Merry Christmas to all and a Happy New Year! I hope everyone´s Christmas was very special and it was enjoyed talking with family. I know that that was the highlight of mine.
Quickly, Happy Birthday to Becky Smith and Ryan McKell! I`m way behind on birthdays, but I hope they were wonderful.
So let`s see. We really couldn`t get into houses at all on Tuesday or Wednesday. People were very busy getting ready to celebrate Noche Buena. They really don`t celebrate Christmas day here. The tradition basically is that they stay up until midnight Christmas Eve, eat dinner together as a family, open gifts, go out and light off fireworks, and then they go to sleep. By Christmas day it`s pretty much all done.
Tuesday we made visits to some members and in the night time we went to the first counselor in the mission presidency`s house, President Mendez, for dinner. His house is pretty small, but we all (this half of the mission) seemed to fit in there. It was three zones and I was able to see some of my best friends in the mission. We did a secret santa thing within each of our zones. I had Elder Cunningham, my district leader, and I bought him a nerf gun. I know I`m the coolest. He loved it and I`m pretty sure he lost half the darts within 10 minutes. We got back to our room around 9:30 and the lady that we rent our room from came to our door and asked if we had eaten yet. They know that we come home around 9 and that we aren`t with our families so they invited us to come eat dinner with them early. She was nervous when we weren`t in at our normal time and went looking for us at our pensionista`s house. So we went over and had another dinner with them...we were technically in our house still.... we couldn`t help it. She is such a sweet lady.
Wednesday was fun. It started rough because I really struggled sleeping through a bajillion fireworks and loudness outside my window, but we got up and H. Lasike opened her gifts and after our studies we went to an investigator`s house for breakfast. We got permission from our pensionista so we were clear haha. Then we went around and visited members until lunch and after lunch we went to the chapel for the talent show with President Marler and his wife and 3 other zones. They wanted to spend Christmas with all of their ¨kids¨ so they spent the morning with the missionaries in Trujillo and then made the 2 hour drive to Chimbote to spend the afternoon with us. After the talent show we had a testimony meeting where a few of the missionaries shared their testimonies. Then we booked it to our area to Skype with our families. And that is what really made Christmas the happiest. Sure do love you all!
Thursday, surprise! Interviews with President! I always love interviews, really. It was good to sit and talk with him and then his wife.
Then, Friday.....Luis Davila had his baptismal interview. And so did a man named Joel that we have been teaching. Both of them passed. Luis said he still wanted to wait and that he would talk with his wife. So later that night we went to their house and we were talking with them. He was still undecided, but long story short, just before we left, he basically proposed to his wife in the way he told her that he wanted to be baptized with her the next day.
Saturday the Davila family and Joel were baptized. I got my family. The best part of it was when they bore their testimonies - and this couple that was breaking up when we found them - stood together at the pulpit and you could see that the Spirit had worked miracles in them. Then Sunday they all came in their skirts (girls) and the boys in their white shirts and ties and were confirmed.
Merry Christmas miracle! I love you very much! Have a wonderful and safe new year.
Love, Hermana Butterfield
Monday, December 30, 2013
Monday, December 23, 2013
December 23, 2013
Merry Christmas, everyone!
This last week was really pretty fun. On Saturday morning we made the trip to Trujillo via bus. It is about a 2 1/2 hour bus ride. When we got there we ate lunch and practiced our songs for the concert. After practicing for a few hours we had dinner and headed over to the plaza. The concert went well and it really was a lot of fun. I got to see my old pensionista and her family for a quick second and a few other members of my first ward.
Afterwards we hustled over to institute to be there for the bus when it came...it never did. We waited at the institute building outside talking for hours. About 1:30 a.m. when it was determined that the bus really wasn´t coming the hermanas headed to the mission home and they found a place for the elders to stay. We got there and I tried to help get things set up for everyone. They´ve got tons of stuff. We got to bed around 2 or 2:30. We got up and hung out for a while...What do you do when you have nothing to get ready with, no study materials? I and a couple of hermanas helped hermana Marler fix breakfast and get it served. We went to church with the Marlers and then headed out. It was a long, hot bus ride, but it was a fun adventure.
