Week 13: The week someone thought we were translated!

  WHAT A WEEK! Well, I guess its only been a few days since you last heard from me, but some great things happened this weekend!

-President Golden called us while we were at Korean class this week. We weren't sure why he would be calling us, since he rarely calls missionaries out of the blue. We quickly answered and with concern in his voice, he asked, "Sisters, are you okay? I just wanted to make sure everything is fine." We both looked at each other, perplexed about why he would be calling to ask if we were okay. We told him we were fine. He said, "Ok, I'm just checking. I just had a nice visit with the Juarezs' and Bishop Vreeken and they talked so highly of you, I thought you might have been translated! I just wanted to make sure you were still on the earth." WE LOST IT! President Golden's humor is great and we most definitely were not expecting that. He told us to tone it down a little bit so that we can stay on earth a little longer. We were so happy that he called us! Best phone call of the week!

-JUAREZ: YES YES YES! The Juarezs'! Like in the above story, they met with President Golden this week and things are moving along for them to get baptized. They're wanting to get baptized before Sept 19th (because one of the elders who originally taught them goes home on that day). They are so converted. They are such great examples to ME! Since we only get to see them on Juarez Wednesday, during Book of Mormon class, we wanted to visit with them another day. We went over to their house on Friday evening and they told us they're moving right along towards baptism! We mentioned our call from President Golden and they both laughed. Robert said, "Seriously though, you both work so well together. It was divine intervention that you both are here together! It's refreshing actually!" WE AGREE ROBERT! They are honestly the best people ever! I'm so glad Robert mentioned that because Sister Greene and I are praying for a 3rd transfer together.....and a miracle of a 4th transfer. We get along together so well and we want to see the fruits of our labor continue on!
  Anyway, back to the Juarezs'. We asked them what we could do to help them as they're preparing for baptism. Its been a year since they've had the lessons and they want us to teach them again. So, we taught them the Restoration and they had such amazing insights!! The Spirit was so strong. They said they wish we could stay and talk with them all night (trust me, we wish we could do the same). We skipped back to our car because we were so HAPPY!


-MIRACLE HOUR: The miracle hour is known to be from 8-9 PM. President Golden has reiterated how important it is to proselyte during that time. Some people scold us for being out late and in the dark, but they just don't understand how important this work is!! Last night was another testament of miracle hour. It was 8:15 and our other plans for the evening had fallen through. We had quite a few calls to make, but felt we needed to be out proselyting. We decided to try and visit John Lopez, a potential investigator, whom we haven't had any luck getting hold of for the past 2 months! He lives in another "Little  Mexico." There is hardly any parking there and the streets aren't very well lit. It would've been easy for us just to pass by, but we knew we needed to stop and try. We found parking a few blocks away and hurried over to John's house. We knocked and knocked and no answer. Soon after, John's parents came home and started to go inside, when a young man came to the door. We asked if HE was John and he said he WAS! After we introduced ourselves and our message, John told us his mom had been telling him we've been stopping by, looking for him.  We talked a little more about the Restoration and the Book of Mormon. John said he loves to read and that he would read the Book of Mormon. He also said he wants to learn more!  We set up an appointment for next Sunday and John said, "Thank you...honestly." He was so sincere; we felt the Spirit the entire time! We finally found John! Rarely, is missionary work ever "convenient." It took 2 months of calls and visits for us to finally talk with him. We were so happy and felt blessed to be able to witness that miracle! As we walked back to our car, we stopped and talked to a few other people. One family in particular is very christian and we had an uplifting conversation with them about following Christ. They said they appreciate what we do and would continue to pray for us. It's not everyday that you talk to someone on the street who is trying to follow Jesus Christ and is so positive about doing it! I felt so refreshed after meeting them. They kept telling us we needed to go home because it was getting late and dark. People really do look out for the missionaries! (haha)  Last night when I went to bed, I truly felt like I had given it my all that day! We followed the Spirit and miracles happened!

