MEN ARE THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE JOY

Howdy fellow friends:) 

Hope you enjoyed this very fine week ... 

it's a great time to be alive ;) 

We had a good one this week. Excited to tell you about C____. Last week, an awesome YSA member brought C____ to institute. We met C____ at the end and got talking with him and even got a return appointment. SO we met with him this week and he is SOLID. He is very knowledgeable about religion, and can retain information like crazy, but is on the search for truth and a better relationship with God. We taught him the Plan of Salvation, he came to dinner with another awesome YSA, and then to institute where we learned about the Restoration. We are excited to teach him more, and he is excited too, which makes it even better :)

One day while PCing campus, we talked to this kind boy who held the door open for us. His name is J___ and he's actually 15...the kid is crazy smart...he's doing some cool program with the college right now, he's going big. BUT he was having a terrible day, as we shared the Restoration with him, his face lit up, his jaw dropped, and he just dropped his face held it in his hands in awe. I've never really seen a reaction like this before, but he kept saying how much it made his day and gave him hope that something like that could happen to him, it was very comforting. We walked away and truly reflected that THAT is what the gospel does for people...it brings complete joy and hope. 

Campus was very slow this week and we found ourselves looking for other things to do to be more effective. So we heard of a YSA that was less active that no one has ever met, that lived nearby. SO we went hunting. We miraculously caught him just 30 minutes after he got home for work. He opened up the door and immediately became our friend. We talked about his mission and even had a good conversation about where he stands with church. THE EXCITING NEWS...is that he's super open to coming back, having home teachers, and meeting with us, and even came to church this week and LOVED it. And here's the miracle part...he's moving next week!! We are suuuuuper grateful that Heavenly Father lead us to him at that exact moment, it was no coincidence. And on a slow day on campus, this was such a highlight :):) yayyy!

Z___ got to go to the Temple for the first time this week! He was glowing- I swear seeing recent converts go to the Temple for the first time will never get old. It is the neatest feeling in the world. YAY Z___!! And E____ came too-he's a pro now!!!!:)

I feel like Sister Gray kept me laughing all week long. Some days were pretty slow on campus, but we still worked hard, talked to as many as we could, and had a great time doing it. K funniest thing. At FHE, Sister Gray was on a swing having the time of her life. Then she said, "I will now do a literal reenactment of the fall of Adam and Eve"...and proceeded to land on her feet, then fall to her knees and face-plant and slide as her feet went soaring over her head in the wood-chips. The idea was to fake-fall, but my companion is cool...so she wanted to do a literal reenactment...and might I say...she did a fine job. I now have abs.

"Brethren, shall we not go on in so great a cause? Go forward and not backward. Courage, brethren; and on, on to the victory! Let your hearts rejoice, and be exceedingly glad. Let the earth break forth into singing. Let the dead speak forth anthems of eternal praise to the King Immanuel, who hath ordained, before the world was, that which would enable us to redeem them out of their prison; for the prisoners shall go free. Let the mountains shout for joy, and all ye valleys cry aloud; and all ye seas and dry lands tell the wonders of your Eternal King! And ye rivers, and brooks, and rills, flow down with gladness. Let the woods and all the trees of the field praise the Lord; and ye solid rocks weep for joy! And let the sun, moon, and the morning stars sing together, and let all the sons of God shout for joy! And let the eternal creations declare his name forever and ever! And again I say, how glorious is the voice we hear from heaven, proclaiming in our ears, glory, and salvation, and honor, and immortality, and eternal life; kingdoms, principalities, and powers!" ~d & c 128:22-23

Love, Sister Burgon*

Pix:   ​​

Pres & Sis Carlson & Kammerman!!!!!

Temple goers!!!!! 

Terre Haute Family

Proud mama and my great posterity...Imma GREAT! Grandma!!!!!!!

E____ fed us some authentic African food!!! 

saying bye to friends...

THE MIRACLES OF WEEK 6

Hey Friends!!!! 

I can't wait to tell you about this week...

hang on tight folks, it's a good one. 

