Week 35: SOLID GROUND

 Hey everybody! I hope you had a most splendid week! I know we did!

*We saved a dog this week! Missionaries are supposed to go about doing good, so I guessed we filled our quota for the week? We pulled up to a house, got out of the car, and noticed a small little dog in the middle of the road, with no one else around him. We called the numbers on his tag and no answer. We weren't sure what to do because we couldn't take the dog with us, but we didn't want to leave the dog. Eventually his owner called back and said that he just lived around the corner. No one was home so we just hooked him back on his leash in their yard. It was quite the adventure. We miss little Duke!

*We had some AMAZING, spiritually-booming lessons this week with our investigators. We finally got to meet with Eleanor (Donny Osmond fan), since she has gotten over "the plague" and it was a great lesson. We taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ by reading 2 Nephi 31 and we invited her to be baptized and she said, "I'm not there yet, but I don't see why not!" Honestly, I was surprised to get that answer. We weren't entirely sure if she was meeting with us just to learn or if she was really willing to change. It will be slow progress, but she's amazing! She has LOVED reading the Book of Mormon and takes it very seriously. Many of the experiences she has had recently have been the whisperings of the Holy Ghost! She definitely is being prepared!

*Mini Exchange Miracles! On Saturday, Sister Jensen wasn't feeling very well, so some other Sisters came to our area and we did a little  mini exchange. I got to go out with Sister Harrison and it was AWESOME! We decided to go to Friendly Village and we talked with everyone we saw and knocked on doors as we felt prompted. Sister Harrison taught me to truly embrace the awkward-ness that is missionary work. A former investigator came into my mind as we were walking around. I met her months ago, but since then have not caught her home. Well, this time she was home and she eagerly set up a return appointment for this coming week.
  We also got to see a lady that I've been trying to meet these past 4 months. She has been requesting a Bible and Book of Mormon, but every time we've gone over, her gate was always locked. However, this time it wasn't and she was home! She was SO happy to see us and was excited to start reading the Book of Mormon. Her family has been going through a lot of challenges recently and she just said she is really looking for more peace. Well, the gospel of Jesus Christ will definitely help with that! We have an appointment with her this week too! AHHH, miracles, miracles, miracles.


*Last night we had a nice visit with Nora. She is just a gem. She kept all of the hearts from when we heart attacked her and she is going to put them on a canvas and hang them on her wall. She then broke down into tears, thanking us and expressing her love for us. We were ALL balling at that point. My heart was so touched. That's what I want people to feel: love. Heavenly Father's love, the Savior's love, my love.
 
*Yesterday we had a really good Regional Broadcast for the entire West Coast! We got to hear from some general authorities, including Elder Christofferson. The main takeaway I got was that we need to continually be doing the basic things (scripture study, prayer, church attendance, etc). Those little things give us the strength to do the big things.
 Our Stake President spoke to us before the broadcast and I was blown away. He did not mince words and talked about how each of us need to take the Sacrament more seriously. He mentioned how he attends wards where people are often distracted and are not engaged in the sacred ordinance they're about to participate in. His words have really stuck with me.
  I invite each of you to think of the Savior more and to allow more time away from technology or other distractions to think of His great sacrifice. Especially during the Sacrament, we should be focusing our thoughts and energy on Him!
 
  I love being a missionary! I love the wild, fun, amazing experiences that I get to have. There is no where else I'd rather be right now than in California, serving as many people as I can!
 
Love you all!

~Sister Burton

Comp twinning.

Duke felt comfy in our car.

...don't worry, we got him home safe.

 Sister Harrison!

 If you know me, you know how much I hate cats. Well, definitely learned my lesson NOT to wear a black shirt to a cat lady's house.

Week 34 : "TRANSFERS?! Oh that's worse than cancer"

 ^^^^Marriane is hard of hearing and when we told her that transfers were coming up, she thought we said cancer. The above caption was her response.  I'm not sure that I quite agree with that, but it was pretty hilarious!

 Hey everybody! This week was pretty average. I honestly can't think of anything super crazy.

*Nora is so awesome! She's been going through a hard time recently, so we've been making visits to her. The members are really getting involved. Over the next few weeks they will be opening their homes so that we can start teaching her the lessons! We've been trying to do it delicately with her, but she has shown SO many signs of wanting to learn more, so we're gonna run with it!

