Sacramento - Week 23

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).

United! Happy 4th of July!!!

“I have to ask my Uncle Elvis first…”

Tuesday July 2, 2013

Hello one and all! 

My beautiful area!

Well, first transfer update. I am being transferred. I have been assigned to labor in the Carmichael stake in the La Sierra ward with Sister Vaughn. Elder Dahl, the assistant to the President, called and said, "Sister Burchett, you have done a great job in El Dorado, and we have a new assignment for you. We want you to leave El Dorado and come down to Carmichael. We really need your fire here in Carmichael. Sister Loli has nothing but great things to say about you and we want to see if she is right."

So, it's all Loli's fault haha.

I am having this weird set of mixed feelings right now. I haven't really processed it all because I am so heartbroken to leave Green Valley. I LOVE IT HERE. I love the people so much, members and non-members alike. But then I also have this overwhelming sense of gratitude to my Heavenly Father for letting me serve here and giving me a chance to love this much. And then I have this enormous sense of duty because Carmichael is struggling and they are basically calling me down to help and fix some problems. They need my "fire" which makes me laugh because I don't think any of them fully realize what they just signed up for.

Change is coming, and it's coming in one loud, happy, teasing, hard-working package that says y'all every 3 seconds. I'm also excited in a weird way for a new adventure. Apparently, my area is kind of ghetto. Way different than Green Valley, but sounds really fun! Sister Roberts is staying here and Sister Dalley (who I came out with) will be coming up to be her Senior companion. I am trusting them to do great things and keep the work going here. They have to love these people as much as I do. If they don't, I'll have to make a few calls and come back and fix it! Apparently that's what President thinks I am, a problem-fixer. I guess that's better than a problem-maker haha

And now to explain the title of this letter: We had this potential investigator named Aurora. We asked her to take the lessons and she said yes. Then, later that night, she texted us and said, "I have to ask my Nanna, my Grandpa Jack, and my Uncle Elvis before I make any big decisions." ummm.......what?! I though Elvis was dead, but maybe I'm wrong. She is supposedly visiting him this week. I told her take pictures for me. I'll let you know if Elvis is alive or not. 

Ok, to explain the pool raising because everyone has been asking questions: A family in our ward was putting in a dough boy pool, but putting it in like an in-ground pool. So they dig a big hole and you put up the liner and walls inside and it last like 10-15 years. We were all there to help put in the walls. It was awesome! 

I haven't gotten to ride my bike very much at all because Sister Roberts hurt her ankle in Zone Sports. But I will hopefully be riding more soon. 

Mom, could you send that picture of the Elder on Zip again? I never got that one. That is awesome that all my old Beehive girls are going out on missions! They will be awesome!

We had a special Sister meeting in the mission this week. All the sisters got together and President Skywalker was the only male there. Great fun! We had special trainings, one of which was on eating right and exercising. Funny story. One time, the Skywalker’s were having a family reunion at a cabin. The men were all of skiing and Sister Skywalker was home with her daughters and the grandkids. Their 3 year old grandson locked himself in the bathroom and turned on the water in the bathtub. They kept trying to talk to him and pick the lock but they couldn't get the door open and he wouldn't answer. Sister Skywalker had been taking a kick-boxing class and so she just kicked down the door! Mind you, Sister Skywalker is all of 5'2 (maybe) and this was a solid wood door. She kicked it right off the hinges! The moral of the story was to stay in shape because you never know when you will be called upon to kick down a door haha. 

At Cameron Park Lake with our lovely fliers

Saturday was the Cameron Park Summer Spectacular! It was basically the Cameron Park version of the Melissa Celebration of Freedom. We made packets with a mormon.org card, fliers about the stake pioneer day celebration, and fliers about free family history workshops and we just walked for hours and talked to everyone. It was great!!!!!!!! It was so hot (we are currently experiencing a massive heat wave. 110 today) but it was so great. Funny story: We were sitting down to take a break and this guy in his 20s comes up to us, introduces himself, and hands us a flier for the Bible Baptist Church. "I'd like to invite you to check out our church." I reached into my bag and pulled out one of our fliers. "We'd like to invite you to check out our church too!" It was at that point that he saw the mormon.org card and our badges and made the connection. Poor boy. He got all awkward as I explained the pioneer day celebration and invited him to come. Then he walked away. It was too funny! 

The inside of my white handbook. If I'm found
dead and that is the only way someone has to
identify me, I want them to have a good laugh.
Finding me dead would be shocking, so they
would need something to take their mind off it.

Miracle this week: The Rescuer’s, a less active couple we have been working with, signed up to feed the missionaries 4 times in July! 4 times! This is progress! They feeling the spirit we bring and they came to church this week. 

I should get to come back to Green Valley for Sinbad's baptism at the end of this month, so that will be fun. The beautiful thing about this work is that no matter where you go, it is true! We are all teaching the same gospel and lead by the same leader, our Savior, Jesus Christ. 

Well, off to a new adventure! 

Love, 

Sister Burchett

Moosen in the Woodsen

There was a giant chicken statue at Green Springs Ranch...I have no idea why?