We made history! (Tuesday, March 3, 2015)

Dear Mom, etc,

As you can see from the subject line, some pretty interesting and exciting things have happened in the past week! I learn new things each week about this pilot program thingamabobber that we're doing and how really incredible it is to even be a part of it! Last Wednesday, our teacher came in to the room and literally tore up the paper version of the schedule that we were following and announced that we (my district and another district in my zone) are the first missionaries in the history of forever in the world to have the opportunity to plan our own schedule at the MTC. Normally the teachers and MTC people planned all of the lessons and activities and all of class time and we just showed up and did what we were supposed to, but now we get to choose what we do with each minute of class time and choose which lessons, principles, language, and grammar to focus on. We planned out the rest of the activities for that week and yesterday we had another weekly planning session and figured out what we are doing this week as well. It's really exciting because we get to work at our own pace and progress. It really is a blessing to be a part of this and I am really excited to see where it takes us. We have already made so much more progress in the past week and I am really looking forward to this upcoming week as well!

Now I want to switch gears for a minute. I wasn't even going to mention that part above, but where's the fun in making history if you don't record it somewhere? Anyway, the main topic of our District Home Evening last night was Christlike Attributes and the question we came up with for this week was "Which Christlike Attribute do you desire most in your life and why?" and each person in the circle had to answer the question. I realized that one of the things I admire the most about the Savior is His selflessness. He never had an ulterior motive and He did everything He did with genuine intent. He focused His life on serving others and He truly cared about their thoughts and their feelings and especially their hearts. I feel like selflessness also encompasses many of His other wonderful attributes, such as charity, patience, obedience, etc. Another really cool activity we did yesterday is what we called the "Why I love you" game. Each member of the district took a turn sitting in a chair in the middle, and the rest of us had the opportunity to tell that person why we loved them and the qualities they have that we really admire. It made me realize how blessed I am to be surrounded by such wonderful people! Each one of them is an incredible child of God and is working so hard to be the best person they can be. These two activities combined made me realize that I focus too much on myself and what I am thinking about and going through instead of turning outwards like Christ and focusing on others. I made a goal for this week to focus on serving others and praying for others in my district instead of always worrying about myself, so I decided to write this week and tell you about the members of my district and they qualities they have and what I learn from them. It won't be too long because I don't have a lot of time left, but it is a blessing in my life to associate with these incredible missionaries on a daily basis and I want you to have the chance to know a little bit more about them too. 

I'll start with my companion. Hermana Anderson. Wow! She teaches me so much every day. She is a natural leader and knows how to take charge and bring a group together. She is also incredibly hilarious and is always ready to make you smile and laugh, but the thing I love the most about her is her determination to improve and be the best person she can be and she's not afraid of hard work. She knows when it's time to be funny and when it's time to be serious, and she excels at both. She has taught me not to be overwhelmed by my imperfections, but to work hard to overcome them and rely on the Savior's help. 

Hermana S. Lewis is also a great leader, and she is our district's Sister Training Leader. She cares about each girl in our district and genuinely wants to help anyone. One thing I love about her is whenever she talks about something she doesn't like or doesn't agree with, she always says right afterward: "But that's fine." I love it because it shows her commitment to do what the Lord asks her to, even if it seems unpleasant to her, and she's willing to do what's necessary.

Hermana A. Burton is absolutely amazing. She is the most honest person I have ever met and you always know that whatever she says is sincere and genuine. She is very mature and responsible, and she understands the doctrines of the church and the scriptures very well. She loves learning and truly understanding things, and she is a great example to be of being firm and steadfast in what you believe in.

Hermana Jenkins is so fun and sweet. She is also very generous and always willing to help others, and ever sacrifices her own time and whatever she is doing to help other people. She is great at doing hair and everyone always asks her to do their hair, and she does it willingly and without complaining. She is also a really hard worker and wants to learn.

Hermana K. Lewis is very spontaneous and fun to be around! She is full of so much energy and literally runs almost everywhere she goes (including from the door of our room to the bathroom, about 10 feet) and she is always happy and bubbly. She also has a strong testimony and you can tell that she loves the Gospel. 

Elder Hagen knows everything. He had studied Spanish for years and he also knows the Gospel and the scriptures very well, and he can answer almost any question you have. He is always pushing us to learn more and work harder so we can catch up to him. He also does a great Napoleon Dynamite impression. 

Elder Honey is literally as sweet as honey. He is a fantastic example of quiet dignity, and I admire his kindness so much. He is also really funny though and loves to make people laugh (even if it includes writing a rap about our district and singing "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" about two octaves higher than even I could sing it). He's the kind of person who is genuinely happy for other people and their success, and he is a very determined worker.