*We were able to get in contact with Eve, the Yorba Linda 5th Sisters' neighbor. It was a crazy hectic time, but we were able to chat for a few minutes. Then SHE asked, "So when are you coming back over? I really love when you're here!" THE SPIRIT! We'll be going over this week and we're hoping to talk with her more about our message and see what her interest level is.

*The progress with our current investigators has been a little slow with the holidays, illness (seriously, the flu this year is BAD), and schedules. Really, the adversary works SO hard as he sees you start to make changes and become better. We've been trying to be patient and help them along as best we can. We're still continuing to find to be able to teach more people.

*We finally were able to have a mini lesson with Marriane last night. She's usually all over the place, but last night, she started asking why there are so many different religions. We were able to share different points of the Restoration and testify to her. She said she really appreciates learning more about it and loves what we believe. I've never felt the Spirit so strongly with her before! It was awesome! She is slowly progressing and that's awesome!

*Well, the moment you've all been waiting for: transfers! Aaaaaand, I'm staying in the Yorba Linda 4th ward with Sister Jensen for another 6 weeks. I really wasn't expecting to stay here because I've already been here for 4 months, but it's where the Lord needs me. I really want to work hard this next transfer to continue to help build up the area. I know there are many more truth seekers here; we've just got to find them ;)

*My mind has just been so consumed with the Atonement lately. As I've continued to ponder and study about the Savior and His Great Sacrifice, my heart is filled with overwhelming joy and gratitude. Not only has He taken upon Himself our sins, but also our temptations and our infirmities. He descended below ALL things so that he could better succor His people! (Alma 7:11-13) He knows you and your struggles. As you turn to Him, He WILL help you and provide the comfort that you need, no matter what life may throw at you. I know this to be true because I have felt this in my life, especially being on a mission and being away from so many comforts. We really do have to turn to Him in all things. Allow Him to carry your burdens! He loves you and wants to help you!

Love you all! Have a great week!

~Sister Burton

Gotta love these palms,

Most decadent hot chocolate ever. I've never felt more sick from sugar in my life!

Placentia Zone pics.

District

Heart-attacked Nora's house.

Got to see some of my sweet, past companions on Saturday!

I adore Nora's dog, Ziko.

New album is about to drop: PMG 2k18

Week 33:The week everything fell through, except MIRACLES!

  HEY everybody! 
    It's amazing how another week has already come and gone! The saying, "The days are long, but the weeks fly by," is SO true!
    Our week started off a little slow, because Sister Jensen was still trying to kick her flu/plague thing. This week was also a little rough. It seemed like ALL of our plans fell through. We had a few nights when ALL of our lessons/plans fell through and nothing was really seeming right. Those days are probably some of the hardest, when you just don't feel super inspired to see any of the people that you had planned as back ups. BUT, as we pushed through the adversity, we saw so many miracles in the oddest places!
 
  *On Tuesday night, while we were at the church for Book of Mormon class, the youth from the Anaheim 10th ward snagged us to come be the judges of their Cake Boss creations, all centered around stories of the Book of Mormon. Our job was to guess what they were! It was super fun! I attached a picture of my favorite one ;)

  *President and Sister Golden came and visited our apartment, just to see where we lived and to be able to chat with us for a few minutes. It was awesome!

*We had the Newport Beach Temple grounds tour on Saturday! Friday night, Marriane and Sylvia cancelled. Our ride cancelled too! We were scrambling to find someone else who could take us. Nora was planning on going with Sister Palmer, but they had dinner plans afterwards and we didn't want to barge in on them. We were stressing all Saturday morning too! Our investigator was going and we wanted to be sure that we could be there! Thankfully, our ward mission leader's wife said she could take us! PHEW, lifesaver and an answer to prayers!
  The tour was AWESOME! Honestly, after the stressful week we had, just being on the grounds of the temple calmed me down. There truly is such a special Spirit and peace there. Nora loved it! She just loves learning and having Sister Palmer there was PERFECT! They're like 2 peas in a pod! 
  Afterwards, Nora walked over to a table of church materials and picked up several pass along cards and even a Book of Mormon! We've not been sure if we should introduce that just yet, but now she has it and we're thinking to really sit down and start teaching her soon! She's really prepared!

