MACAU 7

we had another miracle baptism!

Our investigator from the Mainland China, Sister Ng (or Wu) said that she didn't feel like she was ready to be baptized on thursday so we cancelled the baptism, but then she came down by herself on Saturday night to attend our meeting on Sunday morning to tell us that she felt as ready as she can be now and that she wanted to be interviewed, and she passed!!!

So some of the members in mainland came down to attend her baptismal meeting that afternoon and it was a very happy afternoon! And they were very excited to see us missionaries, most likely because missionaries aren't allowed in mainland so they rarely see one.

It's been such miraculous move so far, having 3 baptisms in a row, it is such a tender mercy from the Lord and I really know that this is Lord's work and He really is in charge. He brings us His children along to help eachother grow and learn of Him, and then makes up for all our mistakes and shortcomings. Honestly, in all my weaknesses and imperfections, I truly didn't deserve to see so much miracles, but I have learned that it's not being perfect that will bring successes and miracles, but consistantly repenting and continuing to quest after that perfection that brings about this tender mercy of the Lord enabling His work to keep moving forward. I have truly learned so much from being His instrument, watching Him use what He can work with this imperfect "tool" that He has been given. He has made me realize strengths within me that I hadn't known I had, and have fixed and polished here and there in me that is ready to be fixed and improved. One reason how I can know He is still pleased with me despite all my mistakes and failures is because I feel His Spirit still abiding with me and burning within me and guiding me.

One of our new investigators from just a week of two ago, GaYih, now has a baptismal date that she is excitedly progressing towards! She has received witness that God loves her and her simple prayers are being answered, we can feel the Spirit so strong when we teach her and her sharings further witness to us of God's incredible love, and nomatter how small, He cares about every little things that are important to us. He really only wants to make us happy.

Last week I didn't have enough time to share the great miracle of God within myself. He has helped me overcome yet another one of my greatest fear. I received a letter on the Sunday where we had 4 confirmations, in the letter it contained a news that I hadn't expected. It was a huge challenge. But I straight away began my fast, and during that fast, so quickly the Lord was right by my side. and He opened my eyes, vision, helped me to gain greater understanding of His plans for me. And instantly, I don't know how He did it, in a moment of time, all my pains melted away, I don't know what I did or what I said in my prayer, but as I prayed I felt my heart healing, I felt complete peace and confidence in the unknown future. I just couldn't believe how quickly I was able to change and overcome. The Lord had really prepared me for this challenge. Truly, if we build our all on the foundation of Christ, we will not fall. He will keep us standing. I still have no idea what the futures will bring, I only know that the Lord will still be with me by then and all the way through as I let Him, and so, I'm willing to let it all go, truly let it all go, and I have no fear in the uncertain future. And it was still incredible how many people were inspired to send extra support to further let me know that God is aware of my trial. :)

I am almost out of time again, so long until next week! Lots of loves, always, to all my loved ones back home!!

Sister Burningham

 

 P.S.-

Tomorrow my visa expires -- my another 20 days in Macau will be over -- and four of us missionaries would need to get out and come back to see how many more days they are still willing to give us, each time it's pretty suspensful, haha, adds more flavor to already interesting mission in Macau :) It's become my home to me now, I love this area, just as much as I loved Tolo Harbor my last area, if not more. I love the people, and actually, to tell the truth I love Chinese people more than Korean people now :P haha, no, actually that's not true, I just really love people so much right now if I haven't before. :) It just further excites me for the greatest reunion party we will have after we die xD

                                          Sister Ng and the missionaries

Some members from a Branch in Mainland, they were so awesome to come down at the last minute to support her baptism! And powerful testimonies and prayer!

Sister Ng's fellowshipper and friend, also called Sister Ng, but different chinese tone/character :)

MACAU 6

Heavenly Father's love and very personal specific daily designs never ceases to amaze me.

Before I get on that I would like to mention,

JENNY WAS BAPTIZED!!! :D

On Saturday we held a baptismal service because there's a leadership meeting on Sunday after church, and there were 3 people being baptized that day:

Jenny, A-Fai the Cantonese Elders' investigator, and Mok Ye the Mandarin Elders' investigator :) It was such a happy exciting day and lots of people showed up although it was held on Saturday. Afterwards all three bore their testimony, and Jenny shared how grateful and blessed she was that she was found and had the opportunity to learn the Gospel and very respectful sweet humble testimony. Then A-Fai was very nervous about bearing his testimony and didn't know what to say, so Jenny and other members asked him questions to prompt his testimony and it just ended up turning into a testimony meeting basically :) and though I didn't understand very much of Mandarin, when Mok Ye bore his testimony I could still feel the Holy Ghost strongly and knew that he knew this gospel was true.

On Sunday we had 4 people receive their confirmations!! Including our other convert A-Yan who was baptized a week earlier :) :) :)

Both girls are so solid and love the Lord and were excited to finally receive the gift of the Holy Ghost!

And it was so awesome to see them progress since the beginning and watch their faith grow and gain their own testimony.

