The Guys!

The Guys!
Leaving for the MTC

Monday, December 31, 2012

December 31, 2012

Hola familia,
Well first of all HAPPY NEW YEARS TOMORROW!!! and it was so good to see and talk to you guys! Even though I had to get off and some of you left and then was able to get back on for a little bit but that's okay it was still so great to see and hear all of you. Sounds like everyone had a good christmas so that's good! So this week was a pretty weird week with christmas and all that. Question mom. The ball you sent me is it new? Did you go and buy it or was it just one from home? So on thursday I think it was we had to go do my companions papers for his visa to be legal here. But it was a process a little bit different since he got his passport stolen in the south so this was his new one we had to get a new visa stamp on it and stuff. So we went to capital and then there were a bunch of problems so then had to go to the united states embassy here and then back to the immigration place and in the end it didn't work so we have to go back this coming friday.. We got up at 4:30 that day and got back to our area at like 5:30 just in time for our meeting with our ward mission leader. We ate lunch at 9 at night that day haha. Yesterday rosendo got confirmed and in the picture I'm sending from his baptism he doesn't look so good.. But he is doing a lot better now. He said he started to read the book of mormon a little bit and his leg doesn't hurt as much now. So that was pretty awesome. Also there is a 70 that lives in our ward and last week he told us he wanted to talk to us sunday so we talked with him and we were all pretty nervous cause we heard he likes to drop the cane on people but it went well and we talked a little bit about what we want to achieve here in the ward with this new year coming up. Those were kinda the highlights of last week. Last night me and elder mattingley slept on the roof cause it was so hot and that was good. Our district leader elder mcbride called us last night and told us he isn't our district leader anymore and that he is getting flashed today. Flashed means a missionary gets transferred or moved randomly in the middle of a transfer. Usually happens if there is problems, a disobedient missionary, or inspiration from the lord. So he is going to be a zone leader in my last zone and we found out today like elder alder is getting flashed somewhere too and so there are quite a bit of flashes today and we aren't really sure why but I guess we will see. So this week should be interesting. The familia toñanez are just so awesome that we ate with them saturday and then yesterday they invited us to eat over tonight for a new years eve dinner and then they found out we didn't have lunch yesterday so we ate over there yesterday too haha it was fun and I'm excited for tonight! Then on wednesday I go to the doctor. What fun!... I forgot to tell you that like 3 weeks ago I got another ingrown toenail but on my other big toe and I've done what I can and it hasn't been that bad until more recently so I decided it wasn't getting any better and need the area doctors help. So I have that and I'm not way excited haha you know how I am with doctor and hospital stuff mom. But yeah its cool that the doctors office happens to be in my last area (palermo) cause he is the doctor of pretty much almost all the missions in argentina haha but yeah. Then thursday we will have a little zone meeting and then friday tramites for my comp. Also on friday I am picking up my passport because hermana lowry (a senior couple that works with the mail and finances of the mission) called me the other day and told me I have a package that was sent by fedex and so its stuck in the airport. So with my passport I can go get it if I want to pay for it. So next monday I will be doing that. But she said its from "john senders" address is 526 e 1750 n and the city just says PBU. So I have no idea who its from... if you do please email me back and fill me in real quick haha. Also one last thing. So mom you know the book you made me about my ancestors that you sent with me on the mission and made like 8 years ago or more and I have never even opened it? haha yeah well I decided to open it last night. WHY DIDNT YOU TELL US THAT WE ARE 1/8 MEXICAN???? hahahah I thought it was really really funny and interesting. So yeah I'm curious to know why i never knew this haha. So yeah that about it for now I think.


Don't worry mom I was glad I got to talk to my friends and stuff cause I wont get to talk to them in a while. But me and you will have lots of one on one time when I get back so don't worry haha. And yes I am very excited for the fireworks tonight :) Its supposed to rain but we will see what happens. Where did you guys stay up at grandpas funeral? I'm glad everything went good with that and I'm sure it was very sad and spiritual. I wish me and shawn could have gone but that's okay. Hey you need to send me his emails. I wanna know his thoughts from last week about grandpa and then christmas. wow thats crazy about the car!! I'm glad austin is okay! But we definitely have bad luck with our cars.. haha but its okay because everything happens for a reason so we just cant get mad or frustrated about it. Did you send it to get fixed then or what? I'm glad your getting on the mission clothes buying. Its good to get on that early. I'm glad steggell is even more of a stud than he was before haha hopefully he will write me one of these weeks and let me know how hes doing and everything. Wait when do robbie and jantzen leave? Yeah I thought austin would be in the intermediate class. I could have moved up when I was in the MTC but by the point I didnt want to leave my friends so I just stayed. But yeah I guess that's it for this week. les amo muchisimo! se que esta iglesia es verdadera!


