Sister Sydney Burningham

Hi Everyone!

Turns out it was Veteran's Day yesterday, those Monday holidays they'll get ya on the mission.  But the good news is I get to take some time to email now.  I'm actually on exchanges with some sisters in a different area because we have to do three exchanges this last week before transfers.  And that is where our story begins.

Last Tuesday, a week ago, Sister Whitehead had to go get rabies shots because she got attacked by a cat in Middlesboro, Kentucky on an exchange.  There were five shots she had to get at the hospital, so we went to the hospital and we finished getting her shots.  We get a call from our mission President, President Irion, and he tells me that a Sister in Rockwood, Tennessee has been very sick and her Mom was on her way to pick her up to take her home, she had been out a year.  What he needed from us was Sister Turner.  They took her from us and put her in another area, an emergency transfer, I had heard of those but I had never actually had one happen to me or my companionship.  We had less than twenty-four hours left together.  It got worse as Sister Whitehead and I had to leave to go to mission leadership council that day with all the zone leaders and other sister training leaders so we found out and then left her alone with another sister for the day.  We got home that night and she was a wreck so we got her packed and she left around 9 Wednesday morning.  Now there are a lot of things I learned from this experience.  I learned how much I love Sister Turner.  I learned that I need to be keeping track of all the little details she remembered haha, we went out with a member the next day and we had like no addresses or numbers for people, she always took care of all that, used the phone called people/texted people.  So needless to say Sister Whitehead and I are stepping it up now.  Transfers are a week from tomorrow and anything could happen so I'll keep you updated.  I have learned more about how to adjust and get outside my comfort zone in ten months than I have in twenty one years of life.  It's just amazing.

As for our area, it is just amazing.  We have two people with a baptismal date, Misty Ramirez, her husband is a member, she loves the church and is really excited for baptism.  We've seen her come so far and we can't wait for her to raise her family in the Gospel.  We also have David Lee getting baptized, he is really struggling with some things right now but we are trying to help him through it.  There are members getting involved too and that is when things start to happen, when you involve members in your investigators lives.  It's just amazing the success we've seen as we've had goals to be exactly obedient and just always out building people up and inviting them to learn more about the Gospel. 

I know I say it every week but I just love my mission, this is exactly where I'm supposed to be.  I was reading a talk my good friend Sister Stone has (she's going home in a week) she said it really helped her on her mission I'd like to just share one part of it with all of you back home.

"I am convinced that missionary work is not easy because salvation is not a cheap experience, salvation was never easy.  We are the Church of Jesus Christ.  This is the truth.  He is our great eternal head.  Why would we believe, why would we think that it would be easy for us when it was never, ever easy for him.  In turn, how could we possibly bear any moving, lasting testimony of the Atonement if we have never known or felt anything of such an experience?... We have every reason to stand tall and to be grateful the Savior and Redeemer of the world knows all about our sorrows and afflictions and that for a moment or two in our lives we will understand what he went through for us.  The only way to salvation is through Gethsemane.  The only way to victory is the victory or the summit of Calvary.  Welcome to the journey of the Disciples of Christ."

-Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

We are part of something so much bigger than we will ever be able to comprehend.  Right now we as full-time missionaries are just running one short leg of the race and I'm so grateful that the Lord trusts us like he does.  Members and missionaries are working together to bring his children back to him.  It's just the best thing, ever.

I love you all alot, thank you for your prayers and love I feel it everyday! 

Love,

Sister Burningham