Buxton & Berg are at it again!

You guys. We have 4 investigators with baptismal dates. And another one who said she wants to get baptized, we just need to set the date.

The missionary duo of Buxton and Berg is on fire!

Seriously though, this week was a pretty good week. We also got 6 different members to come teaching with us this week! That was more than I had gotten to come with us my whole mission up to that point! Which, I know, isn't saying much. But still. Members are the biggest help ever. Go teach with the missionaries. Investigators will listen to the members so much more than they listen to us. It's our job to live what we're teaching them and to encourage them to live the commandments. They trust people so much more when it's someone without a name tag telling them how much of a blessing it is to read the scriptures everyday. So go teach with the missionaries.

At the same time though, this week was pretty rough. No one came to sacrament meeting. I look forward to church all week long. I'm not sure how to get our investigators to do the same thing.
One highlight from the week - there's an older lady who we go and visit on Sundays. She's a less active - something happened at church years ago and she's refused to go back ever since. She smokes and loves her coffee. Yesterday she called us to cancel her appointment. She said she was having a terrible day and didn't want us to see her all grumpy. So we went over early, talked to her for a while, and decided to just read some chapters out of the Book of Mormon to her. We read her 3 Nephi 17 and 18 - which are the chapters where Jesus blesses the children and sets up the church in the Americas. She loved it. The best part though, was after reading both those chapters, without us even saying anything, she told us "That's it. I'm going to give away the rest of my coffee and throw my cigarettes down the trash chute." She even told us that she thinks she'd like to go to church again soon! The Book of Mormon brings miracles kids, don't ever doubt it!
And on a less -missionary-but-more-human note, all we've been hearing about all week are the bombings in Boston. Lots of people out here have family down in Boston. Lots of people even work in Mass. And the Boston mission borders ours. But it's amazing some of the things we've heard. People who ran towards the sites of the blasts afterwards, because they knew people were injured. Strangers allowing the runners to stay in their homes, because the runners couldn't get back to their hotels. My favorite thing I've heard about is Random Acts of Pizza - people from all over the world calling pizza places in Boston, ordering several pizzas, and telling the employees to just take it outside and give it to the responders and those helping. It's sad that it takes a tragedy for people to pull together like this. Yet, the fact that we do pull together is amazing. It's the same individually. As I've met people, talked to them and gotten to know them, I think the people I've gotten closest with are those who I can sympathize with. Those who have faced a similar trial as me. Even if our trials were completely different, who have faced the same emotional hardships as me.

I've really struggled so far with opening up with people. I'm still struggling with it as well. But there's a few people I've have no problem sharing those stories with. It's just a testament to the fact that hard times do make us stronger - not only individually, but they bring us closer to those around us as well.

I feel like a lot of my e-mails are kind of cheesy. And I know you're all reading these to know what I'm doing and who I'm teaching, not so much what I'm feeling. But it's hard to pick out just one or two stories to share. And there are so many amazing things happening every day that it's hard to remember what happened this week and what happened weeks ago. And right now I think I'm the one learning the most. So you all will probably get to hear about all my personal struggles and triumphs for a while. Sorry not sorry.

But I love you all. I appreciate your support, I really do! You're amazing. All of you.

Love,
Lindsey