Elder Wixom is our District Leader and he does a fantastic job. He is always working so hard to learn Spanish and improve, and he is great with connecting with people and helping them on a person level. He is also very funny and makes the atmosphere seem cheerier (is that a word?)

Elder Rossi is a ball of energy and always makes everyone smile. He has had many experiences in his life and you can tell that he is serving a mission because he truly loves the Gospel and the changes it can make in a person's life and he wants to share that with others. He is a great example to me of working hard and wanting to make changes for the Savior.

I wish I could have written more about these marvelous missionaries, but time doesn't allow it. Even more though, I wish you all had the opportunity to meet them. I respect and admire each one so much and I learn so much from their examples. I know that this district is together here at the MTC at this time for a very specific reason and that God is definitely in the details of our lives. I love you all very much and I hope everything is going well!

Hermana Burton

PS This happened.

PS this is my zone and I love them

Todo bien en el CCM! (Tuesday, February 24, 2015)

Dear Mom, etc, 

And here we are again! My companion and I have decided that there are only 2 days in the week at the MTC: Sunday and Tuesday, and all of the other days just pass by in a blur. We did have an interesting highlight in the week though when the drinking fountain by our classroom exploded, and that was fun. My companion was pushing the button while I was filling my water bottle because my hands were full, but the water didn't quite get the memo when she let go, so it just kept on squirting. And squirting. About two feet into the air. The teacher came out to see what happened, smacked the drinking fountain, said "nope," and walked away. We had to get on a bus to go test out a mock room at the west campus, so I'm not ever sure how they fixed it. Our district seems to have that kind of luck though. I won't bother to go into detail about the orange juice that exploded in our room last week... I found out that my district is part of a pilot program that used elearn Spanish before coming to the MTC and now we have iPads while in the MTC. It turns out we're the only ones who are part of the program and I thought it was all normal for everybody. It's kind of cool to think about, and I think that's also one reason why I didn't report to the Mexico MTC, so I could be part of this program. I know that I'm supposed to be where I am and be with the people I am with. I love my district so much! We had "District Home Evening" (pretty much FHE because they're like a family) last night and the Spirit was so strong! We talked about the scriptures and what we learned in our personal studies and our favorite things about being a missionary. It was just us sitting in a circle in a classroom, without teachers or anyone else and I learned so much from them. My favorite thing about being a missionary is having constant reminders every day of the truly important things in life and always wanting to be better. I come closer to my Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ each day and learn so much! I can't imagine how I never truly realized before just how phenomenal a blessing it is to have the Gospel in my life! I'm sorry this week's email is going to be short, but thank you all for your love and support! I realized that last week I accidentally mistyped my dear friend's name. It's Hermana Poirier, and her email is libbie.poirier@myldsmail.net. She is still a wonderful example to me and a witness that God really does know His children and cares about each one individually! 

Lots of love from Hermana Burton, I hope everything is going well!

My district!

(Still waiting for an intriguing subject title) (Tuesday, February 17, 2015)

Dear Mom and family,

Wow! Almost 2 weeks down! To be honest, I feel like I have already been here for 2 months. I heard a great description for how time works here at the MTC: "The days are weeks and the weeks are days." It's true. I can't believe how much I have already learned though. All during the week I think of all the wonderful experiences I've had that I want to write home about, and then Prep-day arrives and I don't even know where to start. Teaching lessons has been going really well, even though most of our investigators are our teachers playing roles of investigators from their missions or people they know. I have learned so many incredible lessons from it though. Even though it is role play and the situation isn't real, we as missionaries are still able to receive revelation for and bless the lives of the people we teach, even though they are already members of the church and understand the doctrines and principles better than we ourselves do. It's like the story of Jacob and Esau and receiving the birthright. Even though he "disguised" himself as his brother, you can't trick God into giving a blessing. Heavenly Father knew that it was meant for Jacob from the start. In the same way, you can't trick God into giving revelation. The Spirit is real in our lessons and it applies to their lives, and we are truly guided to know what to teach and what to say. 

Since time mushes so much here, I forget what has happened in this past week and what was the week before. We received MTC iPads this past Friday and it really has been a blessing. It has been a bit of a struggle for me finding the balance between using it and using real paper notes and printed scriptures, but I know that it is a blessing to have it and it will help so much. The area book where we keep track of lessons and investigators is celestial though, we are SO blessed to have it. I also have some pictures on the iPad that I'll send you in a different email. I know there was a lot more I wanted to tell you, but I can't seem to remember what it all was. There is a huge favor I would like to ask of you though. It has a bit of a long background story, but I'll try to stick to the Reader's Digest version. There is an Hermana in my zone (her name is Hermana Poirer) and she is my soul sister. I adore her so much already (even though I have only known her for such a short time) but she has changed my life. She has been a member of the Church for about a year and a half, and she has faced a lot of opposition in getting to where she is today. Her family did not approve of her baptism or decision to serve a mission. She is such an example to me and has given me so much perspective. I can't even properly explain how much I admire and appreciate her. I know that you are all busy and have a lot to do, but please take a small moment and send her an encouraging word whenever you can and let her know that she does have love and support and that she is already changing lives. Her email address is libbie.poirer@myldsmail.net. I know it is a lot to ask, but I know that she would be overjoyed to hear from you all. You are such examples to me, and I know that you can bless her life as well. I love you all dearly and I hope everything is going well.

