Monday, September 23, 2013

Cake, Confidence, and Kudzu!


This week has been good! Kind of a hilarious story. So, the senior missionary couple that lives across the hall from us, we decided we want to make a mayo cake. It sounds REALLY gross, but it's REALLY good (:  It's a cake mix, 3 eggs, 1 cup of water, and 1 cup mayo. It's good. SO we decided we needed something to celebrate. So we added all of our ages up, us and the senior couple, it was about 180 candles, so we went and got 180 candles and put them all on the cake. we made it pretty too! like we put little chocolate chips on the side. We took way too much time on this, haha and then we put the candles REALLY close together, like it was crazy. Then we lit them up and we didn't know the flame would be so high.....ya we didn't figure that out...hahaha. Then we had to carry it across the hall, so I was holding the cake and I tried to run with it, but the flames were getting in my face, then the fire alarm started going off, so we hurried across the hall and their faces, oh my gosh, SO funny. then we tried to blow out the candles and it wouldn't work...hahaha so basically we were in a panic, but they went out, man it was hilarious.

But as for being a missionary, I have been struggling with speaking during lessons, because I'm so shy and I don't know what to say...my companion had to finally say "hey, I can't do this alone, you have to step it up". And I'm like, "I'm sorry I suck at life"!  I've had really low self confidence about everything while being on a mission.... feeling inadequate, not meeting any of the expectations. and just feeling like I just don't have it in me to do this. BUT through prayer and reading the scriptures, I've gained that confidence. Like I read D&C 60:2-3 and it basically said if you don't open your mouth and use your abilities, they will be taken away from you, so HAVE FAITH! That has really hit me and pushed me to talk more, but it's been hard. Every time I get scared to say something in the lesson, I just think, Just have faith in Jesus, just have faith in Jesus, just have faith in Jesus! hahaha. Because people here are just SO, you know, like "Praise Jesus!" and so we always say Jesus loves you! to EVERYONE haha it's really funny. So I say that all the time now. Sac-religious?...maybe..but I don't think so! we all love Jesus! hahaha(: And then we have been seeing lots of less active members and there has been lots of homes where there is just a bad feeling in there and the energy is so negative...it's really been a strength builder. Other than that, we've just been teaching and spreading the good word of God(:  I'm getting better at this whole missionary thing. I can't believe i've been out for almost 6 weeks..it's kinda really crazy!
So ya, It's been great! I miss you and love you all so much! tell EVERYONE I said hello! and Jesus loves you! haha. 






So this stuff that looks like a blanket on the trees, it's called Kudzu, it's a Japanese weed that has come over here and it grows over everything but it kills all the trees, it's pretty in a weird way. it's everywhere here! I just thought that was cool.
The 180 Candle Cake after blowing out the candles :)
Our first bottle of franks- finished it in 4 weeks!







Monday, September 16, 2013

The one month mark....


This month has gone by so fast and slow. I'm getting more comfortable with it. It's a lot of hard work, and one thing I love about my companion, is that she is a HARD worker, she's only got 5 months left so she wants to work work work, which is good, and exhausting. And we both love spicy things and put Frank's buffalo sauce on EVERYTHING. So, we get along well :) haha. I love being a missionary so much. It's the best and hardest emotional thing I've ever gone through, but I've already seen it bless my life in so many different ways!
One of the sister senior missionaries, Sister Casper, died on Saturday :( She was 69. She was always in bad health and she had heart failure and kidney failure. She wasn't doing well. It was very sad to see her pass away. All she wanted to do her whole life was serve a mission. So she died doing what she always wanted to do, serve the Lord, and that takes a LOT of courage and faith. I admire her.

This week has been extremely uneventful, everyone we went to see either wasn't home, had bad past experiences with missionaries or their house didn't exist, so we barely taught anyone this week, and with having zone meetings and stake conference, we didn't do a lot of teaching. So i've just been studying a lot and learning more about this wonderful gospel which I love so much.

Well I love you and miss you all! Keep your relationships up with God and as a family. Don't forget what's important out of our crazy lives.
I absolutely love the pictures you sent. Sadly I don't have any today. I didn't take any pictures this week. I will be taking more, though. I sent Brandee and Dave a letter about how happy I am that they are getting sealed. And Spencer sent me a letter. It was the cutest thing of my life!! He's so cute! I love that whole family!
I love you and miss you SO much. I wanted a hug from you the other day :( but it's okay, when I get home, I know you'll give me a great big hug.
Love always,
Sister Burr.

Friday, September 13, 2013

Mt. Timpanogos Temple 7-27-13

Mt. Timpanogos Temple



What a beautiful day and a wonderful experience to go to the temple! It was nice to have so many family and friends show up to share this special day.  We know that it was so busy, and that not everyone was able to make it in, but we appreciate the time and effort that everyone put in to make this a good experience for Lindsi. We love you all!





Grandma and Grandpa Burr
Lindsi and her Dad















Aimee, Grandma, Jeff, Brad,
Lindsi, Greg and Grandpa






          Thank you to those who came:

          Grandma and Grandpa Burr
          Jeff and Aimee Burr
          Mike, Annie, and Alex Burr
          Greg and Emily Burr
          Uncle Mick and Mike Paskett
          Jana Floyd
          Terelyn Killpack
          Jill Tolley
          Valerie Ogborn
          Bryan and Jana Amundson
          James and Joni Saxton



                   Mom, Lindsi and Dad

Monday, September 9, 2013

The Lord's Hand.....


