A Ukelele, a Commitment, and Whoopie Goldberg!

Hey Y'all!

Well, I hope y'all are doing well! I miss you and love y'all SO much!!

This week was awesome! We got to hear from Elder Corbridge of the Quorum of the 70. He is so great! It was such a privilege to hear from him. We also committed Joe Hamilton for baptism for November 27! He is so ready but he feels like he doesn't know everything and he's not ready. But you don't have to know everything before you're baptized and he IS so ready! We are so excited for him!

So, here in little ol' Big Stone Gap, they are making a movie and Whoopie Goldberg is in it, as well as Ashley Judd and someone else!! So we kind of saw Whoopie Goldberg as we were leaving our apartment!!! It was SOOO cool except we didn't get a picture because we were in the car going somewhere. SO lame! Haha but it's kind of cool. Everyone is going crazy and always talking about the movie.

Then we had this ward Halloween party and it was a mess...that goes to show that Bishopric shouldn't plan parties...But it was super fun we had a chili cook off, a cake walk, talent show, and games for little kids. It was awesome! Sister Cady and I performed an awesome version of Nephi's Courage with the ukulele because Sister Cady is legit like that and can play it! So we have tons of fun up here in Powell Valley Ward! haha. It was a lot of fun.

Yesterday we had a phenomenal lesson with some non members who aren't our investigators technically. They are up here half the time and in Kingsport, Tennessee half the time. So the Kingsport Sisters are technically teaching them, but we gave them an awesome lesson about the Restoration and I mean we ROCKED it! they felt the Spirit and I think we can get Hunter (10 yr. old) to be baptized and hopefully the girl and mom that was there. 

So transfers are Nov. 18. So Sister Cady might be leaving. I'm SOOO sad. I don't want her to leave let alone Train someone else fresh from the MTC. I have no idea what i'm doing...yeah we'll see how that train wreck goes...haha no but it will be fine...hopefully. Pray for me...haha. But it was a great week. By the end of the week, I'm just exhausted hard core! So i'm glad I get to take naps on P-days or else I might die! haha.

I know that this church is true. With all my heart. As I teach it to people and they feel the Spirit, I feel it so much. The Spirit testifies of truth and I love being out here. It's fun, but stressful at the same time. But I love it. Through my short-comings, I am finding the joy. I know this gospel is God's church and is a church of joy and happiness. I'm so grateful that I have it.

So that was my week. I hope y'all are doing well! I miss you guys SO much and I love you even more! Hope y'all have a great week!

love always,
Sister Burr 

Things Are Getting Better!

Well Way to make me bawl my eyes out, Mom! hahaha.

Sister Cady wonders why I cry so much and I think I got it from you :)

I can't tell you the peace and happiness I felt as I read this email! It is soo amazing! I'm so very happy for all of them (Brandee and Dave)!  I love, love, love, LOVE all the pictures you sent! Trent's hair is so long! That is crazy! And everyone looks so happy! It makes my heart happy! I wish I could be there but there isn't anywhere I'd rather be right now than out here serving the Lord!

This week was different because Sister Cady has been sick all week. We think she had the flu or pneumonia so we actually spent a lot of time in our apartment as she rested. So, I just studied the BOM for hours! haha It was great! Or I read the book Dad gave me, The Infinite Atonement. It is SUCH an amazing book. I've learned so much from it! 

So we saw people and nothing crazy really happened this week! Me and Sister Cady are goof balls together. She reminds me a lot of you. And I got your letter the other day, I know. I think of myself as the most accepting person too, but like I said, I wasn't myself when I first got out here. So, it was just a rough start for both of us. So I've just learned to love her in a way I didn't think you could love someone. I love her so much! I don't know how I would be a good missionary without her! Sister Cady is amazing. She is a photographer! Can you add her as one of my friends on Facebook? And look up her blogs! They are awesome! She started a photo campaign about kids with Down Syndrome and her blog is called Beautiful Just the Way I am. It is great!

I'm just learning out to be a better teacher, and quite frankly, I'm getting pretty good, If i do say so myself :) Trust me mom, I'm not the strongest person out there, I am strong because of the Lord. That is seriously the only way I have been able to stay out here and do anything. I can't even tell you how grateful I am for Christ and His Atonement! it is truly amazing what we have in our church, the love and hope we have that some other churches don't have! We are so, so, very blessed.