This past week we also met some awesome new investigators, basically like Jenny where they were willing to just come follow us into the church to hear our lesson and to meet us again, among them are Ga Yih and we were able to see her twice already and she was very purposeful in her agreement to be baptized, she really wants to have the testimony that we and A-Yan (she helped us fellowship :) ) have, and to know the truth and also be baptized, it almost made both of us cry because she was such a miracle find and so golden. Another one, Sylvia, she had to go to work and had just moved from the mainland china few days ago and didn't know her phone number so she said she can meet us after work the same place we met her and follow us to the church. We had lots of experience where even though we receive some-sort-of phone numbers they would "fong" our appointments where they flat out don't show up and ignore the promises, but for some reason we both really believed her, and that night waited for her. But she didn't show, and Sister Wong said we will wait for 10 more minutes and at last as we were about to leave when that 10 minute was almost up, she showed up! She was sorry she was late, and she actually liked our messege and agreed to see us again! So many miracles, but the greatest miracle I have yet shared, and actually I'm out of time, perhaps next week, but really, as Mom shared with me her relief society lesson the past week I am firther convinced of how specific God's designs are, although I had missed that messege across the seas and He has helped me another way, I am still greatful for mom's sharing. The gratest miracle this past week is the miracle within me. God has helped me to overcome another one of my greatest fears of my heart, anyways more next week

loves

leih jimuih

                                          Us and Jenny!

 Jenny and the best youth members ever! They are all converts! From left: David-introduced to the gospel through his friend Ann, Ann-can't concentrate on homework because she wants to read the Book of Mormon so bad, such strong testimony of the Book of Mormon, Jenny-Yay!!, Tiffany-Jenny's first friend in the church, introduced her to love the Book of Mormon and how to apply them daily, Such powerful youth with strong testimony, All three wants to serve a mission :)

                                         There were 3 people being baptized that Saturday :D

 for Jenny's baptism back of Jenny's Journal that Tiffany her fellowshipper bought for her and asked me to draw in them

                                          front

 

MACAU 5

Another miraculous week!

where to start, well, A-Yan's baptism of course!!! :D :D :D :D

She is SO awesome! she is 20 years old and I am looking forward for her to prepare to serve a mission as well, as she has already helped us teach a lesson before being baptized, and even on her baptismal day she helped us go finding and together we found another new investigator and taught her on the street with A-Yan!! She is so incredible and loves the church so much!

Lets see, oh and so Jenny's parents have now given her the permission to be baptized and because there is a leadership meeting in church this sunday they moved the baptism a day early so it's now this Saturday after the "mutual"-missionary Activity we hold every Saturday! She has already agreed to help teach baking for the activity and we will see her get baptized and eat the cookies we made together afterwards, :D

Oh and I did go back to Hong Kong last friday only to turn around and come right back to Macau! 4 of us foreign missionaries have all received 20 more days in Macau, we shall see how much longer after that we are allowed to stay :)

A-Tihng on Sunday was talking to different people and participated in classes very well, and she was smiling a lot and looked much happier. She also sincerely congratulated A-Yan and welcomed her to the Branch. We are seeing so much progress in her, she is opening up more and changing herself to become better and happier. :D

We also had a formal investigator call this past week to tell us some unhappy news, and no matter what we shared (testimony, scripture, Jesus Christ, personal experiences,etc.) she seemed determined to keep her decision that would mean seriously breaking a commanment, she only wanted to convince us that she is an exception and wanted us to agree with her and console her. But finally, it happened that we ended up having the elders with us in her home to help her clean and move some heavy things, but she had already finished cleaning everything by the time we got there as scheduled, so we ended up teaching her together. And when things were again not helping her to repent and turn towards Christ, Elder Yeung our zone leader who was with us spoke in a way best described by the scripture in Doctrine and Covenants section 121 verse 43, he reproved her with the Holy Ghost. As he spoke so boldly and strict, so powerfully, the Holy Ghost was felt so strongly in the room, no one in the room could deny what was being felt, I think even the baby within her because she all of sudden held onto her stomach as the Holy Ghost witnessed unto all of us powerfully about Elder Yeung's sharp reproval. Afterwards, our investigator's attitude changed, she sincerely wanted to know how she can really trust God as she tries out keeping the commandments first, she really wanted to know if there really was hope for her, she has promised to personally kneel down and pray to know God's will and let us know this coming week what her decision afterwards will be. And then two days later she came to A-Yan's baptismal service, she has never been to a church service before and she really loved the hymns and held onto the book very earnestly. She realized through A-Yan's testimony afterwards that church people don't have perfect lives, they have tragedy happen to them too, but can still be happy because they have God with them and the family they find in the church of God. She left that meeting with much hope for her circumstance. It was truly a miracle. I had prayed for her a lot the past week. I also received a priestood blessing the past week which told me that my mother's earnest prayers are protecting me and that there are angels round about me, I asked the Lord to please send some of those angels to protect this investigator and her baby with-in her at this crucial time, and I know that my prayers just as every one's, were heard.

