I ALMOST DIED!!!!

No, an email titled like this is not what a missionary mom
wants to see! As you will read below, our missionary had
a close call this week in his new area and all I can say is
thank goodness Heavenly Father protects his missionaries!

Yes the rumors are true, I almost died this past Thursday.
We were walking, the walk of faith, south on highway 27
just outside of Burley. A very nice hispano se llama
Luis picked us up just south of the road 500 S. He
was very nice and just wanted to help us out so we all piled
into his Silverado, only has 3 seats in the cab. Elder Pauni
is a big Tongan and there was Elder Riquelme, me and Luis,
the driver. It was very tight, but it probably saved us.

So we were driving, thank goodness his truck wasn't a stick
or that would have been interesting. He tells us that
he is going to drop us off at this house, because he had to
go to work. He turns on his left turn signal, slows down,
and a school bus goes flying by us (unlawfully), going around
70 mph. All 3 of us missionaries chuckle because it is not very
often that you get passed by a bus. So the bus goes by, Luis
starts to turn and all three of us turn and look back to see
a second bus coming straight at us. The bus hit our driver
rear quarter panel, also going around 70 mph, filled with
50 kids. Throwing everything out of the back, including
his tool box that was full of tools, it took 4 guys to put it
back into the truck. We did a 360 and ended up in the
field just off of the road. Luis got a bump on his head
and went to the hospital just to be safe, Elder Riquelme
got a scratch on his thumb and Elder Pauni's coat tore,
besides that nothing happened to us. The bed of the
truck was completely smashed and twisted and there
were potatoes all over the road.

So that is how we have started off our transfer, we are
always laughing about it. We have had a whole lot of fun
so far trying to find people that were being taught. So far
we all get along very well together and are always laughing
about something.

We did have a baptism on Saturday of a man named
Roberto Tigre (really its Robert Tiger, he is English speaking).
It was really great, one of our investigators went and
really enjoyed it. Also the next day, Sunday school was
on baptism which she found interesting. We all think that
she is very ready for baptism and we are going to commit
her this Wednesday.

Our apartment is pretty good. It was a garage that
they turned into a place for the missionaries,
but it has everything that we could need including
a lazy boy and another couch.

The only bad part about the accident, for you,
good for me, is my camera is now broken. I have
taken it appart and havent been able to tell what
is wrong with it. There is no visible damage that
I can see, inside our out, it just doesn't turn on.
So I need a new camera. Riquelme's camera is a
Sony so I have been able to use my memory
card in his, but it is a pain and I need a new one.

That is pretty much how everything has gone here
and all looks like it will be good, just as long as
another bus doesn't hit us. I am really looking
forward to getting to know the area better and
I am excited to serve here.

I am not sure what my address is so if you want
to send me mail send it to the office
(1111 s cole rd, boise id 83709) and they will
forward it to me.

Love,

Elder Paxton