Forget Not

A little picture of what President Uchtdorf talked about at the General Relief Society Meeting on Saturday night.

Dear Family,

Oh how I love you!

I am sorry I wasn't able to get a letter from you this week, but thats okay I know that you are so busy. I am surprised when it doesn't come though. I hope you are well and seeing many miracles.

This week was interesting. I was able to sit next to Jenni at the Broadcast. I was able to eat lots of tasty pie and teach a lesson. It was interesting because the two sisters from sterling heights joined. We had a member there and Edna, one of my baptisms, saw me and didn't want to leave me, so she sat in it as well. She is getting up there in age, but it was so cute to hear her say the opening prayer. It was so child like and sweet.

We are working with great people who are wanting to make a change in their life. One investigator is going to tell us in a week if he wants to join or not. We are hesitant because we want to call him every day now and prompt him to recognize the Spirit. I don't know if I need to sit back and let him study and pray for a week or call him. ............ I think I will call him sometimes during the week. He loves us and really cherishes the members.

I am working on asking good questions in lessons. I AM HORRIBLE AT THIS! I just talk to people instead of teach them and that doesn't work. So I am humbling myself. If you have any good questions I can use in my lessons to teach the restoration or the Plan of Salvation or even some of the commandments, please i would love some input.

I am telling myself now that I can do hard things. If I think God wants me to do something and i think it is hard or scary, I am trying to vocally tell myself I can do hard things.

This is the last week of the transfer which means Sister Jones might be staying her last transfer here or she might move for her last transfer.

I struggling in being to casual in some parts of my mission. The way i talk to people or treat others. I need to be a little bit more professional when I am even with Sister Jones in our cozy apt.

It's been a hard week for me, But I will finish strong and do hard things.

I hope all is well, I love you!

By the way did I tell you I sat next to Jenni. I sure loved having her there. I am so spoiled here on the mission. I missed Mom, though. I feel it would have been complete if Mom was there with us. But it is cool Mom, that you were watching it too.

Love you Beautiful Ladies of the Burnham Family!

Zone Conference

This week and last were full of miracles, but today I want to tell you what I learned at the Zone Conference yesterday.

The notes I took are for all of us. But I want future missionaries to focus on this especially.

Teach for Conversion and True Repentance. To teach this we must have lived it. How converted are you? If you are not yet close to knowing with out a doubt who's you are, and where you came from, and what your ultimate goal is, I suggest you find out. In that I have found peace and freedom. Freedom from Satan and temptation. Freedom from fear. Freedom to Love unconditionally.

Make A Goal to do Hard things! Missionaries are trained to do hard things. We live to do hard things. I have made a personal goal to love to do lots of hard things a day. I might even put a number on it later. How many hard things do you do a day?

How comfortable are you with change? When it comes time to go home, will you find it difficult to leave earth, because of change or will you leave your will behind and follow Christ?

How do we offend the Spirit? When you go home from church, how long does it take for you to forget what the spirit felt like? How long does it take for you to become rambunctious and forget what it means to have the Spirit with you always? I am working on this between lessons.

What's the language of the Spirit?

How much of the Doctrine of Christ do you know? How much of it can you testify of?

We teach the people who are seeking! How do we figure out that they are seekers?

Our Mission is too casual, so President Holmes gave us a warning that even on the phone we are being too casual. That is my goal, that I am becoming Christ's Missionary! No more horsing around. I can have fun though but what full fills my purpose!

There are means to the End!

Any insights I would love to hear from you!

Finish Strong!

Love You xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Stake Conference

Jennilyn's update:

Since Sister Burnham is back serving in our stake we had the privilege of taking her and her companion out to dinner. Saturday before the adult session of stake conference we went out to eat. Then while Christian was at the Priesthood leadership mtg. I went to an appointment with the Sisters! It was so fun so see Sister Burnham in action. She is a great senior companion and everywhere she goes she fills the room with such a wonderful spirit!