It truly humbles me to serve a mission. We missionaries truly are still immature 19 to twenty-something year old kids, and that this really is God's work, not ours, I cannot help these people with their challenges and tragedies, only the Lord can. All that I can do is to do my best to be a worthy clean receptor of the Holy Ghost that God, through me, can freely accomplish His will. I am but a pen in His hands, i need to be ready and worthy so as God picks me up to use, there's ink ready to be spilled. And I am so grateful for the worthy priesthood holders, God's authority on earth. I am so grateful for the Lord's mercy. Despite all my imperfections still finds me useful to accomplish His designs. All these miracles are happening before my eyes and I know that it's all the Lord's doing, and I am just grateful to have been there to witness and recognize and give thanks to Him for the opportunity. I have done truly no special thing to deserve so much blessings, privileges and opportunities as He is constantly giving me. I am so grateful, despite all my pride, lack of faith, weakness, and sins, the Lord loves me so much and is willing to keep working on me, to change me, to help me become better, even to become as He is.

I hope that I will never forget His mercy and remember of my own nothingness.

with Love, always,

Leih Jimuih

                                           A-Yan's Baptism

                                          with elders

                                          A-Yan and Sister Wong, and Jenny's fingers :)

MACAU 4

On Saturday my visa in Macau expires and will be kicked out, ha, only to come back and ask for more days! We will see how much longer I will be allowed to stay. :)

I had originally been very nervous and didn't want to come to Macau very much, but once being called there I knew that's where Heavenly Father wanted me to be and so far I have really felt his power in arranging everything.

The less-active member here named A-Tihng has been baptized two years prior, and due to her bad family situation she is very hard to be sociable to and it had been difficult for previous missionaries to help her progress. But once meeting me and finding out that I am Korean, she was very excited to tell me all the Korean things she loves, and has been very active (perhaps too active) in calling us missionaries lately whereas before she never called them. At first we thought maybe she has some mental problems, it was a struggle to teach her, but we are finding that she just needs to learn how to be sociable. I am especially noticing my past self in her, having no friends with family problems and not knowing how to interact with people, etc. and I realized that the thing that has changed me to be who I am today was the Book of Mormon and so I made my best effort to help her be more interested to read the book. It is very hard because often she doesn't hear what we say in the lesson and goes off telling us something so off topic, but we have hope because by being straight forward and loving, she has actually been progressing--coming to church each week and participating in the classes, also meeting new people, calling us not too much but simply calling us once a day now to tell us thank you and how happier she feels, sharing with us that she knows she has problems and has the desire to repent and change and become better person, being more diligent in her school work (she is 22 still trying to finish highschool level), she has actually been answering the questions ON-topic during our lessons which means she now is listening to the words we say, she knows the Book of Mormon and church will bless her. So we have high hopes for her, especially me, because I know that God has made me all that I am today, and if He can change me and find use in me now doing His work, He can also make that happen for everyone as long as we let Him and feast upon His words.

Also this past week we met with Esther a member in Macau 1st Branch, and it is also very inspiring because I actually knew her before my mission. I met her when I went to an activity one Sunday evening provided by these two brothers in our Singles Ward at BYU and she was from Macau and was surprised I knew where that was, and I was excited to tell her I just got my mission call to Hong Kong and she taught me one of my first few words of Cantonese I learned: Thank you and God :)

She felt it was very special that we met again, she remembered me and I also remembered her, and we were able to share some messages to strengthen her as well. She was very supportive of us missionaries and was very giving. We missionaries also learned much from her.

I have also realized that my first 6 months of mission, especially while I served in my first area, has really prepared me to be Sister Wong's companion. Because I already knew her and her family and her home ward in Hong Kong, and we realized that we had lots of experiences that were similar and strengthening to us as we shared them. I am also very blessed to be working with such incredible convert youths of the branch, one of them that Sister Bingham has taught when she herself was in Macau. We have A-Yan's baptism coming this Sunday, and we are so excited!! Jenny's baptism is the next Sunday but we are praying because her parents were pretty hesitant on giving her permission to be baptized, but strangely they wake her up every Sunday and send her off to church (because waking up is Jenny's weakness-like me, haha) :) We also found some more new investigators through many small and big miracles, one of them being Alice who is excited to learn more and find out for herself, we are very excited to introduce her to A-Yan because they are around the same age :)

Work in Macau is going well, it's different, teaching me different things and making me work hard in different focus than in Hong Kong but going well. I am happy and well.

