Arizona adventures

July 27, 2015

I'm doing great! Thanks for all of the letters and emails! Ok so about the bike, I probably won't be on a bike especially as a Spanish sister since our areas are pretty big we get cars.  Also, I'll probably end up being a Facebook missionary, but not for a while. It's pretty hot here, but I don't really notice because we spend most the day in a car or houses.

My comp is great! Her name is Hermana Budge, the Hispanics really appreciate our name combo haha.  Anywho, she is from the Virginia side of DC, close to Fairfax. She's really quirky like me so we get along great! We have a lot of crazy adventures.  It’s fun! Yesterday, we went to the church to go get baptismal clothes for a boy turning 8 in our ward and the closet for the clothes was in the baptismal font area. We were the only ones there so all the lights were out except for the woman's bathroom, and she told me to hold the door to let in light while she went to go turn on the light for the font which is in the Relief Society room. I ended up stretched out between doors trying to hold both open, so she had light.  She came back and saw me straddling between doors and we both died laughing.  Also on my first day here she managed to explode cheese powder all over herself and the kitchen and some other funny things. Anyways she's really great. I couldn't have been blessed with a better companion!

We haven't gone tracting yet because it's not as effective as referrals, but we probably will later this week. Other than that we only really go outside when we're doing service. For service we work at a farmers market on Thursday's which is fun because I get to do the register. Then on Saturdays we paint or pick up trash or whatever we are needed for.

This week we've been visiting a lot of inactives and members. At the beginning of the week we had no investigators, however we met with a referral named Laura. We committed her to baptism August 22! It was really cool!

Half of the time we teach in English and half in Spanish since some of them prefer English, but it just kinda depends.  They're all really good at helping me with what I don't know. Yesterday, we had a really cool experience at dinner with some members in our ward who are having some non-members that they barely know from Mexico staying with them while the girl has her baby. We got to share a lesson with them on faith, and I could feel the spirit super strong during the lesson! I hope they could too. I was a bit nervous to be speaking to people from Mexico in Spanish, because I was worried they wouldn't understand, but when I spoke I felt my tongue loosed and could say what I wanted to say. The gift of tongues is funny because it uses what you already know, but helps you fit it all together. I feel like I learn to say the same thing in a new way each time as my vocab increases!

It's a bit rough here being in cars because I feel like we don't get much done since our area is so large especially when the people we hoped to visit on one side of town aren't there and we have to drive 20 minutes in the opposite direction to get to our backups. But it's all worth it when you get to that one person’s house that you know you needed to be at right at that moment. I especially felt that this week when none of our referrals where home and it was getting late. We hadn't visited with anyone, so we decided to go visit this lady with arthritis in our ward. It was the most amazing thing. You could tell she just really needed someone to talk to about all the trials she's been going through.  She's really an amazing women, and I was able to share with her Alma 7:11-13 and talk to her about the Atonement and how she is never alone in her trials. The Spirit was so strong and you could physically see her countenance change. Although we haven't had many opportunities to teach non-members yet, there is still work to be done helping inactives and members feel of Christ's love, and at the end of the day this is all about being instruments in Christ's hands to do his work. We are just here to do what He needs us to do and not what we think needs to happen. I am so grateful to be here on a mission. I feel so blessed to be a part of God's work and sharing the gospel with others.

If you have time this week, I would really suggest reading a few conference talks one is "Waiting on the Road to Damascus" by President Uchtdorf a few conferences ago. I love how it says, " the most powerful promptings we receive are not only for our own benefit, but also for the benefit of others. If we are thinking only of ourselves, we may miss some of the most powerful spiritual experiences and profound revelations of our lives." I love that because it is so true. We need to focus on serving others and answering their prayers, and as we do we are able to find answers for our own questions. I also like how it talks about how believing comes one puzzle piece at a time and we may not be able to recognize the whole picture at the beginning, but each piece added will make the picture more and more clear.

