Sacramento - Week 4

Due to the new security measures requested by the Mission leaders, the names of all investigators and people that Sarah comes into contact with will be replaced with the name of a well-known character from a children’s movie. This will keep the identities of people safe as well as make it easier to keep everyone straight. The name given is in NO WAY intended to reflect the personality, looks, or circumstances of the individual(s).

Monday, February 18, 2013

Italics are additional explanation added for your benefit

My Valentine's Day outfit!

Hello Hello Hello! (or Hey Howdy Hoo as Lisa Lou seems to think we say in Texas)

My make-up mirror came and is a lifesaver. Thank you!

MARY! Thanks for the message! I love all y'all and hope that 385 is a breeze.

Hey, sign me up for Samoan 101! It's my life and I want a fun class :) Plus, it's 4 credits.

Ok, so this week:

Me and Elder Harris

Last P-day we went and visited Elder Harris. He lives in one of my favorite places, the Green Valley Cemetery. You see, Elder Harris was serving his mission here in 2007. He was reading his patriarchal blessing one day and it was all about his mission and not about anything else. He jokingly said to his companion, "I think I'm gonna die on my mission." But then like a week later he got really sick and passed away. When his parents came to get him to take him back to Florida, they felt impressed to bury him here instead as a memorial to the mission. This week was his Paradise day (anniversary of his death) so we stopped by to say hello. I love going there because the spirit is so strong and technically he is still a missionary called to Green Valley, which is my area. We go and ask him for help from the other side because our area is so tough, and I know he is rooting for us. If we're having a rough day, I make us take a detour to Elder Harris and it's always better afterwards.

On Tuesday we were out visiting a potential investigator in a slightly sketchier area of town and when we came back outside, there was a sticky not on our car that said, "Go Back to Utah". We were totally freaked out. Then we found out that our Zone Leaders had been out on exchanges in the area and had left it. So, of course we had to prank them back. On our way home Wednesday we stopped by the chapel, knowing that they were inside with the YSAs (Young Single Adults) playing sports. We covered every single one of their windows of their truck with sticky notes. When they called us about it, we simply told them that if they prank us, the pranks shall be returned unto them seventy times seven haha. Silly Elders.

Sister Loli had to go back to the Dentist to get a few cavities filled and while we were there, Dr. Clark (who is a member in the Folsom Stake) asked us if we wanted to have our teeth whitened...for free! So of course we said yes. He is just the nicest man. So pray for him to be blessed because he is always doing things like that for the missionaries at no charge, fixing teeth and whitening the fixed ones. 

Left to Right: Sister Loli, Sister Hale, Sister Jackson,
Sister Dalley, and Me in the back!

Left to Right: Sister ward, Me, Sister Jackson, Sister Kim

Friday was our Zone Conference. I sang and it went really well. All the missionaries and President and Sister Skywalker were complimenting me and asking if they could have the arrangement. Then Sister Loli and I had to be like, "Well, actually we made it up so we can't really give it to you." And they would all freak out, but it really was no big deal. I do love the arrangement though. Since it is traditionally sung as a men's quartet, everyone loved hearing it as a woman's solo. They also called me up to sing it impromptu in Sacrament meeting on Sunday. That's what happens when you make up the arrangement at the Ward Music Coordinator's house. So then, Bishop asked us to come over and sing for their family night that night, so we threw together another song and sang and shared a power lesson (empowering members to do missionary work).

Zone conference was great! We had training on how to improve our baptizing, teaching, finding, and using family history in missionary work. Everything was focused on hastening the work and what we can do to help move the work along. It was wonderful to spend the day with other missionaries, the assistants, and Pres. and Sister Skywalker. I got to see Sister Kim and Sister Ward from my MTC district and we had a happy little reunion.

One of our investigators came to church yesterday! She only stayed for sacrament meeting, because she had to go home and take her dogs out, but hopefully next week we can get her to stay for the whole 3 hours. Longer church times are a big transition for people. She seemed to like it though, and met a lot of people. She is making great progress! We hope to finish getting the house in order this week so she can start having people over and being fellowshipped.

Last night, we visited some of the ward's recent converts. They are a miracle! They have two kids, 9 & 11. They were baptized a few months ago. It has been cool to see their transition and how they are changing and growing closer together as a family because of the gospel. Last night, their daughter said the blessing on the food and I just about cried. Her prayer was so beautiful and she prayed for all the missionaries. We've been encouraging them to share how the gospel has blessed their lives with their non-member family and they are doing a great job. They have been such a success for many reasons, but one of the biggest reasons is that they were introduced to the gospel by their neighbors and good friends. This is why members are supposed to be the ones finding investigators, not the missionaries. When a member invites their friends and family, those investigators have an instant support system in the church. They have people to talk to, to learn from, to ask questions from, besides the missionaries. After baptism, they have someone to integrate them into the ward and keep them active. The miracle in member missionary work is that, like it says in D&C 88:77-88 (I think), we are taught when we teach. When we teach others, God's grace is upon us to teach and edify us. When members reach out in the missionary effort, they are blessed with an increase of their own faith and testimony, life-long friends, and a glimpse at the depths of God's love and His desire for every child to come home.

I know that our Savior lives. I know He loves us. I know we have a Heavenly Father who wants nothing less than total joy for us in this life. That joy comes from living the gospel of Jesus Christ and being a member in His church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I'm so grateful to be a missionary. It is the hardest, and most fun thing I have ever done! And don't forget that every member of this church has been called on a mission. The minute you came out of the waters of baptism, you received your mission call, to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ to everyone you know through your words and actions.

Love y'all!

Sister Burchett

A Koala from a Sister in our ward. She works as a flight attendant
 and went to Australia, so she brought us back these cute Koalas.
They have boomerangs and their little sweaters say "I Love Australia".
 I put him on my lamp on my desk :)

We went over to a families house for dinner, but when
we got there Sis. M wasn't home yet and we can't be alone in the
 house with Bro. M
(It's against Mission rules for Missionaries to be alone in the house
without a member of the same sex present)
Hence, we hung out in the garage with the door open and took
out some aggression on the punching bag.

Also I found a razor scooter and burnt off some
 energy in a very graceful way ;)

My desk is against the bunks, so I get
 to decorate the foot of my bed.
Oh yeah. Classy.

I made this bookmark for my scriptures.
It's President Skywalker, hahaha