February 24, 2014

Can you believe that we are going to finish February this week. I certainly can not. Aun mas, I can`t believe that in finishing this week, I finish one year in my mission. At times it certainly feels like a year, and at other times it feels like a short time ago I was anxiously waiting to leave to serve. Time is a strange things, and oddly enough, I don`t think that that will change.

I am enjoying my time here in Gedeon. I`ve gotten accustomed in this month here and my companion and I can hardly believe that we will finish yet another change. Hermana Ascencio completes 4 months in her mission today. At times I feel like she`s the senior companion. She`s such a support. 

We had many many blessings this last week. A few down moments, but it always seems when things are the hardest that is when the Lord then blesses you the most. I think that that is so true in life. It`s after our time of testing and trial that he shows us his hand or if we are humble we recognize that he has been carrying us the entire time and has supported us in those moments. 

We had four investigators in church on Sunday which was awesome. We are definitely seeing the Lord blessing this area and interestingly enough, we see more success when the members are involved.That is usually how it goes though, so no suprise there.

I was happy to hear from you this week. I`m glad to hear that things are going well. I want to extend the challenge to take a few moments to reevaluate a few things. Where are our priorities? How are we doing in our daily scripture study? Are we praying and conversing with our Father in Heaven? How are we doing in keeping the covenants we`ve made? Are we recognizing the tender mercies of the Lord in our day to day routine? I`m going to try to do the same. Sometimes we just need a few minutes to reevalute.

I hope all is well and that everyone is happy. If you`re not happy, what is stopping you?

Love, Hermana Butterfield

February 10, 2014

Hola!

 

Another week has come and gone. How strange. I feel like every Monday comes faster and faster. 

This week was pretty good. We played volleyball on Monday as a zone. It´s so sad at how horrible I am at sports, but whatever. It´s always fun. We had a family home evening with a couple of the recent converts and watched a video of John Tanner. What a cool story. What faith.

We had a service project on Friday, as well, where we went and helped the Elders (I can honestly say I don´t know what happened with the other Hermanas. They never came). It was interesting. I´m just saying that if you ever want anything done in a decent time and you want it done well, don´t call missionaries. We helped them get there living room prepared to paint. Elder Dennis, one of my zone leaders, said that it looked better before. We didn´t do a lot of painting, just prepping -- sanding and scraping walls. The family seemed content so that is what counts.

My area is massive. Did I say that last week? We do a lot of walking. I had a nasty blister and my companion took a needle to it. What a gem. It´s still there...but I can at least walk now haha. It continues to be hot, but it´s been nice because we´ve been blessed with cooler nights and a breeze. It´s hard to sleep sometimes, but, you know I have troubles turning my mind off. 

Things are good. Hermana Mathis, she´s one of the Hermanas in my zone just got called as one of the sister training leaders. She´s going to do great.

My comp, Hermana Ascencio is 20 and is from Lima. She really is a sweet girl. She works hard even when she is struggling and I am so grateful for that.

Well, not a lot has changed. Just keep working. I always love hearing from you and hearing what is new. Thanks for the pictures and thoughts. I´m always game for a letter and photos. Enjoy the snow, but don´t let it get you sick. 

I love you tons!  hugs and kisses and happy valentine´s day!

Love Hermana Bug

February 3, 2014

Happy birthday, Logan! One year and walking! So fun to see your videos and pictures. I hope that your party was fun.

I got the pictures that you sent. DANG I love my family. Ya´ll are so dang attractive. It was so fun to see all of you in different moments. You all look so good.

Changes have been...good...kind of a huge change, but good. Crossing a couple streets is a bigger change than I thought. I´m closer to the ocean which means more money. My area is MASSIVE and it has money. We spend more time walking from place to place than we do teaching and in areas with money...well, I feel like I´m back in my first area to be honest. I have to readjust my mind as to what success really is in the mission. 

My companion, Hermana Ascencio, is a gem. She just finished her training and she is a hard worker. We both have fun blisters on our feet and after long days she still keeps her head up. I know she´s tired and hurting and frustrated at times, but she holds it well. She works well with the people and we get along well. It´s an adjustment to go back to pure spanish 24-7, but she´s patient and we have fun together.

