September 30, 2013

And, September is just about over. Can anyone believe that tomorrow starts October? Or that I hit my 7 month mark this last week? The time is nuts! I´m happy to hear that Elder Zarian was able to make it by this last week. I hope you enjoyed some of the snacks.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO JAMES ON SUNDAY! I hope it´s great. I hope that it can be a good day and that you all enjoy Conference this weekend. I´m not sure how that is all going to work out to watch it but I am definitely excited for the Ensign if anything.

Field of Marigolds on way  to Chimbote

My cockroach friend

I love my new area. It´s actually south of Trujillo and my area in Bellamar. It is the south most area in our mission that they send Hermanas. It´s really poor, but I am in love with it. We have a good room, hot water, and I´ve only had to kill one cockroach (: There are some paved roads here but they´re pretty ripped up and for the most part it´s just straight up sand. The days are getting warmer, but the nights are really quite cold and since we´re more coastal there´s always a breeze which gets really cold sometimes. My Companion is Hermana Lasike. She´s Tongan but from Vegas. She´s hilarious and it´s been a really fun experience this last week. We get along well and we both want to work so it´s a good thing

 

Moises Baptism

We had a baptism on Friday. The little boy, Moises (12), that was baptized is so sweet and the ward has really worked with his family. His little brother, Juan (9) was baptized the week before and they were both confirmed on Sunday. During the baptism I was so happy but I couldn´t help feel a little sad that I obviously really hadn´t done anything to help get him to that point, but the happiness came from knowing that this isn´t the last part was very strong. That he still has so much more to learn and I get to be part of that and hopefully a help to his family who still is on the border of accepting the Gospel.

This area is really good. The members in this ward are really supportive and the Bishop is trying really hard to make the mission work the center focus of the ward. It´s definitely a change, but it´s a good one and I´m excited to work more and more with them.

I love the Book of Mormon. One of the goals Hermana Lasike and I have is to read the Book of ¨Mormon in spanish every night before bed. It´s a good experience and in another language you have to think more about what you´re reading.

Well time is short. I love you all. Keep being good. You´re in my prayers.

Love Hermana Butterfield 
 

September 23, 2013

I got my birthday letters from Kyle and Chrissy and Aunt Paula and Uncle Les. Thank you so much. It really was such a great experience to read the experiences and testimonies from everyone. There is such love and power when we can recognize the Lord's hand in our lives.

Hey guess what?! I'm growing up! I received my first transfer last night at 10. There are three different main areas in the Peru Trujillo mission. Trujillo, Huaraz, and Chimbote. I'm going 2-3 hours more north to be in Chimbote! I'm very excited to get to know a bit more about Peru and get to know new people. I'm obviously a bit nervous as I'm sure you can all imagine but it will be a good experience. We can't progress if there is never change. I'm to the point where I need more opportunities to progress and I can't do that as much as I need to. The scariest part is that I will be senior companion...woof! I don't know my companion, but I do know she's kind of Gringa, she's from Tonga! I'm stoked to have this new experience. Prayers, please?

This last week was spent mainly in Razuri with Hermana Watkins while her companion was with their pensionista recuperating. It was a really good experience and my testimony that no matter where we go, no matter where the church is, we have a home and we have people who love and support us. Razuri is a very small area, but Hermana Watkins and I were able to have some good success while we were there and I was definitely grateful for the opportunity to be there.

I was reading this morning in Helaman chapter 6 and there were various parts that struck me, but something that I really liked was in verse 1. The Lamanites we starting to become more righteous than the Nephites and this is for two reasons; The Nephites were becoming prideful and the Lamanites had become firm and steadfast in their faith. In life we really won't have grand visions -- or at least I haven't nor do I believe I ever will, however, as we are humble and we are firm and steadfast in our faith we keep our covenants with Heavenly Father -- we endure to the end.