Love Elder Buxton











Monday, December 24, 2012

December 24, 2012



hola familia,

So I wont write much right now since I will talk to you all tomorrow. But this week has been one of the hardest and craziest of my mission with austins call and grandpa and rosendos baptism and the christmas skype and christmas in general and just everything! It was so nuts! I wont tell too many details since you guys can ask tomorrow. But the beginning of the week I wasnt doing too well with all of it. With austins call and grandpa being so fresh in my mind but I am doing better. We had a few noches de hogar with some families that were a lot of fun to watch some christmas videos we have and testify of the meaning of christmas and that we really will always have the best christmas if we make Christ the center of it. We had rosendos baptism which was very very complex since he is in a wheel chair and always in a lot of pain but I will explain that more tomorrow. Today we went to san fernando and had a meeting with the whole mission minus the people in the south. We did a little white elephant gift exchange and got to hang out and talk with all our friends and ate and then had a spiritual part where hermana gulbrandsen and president gulbrandsen spoke to us and we watched a couple videos and their son talked to us who just finished his mission in uruguay a week ago so that was cool too since hes still a missionary and all. Also today I talked to an elder from honduras and was asking him a couple questions cause now I'm really curious about honduras and stuff so yeah I'll explain that tomorrow too haha. And now tonight, well in like half an hour, we are gonna have an asado (argentine barbeque) with the familia toñanez and we can stay out til like 10 or a little later and then the other elders from liniers are gonna sleep over and we will probably sleep on the roof so we can watch the billions of fireworks and cause its sooooooo so so dang hot today.... hottest day in my whole life. I'm drenched in sweat... haha. I picked up my mail today which was interesting since I got like 4 big packages from like I dont even know who. 2 from you mom then the rest I dont know. So that was fun with them in the collectivo and train. and I got a letter from elder chapman too haha so thats sweet. so pretty much I guess thats all to say for now since ill talk to you guys tomorrow. I'm way stoked and hope that everyone can be there! I also have a scripture for austin. D&C 34. In verse one replace your the name with yours aust. And also did you guys get my thing with the letters in it to people? And did you get everyones letter to them? Well I think that is it for now. Les amo muchisimo! Feliz Navidad a todos! se que si realment nos enfocamos en cristo durante la navidad, siempre tendremos el espiritu de navidad. nos vemos mañana! :)


Con Amor, Elder Buxton

oh also, kirsten I havent opened the box that was inside the big envelope thing and I also wrapped it and am excited to open it tomorrow! :)

Monday, December 17, 2012

December 17, 2012




Hola familia,

HONDURAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! thats so sick!!!!!! :) :) :) EL SALVADOR!!!!!!!!!!!!! dope!!!!!!! :) :) austin and jacob you guys dont know how excited I am for you guys!! Thats awesome! and way crazy how fast austin leaves... I had trouble sleeping last wednesday cause I knew you were opening you call. But I really am way way proud of you guys and I always pray for you 2. Especially now as you really prepare to leave. I'm so stoked that we will all be speaking spanish when we get back!! My accent will be different than yours, jacobs, georgias, and landons but my comp said that they speak vos in honduras too. So if thats true me and you aust get to speak the sickest conjugation there is. Its gonna be sweet!!! :) A couple questions.. Did you open austins call at our house then all go to jacobs or how did it work? ho was all there? I just wana know some details. Or maybe you can explain to me when we skype.

That is so sad about grandpa..... :( not sure what the think about all of this right now.. I wont lie I was expecting an email like this at one point in my mission but I was just hoping I wouldnt.. I am honestly so grateful for the plan of salvation and that we will see him again.. I'm going to miss him so much... :( but I know he will always be with us though. Cant explain all my crazy thoughts right now... doesnt help that me and my comp went and did his tramites to make him legal this morning and had to wake up at 4:30..

