Sister Van Buskirk: Let's go swimming

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope you all have some good turkey and stuffing and lots and lots of pie! We had a pretty good week here in the PPM!

The adventures of Sister Neuffer and Sister Van Buskirk have ended but the adventures of Sister Roberts and Sister Van Buskirk have started off with a bang! Sister Roberts is really awesome! She's from Austin, TX and went to BYU Hawaii before her mission!

On Saturday Lila was finally baptized! It took a long time but it finally happened! On Wednesday we met with her and she was so excited to be baptized. We were supposed to go over on Friday but she wasn't home. We were really worried. This happened a few times. Not the night before her baptism but we had to move her date back a few times because she would miss lessons. We decided if she showed up on Saturday she could get baptized because she had been taught everything. On Saturday we were stopping by some people we had some lessons with when we got a text from our ward mission leader, brother Garrett. He wanted to know if Lila was getting baptized. We called her friend, brother Harris and he told us they were on their way! He then had me talk to Lila and she explained that she woke up this morning and she knew the devil was working hard to get her to not come. But she said she finally had enough and she wanted to get baptized! It was the best thing I have ever heard. We practically ran to the church. Partly because we were having a lesson with Tom right before but partly because we had to prepare for a baptism! Sister Neuffer was able to FaceTime on of the members and watch the baptism and I had to give a last minute talk on the Holy Ghost but it was so great! Two kids that the West elders were teaching were also able to be baptized so it was a really special day to see three of Heavenly Father's children enter the waters of baptism to make those special covenants with Him.

We also taught Tom this week. Actually like 30 minutes before the baptism started. But he was also able to stay for the baptism and that was a really good experience for him. We talked about following the prophet and then we showed him President Monson's testimony of the Book of Mormon. He really liked that President monson promised that we study, ponder, and apply the teachings of the Book of Mormon we will be able to resist temptation. We invited him to read Alma 36 and he finished it before 7 the next morning. Then he finished reading Helaman 16 around 10:30. He texted us yesterday and said he finished 3 Nephi 11! Tom is on a roll! Even though it's small, I can see such a change in him since I first met him 6 months ago. He told us he feels different, especially when he goes to church. Tom is the best!

We received a couple really amazing referrals this week but one is probably the greatest example of member missionary work I've ever seen. There is a couple in Alpine, UT, the Snyders. They came to Philadelphia last summer for the temple open house because Brother Snyder had ancestors from here and he also wanted to do some family history. While they were here they met a wonderful old lady named Sylvia. She is in her 90's but the busiest woman I've ever met. For Mother's day the Snyders sent her a book by President Uchtdorf. She absolutely loved it. They prayed about it and decided that now was the time to send her a copy of the Book of Mormon and a set of missionaries. Plot twist: Sylvia lives in the West elder's area. But President Randall decided that Sylvia should be taught by Sister Roberts and I. Crazy things happen in Philadelphia. Sylvia is just the sweetest thing. She was so grateful that the Snyder's sent her the Book of Mormon and she is excited to read it.

Other crazy stuff:

-A guy serenaded us with a song about Jesus after we invited him to church.

-We tried to invite a JW to church on accident.

-A Seventh Day Adventist talked at us for about 45 minutes. I'm still confused about what he was trying to argue. But we swapped literature and went on our merry way.

-We tried to teach a lesson in Spanish. I'm so grateful for Spanish elders.

I am so grateful for this opportunity I have to serve a mission. I love that I get to spend all my time serving the Lord and helping others come unto Christ. I am grateful for my family and the love they give me and I am so grateful for the Book of Mormon and the peace it brings in my life. I hope you all take the time this week to really look around you and thank Heavenly Father for all that He has given you. I love you all and hope you have a great week!

Lots of Love!

Sister Van Buskirk

Our last selfie...