Week 61: "This Church is Undeniably True!"

Cassity mentioned this shortly after she was BAPTIZED! 💦

THAT'S RIGHT. CASSITY GOT BAPTIZED SATURDAY. And it was one of the most beautiful days ever!
  Leading up to this weekend, she got a little nervous and slightly freaked out, but as Saturday approached, she became increasingly calm and comfortable. Before the baptism, she drove down to the Newport Beach Temple to tell Heavenly Father that she was getting baptized! So cute!
  The service was just perfect! The Spirit was so strong the entire time. As soon as she entered the water, went under, and came back up, WOW, you could just feel the purity emanating from her. She started bawling as soon as she got out and couldn't even put into words how she was feeling. She admitted she felt "lighter." She even bore her testimony after the service and mentioned, "This church is undeniably true!" She also said that she knows this is the right decision for her life. Cassity has SO MUCH LIGHT! She had even more after she received the gift of the Holy Ghost, yesterday! I can't put into words how much happiness and love filled that room! Cassity is completely converted and will continue to grow in countless ways on this journey! I LOVE CASSITY!

   Another highlight of the week, which was truly a miracle! Some Elders from the Long Beach mission passed us a girl named Emily and she's on date for baptism at the end of August! Wahoo! She randomly walked into their ward a month ago and just knew she needed the gospel in her life. She technically lives in our area now, so we received her info this week. She came to church and really enjoyed it. There are a lot of things that still need to be taught, but we're excited to help her come closer to Christ!

  We are still on the hunt for more YSAs who are wanting to improve their lives! Sister Thompson and I are determined to find em'. Watching Cassity embrace the gospel, motivates me even more to find others like her :)

  This past week we had 2 exchanges with the Hermanas (Sister Thompson's first time flocking the nest). Tuesday I was with Hermana Bello and we were on fire, placing copies of the Book of Mormon, left and right! We went to SAC (Santa Ana College) and had an experience that strengthened my testimony of the importance of talking to everyone. As we were just finishing talking to someone, I noticed a bald guy with a stern look on his face, walking our way. He was wearing a plaid cutoff shirt and some jeans. We're always taught not to pre-select, but I'm not gonna lie, in my mind, I began to play out how I "thought" the conversation would go. Well, I was wrong! We began talking and he was so kind and respectful. As we began talking about the Restoration, he started to shut the conversation down. But as soon as we mentioned the Book of Mormon, he said, "Well, I'd love to learn more about that!" So, we set up a time for him (James), to meet the Elders. They taught him a lesson, brought him to church yesterday, and he's on date for baptism in early September!! It was just a testament to me that we have no idea what could happen, but how are we gonna find out unless we open your mouths!

  On our second exchange, I was with Hermana Romney, who is a fresh missionary too (and yes, she is distantly related to Mitt)! She was asking questions and really trying to push herself to learn and do more! She was so inspiring to me! We had a great day at SAC and tracting! I love learning from these other Sisters!

  Well, this week was fantastic! I could go on forever about all the tender mercies, but I just wanna testify that they are always there! Daily, there are tender mercies that the Lord pours down upon us! I love seeing them each day in His work and I know I'll continue to see them throughout my life as I'm obedient and I "open" my eyes to see them!

  L 👀 K for the tender mercies in your life!

Love you all!

Sister Burton
2500 N. Bristol St.
Santa Ana, CA 92706

Hermana Bello! See what we slipped in there ;)

Hermana Romney....and a big ole moon!

CASSITY! Brad, her pal, baptized her.

After Cassity's baptism.

Hiking this morning in Anaheim Hills.

Sister Thompson going on exchanges. (Just kidding)

Week 60: "Satan is just the WORST!"

Another week has come and gone, yet miracles are happening everywhere we turn! HONESTLY, this week was super fantastic! Lemme start with updating you on a few of my friends....