Got to go now, but I love you as always, you are still in my prayers,

Sister Burningham

MACAU 3

Not much time today but just want to more boldly testify that the Book of Mormon is SO important, and more important that we study it daily, its power and influence is incomprehendable, and I know more than anything that it is true and the people in it definitely existed. They are my best friend, I can truly feel each of their utmost passion in the Lord's work doing their best to persuade at least one more person to come unto Christ, their testimonies are my treasure and their personal experiences with the Lord is my strength. They watched some of their family member, brothers, sisters, beloved friends, neighbors perish in unbelief, struggle in life unwilling to accept Jesus Christ, and in their pain watching those people they cried unto the Lord, and I know that the Book of Mormon is the fruit of each of their faith, I know that the Book of Mormon and all the souls it has, does, and will yet save is the answer to all their faithful prayers, And I know that God is really showing His infinite love and marvelous powers through this book. I know that the Book of Mormon is the answer, it was provided by the Lord and came forth by His power and continues to touch souls by that same power. It is no ordinary book, and definitely cannot be taken for granted. As those prophets pleads, we must feast upon it, and feel of their sacrifices, love of God, all their powerful faith, their wisdom, testimony, experiences, it has all been prepared for us specifically in our day. This is what I really want to share with everyone, God, through the Book of Mormon has really made me all I am today, I used to be nothing, such hopeless child, but now I am something: I am a missionary, I am a Disciple of Jesus Christ, all because of the study of and the applying of the principles found in the Book of Mormon. It has really brought me to my Lord. I can't stress it enough, how much Jesus Christ, my God, His gospel, His words, His love, His everything, means to me. I hope that everyone can also find out their true potential and are growing more into becoming that potential, is my brief message.

Love, Sister Burningham

P.S.

Pictures:

Today for P-day we went to the beach and played Volleyball and Ultimate Freezbee and I am tired-OUT >_<;;

But I got to take some pictures to send home while we relaxed afterwards, I was also able to sketch some drawings there,

so I am sending picture of my companionship, my zone, and a fun sign I saw at a restaurant, and really pretty umbrellas in the ceiling of an exhibit :)

Hope to send more next week!

MACAU 2 Happy New Year!

This week was Chinese New Year, so almost all businesses were basically closed, including the library, so here is my brief late email to you all :)

I am truly blessed to be serving in Macau right now, we are finding new investigators, one of our investigator A-Yan is progressing so well to her baptismal date, she even helped us teach another investigator and bore powerful testimonies and encouraged her to also keep learning the gospel. She hasn't even been baptized yet, and she has already recognized how happier she has gotten since meeting the missionaries. That other investigator Jenny, is also doing great, we found her last week and she has come to church last week, the same week we found her, and already has developed great friendship with our member Tiffany. We have high hopes for her, she really enjoys the members, activities and us missionaries and has kept all her promises and really loves to learn the gospel.

For the new year our mission went up to the Big Buddha in Hong Kong, it is supposedly very huge buddha on a hill (Wow, that's a big Buddha"), but unfortunately I couldn't really see him because that day there was a very thick fog (Wow, ,,, where is he?) haha. It was a great activity, we also had a vegetarian lunch together which was delicious with so many kinds of tofu I have ever seen. Oh, and also on Sunday they assigned to give a talk in Sacrament, and it was so nerve-racking doing in Cantonese! I get nervous doing it in english in the first place, but it worked out well. I hope the Branch rises up to my invitation to work together in this missionary work :).

Oh and another news while ago I moved on to the second language level and started learning chinese characters, I was working hard on my language because my setting apart blessing told me to read the book of mormon in the language, but I don't know how to read Chinese! So I began since coming to Macau, to learn to read, and it is actually possible :). Well, of course, the Lord wouldn't command me to  do something without providing me a way to accomplish it!

So yeah, working hard and learning much, I hope the same for all of you back home. Nothing provides more purpose, meaning, and joy than what serving the Lord can bring.

Yay mortal life!

with love as always,

sincerely,

Sister Burningham

MACAU 1

Wow, my first week in Macau!

Macau is quite different from Hong Kong, and here we only have 2 branches-Cantonese and English. Sister Wong and I are serving in the Cantonese Branch and it has been going great. I am just still trying to figure out how to best help this area that I can leave it better than I found it, that I can accomplish the wills and plans of the Lord for the area. Because,,,sad to say, although Macau is known to have the most baptisms in the China Hong Kong Mission, it also has the most less-active members (about 400 baptized members but about 50 active members,,,), also it is really hard to find members to fellowship for the lessons. However, Sister Wong last move has just opened a new area with her former companion and they were both very new to Macau, and last move unfortunately they didn't have very good success. But I know that planting seed is just as important as harvesting. This week so far from monday we were able to find a new investigator everyday, it's been a huge miracle, and we were even able to find a very golden new investigator from Indonesia for the English Branch as well. We have been very happy and are doing well moving the work forward step by step. There is a member in the English Branch, her name is U-lan(?) I don't know how to spell her name, but she has so far had us over for a meal twice already, and these indonesian and philipinean people are not rich, they are actually very poor working in Hong Kong or Macau and sending the money home to their family, yet U-lan, cooks and feeds people all the time! Especially on Sunday she fed 15 people in her little tiny apartment! And it was a very touching moment seeng 10 of us missionaries and 5 of the members in the Branch all fitted in this tiny apartment eating food together and getting to know eachother and sharing our conversion stories, all of us away from our families yet finding joy in the gospel as sister/brotherhood in the church, it was very very moving. I am so grateful for the gospel, although we may not have much in the eyes of the world, I know that we have everything because we have the gospel.