My new zone, also pure Latinos almost and more Elders. I didn´t think zones like that existed anymore haha. My last zone was almost pure gringos and Hermanas. I´m excited though because I know my Spanish will improve a lot.

We have worked a lot with less active members and new converts. It´s always interesting to hear their stories and see new life styles. Haha we were teaching a new convert, he´s got to be in his late 60 probably 70 something about family history and temple work. He was trying to decide who would be worthy enough in his family to have their work done. This guy. haha I think he will understand a bit better with time in the church. He´s pretty new.

Well this week has really just been a lot of readjusting. I hope things are going well where you are. Know that I love and pray for you and wish the best always. Chins up. 

Love, Hermana Butterfield

January 27, 2014

CAMBIOS -- CHANGES

We have cambios tomorrow. I`m a little torn, but they`re always for the better. We`ll get to those though. Let`s see...what happened this week.

We decided that we really needed a way to get references. We have been struggling to get new investigators lately and we needed to do something. So we did a movie night. It was pretty fun. We watched a movie called Frozen. It was pretty cute. I had Wicked in my head for some reason the whole time we watched it. It wasn`t my very favorite, but it was good. We had a decent turn out for it and we got a few references so we were happy.

We also had Lupe`s baptism. She`s a little girl who`s 11 years old. We have worked with her, her mom, and her brother, but she was the one that wanted it most. They will keep working with her mom and brother though. It went smoothly and she seems to have incorporated into the Primary well.

I gave a talk on Sunday. It was alright. It get`s really annoying because there are days that I can speak, and then there are other days that I lose it all. Dang. Oh well....it went and it`s done. I spoke on covenants and renewing them. I enjoyed studying them at least haha.

Ok so changes. Usually they come Sunday nights, but we got them this morning. Lasike will continue to be in Bella mar and I will go to the area of Buenos Aires...It`s literally on the other side of the road of one of the sectors in our zone. I don`t know my comp, but she`s Latina. I hear good things about my ward and I hope I can keep it up. The funny thing is is EVERYONE thought Lasike was out, but it`s me. They`ve been so sad all week and getting ready for her to go...but haha nope. me.

Things are good and looking up. I`m ready to grow just a bit more. I love you all. Keep being good and know I love you SO much!

Love, Hermana Butterfield

January 20, 2014

What`s up family!

Always good to hear from you and know what`s going on. I hope you`re all doing well and that you`ve had a great week. Things were pretty normal here, the day to day work.

 

Monday we did have the opportunity to go to a place called Cerro de la Paz -- Peace Hill. Basically we drove in a combi up to mid way where there is a creepy old catholic church...I`m pretty sure there are people buried under the church, like one of those old underground burial chambers. What is it called? a Catatomb or something like that. You can hike up to the top and there`s this massive cross...we didn`t hike all the way up. Some of the elders did, but by the time we decided to do it it was crazy hot and we really didn`t have much time. I was chillin with Hermanas Redd and Ivie and we just took a lot of pictures. We hiked up a ways, but not to the top. It was such a cool view. We could see all of Chimbote. I will try to send pictures at some point...I`m having technical difficulties lately though...just my luck. But it was really pretty and it was a nice change to get out of the same old p-day routine haha.

 

Graciela and Joel were both confirmed on Sunday. Graciela had gotten a bit sick and I was a little concerned we`d have another Joel situation where after the baptism we couldn`t get a hold of him, but everything worked out well. It was so nice to see them confirmed.

This morning we went early to see the youth off as they are travelling to Trujillo for EFY. Gian Franco is going as well. So fun. He has been helping with the Sacrament, Hermana Davila was able to share her testimony in Relief Society, and Luis continues with his classes for the Priesthood. I love this family. 

A sister shared a thought the other day that I really liked. She said something to the effect of that faith isn`t something we see, rather, it`s something we live. If I have learned anything or relearned anything on my mission is that faith is an action. We can`t expect so see the Lord`s hand to change things if we don`t expect to put ours to work. So I liked that little phrase. La fe no es algo que una ve, mas, es algo que una vive.

