Sister Van Buskirk: Water wasn't the only thing raining this week

Oh my goodness gracious what a week. Well I guess it's been a little over a week but I have so much to talk about.

First. So there's this rule in the White Handbook that says, "Stay Together. Never be alone. It is extremely important that you stay with your companion at all times." That rule applies always except for the time when you and your companion are trying to catch a subway and she jumps on and the doors close right behind her and you are left at the station.... I'm not saying that happened to me but I am saying riding subways is a lot more fun with a companion.

We had so many miracles this week. We found 11 new investigators in 9 days! That like never happens except in like Argentina (Am I right Elder Crotts?). Hopefully some of these people will progress, a lot of them say they want to be baptized and that is the best thing a missionary wants to hear.

Anyway I bet you all want to hear about Maggie! We met with her on Monday night and taught her the Restoration and she loved it. We taught her again on Thursday and she absolutely loves the Book of Mormon. She just knows it's true. She kept telling us, "Ladies, I just know this is truth. I just know it." She has been talking to her coworkers about it and she has one friend that is a member that is super supportive. She has another friend that is not so supportive. She is concerned about the whole prophets thing. Maggie told us she said, "Yes they have one person they talk about but he's just a messenger for God. As long as he points to God, he's true." We just sat there grinning from ear to ear. She kept telling us how much peace she feels already from reading. She told us when she first met us she just saw peace and she wanted that peace and now she feels like she has that. She had to go out of town this week but she really wants to come to church on Sunday and we are so excited for the ward to meet her.

We taught the Judge this week. Our goal was to get him to come to church and to meet with us more often. We found out something interesting though. His family knows he is meeting with us but they think it's out of curiosity. He thinks if he lets us come to his home they will get upset. Our member, Sister Banks was perfect. She told him when she started investigating the church she was up front with her family. He was really surprised and I think that helped him see that he can be straight with his family and that's what he needs to do. We still aren't meeting with him more... BUT he's thinking about having us in his home so that will be good.

Tom is doing good. We had a few weeks of scaryness. One lesson he almost dropped us but we saved it. We had a really good lesson on the Plan of Salvation and he loved it. He started reading the Book of Mormon! He looked at the pictures at the beginning and it has the page numbers of the stories so he started reading those (he said he can read while he listens to the Philly's game... okay Tom you're crazy but the best.) This weekend was Stake conference and he came to that and really enjoyed it. We are hopeful for Tom. It's going to be slow but he'll get baptized.

Lila like disappeared for a while but we were able to see her on Monday and hopefully we will see her later today. She's doing good, she's just worried about her daughter. Since she disappeared we had to move her baptism date back but she decided that was a good thing. She said she needs to read the Book of Mormon more.

Speaking of the Book of Mormon, everyone should be reading it! It's the best book in the world. I know because I've read a lot of books in my day so I can have an opinion. But the Book of Mormon is just chalk full of blessings. Most of them don't come till after we are resurrected but that's okay because this life is about working and serving and trying to become like Jesus Christ right? Usually you work for a couple weeks and then get paid. Just like a job, we work for years and then it all pays off. I don't actually know if that analogy made sense but I don't really care because I'm a missionary so I don't have to be grammatically correct or make sense right now. I love you all so much! Have a fabulous week full of miracles!

Lots of Love!
Sister Van Buskirk

Sister Garner made biscuits and gravy aka she's the best.