Saturday, October 17, 2015

The miracle of Church & the example we set! (Week 47)

Family!

I had a good week. Yesterday in church we had 2 investigadores!!! I was so so happy when we finally had people in the reunión sacramental cause no one has come since I have been in this area. Their names are Jesús and Juana. They are the parents of an investigador that had a fecha baustismal and now we cannot have contact with him (Ivan). We went and found them and arrived at church together. Also, their 6 year old daughter came, Ella es un amor. During the sacrament meeting I was a little worried cause Jesus seemed bored and that he didn't like it much. I just prayed that he could be able to feel the spirit and feel "full". We attended Sunday School next. After Sunday school was over they were talking to the teacher and Jesús said he felt like he had been here before. It also helped them to have a good experience because the sister of Jesús was there. She is a member, but is less active and has been sick for a while. After all of the meetings were over we were talking and they really liked church and it was a positive experience for them. I was so happy that the spirit touches the people's hearts and even though things aren't perfect in the church it is the spirit that makes it meaningful and a good experience. Also, it was the birthday of Jesús and Juana was telling us how great of a gift it was to them to be spending his birthday going to church and getting closer to Christ.

At one point Juana had a fecha bautismal for September 26 but we could not find her for a few weeks and we had only taught her the restoration. When we passed by their house Saturday night we were talking to her and she said she still wanted to be baptized and she was saying how the baptism was supposed to be that day. We explained to her that there is a preparation and we are going to work even harder to have lessons with her, even though she has the craziest schedule in the world, to help her be baptized. We also taught her family that night. She and Jesús have 6 children and 4 can be baptized. It is going to be a lot of work to help this family, but I believe that the Lord has been preparing them and now is their time.

Ok a real fast experience! Yesterday we did a contact and the guy we talked to said that he saw us talking to people before and he thought that if we ever talked to him he was going to test us to see if we were nice. He said we passed the test and we can talk to him again and share our message with him. This is just another testimony to me that we are examples in every moment. The people recognize us as Representatives of Christ and we plant seeds just by our example! Go and be wonderful examples of Christ!

Have a fantastic week!

Con mucho amor,
Hermana Burr

La Gira Misional! (Week 46)

Family!

Well I don't have much time so this will be short, sorry! We had a special training this week with Elder and Sister Teixeira! It is called a giral misional (or a missionary turn--direct translation). I really enjoyed the gira misional. I learned a lot. We are putting things in practice and I can already see a difference. I feel more sincere in the work and helping the people. This gives me more faith that we can find the people that are ready for the gospel. Lately I have been feeling que estamos yendo por todas lados y nada esta pasando. We are going in circles and no one is progressing and nothing is happening. This is what we needed to really TURN our area! I am going to try and focus more on the people and less on the numbers and really help them. At this point in my missino I know how to do missonary work and now I am becoming a true disciple of Christ.

I also really enjoyed stake conference yesterday. It helped me to have a more positivie attitude. Even though the things aren't going how I would like them doesn't mean that things are going wrong. Muchas veces la manera del Senor es deferente de mi manera y necesito aceptar esto y ver lo bueno en todo. Many times the way the Lord works is different than our way or what or how we want things to go. We must accept that and look for the good in every moment even if it doesn't work how we planned or wanted.

Our Sunday miracle... yesterday we were walking in the street. When we were approaching a man we felt the impression to talk to him. It turns out that he was walking in the street because he was sad and trying to get his mind off things. Then we started talking to him. His name is Tristan. We were able to give him a Book of Mormom and help him understand how it can help him be happier. He said he would read and we are going to visit him on Friday.

Thanks! Have a fantastic week!

Con mucho amor,
Hermana Burr

Divisiones con la Hermana Allen! Whaaat:) (Week 45)

Family!

