Love, Sister Burgon: 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