I love you tons. I hope everything is going well and just know that I can´t wait to talk with you all on Wednesday night!
Love Hermana Butterfield
This last week was really pretty fun. On Saturday morning we made the trip to Trujillo via bus. It is about a 2 1/2 hour bus ride. When we got there we ate lunch and practiced our songs for the concert. After practicing for a few hours we had dinner and headed over to the plaza. The concert went well and it really was a lot of fun. I got to see my old pensionista and her family for a quick second and a few other members of my first ward.
Afterwards we hustled over to institute to be there for the bus when it came...it never did. We waited at the institute building outside talking for hours. About 1:30 a.m. when it was determined that the bus really wasn´t coming the hermanas headed to the mission home and they found a place for the elders to stay. We got there and I tried to help get things set up for everyone. They´ve got tons of stuff. We got to bed around 2 or 2:30. We got up and hung out for a while...What do you do when you have nothing to get ready with, no study materials? I and a couple of hermanas helped hermana Marler fix breakfast and get it served. We went to church with the Marlers and then headed out. It was a long, hot bus ride, but it was a fun adventure. I love you tons. I hope everything is going well and just know that I can´t wait to talk with you all on Wednesday night!
Love Hermana Butterfield
Monday, December 16, 2013
December 16, 2013
Hey fam!
Things here are good...they´re getting hot though...and we aren´t even in summer yet. The joys of summer in Chimbote are really hot sand, the smell of fish all night and into the morning, and lots of bugs. I love it though.
We had a fireside on Friday night that Hermana Lasike and I put together. We had some musical numbers and some short videos and testimonies. A lot of our investigators came as well as menos activos and new converts. It turned out really well.
We had changes last night. Hermana Lasike and I will stay together for our third change. I really think that President didn´t want to change anyone for Christmas because I think I heard that mission wide there are like 10 changes max. The good thing is we will hopefully see the miracle of the familia Davila being baptized together. We contacted and started teaching them together so it would be really hard if we didn´t get to see them baptized together.
The entire family came to church again, Luis included. I was so happy. Betty, GianFranco, and Claudia also all had their interviews yesterday and passed. They´re all ready, but Luis is just a bit harder. He has almost all the lessons and he seems good, but I think just a bit more time will be good. I want them all to be baptized together.
Well I love you all. I hope you´re doing well and I am excited to see you in about a week!
Love Hermana Butterfield
Things here are good...they´re getting hot though...and we aren´t even in summer yet. The joys of summer in Chimbote are really hot sand, the smell of fish all night and into the morning, and lots of bugs. I love it though.
We had a fireside on Friday night that Hermana Lasike and I put together. We had some musical numbers and some short videos and testimonies. A lot of our investigators came as well as menos activos and new converts. It turned out really well.
We had changes last night. Hermana Lasike and I will stay together for our third change. I really think that President didn´t want to change anyone for Christmas because I think I heard that mission wide there are like 10 changes max. The good thing is we will hopefully see the miracle of the familia Davila being baptized together. We contacted and started teaching them together so it would be really hard if we didn´t get to see them baptized together.
The entire family came to church again, Luis included. I was so happy. Betty, GianFranco, and Claudia also all had their interviews yesterday and passed. They´re all ready, but Luis is just a bit harder. He has almost all the lessons and he seems good, but I think just a bit more time will be good. I want them all to be baptized together.
Well I love you all. I hope you´re doing well and I am excited to see you in about a week!
Love Hermana Butterfield
Monday, December 9, 2013
December 9, 2013
Hola padres!
***So we ended up having to get off early earlier because we had a practice for the Christmas program and there wasn´t very good communication, but here I am again!
We had a training meeting with Elder Grow. He is the seventy over our mission. It was a really cool experience. We are really focussing on the Work of Salvation. It no longer is the Missionary work, it´s for everybody. We got there about 8 in the morning and had lunch and everything -- they catered KFC haha -- and were there until 4 in the afternoon. It was definitely interesting and we are trying hard to do what we talked about. We are trying to focus on less active members. We have been promised that if we reactivate more, we will see more baptisms. It makes sense though doesn´t it?
