Leaving Tucson!

This week was transfer calls, and guess what! I'm finally leaving Tucson! I'm getting transferred about an hour south to Nogales, so right on the border! I'm super excited. I went on exchanges there last transfer, and now I'm super excited to actually get to go serve down there. My companion is going to be Hermana Sands.  She's only been out for about 4 months, so that will be fun. I'm a little sad though because it means I have to leave Los Reales and all of these people that I love so much! But I guess my work here is done and now the Lord needs me in Nogales!

This week we did a lot of stuff. We taught a lot of lessons, but overall it was a pretty normal week, I can't think of anything too exciting to say. We said bye to a lot of people yesterday since Hermana Garcia is going home, and I'm leaving. Goodbyes are really really sad. Last night we had a lesson with Nayeli who is an 11 yr old girl in our ward who is less active. It was so sad saying bye to her. I felt like I was saying bye to one of my little sisters :(. She's one of my favorite people to teach. Every time we go over we have a cute little lesson, and she gets so excited to sing a primary song at the end. Then we leave her a verse to read in the Book of Mormon each time and then when we come back she is supposed to have read it and tells us what it's about. Sometimes she even writes it down for us to read. I hope I get to see her sometime again soon!

Yesterday, I also got to give a talk in church. It was funny because it was the day for all the missionaries to talk, and I was supposed to go right after the intermediate hymn. Also just to give a little background our chapel is small, and we have folding chairs instead of pews so usually people just stay in the congregation and get up when it's their turn to speak instead of sitting in front.  It was funny because the elder who was supposed to speak after me got up right after the hymn and, so I just thought he decided to skip me and go speak first.  I just stayed in my seat and let him go. It turns out he thought I would get up too, and he was just going to sit up there and wait while I spoke and so when he got up he got super embarrassed, because I didn't go up with him haha. Oops!

I ended up speaking after and pretty much cutting out half my talk, because I ran out of time!

This week I also learned a lot about listening to the spirit and using it to help me be more patient. Sometimes I really struggle with being patient with other people's imperfections, and it's something I've been working on my entire mission. The other day I was a little frustrated and stressed, and I didn't know what to do.  I just felt this prompting to go and pray, so I did and asked God what I should do to feel better.  Immediately I had a feeling that I needed to go listen to the talk the Healing Ointment of Forgiveness.   I did, and it immediately made me feel so much better! I'm so grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who is willing to help me especially with all of my imperfections. It's kind of like it says in Ether 12:27

 "And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them."

I know as we go to God he will help us to become the best people we can and will guide us to strengthen our weaknesses.

I love you! Have a good week! I'll be praying for you!

Love,

Hermana Burgoyne

God loves His Children

This week was really good! We had some really awesome lessons and have seen a lot of blessings like usual!  On Monday we went back and had a really awesome lesson with that family of 7! It was super awesome because we walked in and started out just talking to the parents and one of their children and by the time we had started the lesson all 5 children were sitting on the ground listening to us! The spirit was really strong! Also it was awesome because we invited one of the oldest sons to say the closing prayer, and I'm pretty sure he said a better prayer than I ever had! It was awesome! We are going to go back and see them this week!

We also had the chance to go over and visit Liz. She's doing ok, this week she was really sad though. We ended up talking to her about priesthood blessings and asked the elders to come over and give her one. It ended up being exactly what she needed! God truly knows his children. Although The elders knew nothing about her they were able to deliver a message from God that answered exactly what she was struggling with. We could all feel how much love God has for each of us.

We also had a really awesome lesson with our new investigator, Angelica. this week. Hermana Parker and I knocked into her a few weeks ago, and we finally were able to get in with her again. Right before we went to try her we went by Hermana Quijada's house, because she had made us some seviche, and we just felt prompted to bring her with so we did. It ended up being a really awesome lesson. She cares so much about her children and I'm so excited because I know through the gospel we can be with our families for eternity, and she'll be able to have that opportunity too!

Over my mission I have met a lot of people and realized that there are so many people who struggle, because they don't realize the comfort that that the Atonement of Jesus Christ can bring into their lives. I know that because our Savior suffered and died for us we can live again, be made clean from sin, and receive comfort during all our trials. I know that no matter how alone we feel or if we don’t feel understood our Savior can always relate to us and help us through it. All we have to do is accept Him and follow Him every single day. I love the scripture found in Luke 9 that says:

23 ¶And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.

Then I have also been thinking a lot about D&C 19 which says:

16 For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent;

17 But if they would not repent they must suffer even as I;

18 Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit--and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink--

I'm so grateful for the atonement and how it's blessed my life! I love you so much!

Love,

Hermana Burgoyne

Julie's baptism

This week was really good! We didn't really do anything for my year mark, just the normal stuff. I think the longer I've been on my mission the less motivated I am to celebrate things.

 

Julie's baptism was on Saturday! It was super awesome and also really really crazy! We spent most of the week getting ready for it. Thursday night we drove up with our ward mission leader and his wife to try on jumpsuits for her to wear. It was funny because Julie walked out and was like "I feel like I'm in a prison jumpsuit," haha she's really funny. Then Friday we went to have a lesson with her with Hermana Riechert, but we were a bit late so when we got there Hermana Riechert was already outside talking to her. Right as we sat down Julie asked us if there was any way we could move the baptism back a week because her aunt (who lives with her) was in the hospital. We told her we could, but it was going to be pretty hard because there is a bunch going on next week because is stake conference, but we said we could do it next Friday. Anyways we taught her the lesson and at the end Hermana Garcia invited her to pray to ask if she should be baptized on Saturday. So we went to dinner a little upset and worried and kept praying for her aunt to magically heal or for it to work out. Then right after we got a text from her telling us that she was going to get baptized!! Soooooo we had a baptism! It was super awesome!! Her boyfriend got to baptize her which was really cool. The spirit was super strong, the talks were all perfect, and we even convinced all of our elders besides one to do a musical number with us! Also her mom who isn't a member came. They were both smiling by the end of it. Her mom even came to the confirmation on Sunday and came to hug us afterwards. We think she's next. Anyways I'm so grateful for the chance we have to teach her. I've loved watching how she's changed ever since she started to accept the gospel, and I know she's going to grow even more as a member! Its super cute because she said the reason she wanted to be baptized is because she wants to be happy! Also to make it even better we found out later that her aunt came home from the hospital on Saturday and was feeling a lot better! God truly does answer prayers when we pray with lots of faith!

 

Otherwise this week was pretty awesome. The other night we went and decided to contact this sad man who was on the back of his truck. He was super nice and actually pretty interested, then in the middle of sharing a scripture with him a car drove up and his brother, sister in law and their 5 children got out and started listening to our message. It was awesome because we set up an appointment to go back and see them and we are hopefully going to see them tonight! It's amazing how God blesses us for just talking to one person!

 

Oh yeah! I also got to pet a porcupine this week!

 

I love you lots!

Love,

Hermana Burgoyne