MY LAST EMAIL.....February 23, 2015

WELL. This is the last email that I will be sending on my mission! This is just crazy!!! I can't even believe it...We had a good week, but it SNOWED big time this week! We got a huge snow storm and so a lot of people canceled on us, so it was rough because everyone canceled, but something amazing was that we got to hear from Elder Christofferson from the 12 apostles!!! It was AMAZING!! Words can't even describe the Spirit that was there. It was amazing. When he walked into the room and we all stood up, the spirit changed and you can just FEEL that he is an apostle of the Lord. We were graced by his presence for 2 hours. We also heard from Elder Soares from the Presidency of the 70 and both them and their wives spoke. It was so amazing. We got to ask Elder Christofferson questions for about an hour! He is so knowledgeable, obviously, but it was such an amazing, amazing time! I will cherish it for the rest of my life! 

Well we also found out on Saturday, that they are closing Bristol with Sisters. So Sister Gifford is being transferred somewhere else!  :( We are super sad, and it was really hard to say goodbye to all the wonderful members I've met out here, it is an amazing place!

 

As I am coming to the close of my mission, I have received a witness that I have done all that the Lord needed me to do. I have become the person He needed me to be and I have grown to know the Savior so much. I am very, very, VERY, saddened to leave. I hate it because I have loved my mission more than anything and to be surrounded by people with such good, high stands and servants of the Lord has been SUCH a blessing to me. I know that Jesus Christ knows exactly what we're going through in our hard times and He loves us UNCONDITIONALLY. Loving others is the most important and biggest thing I have learned on my mission. Learning how to see others how Jesus Christ does. It has been the biggest blessing in my life. The spirit that you feel on your mission is not like ANYTHING else. I hate that I'm coming home in the fact that I won't be a representative of Jesus Christ anymore. I cry every time I think about getting released on Thursday, but I know the Lord will be with me always. He is aware of everything that goes on in our lives, good and bad. He knows us and loves us. I know this Church is true without ANY doubt. I love the Lord so much.

Love always,

Sister Burr

February 16, 2015

We had a wonderful week! We had Zone Conference and It was one of the best meetings I've had on my mission! It was pretty great! But other than that, we had a good week! 

 

We committed Gene for baptism for Mar. 7th! He's super awesome :) and he came to an 8 year old baptism this Saturday and came to church :) It was a blessing for sure! He's the sweetest old man! He's super prepared! We love him :) He's literally the happiest person ever :) He's so ready for the gospel!

Emma's Baptism was this Saturday :) and she's a freaking cutie! I have grown really close with the Wood family and they are amazing :) I gave a talk at her baptism! and it went well, I love her so much :) and I love their family!

I again am just having a hard time with accepting everything and it's just a bunch of emotions :) excitement and being sad. But it's okay. I am super excited to come home and I'm ready to work my hardest this last week before I return! But something SUPER exciting is this Wednesday....we are having a special meeting with Elder Christopherson from the Quorum of the 12 apostles and Elder Soares from the 70!!!!!! and he's coming and visiting our mission! and we're super excited for that :) It's going to be awesome!!! :) Great way to close my mission :)

I love you and I can't wait to see you soon :)

Love always,

Sister Burr

we made pig noses on a screen door because one of our recent converts accidentally ran into this door and left a mark, so we were teasing him :) haha.

us at Emma's baptism :)

February 9, 2015

I honestly can't wait to come home and see y'all!! It will be so great!

I'm so happy for Carson!! He's getting so big and I can't believe he has the priesthood and he gets to pass the sacrament :) I'm so happy for him!!!

Well this week was a good one! It was a normal week, not much happened. We made good progress with our investigators Kathy and Alex. They are so awesome! We love them to death! And we just had a good week! Amanda is doing well and the other recent converts are doing good. 

 

This week was my last district meeting and it was a great meeting but I was brought to tears at the end. I was literally bawling my eyes out. I have a wonderful district and a wonderful district leader! He give the best trainings ever!!! I am so blessed!

