Apostles, Thanksgiving, and Baseball! (Week 4)

mi muy bien familia!
Hola! I hope you had a fantastic week! Here is how mine went:

Sunday: great day, pero triste. This was the last day to spend with the other two districts in our zone. We had a wonderful temple walk. I love temple walks, they are super fun! We also had a super stellar testimony meeting. Just a few things I really like from it:
-Heavenly Father wouldn't have sent you here if He knew you weren't strong enough to do it (with His help of course).
-Also someone shared something a convert said, "one day two angels showed up on my door step."
-"ENJOY to the end"

Monday: mi companion and I woke up at 5 am to take two of the sisters to their bus that would take them to the airport then plane to Mexico. Here is the twist. They were in a trio. Their Compa Hermana James is staying an extra week for temple visitors training cause she is in the Pocatello Idaho Mission. So now she is my compa! I am in a trio this week! Hermana James went to BYUI for two years already. Also an elder from Korea in my zone, Elder Hwang, has to stay this week too. He is going to Chile. So he is a "solo" elder. He is super funny! He speaks 4 languages (Korean, Japanese, English, and now learning Spanish). He is a super genius! He went to Cambridge in England before his mission. Our trc investigator got switched. Sad cause our investigator that was really starting to progress we no longer get to teach. So now we start all over with a new trc investigator, which is hard cause she has many questions about the gospel. But kinda shuts down when we start to talk about the gospel. So it is going to be a great learning experience I guess.

Tuesday: service day, yay yay yay! Our job this week was to sweep all the stairs in our residence hall building. But as usual we found a super fun way to make it super fun! We found this little magnet. The dust pans we had were metal. So I had this grand idea to start a mini baseball game! I got a home run every time i hit! :) also I was a super bien catcher! Guess who came for the Tuesday night devotional... Elder Dallin H. Oaks! soo good! Also went to a training meeting about the Thanksgiving Day service project. Since we don't have zone leaders Hermana Allen and I were asked to help in place of the zone leaders for the service project.

Wednesday: had another training meeting. Only upsetting part was that we missed Hermano Pitcher's gospel leccion sobre el Libro de Mormon y verdad. He is my favorite teacher!!! He is so, so, so amazing at teaching the gospel! I got the most wonderful thanksgiving package from the most wonderful family ever! I was so stoked that there was pie! I loved reading all of your letters. Hermana Allen also loved the letters for her!

Dia de Gracias: Bestest day of the week! Such as wonderful Thanksgiving! I already hand wrote a letter all about this day to you (I am putting it in the mail today) so I will just be brief here. General Authority Devotional, guess who came...Elder David A. Bednar. It was so good. We did a question and answer session. They passed out cell phones and we texted our questions to his iPad. Also missionaries from the MTC's around the world could email questions to his iPad. We had a fine turkey lunch, the food was good, but not like a meal at grandma and grandpas! Then we had the service project. We dry packed lentil casserole. We broke the record for most meals packed! Also, guess who I shook hands with during the project... Elder David A. Bednar! Yes that is correct I shook hands with Elder Bednar! Tender mercy of the Lord, he knew that was my desire. Elder Bednar had such a happy, kind, caring spirit about him! I just love his voice, isn't it awesome! Later we got to watch Meet the Mormons!

Today: We went to the temple this morning. We did sealings. This was my first time doing sealings. I loved the happy spirit that was there! It was so strong. Also my trio had a little picnic outside for lunch at the picnic tables.

I am going to buy a preapaid phone card here cause they are only $5 at the bookstore. Oh also because I am zone sister training leader I get a cell phone! But I am supposed to always have it with me and I don't have pockets. Also, I can't really do anything on it excpet call the front desk and 911. Entonces it is pointless and it is actually more of a burden cause I have to carry it everywhere. pues yo amor ustedes mucho!

con mucho amor,
Hermana Burr

Bathroom Climbing

Map Picture- Hermanas Burr, Allen, Risser, and Long

District Before Elders Left (minus 2 sisters)

Because of Him (Week 3)

Hola Mi Famlia!

What a week it has been! I'll start out with a bunch of different things that happened this week. Service was cleaning the showers, a bit gross and not as fun as sparquating, pero still an adventure. I was asked to say the closing prayer for sacrament meeting. Of course I said yes, but I was nervous all meeting cause you have to do it in espanol! but i did it and all went well! Oh my, you are never going to guess who I saw this week....Dekker Smith! (friend from when we lived in Oregon). I saw him in the cafeteria! He teaches English as a second language classes. Oh this week I was made Sister Training Leader (STL) over the Zone. My compa is STL for our district so we are just a companionship full of STLness. So guess what is crazy...the other two districts in our zone leave for the Mexico this upcoming Monday so we will be the only district in our zone, weird huh! Also, we aren't getting any new missionaries for two or three weeks, sad. So our district is our zone.