Well, sorry it's short. I hope everything is going well back home. I love you all so much and miss you. Keep being good, keep making good choices and don't do drugs. Read your scriptures, say your prayers, and go to church. They're all important to remain faithful and safe in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

September 17, 2013

Sorry I`m a day late. It was an interesting couple of days. Sunday I received a phone call from the Elder that`s in charge of health asking me how I would feel about going to another area, Razuri, for 3 days to spend with one of the Hermanas while her companion was in the mission home recuperating from a surgery. Why yes I would love to! Also, we had a multi-zone conference yesterday so our p-day was moved to today, but since I was with Hermana Watkins I was in a different zone and they had their multi-zone today so I attended the same meeting two days in a row and did not have a p-day haha It was a good meeting though so I don`t mind too much.

And now the story of Martha. She was so ready and we were so excited to meet with her to share the last two commandments and go over the baptismal interview questions to help prepare her. We went to see her on Tuesday like we had planned and to our dismay she wasn`t there. Her son-in-law told us that she had moved to live with her son in another area. We were devastated. We knew that there were problems in her family and we were sad that maybe things had just gotten too bad. We decided to pass by again on Wednesday to see if anything had changed. No. She still wasn`t there. So we left our number with her family and hoped that we would hear from her. Nothing. On Friday we started a fast in the afternoon as a district. I felt like we should pass by her house one more time as we still hadn`t heard anything. We went and there she was! She had been ill and had had to stay at her son`s home for a few days. We were a bit concerned that maybe she had forgotten about her baptism for that Saturday, but we asked when we could come to teach her again and she said that it had to be before Saturday because Saturday was her baptism. We were so happy and as we were walking away I stopped my companions and we said a prayer of thanks right there in the sidewalk. She was baptized on Saturday and I know that she felt something special.

The Lord answers our prayers. Big or small they are answered. Sometimes they are answered in ways you don`t expect, sometimes they are instant, and sometimes they take a while to be answered, but they are answered.

Sunday we had Stake Conference. It was a broadcast for all of Peru so that was cool. Did you know that Richard G. Scott spoke Spanish?! I didn`t. Elder Bednar used a translator. That`s cool too I guess haha. President Bednar spoke about repentance and it was really good. He talked about how it`s a sincere desire one has to change. He recounted a story of how a man who had had a difficult time in paying tithing and hadn`t paid tithing in a long time one day went to his Bishop with an envelope with his tithing and said that he wanted to have an interview to receive his temple recommend to be able to attend his daughter`s wedding. The Bishop said thank you for paying your tithing and that he could come back another day and they could talk about the need of worthiness to receive his temple recommend. That just because he had paid his tithing didn`t mean that he was worthy or ready to enter the temple. The man was furious and called his Stake President, President Bednar, saying that the Bishop was in error and that he needed a temple recommend. President Bednar explained that the Bishop was correct in his judgment. That just because he had paid his tithing, didn`t mean that he was repentant and was worthy to receive the ability to enter the temple. It might seem harsh but it`s true. Repentance isn`t something we do just because we want something, we do it because we want to align our lives and our will with the Father. I really liked his talk. President Scott talked about women and the importance to remember our femininity. The world is constantly trying to change us to be more like man and discount our sacred roles as women. I am so grateful for the blessings and gifts that come from being a daughter of God and I am grateful for the examples of exemplary women in my life.

I love you all so much. I love you and pray for you daily. Thank you for your prayers and support.

Love Hermana Butterfield

September 9, 2013

Hola family! Well, it`s been another week already!

We went to Chan Chan today! And the sun actually came out and it is warm today! Wahoo! It is a gigantic museum of ruins of the ancient people who lived here. It was really pretty cool. We did have a tour guide and I understood more or less of what they were saying. It was a cool thing to see and I can say that I`ve been to Chan Chan now.  

With Hermana Villanueva as the Leader of the sisters in our zone I have had various opportunities to spend time with Hermana Manwill in our area with just us. The experiences always are for growth. It`s really hard at times, but I know that I am able to grow and learn in more ways.

I also had the experience to spend the day on Saturday with Hermana Wayman (a new sister in our zone) in her area while her companion Hermana Carbone was in the clinic with Hermana Arancibia. Hermana Arancibia has been having some health issues as of late. They finally figured our what it was and she had to have her gallbladder removed. She was in a lot of pain and Hermana Carbone was her trainer so she wanted her there. It was a good experience to work with Hermana Wayman and it`s always good learning experience to go to another area and see the form in how other missionaries teach.