Hermana Burton

FOTOS:

One week down, and a lot more to go! (Tuesday, February 10, 2015)

Dear Mom and whoever else happens to read this,

I'm not even sure where to start! So much has happened in this week, it has seemed like a year. I am already loving the MTC and seeing miracles in my life. My companion and my district are really awesome and I'm looking forward to growing closer to them. My companion is Hermana Anderson from Herriman (sp?) Utah and she is really fun. It's ironic though, there are two sisters named Hermana Lewis and there is even another Hermana Burton in my district who is also going to Santa Rosa! I guess I shouldn't have just labeled all my stuff "Hermana Burton"... I don't think we're related though, she and her family are connected to the former Presiding Bishop and Linda K. Burton as well. It's funny though, every time I look across the room and see her I wonder why she stole my nametag. Speaking of my nametag, I LOVE it! We had a devotional and were able to watch a recorded MTC devotional from Elder Bednar as well (it's called "The Character of Christ", it is fantastic and I would highly recommend anyone to read/listen to it if they can find it) and both were exactly what I needed to hear. It was mostly telling me to get over myself and realize that serving a mission isn't about me and that I really am supposed to be going to Santa Rosa. One of the hardest things about the MTC at the beginning was hearing all of the awesome languages and seeing everyone with their nametags going to all the places where I wanted to go, but during the devotional when I truly realized that it's not about me I looked down and saw "Hermana Burton, La Iglesia de Jesucristo de Los Santos de Los Últimos Días" I KNEW in that moment that it was exactly what my was supposed to be written on my nametag and in that exact language. I even consider it a miracle because now I am able to not have feelings of jealousy when I look at and hear those languages. Spanish is coming along really well, let's just say I still believe in the gift of tongues. I really miss speaking Italian though, so sometimes I do anyway and my companion doesn't know if I'm speaking Spanish or Italian so she just looks at me funny. It's hard because I sometimes slip into Italian when teaching investigators too when my Spanish won't let me say what I want to. Speaking of investigators, that's another really cool thing! After we learned how to pray and testify, our teacher sent us out on the MTC campus to testify to at least three people. The first we found were missionaries as well so they just listened then walked away, then we saw a girl sitting at a table and went to tell her what we had just learned how to say. Turns out, she really spoke Spanish and was a legitimate investigator of the Church! After we found that out, we started really talking to her (in English interestingly enough) because we were curious why she was there, and we had a really interesting conversation with her! I was suddenly overwhelmed by love for her (even though I had never met her before) and I was able to tell her how much God loves her and I could tell that she felt it too. It was incredible and so out of the blue. We are teaching another "investigator" to learn how to teach, but even though it's a role play situation the Spirit is still so strong! We taught her how to pray and her first prayer was one of the most beautiful things I have ever heard. Another awesome experience happened with one of the people who works at the MTC and records our lessons with the investigators. After our lesson in Spanish, she invited us into her office and asked us to teach her a lesson in English. She told us about real problems and questions in her life (she is a member of the Church and prays and reads her scriptures every day), but we were still able to have the Spirit and receive answers and inspiration to help her know what to do. The Church is true. I have learned so much this week and I want to tell about every single thing, but I would never have enough time. The life of a missionary here feels normal and I know that this is where I'm supposed to be right now. Even the thought of doing something else seems weird. Well I had planned on writing a nice and organized letter, but I didn't have a lot of time and I was so excited to tell you about those experiences so it all just came out scrambled, but I love you all so much and I am so grateful for eternal families! 

Until next time, lots of love from Hermana Burton

Happy Father's Day!

Dear Dad,

Sometimes when I tell people that my father is a truck driver, they often respond by saying "Oh, so you must not see him very much then." I used to nod my head and agree. Then one day I thought, "Well, if it's true that I really don't see Dad that often, how is it that my memory bank is packed and spilling over the brim with memories of doing things with him?" 

