November 25, 2013

Happy Thanksgiving everybody! I hope you enjoy this time with one another. What a magical time of year. We`ve already moved on to Christmas and as I`m sure you all know I am so entirely excited to already see Christmas trees and decorations up in the homes here. It`s not quite the same in some ways, but so entirely the same in others. I love it. I will miss Thanksgiving, but we`ll just have to make it big next year.

This week we saw many miracles. One of which was the ability that we had to celebrate Claudia`s birthday! This is Claudia Davila. We even got the members involved and we were able to have them come to celebrate with us. One of the members, Sergio, even bought a cake and we decorated it and we all took it over. 


We are really working hard to get the ward members involved in the work. It`s the work of salvation and we won`t always be here. We can`t have new converts if the ward isn`t ready or willing to recieve them. I was so happy to have had the success we did in that home that night. The Lord will only bless a ward in it`s growth if the ward is willing to do something. Hermana Lasike and I have been working hard in this ward and we love the members so much. As missionaries, our role isn`t just for the nonmembers. We have to leave the ward better than we found it. Even if I don`t have much success in the way of baptisms, I can leave a ward better than it was - more strong and ready to help future missionaries. I`m just fine with that.

We have taught this one little old lady a little bit. The lady is a crack up. You just listen to her and can`t help but laugh. She`s just this little chubby thing. We did splits this week and I was with my trainer Hermana Diaz for the day. We went to go visit her and she was telling us these stories about how she used to work a ton and how she had all of these animals. They, of course, eat everything they raise and she was telling us about all these animals they had. Hermana Diaz was like, how did you kill that? because this lady is just so tiny. She just says like it`s not a big thing, with a knife, of course! Then she went on about how she killed it with the knife. When in Peru...

I am definitely grateful for this opportunity that I have been able to have. It is so crazy to think how the time has gone by. I know I`ve learned a lot -- Spanish, more patience, more diligence, more obedience, more doctrine...but I still have got so much more to go. I hope 9 more months is enough for the Lord to shape me so I am who He needs me to be.

I love you all. Keep being good and know how much I love you. Un abrazo!

Con amor,
Hermana Butterfield

November 11, 2013

Hey all!

This week was a good one. As with every week there are good days and there are definitely rough ones, but at the end of the week, I´m happy to say I feel good about the report I am able to give for my area. I love working here and I love the people I serve. Members and non members alike.

We had the opportunity to do a service project on Saturday. We help our new convert scrape the paint from her house so we can paint it this week. It was quite the experience. It´s a water based paint so you just throw some water on there and it scrapes right off. It went really fast and it was nice to put some jeans on and do some work.
 

We talked with the Dad de la familia Davila ayer. We set an appointment to talk with him tonight. I honestly am just more shocked that he even accepted to meet with us. little by little right. Lots of prayers please. 

We haven´t been able to meet with Luis again. He really doesn´t have much interest and it´s really hard for his mom...it´s really hard for me too. He´s just such a good kid. With time and patience though, right?
 

Things are good here. I am enjoying studying and learning more. I am interested once more in the topic of faith. What a concept it is.
 

I love you all and I hope you are doing well. You are in my prayers.

Love bug

Hey just a thought that maybe you could do. Do you remember dear elder? I was thinking if you wanted to use that sometimes as well I´d have more time to respond to your questions or have time to read them more fully. one hour just isn´t a lot of time. We get them almost every Tuesday...it´s a thought.

November 4, 2013

Hey family!

Has it been a week already? I´m glad that all seems to be well with you all. Things here are just fine and we´re just moving right along.

 

Changes were this week --- and Hermana Lasike and I are staying together for one more change! Everyone was sure that she was out of here, but we get to work together for six more weeks here in Bella Mar. They did changes differently this time and we personally didn´t have changes so it doesn´t even feel like we´ve started a new change. Our District leader, Elder Rybertt got changed to an area in Viru, and we have our new District leader Elder Cunningham. He´s from Rexburg. He has less time here in the mission but he seems like a cool kid. Our District is now pure North Americans. What a treat....
 

We have started teaching one of Hermana Maria Esthers sons. Luis is her oldest son and he´s a really good kid. He´s really quiet and it´s hard to get ahold of him sometimes. We´ve taught him the Restauracion and we´ve read the Book of Mormon with him a couple of times. He really just needs a good strong male example in his life. His life, like all of his siblings, has been really rough. Maria Esther has 6 kids with 3 different men, all of which have been very abusive so for him he lacks a good role model. He is so good with his siblings though, but he lacks any real confidence and security which is really hard. I know the Gospel can help him with this. Please pray for him.
 

The familia Davila could be baptized at any moment, but the husband is against it completely. We are going to continue to work with them and I know with time with this family and Luis and the help of the ward, we will see great success. 
 

I love hearing from you and seeing pictures and knowing about your experiences. Thank you for your love and support.
 

Love Hermana Butterfield

xoxoxoxoxoxox