CASSITY: We had 2 great lessons with her this week! She is just so pumped for her baptism! We had her try on a white jumpsuit and she was dancing around in it as she was checking herself out in the mirror! She commented how she didn't feel like she wanted to vomit or run away, so that's a good sign! She began making her assignments for her baptism and wow. I think that's really all I can say about her. WOW.
   Yesterday before church, she asked if we could talk outside for a bit. Before I get into it, let me just say that this has not been an easy process for Cassity! She is very aware of her spiritual side and sometimes can get really worked up and make brash decisions at times. She pulled us aside and said she wanted to cancel her baptism. As she went on about all the reasons why, we just listened. I was praying so fervently on the inside that Heavenly Father would be able to guide our words in order to help her. Basically, Satan found out her biggest weakness and just decided to slam her with it this past weekend. As tears were streaming down her cheeks, tears began to well up in mine (which is a pretty rare occurrence, so you know it's real when I start to cry). I just expressed my love to her and it was a mini little sob fest for a minute. We heard the Sacrament hymn begin to play, so we told her to breathe and to really let Heavenly Father speak to her as we rushed into Sacrament meeting. Every testimony and talk that was given I couldn't help but think of Cassity! She was constantly crying the entire time.
  Afterwards, she said, "Ok, I've come to my conclusion. This is 100% Satan! He's the worst!"(as she stomped her foot on the ground). She realized that all of the concerns and doubts she was having were NOT from Heavenly Father. She felt peace and comfort. I opened up to her and told her I even have that as a missionary sometimes, wondering if what I'm doing really does make a difference. Her response reaffirmed to me that it does (it was an answer to prayers, really). She said, "You ARE doing His work! This is important!" Again, she made me tear up!
  The members reached out to her in love yesterday and helped her feel calm again. Cassity texted us this morning and said,
   "Good morning,Sisters! I just wanted to drop in with some positive news and tell you the spirit is strong this morning! Thank you for helping me remember that this church is totally true!"
   YES CASSITY, IT IS! I love Cassity with all my heart! I'm glad that she was able to overcome the negative and focus on the positive! She is such a beautiful human being!

MAEVE: We had a video chat lesson with her yesterday also including the Sisters in Alabama, Sister Brooks and her companion, and Haylie (a super cool member that is exceedingly close with Maeve). MAEVE GOT TO GO TO CHURCH YESTERDAY...for the first time! She even sent us some selfies to prove it ;) We had a little lesson focused around Moroni 7, which ended in us asking about baptism. She realized that if she doesn't set a date, that she'll probably keep postponing it. SO, she is shooting for August 18th!!! YAAAAAAY! I miss Maeve with all my heart, but I know she'll be able to grow leaps and bounds. I'm definitely planning a roadtrip in the near future to swing down to Alabama.

As for other random tidbits from the week, we did lots of finding at colleges and elsewhere. We just continue to meet amazing people each and every day. We had a great Zone Conference this week wherein we focused on prayer, church attendance, the Holy Ghost, and the Book of Mormon. I was reminded of how foundational each of these things are for anyone's testimony!(especially those who are just learning!) Those simple "primary answers" are TRUE!

  Ok, I know this is getting lengthy, but I wanted to testify of the importance of the Lord's timing.....

  *Friday we went out with Mary and did some finding. We were led to this street where a member lived. We knocked, no answer. But as we were walking away, we noticed a man getting out of his truck, so we went up and talked to him. He told of us some of the struggles that he is going through and how he really doesn't know much about Christ. Well, he opened up the bed of his truck and we sat down and taught him more about the Savior's Atonement. I felt the Spirit so strongly as we shared a message that is centered in hope and change, with someone who really needs it. It was the LORD'S TIMING that made that lesson possible.