We went to visit a less active in the ward. Sister Burnham and Sister Jones taught and sang about the joy and peace we can find through song and developing any talents that the Lord has blessed us with. We should use these talents to brighten someones day, to share the gospel and help build up the kingdom of God.

When they sang the spirit was so strong and I couldn't stop the tears. Sister Jones is such a wonderful young woman and they work so well together! I am so thankful that I got to see her and mostly HUG her again! I never realized how much I missed her since she was serving in our ward back in March.

I also saw her mission president; Pre. Holmes and he had nothing but great things to say about Brianne. -of course-

Don't forget Sister Burnham's Birthday is October 10th. Send her some great letters for her Birthday!!!

Brianne sends all her Love to everyone and all those that are caring and praying for her.

Feelling Better

I am feeling better. I am 100% healthy. I am glad you liked the letter I wrote to Sean. I had an inner ear thing. I had water in it or something that made me so dizzy I would throw-up if I stood up or started walking. I hated it so much! It was that I had a bad cold the week before. No BUENO!...

This is where I love agency. Agency is the freedom to choose to follow God or not. And in this I am studying what God's priorities are for me, in this area. Some areas, God's priority was to tract, or get to know the members fast, or to spend time reactivating this person or that couple. ... Knowing my purpose as a missionary in Michigan is becoming clearer as I focus on my strengths use them, and then continue to work on my weaknesses as well. When I saw how bearing my testimony was so much easier than before I saw that as an accomplishment and felt the Spirit tell me to keep going and started recognizing more things like that.

I am studying out of the New Testament more. Trying to be able to tell more stories in my teaching. "Teaching like Jesus is fun to do, to do to do to do!!!!" (recognize the primary song?) I have some Book of Mormon stories. My favorite is the Tree of Life and also the story of Teancum. When Teancum was angry and went and tried killing the enemy king he failed and died himself. Captain Moroni was so grieved to hear that his friend, who was so righteous, got too caught up in his revenge and died. I use that for anger problems, obviously! All the things I am studying for investigators, we have been teaching. For example, I am studying Judgment day. I was talking to an investigator who said he knows his mom is in heaven. I asked him about Judgment day and if he believed in it. He said yes. So then I followed-up with the question, "If you believe your mom has not experienced judgment day, why do you think she has already made it to God?" He was interested and understood my question. I bore testimony of the spirit world and how we can feel our loved ones near, and that there is more to learn about the after life. He told me, that through the four missionaries he has been taught by, he doesn't remember ever learning about Judgment day. This all happened the first day I met him. I now want to boast of my GOD! Wow, things like that happen, where you know you were sent to an area for a specific person or many persons. God sends his children. My job is to catch them with love and concern and help with their progression.

I am working on organizing good questions to ask and good commitments to leave with people. ... Jesus, as our perfect example, didn't remember the pre-earth life. But through prayer and studying and much faith he came to know quickly who he was and declared it to many people. I want that! I want to know who I am and declare it with Humility to many people. That is a goal to set. As a missionary, goals are so important. I love to set goals now.

I love you Burnham Family! I pray that you are healthy and strong! Keep up the missionary work and find out who you have always been. You are the Noble and Great ones. Read Abraham 3.

Love, Sister Burnham

FINISH STRONG!

4 Miracles

Dear Family,

This week was pretty awesome. Sister Jones and I are moving the work along with the Holy Ghost as our third companion. WE are striving to become better at finding people to teach and inviting them to church.

Oh, where to start. Well the miracles this week, are:

1) We got new inv. He is wonderful. He has a open heart to learning truth, he doesn't want to convert exactly to the church, but he wants to learn all he can about us and what we believe. He doesn't know what God really has in store for him. Sometimes I feel like the host on the price is right. I know what is behind door number one and number two, but I can't pick it for them. I can guide them to one, but if are not willing to listen, then they might choose the wrong door. He is 19 and works at a funeral home. SO we are excited to teach the plan and some of the questions of the soul he is wondering about. He said to us after we talked about the book of Mormon, "I need to go to the store and get me one of those." Never have I heard that come out of someones mouth here in Michigan. WAY COOL! We were happy to give him one then.