I miss you guys so much! The homesickness really hit me this week. It has been a strange week in the mountains (hills) of Virginia! My favorite guy in the ward, President Hunsucker (EQ)….his laugh isn't like any other laugh. The ward here is so amazing. They are so dedicated, diligent and hard working. They drive an hour to come to church, family home evening and a Book of Mormon class on Wednesdays.

I have definitely seen the Lord's hand in my life.  I have had a hard time 'opening my mouth' to those we teach.  But scripture after scripture I found that if I open my mouth, the Lord will fill it.  I have also learned this week that as I teach by the Spirit, that changes the hardest of hearts.  There is a couple, Bro. and Sis. Johnson.  He used to be the bishop and a high councilman and they, and a couple other families, just up and left the church one day over 30 years ago because they weren't put into the Stake leadership positions. It tore the ward apart. We went and saw them and you could literally feel such a sad spirit in their home. The spirit wasn't there at all.  We could see him fighting the spirit and we both know his spirit is yearning to come back into the nourishment of Christ.  They keep denying it though.  I have faith that we will help him back though. I can feel the love that God has for His children. 

And let me tell you, the Spirit has helped me do things and I don't know why I did them. That is the power of God, though.  We were teaching an investigator named Brother Porter.  He has this amazing faith in God and such a positive attitude about life.  I felt impressed to share a quote with him, "Faith is like a staircase and not seeing the entire staircase, you take the first few steps and rely on God that the rest of it will be there." He said that he had been having this dream about a staircase surrounded by nothing but water and a lighthouse.  He knew that I had answered this for him and that the lighthouse was God.  God is the lighthouse in our lives of confusion and if we have faith in Him, the Lord works wonders.  Noah also kept saying, I know you. I don't know how, but I know you. It's crazy how the Lord works.  I have had so much fun being out here. It's hard, definitely. But I am changing lives out here and they don't even know it yet. 

I also play piano every Sunday because they only have 1 other person who can play.  Practice does pay off. :)

I'm so glad that all of you are okay and it confirms how much I love each and everyone of my family members. I love you all SO much and I don't know what I would do without ANY of you. Thank you for your support and love.














I love my companion by the way. She is crazy, goofy and amazing! 

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

First Week in the MIssion Field


It's been soo hectic. The plane ride was crazy. I wasn't used to it, but I landed safely in Tennessee. Man, it is HOT here. I thought it would be unbearable, but it's actually alright. It's tolerable! haha. My companion's name is Sister Lizzie Cady from Pocatello, Idaho. I got assigned to the Powell Valley Ward in Big Stone Gap, Virginia!!! Crazy right?? I can't believe I'm in Virginia! It is sooo beautiful here!! And man, the accents! I can barely understand people.  

I got transferred to a area where they have NEVER had sisters before!! Crazy! So we are white washing the area. We took the Elders apartments and the Senior missionary couple was nice enough to clean it up for us, but it was still nasty!! We find things each day. We found a huge bug in the freezer and a darth vader outfit?

I have been in 4 different states within 3 days! Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia, and Kentucky! (went there for a district meeting). Oh, and that church in Kentucky was a trailer! Literally! It's a church! It's 1 of 2 famous churches in the mission. I love being a missionary so much. This past week has been really hard. I miss you a lot and I miss home and friends a lot. but honestly, I have been so focused on the work. The last Elders had nothing in the area book... just a piece of paper with next weeks schedule and a list of investigators with no phone numbers or addresses. We were like "Alright, let's get to work!". So we've been so busy. 

The ward is just heels over head in love with us cuz they never had sister missionaries before. THEY LOVE US! My favorite reaction was in ward council meeting.  Brother Hunsucker walks in, all grumpy cuz he just woke up. Everyone says "Hi, Brady"! ( he growls and grunts)  He gets to me and Sister Cady. "Hi I'm Sister Burr. This is Sister Cady"! He gets this HUGE smile on his face! "SISTER MISSIONARIES!! Well boy, that's my kinda missionary!! WHOOOOOOEEEE!" It was SO funny! And all during testimony meeting in church...."We are ever so grateful Lord for the sister missionaries"! Man, people here are funny. 

I love the senior couple across the hall. They gave us a saying to kind of understand the drawl here. It's really how they talk.
M R ducks (them are ducks)
M R not ducks (them are not ducks)
O S M R. (Oh yes them are.)
Seriously, it's so hard to understand people. It's been really fun though. 

They seriously love us here. I get along with my companion really well. I love her. She has been out here for 13 months. She is exactly the kind of companion that has helped and taught me what I need to gain to grow into the missionary I need to be. It's been a rough week. Satan has been working on me but I refuse to give in and I'm going strong. I love the work out here. Most of the work we are doing is with less active members. 

I get called honey, sugar and baby at least 10 times a day. The smell here is of old wood and mold. EVERYWHERE. It's a small, small SMALL town, but I love it. But the smell....yuck. But seriously, the people here are poor and SO humble and it's really opened my eyes to be so grateful of how I grew up and what I was given in my life.  The people here also have the strongest testimonies. I know that I'm meant to be out here. I miss you so much. and I love you and the kids so much. Tell them I miss them and love them.

Ist MTC District

Leaving at 3:30am on August 27th

Sister Little and Sister Burr

The bug in the freezer

The bug and the darth vadar suit??? Oh, Elders.....

The famous trailer church in Harlan, Kentucky

Sister Burr and Sister Cady

With The Miners, the Senior Missionary couple. They remind me of Grandma and Grandpa Johnson. I love them!

Sister Burr and Sister Cady

Going to church!

Loving the mission!

This is where I live. In an old bus station! haha


Big Stone Gap, Virginia