*We've had some unique experiences finding members these past few weeks! First our "Jimmy" experience and then one this past week! We went to see a referral and learned that the lady who lives there is a member but her husband is not. Her name isn't on our ward list, so her records aren't here. She's been in the hospital for the past little bit down in Anaheim, so we asked her husband if she would like a blessing. We quickly called the Elders in Anaheim and they went to visit her that night! So neat! We'll be following up with them soon!

*We've been slowly starting to visit a part member family, the Earleys. He has been inactive since he was 9 and his wife and son are not members. Last week we invited him to a Family History activity on Saturday (since he LOVES family history) and he actually went! He was able to find his great-great grandfather, who he has been looking for for a long time! Brother Earleys' home teacher, Brother Hatch, was able to attend with him. Yesterday, Brother Hatch told us, "It's a miracle that you've been able to get in that door these past few weeks! He didn't use to let the Sisters in!" We stopped by again last night and he graciously let us in and his whole family sat down with us. We talked about the activity he went to and he said he just loved it! His son started asking us, "So when are we gonna talk about God?" Good question!(haha). We talked about God briefly and told him we'd talk more about Him next time. We haven't been sure if his family would be up to having the lessons, but I think our visit with them last night really answered our question!

 *Yesterday at church was the "Sisters" show. We taught Gospel Principles on "Our Heavenly Family" and then had a small part in introducing the 2018 Youth Theme "Peace in Christ" for the youth! It was so uplifting and I loved getting to study for those things. This ward is simply amazing! Their comments and their testimonies blow me away!
  Something the Bishop mentioned really resonated with me. He was talking about comparison and he said that the only person we should compare ourselves to is who we were yesterday, last week, or even a year ago.
  I sat there and thought about where I was a year ago. I have learned and grown SO much during this past year. As I reflected on that, I realized that I'm doing a lot better than I think when I compare myself like that! I can't wait to see how much I can learn and grow during this year! By this time next year, I will have finished my mission and be back to "normal" life. I hope that I can continue to grow and improve as quickly as I am now!
  I invite EACH of you to think of yourself a year ago. Where were you? What trials were you going through? Now think of yourself today. How did those things a year ago prepare you for today? Have you grown closer to your Heavenly Father since then? If you've even had the slightest improvement in the past year then you're doing the right thing! Keep it up! When we think about things in that light, we realize how much good we are actually doing :)

  I hope you all have a most fantastic week! Transfer calls are this coming Saturday, so stay tuned to see if I'll be staying in Yorba Linda for another 6 weeks or if I'll be transferring to another area!

Love you all! Thank you for the continued support! MAKE today( and everyday) amazing!!


~Sister Burton

Got to see sweet Sister Evali last week at Sister Goldens💕

 It rained 2 DAYS this past week! 

A cool cake the youth made.

Clearest day on Sunday! Finally got a picture of the LA skyline.

Met Brother Kohls for lunch at In N Out today! So sweet.

 AND today is Brother Juarezs' birthday, so we got ice cream with him!

 Ice cream on a hot day!

NORA and Sister Palmer came to the Temple grounds tour. Such a sweet experience!

Week 32: My 7 MONTH mark!

Goooood morning from beautiful California!

 Can you believe that yesterday I hit my 7 month mark? I honestly feel like the time is literally flying now! Hold on tight everybody!

  This week has been a little on the slower side. Saturday and Sunday we spent quarantined inside because Sister Jensen has contracted the plague, AKA the flu. Everybody around here is getting it. I'm not sure if it's as bad in other states, but around here it's really bad! Hoping for a speedy recovery...and also that I don't catch it either! Sister Jensen seems to be on the mend this morning!

  Tuesday night we had dinner with the Dedricks. Their BLIND nephew, Easton, from Florida is visiting for a few days. He's less active, so Sister Dedrick suggested that for a message we read a chapter from the Book of Mormon. It was so cool talking with Easton and learning more about the blind.  He told us about braille and how some words are spelled out (not the way we know the letters) and other words have symbols. SO COOL! Anyways, we chose 1 Nephi 8, and Easton read most of the chapter from his giant braille book. His fingers were flying! He said he hadn't read serious braille in awhile, OR  the Book of Mormon for that matter! It was so awesome to be able to share in the magic of the Book of Mormon with them!
 