I've noticed that every "week 6" of every transfer 

has so many miracles-cool stuff. 

I got my very last transfer news that I will be 

STAYING here with Sister Gray this transfer WOOOOT. 

I'm so happy and can't wait to work harder than ever:)

Let's start with the Miracle girl!!! This week we met with C____ every single day except for Wednesday! We managed to finish teaching her everything, and she showed up prepared by the Lord each time to hear it, accept it, and live it. (in fact, some things she had decided to live MONTHS ago....) She even has been talking to her coworkers about Christ and they decided to start a bible study! They work for a company called "Cutco", so they named their bible study "Cutco in Christ" hahahaha Her baptism went INCREDIBLE and so smoothly (except she almost had a cold font...silly us...elders to the rescue). J___ gave an incredible talk on Baptism and M_____ said the most heart-felt closing prayer...and you better believe we sang 'If You Could Hie to Kolob' and it was great. Couldn't have been a happier day- she was glowing. I AM SO GRATEFUL FOR THIS GOSPEL. Words just can't really do it justice. 

Ok ok ok, so once upon a time we had THEE COOLEST investigator in Terre Haute named, K_______. She was so solid and even came and watched General Conference with us. Well all of the sudden, she completely dropped off the face of the earth. We prayed and prayed and prayed that we'd run into her on campus again and that SOMEHOW we could find her, but eventually we just had to exercise faith that the Lord had a bigger plan for her at a different time. Welllllll while shopping at Walmart on P-day, on our way out, I see this cute girl that looked so familiar...IT WAS K_______!!! I promise this was no coincidence. HOW DID WE END UP AT THE SAME PLACE AT THE SAME TIME???? It was meant to be! I'm so grateful! We got to talk and even made plans to meet up again! Stay tuned....good things coming! crazy crazy crazy crazy crazy

We got to be in a trio this week...well for a day! Sister Ostermiller was heading home and we got to be the ones to take her to the airport!! She stayed overnight and we stayed up 2 am...because low and behold...she found a bed bug...so we washed ALLLLL of her clothes. hahaha But it was so fun because we got to reminisce about mission memories and it was the best. WELP then we got up at 5 am, and made it to the airport in time, then made it OUT in time to keep our sanity (don't wanna be there yet haha) and have free parking in the economy lot WOO:) I LOVE SISTER OSTERMILLER!! GOOD JOB SISTER WELL DONE!!

I also hit my 17 months...so that was weird. All day long I found little notes written by Sister Gray that said "17 again". She thinks she's funny...and she really is haha I love my companion. It resulted in us having a paper fight, throwing around all the little notes she wrote hahaha good times!

While meeting with C____r this week, he expressed how he feels like he's "higher" spiritually now, more than ever...like he's climbing up to the peak of the mountain. But the higher he climbs, the bigger the drop he sees below him. He expressed his fear about falling harder, now that he's risen so much. We talked about it and came up with the coolest analogy that we are harnessed in with the Gospel, and CHRIST is our tether-man down below us, catching our slack and making it possible that the higher we go, we don't actually have to fall, because HE catches us each time. It was a reaaallyyy powerful thing to think about and I KNOW IT IS TRUE. 

(photo cred...mama borrowed from Google...Thanks Google!)

With a lot of preparation in the works, We finally had Zone Conference this week! It was fantastic! There's a lot of policies that will be enforced in the mission to change the culture and US for the better. We got to give a training on Obedience, Finding, and Diligence. I call it "I Can See Christ in Me". (see my blog for an explanation of the training...attached below) It was one of those moments where the spirit truly reminded me of how incredible this calling is to be a full-time missionary. I love it more than I can say! And as we forget ourselves and Work as Christ, it just gets even better. 

And just so you can have a little laugh today: This week while Street Contacting, Sister Gray and I were asked to "confess to God that we were saved".....before you know it, we were in a prayer circle hand in hand with two ladies from California reciting this....thiingg...telling God that we accept Him and now we are saved.....hahahahaha I'm still confused too :) But hey it's okay...cuz I'm saved 

I know God lives, I know this Gospel is true. 