 

The work here in Bristol is great! I don't ever want to leave! This place is truly a 2nd home to me. But again, I'm excited to come home. It's been a roller coaster of a week, just with my emotions, but i'm doing fine. Just struggling a little bit. I honestly wish I could do this longer, because out here, life is simple. All I have to worry about is the gospel, I don't need to worry about rent, car insurance, gas for the car, school, money (hardly haha).... all I have to worry about is food and the gospel. What better life is there? haha  I love being a missionary SO much. I wouldn't trade it for anything. I am excited to get back into my life though and see those I love whom I haven't seen in so long. It will be so good. My heart will definitely be left here in Tennessee and to those whom I have grown close with and those who I have taught. This gospel is truly the best thing I have in my life. It has shaped me to be a completely different person and a better person at that. I would never be where I am today if it wasn't for my mission. I can't even being to explain all the wonderful things that have happened over the course of 18 months. It simply just can't be explained, except for my testimony that God knows us and loves us personally. Life is meant to be miraculous; and by God, all things are possible. (Mark 10:27)

 

I love you and miss you so much. Can't wait to see you soon :)

Love always,

Sister Burr

 

 

Elder Sorensen, me and Sister Gifford and Elder Boore at the bottom.

these kids are crazy! love them though!

 

We had the best burgers at Dan's yesterday!

he's famous for these :) haha.

 

Sis. Husted came on a power-up with us and we ate at Dan RonQuillos! they are the best :)

February 2, 2015

Well this week was honestly one of the craziest weeks I’ve had on the mission! It was soo crazy! Just so many things happened! So first, the biggest highlight of our week was Amanda's baptism!!!!!!!!! :) It was such a good baptism! It was crazy because we ran into lots of roadblocks because her niece, Anna, was getting baptized as well from Abingdon, and since it was 2 wards, the stake presidency had to be there and then there was just a bunch of other crazy things that happened, but gosh dang it we made it happen :) and it was a great baptism! She is very happy with the decision she made and we're so happy for her as well :)

We also went on exchanges this week and that was crazy, but it was fun! I went with Sister Husted and she is sooo awesome! She's from Orem and I just love her :) She's great! We had a lot of fun and come to find out… when we got home, a cardboard house with 2 huge boxes of candy and I felt so defeated. Let me back up, this past Christmas, we had a candy war with the Elders, we kept dropping off candy back and forth and we finally won on New Year’s Eve...but tis not so. They totally beat us and so we took pictures of that.

Then we had district meeting this week and it was such a good one! The best part was that President came to visit...but for the worst reason! It was for my departing interview. I hated it, but loved it at the same time! It was a great interview, but of course I bawled my eyes out. He pulled out my application picture and info for my mission and a letter I had previously written to President Irion (1st mission president) and I bawled some more. The line that got me was at the very end, "I just can't wait to come and be a missionary." and I lost it. This has seriously been the greatest blessing and experience I have had thus far. President also talked to me about going on dates (which won't be a problem :) haha) and how after I get home, it's no longer about me, it's about him and them (referring to my husband and children) so yeah. It was great, but very emotional.

So it's just been crazy! It was a great week all and all :) I love being a missionary so much and I've just gone through so many emotions this past 3 weeks and preparing to come home. It's so hard. But I am excited to come home.

I love you and miss you so much! have a great week!

Love always,

Sister Burr

January 26, 2015

Well, we had a good week! We were just setting everything up for Amanda's baptism! Super exciting :) We're having a joint baptism with the Elders AND Amanda's niece which is in Abingdon! so the Stake has to lead the baptism! triple baptism. Super crazy! Never done this before :) haha.

And Kathy and Alex, our awesome investigators came to church yesterday!!!!!!!! They are sooo awesome :) ahhh! We are excited for them! We know they will get baptized soon :)

So I get a phone call from a private number and I was like okay, well I’ll answer it…. and it was my mom!!! And I was like ummm what? Why is she calling me? She got permission from the Griffins and my mom is engaged!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was freaking out!  haha. Oh dear...I’m super excited for my mom but I haven't met him yet! Which is so funny :) but I hear he's a great guy! So I’m super happy for my mom :)

Awkward story moment: we were serving dinner at Salvation Army and I always hand them their tray and say thank you! So this guy was singing, and he was singing I’m in love with a stripper!! And then right after I said thank you!......Super. Awkward. It was hilarious though.

Other than that we had a great week! We had Zone Meeting and I love hearing from President Griffin! He's the best!!! I love him. He inspires me to do better and be a better person! We seriously have the best mission ever!!

I have a month left....everyone is saying how excited they are for me to come home and I’m a wreck...ahh! I’m not ready to come home! I have to face life :) haha ahhh! jk I’m ready to come home but not...ahhh. such mixed feelings about it! But it's cool :)

our cute little district :) this was last transfer so we have 2 new people but I loved this district so much! we had the best people :)

sometimes I like to be a Hippie