One last thing I am so grateful to be called Spanish speaking, because I get to be fed Mexican food almost every single night.  The bad thing is that I am going to gain a lot of weight, the good thing is it all tastes really good. We've had homemade tortillas, guacamole, tostadas, and some strange soup that tastes like the ranch from Costa Vida, but cooked and it had shrimp in it.   I am still not sure how I felt about that haha, but everything else is amazing and we get fed every night pretty much so that's a blessing. Last Tuesday when we went shopping for groceries I realized that I have never actually gone shopping for my own food before to live off of for a week, so that was a new experience. I am sure I will figure it out! Cooking is an adventure!

That's crazy what happened to Zachary! (He was in what could have been a very serious car accident with one of his friends)  I'm happy he's safe! Prayer is such an amazing blessing!

I love you all and pray for you every day! I hope you are all doing well.

Hermana Burgoyne

> Hi! Everything is going great! I just wanted to email you and let you
> know I'm here and safe. We got here and first thing we did was go
> street contacting, I tried to talk to people, but I was terrified.
> Luckily I will have lots of opportunities though. Today we've just
> been at the mission office learning and going through orientation.,

 also there is another hermana here who came from the Mexico
> Mtc who knows Lindsey and a few of my other friends. I'm doing really
> well I am just super tired. I'm excite d to get started tomorrow
> though. Also I can read your emails whenever but I can't reply until
> Mondays. I hope you are doing well. I love you!
> Thanks for everything! I will tell you more next week when I have more
> time! Also Did I tell you how Mary Edmonds came and spoke to us for
> Relief Society on Sunday, and it was super neat. She's really funny and
> insightful. So yeah! I love you! Bye!

Next Monday I am headed to Arizona!!

This week was really amazing!! I've felt the Spirit so much more! Hermana R and I are teaching more and more with the spirit and our lessons have all gone really well, even the ones we don't have much time to prepare! This past week we practiced teaching an "inactive" member and it was the most amazing experience!! We just felt so much love for him, even though it was just a teacher pretending. It was just so neat to see the hope that our message gives people! I am just so excited and nervous to go and teach the gospel!! I only have a week though! and I am terrified!

 

On Friday we had the opportunity to watch Elder Packer's funeral. It was a really neat experience to learn so much more about the Plan of salvation and increase my testimony. Something I really loved from it was when Elder Ballard said that we need to " be content to wait upon further council and revelation from the Lord." I loved this because I seem to struggle with patience and waiting for answers to my prayers, but I just need to learn to be patient and know it'll come in God's time! 

 

On Sunday we got to watch the talk "Characters of Christ" given by Elder Bednar in the MTC.  It's the most inspiring talk I ever heard, and I highly suggest listening to it. It's really long but totally worth it! I just learned so much about becoming more Christlike and reaching out to others, even when you are going through a hard time. As we do this, we will be able to help others through their trials and overcome ours!

 

Also yesterday, an emeritus general authority came to speak to us and he told a really neat story about a boy who was in his ward when he was a bishop who didn't have anyone but his grandparents and they were dying.  The boy didn't know where he was going to go. Then the general authority's wife one night said we need to invite him to be apart of our family.  So they raised this boy and treated him like their own son, and eventually he was sealed to them in the temple. 40 years later he told them that the night before they had asked him to join their family, he had been praying really hard that the bishop's family would invite him into their home.  They answered his prayers the very next day! I just thought that was so amazing because as we reach out in Christ-like ways, we to can be the answers to someones prayers.

 

I will talk to you Monday!!

Love,

Hermana Burgoyne

Happy 4th!

I am so sad I couldn't be at the family reunion this week! I am still trying to figure out who all the new cousins are.

For the 4^th, we got to watch the fireworks from the parking lot.  We couldn’t see them so we went back to our room to go to bed, and realized we could see them perfectly outside our window. So we just sat all squished together on our bunk beds watching them.

Not much new has happened this week, except we've had tons of devotionals due to the 4th and fast Sunday. We also get to watch President Packer’s funeral Friday. It's sad to see him go, but I am happy for him because I am sure he's with plenty of his family. 