  *Saturday night, we decided to stop by this referrals house, Julie(the spanish YSA Sisters had been teaching her, but they passed her to us). Her family has also been taking the lessons from the family ward Elders. Well, literally as we pulled up, we noticed a woman walk out of the house and she was standing at the edge of the driveway. We walked up and greeted her and asked how she was doing(turns out it was Julie's mom). She replied, "Stressed.", to which we asked what was going on. She started bawling and mentioning all the family problems that have been happening recently and how her husband hasn't been too much help in all of that. A lot of responsibility had fallen on her shoulders and she was begging for peace. She said that earlier that day she had read from The Book of Mormon for the first time and she wasn't expecting any of this drama to happen. She tried going to her next door neighbors but they weren't home. She tried calling the police and they couldn't help..... then we showed up. It was the LORD'S TIMING. We stood there, all crying (again, it's weird for me to do that....). We prayed with her and just really listened. We testified that we KNEW we were sent there for her and to let her know that God is so aware of her and her trials. We called the Elders and they were able to come over right away to give her a blessing, which she said afterwards, helped her feel much better. We walked away from that experience with an even stronger testimony that Heavenly Father is literally in the details of our lives! That was probably one of the Top 10 most spiritual moments on my mission. I will never forget that.

 I also wanted to testify of the LORD'S TIMING for my mission. I literally never wanted to serve and I would roll my eyes at the thought of it about 2 years ago. This past week, I took some time to reflect on the blessings I've seen from serving a mission. Instantly, names just started flowing, beginning with my very own Ginger Twin companion (Sister Greene), to all of the people I've met along the way.(members, non-members, fellow missionaries, strangers on the street that I'll probably never see again...etc.). Then it hit me. If I hadn't served a mission, I wouldn't have been blessed with all of these new friends! I've had countless experiences on my mission that have testified that the Lord's timing is real. I'm forever grateful that I heeded the Spirit's prompting to serve. I'm out here to serve and help others, but I feel like more than anything, all of these amazing Brothers and Sisters have helped ME. I'm so so very thankful for this time to be here in California among such amazing people! My heart is so full, I could go on forever!

 I love you all! Thank you for all that YOU do! Honestly, I couldn't have done this without your support! I love this work! It's true! God loves you and is every watching over you!
  P.S. Please pray for Cassity this week as she approaches her baptism on Saturday! The adversary works hard, but the people on the Lord's side work harder ;)


Sister Burton
2500 N. Bristol St.
Santa Ana, CA 92706

Sister Thompson's first Joe's Italian Ice experience.

Sister Harrison (aka Savanna) came to Institute! My heart was so happy!

.Did some good ole tabling at SAC.

What can we say? We're gentle spirits....

We had a dinner with a family! Their little guy loves to crack jokes!

We had to go to Zone Conference both days so you get 2 pictures!

Good thing we weren't trying to steal...

All of us with MAEVE!

Week 59: OIAUE!

^A Tongan exclamation that we've been using all too frequently......

Ok, first off, lemme just brag about my brand spankin' new companion: SISTER THOMPSON! So on Tuesday when we went to pick up our "greenies," the trainers all lined up outside and then they let the new missionaries come outside, where President would call their names and pair them up with their trainer. Well, as soon as I saw Sister Thompson walk out the door, I KNEW she was the one! As soon as President paired us up, we both screamed and gave each other a big hug! SHE'S SO AWESOME! We get along like 2 peas in a pod and I couldn't ask for a better daughter!
  Sister Thompson is from Nashville, she just completed her first year at BYU Hawaii, and she LOVES polynesians! Hence, the "OIAUE!" phrase we use all the time...This is also her first time in California, so she is in awe of the weather, the diversity, and the palm trees (that sounds like me from about a year ago...).

*Sister Thompson's first lesson in the field was the Law of Chastity with Cassity. Not many missionaries can say that was their first lesson. But it went super well! Sister Thompson is a natural at talking and is just throwing herself into the work! Cassity just took the GMAT this past week and did much better than the previous times she's taken it. What did she do to celebrate? She drove down to the Newport Beach Temple to walk around the grounds and pray to express her gratitude to Heavenly Father! Who is this girl?! While she was there, she also received her answer that Joseph Smith truly was a prophet and that all of this is true (which is something she hasn't been too sure of yet). The Lord is continuing to prepare her for her baptism that's coming up in 2 weeks!

*Update with Maeve: she has safely arrived in Alabama and is getting settled in. We contacted the sisters in the YSA branch in Alabama and they are so thrilled to have her there! We should be having a little lesson with all of them this week. I sure miss Maeve, but I'm happy that she'll be thriving even more in the deep south!