2) Sunday we had run out of food and when we got to the fourth hour of church the wife of the second counselor in the ward bishopric brought us wraps for dinner. And another member brought us each a green apple. It was an answer to a prayer. I felt like those orphans in the Christmas story about their oranges. I was so thankful for my apple.



3)We had the monthly mission fireside this week. We were able to bring two investigators to it. Brother Fryer and PJ. We watched the Joseph Smith Movie the longer one. It was AWESOME! It was a miracle we got them to come. And we were able to see where PJ is in his progression towards the gospel. I would love some insights or testimonies from the youth who are sixteen. PJ is Sixteen and I feel someone at home can or will connect to him.



4) CARL GOT BAPTIZED SATURDAY! He was my investigator in Romeo. We started teaching him. And we put him on date and he made that date. He is over 70 years old. He entered the waters of baptism in the afternoon. We got there a little before twelve and saw the branch filling the font with buckets and pitchers and trash bins. It was not being filled very quickly so I got to help fill the font. It was so cool to see every one pull together. Even President Holmes was helping out, and took a scary slip from the water on the basketball court. He was right in front of me. He was quick to get right back up and keep helping. What an example. Carl was so appreciative for us Sisters. He calls me shorty. He kept thanking us for getting him started. When he got baptized after he stood there hugging Brother Bishop who baptized him. I was so emotional and filled with so much JOY! Again I saw another one of my investigators baptized. WHAT A MIRACLE!



There are so much more but I am running out of time to write them all.

TO answer some of your questions. The heat is hotter when you walk out side and you feel like you are in a spa. We have tracted some days where it is 90 dgs but it feels like 100 and wet. Homes mostly have air conditioning. I went and bought two lighter summer shirts though. One member got on my case when she saw me wearing my turquoise shirt that I got at Kohl's with Aunt Laurie. She told me that if I don't get some more shirts then she will personally go shopping for me. I didn't want that so I did it last week.

In my personal studies I am reading the New testament. I am trying to be more familiar with the scriptures and understanding how to recognize the Spirit.

Sean, I have a challenge for you this week. Will you allow God to prepare you more for your mission, by writing down times you have felt the Holy Ghost and study how you recognize it? If you can recognize the spirit now then you will be prepared more than any missionary. Teach the family how to recognize the spirit too. Tell me your insights.

Love you all,

Finish Strong,

Sister Burnham

The work is moving along

Sister Jones and Sister Burnham

Usually when I prepare to write you I am so excited, then when I sit down to type everything just leaves my mind. It is so weird. I really need a new memory. So, this week I have made a couple of discoveries. I have found that I don't give out commitments very well. I want to focus on leaving reading assignments from the Book of Mormon. I think that would be a good start. My hope is that I can give out better commitments that apply specifically to their needs as an inv, mem, or LA. That is my goal this week. Commitment Focus. I will tell you how it goes. I am hoping that I will be able to see a change in my investigators and see them progress as I am bold with giving invitations. I am studying from PMG (preach my gospel)and praying for the spirit to help me. Its worse with Member lessons. So I am trying to adapt my teaching to those that are high on the spiritual level as well. It is easier to start simple. So the faith I have right now is based on the many people I have already seen repent and change and go through baptism.

Miracles:
1) Sister Jones woke up this morning after going to bed at 3 because she couldn't sleep. She cleaned the whole apt last night while I was sleeping. She is doing fine now, but I worry lack of sleep will kick in soon. I have not witnessed a mad Sister Jones yet...! I hope she sleeps good tonight.

2) An inv's wife shut the door in our face. We walked away slowly and then we hear him running out to greet us, apologizing for that. He stayed and talked to us more about his life and situations. He doesn't see himself joining the church, but he does want us to teach his daughter somethings. Little does he know!