Anyways, I hope that everyone also counts their blessings of the gospel, it really is the best and everything we can ever hope for. In it is found all the answers, hopes, happiness, love, and blessings beyond measure. And gospel is only possible, because of our Savior Jesus Christ and His Great Atoning sacrifice.

I love you as always,

Sister Burningham/Leih Jimuih

 

Pictures:The pages in Mandy and Angel's new triple combination for their baptismal gifts :) A-Jyu (shorter one) and Miki <3

My "Last Week" in Hong Kong

So here is the news, Sister Farr is training this move, which means I need to be transferred.

I am moving out of my very first "baby" area where I was "born" as a new missionary in Hong Kong.

And more than that, I was moved OUT of Hong Kong itself,

Today I was transferred to Macau, and here I am emailing in Macau library. My new Companion is Sister Wong, she is from Tai Wo Ward, one of the wards I served in Tolo Harbor, I visited her mother who is also a recent convert in the Ward twice while I served there, so, It's a great mixed feelings, but I will just move on and let you know what happened my last week in Tolo Harbor in Hong Kong.

I have been calling this potential investigator A-Jyu for weeks after weeks, she was contacted by the Elders and so they gave the phone number to me back I think Sister Bingham was still with me. After hearing again that she was still busy with the test season in Hong Kong, I told her I didn't know when she would have time to answer our phone calls again but when she does it may be another sister missionary because I will be moving. She then decided that she wanted to see me before I go and we scheduled to meet (she really didn't want me to leave and said that she would miss me, which is really funny because we only talked on the phone and have never actually met). She brought her friend, Miki, with her and we were able to teach them after school. It was one of The best lessons we ever had in our companionship so far, we were very led by the Spirit and everything went very well and testimonies were powerful. It broke my heart more to have actually met both of them only to leave them, I love them so much,, but we both knew afterwards that I had to be there for that lesson. I am going to miss them very much, we took pictures :)

On Saturday we were finally able to teach Yami! She is already in Jacob 2. We taught her the first lesson and she loved it, Bing Bing, Young Woman in Tai Wo bore powerful testimony of why she knows and how she knows the church is true. I am excited to follow-up on how Yami progresses!

And on Sunday, was the baptism. I will be forever grateful for the Lord, for granting me this opportunity to be there for Mandy and Angel's baptism. It was actually pretty dramatic, because the baptismal fount, we found out during the service, had a leak. So far from making it easier for Mandy to overcome her fear of water and be quickly baptized, it was more difficult than ever. Mandy had to be baptized twice and Angel 3 times, both wet and freezing in the cold weather. However, Mandy and Angel's non-member mother, she was SO supportive, she told the girls to not give up, not to let her mother down, that she even had to go out of her ways to get work off for this day. After the baptism, interestingly,,Mandy wasn't afraid of water anymore, but Angel became deathly scared of water. Anyways, they both recovered and were fine, it was overall very happy and very memorable baptismal service. We bought the girls new set of triple combination in Chinese and wrote in it. I also drew in them as well, I'll send pictures. Many of non-member friends and relatives came to support the girls' baptism and we had 2 non-member friends' mothers asking us to start teaching their children the gospel. It was just a day full of miracles and joy. On Friday during weekly planning Sister Farr and I both had a distinct feeling that A-Yee (Mandy and Angel's Aunt/Guardian) is ready to be baptized on 15th, we invited her, but will see how that will go, she has already heard all the lessons with the girls, but because she didn't want to influence the faith of the girls she doesn't participate in the discussions with how she really feels. We need to teach her by herself. A-Yee herself has great faith, upon hearing that I will be moving to Macau, she simply said, "Need not worry, God assigns all". We exchanged contact informations.

Mahn Jimuih is also a heart of Gold, she is very Christ-like, and it's not always easy and pain-free to be so. She has had a lot of hurts because she is so compassionate and giving. We are continuing to prepare her to go to the temple and be more accepted by the ward members in Sheung Shui. I love her so much, it is very hard to leave such beloved people, but I know that that is why we have the gospel, so that the relationships we form on earth Can continue in eternity. We will definitely see our loved ones again.

Out of time, will send more pictures next week, I am going to do my best here in Macau as well, give my all as I have in the 3 Wards and areas of Tolo Harbor.

Praise the Lord

Love always

Sister Burningham

Week 18 in Hong Kong

LeihHou everyone!!

How was everyone's new year?