*We had lots of meetings to attend this week, for new missionaries and also in preparation for Zone Conference, BUT we still were able to get out and meet some super cool people! We were able to hit up a couple of colleges this week and meet some people who are truly searching! We hope and pray that those we have appointments with this next week latch on to the truths of the gospel, because THE GOSPEL IS THE BEST!
  We had a super funny experience last night as we were walking back to our car. We stopped to talk to this guy at the bus stop and then this other random guy walked up and said, "Hey did you ask her out yet?" We quickly tried to turn the conversation around, mentioning that as missionaries, we don't do that. The guy then said, "Not sorry for me, sorry for YOU!" and then just walked away. We could tell that he must've been on something, but it definitely made for a good laugh all the way back to the car! Being a missionary is great!

* In church yesterday, many of the talks centered around trials. NEWS FLASH: we all have them. One of the speakers noted how it's not the trial itself that makes us stronger, but it's how we react to the trial and what we do during it that can strengthen us or weaken us. It all comes back to Heavenly Father's gift of agency! We don't ask for the trials that we're given, but we do have control over how we react to them. So, choose happy! Choose the Savior! Choose to turn to Heavenly Father for comfort and solace! He is always here for us!

I love you all! Thank you for your prayers and emails! I enjoy hearing from y'all!

Love,

Sister Burton
2500 N. Bristol St.
Santa Ana, CA 92706

Sister Brooks thinks she's real sneaky...

Saying good-bye to my beloved trainer, mother and best friend...

Sister Brooks and I had a ball these past two transfers.

You bet we hit up 7/11 on 7/11.

My sweet Sister Thompson, just moments after being paired up together.

SHE MADE IT!

In n Out Models. Sister Thompson's first time.

Mary is obsessed with filters. Haha. We love her!

Tabling at IVC together for the last time!

.GOLLY, I can't get over these sunsets.....

Week 58: Last Hurrah of MIRACLES!

 If you're reading this letter, then you know I've survived the triple digit heat wave! MAN, it was smokin' this week. My watch tan line is still going strong! There were so many amazing things this week, so lemme just cut to the chase.

  *We got to participate in the 4th of July parade in Anaheim Hills! It was so fun to see everyone come together to celebrate this wonderful country we live in and the freedoms we enjoy!
 The best part of the parade, was seeing the JUAREZS! I saw them at the very beginning and my heart was so full! Better yet, we were able to meet up after the parade and chat for a bit! I love them so much and it just made my day that I got to see them!

*The next day I went to Anaheim, to go on exchanges with Sister Hoschouer! She has been out about 8 months, and wow, she is such a powerful testifier! As we went about our day talking to people, she just kept sharing a sincere, heartfelt testimony, that quickly brought the Spirit in! I learned so much from her! We even got to teach the Plan of Salvation to a stranger at the park! We weren't entirely sure if he was high or not, but we felt the Spirit, so we know we were supposed to be there!

*One rock-star member, Haylie, invited us over for dinner on Friday to meet her non-member friend, Alyssa. Haylie has been trying to share the gospel with her best friend for years and so she told Alyssa that she's preparing for her mission and asked if we could come over and "practice" on Alyssa. Alyssa was so excited and even helped make a delicious steak dinner for us! After dinner, we taught the Restoration. Alyssa comes from a strong religious background, but was still asking questions and really seemed to grasp the need for the Restoration. She kept saying how she knows we're doing the Lord's work and that we're so passionate about this message! The Spirit was so, so strong during that lesson. Alyssa excitedly accepted the invitation to read from the Book of Mormon and pray about it! AND, we have a lesson with her, this upcoming week as well! Her intent seems pure and real, but we'll be able to figure that out a little bit more this week! WOO HOO for member missionary work!

