Purpose

Pues no tenemos mucho tiempo la verdad.... oh my gosh I just realized I was writing in Spanish. How embarassing. I am going to leave it because it´s funny. Anyways! As I was saying... But in another language. HI! Sorry that we don´t have lots of time, my companion has a sickness called dengue, so we just left the house! I AM DYING! I hate being in the house. But it´s okay if my daughter can get better :) 

I am so grateful for this week. It was hard but I just am learning to keep going. My zone leader called me last night, and though I was asleep he told me to wake up and to listen up because he had a prompting to call me. He is my friend, so I decided to obey instead of hang up the phone. Haha. He asked me, Hermana? How is your faith? And I said, the truth is Elder, I am not even sure what the faith is. I have tried so hard all my mission to be faithful, and I am sad seeing such little results. We prayed so hard for four baptisms this much, we are being obedient, I think we have faith. But I think whatever faith is, I am starting to lose it. 

He said to me, well hermana, that would be the reason that I am calling you. And he started to tell me the sacred journey that his mission has been for him, all the hard things that he has had to pass through, and the moments when he too, thought his faith was going a little downhill. I didn´t understand, hermana, he told me. I didn´t understand if I was being so faithful, why God wasn´t blessing me. I was being obedient. Why did I have to suffer so much? I went eight and a half months without having one single baptism hermana. But one day, he told me, we were in a junta, and I saw Hna M. She looked in my eyes (and my soul) and said to me, Elder. Stop worrying about the numbers. The most important thing that you can do on your mission is convert yourself. 

He then said to me, Hermana Burton, the Lord wants me to tell you that your purpose here is not to have thousands of baptisms. He is preparing you to become a mother in Zion. To be a mother to spirits that are even greater than yours or mine. And so hermana, remember.....

1. Remember that Faith is to keep going even though it hurts... (la fe es seguir aunque duele) and 
2. That our agency is only good for not using it, and instead doing the will of the Lord. 

I was so touched. The Lord answered my prayers. I am so grateful for a tender Lord that prompted my Zone Leader to call me, and for my Zone leader that was humble enough to obey the promptings of the Lord and call me. 

I thought of dear Nana when they talked about the older people of the Church in Relief Society. Isn´t it amazing that what I am learning here in Mexico you are learning in United States? and they are learning in Chile? and Africa? It´s so beautiful! I am so happy to be a part of this true church. 

Well here are the pictures of the week. 
1. Goodbye shoes! You served me well! 
2. SUSHI here is actually meat and rice deep fried! And I love it! 
3. My hair gets more blonde EVERY DAY! 

I love you all so much. Try to share the gospel in everything you do. Tomorrow I will be going home in five months. I love you! 

Hermana Burton