On Saturday we drove to a city Carmen in Chimbote to help out a zone. They are looking at reopening an area and they needed help to go out and contact. It was a big group and they bussed us out to the little pueblo. As we were driving out I looked across the country side and it was almost like being home honestly -- corn fields, onion fields, minus the rice fields it all looked pretty familiar. It was really pretty. We arrived and we took cake house to house and got contacts. I think all in all it was a success. Even the smallest of things loved my and my skin though and I am struggling not to scar my legs from scratching them...hello fleas and mosquitoes. ouch.
I´m trying to think of what else...hmmm....oh yeah! The Christmas devotional. That was good right? I watched it in Spanish of course, but the messages were good and surprise! The Marler's were there! They are never in our area, but his counselor lives in our zone so it made sense to an extent. Anyway it was cool to see them. They always feel bad because they can´t spend too much time in Chimbote and the other areas. Their main area is Trujillo that they have to be, but it´s always fun to see them.
Well I love you. I hope all is well. Stay warm. Keep working and being happy. I love you muchly and love hearing from you. You sound well.
Love bug
I have to buy a new camera...yeah...I got robbed. Don`t worry I`m fine. The sad part is I didn`t even realize it had happened until I got into the taxi. They are skillful here. So I`ve got to buy a new camera...and card. So I will be pulling money out for that.
When it comes to money and souvenirs, there really aren`t a lot of things in my mission that are very different, so I don`t know that I will end up with a lot. I have bought a few things, but all of the sweaters and niknaks really aren`t that common in my areas. We will see though.
8 months in Peru! What?! Crazy right? We will have changes again in one week. This last transfer went SO fast. We are pretty sure that Hermana Lasike will get changed which is a bummer, but it will be good for her to experience a new area. Each transfer and area is a good growing experience.
We had success with the familia Davila this week! We had FHE with them at our pensionista`s house -- all of them. The dad included! It went well and then on Thursday we went -- kind of late... -- with the ward leaders for the birthday of their son. It went really well. We then stopped by Saturday and asked if they were coming to the church on Sunday. He said they were planning on it! And they came! All of them! Every stinking one. SUCCESS! I am so thrilled. We have a family. This is what I want most is for this family to be baptized as a family. Please say lots of prayers!
I love you so much! Love bug
***So we ended up having to get off early earlier because we had a practice for the Christmas program and there wasn´t very good communication, but here I am again!
We had a training meeting with Elder Grow. He is the seventy over our mission. It was a really cool experience. We are really focussing on the Work of Salvation. It no longer is the Missionary work, it´s for everybody. We got there about 8 in the morning and had lunch and everything -- they catered KFC haha -- and were there until 4 in the afternoon. It was definitely interesting and we are trying hard to do what we talked about. We are trying to focus on less active members. We have been promised that if we reactivate more, we will see more baptisms. It makes sense though doesn´t it?
On Saturday we drove to a city Carmen in Chimbote to help out a zone. They are looking at reopening an area and they needed help to go out and contact. It was a big group and they bussed us out to the little pueblo. As we were driving out I looked across the country side and it was almost like being home honestly -- corn fields, onion fields, minus the rice fields it all looked pretty familiar. It was really pretty. We arrived and we took cake house to house and got contacts. I think all in all it was a success. Even the smallest of things loved my and my skin though and I am struggling not to scar my legs from scratching them...hello fleas and mosquitoes. ouch.
I´m trying to think of what else...hmmm....oh yeah! The Christmas devotional. That was good right? I watched it in Spanish of course, but the messages were good and surprise! The Marler's were there! They are never in our area, but his counselor lives in our zone so it made sense to an extent. Anyway it was cool to see them. They always feel bad because they can´t spend too much time in Chimbote and the other areas. Their main area is Trujillo that they have to be, but it´s always fun to see them.
Well I love you. I hope all is well. Stay warm. Keep working and being happy. I love you muchly and love hearing from you. You sound well.
Love bug
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