Happy fourth of July! It sounds like you all had a blast! I love hearing about your adventures and the times that you have to grow closer one with another. There`s a quote that I love that`s something like this -- we have two things in this life. Time and agency. -- I'm learning that how we spend our time is so important. I regret not spending the time I should have with you all. At times we lose focus as to what is most important in this life and I know for a fact now that first is our Father in Heaven and our families. We can spend time doing other things, but if it`s not with our family or something that is bettering our ability to feel love and peace for one another, it`s just not worth it.
This week went fast! We had our first multi-zone with President Marler and his wife on Tuesday. They are very special people. I can tell that they are going to help us work miracles in our mission. I loved something that President Marler said. He said something to the effect of that we aren`t going to focus on baptisms anymore. Our focus is the temple. How true it is. So often I am learning that yeah we can have baptisms, but ultimately if the goal isn`t the temple, they aren`t going to stick with the Gospel. It`s hard, but it`s the truth. I try so hard to picture the people we teach dressed in white and having the opportunity to be with their families forever. What a blessing to be able to share that with them.
We have a couple of new investigators this week. One in particular is a family. The mother, Luz, and her children Juli and Kevin. Juli`s husband was an old investigator we found in our binder. We actually went to look for him to see if we could work with him again -- everyone has their own time. But we encountered Luz. We have taught them about prayed and the importance of this commandment. We invited them to pray together as a family everyday to receive the promised blessings (3 Nephi 19-21). We saw Kevin (15) the next day while walking and asked him if they had done it. He said they had and that they felt really good when they did so. BAH! I am anxious to visit with them again and teach them more. They seem very open to the Gospel and I`m praying that they will be able to observe the Sabbath...it`s going to be a struggle, but I have faith that it will happen.
Saturday was a rough day. We literally had nothing other than contacts. My companion and I we both tired, we were cold, and we were rather discouraged to be completely honest. We were standing in front of a house that we had an appointment that had once again fallen through. We were talking and I was thinking about a quote that Hermana Villanueva had shared with me by President Hinckley that talks about how when life is hard we need to look through the clouds to find the sun. I was thinking about this quote when Hermana Villanueva stopped and recounted the same quote. Literally in that moment the sun peaked out from behind the clouds and for about 5-10 minutes we felt the sunshine. To be honest we didn´t have anything happen the remainder of the day, no lessons, no refrences, and lots of appointments that fell through, but we had felt the hand of the Lord in that small moment and we felt the love of our Savior.
I invite and encourage you all to search for the sun through the clouds. At times it`s difficult, but their is always something to be happy about, something to find joy in. Many times it`s a small and simple thing, but that`s where we find joy.
I also have been thinking about obedience a lot lately. There`s a promise in DyC 82:8-10 in cooralation with obedience. In Alma 10:5-6 (I think) I was thinking about how often we forfeit the blessings of the Lord because we simply don`t want to be obedient to His commandments. Let`s not forfeit our blessings by thinking we know better than God. I promise you as well, that as you strive to be obedient to his commands you will recieve strength and the ability to be better.
I love you all so much! I hope you know you are in my prayers and how grateful I am to you for your examples to me.
W
ith all my love,
Hermana Butterfield
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