So this week I had divisions with Hermana Allen! Look who was companions again, even if it is only for one day (MTC comp)! I am not going to lie it was a day full of adventures! One right after the other! During lunch we tried to make banana break although we didn't have some real important ingredients! It was definitely an interesting concoction! This is the craziest part... while we were walking this dog just ran right up and bit Hermana Allen! He took some of her tights and a bit of her skin! It was crazy! So then we went to the house of a menos activo to get her all cleaned up! And this miracle happened while we were at the house. During divisiones (Saturday) we visited a meno activo. They asked what ward I was serving in and I said Ituzaingo 4. Then they started giving me a whole bunch of references! We received 8 references for my area and I wasn't even in my area! So yesterday (Sunday) we went to contact as many of the references as we could. We could talk to some and others weren't home. But thanks to these references we found a family of 4! I have a lot of faith and hope that we are going to keep teaching them and they will progress and make the decision to be baptized. I don't think it is going to be easy but I feel like they are prepared by the Lord, even though they don't know it!

In divisiones I learned to keep working diligently and patiently and the fruits will come. Trust in the Lord and his timing and that my labors are not in vain that everything we do is for a purpose even if we aren't the ones that see the fruits of our labors. We are always planting seeds for the future. Whether it is immediate furture or in the long run.

This week we had divisions. I went with Hermana Allen to her area. Hernama Casado came to our area and worked with Hermana Wiborny. While I was gone they put a fecha baptismal with one of our new investagadores se llama Javier. His date is for the 10 of Octubre.

This week I studied a talk called "La perspectiva eterna del evangelio" or the eternal persepective of the gospel by Elder Rafael E. Pino. It really helped me a lot! We need to remember that what we are doing now has an effect on our eternity. When we make decisions we need to think with an eternal perspective and remember what is really important. The Lord knows better than us and He is making us what he wants us to be through the experiences we have! I invite and encourage all to read and study it!

As a mission this tranfer we are reading the Book of Mormon! We read like 16 pages a day. I am loving reading the Book of Mormon this transfer! I love to read the stories and see how they apply to my life and the lives of the investigadores.

Have a fantastic week!

Con mucho amor,
Hermana Burr

Wednesday, October 7, 2015

The Week of a Missionary in Castelar, Buenos Aires, Argentina (Week 44)

Dearest family and friends!

HAPPIEST OF BIRTHDAYS TO MY DEAR MOTHER! Thanks for being the best mom in the entire world! I know that you are the best in the entire world for reals now cause now I have experienced other parts of the world and can say it for reals! I love you mom!

I had a good week. I am learning the area mejor (better) and I am learning more about the investigadores and members here. I am starting to feel comfortable and happy here. I am finishing the training of my companion. She now has 2 1/2 months in the mission. When you start in the mission you have 3 months of training. Yes I am in the same zone as Hermana Allen! (MTC companion) It is so fun to see her every now and then! We are hoping that one day we will be companions again, well we were almost companions again. The same zone but not companions. We are getting closer!

Our baptismal dates are Ivan and his mom Juana. We had plans to go to church with them yesterday. When we showed up Ivan wasn't there and Juana had to work. We marked a lesson for Tuesday and we are already working on plans with them to go to church next Sunday. Gabriel also has a fecha (date). We weren't able to have a real good leccion with him this last week and he had to work on Sunday so he couldn't come to church. This week I am learning a lot about church attendance especially because we were studying about it in 12 weeks (studies for the new missionaries- I am studying it because Hna Wiborny is new). I think I have finally figured out the key to church attendance, the members. When the members invite and take the accion to help the investigadores go to church that is when they actually go and have an uplifting experience. This week we are going to utilize mejor (better) the members to help the investigadores come to church.

We had a really good leccion yesterday with an investigadore named Lucas. He is looking for a church. The hermanas found him before I got here but they didn't teach him very much. We passed by last week and talked quickly about the Book of Mormon. Yesterday we taught him about the restauracion and he was really interested. Before we started teaching he asked us what the difference is between our church and all of the others. I was so excited to help him understand the difference. I know our church is the same church that Christ established when he was on the earth. The only church that has the power and authority to act in God's name and effect ordinances for our salvation. Lucas said he would be baptized when he receives his answer. He has been praying since the last time we visited him to know if what we are teaching is true. Yesterday we committed him to pray to know if the Book of Mormon is true and helped him understand that if it is then Joseph Smith was a prophet and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the kingdom of God here on the earth. He is praying to receive his answer and reading in the Book of Mormon.

Have a fantastic week!
Con mucho amor,
Hermana Burr