How are you?

P day already! Man this week flew for me! The weeks are repetitive but this week was different for me. You'll see why. So last Friday night we had TRC which is where we teach a volunteer who is usually just a member. But my companions and I taught our teacher's sister that came straight from Guatemala and speaks no English. That was a good experience. Also, she's inactive so my teacher chose us to try and help her committ to change. It was awesome. We had a district leave this week and it was really hard. They were my best friends here besides my district. Two of them are in the Provo, Utah mission so I told them to look for you guys! I gave one of them Bishop's number and said if you ever need anything, call him and tell him that you know me and he will help you with whatever. Then my other friend went to New York south on Monday. It's sad to see them leave. It's definitely bitter sweet. So then Saturday night one of my companions wasn't feeling good so we went to the front desk and they sent him and my other companion to the emergency room. They said both of us didn't need to go so our branch president just escorted  me back to my room. He has bad anxiety and always tells himself that he is sick so his body actually gets sick. It's sad. He started feeling like that again one other night this week so we brought him back and he asked for a priesthood blessing. I offered to do the anointing and my comp was gonna do the blessing but then the sick comp said "No, Elder Buxton I really feel like you need to give me the blessing" It was a shock. But of course I did it. It was my first actual blessing. It's amazing to feel the spirit guide your thoughts and your words. So when we hosted Jake Miles and I sat and waited for friends so we could host them. Jake hosted Steve Hansen and I hosted Zach Jensen (a friend from work). It was way fun. Normally you escort like 3-4 different Elders but I just wanted to escort my friends so I waited haha. I finally saw Trennon Leavitt and talk to him for a sec. I think I have seen everybody. Mitch Fowler and Steve somehow got lucky and are in the same zone. They are in the classrooms right above me so I bump into them a lot. I walked into my building, went up the stairs, and looked in the first classroom and there was Sister Papenfuss teaching someone. So that's when I said hi. It was good to see someone I know. That's so sad about Annie's dad. I felt horrible the rest of the night after I read that. I got a letter about it from you and Jacob the Tuesday after it happened. So sad. But that day I focused my studies on a question a lot of people have and thats Why do bad things happen to good people? It sure helped when I came across your letters about it. Last, I GOT MY FLIGHT PLANS!!! We got them last night. I will report to the Travel Office here at 8:30pm March 4th. My flight leaves at 12:59am our time. Then I land in Atlanta about 4:30 our time (6:30 their time). Then I have about a 3 hour layover in Atlanta and leave from there at like 10 their time which would be 8 our time. I am not exactly sure when I will call you but it might be at 5:00 in the morning. Maybe midnight? I'm not sure. I am the second to leave from my district. Which I am glad so I dont have to say goodbye a bunch. I am so excited though! It's crazy to think I only have one week left here.

Now to answer your questions. I am feeling great! I know I am influenced by the spirit constantly which helps me stay focused and not get homesick. My spanish is pretty good I guess. It's tough but I know it'll come to me eventually! I got that package yesterday. Thank you! I love the garments! and I am wearin the pants. They fit perfect. I will try to think of stuff I need before I leave. I am taking the vitamins and probiotics almost everyday. I havent heard about the water but they gave all of us going foreign a water bottle with a filter. So I'll be fine. I see carson all of the time. He's doing great! I did get Cass's and Ash's letters yesterday. I will write them back and mail them today. We got a bunk bed but we haven't got mattresses for them yet so we still have the same room. Maybe this coming week we'll get two new missionaries though. I am getting a long with my companions great. We got a new DL and his name is Elder Long. He's our 2nd. We only get 2 different ones. I don't have my call with me and never did. Hopefully it's at home somewhere. I love you mom! Thanks for all you do! And Happy Birthday on Monday!!!!! how old? 74? ;) I love you all!!

Love, Elder Buxton 

I forgot to add. I haven't met anyone going to my mission yet. But my roomates have met a couple going to my mission. It's weird that they have and I haven't. I don't know of anyone I am flying with but I know there are 8 people on my flight. I bet it's a whole district going and they are all beginner spanish. My comp hosted a couple kids this week that are going to my mission but since they came in this week that means they are going to get to honduras like april 1st. Which means they will miss the temple dedication. I am so glad I left when I did. Definitely a blessing.

Pictures

I received Austin's camera today so that I could take pictures off of it for him since he can't do that in the MTC and I really wanted to see some pics! So, I thought I would post some here....

How is the MTC....