To answer your questions: I haven't heard anything about my visa yet. We got our second teacher, so now we only have 3-4 hours of time each day to work without a teacher. We have had Rosmary M. Wixon, Linda K. Burton, Spencer J. Condie, President Davies (I think), and Brother Heaton from the MTC do devotionals so far. It is rumored that David A. Bednar will be here on Thanksgiving, Yayyyy!

My new favorite video is "Because of Him" or en espanol "Gracias a El." We watch it everyday and it touches me every time. It is sooooo amazing. I invite anyone reading this to watch it! Also I have a challenge for you. Look up the talk "The Enabling Power of the Atonement" I can't remember who it's by right now but it is so goooood! Read it and then you can talk about it as a family! Something I learned from reading it is that if I am lacking confidence in myself, I am really lacking confidence in my Savior, because it is Christ that enables us to do all things.

There were a few rough days this week where I almost hit a breaking point. But because I continued to work and communicated with my Father in Heaven through prayer, I was able to make it through! Yesterday was one of those days. I had been struggling with the Spanish and my ability to teach. But last night we had a powerful lesson with our TRC investigator. We started the leccion con the video "Gracias a El". Which really brought the spirit into the room. At one point in the leccon we asked him to read the definition of the Atonement from our pamphlet. When he was done reading he asked if he could keep the pamphlet. Of course I said yes! Then he got out a highlighter and started marking it up! Missionary beaming con happiness at this point. Then at the end of the leccion he said he felt different. I made sure to let him know that what he was feeling was the spirit. Yay he realized he was feeling the spirit. We have a lot more to work on in our teaching, but I am happy things went well. So that just made my day. I am amazed at how he can put you in situations and enable you through the power of the Atonement to bless the lives of His children.

Also, here is something cool. All of us here on earth have chosen to follow Christ once. How do we know this, we came to earth. So the question is why wouldn't we choose to follow Him again. Christ is preparing all sorts of people. We need to make sure to take the opportunity to find them and help them come unto Him. Also, we are all on the same conversion path. Some people are just farther along than others.

Well I love you all soooooo much! Have a fantastic week and do something kind for someone each day! :)

con mucho amor
Hermana Hailey Burr

"I Love My Name Tag!"

Sparquating? (Week 2)

This has been the longest yet shortest/fastest week of my life! Crazy to think I have already been here a week and I am not the one walking around with an orange dot on my name tag! I love my name tag! It is one of the many, many things that makes being a missionary so wonderful! My Spanish is slowly improving. My compa and I taught six lessons this past week! Juan is an "investigator" that we taught four times. He is actually going to be our second teacher and his name is Hermano Tuff I believe or something like that. He is our TRC (teaching resource center I think, that is the building where we teach him). He could be a real investigator or a less active or even a member pretending, not really sure but I think he works at the MTC.

What is sparquating you might ask? Well sparquating= spraying down and wiping out trash cans with the chemical named sparquat! That was our service this week. Most of the service projects here are cleaning the living quarters, etc. We do a service project once a week!

Each day we have a similar routine. We do class (approx. 3 hours) with our teacher, Hermano Pitcher. Right now we have two other blocks of class time where we don't have a teacher, so it's up to us as to how we are going to use our time and how productive we are going to be, kinda hard when your by your selves all day. But I am glad my compa is focused and diligent in the work just as I. At times we have to leave the classroom so we can make sure we are focusing and getting our work done! These class periods are approx. 5 hours and the other one approx. 3 hours. Soon we will get our second teacher (Juan) and then we won't have as much time without a teacher. I think that will enable us to learn more, so I am excited for that! We also have gym time everyday! The activities I have participated in so far include: volleyball, basketball, spike ball (MTC game, but we had to make up our own version because we didn't know how to play), walking/running. Gym is the most fun part of the day. It's fantastic! Yes I am pretty much with my district all day long. We have class together, and we live together! We have a district of 6 Hermanas since our two elders left. We are with our zone at meal times and at gym, we have a totally different schedule on Sundays. I should just send you a copy or pic of my weekly schedule because it's hard to explain. My favorite part of Sunday is temple walk! Honestly so fun!