  On Thursday, our day was literally PACKED! We had back to back appointments and were running all across town to get to them. They were all super good! And the best part of the evening? We had a late dinner at Costco. (haha). I really can't remember much about that day...but that was one of the highlights.

  Sister Jensen was feeling waves of sickness throughout the week, so we didn't get tons of time to find new people. But, when we were able to find, we ran into some miracles. We've still been tracting out Friendly Village, so we knocked on the doors of a part member family, (that we had no idea lived there) and a lady who is good friends with people in the ASL branch in Fullerton! We had some really great conversations with these people! It's amazing how the Lord TRULY does direct our paths and will lead us where we need to be.

  We had another lesson with Josh this past week. We taught him about the Plan of Salvation, but everything kept coming back to the Book of Mormon. He still struggles to believe it. We kept testifying that he actually has to read it and pray about it, with an open heart. He'd go on talking, saying how he wants to read it, although he'll never believe it. A minute later he would say that he's interested to see the parallels between the Bible and the Book of Mormon. We know that Josh is truly seeking the truth, we are just praying that he will open up his heart enough to see the goodness and truth the Book of Mormon brings! Things are definitely going in the right direction though!
 Before our lesson with him, he asked us what Jesus means to us? During my personal study that day, I thought about what the Savior really means to me. I got teary-eyed as I shared my thoughts with him. I'll share a few of my thoughts with each one of you, too.
   The Savior means hope, eternal happiness, grace, and mercy. He means the entire world to me! We couldn't (nor should we) get through this life without Him. He is meant to be our friend, our confidante. I'm thankful that He doesn't give up on me, even though I sometimes fall and think I can handle it on my own. We NEED our Savior.

 I'll also share something from President Golden that he challenged me to do in my interview with him this past week. He asked me to reflect on these 3 questions:

  What does Christ-centered mean to me?
  Where am I?
  What can I change to become more Christ-centered?

  I've been pondering those questions a lot and have read many conference talks on it. I invite YOU to do the same. President Golden promised me that if I do these things, I will truly have a joyous mission. And that same promise extends to you! I promise that if you evaluate your life, think of what you can do to be a little more centered on Christ, your life will be more joyous! It doesn't mean it's going to be easy, but you will have much more reason to rejoice in the Savior!

Have a most fantastic week everybody! Thank you for the continued love and support!


Love always,

~Sister Burton

Dinner at Costco!

Waiting for our lesson with Josh in Carls Jr....

.Lunch at Cheesecake Factory last P-day with the Sisters in the district!

All gender bathroom- a normal occurrence in California.

Playing baseball last P-day with a card board box and a racquetball.

Jammin out to some good old Hawk Nelson.

Us in our natural habitat (Me never aware of my surroundings)

Week 31: "You wanna go to Disneyland?"

 Wow, what a beautiful week here in Yorba Linda! Seriously. It's in the teens in PA and it's mild and beautiful here! California winters top any other state ;) This past week has been a really good one!

  First off, on Wednesday, I had exchanges with sweet Sister Assis! We both realized that we looked familiar to each other. Then we discovered we had a New Testament class together during Sophomore year at BYU! Small world, huh!? We spent a lot of time doing service that day, but we still had a super amazing exchange miracle! We went to Friendly Village (of course) and decided to see a former that I've only briefly met twice. Well, she (Jill) talked to us for awhile! We talked about the temple, since we've been trying to invite everyone to the Grounds Tour next week. That then opened up several other questions and she started asking us about baptism and how that works in our church. She is SUPER open and really appreciates that missionaries go out from our church to share the word. It was such an amazing gospel conversation! As soon as we started talking about temples, we heard this REALLY loud man walking down the street towards us. I tuned him out, but he stopped in front of Jill's house and said, "What can a guy do with $5?!" Jill told him he could go to the .99 store and buy 5 things. Sister Assis and I kept looking at each other because we had no idea what was going on. Jill said some other things to him and then she said, "God Bless You!" The man replied with some colorful language, along with a "God Bless You." He then continued down the road with his Carls Jr food in hand, and yelling things at the top of his lungs. As he walked away we asked Jill if she knew him? She said, "I've never seen him before in my life." We DIED! What a miracle/funny experience!

