Boston Marathon Run In

 Happy Patriots' Day      

                                        

Quick shout-out to the Buckners, Mom, and Sister Schriver for mail this week. I can't write y'all back personally (at least not in any reasonable amount of time), but know that I appreciate your support, and love you all to death! You're in my thoughts and my prayers. 

Last P-Day, we actually got locked out of our apartment. So we had to go pick up dinner from a member's home, in casual clothes, and then find a rather interesting way in. (AKA have some neighbors let us in and bust in...)

I saw Bruna at interviews this last Wednesday in Belmont, which was super awesome. It's crazy to see all these people that I know, coming to the same Mission! 

On a "not Saturday or today" note, we had some pretty crazy blessings to give. One guy had been stabbed in the head, multiple times, and the Spanish Elders got there, immediately after the wife and doctors decided to pull the plug on life support. That was tough. Elder Motes and I gave a blessings to a man named Dave Smith. He had been informed that he only had 6 months to a year to live, and just wanted a blessing of comfort. He was so peaceful and calm with his death. I've honestly never seen anybody who was that calm, in the face of death. It was pretty inspiring.

This week, Elder Motes and I went on splits with Jaes Jones from the ward. He was AWESOME! Fun Fact-I went on splits with him a year ago in Cambridge. Same guy, one year later, different ward. It was really cool. I have a habit of asking members how we can improve our teaching, and he complimented me for that. I guess I asked him the same question last time, and he was thoroughly impressed. Gotta love members!

Well, this week, the primary focus will be on two days: Saturday and today. You'll see why :)

On Saturday, Elder Motes and I had a couple of hours before our first appointment, so we went to talk with a less-active recent convert youth. We played some pros ball with him, and he had a friend there. When we left, the friend was on the phone with his dad, begging to come to Church on Easter Sunday. SO SWEET! Then we went to our first appointment. However, we had to walk to get there. But we had no idea how to get to our lunch appointment. We just started walking in the general direction of the house. Somewhere along the way (we were totally lost), some random lady waved at us. We stopped to talk to her, and she let us in for soda and cookies! :) It turns out that she's a less-active member of the Spanish branch. We arranged for some service with her, and she is ready to start coming back to Church. So sweet!! And then, we ate TONS of DELICIOUS Chinese food. After that, we're waiting for a bus, and this guy walks up and starts talking to us (that never happens). Turns out, he and his cousin are investigating in West Bridgewater, but they moved to Boston recently, so they're going to be investigating here. Then, some random Haitian taxi driver gave us a free ride to the Church. No bus ride-YAY!!! After that, we had a chapel tour lined up with an investigator and her daughter. They brought 4 non-member friends to the Church, and they all had questions and some interest. And on the bus ride home, Elder Motes started talking to these random Haitians on a bus, and they're going to come do a musical number in our ward soon! And all this came in just one day!

Today was SO SWEET!!! We went to the Temple today, and I had the COOLEST experience. Long story short, I got some answers that I've been needing/looking for for about 3 weeks. From the Temple, we went straight to the Red Sox game, and scalped some tickets. We paid $70 for these tickets, but get this-they were the first row behind home plate! We got $600 tickets for $70! We were close enough to hear some banter, see the strike/ball calls, and everything! We sat by the guy who sold his tickets to the scalper, and he said that it was a miracle these seats were even available-he had at least 2 people drop out last second.

YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE THE ELDERS THERE ON THE FRONT ROW!!

 Then, as Elder Motes and I meandered around downtown, we ran into the Norton/Lewis clans! It actually started when Brother Lewis walked up to me and asked if I know an Elder Boone. When Sister Norton and Shydi recognized me, it was a crazy scream fest in the middle of the street. It was great to see the Nortons (Brother Norton for the 2nd time... hahaha) and to meet the Lewises. I'm excited to get home and meet all the new folks!

FROM MOM: 2 friends from my ward here in Utah were running in the Boston Marathon and look who they ran into....my son, Elder Alexander Boone. They called me and said, "guess who is standing right in front of me...???  IT'S ELDER BOONE! Do you have a message that you want me to give him?" Of course I do!! "I love you and am so proud of you!!! ". Tender mercy for this mom! —  It truly was a miracle for them to have run into him. First of all, the Lewis's have never met Alex.  They had no idea what he even looked like.  Besides the Hundreds of thousands of people there for Patriot's Day and the Marathon.  What would the chances be to find him on the streets in Boston?  The Lewis's also happened to hook up with Elder Pulsipher, Elder Boone's old companion, whom they knew from their previous ward.  I am so thankful for this wonderful blessing of friends who go the extra mile(funny pun with the marathon) to meet a servant of God.  

Anyhow, I am definitely doing GREAT!!! I am excited for the direction the work is going, and it should only get better from here. Hope this finds all of y'all doing well, and I'll catch ya on the flipside!

-"Eldah" Boone