We are excited about the baptism that we will be having this week! Hermana Martha is wonderful and truly an investigator of gold. I would like to relate an experience that we had with her this week. We knew that we had to teach her the commandment of the Sabbath Day, but we were concerned if this would be her breaking point. She vends 3 nights during the week from 10 pm - 6 am. One of these days is Saturday which carries over into Sunday. She`s always been willing to leave work and come straight to church with us although very tired. Before I never would have thought much of this -- she`s willing and able to attend church and doesn`t work the rest of the day so there`s really no problem. But that`s not the commandment. I will admit I was hurting and scared to have to teach her this. When we taught her the law and told her what that meant, there was a look in her eyes that I can`t quite explain. It was almost a look of fear mixed with pain. She said, oh but I work Sunday mornings --- and without a second thought said --- but the law is the law and it`s written in the scriptures. I guess I will have to vend on Wednesdays instead. It broke my heart because as happy as I was and as grateful as I was at her preparedness and for the Lord`s hand in this experience, I couldn`t help but think of all of the times I have justified myself in shifting my train of thought and actions to fit my wants or my needs. This woman was and is so willing to make sacrifices that are very difficult. I hope that I can be so noble one day.

We have had many prayers and fasts answered in this last change and I am so grateful to the Lord in blessing me in so many ways that I am so unworthy to receive. He truly knows each of us so well and knows what we need, when we need it. He saves us in the moments that sometimes seem too difficult. I know He listens to us. I know He hears us. I know He loves us.

Be good. Be strong. Don`t do drugs.

Love Hermana Butterfield

Thank you so much for the birthday letters! It was such a treat to read them. I am so blessed to have had so many thoughts and love sent my way!

September 2, 2013

Happy September, everybody!

Thank you for the birthday wishes! It was such a good day. We had our weekly planning like we have every Thursday which lasts until lunch. When we went to lunch, my pensionista had prepared a surprise party with my District. She prepared one of my favorite meals and had cake and lots of other goodies. She and her husband had also stayed up until 4:00 in the morning making little goodie boxes for all of us. It was such a treat. Hermana Bedoya and Hermana Evans (other sisters in our zone) called me and sang happy birthday as well. We also had FHE with them (the Anticona family -- Freddy, Jessica, Patrick, and Fabrizio). Fabrizio turned 4 on Monday and I turned 22 on Thursday. We thought that was pretty fun. They truly are my family here. We talked about family prayer and the importance of it and the blessings we receive. We played games, too.

As to investigators -- Gonzalo our recent convert didn`t come to church this week. We were rather disappointed and concerned. So we called him after our meetings and he said that his mother had been sick so he had had to tend her. He also was sad that he hadn`t been able to attend. WHEW! But he had gone to a YSA activity this weekend and had really enjoyed it and was planning to attend a meeting at the church that evening to prepare to receive the Priesthood! WAHOO! Ok, we felt better. What an amazing feeling to have a convert progress more and more.

We recently started teaching a sister, Martha. She is golden as well. We have he baptismal date set for the 14th of this month. She also has been prepared to hear the Gospel. She is a sweet woman who has such good intentions. I really enjoy teaching her. We don`t really have to do much because she understands and wants to learn more.

The sad note for the week is that we are going to have to drop Santiago most likely. We have gotten to the point where all he really wants in a knowledge of things. He doesn`t want to use faith -- he just wants facts.

It`s caused me to think more and more about faith. Many times as people we want a knowledge of things. We don`t want to use faith. But there is a reason that faith is the first principle in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. When we have faith in Jesus Christ. we are willing to repent. When we are willing to repent, we permit the Lord to change us. We permit Him to change our very being and we can see hope and light in this life. I can`t imagine a life without faith in something more. It seems quite bleak and empty. But we have faith in something greater. That there is more to this life and that we can change. We show our faith when we follow the commandments of God and we follow the words of His prophets.

Thank you for your love and support. You are always in my prayers and I can feel yours as well. 

Love Hermana Butterfield