Email, Monday, July 20, 2015

"the one letter to rule them all"

well this is it.  in the past twenty four months, i made the decision to leave home to learn a new language, to learn a new culture, make friends, serve the people as well as to serve the lord.  and the result of this decision is apparent.  i have become a better person all around. i am not the same person i once was.  i'm the same but at the same time, i am different.  my heart is apart of NY and i am now being taken away from home to go home.  words cannot describe my feelings for this beautiful city.  the best way to describe it is by quoting the the mission slogan i am forever changed.  i know that the gospel is true.  i have seen it change the lives of people around me.  myself included.  i also have come to a knowledge that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has the fullness of this gospel, founded by our loving Heavenly Father,  and that it was restored after centuries of being lost, by a young boy named Joseph Smith.  i also have a firm testimony that the Gospel is true, not the members, don't judge the church nor the validity of it off of the people, because you know just as well as i know that people are not perfect. i also have a deep testimony of the importance of the family, with out a doubt it is under attack, please hold true to your families, follow the counsel of the prophets found in the proclamation to the world, the family.  my testimony has grown so much. know that i love each and every one of you! i am Elder Buffington, son of Thomas Buffington and i end my epistle to my family and friends

Email, Wednesday, July 15, 2015

the final week has sadly come,

hey mom could you send this email to everyone, im not on my ipad anymore.  

hey yall! well this is it, back to the good 'ol computer keyboard and mouse! i posted my final set of pictures on the family shared iCloud account that i set up a few months ago, but so what happened this past week was that Monday, we had interviews from president Reynolds (the new MP) super short, Tuesday was my departing temple trip, and departing interview, really long... we didn't get home till 10 pm, supppper long day.  but ooooh so good.  today we have two dinner appointments to attend to, tomorrow we have to clean the apartment, because it will be closed for a short time.  friday we have a zone training meeting, saturday we have a ward mens BBQ sunday church,monday i will be heading to Rego Park because it is the birthday of Olga! and all the youth will be there to say goodbye to! and that will be it! now to travel back in time! the temple trip was absolutely amazing, the feelings and impressions i received was so amazing and non forgettable.  we can truly receive power from on high when we serve in the temple, which is why i want to place the goal of going to the house of the lord at the very least once a month.  i honestly cannot remember specifics from last week, but i do know that i have been a instrument in the hands of the lord! 

the church is true! 

i wont fall away.  i owe my life to the gospel,  

the mission has blessed me so so much!

i love each one of you, 

see you next week

Elder Daniel Buffington

Email, Monday, July 6, 2015

hey! 

we had a awesome weekend! well, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday were the only big event days so ill tell you about them!

Thursday we had the mission wide conference! where we met our new mission president, the joke president and sister Calderwood made was that the mission was downsizing... in more than one way, (president president Calderwood is a stalky person, and sister Calderwood is a heavyset lady, now president and sister Reynolds are about a foot shorter sister Reynolds is dainty and President Reynolds has the construction worker belly, but both are small) but they were made for this mission, president Reynolds owns a business in Utah its a construction, excavation and demolition business.  Sister Reynolds told us that she loves to cook! yummmmmmmmmmm we might have cinnamon rolls :D i haven't had a cinnamon roll sense the days of pre mission.  

Saturday, well 4th of July! we wanted a BBQ so we were in charge of buns and drinks, while we were at the store we saw Vidal! we talked with him and he has a new phone, so we invited him to church Sunday and to english class! he couldn't come because he thought it was a late night class. we taught english class and after a student came up asking about the book of mormon, so we gave him one and set up a appointment for Sunday! super cool night but it only gets better!

Sunday Vidal came to church for the first time, then he stayed for the baptism! (it was a 8-year old that my companion and i taught once)  so he walked up to watch the ordinance and after the boy was baptized he turned with this smile that confirmed the feelings of my companion and i, so after that we had a lesson with Vidal, it was amazing! and he gladly accepted to be baptized the 19th of this month! 2 weeks! yay!! then he prayed, it was sooooo pure he knows the church is true! then we had a lesson right after that lesson with Mario! where he also accepted the invitation of baptism on the 2nd of August! then we called a "permanent" investigator in Midwood and she told us that she is getting baptized this coming Sunday, and she asked me to baptize her! so i will be visiting Midwood this week.

miracles!!!!!!

i love yall! #2weeks!

elder Daniel buffington 

who has seen the Minnion movie? how is it?

Email, Monday, June 29, 2015

T Minus 3 weeks and counting

hey yall!

we had a cool week!

monday we went to the Brooklyn bridge to take some pictures, following we went to Rego Park to visit a member that i taught back when i was there, super fun, then that night we had a noche de hogar with the second councilor and his family! (Sister Galindo has a lot of respect for you and how many children you had :D ) 

Tuesday we had a lesson with a less active but he couldn't have us over so we were stuck at the church building for a couple of moments when a tender mercy happened, a couple walked in to the building that wanted to learn more, she speaks broken English, Spanish, but speaks good Portuguese and her native language is french. he is from Mexico and only speaks Spanish, but they are good friends, and he wanted to learn about the church cause he wants to change, we taught them and they accepted the baptism invitation! yay!