I cant believe its P day already! It's flying by now. So this last week was way good except for a few things. This email is going to be so unorganized because I just write things down on a paper throughout the week that I decide I want to say or else I wont have enough time. So first I kept getting these upset stomachs randomly so this girl in my district named Hermana Boseman gave me this essential oil stuff that tasted like crap but worked! Hermana Boseman reminds me exactly of you mom. She is pretty much my mom here. She's 21. Oh I got a new companion this week just so different than everyone else. Our lessons have been good though. I am sending my camera home so you can take the pictures off. This past sunday was fast Sunday and it was miserable not eating and pretty much studying for over 6 hours. But I did it with a purpose which helped a ton. So our old zone leaders give everyone a "spirit animal". It's pretty much just a character from a movie and mine is Diego from Ice Age. I don't really see it but they all do. I am so happy I get tons of letters and packages! I love my friends and family! Everyone gets mad at me cause I get like 2-3 letters a day. I have gotten like 7-8 packages! Crazy. I love it. I have talked to Elder Richards a lot. I see him all of the time. It's way nice. I saw Elder Fowler as soon as he got here and his class is in the same building as mine so I should see him a lot but have yet to see him since Wednesday. We do a service project on tuesday mornings which I like cause we get to sleep in until 6:45! I love it. Our assigned temple time is 6:30am on P days so we have to wake up at like 5:30. So as soon as I am done emailing then I am going to take a nap. Probably my favorite kid in our zone is Elder Hobbins. He always is so happy and complimenting everyone. He is emailing his sister today to bring me and him Costa Vida so we will see if that happens. Right when I saw John I gave him a hug and he told me that a lot of people told him to give me a hug for them. I sat and talked to him for like 30 minutes while he unpacked but that's all we have really talked. Guess what?! Mak Keenan that was on my Rangers team is on my floor in our dorms. That means I see him all of the time and we have gym together. So we play basketball together. He is going to Mexico so that's why he's on my floor. Oh one of my roomates had an MS bracelet on and I saw it so I asked him about it and he knows someone who has it. Then he told me that he has another one so I keep that MS bracelet in my suit coat pocket at all times. Yesterday during gym I got hit in the face and I bit my tongue pretty bad. I was spitting blood for like 30 minutes. I'm fine though. Last night we talked our "investigator" Maria, she is actually just our teacher, and I honestly felt the spirit so much. I haven't felt it that much in any of our lessons. So we taught the lesson and then afterwards she told me that she could tell that the spirit was guiding me what to say. I guess her and our other teacher talked about me and agreed that I always seem to say exactly what they need to hear. That was definitely comforting to hear. But anyways, I feel great! Tired.... but great! The spanish is coming along pretty well. We don't even focus much on language. They tell us not to worry but that it will come. We play basketball one hour everyday except P day and Sunday. It's way fun. So two of my roomates are going to New York, New York North. Then its me and my companion that is going to Texas Houston East. The New York ones leave one day after me and my companion. Wednesday dinners are crazy! All of the new missionaries get here and its not spread out at all so it's impossible to move around in the cafeteria. We have a branch presidency. Two speak spanish and one doesn't. But sacrament meetings are all in spanish. But I am sending a package home today so hopefully you get it! It'll have my camera in it too. I love you guys! thanks for everything!

-Elder Buxton

Interesting Information

I received another letter from Austin today that had some interesting things in it that I wanted to share with everyone:

He said that they are suppose to get 1,000 new missionaries this next Wednesday and that in July they are going to start having their devotionals in the Marriott Center because of how many missionaries will be coming to the MTC. He also said that he has already gained about 7 or 8 pounds! It is amazing to me how this happens...the same thing happened to Cody. I guess they feed them better at the MTC than I do at home?!
Thanks to everyone for your love and prayers...I know that your many prayers are being heard and that Austin is truly being blessed by them!

How are you?

I finally get to email!!! This is weird. I had about 15 emails when I got on. My companion is from Brigham City.  I love my roomates though so its all good! One of my roomates is President Monson's neighbor which is cool. He tells us stories about President Monson you would never know. None of those in my district are in same mission. I know there are other missionaries here going to my mission but I have yet to meet them. Everyone in my district and zone are intermediate spanish so we are all about the same level which is good. We bore our testimonies and prayed in spanish the second day. It's easy though. I have seen SOO many people I know. From soccer and school. I saw elder Adams and elder Miles the first day. I saw elder Richards the first hour after he got here which was cool. My spanish really has come back to me for the most part. I can speak just fine now. We taught a lesson our third day and every day since then we have taught the same "investigator". I don't remember how to spell some things in english which is really weird. I was writing in my journal the other night and wasn't thinking and just happened to switch languages mid sentence. Also, I dreamed in spanish like the 2nd night! I have heard that is the turning point, and mine was early. The food is pretty good. I think my expectations were set too high from others saying it was so dang good. But I like it. My zone is really good at basketball so it makes it so much fun. I love gym time. One of my zone leaders was a back up running back for a D1 school so he's really athletic. He's also black so he's way good at basketball. I will for sure be here all 6 weeks. I am leaving on March 4th. I know that wont change because you dont need a visa to get into Honduras so there wont be any problems there. My teachers are amazing! I love them. One is from Guatemala so she knows spanish really well. The other is from Ephraim, Utah but he speaks really well. He went to Buenos Aires north just like Cody. The change from home to the MTC is definitely the hardest thing I have ever done. Once I got to Sunday, I started to love it here. It's way fun now. I love my district. We have 4 hermanas and 6 elderes. Which is a big district. But I love them all. Tell everyone thanks for me for writing me! Tell brother Tingey thanks and that yes I did see Nate. One elder in my district is named Elder Jensen and he is from Oklahoma. He reminds me of Georgia because they talk the same! It's weird. I called from the first day that he would be our district leader and I was right. I know that he was put into my district for a reason. He always brings a good attitude to everything we do and that is exactly what I have needed. I guess that's it for now. We only have 30 minutes to email here which sucks. But Mom can you send me like 8 more hangers? That would be so useful. I sent a letter yesterday saying everything that I would like you to send me but I forgot hangers. Thanks Mom! Tell everyone I love them!

Elder Buxton

I forgot another thing. We got to go to the temple today which was a relief. I also got my haircut... you would not believe how short it is. the shortest it has ever been. They would only use a 4 on the buzzer thing. Oh and for those of you who know Elder Dastrup, he has been here for 10 weeks waiting for his visa and I got to talk to him for a bit.

Also, go on LDS.org and look up the Honduras temple! It's absolutely gorgeous!!!