Today we went to the temple this morning and did an endowment session. The Provo Temple is b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l on the inside! Oh and yes I tell a joke of the day to my district! So if you think of any funny ones let me know so I don't run out of jokes por favor! Thanks for making me a blog, I bet it's great, I can't wait to see it in 18 months. I am not allowed to look at it here I don't think anyways. Also you are not supposed to chew gum as missionaries and I am running out of mints so if you could please send some that would be wonderful!

I am excited to hear about how the Christmas party goes down, I laughed when I read that you were in charge! Oh also cool cosa: Grandma and grandpa Page have an Elder Wiberg from their ward and he is in my zone, well he was. He left for Mexico on Monday.

The other day I learned more about how important my purpose as a missionary is. Here it is: why is it so important to do missionary work on earth if people can be taught in heaven...well the ordinance work has to be done on earth. So we need to help people on their path of conversion now so that they can get their work done and work done for those who have already passed on.

Oh also it snowed yesterday! Now I have to wear a coat around cause it's cold! 

Con Mucho Amor,
Hermana Hailey Burr

Hermana Burr and Hermana Allen

Hermana Burr and her good friend Sister Brown

Hola Familia! (Week 1)

Surprise Friday is my preparation day! How are you all doing? Mom did you remember to return the Eddie Bauer coat? Well my past few days have been crazy, tiring, fun, and have had lots of learning. Mi companara es Hermana Allen. She is from Las Vegas Nevada. She is super awesome. Last night she was made sister training leader for our district. Also last night I was made senior companion.

First day: right after getting dropped off I went and got my name tag and materials. Oh I got a filtered water bottle so good thing I left mine home!  Then my host took me to my bedroom to drop off my suit cases and then she took me to class. Yes it is just like everyone else tells you that when you get to class they just speak the language. But I actually understood a good chunk of what Brother Pitcher said but he is speaking at a beginning level. For lunch I ate chicken fried steak, I think. The food here is alright. It's not too bad I guess, but it is nothing like moms delicious food! Its kinda like a school cafeteria, but better. That evening we went to an activity called people and your purpose. It was awesome cause I could feel the spirit very strongly. There was a big group of missionaries and we had one investigator we were talking to. Don't worry we didn't ruin their salvation, they are employed by the MTC. I got to see Sister Brown a few times so far! Also my friend from high school, Sister Charlotte Peterson lives right down the hall from me! and so does Sister Browns old roommate Sister Sinclare Hancock. 

Day Two: went to class for three hours in the morning. At gym I played volleyball with people from my zone. It was fun, but I need to get to know them more so I can loosen up a bit more and have lots of fun! but they don't care if your bad at volleyball, so that's good. we had more orientations and training after lunch. Then in the evening we had branch president interviews and a meeting with the branch presidency and their wives. There are 6 sisters in my district and 2 elders. My compa and I are going to BAW and the other sisters to Argentina Bia Blanca. One elder is going to Mexico and the other to Bolivia, but the elder going to Bolivia got his visa yesterday so he left this morning for the Columbia MTC. My compa and I were able to bond a bit more today so that was good and I am beginning to feel more comfortable. 

There are 6 girls in my room, we are completely full! But at least I get my own "closet". Also its community bathrooms...so big adjustment for me to have 6 girls in one room and a shared bathroom. I sleep on the top bunk. Also I am the tallest in my district, so that made me happy! Oh this morning we were talking and my Hermana roomies were telling me that I was really funny, and I hadn't even told any jokes! Yay, I am naturally funny! so then I shared a joke with them! Thank you for your dear elder! Keep them coming please! Also, Denise Johnson sent me a dear elder! Will you put her on the email list please. I am in a computer lab that cant send pictures so I will have to send them next week, lo siento (im sorry). My experience has been good so far! I think I am adjusting well. I hope all is well at home. Did you make a blog for my emails? Whats going on with you guys? I know it has only been a few days, but I'm still interested. Here is some Spanish I have been learning: testify: yo se que Jesuchristo vivo y el amor me. yo se que familias puedar eterno. en el nombre de jesuchristo amen.. still learning.. praying: nosotro querido Padre Celestial. por favor audayme a aprendar espano. estoy agradecido pr me familia. por favor bendigas me familia y me amigos y profeto y otro missionairos. te pide que me bendigas a su espiritu en el nombre de Jesuchristo amen. 

probably a lot of that Spanish is spelled wrong, but oh well, still learning :) also could you add Sister Megan Brown to the email list, gracias! also i didn't proof read this so I hope it makes sense! 

well I love you all 

soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

much! :) I think I remembered to say everything, if not sorry! I cant wait to hear from you! have a fantastico semana!

con mucho amor,

Hermana Burr