As for us TaiPo sisters we counted down to 11pm (in China Hong Kong Mission we get up at 7 and go to bed at 11, yes it's a special mission, only because the city wakes up later) and celebrated Japan's New Year haha,

Anyways, here are some news, Mandy came upto me on Sunday to talk to me about her baptism, she has this great fear of water and she had a baptism coming up on the 15th, she is now more comfortable with the idea of quickly going under the water and coming up, but is still nervous, so she decided to move the baptismal date up a week so that Elder Ng, who she feels most comfortable receiving baptism from, can baptize her before he finishes his mission and leave on the 13th or so. So we have Mandy and Angel her little sister (they wanted to be baptized together and Angel has been wanting to be baptized already in her first lesson) scheduled to be baptized this coming Sunday!!!! They have already passed their interviews on Monday and we are only waiting for their paretal signatures for their baptisms! I am SO Excited for them!! Mandy's family situation is really complicated and she is arriving in her teen years and seeing her and her family struggles I saw myself back in her age, and I knew Christ and His Gospel will protect her and help her through all the life's challenges. Through the gospel she will know who she really is, that she is a daughter of God, and she will not need to be confused by her family's complicated situations. I am so grateful that Heavenly Father gave me this opportunity to witness my Hong Kong little sisters come unto Christ, this miracle, it is all because the Spirit guided, prepared, and supported them. God truly is so merciful to show me His imperfect servant these miracles to testify to me that His work truly is a Great and Marvelous Work.

The field really is white and ready to harvest

Sincerely, with love always,

Sister Burningham

Week 17 in Hong Kong

P-day this week is on Friday, just this week for leadership training and other meeting schedules,

We got to go to the temple today. We are incredibly blessed to go every transfer. Everytime I go to the temple, I feel as if I have come home, I am able to leave all the burdens of the past 6 weeks and start over again spiritually rejuvenated.

Anyways, don't have much time to write because I sent more pictures this time but Christmas was wonderful and Mandy and Angel have a fast coming baptismal date for the January 15!! We got to meet Angel's father and his girl friend who previously was concerned because they heard many bad things about the church but upon meeting us they said all the questions they had were answered just by seeing the kind of people we missionaries were, and that what they heard didn't match up with what we were. It was an incredible humbling experience knowing that truly, no matter how bad our cantonese may be, the light of Christ we radiate is the most important and speaks the loudest.

Although there wasn't a baptism on Christmas for our companionship, many of our investigators are progressing and 3 of them will be prepared to be baptized in January, we are very excited, also, the Elders in Sheung Shui had a baptism on Christmas, and I know that their convert's family will also be influenced by his example. THis work truly is exciting and I know that it has only begun, my 3rd move into the mission hasn't even ended yet and I am already witnessing all these lives change and coming unto Christ. I am so thankful for the examplary Hong Kong Saints, I am so thankful for all the experiences the Lord gives me to help me become who I need to become, and the blessings and knowledge He gives me as I need them and am ready for them.

Yesterday I also met the legendary Sister Kim! The Korean sister missionary that served before I got to Hong Kong, her Cantonese is unbelievable and gives me great hope too haha. Anyways, I know I am sent here in Hong Kong for a specific purpose, and having only less than a year left now of my mission, I rededicate/recommit to give it my all.

I hope everyone also is letting Heavenly Father mold them into what they need to be becoming!

Happy New Year!! The year of 2012 Dun!Dun!Dun!! :D

Love, always,

Sister Burningham

Leih Ji Muih

 Zone Christmas dinner,

One of the game was sticking a mustache on Santa,

for some reason,,the Santa looks kind of like dad, I must have unconsciously drawn him :)

Mahn Jimuih brought her nonmember daughter to SheungShui Ward Christmas Party!

 TaiWo ward Young Women and our 2 new investigators Yami and Jasmine in middle, and Victoria from Taipo ward on right end with Wilma next to her, and Bing Bing on the left end with Amy and Nicole Ng next to her :)

 Hazel Law visited home for Christmas!!! (I serve in her ward-Sheung Shui, and her dad is the Ward mission leader, and we have had dinner at the Law family's house and the mom is amazing cook and relief society presidency!)

People have told me that I look kind of like Hazel, and now looking at this picture I can see it too

 Picture with Sister Farr my current companion and our lovely recent convert Vianna that Sister Bingham baptized

 we also posed together with the mustaches :) Our less-active member Mahn Jimuih also came :) Sister Mahn is on the far right :)

 We made snikerdoodles with our member friends Sister Chan and her daughter Sonia

(they are less-active but are really doing better now!)

and funny thing, Sister chan calls me her korean daughter and herself as our hongkong mother, she also called me a "good-pig" which was funny because my real mom calls me a pig too!! So for me they made a pig shaped snickerdoodle and so there you have pictures me and the 2 pig cookies! haha

                                         Sister Farr and I today after the temple!

6 MONTH MARK

Today December 22, 2011, I have officially been out on my mission for exactly 6 months, ALREADY

it flew by so fast. and in 3 days  it is Christmas, and I sometimes wonder if the past six months has been acceptable to the Lord. I feel like I am never good enough of a missionary, but then I realize that is because of our fallen nature; None of us are perfect, everyone has weaknesses for God gave them to us, but they are given to us to keep us humble not to beat ourselves up. I love the story in the talk from the last general conference about Teaching by the Power of the Holy Spirit, I think was called, where everytime the father and the daughter paused to take a breath while climbing the mountain, they didn't focus exclusively on how far they still had to go but they also took a moment to see how far they have come, and immediately started climbing again, one step at a time. I think that is a perfect example of our journey to become perfect even as our Savior and our Heavenly Father.