-And let me just say, yesterday was my favorite Sunday in the field! We went into Sacrament meeting and were surrounded by our investigators (Nolan, Jacob, Joey, and the Juarezs'). My heart was full! Normally, I have anxiety after Sacrament meeting because I feel like I have to spread myself in a million different directions to talk to everyone before they head out. But, yesterday, I didn't feel that way! The Lord truly blessed us and we were able to talk to everyone we needed to. The meetings were so uplifting! Honestly, this ward is amazing! The Acacia Park ward members are always so eager to help and are loving and welcoming to everyone. We had a member reach out to us to tell us they would love to have Jacob and Joey over to their home for us to teach them.  This ward is so great!! It was such a beautiful Sabbath!

  In Book of Mormon class this week, we studied 2 Nephi 9-10. Those chapters are phenomenal!! In chapter 9, it talks about the Atonement and how the Holy One of Israel is the one who makes it possible for us to return back to Heavenly Father. I noticed how Jacob repeated many times throughout the chapter, "O how great the goodness of our God" and other similar phrases. For Jacob, he would not be on the earth to see the birth of Jesus Christ, but he was so excited for it! As he continued to acknowledge Heavenly Father's great plan and his love and mercy for us, his heart was filled with gratitude. I tried to put myself in Jacob's shoes, thinking about how excited he must've been knowing that Heavenly Father would provide a Savior for us! I thought about how BLESSED we are to know that Christ has come and will return again, soon. Because of that very fact, we have every reason to rejoice!! In verse 41 of that same chapter, it talks about how the Holy One of Israel will be the gate keeper. When I think of a gate keeper, usually I think of someone who is trying to keep people/things out. In the Book of Mormon student manual it said, "The Lord wants to welcome us just as much as He wants to certify us." I think that's very important to remember! The Lord Atoned for us because He loves us! He wants so badly to let us into that gate, but He is just. We need to do the best we can in this life, so we can be greeted with a warm welcome at the gate.
  I'm so grateful for my knowledge of a living Jesus Christ! I love learning more about Him and He truly has become my best friend! My heart is so full today because I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY! I love getting to share what I know and believe with those around me. I love this gospel and I'm grateful to have it in my life!

      All my love,

~~Sister Burton

Sometimes studies knocks it outta ya!

After cleaning the building on Saturday with the Relief Society, we went out for breakfast at "Polly's Pies" (a big hit around here)

 Picture of Robert and Diana in Gospel Essentials! They're so awesome!!

Week 10: When an investigator walks into El Pollo Loco...

Wow, its been so long! This email will probably be longer than normal, since its been a week and a half since I updated you on life! This past week and a half has been AWESOME! Things are really taking off here and I love it soooo much!

-Sister Durfee,  is a 93(will be 94 in 2 months), year old woman in the ward. We went and visited with her on Monday and there is one word which describes her: SPRY! She moves so quickly around her house and she is so self sufficient. She bought her house in 1963 and it feels like you walked into the 60's as soon as you step inside. It's amazing! She keeps a flower garden and even gave us a little tour! We asked her how she stays so young and she said, "It's in my genes!". Lucky lady! It was such a fun visit!

-We caught a glimpse of the eclipse on Monday! While we were getting ready for our day, we looked outside and although the sun was shining, it looked gloomy and dark. I literally thought it was the start of the Second Coming. Sis. Greene went outside to look for clouds, but there were none! Then we realized it was the ECLIPSE! We quickly glanced at the sun ( I know, I know, we're not supposed to do that...) and saw the moon on the edge of the sun! Super amazing that we even saw it down here! Even though the edge of the moon was on the sun, it still made a significant difference in sunlight.

- On Sunday we talked to a man on the street and he associated Mormons with David Archuleta. He asked if we knew who David Archuleta was (of course we do....that's a given).  This man told us he went to college with David's dad and that they're really close. He has been to many of David's tapings and knows the whole family. What are the odds of meeting someone in the streets of Fullerton that actually knows Archie?!