  That same day, I  received a text from the Mission Office saying that I needed to call Nolan, the sweet man recently baptized in Acacia Park. I panicked when I read the text. I was hoping nothing was wrong with him. Then I thought maybe he was preparing for the temple and was wanting me to go too. Anyways, a million things were going through my head. Well, I called him later that evening and we chatted for a minute. Then he said, "...So you wanna go to Disneyland?" I laughed so hard. First off, I was glad everything was okay. Secondly, it was too sweet that he wanted to take me, Sister Greene, and Sister Goodwin to Disneyland. I told him I'm not able to go on my mission but that Sister Greene and I are already planning a trip back after our missions and we'd love to go then. It was such a tender phone call! He said he also wants to take us out for burgers,(haha). We're planning to go to Fullerton in 2 weeks on P-day to go to "In n Out" with precious Nolan! What a hoot and a half!

  We've been tracting A LOT this week! More than I ever have before. We've sort of hit this point where we've tried everyone in our area book and are teaching those who are interested. Now, we're trying to build up the area book. We decided to tract ALL of Friendly Village and completed one of the streets this week. We've had some very interesting encounters so far, along with a MIRACLE.
  -The other day was the first time I was asked about the magic underwear. The guy proceeded to pull out an anti book and tell us a few things. At the end of the conversation I thanked him for telling us what he THOUGHT we believed and allowing us to tell him what we actually believe. Safe to say, we're never going back to that house.
   -Sister Jensen knocked on another door and randomly asked if Jimmy was home? The people said "Oh, he lives across the street!" We were both dumbfounded that a man named Jimmy actually lived across the street. Well, I went over and knocked on the door and asked for Jimmy. The lady who answered, went to get him. I slightly panicked because I told the lady we heard Jimmy talked with missionaries before and I just didn't know what to say if Jimmy actually came to the door. But alas, he was already in bed. We began talking with the lady, and mentioned some things about temples. She then said, "Oh, I'm a baptized member of your church. I used to attend the Spanish ward in Cerritos!" We were amazed! Her husband and children are not members and it sounds like it's been a long time since she's been to church. She was really open and nice and said we could come back. As we walked away, our jaws hit the ground. We realized that even if she was the only potential, after tracting the entire neighborhood, she would be worth it.

  We've had a few lessons with our investigators this week, but its been slow progress with them. But slow progress is better than NO progress! We're just trying to reiterate our purpose as missionaries and help people to see that this gospel brings SO much joy!

  And last night, we got to go to the Tolleys! They're a senior missionary couple from Montana who serve in the mission as the Vehicle Coordinators. They were so kind to take us, along with 8 other sisters, in for dinner. We made pizzas and enjoyed time getting to know them a little better! I wish I had taken a picture. Maybe my New Year's Resolution should be to take more pictures?

 During our lesson the other night with Josh, we asked why he started meeting with us again? He had been taught 5 years ago, but wasn't feeling it. He told us, "You just have unique perspectives to all this. You've given me better answers than the people in the past. You have really good comebacks." (not sure if we should be proud of the comeback thing? haha) But it testified to me that the Lord TRULY does place us in areas we need to be in for certain reasons/people. I know that Sister Jensen and I were placed here for a reason, one of them being for Josh.
 I believe this applies to ALL of us! Heavenly Father puts us in places, with certain people, for a very specific reason. There are people's lives we need to touch. There are hearts that need cheering. We are instruments in the Lord's hands!
  I encourage you all, as you are probably setting New Year's Resolutions, to maybe pick at least one goal that you can work on that will benefit someone ELSE, not just you. I know that as we turn outward and truly try to emulate the character of Christ, we can help others feel of God's love and they (and ourselves included) will be able to know their purpose in our Heavenly Father's plan!
   I'm excited to spend almost this entire year being a missionary! My one and only goal is to become even more like the Savior, with other mini goals to help me reach that goal! I want to look back on this year and see how I was able to make a difference in someone else's life, not just my own.

I love you all! I hope that you have faith and optimism for this new year.
~Sister Burton

Exchanges with Sister Assis!

We bought sorta matching tops so that calls for a photoshoot.

We went chalking at a park!

New Years Eve dinner at the Hams. NYE Cali style: Huge moon, palm trees, and a fire. 

Of course we had to do some sparklers on NYE.