March 22, 2013

Hola everyone!

 

So kind of cool news this week -- we are now able to email friends as well as family! Yep it's true, however, I still have only half an hour so if we could keep with dearelder and hand written letters that would be awesome, at least while I'm here in the CCM. They just work the best. For anyone wondering, our DL checks the mail twice a day -- once after lunch (around 12:15) and once after dinner (around 5:15) so I can get dearelders at any point. They're really the best form of communication right now.

 

Thank you to all who have written me! I have been so blessed and suprised at some of my letters. Know I love, think, and pray for you often!

 

Well, not much different here. We really do about the same thing every week, but I know that I am changing and that's what's important.  Last night was probably the most excited about the work I've been yet. Let me explain. We have two "progressing investigators" (our teachers) that we teach lessons to...in Spanish. And let's be real, my Spanish I think is getting worse haha. Anyway, last night we had an appointment to teach Jose. Hermana Bendixen and I had planned to teach about the church on the Earth today, the importance of Prophets, the Apostasy, the Restoration, and the Book of Mormon. We were going to ask him to begin reading the Book of Mormon and to come to church on Sunday. It was a good plan, but that didn't really happen. Our whole lesson really didn't go exactly as planned, but it went the direction it needed to go. I usually get frustrated and have a hard time saying anything (it's a personal struggle I am working on overcoming), however, when Hermana Bendixen was teaching about Joseph Smith she went to find the first vision which she hadn't planned so she hadn't marked it in her Spanish scriptures. I had started memorizing it in Spanish so I was able to say the first part and find the rest. I ended up kind of taking over that portion of the lesson. oops! It didn't go in the direction we necessarily planned on it taking, but it took the direction it needed to. After class Hermano Alexander (a.k.a. Jose -- our PI) said that that was our best lesson yet. HUGE compliment -- at least I'm taking it that way -- we've taught Hermano Alexander like 6 lessons haha.

 

Vi una columna de luz, mas brillante que el sol, directamente arriba de mi cabeza, y esta luz gradualmente descendio hasta descansar sobre mi.... That's the beginning in Spanish -- I'm working on the rest.

 

Something that was shared the other day that I thought was really cool was, "If you're not happy with your lot in life, build a service station on it!" Sometimes we get so caught up in our own lives, and we focus soley on ourselves. It made me think about when I become self absorbed and I forget the things that are important, I'm just not as happy. But when we look outside ourselves and really try to benefit others we become so much happier.

 

Another thing I've been thinking a lot about is prayer. I'm not the best about my prayers, I will be honest, however I know the Lord hears them. He answers them. Prayer is work. It is just like any other relationship we have, we have to work for that personal relationship with God. He's there with arms wide open, we just have to be willing to speak, then listen, and the be willing to act on those things we know are right.  I suggest you read the conference talk Faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ Kevin W. Pearson (2009). It is really amazing and I loved it!

 

I love you all so much. Thank you for being the people you are and helping me become who I need to be.

 

Love Hermana Butterfield