People

DONNA: We were able to see Donna last week, because we had to pick up those mangoes she has been meaning to give us. We sat down and talked with her for awhile. Finally, she TRULY opened up to us on why she has been having a hard time getting back into church. We were able to dig a little deeper with her and find her need! She's been wanting to go back to a church for a long time now, but she just has some things that have been bothering her. Now we know how we can help her. Donna keeps telling us, "I'll surprise you," in regards to coming to church. We hope she surprises us soon!

  This finishes the sentence in the subject line. "...you whip around your vehicle going 40 MPH and run inside to talk to them". Here's the story.  We were just driving down the road and I was looking around outside. As we passed El Pollo Loco, I noticed a black woman hobbling up the steps. I exclaimed, "I'm 99.9% sure that's Donna! Let's turn around!!" We quickly turned around and ran inside to see if it was her! And, IT WAS! We maneuvered through the crowd and I said, "Excuse me lady!" She looked up and then jumped back a few feet when she noticed it was us! She started laughing and laughing. What were the odds that we would just happen to notice her walking in there as we're driving by!? Donna said, "My sisters...." and just couldn't believe that we had stopped in to see her. We're hoping that she sees these encounters (our meeting her on the street almost 2 months ago while she had been praying for a church to attend and then Monday, when we just happened to see her going into El Pollo Loco) as answers to her prayers. We most definitely know these aren't coincidences. We know we're meant to have met Donna:)

RAMONA: Ramona is super amazing! We've only had a few encounters with her since we've been in the area (the Elders met her briefly a few months ago), but she has diligently come to church the past 2 weeks! She is experiencing a lot of trials in her life and really has just needed someone to talk to. Ramona has enjoyed our church, but it is very different from all the other churches she's been to. Sunday afternoon we went over and chatted with her. She opened up to us about how she is doing and some of the frustrations that she's been having recently. Ramona didn't understand why our church is different than the rest. We quickly slid into The Restoration (since Ramona doesn't usually allow substantial breaks, it's hard to teach principles). We then testified so strongly that if she turns to Christ for strength during her trials, He will not leave her comfortless (John 14:18,27). I could feel the Spirit so strongly at that point of the lesson. Ramona became more quiet and didn't interrupt as much as usual. We told her that this is Christ's true church and as she continues to make those sacrifices to come and learn more, she will be blessed as she goes through life's challenges. My eyes started to well up with tears, which is only the second time I remember this happening during a lesson. We prayed with her and the Spirit was even STRONGER! That lesson with Ramona was super awesome! Even though it's hard because He isn't physically here with us, the Lord can truly strengthen us and guide us through our trials. I KNOW He does!

EXCHANGE MIRACLE: I was on exchanges with Sister Johnson on Saturday, here in Acacia Park. We spent most of the day helping a family move, so we didn't have a lot of time to proselyte. However, we thought we would check up on a potential, Chris. We walked up and noticed a young man outside and asked him if Chris was home. He said he wasn't home, but that he would be sure and tell Chris we stopped by. This young man told us that Chris has mentioned us before and what our religion is.  We introduced our message of the Restoration to him. His name is Josh. We invited him to read Moroni's promise at the end of the Introduction. We then asked Josh if that is something he would like to know for himself. He replied, "Honestly...yes." WE WERE SHOCKED! We left him with a copy of the Book of Mormon and a Restoration pamphlet. We also scheduled a return appointment for Sunday! The Lord truly does bless us to find those who are ready for the gospel, even if we have limited time to find them! We texted him earlier this week and asked if he started reading and he said, "YES!" He said he had school that day and needed to do his homework first! Ahhh, we're so excited to see where this goes with Josh!

 This week was a good one! Pretty busy with lots of great things! This next week will be another great one. Monday's email probably won't be as long winded, since it's only 4 days from now, instead of 7!
  Buuut, we got to go to the Newport Beach temple this morning and it was fantastic! Such a beautiful temple! I loved being there in the temple and feeling of God's love for me individually and for all of his children! I know that I am where I need to be at this moment in my life...right here in the California Anaheim mission :)

 President Ucthdorf has said, "Don't give up. Seek God with all your heart. Exercise faith. Walk in righteousness." There's really nothing I can add to that! Keep doing those things that you should be! Similar to the words of Doug last week, God doesn't give up on you, so don't give up on Him!

