I am doing really well. We have had some really, really good experiences or in other words miracles happen the past week. When we first looked at our week ahead, it seemed that it wasn't going to be as good as the last week since not much was planned. On Tuesday I went on a exchange with Elder Dixon in Bridge of Don. He is from London, but his parents are from Jamaica. It was a good exchange and he has some good pointers to work on for the next while. While on that exchange we were walking to an appointment when we reached this intersection and waited to cross. As we were somebody hocked. I didn't think much of it because you know it happens often. But then I saw this car and recognized it as Elizabeth's and then I saw Elizabeth waving to us. The light then turned green and she motioned that she was going to turn around. She then pulled over and got out. We caught up a bit and learned a bit more about her situation and set up an appointment for Thursday. In that appointment on Thursday we brought the Wares and had a lesson about the tree of life. It was good and we felt the Spirit. We then gave her a blessing because she had been going through a lot. We then went to her home and gave her son, Jonathan, a blessing as well because he has been getting stressed with the upcoming exams that he is taking. The next day we were sitting in a dinner appointment waiting for the food to be ready, just talking to some of the family members when I received a text from Jonathan asking me to call them. So I didafter asking the members if that was okay.. He explained that all of our efforts and prays had not been in vain. They were driving around at the moment and found a parking spot. Then he passed the phone over to his mom. She then asked, "Elder Buxton, do you think it's too quick to be baptized on Sunday?" I said that I didn't know, but that I would check with the Bishop. Later I did and he was okay with it as long as we could fit it in with a munch and mingle that was being held for Elder and Sister Keith (the senior couple that Sister Layton gave the package to). Later with the help of Brother Ware we were able to get a program set up. Friday night we got the district leader, Elder Little, to perform an interview. The service went pretty well. We had nice speakers and a testimony by Sister Ware. Then came the baptism. I forgot to mention though that Elder Hales came down from Elgin to baptize her. So she had to be baptized twice because her hand wasn't submerged. That was fine and then they went back into the dressing rooms and that font then drained. I then went back to the chapel to set up TV for a DVD that we were going to watch while they got dressed. I was sitting there for awhile and wondered why nobody was coming in. I went back to the font and found out that Elizabeth didn't tell Elder Hales her whole name (if you remember we gave her a blessing and found out her whole name then which was quite lengthy). So she needed to be baptized again. Unfortunately the water was half gone or more. So we filled up buckets of water to throw in. That didn't make much of a difference. So they decided that she would sit down and then lay back to be baptized with her whole name. So she did. It was a bit embarrassing, but she humbled herself and did it. We then finished the service and went back to our flat. So of the baptisms that I have been involved in, only Patrick Noonan's baptism went completely smooth. However, I am not bragging here, but of the people I personally stood in the water and baptized, they only had to be done once.
Other things that happened this week were that on Thursday we tried by this less-active named Don and his girlfriend Kimmy. They let us in. They weren't feeling that great, but they told us some amazing things. Earlier that week that both got blessings from Don's father. Afterwards, their health improved. This is when Kimmy really realized that God is there and there must be some power in the Church. We hope now that we can see them more regularly help them come to church and live the gospel. On Friday afternoon I had a phone call from Greg, a less-active I have mention earlier. We spoke for 37 minutes because he was looking to get work off so that he could come to church, but we hadn't heard from him all that week. In this phone call he was expressing some of his same doubts and how he thinks impossible for him to pray. By the end out of no really persuasion of my own, but what I know was definitely the Spirit working on him, he committed himself to reading the Book of Mormon and praying and even fasting that Saturday to receive an answer of what he should do. Really both Elder Heidler and I were amazed. He will take some more work if he is still willing, but hopefully he gives this the thought that it deserves. On Sunday after the baptism we went by a referral from the other Aberdeen missionaries named Jonah. He let us in and one of the first things that he asked us was where the church was and how to get to it. We told him where and he said that he would be there the next Sunday. We had a good lesson with him and he is going to reading from the Book of Mormon this week. Later we went by this other referral from the Bridge of Don Sisters. We were supposed to see her on Friday, but she wasn't there. So we went by and she was there and she let us in. We were able to teach her (or really just listen to her tell us about the death of her husband and how this started a desire to know more about God). Her name is Sam. The great thing is that she lives just across from the Church. We were also able to see her today and she is so prepared and believes many of the doctrines already. We hope that the gospel will give her hope and fill a void in her life.
I know Elder Matthew Martin. He was my district leader in Galway. He is really good and I like him a lot. In fact he trained Elder Heidler. Yes you were right that I would not be in that picture because I didn't go back to Pratt's Hill until August. And yes he goes home on Wednesday. Other noteworthy things of the transfer are that Elder Heidler and I are staying together. Also Elder James whom I trained is training now in a place called Dalkeith which is near Edinburgh. We also have 4 brand new missionaries coming into our zone which is excited. I love new missionaries. Also you might be wondering why I am emailing so late. It is because we spent most of the day working out travel plans for the zone. It sometimes takes awhile because you have to coordinate with other zone leaders. Well I hope that all goes well. I am pretty sure that we will still be able to skype and I'll let you know what time next week. What time is Church at though?
Love,
Elder Buxton
No comments:
Post a Comment