change. And I know that they feel this is the right way and that this is all true but to take the step of baptism is hard for them to accept. I guess it would be for me too if I was in their shoes, I would want to know for sure if this is the right thing too before I took this path of lifetime and after this life dedication. I really have come to love these people and I respect them if they decide in the end to not be baptized. I've come to realize it's not all about baptisms but helping others come closer to Christ. That's our overall mission as a  missionary. 

Well life is great in the Philippines, as we were going back home from the training check up meeting I was thinking to myself, I love this life. I feel at home here. I only get to experience this once so I'm going to make the most of everyday because it will be over before I know it. Enjoy everyday, and share the light that we have because so many need it. Give them a piece of heaven :) 

Mahal ko kayo!!

Love, Sister Burnham 

(Sorry for the repeat of pictures from last week! Sister Burnham sent them again! Hahaha!)