Sending my love!

~~Sister Burton

The Newport Beach Temple with Sister Greene

Robert and Diana at Book of Mormon class. Such good students!

Our new 2017 car. His name is Manuel 2.0 ( Elder Santana photobombing)

We're always laughing!

Exchanges with Sister Johnson

Last week of half priced SONIC shakes!! 

All our missionaries at the Newport Beach Temple today.

Our district at the Newport Beach Temple.

Week 9: Guess who's baaaack?!

ROGER. The man, the myth, the legend. We'll get to that in a minute though.

Hello friends! I hope you all had a lovely week! I know school is about to start up for a lot of you, so best of luck! My week was pretty good! Here are a few highlights:

People

Juarez Wednesday: YES. Back at it again in Book of Mormon class! This time, they brought a box fan since that small little room is hot as hades. They're so funny! Again, they offered so many amazing insights to the class and they even brought HIGHLIGHTERS and were going ham as we read through 2 Nephi 4-5! They are just so solid. Diana mentioned to us that she fasted on Monday for her son. We had just talked about fasting at church on Sunday and she had a few questions about it. But the fact that she went ahead and did it herself was amazing! We love them soooo much! They're getting things in order this upcoming week to be baptized and we're super pumped!

Time for ROGER: Roger came back into our lives this week. Since the elders that were working with him left, we took him back under our wings. He lives in La Habra boundaries, so we needed to pass him off to the sisters there. We had a lesson Wednesday before Book of Mormon class. We sat down and he mostly talked about his website that he has and other things that he's been up to lately. We asked him about his praying and explained that will help him to feel more of God's presence in his life. The other sisters tried to set up another time they could teach him more, because he had another appointment somewhere. The funniest thing was he went around the circle, saying our names as we were leaving. He said Sister Greene(without hesitation) and then looked at me for a minute....I told him it was Sister Burton. His reply? "Oh, Sister Burton. Yes, I think we've bumped into each other a few times." This was our 3rd lesson with him....not to mention numerous phone calls on top of that. I was DYING! Good ole Roger.
  He's called us a few times this week and our phone calls usually last about 30 minutes, because he tells us about his website and how his air conditioner is working and the fan is oscillating. We always try to bring things back to the gospel and invite him to pray and read the Book of Mormon. He still calls me Sister Burney, but that's okay;)

Tender Mercies

Korean class: Okay, maybe this isn't totally a tender mercy, but I'm SO pumped because we get to help out with the English class for the Koreans! We get to go once a week and help them! They are beyond adorable and it's so fun to hear them speak, surprisingly good English! I'm even picking up on a few Korean words!

Church Attendance:  My heart was so full yesterday at church. When we walked in we saw Ramona, (one of our investigators that we haven't been able to see very often). She has been trying to find our church for weeks now and has trouble with directions. But, SHE MADE IT! She darted afterwards, but it seems like she enjoyed it. We hope to see her this week and get her thoughts on church. Robert and Diana were there which is always a good time! I don't think I've mentioned our other investigator, Nolan. His wife was a member, but passed away a few months ago. He has been coming to church ever since. His less active daughter, from the Euclid ward, has been bringing him. We got to meet them earlier last week and they were both so awesome! They both want to take the lessons. Anyways, we were able to set up a time this Friday to go over and teach them! We're so pumped! They've finally been opening up to us more and it's been a tender mercy!

