Obedience

Hola Familia!

This week I learned a valuable lesson about obedience. When we are obedient we get to see miracles. I learned this week that even the little rules count. If the little rules weren’t important then they wouldn´t be rules.

One of the goals of Mission Peru Iquitos is “Voy a ser completamente obediente” I will be completely obedient. Sometimes in the mission, or in life, we forget to be obedient. I learned this week that it doesn´t matter the circumstances. Obedience is always the first priority. When we are obedient to the laws and ordinances of the gospel we have a spiritual protection. When we obey the laws of the land we have a physical protection. When we are completely obedient Satan has no power. I want to be the type of person, the type of missionary that Satan can’t get to.

Your obedience sends blessings to us. Our obedience sends blessings to you.

I was reading in the conference Liahona; Sister Stephens said that when we partake of the sacrament we not only renew and remember our baptismal covenants but also all of the other covenants. We all need to be sure that we are keeping our promise to be obedient.  I for one could definitely improve my obedience and my attitude about obedience. I hope that you all have the chance to exercise your obedience this week. It’s really cool to see the spiritual difference.  

Have a wonderful week!

Hna Burrell.

LO MAXIMO

Merry Christmas!

Hello all and Merry Christmas from Iquitos. While all y’all are shivering, I am soaking up the sun!

This week was full of tests and trials but every day we had the opportunity to see God’s hand in the work. Every time something fell through we had a really cool lesson or a contact or we got to serve somebody that needed help.

Yesterday we were going to get people for church and we were thinking that once again, nobody would come. When we got to the first house our investigator Jordan, was ready and waiting outside and he had all of his cousins with him. We took them all to church. And when we were there we saw that two more of our investigators were there and had people sitting with them.  It was so great.  For the last 3 weeks we haven’t had anybody in church and I have been looking and praying for ways to help. Looks like I just needed more faith.

Funny what a little more faith can do.

It's all about perspective...and pneumonia

HOLA FAMILIA!!

It’s almost Christmas and it is just getting hotter and hotter here. The work is speeding up too.

This week President Gomez said that we are going to change the ideas of the people here in Iquitos. The elders are to wear their suit coats to church and the sisters are to dress a little snappier. It’s really a great opportunity to represent the mission differently. The hope is that the people will take church a little more seriously and ya know…come. The entire mission is having trouble getting the people to church. We are all teaching stellar people and every companionship has people that are very prepared. Here in Iquitos the people don´t go to church because they are busy working for Christmas. The people here are very poor and want to give their kids at least one thing. It’s a little backwards sometimes because in the states people go to church more for Christmas. Sometimes I forget where I am.

BUT guess what! We get to call. Today I am going to call to set up a time for Skype. So be ready! It’s gonna be the best because I am the best. My comp says I have to work on being humble. I don´t think so.

Also Gressy is back! Woot! She was an investigator in October and November but she went to her mom´s house for a while, well she´s back. We went to teach her and find out if she still wanted to get baptized. She said that she did but that she didn´t have a testimony. We asked if she ever had a testimony and she said no. We walked out of that appointment feeling a little beaten.  Satan is working so hard here and with some people he is winning.

Hna Woodbury and Hna Kirk (took over Versalles) are having a ton of problems with this. They have one of my old investigators. This last week something happened and the investigator asked them to leave. They haven’t been able to figure out what happened and they haven’t been able to go back. It’s heartbreaking to see the potential these people have and then watch them walk away. They literally have the potential to be Gods, to create worlds and spirit children. Sometimes I wish we could see the eternal perspective. If we could show the people who they are, who they were created to be every elder would have pneumonia [Dad: no, I didn’t translate this and no, I don’t know what having pneumonia has to do with anything].

When I get home we are going to publish my journal. It’s going to be called “A walk in the Jungle: Stories of a Sister Missionary.” It’s incredible to think that we are working with souls, not with people.

We had training by president and Hna Gomez this week. They talked about the importance of the testimony of the Godhead. We first need a testimony of where we came from and who God is before we can teach anything else. This was the first problem with Gressy; she never gained her testimony of Heavenly Father. This week we are going to focus on this principle; and I am going to commit each of you to review your testimony of Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost. Think about what it means to you to be a child of God, and what it means to have divine potential. Think about your Savior and how you can grow more close to him. Think about the spirit and how you are using your gift of the Holy Ghost. I promise that your testimony will grow. Best wishes!

Hna Burrell

The waters are on the rise...

HOLA TODOS! [Hello ALL]

¡Lo siento por no escribiendo bueno! ¡Un día voy a ser mejor! [Sorry for not writing well! One day I will be better!]

This week has been crazy! At changes [transfers] we got 2 more gringas [white girls] in the Ward. They were in the CCM with me so it’s a little strange but really cool to be with them.

It’s been raining this week and the waters are on the rise. It’s weird not to be able to enter into my old area when it’s so close. My comp is wonderful. She was sick for a week and a half before she told anybody. It caused a few other problems, but I have to say I commend her for sticking it out. So we went to the doctor for her on Saturday and they think she has the typhoid. It sucks pretty badly. It’s either that or parasites or a bacterial infection. They don´t know so they are running a bunch of tests. Luckily we haven´t missed too much work. Even though she feels like garbage, compy [my companion] still wants to work.

This week I saw a rat attack a chicken [no translation needed]. That was pretty exciting…and I saw a cock fight.  It was almost as exciting as the chicken rat fight! Loving the people here and I am finally getting used to the food. We ate mac and cheese from a box last night! WHAT! So good!

We are having a little trouble getting people to listen to us but I think that’s because we are focusing on finding people. This week we are going to shift our focus to menos actives [less actives] and new converts. Here, there are a lot of part member families, so if we focus on them we will find people to teach. If y’all have more ideas let me know.

FYI bought a thermometer this week. They still use mercury here. We haven´t used it yet.

Gonna have a baptism this week!  Dora is getting baptized on Saturday. Crazy stuff! 

OH This week we taught a lesson in the cemetery. If you guys get the chance, share your testimony about the plan of salvation in a cemetery. The spirit is so strong. Have a great week all of you and remember that you are missionaries!

Much love Hna. Burrell

[Just a note from dad.  Haley would love to hear from you...ALL OF YOU.  She doesn't have a lot of computer time on Mondays, so if you want to send her a quick note or a "just thinking about you" card, her address is on the right side of her blog.  It would really mean a lot to her...especially around the holidays.]