There is quite a simple answer to that Dad, and it is one of my very favorite things about you. Whenever you are home, you make sure that we are always doing things as a family. Even if it is just a simple thing like driving to Brigham to get a Slurpee with the grandkids, you are always teaching me that family is the most important thing. Sometimes we just sit on the couch and watch The Andy Griffith Show (well, I should say that I watch The Andy Griffith Show and you "rest your eyes") but those are still some of my favorite memories. I am quite proud of the fact that while most other teenagers at school talk about the silly and superficial sitcoms they follow, I can happily reply that my favorite TV shows are Perry Mason, Hogan's Heroes, The Andy Griffith Show, Green Acres, and many other good-old classics. The saddest part is that they haven't even heard these titles, and I mean "saddest" as a reference to them because they don't know what they are missing out on. 

Another thing that sticks out is the memory of all the 5Ks I have been to in my life. I was about to say "5Ks that I have run in my life," but it's no secret that I haven't always enjoyed them and that I have most often participated a bit less-than enthusiastically. However, I realize now that those memories are always filled with various family members here and there and it's just another reminder to me of how important it is to be with the family. You are always working on ways to make us better people and live our lives in the best way that we can. 

I just realized that if I keep it up like this, I will never finish this letter because so many memories and other qualitites that I love about you keep popping into my head, but I wanted to finish with one of the most important things. I love that you love my mother. I have never doubted that for one second in my life. You are always serving her and planning some sneaky way to surprise her or do something kind for her, and I love participating in these little plots and seeing how happy you make her. Thank you both for being wonderful parents and teaching me the truths of the Gospel. I love you both dearly and I am very excited to see you in a little over a week!

Carol

   ...  

Are y'all still alive?

Dear Mom and family,

It hasn't been that long since that last time I wrote, and almost nothing has happened since then. I have been home by myself a lot in the past couple days and I had been hoping to use the time well to catch up on things that I was behind on and to get a lot done, but actually I wasn't very productive. I have also been a bit sick lately, which didn't help my lethargic mood either. However, I plan on going to bed early tonight and waking up and getting a fresh start bright and early tomorrow morning. Anyway, I haven't heard from you guys in a while so I was just wondering how everybody was doing. Hope everything is well and I will be seeing many of you quite soon!

Carolina

     ...   

Miracoli!

I apologize for not writing for a while, and I know I should try to catch y'all up on what has been going on, but this week I wanted to share a story. It's actually a really long and ugly story, but I'll try to cut down the details. *Spoiler Alert* It has a happy ending. Even though it doesn't seem like it should. Actually I will probably cut out most of the story because it's really not worth re-hashing and the ending is the very best part, but I'm getting ahead of myself. 

I was supposed to board a plane on Monday morning to finally visit Rome, which I have been wanting to see all year. I was so excited for this moment and I had been looking forward to it all week. For the past few weeks, actually. However, something came up and Sunday night I found myself not finishing packing and not preparing to depart the next morning. This is where I will cut out most of the story, because it's the long and ugly part, but there are some details that are important. In the end, the decision to not go was my own because it seemed to be causing so many problems and there were other factors involved, most of which occured that very day. At one point during the day, I found myself praying and begging God to help me understand what to do because I felt sick and confused inside. Asking if I should just call the whole thing off or continue with my efforts, and of course in my heart I was hoping and hoping and hoping and almost expecting for the answer to be to continue. And this is where the "thy will, not mine" part comes in. 

Sometimes God says no. 

However, this is also where the miracle comes in. It was okay. I expected to be disappointed and angry, but the only thing I felt was a calm in my stomach to have finished and cleaned up the matter. I still really want to see Rome, and I still feel like someday I will have that opportunity, but my biggest regret in the whole situation was that the money Mom and Dad had payed for the ticket had been wasted and not the fact that I wasn't able to go to Rome. I thought that maybe the calm would go away after a little while and I kept expecting myself to be mad about it the more I thought about it, but that's not what happened. Many people knew that I was supposed to leave on Monday and seeing that I was still here caused many to ask about the story and wonder what happened, but even telling them about it didn't bring bitter feelings. It was almost funny in a way, watching them react when they heard the story and calmly watching them get angry about it, even though it happened to me. To me that is the miracle. I know that God knows what is best for us, and sometimes He tells us no. It could be because it is not the right thing or the right time, but whatever the reason may be, I know that He has a reason for it. But I also know that when we listen to Him, He makes is easier for us to accept His will and He takes the bitterness out of disappointments. 

Even though I still haven't been to Rome or Venice or the other areas in Italy that I wanted to see, I am still very grateful to have had this chance to be here in Sicily. I have made incredible friendships and learned one million and one things. Every single one of you has helped me get here and I am so grateful to you for that. One of the most important things I have learned this year is how much I truly love my family and how important you all are to me. Sometimes I want to take a picture of the Italians' faces when I tell them how many siblings/nieces/nephews I have, but I wouldn't trade any of you for anything. I love you all dearly and I am excited to see you soon! 

Carolina

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