So this week was a pretty good week. I was actually worried about my new comp cause elder mcnabb and him didn't get along.. But things are good and we are becoming good friends. He actually lived in england for 10 years haha. But yeah so a couple things that happened this past week. On thursday we were coming home from district meeting and we went to get lunch and I followed my old comps instructions of what bus to take to get to the bishops house and we went way too far and got lost. Then we got off and took a taxi. I told him the street name and he took us to capital which has the exact same street name.. So yeah then we had to get on a train and get back and yeah it was nuts. But I had a really good conversation with the driver of the taxi so there definitely is a reason for everything. And it was definitely a test of frustration and faith. I also got your package mom and I was so happy to get a box of homesickness ;) hahaha no it was great! I loved it!! I used the wrong connector to plug the lights in and blew them out the second day. So I went to jared (our good friend that works with his family at their store) and he gave me free lights. So I decorated it and the box from sister nielsen was from the nielsens and the dicksons and it has 2 little envelope/packages in it and its the 12 days of christmas as a missionary haha. So i put those under the tree (as you can see in the picture). So yeah thank you mom! And tell the dicksons and nielsens thank you so much!!! Ao everything kinda changed yesterday. There are 2 wards that go to our chapel. Us (tonelero) and liniers. We have few members so yesterday they combined the 2 wards and tonelero doesn't exist anymore. They released all our callings and bishopric and so now we have a new everything and the sacrament room is actually full now haha. But yeah so now we are linier 2. And we are 4 missionaries in liniers. President is going to talk to us later tonight to let us know if he is going to change the boundaries or anything. But yeah so we confirmed jazmin yesterday which was great and rosendo (the man in the wheel chair) came to church yesterday and he has a baptismal date for this coming sunday. He isn't doing so good right now. He is in a lot of pain with his leg and his business isn't doing so good and he lives in a one room house LITERALLY the size of our bathroom. And its full of clothes and stuff everywhere.. but it has 2 beds and a tv so thats it.. yesterday we asked if he wanted a blessing of health (is that what they are normally called in english? I cant remember.. that's translated from spanish haha). We explained what it is and we are going to give it to him tonight. I am really hoping he has enough faith to be healed cause if he does then I have no doubt in my mind whatsoever that he can get up and walk right after if its gods will. We will see how that goes. We are in the process of finding right now so we are going to be getting on that this week. So I think thats about it for this week. I know there was other stuff but I cant remember.. and my pics with my tree arent working so maybe next week. So yeah tell steggell I love him when he gets home this week and tell jamie congratulations for getting married and its really crazy I'm hitting my 1 year mark this week. I really cant believe it.. its gone by so fast... and at the same time I feel like I've been here for forever. But just looking back a little bit I have changed so much. Like even in the past couple weeks. My whole mission I have always been like scared of the phone. Never liked to answer it or call people or talk to people in the street or contact references or anything. But I don't know how or when but I think that changed in my mind sometime last transfer and now I carry around the phone I answer and call everyone, I contact our referrals, I talk to the drunk people in the street that talk to us, I lead the lessons. Its made me happy to see that thats not just what I'm doing but its what I'm becoming. Its amazing what the spirit can do when your obedient.. who ever knew! haha :)

So yeah we heard about the new teaching program. In spanish its "ven, seguidme" I think. And apparently my companion heard about the 5 week transfer and so he was thinking that we would all go home one week earlier but that's weird that brent is only one day earlier and others 4 weeks.. not sure how it works. But I'm hoping we come home just a little bit sooner so that we don't get home on Christmas eve. But I guess we will see. So I guess that is it for this week. I don't really know how the skype thing is going to work at this moment. We are kinda confused so we are going to talk to people or call our DL and then maybe get on a little later if we need to. So I will let you all know. les amo mucho!

