From the Amazon with Love!

So...we are back in the field after a few days in the mission home. I got to disinfect all of my clothes, but they got washed with DOWNY, so they smell super great. The showers and cold air were nice and I did have a lot of time to study but nothing compares to the sound of a font filling up. I didn't get to work until Saturday, one of my very best friends was sent home for a medical emergency and another sister may have to change missions for medical reasons.

It is SO good to be back at work. I made it to the baptism this week. Jordan got baptized on Saturday and then Sunday he was confirmed and ordained a Deacon. Next week he will pass the Sacrament. We have 4 baptisms planned for this week; Samantha, Andres, Rosario and Milagros. They are all doing wonderful. Even with the baptisms, the week was pretty rough.

This week I studied a lot about the desires of our heart and how we all have agency and how we need to exercise it. I was studying and realized that sometimes I pray to have peace with God's decisions. This is a good habit but I was not exercising my own agency. We can make decisions and then pray for guidance and direction. If we are truly in tune with the Spirit our desires will be the same as God's. For me, this was a difficult thing to learn and I will need to continue to practice-but I have seen a difference in my attitude towards the things that happen here on the mission.

We all make choices, and to quote Rush (the band...not Limbaugh):

If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice…

I will choose a path that's clear,

I will choose freewill. 

We have agency and we are free to use it. It’s a really great gift that we have. I hope that I will be able to continue to grow closer to my Heavenly Father so that I can be more in line with His will. I want His will to be my will, I want to be like Nephi.

One of my favorite passages in the Book of Mormon is 2 Nephi chapter 2. This is right after Lehi dies and Nephi is pouring out his soul. It really means a lot to me to know that prophets have struggles too. It’s not all daisies and butterflies and talking with God.

Remember to be like Nephi, quake at the sight of sin, and repent daily.

Much love from the Amazon!

Hermana Haley Burrell

Infections, Birds and Bugs…in no particular order

Thats me and a parrot...right after this it tried to bite me. 

 [Message from dad:  Haley didn’t email us first thing Monday morning.  It was very unlike her.  To make things more stressful, we got a facebook message from a young lady in Haley’s area, Dulce.  Her message was "hello much burrell in enferma".  My immediate translation was “Hello, your daughter is in the infirmary”.  Google translation: "Hello much Burrell in sick".  Not much better than the original message.  I tried to message Dulce back, to no avail.  I emailed Haley again, and this is part of the response that I received.]

Alright, this is why I don't like facebook. I have a skin infection. It’s bad, but I'm ok. I got it from a dog; they say only 1 in 100,000 get it. Well earth and hell right? So what it is Pioderma [Impetigo]?  It causes sores and is uncomfortable. I won’t die or get sent home which is good. I have medication and cream. I was ordered to rest and stay out of the sun for a week; so I will be staying in the Mission home for a week while I recover. My comp is going to stay at the house with Dulce [Facebook message girl].

I get to take a hot shower!!!! First time in 5 months. I really am fine. I am contagious and that’s why I can’t go out. And the medication I´m on gives me brain fog but other than that, it’s all good. I can still walk and think and do everything they just don't want me to spread my disease :)

Don't worry too much. But that’s why I didn’t get on earlier; because they made me stay in my house. So in the morning, I am going to the mission home to stay in a nice bed with air conditioning and A HOT SHOWER. I am bummed that I can’t work this week. For the blog you can tell the people that I caught a dog disease. At least Kendall will get a kick out of that. What's that disease that they always talk about at nana's? “catsocky” or something. HAHAHAHA. But really I am fine.

Haley and Hermana Kirk from Blanding

Beetle in a pringles can...flew into my hair one night