Monday, September 14, 2015

"Chores of the Kingdom"


Visited our investigator, Sister Jinny, at her apartment complex this last week. She lives on the top floor, right next to the roof. AMAZING VIEW OF BANGKOK. Is this REAL LIFE? Am I literally a missionary in Bangkok Thailand?!?! Does that feeling of unrealness ever go away?!?! 
Anyways, Sister Jinny is doing SO good. She is 37 years old and right now is a Nannie for the cute random blonde boy, Noah, in the picture I sent. She knows she wants to be baptized but she is struggling with setting a date. She has some things she has to work out before she can be baptized so right now we are just going to continue teaching and helping her, until she can decide on a date. I love teaching her though. She is the CUTEST thing ever. 
This week honestly was just so great. It rained a little and it was COLD but now it's back to being hot and all is well.
I can't HANDLE being cold anymore, it kills me. 555
Sister นิด is progressing very well! She is on date to get baptized this Sat, and she is so excited! I can't wait. We are so excited for her. Everything is just going so well. The sun in shining. The food is great. Our spirits are high, and Bangkok Thailand is becoming more beautiful every single day.

I love being a missionary!! :) 

Spiritual Thought: How to have "personal, reinforcing spiritual experiences..."?

I feel like I have asked myself this question so much on my mission. But more so directed towards, how can I help others have a personal spiritual experience? I have growing experiences SO much on my mission so when I see others that seem complacent in their discipleship with their Savior, I wonder what I can do to help kick start their conversion again. I read such a good talk this morning from Elder Maxwell. I suggest EVERYONE read the whole talk because it is so good, but one part that I read today really stood out to me. The title of his talk is "The Christ Centered Life". 

Near the beginning of his talk he explains what he describes as the "chores of the Kingdom", which include: partaking of the sacrament, attending meeting and the temple, praying, fasting, studying the scriptures, service, attending to all family duties, being involved in missionary work and reactivation, doing family history work, paying tithing and offerings, and being temporally prepared. 

He later explains the following, "These enumerated duties, of course, are not particularly glamorous. Yet they are practical and specific expressions of keeping the first two great commandments-love of God and love of neighbor....Indeed, when we have personal, reinforcing spiritual experiences, they will almost always occur in the course of our carrying out the duties just named."

After reading that I realized how TRUE that last statement was. Every single one of my life changing spiritual moments, have come during a time I was participating in the "chores of the Kingdom" listed above. That is why it is so important that we are trying to be as consistent as possible in doing everything our Heavenly Father has asked of us. Because it is in those moments that the heavens are opened, and our hearts will be touched. I have experienced moments like that on my mission. Sweet tender mercies that have changed my view of this world forever. My appreciation for the Savior and His sacrifice has grown so much too and now I can never go back to how things used to be. I can't UN-experience the life changing moments that I have had on my mission. Nor would I want too. It's about becoming, and changing to be more like our Savior. Which is only possible if we do our chores. I guess my mom was right all along. 

Hope everyone has fun doing their chores this week! Love you all.


Sister Burbank

Crazy Hair day


On the rooftop



Bangkok from the rooftop