This week teaching has been good! My teacher told me and Hermana R that when we teach Alex we do the best job and are his favorites out of our district so that was neat! Also he said that my Spanish has improved so much! Then one of the oral exam evaluators asked me if I was an intermediate Spanish missionary coming in, because I sounded like it.  I still have a lot to work on, but I am so grateful every day for the gift of tongues.

My whole district and I are doing really well. I love all of them so much.  They're becoming my best friends, even if some of the elders drive me crazy at moments ha hah. Everyone (besides me) has been in and out of the doctor this week for various reasons.  One of the elders in our district had to get his skin cancer removed last Thursday, but he's doing fine now. 

This week in class one of our teachers shared with us this really cool chapter in Acts 20 about how the apostles were given the gift of tongues, and how we to will be given that gift in the latter days.  I just love how in one of the verses it talks about the sons and the daughters will go forth preaching now. It's just so cool to know they saw our day and saw sisters like me going out and sharing the gospel!

I love hearing from you all so much! I've missed you a lot this week!

Emily sent me a package from her and Kelsie this past week. It was so cute! It had a thing of pictures of us from the past year and a bunch of food and a CTR ring in Spanish! Also her and Kels left me a note along with Jenna.  Then one of the best parts was Parker, Brain, Brayden, and Sarah all left me little notes in it just telling me good luck! It was so sweet and was really what I needed in the moment. Also I just love how they all know each other now ha hah!

I love you! Thanks for everything!

Hermana Burgoyne

The MTC is still great!! I am just tired all the time! My friend Hermana Hansen came in today. I screamed really loud when I saw her! Also I am the only one I know going to Tucson still... Most my district leaves on the 21st and I leave on the 20th which is a bit sad.  Our district never changes, however we keep getting new districts in our zone each week. I love my district we are all super close especially the Hermanas. The weather is pretty hot here, but we try to spend as much time as possible outside.

I can't believe it's already been 3 weeks here, but I still have 17 months left! I love it though! Sadly the temple is closed this week and next but we get to go clean it next week which will be cool!

This past week there was the new mission presidents training so all of the general authorities have been here! Last Sunday we were walking back from out temple walk and got to the crosswalk and they made us stop while President Monson and President Uchtdorf drove away! It was really cute because President Eyring wheeled President Monson out to his car. You can tell they all really love each other. When President Uchtdorf and his wife drove by they unrolled the window and waved at the small group of us so that was cool!

Oh!! We moved again this week because apparently there were bats in 17M!! We didn't believe them at first when they told us we were moving because that is the 2nd time we have moved since we got here and because of bats! But it happened so now were back in the gross old dorms again. Oh well. We get new rooms every week. I wouldn't be surprised if we were asked to move again tomorrow!!

Also Spanish is still coming great! I am gaining such a strong testimony of the gift of tongues! It’s so real! At this point I can pretty much teach my part of the lesson without notes!!

Last Sunday we watched the Testaments! I loved it! What really stood out to me was when it showed Jesus dying on the cross. I remember when I was little I used to get crucifixion and resurrection mixed up, so I thought we'd all be crucified and was terrified. Luckily I got all that straightened out a long time ago.  What really hit me is how grateful I am that because Jesus died on the cross and suffered in Gethsemane for us we don't have to feel that pain. He already suffered for us. Also going along with that on Sunday at the devotional something that stood out to me was when he said "what makes us think we could be Saviors on Mount Zion without suffering?" That just reminded me that we are doing the Lord's work and it's going to be hard, but He'll help us carry our burdens because He has already felt this. All suffering will be worth it due to the joy we will receive after from seeing others come to Christ!

Joseph W. Sitati spoke last night.  He taught us that our mission is the time for us to set our foundation for the future. I hope that I come back from my mission a completely different person. I hope to be my best self and be better than I was before. I want to put my all into this work and make it worth it!

Love you all!!

Hermana Burgoyne