Amanda Burr: Purging to Purify 2 Nephi 33:6

Hi Sweet Beloveds,

This will be a shorter one. We went to Costco today and visited a Miao (Daoist Temple) with Penelope (the investigator who we have been working with since my first week in Daya so about 4 plus months and who is now getting baptized on the 25th after a series of miracles. wow. Our God is one of miracles. I feel so touched every time I think of the way he knows us all so dearly) so time is short but man what a wonderful day. My heart feels like it is soaring I feel like that is the only way to describe it. 2 Nephi 33:6 - "I glory in my Jesus."

Let me tell you about the little activity that has been going on in my mission life that I'm doing with my sweet amazing companion. If I could say there was a theme of my mission it would be Purifying and Cleansing. I feel like as I have come to understand my Savior and this gospel with more light and understanding I want to purge myself of any ungodly attribute and give my all to God and rely on my savior in a way that has never touched my soul before. Like C.S. Lewis said.... "Give me all. I don't want so much of your time, so much of your money and so much of your work. I want you. All of you. I have not come to torment or frustrate the natural man, but to kill it. No half measures will do. I don't want to only prune a branch here and there; rather I want the whole tree out. Hand it all over to me, the whole outfit, all of your desires, all of your wants and wishes and dreams. Turn them all over to me, give yourself to me. And I will make you a new self in my image. Give me yourslef and in exchange I will give you myself... my will shall become your will. My heart shall become your heart."

Beautiful. How much are we giving God? Is it a branch? Is it 3 hours on Sunday or is it our all? We are purging to purify. We are giving up ANYTHING that takes away from the focus of this mission and I've never been happier... and it has brought buckets of miracles. let me tell you of just one miracle that happened this week. There have been so many.

Penelope. The best way to describe her is probably me, just without the Gospel in my life. I see me in her so much especially when I really didn't know who God was and His dear sweet relationship with me. I love her so much. Last Monday, this world renown hair stylist (yes really. not exaggerating) came to cut our hair (no he didn't dye my hair. that was Sister Rohlfing and me on a pday) but he is gay and has the strongest testimony of God's existence and love. Wow. The Elders had mentioned him to Penelope (who is struggling with believing in one God and accepting the law of chastity) a day before he came that Monday to Daya. He cut my comp's hair and we were leaving. On the way out, Penelope called us and wanted to give us fruit a customer gave her. We told her to come over and it was like fate because I had been hoping she could meet this haircuttinggaymemberwiththemostamazingtestimonyofgod. They talked and we talked with her after. She started crying! It was unlike her. Then that Wednesday we sat down to meet. And I had the strongest lesson of my mission that night. Wow. The spirit was working on her so much. God wanted her to feel His love so much. We shared of God and then we invited her for the 7th time to be baptized. She flipped a coin to know whether or not to be baptized. I picked heads and she picked tails!! And I'm out of time so I'll tell you the rest next week! Sorry for the cliff hanger, but know we have a God of MIRACLES.

Love you all,

Love Your Daughter