Love, Elder Buxton









Monday, December 10, 2012

December 10, 2012

hola familia,


Wow okay so pretty much last week was the busiest week of my mission so far. So my companion and another companion had their last interviews with president so we did divisions so they could do that on wednesday. So we started divisions on tuesday and then they were going to take their english tests in san fernando too but the computers didnt work so they were going to do it thrusday. The trains werent working when they got their thursday so they couldnt and they told them to stay on divisions to go to the temple on friday (so I didnt get to go :( ). So they did that and then they went to go take their english tests and they got home at like 9 at night and then we did divisions again and I went with elder o handley all day saturday. It was so nuts!! It was crazy cause that whole time I was in my area with elder braun who has 8 months in the mission but just recently got his visa to come here and has been waiting for it in colorado for 6 months. So I was senior comp and did almost everything for 4 days straight. It was really good and elder braun and I are good friends now but it definiltey was stressfull haha I guess I didnt realize until those 4 days that as senior comp you literally have to do everything haha but it was still really good. So obviously my comp went home and my new companion is elder mathingley. Its the first comp I've gotten that I actually know before we get put together. Elder mcnab was with him when we were in palermo and juncal and elder alder was just barely with him in juncal. So he is my senior companion and it will be an interesting transfer. He is a little different haha but the Lord wants me to learn something so here we go. Its funny cause he is from lindon, utah haha but he lived in like england for like 4 years. But he went to PG and I guess he kinda has some dyslexia so his spanish is alright. Elder mcnab and alder both told me I will basically be senior comp and will be doing almost everything. I'm okay with that cause I wanted to be senior comp anyway. Kinda surprised I'm not but oh well. So yeah jazmin got baptised yesterday and it went pretty good. It was kinda a disaster for a while cause the fount overflowed and my comp and her didn't bring towels and it was just crazy but it all worked out. Also with elder o handley he locked the keys in the apartment and it was a huge process to get in that I dont have time to explain. It just was not our week but thats okay! haha. We had the despedida last night and it was way good. I saw a ton of friends and everything and last monday I visited ayelen and her mom and talked with them for a bit and they were way happy to see me but luz was at school so I told them to come to the despedida and bring luz and they did and brought me cake and pictures and letters and it was so great to see them again! Especially luz :) She really wants to come to the united states with me haha ayelen does too. But yeah so I guess thats about it for this week. Things are really going to change this transfer. Elder martinez (my last comp) got made zone leader in my zone haha so hes my zone leader now and we have a whole different district now. It will definitely be weird but we will see. Also I see that andy steggell goes into the mtc this week. Thats awesome! Tell him I wish him luck!! And if your reading this happy birthday brad!! Hope its a good one! Oh and mom I got your big package that I think is my christmas package but you said you sent another one weeks ago but it never came. I love getting random packages though. I got one from sister nielsen in our ward. Like not georgias mom but the other one. Really really random but thanks! And thank youuuuuu kirsten!!! :) I havent decided if I'm going to open yours now or on christmas though kirst.


Sounds like everyone is doing pretty good and moving forward with faith haha thats always good but man I was hoping aust and jacob would get there calls this week. Well next week for sure hopefully! Yes they are both from missionary mall. On one of the pictures you can see the brand. One got stained from mud and just wont come out. I've washed it like 4 times. The other has a big yellow stain on it thats really hard to see in the pictures but I have no idea where it came from. Wow I'm excited to find out your new calling. Let me know! I really really hope we don't lose our house too.. I want to come back to it just the way it was. Well almost the way it was. And thats awesome your gonna start excersising more. Thats something thats hard to do in the mission is do our excersices at 6:30 in the morning. But yeah do it mom! And then start playing all the sports again that you love to play and then we can play when I get back :) Wow thats crazy about the snow. Yeah just never stop paying tithing and doing everything we can to obey the Lord and no matter what happens everything will be okay. That can be so hard sometimes when the Lord wants us to do things that we dont want to do. But He knows us better than we know Him and so we need to trust Him always. Yeah so christmas is really really different down here but I'm okay with that so I'm not too homesick haha but yeah so I guess thats it for this week. I guess something small to put in the box would be peanut butter or I dunno. twizzlers!!! :) haha okay bueno les amo mucho!!


Elder Buxton









(This picture is for Kirsten....hahahah)Thanks for taking such good care of him!