Well I love you all! I pray for you. Please keep walking by faith!

Love Hermana Butterfield

I chopped off my hair yesterday. I`m still not sure how I feel about it...we`ll see how I like it in a few days haha

 

January 13, 2013

Hello, all!

Oh man I really can´t believe it´s been another week. I feel like I say that a lot, but last night I was just thinking of how it seemed like yesterday I was sitting on my bed eating a mango and reading a conference talk half asleep. I feel like time is going pretty quick. Some days go really slowly, but really the time is fast. I hit my 9 month mark in Peru this last week so that was pretty cool.

I forgot to tell you all last week though, I met a penguin named Juan. Yep. In one of the poorer areas of my area, too. A penguin named Juan. He was really cute and super soft. Nothing I ever would have thought I would have seen in Peru. A penguin. He was pretty little and rather content just to sit and have you pet him. They said they just have a little bin of water that he can cool off in and he´s just fine. Who knew?

I did have the opportunity to go to another area in my zone and work with one of the sister training leaders, hermana Balcaza. She´s one of my better friends here in the mission. She´s from Argentina and we are actually in the same group and we´ve always joked about being companions or at least in the same zone so it was fun to go spend some time with her. We did not want me to go back to my area haha. It´s always fun to work with the other hermanas to see what they do differently and just have a change for a bit. It was fun seeing her area and meeting some of their investigators and members.

We did have the opportunity to have Graciela´s interview again on Saturday. I don´t know how much I´ve told you about Graciela, but she is a 78 year old woman who is such a gem. I just get a kick out of her. She reminds me a lot of Gma Butterfield actually. She had her baptismal interview a couple of weeks ago, but she has been Evangelica all of her life and she didn´t quite grasp the whole Joseph Smith thing...depending on the day. We watched the video of the Restoration later on and it helped her to understand more clearly. When we told her she had to have a new interview it broke my heart when she said, ¨I´m reading my scriptures, I´m praying, and I´m going to church! What more do you want me to do?¨ She passed her interview on Saturday and was baptized on Sunday after church. We were so happy because we were able to contact one of her friends from the other ward who is friends with Graciela's family members. She contacted them and they were able to make it for her baptism. Come to find out her nephew is one of the pioneer members in Chimbote. Very cool. She seemed very happy and I am happy that she could make the decision.

Last night we had a FHE with the Davilas. Betty has been reading her Book of Mormon and just loves it, so we talked about the first few chapters in 1 nefi. It was good. We made them floats, too! We found ice cream -- it was like the Peruvian Neapolitan, but a kind of caramel instead of chocolate -- and orange and strawberry soda. They seemed to like it. It´s always fun to spend time with them. We also got to talk on the phone with Betty´s brother who lives in the States. He is a member and has been trying to get her to join the church for a long time. It was fun to chat with him for a minute. Also, Gian Franco was able to pass the Sacrament and bare his testimony in Sacrament meeting. Very cool.

Well, I want to let you know that I know this church is true. I can honestly say that I see the changes it makes in us when we allow it. I knew the Gospel helped families and individuals before, but never really understood why or how. I know there are still so many things I don´t understand, but I´m starting to see a glimpse at how when we allow ourselves to be changed, the Lord will work miracles within us. We still have our trials and our shortcomings, but He seems to help make up the rest. Always. 

I love you all so much. I hope you know that. Keep smiling. Keep being strong. Remember your covenants.

Love, Hermana Butterfield

January 6, 2014

Happy new year family!

I just wanted to let you all know how grateful I am for you and how much I love you. I hope you know how happy I was to share a short part of my Christmas with you and to see all of your faces. Things are moving along here.

Luis and Gian Franco Davila both recieved the priesthood on Sunday. Luis is a priest and Gian Franco is a teacher. Betty is content as ever and Claudia is starting to have a lot more confidence with her leaders. The ward is awe struck at this family and their progress, but honestly, you know the Lord´s hand has been a part of things when it all seemed rather easy. 

We are looking for more families to teach and we continue to work with the members to help them know how to help.

I love you all. I am well and I miss you like crazy!

love bug