Not His Time

Braxton started by saying that he is way jealous of Jaydan right now because he is just starting his mission and that he has a fresh two years. But at the same time he said it's okay because of right now Braxton doesn't have any regrets nor plans for regrets. So Braxton feels great that he is finishing his mission the way he planned on but also sad that it is ending. In fact as he wrote that he said he was shaking really bad. (but ya ni modo)

This week the guy that the missionaries were planning on baptizing decided to party it up and got drunk out of his mind. So he said they will keep working on him.

This is the part for the title: Not his time. On Friday the day after we got to talk to Braxton, Braxton went to a baptismal interview for another missionary. When they got to the house where the interview was to be held the mother wasn't there because she was waiting for her child at the school. Braxton's comp and another missionary decided to go to the store to buy some food. Braxton and the other missionary were sitting there talking and they noticed it sounded like there was a party close by, very close by in fact. Braxton said it sounded like a lamanite war cry before the battle and then just 5 minutes later the first gun shot went off. The missionaries thought it was fireworks. Even though the lady they were waiting for said she would feed them hamburgers Braxton got hungry and told the missionary he was with that he wanted to go to the store and get a hot dog. At that time they started hearing lots of gun shots...no one, two, or even three but probably at least fifty. (not an exaggeration) They were told to get in the store which was quickly locked up and kept them safe from the battle going on just outside. There is a house connected to the store and so they ended up going into it. Then a young high school kid knocks on the door and wants to rent a room because he was hiding from the cops. The kid had a gun with him and wasn't let in and so he took off. At that point Braxton remembers his comp and the other missionary and is worried about them. They were both okay though because they ran for safe ground. Then Braxton said the cops came and all the screaming and havoc and gun shots stopped. They were able to leave and in the exact spot where they had been sitting while waiting for the lady to come home just 15 to 20 minutes earlier looked like a war zone. Bricks were smashed and crushed, car windows were gone, and the police and ambulance trucks were filled with people.

Earlier that day Braxton had decided to carry his own copy of the Book of Mormon in his hand. He had a scripture marked and highlighted that said....I do not fear death because Christ conquered death through the Resurrection.

The four missionaries were lead by "hunger" (or maybe the spirit) out of danger to a safe place. Braxton's testimony grew from the Book of Mormon that was in his hand all day and the influence the Spirit has on us if we listen. God works in mysterious ways, and the thing that counts most is that HE IS working!

I'm just glad that this is a story we were able to hear from our son and not about our son. I am thankful it wasn't his time to go.