Monday, December 3, 2012

December 3, 2012

Hola familia,
So I cant believe its December already!! But this week was pretty good. Last Monday we played soccer and then went to another church and played basketball with like the whole ward young men and young women watching haha it was a lot of fun. We played for like 4 hours though so we were hurting pretty bad the rest of the week haha. Okay so on Thursday I went on divisions with elder franco who is from argentina and is companion of elder kaimikaua who is from hawaii/utah/nevada haha but yeah that went good and then on Friday I went on divisions with elder o handley which went good too. We had like a 2 hour lesson with 3 investigators that went way good. We taught the restoration and elder o handley really struggles with spanish so the investigators most of the time don't understand. So basically I taught for almost 2 hours but it was good. There was an older man named ruben and a mom named eli and her son cesar. We put baptismal dates with them for this month and when we did that they kinda freaked out and said that that is too soon and thats impossible and stuff. It was awesome to see ruben completely change when I bore testimony to him that we are representatives of jesus christ and that we didnt pick the date, his heavenly father did. After that he said "you guys are his angels or whatever so if thats what he wants me to do then thats what I should do." He also said that he felt weird, he felt a different feeling inside. The spirit really touched him and I hope he progresses. Our investigator jazmin is doing really good. She came to church yesterday with her little sister and shes reading and praying everyday and shes way excited for her baptism this sunday. Oh and also last monday we passed by diego and he told us that he wouldnt be able to come anymore because he was moving the next day.. :( so he moved but I hope he still gets baptised! Also last tuesday we had a capacitación and then on thursday a zone meeting. They both were way good and we learned a lot about how the Lord isnt here to help us. We are here in his vineyard helping him. He has already been working here when we got here. This really isnt our work, its His. And how the Lord really is hastening his work especially since missionaries are going to be doubled this next year. You can really tell the second coming is getting close. The gathering of israel is happening now. Yeah those were what I really liked.
Also I read in georgias email that he picked his missionary plaque scripture. How come I didnt get to do that? Did I not get one? If not its okay I'm just curious cause you never asked me about a scripture haha. Also I had been thinking about when I'm calling you guys for christmas or whatever and we havent gotten instructions on all that yet but I want to skype you guys if thats cool. Also I'm sending you pictures of the 2 white shirts I got from missionary mall that are stained and hopefully you can get new ones for me for free. And then one last thing. Just to see if you can get me the exact dates of when the following enter the mtc to put on my calendar, if you cant its okay. kyle, steve, jake, jantzen, and cameron mcginn you told me jan 6 but thats a sunday. And I didnt get your package last week mom. It wasnt in the offices not sure why but we will see this week. This week I think we have to go to the mission office for my comp to take his english test and then on wednesday me and another kid are doing divisions while our comps go have their final interviews with president and on friday we get to go to the temple! :) For all the missionaries and their companions. And then on sunday we will for sure go to the despedida cause my comp has to be there so yeah busy busy week. Oh and also today we got permission to go to the boca stadium and to capital and buy souveniers and see more of buenos aires. Its gonna be sick! And also we are going to go visit familia gonzalez :) which is funny cause I just got on email from her saying that I forgot about them haha I'm so excited to see luz though! And ayelen of course but yeah should be a good day. I'll take lots of pictures no worries.


Yeah I cant wait to find out where austins going! Thats awesome he got to go to the hospital branch and do a little service though. Sounds like fun! You got released mom?? Wow thats so crazy! Dont worry though you and cassidee will be okay. The lord knows your situations perfectly and he knows what hes doing. Whos the new presidency then? haha this is the last week of the transfer mom so my next email will be to you from here in tonelero still but with a new companion. I might even be senior companion but I guess we will see. I'm kinda nervous. Mom dont worry just keep reading jesus the christ haha I will read that at some point in my mission. I'm reading too many things right now haha. Wow thats really sad about the girls you met. It reminds me of a chat we had last night with a guy that stopped us cause he got robbed a couple times and he was begging for a place to live or just a bed to sleep on and money and stuff. We arent allowed to give any of that obviously but I tried to tell him how he can have happiness in his life even with his trials but when I started to talk about that he didnt want to listen and told us to leave. It was kinda sad but its really what the world is coming to. Thats cool about that melalucawacha thingy hahaha I'm too lazy to scroll down and type it out. What can I say I'm a missionary ;) How does it work to sell that stuff though? Well I guess that is it for this week. Its going to be a crazy week. I have a lot of thoughts and emotions going through my mind with all of this stuff and it now being christmas and its hot here which I didnt ever want to experience during christmas time but oh well haha I'm going to go show everyone the real reason for the seasons :) les amo mucho! gracias por todo que hacen! esta iglesia es la verdad!


Con Amor Elder Buxton