I know you are loved AND YOU CAN DO HARD THINGS TOO (had to make it rhyme ha)

Love, Sister Burgon*

ps....Yummy English Breakfast courtesy of my sweet English Compie Comp!!!!

Here's what we ended up doing for our training!!

"I Can See Christ in Me"

Topic: Obedience, Finding, and Motivation

We started off by having a sister come up to the front of the room and hold this mirror in front of her face. we asked her what she saw...she said "me". Then we asked her to walk around the room to us as we said "okay sister come this way, keep the mirror up, its a hot humid day and you go tracting...who do you see?" she said "me" then Sister Gray would say at the opposite end of the room "ok sister come this way, now you are so so so so tired but you're asked to get up at 6:30, who do you see?" she said "me" then I would say across the room again "okay sister come over here you have a big street with lots of people to talk to, who do you see" she said, "me"....(something along those lines....)

BUT here's the thing....on the back of her mirror that she was holding up the whole time, there was a picture of Christ that all the other sisters in the room could see, but not her. We asked the sisters in the room, "okay but sisters, who do YOU see?" and they all said "Jesus Christ"

....she was super surprised and took the mirror down only to see Christ on the back of the mirror. We talked about how we wear the name of Jesus Christ and literally represent HIM in our areas. And how others around us see Christ as we teach them, find them, and serve them. Its when we are focused on US that we don't want to be obedient, go finding, and be motivated. WE get in the way!! But if we are focused on Christ, and focus on how we represent Christ, we can find the desire to be obedient, go finding, and be motivated.....if all that makes sense:) with preach my gospel quotes, white handbook paragraphs, and this awesome quote from Bruce R McConkie (best "come-mission statement" ever!!!!)

so by the end...instead of having an open mirror for us to see ourselves in, we covered it with a picture of Jesus Christ so that we can see HIM in US too :) 

President said it was "beautiful" hahahhaaha but we're hoping it was inspiring enough for them to have a desire to change:) What do you think? :)

REAL GOALS

Sup my homies

I would like to quickly start of by saying....when you pray and fast for work so you can give it your all before you go home and stay focused....THE LORD GIVES YOU WORK LEMME TELL YA. "come home tired".....check :) hahaha ain't it great to be busy in da work. yes, yes it is. WHAT A WEEK!

This week our boys blew us away...It all started off by blitzing Greencastle with Sister Ostermiller. We got to teach their investigator on date, C___. While we were teaching him, a friend watching came over and asked what we were doing. We taught her and she said, "I believe all this is true." and wanted to learn more. woweeeee supa cool!! Then on Wednesday, M_____ WENT TO THE TEMPLE!!!!! I've never seen that kid smile more. On the way there he was talking about "car goals", but then he added, "apart from getting married in the Temple...those are REAL goals." haha Later, he got up to go get baptized and he said, "imma try not to cry" haha Can't really say how proud I am of him, the gospel is great. THEN J______ amazed us by fasting and putting a whole lot of faith into paying tithing. THEN on Sunday, Z___ got up and bore this crazy amazing testimony-his first one-ahhhhhhhhh. And to top it all off, J___ got the Priesthood and a Temple Recommend and my my my.....our boys!!!!!

We also got to go to Terre Haute to help Mariah get ready for her WEDDINNNNGGG... yup, we are missionaries, and we got to go to a wedding hahaha t'was fun. And I love my Terre Homies, have I said that before? Cuz I do...can ya tell?:')

In the meantime, C____ surprised and said she is fully ready and planning on getting baptized THIS SATURDAY. So here we go, we're planning a baptism in a week. And my my my is she READY. We taught her tithing and asked, "What do you understand about tithing." and she quickly responded, "oh it's ten percent of your income". (Have we taught this already??? nope....) And she's been reading and LOVING Moses, and wants 'If you could hie to Kolob' sung at her baptism. When I say this girl has been prepared...I can't actually accurately describe HOW prepared she truly is, it's incredible. 