3) A member called us last night and gave us a referral!

4) Our new inv is Miss Ervin. She is wonderful and welcomed us into her home for 10 min and we were able to set up another time to meet her.

I am hoping to see more miracles this week in the singles ward. It's dwindling in my eyes. I want to see more of the missionary work progress in that area. I pray that we get more referrals from them as well. And I am really sad Nick and Tony are not active any more. They are supposed to be coming. I was surprised to see that they have not come to church the past months I was in Romeo. :(

I am finding it difficult to focus on two wards. But my desire is to be comfortable of my surroundings enough to be able to know people quickly. The wards are bigger and it is taking me longer to get to know everyone. Sister jones was so shy, that we still haven't met every member yet. But that will change. Sister Jones said since I have been here we have had more member appt ever. They are amazing and have done such good work here in Bloomfield. I love being here after Sister Klinlger. She left a good part of hers self here, and I can see how the ward members loved her. Just how they treat us, its fantastic.

The work is moving along. Sister Jones wants dramatic growth, and I have to keep reminding her to except the gradually climb, however slow it might seem, as long as it is climbing higher than before than I am happy. She so desperately wants a baptism, she overwhelms herself sometimes. I have done that too, but my state I am in right now is that I am just grateful to be here and teaching and sharing my testimony with every one that lets us talk to them for a min.

Finish Strong

Love you and will write each of you this week. I loved every one writing me.!

Sister Burnham found Burnham Rd. up in Bloomfield Hills Michigan!

Buenos Dias

!Buenos Dias! !Familia!

This past week has been so good for me. My Comp Sister Jones is from Otto Wyoming. She and I are very much alike. We laugh at each other all day and are being silly and sing in almost all our lessons. She is a beautiful alto singer which means I have to take on the role of the Soprano...it's turns out better when I have her singing louder than me...just kidding. Last night we had an experience with music. We sang to Sister Beckett who I have connected with so quickly. She and I had a moment after I said the prayer. It was the first time meeting her and after I finished she said, "This sister has God's spirit within her, she is connected." I was so touched. The next time we met with her Sister Jones and I sang a few hymns, and she kept saying that she couldn't describe the feelings she was having as we were singing. She trusts us so much. She compared me to her son as someone who she would pray with to really feel like God is in the room. She said she loved praying with her son, more than by herself. I was reminded of how powerful the Spirit can be.

What is so interesting is that this has happened many times on the mission. When I was at a leadership training meeting in Lavonia last month, we were practicing, on a few members, how to find people's concerns. When it was my turn I was so nervous. But when I starred at her in the eyes, I all of a sudden felt so much love for the woman. She started to cry, and even though you could hear the other missionaries teaching, it felt like I didn't have to say much to bring the Spirit into her heart. She told me how she saw at the beginning I was nervous and she was anxious for me, but then when I started to talk all of sudden I had things under control. It's the best feeling ever. And I am grateful to be able to participate in miracles like that, often.

More about Sister Jones, she is a farm girl. She owns cows and pigs. They have over 70 cows. She is a hard worker. Oh side note before I forget, we are getting a new car, 2011 Ford Fusion. YAHOO! Anyways, she was supposed to train, but God had other plans for her. We bought tons of veggies. Our fridge is packed full of green stuff and mushrooms, onions, and eggs and squash, and watermelon. We are working on eating healthy! And we do tye-bo at the church every morning.

Also THE TEMPLE IS NEXT DOOR TO OUR CHURCH BUILDING. I MEAN IF YOU GOOGLE EARTH IT IS LITERALLY NEXT DOOR. I LOVE IT SO MUCH! I AM THE LUCKIEST MISSIONARY EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How are things in your new area? The area is big and rich! The houses are big. I did find a Burnham Rd and Burnham Ct. There are actually two Burnham Rds. We ARE GOING TO TRACT THOSE BEFORE I LEAVE THE AREA! The ward is a normal size.