*Our dear friend Maeve, is doing so well! She spent this entire week in Provo (touring BYU, visiting the Provo City Center temple, Temple Square, etc). She sent pictures and was keeping us updated on her trip! She has been eating up the scriptures and feeling EVEN MORE that all of this is true. We had a little Skype lesson with her last night. We discussed her reading in Alma 42, and talked about the need for the Atonement and the importance of mercy and justice. She said that every time she reads the Book of Mormon, she ALWAYS gets something out of it! Today she flies out to Alabama for her next adventure and to her religious FREEDOM! She apparently talks about "her missionaries," all the time to her boyfriend! She was reminded of us as she met the Sister missionaries at Temple Square. And in her cute prayer last night, she thanked Heavenly Father for her "two beacons of light that came at the time she needed them most." I love her SO MUCH! She means the absolute world to me. She is one of the reasons that I've been in this area!

*Another super, amazing miracle this week was Cassity! Like I mentioned last week, she's been praying about a date to be baptized and the number 29 kept coming to mind. Earlier this week, she said NO WAY would it be July 29th, maybe September, or somewhere else down the road.
  Well, we had an amazing lesson this past Saturday with a member from our ward, Brad. We really just started following up on how her prayers have been going, since that is something she's been struggling with. She had some beautiful experiences this past week where she literally poured her heart out to Heavenly Father and felt so much peace. These little details of doctrine that have been holding her up, aren't anymore! We were just following up on all of that and she said, "I wanna get baptized..this month....July 29th!" WOW! WOW CASSITY! When we told her that we've been praying for her and over the past few weeks, July 29th has been coming to our minds too, she just started bawling. She felt the Spirit so strongly in that lesson and didn't have her usual freaked out feelings after committing to baptism.
  At church yesterday, she was excitedly telling everyone she's getting baptized and inviting them all to come! She is so ready to make this leap and to be "all in" to the gospel. I LOVE CASSITY! I would take a year and a half of rejection for Cassity and/or Maeve! I'm so blessed to have met them and to now be eternal friends! I realized that as I'm out here to serve others, Heavenly Father in the meantime, blesses me with people like them! I am so spoiled!

  *TRANSFER NEWS: These next few transfers are about to get interesting....Sister Brooks and I were both called to train! Plot twist, we will now be solo Sister Training leaders, (so almost like female district leaders). I'm sticking around here in OHYSA and Sister Brooks will be training up in the Fullerton Stake! We've been letting our minds wrap around this idea for the past few days, since learning about it. We're excited for the adventures that lie ahead and that we get to "bear children in the wilderness." I'll definitely miss Sister Brooks, soooo much! Its been so fun to serve, learn and grow together! We worked really hard these past 2 transfers and we see the work progressing. So  amazing! Onward to more adventures!!!

*My spiritual thought for today comes from an MTC talk from Elder Holland in the early 2000's entitled, "The Miracle of a Mission."  I've been pondering this thought a lot the past few weeks and thought I'd share it with you:

"You cannot have a mission and you will not succeed on this mission and you won't be happy and you won't be acclimatized to the culture until you give your life over to God and say, 'This is Thy work and I'm only the instrument. I'm on the pencil, but you've got to do the writing'. That is the most important thing for a missionary to learn, ever!"

 I've learned that I'm happiest when I'm not worrying about myself or my will. Missionary work is demanding, but oh so worth it! Missionary work really comes down to the basic principle that all we have to do is be the instrument. The Lord's work moves forward no matter what, but we've been called to be instruments and that's what we've gotta do!

Love you all! Thanks for your continued support! I'll be picking up my new companion tomorrow evening and then we'll have a crazy full week of meetings, lessons, and miracles! I'm so excited to meet her!

Sister Burton
2500 N. Bristol St.
Santa Ana, CA 92706

Farewell dinner for Sister Greene last Monday with THE DAYS!

Adorable Cassity with Damon photobombing!

Hermana Vera goes home too:(

Yo, let your voice be heard!

The Orange Zone.

4th of July fun! (not sure why we're gasping).

THE JUAREZS

Cassity!

Of course, the B-Team had to tract B Street!

Farewell picture with a portion of our Relief Society.

MY MOM. (She goes home tomorrow and I'm devastated)!

With Maeve and Grayson last night!