This week, during an amaaaazing lesson about the Atonement of Jesus Christ. A YSA member said, "The Gospel of Jesus Christ is how we access the powers of His Atonement". Isn't that so simply powerful! The greatest thing we could ever imagine, Christ's Atonement, is accessed as we simply yet valiantly LIVE the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

"For he did cry from the morning, even until the going down of the sun, exhorting the people to believe in God unto repentance lest they should be destroyed, saying unto them that by faith all things are fulfiled Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God." ~Ether 12:3-4

Love, Sister Burgon*

Pix: we tried, 

 AND FAILED!!!!!!

 SOOOO BACK TO BASICS!!!!!

IT'S SIMPLE :]

SUPwe had a good toasty, sunny, 
humid week this week. 

It was fantastic. 

HAPPY GRADUATION to my brobro Eric and all those that got to wear the fancy caps!!! EXCITING!!!

So we started the week out by going and doing a day tracting in Plainfield. It was super fun to be with Sister Partridge and Collard and knock some doors. Later that day we got to teach C____a  and have a super powerful experience with her. She's so ready guys...It's amazing! We asked her how she's been feeling about her decision to be baptized, and she replied, "I knew I had made the right decision the moment I met you guys". She rushes through work anxious to get home tooooo...not watch netflix, not walk her adorable dog, not to eat....BUT TO READ THE BOOK OF MORMON. She's truly prepared and loving every second of the wonderful gospel.  

M_____ came to his lesson this week and shared an experience of recieving promptings from the Holy Ghost. It's incredible to see this kid just hit the ground running...and we are running after him but can't quite keep up!! He even mentioned that he's thinking about a mission!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Excuse me while I compose myself. WAIT WHATTTTT?????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

C___r  is still doing well and experience more power from the scriptures and from prayer than he ever has before! Along with that, comes Satan and his explosives of doubts. We were able to recognize that he was the source of the distress, and then everything was better again. Interesting how that works right? Once we recognize that there is someone else, who is the author of unhappiness, behind all our unhappiness....the sadness goes away and the spirit swoops in with love and comfort. Gooooooooo spirit!!!!

So, story time, after stake conference yesterday, we had an appointment with a new investigator that we found this week, V______!! We weren't quite sure what to expect, but I know there was no preparation for the lesson we were about to have. We shared the restoration and V______ was in complete shock. She kept saying how she's felt like there's something missing to all the churches she's been to, and she was so amazed that finally someone could tell her that she was right, but that there IS a place that has it all. She kept breathing sighs of relief and getting so excited and was close to tears the whole time. I've never felt the spirit burn so strong in my heart in a lesson before. It was indescribable. It came time to talk about the Book of Mormon and she casually said, "Oh I think I have a copy of that"...she ran into her room and came back with a copy!!!!!!!! She had been given it on campus but didn't have time to learn more about it. SHE WAS AMAZED...And Sister Gray and I almost fell out of our seats. V______ said the closing prayer and just kept thanking and thanking and thanking Heavenly Father for the "warm, happy feeling in her heart." We walked away just completely in awe and had to say many gratitude prayers after that. THAT is the power of the message of the restoration. Why is it so powerful? Because it's true, I know it. 

From Stake Conference, I was reminded of the beauty of how simple the Gospel is. For the most complex of questions and concerns, fall back on the powerful basics and they will get you through. If the gospel is too hard to live and comprehend, then I think we are overcomplicating it. I'm so grateful that Christ taught the simplest of gospels which creates the most powerful happiness. 

"For the Lord God will help me, therefore shall I not be confounded. Therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed. And the Lord is near, and he justifieth me. Who will contend with me? Let us stand together. Who is mine adversary? Let him come near me, and I will smite him with the strength of my mouth." ~2 Nephi 7:7-8

xoxo Love, Sister Burgon*

Pix: the crew at MLC...keep an eye on the elders!!!

FLORAL FRIDAY.......errrrrr.........SUNDAY......IF YOU'RE IN A YSA!!!!

when all you can smell is weed........

............get outside!!!!!!!!!

Later potaters!!!!!