ten years ago today. . .

(AN EXCERPT FROM MY MISSIONARY JOURNAL)

2 JUN 99

SISTER BURTON ENTERS MTC!!!

"THIS IS SO INCREDIBLE. IT IS ALMOST UNREAL. IT HAS BEEN A WONDERFUL DAY. THE SPIRIT IN THIS PLACE IS INDESCRIBABLE. I AM A MISSIONARY. I NEVER THOUGHT THAT THIS DAY WOULD COME. I WANTED TO CRY WHEN IT FINALLY DID. - (I GUESS I DID CRY) - IT WAS SO HARD TO LEAVE SESSNA AND THEN MY HOUSE AND THEN THE VALLEY AND THEN THE WONDERFUL FAMILY I HAVE. BUT I DID IT AND I AM HERE AND ALIVE AND WELL. I THINK IT WAS A GOOD THING THAT I CAME THREE WEEKS AGO WITH ELDER BERTASSO. THE 'CALLED TO SERVE' VIDEO WASN'T AS HARD THE SECOND TIME. IT WAS HARD TO SAY GOODBYE TO MOM, DAD, BRYCE, NICKI, BLAKE, NICOLE, GRANDPA, CORA, ED, STACEE, ALEX, JAMESON, AMY & LINDSAY ALL AT THE SAME TIME AND WALK THROUGH THE DOOR ALONE. I FELT CONFIDENT THOUGH. I GOT MY 'MISSIONARY PACKET' AND FOUND OUT MY COMPANION IS SISTER ALLEY WHO I HAD MET ABOUT A MONTH AGO. I HAD A FEELING THIS MORNING THAT WE WOULD BE COMPS. IT WAS EXCITING! WE TOTALLY HIT IT OFF. SHE IS FROM BOUNTIFUL. I HAD A HARD TIME WHEN THE SISTER PUT ON MY NAME TAG. IT WAS SO COOL. I CRIED. I HAD TO GET A HEPATITIS B SHOT WHICH WAS FUN. THEN I GOT MY BOOKS & CAME UP TO MY ROOM. SISTER ALLEY WAS ALREADY HERE SO WE JUST GAVE EACH OTHER A BIG HUG. THE CHURCH IS TRUE! MARIANNE HARRIS RAN INTO SISTER ALLEY IN RELIEF SOCIETY AND FOUND OUT SHE WAS GOING TO CLEVELAND ON JUNE 2. SHE HOOKED US UP. WE HAD ICE CREAM ONE NIGHT & TALKED FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS. IT WAS AWESOME! WE ARE SO EXCITED TO BE HERE. SIS. BUTTARS FROM WEST JORDAN IS HERE IN OUR ROOM AS WELL. SHE IS HEADED TO SOUTH CAROLINA. HER COMP IS SISTER OTTENS FROM LEHI HEADED TO OKLAHOMA CITY. WE ALL GOT TO KNOW EACH OTHER A BIT AND THEN WENT TO OUR ORIENTATION MEETING. WE FELT A GREAT SPIRIT THERE. IT WAS AWESOME TO BE IN A ROOM WITH 700 NEW MISSIONARIES. THEY TALKED ABOUT 'QUIET DIGNITY' WHICH IS SOMETHING I HOPE I CAN ACQUIRE. BEING A REPRESENTATIVE OF MY SAVIOR IS SUCH AN OVERWHELMING AND HUMBLING THING. I LOVE JESUS CHRIST WITH ALL MY HEART AND I AM GO GRATEFUL FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY, BUT I AM REALIZING THAT I AM NOTHING AND WITHOUT MY SAVIOR I CAN'T DO THIS WORK. I CAN RELY ON NO ONE (INCLUDING MYSELF.) - ONLY THE LORD. IT IS EASY TO SIT HERE AND WRITE THESE THINGS, BUT IT IS SO HARD TO TAKE THESE PRINCIPLES AND APPLY THEM AFTER YOU GET DOWN ON YOURSELF AND START WONDERING IF YOU ARE CUT OUT FOR THIS WORK."

What a trip. Literally. I just finished looking through all my pictures and reading through some of my journals. Wow. I can't believe the experiences I had - the people I met - the feelings I experienced - the pain I endured - the joy I felt.

The day I got my call, I was so excited. I couldn't wait to open it and see some wonderful exotic land in my future. Nope. Ohio. Ohio Cleveland Mission to be exact. I bawled. It's a long story, but I didn't want to go to Ohio. I really didn't. Luckily - I had a friend who saved the day - Matt called his dad - who had lived in the area and worked closely with Brother Anderson who wrote the book "Joseph Smith's Kirtland". He went on and on about the church history that had happened in the area and got me excited. I didn't know Kirtland was even in the mission.

I spent the first year of my mission in Cleveland. I loved the city and the people. It was a great experience for this little Wyoming girl. Cleveland changed me. I miss it. After a year of the city, they sent me to the boondocks - Amish country - where I learned even more. I loved being in the country and seeing the differences between the Amish people and the rest of the world. Interesting.

I met and served with some pretty amazing Sisters in Ohio who helped me change and become the person I am today.

Each companion I had was amazing. Sadly, I have lost touch with a lot of them - but they still hold a special place in my heart.

I was also molded by six amazing Mission Presidents. They each had their own ways of leading and teaching which taught me a lot. It wasn't easy going through the transition of six presidents - but everything happens for a reason.

My life's direction changed because of my mission. Ben and I never thought we would end up marrying another missionary - but we thank our Heavenly Father every day that we did. I have said it before, and I will say it again - he wouldn't have looked twice at me had I not been a missionary. The spirit helped him to see who I really was and I am grateful that he had on his "rose colored glasses."

It really has been fun to walk down memory lane today. I have yet to regret the decision to serve a mission - I'm sure I never will. Some days weren't fun. Some days were incredible.

My life is still like that today.

Some days aren't fun.

Some days are incredible.