The Man in the Van: Okay, this most definitely has been the most unexpected, spiritually uplifting experience I have had on my mission so far. Last night, we were thinking about who we should go see and nothing was feeling right. We thought about Tony, (who is a potential investigator). We recently called him and really had no reason to go over there last night, but we felt that we should. He lives really close to the Institute building, so we park there and walk down. We pulled up and the "Man in the Van" was there! Back story: there is a less active member, Doug, who lives in this bright blue van in the Institute parking lot. We've been trying to get a hold of him for weeks, but haven't had any luck. He came to our ward the first Sunday we were here, but we didn't get to talk to him very much. He was standing in the parking lot, welding something, so we decided that we would check on Tony first. We chatted with Tony briefly, since he was in the middle of dinner, and then we left. As we walked back to the Institute building, Doug was done welding and was just sitting there. We asked if he was Doug and (of course) he was. We started talking with him about what he's been up to and then Sis. Greene asked about how he joined the church. THEN, that's when the Spirit hit. He completely opened up to us and shared such a powerful testimony. He joined the church 4 years ago after his dad died. He was looking for peace in his life and when he was introduced to the church, he wanted to be baptized. With tears in his eyes, he said he knew this church was true. He said in the past 6 months, he has only missed 1 or 2 days of praying. He says it's been God that has been protecting him and watching over him. He said his van should've been broken down a long time ago. He talked about how he feels the Spirit so strongly in his life. He said he hasn't been in the best situations recently, but the Spirit has been a protection and a warning voice for him. He never wants to lose the Spirit. I wish I could share every detail of that interaction because it was such a sweet, tender experience. Who would've thought that this tall, tatted man who lives in a van, could have such a strong testimony? He kept saying how he doesn't want to feel guilt. He wants to be better and wants to make God even more proud. He trusts in God so much and that was completely eye opening to me.
  During church yesterday, I was pondering the question, "What Lack I Yet?", in regards to being a missionary. I received the prompting that I needed to be more trusting in Heavenly Father. I don't always have enough faith and trust that He can mold me into the kind of person He needs me to be. Last night, I admitted some of that to Doug and told him that his testimony was strengthening ME! He replied with a question I will never forget, "God trusts you to be His missionary. Shouldn't you trust Him?" I literally was speechless. His testimony was so strong and it pushed me to be a better person. I would be lying if I said I didn't shed a tear. I knew that was Heavenly Father answering my prayer through Doug. Doug was sorry that we weren't able to see Tony. We told Doug that we didn't know why we were coming to see Tony at first, but we knew then that it was the Spirit leading us there to see Doug. Doug wants to come to Book of Mormon class this week and hopefully we see him at church on Sunday! I'm grateful for that humble, beautiful testimony that was shared last night. I love being a missionary! Getting to have these experiences with people is priceless and I love seeing how the gospel helps everyone!! Last night is a night I will never forget.
  In those experiences, I KNOW that Heavenly Father is aware of each of His children. The Spirit truly does lead us where we need to go, even though we may have no idea why. I'm grateful we heeded that prompting because that experience changed my life. The gospel is amazing!! I'm grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who cares for each of us. Even though we might feel like we're in the darkest abyss, as long as we keep ourselves turned towards God, we have no need to fear. Trust in Him, ALWAYS!

What a fantastic week! I'm pumped for another week here in Acacia Park! The Lord is working miracles here!

LOVE,

~~Sister Burton

 Our district from last transfer.

Our zone from last transfer. 

Chalking! We chalked the Plan of Salvation at the park!

KOREAN CLASS!

We made below average peanut butter cookies that expired 3 years ago. But hey, cookies.

We were given cans of soup that describe us.

Wednesdays at Cafe Rio they have discounted Tostadas!

Week 8: TODAY IS MY 2 MONTH MARK!

  Wahoo! Time sure flies when you're having fun! I feel like I've been out longer than that, but each week goes by so quickly! This week starts a new transfer and a lot of new changes in our zone. It's gonna be so great!!

-We attended the La Habra Corn Festival this weekend and it was fun! We set up a Family Search booth and gave people information on how they could get started with their family history!

People/Miracles

-YES the JUAREZ family! We saw them again on Juarez Wednesday for Book of Mormon class!  They came with a pad of paper and were ready to learn! We read 2 Nephi 2-3(which are super awesome chapters!) They loved it! Towards the beginning of the class, I forget what verse we read that reminded Robert of this experience, but he said that he made plans with his daughter Sunday and they all fell through. He said it was such a frustrating day. It wasn't until he was in Book of Mormon class that he realized he should've made time for church on Sunday. He said he could've made all of his plans work that day. THEN, he said he felt the Spirit as we were sitting in class. He understands that he doesn't have the "gift of the Holy Ghost," because he hasn't been baptized yet, but he loves the feelings he's experiencing. Tears ALMOST came out of my eyes. It was amazing! And the best part?! They texted us afterwards and told us that they'd be at church on Sunday! We danced around the church parking lot because our hearts were so full!
   AND, they kept their word and came to church yesterday! They looked so great and happy and the ward members were happy to see them! They stayed for all 3 hours too! We love the Juarezes!! We hope to talk to them more this week and find out when they would like to be baptized!!