So I have some incredible storie to share, on thursday, last Pday we didn't have much time to go finding, so we decided to try to find someone on our way home from our meetings. On our way home we said hello to a man who greeted back and started to speak to us in English. While we were engaging in a conversation about his interest in the church and former involvement, a college age boy approached us to ask if we have seen his soccor ball and being fascinated how we foreign missionaries spoke Cantonese, lingered to join our conversation, his English was also amazing as he has been preparing to attend a university in Scottland. At the end of what was about 30min to an hour conversation they said they would think about attending our English class or the Christmas card making Activity after the class on Friday, and we went home. The next day on the train there were these really hyper teenage girls going home from school that I laughed at and told them they were cute, and we ended up talking to them and also invited them to the english class and the activity, they seemed excited but we also were aware that the school uniform they wore was a school that we have heard to be anti-ing their students. It's the same school we have lost 5 of our investigators so far who all of a sudden stopped answering our calls and didn't show up to their scheduled appointments and just disappeared (one of them even had a baptismal commitment). But that night, Wing (the college aged boy) and the two girls both came! and had great time with the members and felt the Spirit! The two girls, Yami and Jasmine Have been anti-ed by their teachers before, but apparently it motivated Yami who seems a bit rebellious in a sense to want to find out what it is about this church and the Book of Mormon that the teachers hate so much and be warning the students about and telling all these crazy stories about. So by the next night she had already read the Book of Mormon upto 2nd Nephi Chapter 4! and the young woman in TaiWo (Bing Bing) that befriended her that night and had conversation with her outside the church by themselves told us that the two girls are ready for the gospel and will be baptized! Wing also had a good experience and although he had doubts about the church before (he himself also having had attended that same school before, and heard many bad things about the church) gradually developed interest from getting to know members, the elders, and attending the Christmas devotional and TaiPo FHE Christmas Party, the Elders now have him scheduled to teach the lessons and we are very excited!!

Also our less-active member Sister Mahn, she has been coming to church everyweek for 4 weeks now and having been reading theBook of Mormon everyday and is just being healed by the gospel of Jesus Christ, and is hungering for more! Last time we committed her to prepare herself to be able to attend the temple, and we are very excited for her!

 

pictures real quick

for mission christmas activity/meal today we had a real whole cooked pig that was chopped in front of us,,,,,!!!didn't have time to take picture of it before it was chopped so,,,,sorry for a bit graphic photo,,,,

this is Sister/Mrs. Wong, she was our former investigator who we discontinued teaching because her age prevented her from remembering anything we taught, but we invited her to our christmas party and she came :)

 

Merry Christmas everyone, and remember as we heard in the Christmas Devotional, the true meaning of CHRISTmas!! and give Him your heart! Bring souls unto Him! :) :)

 

Lots of love, always,

Sister Burningham

in Hong Kong

Week 14 in Hong Kong

Wow, actually this time I don't have a lot of time to write this email,

but I just want to quickly say, God is with us, He knows each individual one of us, and according to our desire, our faith, our readiness, He will place people and blessings in our path to help us reach our potential. Everyone please daily study His words, He has prepared so many generations worth of countless prophets and revelations to cause Book of Mormon to come forth in our day. He prepared the record for us right now, please don't take it for granted because that only makes Satan "happy". Without the daily scripture study habit we cannot progress into our eternal potential, and if we are not progressing we are digressing. Let His words change you to become the person you were made to become. His words has changed me into who I was before my mission, prepared and worthy to serve the Lord, and it still continues to change me more into the person I need to become, the divine potential that we each have. We have yet so much to grow, so much faith to develope, we really are nothing without Him, nothing compared to Him, but we mean everything to Him as President Uchtdorf(hope that is the right spelling) said, that He has prepared and done and is still doing everything He can to help us reach our divine potential, if we would but accept His help.

That is my hope and plea for my beloved people I cannot see during my mission, if they don't already have that important habit.

I love you so so much, miss you and pray for you,

always,

Sister Burningham

3 Month Month Mark in Hong Kong, Start of Move 3

It is still hot outside and looks like it is June in Utah, yet we had Christmas music playing in the malls and places before ThanksGivings even came, it is quite interesting :)

But it's sad most people don't even know what Christmas Season is for, and it recommits me that I want to testify of my Savior Jesus Christ more so that in this season people may at least hear His name. Our district is thinking of going Caroling every week, not sure how that will work but I am pretty excited.

Last night we had the opportunity to visit the Lo couple. Brother Lo was the Bishop for TaiPo Ward before and he was the first Hong Kong Temple President. He is now in a wheel chair and his health isn't very good, but he never misses coming to church on Sunday and is always early to the meetings. He is an incredible example. Sister Lo is also very out going and physically active for her age and really takes good care of Brother Lo, she is always smiling and greets everyone, they are both temple workers and have about 2+ feet stack worth of family history records. They are incredible missionaries for the otherside of the veil and incredible influence and strength and testimony builder on this side. I will send a picture of them :)

Last Sunday Sister Mahn came to church!! After we left her house she said that she resolved her own concern and conflict through action of love that she could come, and had a great expirience at church! She hasn't been to church in about 10+ years and she has really been through many heartaches that are starting to heal through the gospel.

