It's incredible because some how the gospel just keeps getting deeper and deeper for me.

So emailing got moved to today! Since we will be in Bangkok on Saturday to see Elder Holland, and we won't be having P-day next Monday. So President gave permission to email today in our areas. 

Not a lot to report, since I feel like I literally just emailed, but these last couple days were pretty good. I can't believe we are leaving tomorrow morning to see Elder Holland!! I am staying in Thonburi with Rina, since we have to stay in Bangkok for a couple nights, so that should be fun. Sister Sihabut is excited to go too! She wants to meet the Burmese Sister so it worked out great. Slowly I feel like I have been saying goodbye to the members here. Everyone keeps asking me when I am moving. It's kind of depressing, but its time. I am really going to miss it though. 

We have this one investigator right now, Sister Cookie, she is 17 years old and just the cutest thing ever. I have she came to church on her own last Sunday and this week we have been calling her to follow up on her commitments and she has kept all the commitments so far. I just can't believe how solid she is. She is what it means to find the elect. Her understanding comes so fast, and honestly I wish every investigator would have the desire she has. It will be sad not to see how things work out for her, but I am grateful I got to at least see the beginning of her conversion. I really hope Sister Sihabut stays to continue teach her. She's great.

If you are curious. Here is the list of scriptures that we were given by President to prepare for Elder Holland.

Here is the email President sent us:

While I was in the MTC, Elder Holland provided a list titled, "Twenty Teachings in the Book of Mormon on the Atonement of Jesus Christ, by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland."

Given Elder Holland's passion for the Atonement and for the Book of Mormon, I believe this listing is a great source of study as we prepare to be taught by Elder Holland. Please read the references provided and discuss the concepts in Companionship Study.

1. Nephi's record of the "God of Nature" suffering and the first of Isaiah's testimonies of the Messiah (1 Nephi 19, 21)

2. Lehi's patriarchal blessing and discourse (2 Nephi 2)

3. Jacob's two-day sermon (2 Nephi 6-9)

4. Nephi's final testimony on the doctrine of Christ (2 Nephi 31-33)

5. Jacob's "few words" (Jacob 4)

6. King Benjamin's sermon (Mosiah 2-5)

7. Abinadi's declaration before King Noah, including Isaiah's prophetic testimony (Mosiah 14-16)

8. Alma's testimony to the Church in Gideon (Alma 7)

9. Alma's and Amulek's teaching to Zeezrom (Alma 11-12)

10. Amulek's discourse to the Zoramites (Alma 34)

11. Alma's counsel to his son Corianton (Alma 39-42)

12. Samuel the Lamanite's prophecy (Helaman 14)

13. Jesus's introductory discourse to the Nephites (3 Nephi 11)

14. Jesus's definition of "My Gospel" (3 Nephi 27)

15. Moroni's call to believe in Christ (Mormon 9)

16. Jesus's own pre-mortal testimony (Ether 3-4)

17. Moroni's message to the world on faith, hope and charity (Ether 12)

18. Moroni's summary of his father's teachings on faith, hope and charity (Moroni 7)

19. Mormon's epistle to Moroni regarding little children (Moroni 8)

20. Moroni's invitation to come unto Christ (Moroni 10)

I laughed because it is like half the Book of Mormon. But this is essentially what I have been studying every morning the last month. Honestly, it has been really cool to read all these scriptures of the Atonement back to back. It really strengthened my testimony on just how perfect the Book of Mormon is. All of these scriptures support each other and everything just fits together so perfectly. There is no way someone could make all this up. I honestly just love the Book of Mormon so much. I can't even explain it. I feel like every time I read it my understanding about the depth of the gospel increases. It's incredible because some how the gospel just keeps getting deeper and deeper for me. I NEVER could have imagined before my mission just how deep things really got. And I can't even explain what I mean either. It's something that you have to learn and feel on your own. "Working out your own salvation" kind of thing. SO GOOD FOR REAL! 

I hope everyone has a great week! I know I will be! :)

Love, 

Sister Burbank

LITERALLY. Planted rice this morning. And Elder Holland Coming to Thailand!

LITERALLY. Planted rice this morning. I am officially in the coolest mission in the entire world.

AND no crabs bit me. Miracle #2.

I feel like the longer I am here, the more I just feel like a khon Thai. But then I slave out in the rice fields all day and get totally sunburned and remember I am still that crazy redheaded Canadian born America raised white girl. The best part is that even though I feel completely burnt to a crisp. I am happy.

This week was wonderful. Kind of weird to be honest and FLEW by. But I enjoyed it a lot. We taught prayer a lot this week because believe it or not we got not one but two new investigators! It reminded me of the amazing gift prayer really is. I have seen my relationship with my Heavenly Father become so strengthened over these last 10 months I can't even explain it. Such a blessing.

So since this weekend we will be in Bangkok to see ELDER HOLLAND! So excited. And then the next Thursday after that is Transfers, so yesterday was most likely my last Sunday in Sisaket. Since the chances of me moving are pretty high. 6 months!! I have been in this one area for 1/3rd of my entire mission. So crazy to think. But I honestly got kind of emotional while I was sitting on the stand conducting the music. So much has happened these last 6 months here and I realized how much I really do love these people. It will be good to leave and get a fresh start in another area. But I really do feel like a part of me will always long to be in Sisaket. I am excited to see where I go though! Bangkok????? Probably. 

Anyways, P-day is changed to Saturday this next week (or Friday for you guys) because we will be in Bangkok Sat afternoon after the meeting with Elder Holland with nothing to do until the meeting on Sunday. So, all 180ish missionaries in the entire mission are going to be having p-day together in Bangkok. Sounds like a recipe for disaster. 555 But it will be cool to see everyone together. I want a copy of that picture for sure.

Just a quick thought from my personal study this last week. I spent some time studying D&C 4. You know the section that every missionary in the entire existence of forever has to memorize. I have read it and recited it so many times, but I don't feel like I have really internalized it for a while. But this last week verse 3 and 5 really stuck out to me.

3 "Therefore, if ye have desires to serve God ye are called to the work;"

5 "And faith, hope, charity, and love, with an eye single to the glory of God, qualify him for the work." 

I realized that it is our desire that calls us, but it is our NATURE that qualifies us for the work. It is not just a change in behavior to be faithful or have hope or have charity and love. Or to have an eye single to the glory of God, but it is quite literally a change of nature that we have to undergo to become qualified for His work. At first, a desire is sufficient because everything has to start with our desire first, but after that God expects us to qualify for His work by BECOMING. Becoming like His Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. So cool, no? 

Everything comes back to PMG Ch. 6 - Christ-like Attributes 

Can't wait to see what Elder Holland has to say on Saturday! Hope everyone has a great week.

Love,

Sister Burbank 

We are on a sleeper Train to Bangkok

Place we planted rice

Our meal after planting rice.