Wednesday we taught a less active that doesn't want to act on his faith but with the lessons we have been having, we are hoping to soften his heart. and after that another member invited us over, they are an amazing family and they told me that i have a place to stay when i come to visit! :) 

Thursday we taught the Castro family! they are such a great family and have such faith! even while the husband works Hermana Castro and her son still come to church! they plan on going to the english building because trains are out of service and they would take 2 hours to travel to church while the english building is a couple blocks away! they understand english but are more comfortable in Spanish but they will do great! 

Friday my companion was sick and i went with the other elders on splits so we could be doing work. That night we were at the church and we helped with youth night, there were s'mores... i miss camping... but we were asked to help with another activity the following morning.

Saturday we had the youth activity thing where we did this Zumba beginner thing, did scripture study, and following was a awesome breakfast.  then a testimony segment where i got to share the story of my mission then after all that, we went to play soccer! woooo! we also taught english class, then went to the pad so Elder Carrero could sleep some, then we ate and went to ward correlation meeting.

Sunday we had CHURCH!!! a member introduced us to a friend of his and she wants to take the lessons because she loved sacrament meeting! super cool! we went home for some study time, came back to the church for a lesson and he didn't show up, so we talked with the member that wanted to help us about Midwood and what is needed there because he is part of some youth presidency or something like that so he will be visiting there soon.

just a sick week in NY time is picking up quickly so i am working even harder now, to make the most of the time that i have.  the work is great! i love the mission, i am finally comfortable with how much time i have, i am past the denial stage and now I'm comfortable :) i just wanted to say thank you for making a difference in my life.  if you are reading this, you obviously care about me (or your a stranger snooping over my shoulder doubt it) and so i know that you have helped me in my pursuit of trying to become better :) 

so i hope you know i pray for you! 

Elder Daniel Buffington

pic one.. so i gave him medicine... it wasn't the day time kind

pic two. Bridge. tower of freedom. me :P

Email, Monday, June 22, 2015

Happy Fathers Day!!!!!!!

hey yall, 

Satan has been working hard! but we have been working harder, we are at the verge of Big Changes! this week is all goes well we will go from 0 investigators to 7!!! Three beautiful families, the first family actually found the Chinese missionaries, and the father has been less active sense he was thirteen and he wants to come back, he has a wife and kids now! the second we found for a while but every Sunday when he doesn't have work something has come up (darn satan leave them alone) its a husband and wife that used to have the missionaries over in their country all the time, super cool family, and the final family is a less active that the son is 11 and isn't baptized so we want to work with him ^_^!

so we had some good stuff happen, last Monday we visited flushing to a old family that we visited, committed them to go get sealed by the end of the year, and they agreed and are working for it, i miss and love that family, and it turns out that they knew the Martinez family and there kids played together! the crazy things that happen when you go back to a old area finally being able to speak the language and understand whats going on.  

my companion and i are getting along well and are doing better at speaking Spanish all the time! every day is a new adventure! i feel like this has been a hard working transfer, and we are starting week three :( 

some fun stuff is happening, that yall get to see! 

-we start the next round of online pros! which brigs me to the next topic, rules... please keep messages to email ONLY :) this is a tool to teach, inspire, and friendship people here in my mission (NYNYS) 

-4 weeks!

-thats all i can remember... #ADDProbs

now i just wanted to take a moment to dedicate a second to dad... Hi! Love you.. okay now im good, no just kidding, dad i love you so much and hope you had a splendid fathers day! i would have made crapes or something for breakfast but yeah... im many miles away from yall :)  but thanks for everything! let me know if you want anything from NY.

well thats all folks, love you all! keep the faith! yall the best! 

elder daniel buffington

Email, Monday, June 8, 2015

THE FINAL COUNTDOWN DOO DOO DOO DOOOO

hey yall!

this week was busy, we deep cleaned so our apartment is super clean, we did alot of finding and nocking, we have two potential lessons with people we found this week.  ummm oh! we started soccer on Saturdays, super fun! and former missionaries came back this week to see people and for transfer meeting, this will be the Calderwoods last one before they go home.  this last transfer ill be working really hard, 

pic 1) district pic! 

pic 2) ummm so the train was going realllllllllly fast!

pic 3) elder oaks and i next to some graffiti 

Email, Monday, June 1, 2015

hey y'all! 

another week down in the amazing Brooklyn NY and we are reaping the rewards, yesterday a child of god started his road to return to live with our loving father in heaven, and i had the honor of baptizing Derek, he is a awesome kid, and an ever more amazing family.  our next step with this family is getting them sealed together forever! yay! i love families!

also a couple from my last area were married and sealed in the temple, and hey had there party-thingy-after-the-wedding- that-i-dont-know-what-to-call-it.... here in Dyker Heights! so it was awesome to see my extended family! 

i also got ahold of a old family in Flushing that i used to teach and i set a p day to go and visit them, they were there when i only spoke Portuguese, so on the 14 i will be visiting them! yay! 

this week my companion got sick, so we stayed inside and I cleaned and cleaned and cleaned some more, (the pad was gross when i got here) i scrubbed the floor with a nail brush, i rearranged my part of the pad.  wrote a letter to mom.  learned a new song i want to play and send y'all a recording of. so yeah, i almost lost my insanity.. 

we have a new Ward coordinator here and he has a good fire with him, so we are supper excited! 

i believe that is it for the week, i hope all is well at home with yall! know that i love yall so much! 

Elder Daniel Buffington