You should show the kids some of the Mormon Messages on mormon.org. They are seriously so good! You need to watch them as well! Watch Esther and Mountains to Climb. They make me cry every time! Our church is unreal! And it's so happening! FUNKY FRESH! For real, though! Man, it's like the church is true or something. ;)

I miss you and love you so much Mom. I think of you every day and how simply blessed and lucky I am to have you as my mom. I don't know what I would do without you, seriously. I want to be a mother like you because you have done more than a phenomenal job. Look at your offspring, they are pretty much the coolest kids around the block huh? Yeah, I'd say so. I love you so much!

And tell the kids I love them SO much and I miss them all! I hope you got my letter, I sent it Thursday, I think? I wrote all of you a letter. I love you and miss you more than anything! Thank you for all you do.

Love always,

Sister Burr

This girl is so cute! Her name is Anna and she is 11. She has an older sister named Alysha and a younger brother named Jesse! They are the cutest kids ever! I love them! They all want to be baptized, but their parents won't let them because they had a bad throw down with past missionaries. But, they are so great haha :)

hahaha So, we found this picture in an antique shop! Oh my gosh. Funniest, weirdest thing ever. We died laughing.

This is right behind our church! so pretty.

These pics don't do it justice!

It's sooo pretty here! I think this is the best one!

 

A Baptism!

It's a lot better now. I am focusing on the positive, it's just been rough but it hasn't been that rough! It's been fun, exciting, and I love it.

The baptism was great! she was crying when she came out of the water and she bore her testimony, it was soo powerful! 

I'm so excited for Bramell's. I can't wait for them! it's going to be such an amazing experience for all of them. They will see the Plan of Salvation and the Atonement really personalize to each of them! Yay!

Thank you so much for the letters. I loved all of them. Tell grandma thank you for the bracelet, I love it and tell Aimee I miss her and love her and really appreciate her note. Thank you so much, you don't know how much it means to me.

Other than that, it has been same old same old over here. We met some non members that came to church for Ashley's baptism and we think we have some new investigators, So i'm really excited for that!

I can't tell you guys enough how much I love and miss you. You guys are so great to me and really have been my foundation in all of this, thank you for everything. I didn't realize how strong I was until I knew how much my family loved me and was cheering me on. Thank you so much.

I love you and miss you all to tears!

Love always,
Sister Burr.

I love Sister Cady so much!!!

Conference Weekend!

Sister Cady is doing well.  We had a good companion talk the other day.  Our companionship wasn't where it needed to be.  She helped me realize that I was being non accepting of her, and it's not like me at all.  I haven't been myself since I got out into the mission field. I've been scared, just not me at all.  I have needed to change things about myself and love everyone, which I do, But I tell you, Satan seriously knows our weaknesses and knows how to get right to us.  It's crazy.  I know I need to improve myself a lot, and through Christ's atonement, I can be the person I want to be out here and the person the Lord wants me to be. We are doing so much better now. It has strengthened my testimony immensely.

Well, we saw Noah this past week and he said that he has been reading the Book of Mormon and we hope to commit him for baptism this next week. We have another investigator, her name is Mary Kirby.  She has a baptist husband and she believes that if God has sent us prophets back then, why wouldn't he do it now? And we are like, "Get baptized already!" So, she's been reading the BOM as well, and we hope to commit her for baptism, too!

We have a baptism this next Sunday, October 13th, after church. Ashley Gilliam. She is such a sweet girl and she has a desire to learn more!

General Conference was seriously one of the best conferences I've ever listened to! Saturday was unreal.  Every single talk was specifically for me, I believe. Talk after talk, there were things that I needed to hear SO much.  I loved Robert D. Hales' talk about putting on the FULL armor of God. Ulisses Soares: Saying it's possible to change, and this was right after me and Sister Cady talked. It really just opened my eyes on how I need to use the atonement. 

I LOVED Elder Edward Dube's talk: Stand close together and lift where we stand, It doesn't matter where we have been, what we have done, but where we are WILLING to go. That hit me so hard. Where we are WILLING to go.  We need to realize what steps we are willing to take to become better. I loved it.

Elder Uchtdorf: Wow. amazing, amazing talk! We as missionaries were like YEAH! GO UCHTDOFT! He was just telling people to come, no matter your circumstance, just come. Seek the pure doctrine of Christ, it will heal your wounded soul. It's the pathway to peace and happiness. Loved it.