Is Sister Jones as wonderful as you expected? Yes

How often do you get to see the other sister missionaries? There is a companionship Sister Vance and Vanici that serve in Sterling Heights. I am back in the same district I was before I went to Romeo.

Is there a new area opening up for Sisters somewhere? Sister Klingler is training in a new area being reopened called Waldlake I think.

You only have a handful of Sisters in your mission, right? Yes there is nine. One tripanionship is in Hillstreet's area. Sister Dunn, Sister Pollock, and Sister Packer. Both sister Pollock and Sister Packer are leaving in a few weeks.

How are the wards you're serving in? Awesome! I can't believe how much potential there is for both wards to grow.

Do you go to both wards every Sunday? Yes I bring snacks too!

Transfer and Happiness

Hi Family I got transferred to the area I was just doing exchanges in. I am in Bloomfield Hills. My Comp is Sister Jones. She is going to be one of my favorite friends ever. I love it here already. We cover two wards. One regular and one YSA Ward. Yeah Finally! I am So happy!

Dear Family,

I want to express to you how much this last week of the transfer has been the icing on the cake. Sister Dunn and I found out about transfers a day earlier than the rest of the mission. We were told that we are both being transferred out of the area and being put in different companionship's. Elders are going to white wash into Romeo’s Area now. Lucky for them the appt was newly organized and clean. I think one of the reasons we are transferred around different areas, is because the sisters need to do a deep cleaning every three years after the elders. Hahaha! That was told to me at church this Sunday from a member. I was happy to be there to here that.

So since Friday we have been saying goodbye to people. Sad this is Sister Dunn’s first transfer so she is taking it hard. It was so sweet though at church this week. At church the branch presidency called us up to share our testimonies since we were leaving. Sister Dunn went up first, and then I went up. I took that opportunity to sing hymn#158, Before Thee Lord I Bow My Head. I find singing is the best way I can express my testimony and the joy I feel. Sacrament meeting was perfect for all of us. They talked about being good examples and Choosing the Right. It was so good it made Carl cry. I am sad no one else of our investigators could attend.

We said goodbye to Carl and Mark today. It was a sweet touching moment. They let us know that we did our job, and that he will always be grateful. They were super emotional. Let me tell you, that when old men cry, I mean really old men cry my heart just sinks and reminds me of my grandpas. I miss my grandpa recently, when I was called a “Little Angel” from one of them. I soon went back to the time when I would dance with my grandfather and he would tell me that I was his little angel. An Angel has been described as someone who speaks the Word of Christ by the power of the Holy Ghost. I will keep studying and feasting upon the word to always be prepared to be someone’s angel. And that goes for all of you too. Be that angel to someone else and share your testimony so that they may feel that goodness they might not have felt ever in their life. It is a small and simple thing that brings the Spirit into someone’s life. Go for it!

Last week I was on exchanges with Sister Jones. She is leaving in 3 months and soon going to be training. We were in Bloomfield and the cool thing was the temple is right next door to the stake center. And I got to go to the temple on Thursday Morning. I needed a reminder! It has been too long. And I am so lucky to be able to go every quarter. All the Sisters went with President and Sister Holmes and the Assistants. We had a few members from each of the areas come along as well. It was Awesome!

I learned from Sister Jones how to humble when teaching. I learned that with the spirit you can have the courage to say the right thing. We met with a young man named Shawn. He is in the army. He is turning 20 in Oct. And I thought about Sean and how he should be getting his call soon. SOOOOOOoooo WHERE IS HE GOING? !!!!!!

I love the Work and will miss Romeo very much,

I always grow more from each area I have been in. Monroe, Sterling Heights, and Romeo.

Finish Strong

Love You!

Today Brianne hits her 1/2 way mark!!! Send her some extra love and letters to get her through the next 1/2 of her mission!

Thanks for all your prayers for Sister Burnham.