We are meeting many more new people lately and it's been very exciting. I have been thinking about how the Lord has rescued me from the world into HIs gospel and why is it that I am able to enjoy His mercies when all these people are still suffering in this world. But through serving my brothers and sisters under the guidance of the Spirit, I am just very grateful to be used as Lord's instrument to rescue His other children as well. I know that the Lord's plan is perfect and He knows what He is doing. I know I can always trust in Him and do my best in His watchful care.

Last week we had a talent show in the Stake where Sister Farr had the opportunity to bear her testimony through dance. It was very powerful and beautiful, the Spirit was very strong and it was very moving. I don't think I ever realized how much I actually enjoy watching dances, I think I would also enjoy animating them :) Many people came upto her afterwards and expressed that they were grateful to have seen the dance. It is such a blessing that we are able to use our talents to bless the lives of people on our missions!

Out of time and I must go, but as always I love you very very much!

Sister Burningham

Week 12 in Hong Kong, End of Move 2

Another move has come and gone, and sometimes as a sister missionary it makes me very nervous how time flows on our mission. I don't want to waste this the Lord's time, I don't want this mission to just pass by, I want to grab a hold of it and make the most of it, I want to act and not be acted upon.

But I realize that perhaps the reason time goes by so strangely on missions is because we are so focused on making the most out of the now. Each week we do weekly planning, where we set our goals for the week and plan all the things we will be doing to reach that goal for the week. Then during the week as days come by, since the week has already been planned we can just focus on the day. Also, each night we do daily planning for the next day, where we set goals for the day and plan out what we will do each hour to accomplish those goals, and I think, this has been one of the gratest lessons I have learned on my mission so far. Proper planning. Because I have plans, I don't have to worry about planning as time goes by, each hour of the day I can put forth all my attention and effort on the task that was scheduled and make the most out of the hour, and living each hour of the day like that I guess can distort our perception of time. I really cannot believe that, it is already another P-day, and that because today is the first of December (already!! I feel like I just got to Hong Kong a couple weeks ago and that was early September) in 21 days I would have been out on my mission for 6 months, Third way into my mission, and that is very nerve racking.

But I know that those prayerfully set goals are being fulfilled, and I know I am doing the work that the Lord had in mind.

It actually is very incredible how the Lord works in such mysterious ways, as I excercise my faith and do my best hour by hour His work is really moving forward almost on its own, people I haven't even been able to talk to for years are turning towards Christ, people of all sorts of backgrounds are being found everyday and are being invited to come unto Christ, and even within my investigator pool,

Elsa who has previously disappeared for some weeks has been coming to church, and came to our once a move My Conversion Story Fireside, and is now reading and praying daily to find her answer, and asking the Lord to help her be ready to be baptized by Christmas;

Mrs. Fung who has been coming to church for two Moves but would never schedule to see us missionaries has finally scheduled us and learned about why this church is different and how she can progress to baptism to really follow Christ;

When we went finding one day in Sheung Shui we happened to talk to a lady, Fung Siu Je, and her now-9-year-old son Peter, who has couple years ago have been taught by Elder Taylor Williams (I knew him in my BYU Stadium Terrace Single's Ward!!!) and sort of driffed off from progressing in the church ever since her missionaries left, it was a miracle that both of us unplanned happened to be there at that time to meet, and for us to remind her about the church and how now both her and her son could work towards baptism! She came to the Primary Thanks Giving Activity and is planning on coming to church on sunday.

Our former investigator Mrs. Tse (who was dropped by other missionaries about 3 times previously), who couldn't progress mainly because of her work on Sunday that prevented her from coming to church, last time we taught her, something special happened. Our fellowshipper Lai Mommy, Sister Farr, and I were all very unified in our teaching with the Spirit, and she herself unexpectedly asked us how she can recieve and know that she received her answer. She was very sincere and had a different look in her eyes, and we have great hopes that she now has a desire to act upon her belief and hopes.

Our less active member Sister Mahn, who Sister Bingham and I have visited my first week or so in Hong Kong, found time to see us again yesterday and told us her real concern why she does not want to attend church, and we comforted her with the Book of Mormon, words of the prophets, Joseph Smith's experience and our testimonies, and invited her again to come to church. She said she would and we're very excited!

So many hearts are turning to the Lord, I have not enough time to relate them all. At times, there's so much to be discouraged and saddened by, but in the world there's oppositions in everything. If there is bad, there's also good, and it is our challenge to look up and focus on the good. There will always be negative things to be unhappy about, this is definitely an imperfect world &imperfect people live in it, they are so easy to find with so little effort, but if we put our effort to find the good, they are also there too. In Christ we can have all the hopes we could ever hope for, and as one of my favorite quote says, "Everything is going to be alright in the end, if it isn't alright it isn't the end"

Add oil everyone, :)

Jesus Christ, He really really really loves you, learn of Him and all He has done for you because of His love for you :)

And to it I add my humble love,

Sister Burningham