ISMAEL:
  As we walked up to Ismael's house Tuesday for our lesson, we saw him outside, reading the Book of Mormon. We quickly snuck a quick picture because it was too precious to pass up. We had a great lesson about the commandments. He's still so solid, we just need to get him to church. We'll be working with him more this week and hope that it still continues in the right direction! After our lesson Tuesday, his Mom invited us for dinner. They had potato salad (WITH EGGS) and I'm not gonna lie, it was a struggle. But I didn't want to offend them(since it's the Spanish culture) so I took the smallest portion I could and ate it fast. I'm glad I survived.

DONNA:
 We decided to stop by and see Donna Friday, since we hadn't talked to her in awhile. It was later in the evening and we weren't sure if she'd be home, but she answered the door in her pj's and invited us in. We chatted for a bit and then SHE started turning the discussion towards the gospel!  She was asking us what we thought about the purpose of this life. We showed her the video "Our Eternal Life" and it really resonated with her. We talked about it afterwards and she had some great questions. I could feel the Spirit so strongly as we talked with her. We finally found something that peaks her interest! She's been getting too caught up in B.C/A.D and prophets of the Bible, but it seems that the Plan of Salvation is something that could really soften her heart. We wish we had more time to talk with her, but it was getting late. She threw on her Nike's and walked us to our car.  We call ourselves "Team Cocoa"(since she's chocolate--her words, not mine). She said she's always happy to see us and calls us "her girls"! Donna is so so fun! We hope to talk with her more about the gospel this week. We might just have to take things a little slower with her, which is fine and dandy because she's so golden!! And we'll get a selfie soon, but she wasn't dressed for the day, so that was postponed;)

Studies:
- My studies on Friday changed my outlook of my mission and gave me such a boost that I'm ready to get out there and work even more! I restarted the Book of Mormon again this week, which is awesome! I love starting over! I was reading in 1 Nephi 4 about how Laban was "delivered him into thy hands"(talking to Nephi). I've often thought of that scripture and how it applies to missionary work (not exactly in the same sense since Nephi was commanded to kill Laban), BUT I think about how all those we pass on the street or happen to cross paths with, it could be because the Lord has put them in our path to hear the gospel. When I think about those people like that, my whole outlook on missionary work changes. We don't know who's prepared for the gospel until we talk to them, so why not talk to everyone like you know they're ready for it? Heavenly Father reprimanded me very well that day in my studies ;) I felt such a strong desire to be bold and to talk to everyone! This message is something that the WHOLE WORLD needs! All we need to do is to be good examples and invite others to come unto Christ! Sometimes we're only able to give people a card and even then, they aren't interested. But we won't know unless we talk with them.
  All things are done according to the Lord's will! He knows all! Don't forget to turn to him in prayer everyday! I couldn't imagine going through a day without praying. Donna said something profound to us the other day. She said, "I always talk to God. He's my best friend, and His line is never busy." PREACH IT DONNA! His side of the line is never busy, but is our side?

 Lots of love! Smile, because it's a beautiful day to be alive! Treat everyday like a party (at least that's my and Sister Greene's motto this transfer)! Don't waste time being sad! You'll get more wrinkles!

Ismael, reading his Book of Mormon

Dinner with Bernetta Calvin (what a treat) and my first Denny's experience!

Celebrating Sister Greene's 6 month mark with a Sonic 1/2 price shake.

Slid and fell playing sock Duck Duck Goose on P-Day. Got a nice bruise.

Snuck a picture of Donna.

At the Corn Festival with a random child!

Matching, AGAIN!