Boyd K. Packer talked about repentance and forgiveness, which is what I needed.  

I about died crying with Jefferey R. Holland's talk.  Finally someone comes out and says that it's okay to be depressed! But God is always there and He loves us NO MATTER WHAT. Charity NEVER faileth. Trust in God, don't give in, show compassion one to another. Saturday was AWESOME!

Sunday, Henry B. Eyring started it off with a boom! It was soo good! It was about love and I absolutely loved his talk.  We need to encourage everyone and love everyone regardless of what they do.
Of course I LOVED Thomas S. Monson's talk. Seriously, this was the best General Conference.  You already know that I was bawling my eyes out through out the entire thing.  Sister Cady is now used to my crying, maybe.

It's been a great week.  I miss you and love you so much! Tell the kids I miss and love them so much! 

Love always,
Sister Burr.

My Mission Isn't About Me....

Sister Burr and Elder Burr - two cousins in the MTC together.

How awesome is that???

Hey ya'll!

I absolutely love those pictures you sent me. I miss you guys so much, I can't even explain to you how much I do. And I love you guys so so so so much!

Well, my week has been rather boring, I just do the same stuff every day.  Teach people about Jesus. We got some new investigators this week. We have a baptism! October 13. So that's cool, right? haha yeah. She was gonna get married to a guy named Bill who is a member, then get baptized the week after, but they broke up a day before the wedding...so that was awkward. So we were like...did we just lose our baptism? But, she really loves the church still and so we had a new date for her. Then we're getting close with a couple other people.  So hopefully we commit them for baptism this week.  We haven't met with Noah since like 2 or 3 weeks ago...he is just always working and we're like dude! you are ready to be baptized...we haven't committed him yet, but he is so close. Other than that, I just play the piano during church and call people and remind them to read their scriptures.  There is this one guy, Bro Hamilton. He's not a member, and he's like 68? and he is like one of my favorite people ever.  He married his 2nd wife and she was awful to him and like abused him and his son and he like legit wanted to kill her, but then she died...and he can't forgive himself for wanting to do that.  He believes that this is the true church and everything, he loves the book of mormon, has great faith and love for God.  He said he would get baptized but he can't forgive himself. I just wanna shake him and say look! that is what the Atonement is for! so that you CAN forgive yourself! All things are made possible by Jesus Christ and His Atonement! But, he's so funny! He thinks he's the hottest guy on the planet. He has women buy him jewelry. Oh man, he's hilarious. He said Sister Cady, my companion, reminded him of the Yankees up north and he likes yankees. HA! It was SO funny. I love people here. They are funny. Other than that, It's been a boring week. We do exchanges with other Sisters for a night, so I went to Kingsport, Tennessee for a night and it was pretty fun.  I love all the people in my mission. It's been so, so, so fun.

I miss you guys so much and I love you guys even more!

Love always,

Sister Burr.

Here is something you could put on the blog. haha I don't know. I promise I'm not bored out here!! hahaha.

It's been hard being out here because I'm trying to gain more confidence in my missionary abilities, still not the strongest, but gaining strength through exact obedience, keeping FULL faith in Jesus Christ and the most important thing I have learned is the last part of our purpose; enduring to the end. It's been hard the past couple of weeks, overcoming personal challenges; learning not to be so hard on myself, telling myself that I CAN do this, to not let Satan get me down, feeling like what I'm doing just isn't enough. All of these things, I've been able to get past, or at least start to, and trying to become better. I'm FAR from perfect. I know that trusting in the Lord is of utmost importance. I can't teach with the Spirit without trusting Him. I didn't realize that it took so much to give ALL of myself to him. I want nothing else, but it is hard. I keep forgetting that my mission isn't about me though, it's about the people we teach and helping them reach salvation. I can only convert people as far as I'm converted. So, I'm working on my knowledge of the lessons and of the Book of Mormon. Because I feel like it's one of my weak points. I don't know as much as I want to, to be able to teach simply, which is the way of Christ.

My new glasses!

This is my cute district. Me and Sister Cady, Elder Friedman and Waring

Then it's Elder and Sister Miner, then Elder and Sister Wilken.

They are the best.

This his Bro. Hunsucker. He is basically one of my favorite people here. he's the EQ president. He's hilarious.