U.N.believable!

We had an unbelievably awesome experience yesterday! We were just
leaving the temple/chapel when one of the local priesthood holders
stopped us and directed us to a small Taiwanese woman named Sister
Wendy. She said she had a nonmember friend who would be there in a few
minutes who needed a blessing. So we stuck around for a few minutes.
The woman who needed the blessing was named S*, and Sister Wendy
emphasized to us that she is in a very high-up, influential position
in the UN. Sister Wendy told us that S* had just called her and
said that she felt like she needed to pause her work and come spend
the evening with her. Sister Wendy told her that she was going to the
chapel to pray and invited her to come. When she arrived, we talked to
S* for a while and she told us about some of the trials she was
going through in her work. Realizing her specific position UN dealt
primarily with different religions and also with humanitarian work,
and that she was currently focused on the refugee crisis, I had the
impression to tell her about the Church's recent "I Was a Stranger"
initiative. She was very interested, and should soon be in contact
with people in the church who are more knowledgable about the new
relief effort than the missionaries are. Then we gave her a blessing.
Afterwards, Elder Richards said he felt impressed to share with her a
personal experience from his life. He then told her about how his
older brother had died at the age of eight and how his family turned
to God when it happened. Then S* opened up to us and told us all
about how her son had recently passed away and how as a result, even
though she deals with religion so much in her work, her personal
spiritual life has been "shut down."  We then testified to her of
Heavenly Father and the Plan of Salvation. She said she wants to learn
more and find answers to all the questions that have come up in her
mind since her son's death. We exchanged contact information and
scheduled an appointment to come to her office tomorrow. She lives in
New Jersey, so we will also be getting her in contact with the
missionaries over there. It's so amazing how there are these prepared
people in all walks of life and how God leads them to the gospel.

So that's one of many miracles this week. We've been keeping very
busy. I've only been here a week, but I have already met most of the
people we're currently working with. We have an investigator named
O* with a baptismal date for June 4th. He seems be struggling to
grasp idea of the restoration, but he has tons of desire. We also are
working with a guy named D* (yes, like from "the Office") who has
been coming to church for a long time. He seems really cool. We just
need to figure out why he hasn't been baptized.

There are several other people I could mention, but I don't have time
to. Things are going really good though. This area has so much
potential! It's unusual to be in an MSA branch, but so far it's been
good.

-Elder Samuel Burton

Photos:
1. View of Manhattan taken from Roosevelt Island. Roosevelt Island is
sooooo cool!!! I might want to live there one day.
2. The Manhattan Temple
3. We found a mirror on the ceiling of the Columbus Circle subway
station. Clockwise from top right: me, Elder Richards, Elder Newbold,
Elder Moss