August 18, 2014

Welp, here it is folks! the last email. Aren`t you glad you won`t have me harassing you via email every week?

This is a lot harder than I thought. It`s hard thinking of leaving these people that I have worked with and have loved so much. I know there is a time for everything, however, and I look forward to seeing your faces as well, in the airport, waiting for me, with balloons, nephews, simply lemonade and a bag of Sunchips. hehe. 

 Monday we had a p-day with all of the sister missionaries from two of the three zones here in Chimbote. We made pancakes. Hermana Skirvin and I found pancake mix and maple syrup so we did that. It was fun.

This last week reconfirmed to me of the love the Lord has for each and everyone of us and how he knows each one of us so perfectly. We were able to have some good successes, to meet and help new people, and to have  some really good talks. 

Camila has decided that she wants to be baptized. For sure this time. please keep her in your prayers as she has not a lot of support from those in her family. The plan is for her to be baptized this Friday and confirmed on Sunday. It will be a small reunion but we are happy with her decision. 

We also were able to go to the baptism of a young man that has been investigating the church for quite a while. He`s very cool, but I think he also lacks family support.

I had to give the lesson in gospel principals with not a whole lot of prep time. It was on the word of wisdom and I won`t lie  I was a bit nervous because we had an investigator that was visiting for the first time. We had met the night before and let`s be honest that`s not probably the first thing she was expecting to learn about. It ended up really good though and she actually seemed to have a great experience -- minus when her and Camila went to the bathroom - her phone fell in the toilet and now doesn`t work  ....   dang.  Other story though. Her and Camila clicked really well and I am happy for that.

My ward is progressing really well. They were awesome when I got here, but there is always room to grow and they are blossoming. Sometimes having the right people in the right calling makes all the difference.

I don`t really know what else to write...I feel so strange to know this stage is coming to an end, but I am grateful to know there are always more plans in the Lord`s time table. I look forward to seeing you all soon. Make good choices, know I love you, I pray for you. Read your scriptures, say your  prayers, go to church, don`t do drugs. 

Love Hermana Butterfield

August 11, 2014

Well hello there, all! Just so you all know today I complete 16 months in Peru. Kinda crazy! 

This last week was pretty good. We had zone training and the zone leaders asked me to give a short training 20-30 minutes on some things relating to obedience. I think they had me do it because if anyone got mad, well, they can´t be mad at me too much longer haha. No, but it actually went really well. I was happy to do it and I got good feed backs. My zone leader said that I had had the correct people read the correct things. Who knew? Kinda cool.

There was also a stake talent show. We were going to do a skit, but there just wasn´t time. It was really fun though. The Elders did a skit about chewing gum that every one liked. 

A cool thing that happened as well, we got a new ward mission leader. He is the husband of our pensionista. He´s a good guy. He´s been through a lot and recently received the ability to have a calling again. This will be great for him to remember the importance of the basics and get involved again. He loves the mission work so I think this is perfect for him.

Super funny. Our bishop is a gem. On Friday he called and asked if I had ever seen the movie The Ring. When I said yes he said, you have seven days...well you have a few more than that, but not by much. haha so funny.

Segundo Goicochea received the Priesthood yesterday! Wahoo! He should be blessing the sacrament next week.

It´s been really sad to think of leaving these people behind. Really this week it has been hitting me that there is a good chance that I will never see any of them again in person and it hurts a bit. I am grateful for this time that I have had to love and grow and serve the people here. I do love them so much and I know that I was supposed to be here for them to touch my life forever. 

I love you all so much. I hope you´ve all had a great week and that you all know how much you mean to me. Thanks for your love and support.

Love,

Hermana Butterfield

August 4, 2014

Happy birthday to Ana, Chrissy, and Sara this week! How great is it that we get to share a birthday month? Love you all lots!

 Wow ! Another week. Let`s be honest, it ended really good.

We had multi zone this week which was really good. We talked a lot about the Book of Mormon and our message that is so unique and special for the world. It is so unique and it is so special. We are so blessed to know that not ALL roads lead to God and His kingdom. We know exactly what we need to do, and we know that even if we mess up, theirs someone so perfect that makes up the difference.

The stress of this time winding down is starting to hit me pretty hard. Is it too gross if I tell you all I threw up for the first time this week because of it? I woke up at like 1 in the morning and my mind was going nuts. my stomach was dizzy and stressed too apparently haha. I`m good though. I actually have a cold now though...not related...but kind of a bummer haha. 

We went and visited the Bishop`s wife on Friday night with some goodies and then  went and helped her Saturday morning. She had their 3rd son a few weeks ago. He`s really cute and it was a good chance to get to know her a bit better and to help her out. Very good people.

This Saturday Segundo and Consuelo were baptized! I was super happy. The baptism went really well. Some interesting things happened though. Our ward mission leader had gone in the morning to clean and fill up the font. The awkward moment was when they go to get in and the water has gone down and it only went up to their knees. It was an interesting experience getting Consuelo to just sit in the water and go back. It worked out though. Their nephew had come in from Trujillo to do the ordinance. Pretty cool. Super cool too that the leaders had come to the baptism to support them. All of the high priests came to do a musical number as well. It was...pretty funny. Who knew that Far, Far Away on Judea`s Plain was such a great baptismal hymn? WHAT?! oh Peru. I will miss your  quirkiness haha. But the best part was when they got up to bare their testimonies. Such a sweet spirit present. The Bishop also shared a few words which was great. He`s awesome. When he speaks he actually reminds me of dad a bit. He just makes things so personal. Very cool.                 

Well, I hope you all had a fabulous week. I sure love you and know how much you deserve it. Read, pray, go to church. It`s true.

Love,

Hermana Butterfield

July 28, 2014

Happy birthday, Brisbane! I thought of you all day yesterday. I can´t believe you´re two years old now. Let´s go to ice cream soon okay?

Let´s see. Biggest news of the week: Segundo and Consuelo Goicochea passed their baptism interviews this week and will be getting baptized on Saturday! After months they are doing it! To think that they have had missionaries for years trying to help them and that I have had the privilege to work with them as well makes me so happy. I´m happy that I will be able to end seeing them make these sacred covenants. He originally chose the 29th of August. That´s cool. I kind of like that date a bit, but I told him I wouldn´t be here and he said, no you have to be here and so now they will be baptized the 2nd of August at 3:00 pm and his family is coming in from Trujillo for it. It will be a very special day for all.

Another very special thing happened yesterday. Last week Bishop called to talk about some things since we hadn´t gone to church. I was talking with him while H. Skirvin was resting and he told me that an elderly man had come to church and had asked if I was there. When I wasn´t there he asked the Bishop for our address and our wonderful Bishop said that he couldn´t give it to him, but that I should be here the next week. He cautioned me to be very careful. He was concerned because he looked like a man ¨from the street¨and just didn´t want anything bad to happen. I had a few people from Bellamar go through my head and the person that matched the description would have been puzzling. But I was right. I don´t know if you ever remember me talking about the Rebasa family, but Hermano Rebasa has been inactive forever. Hermana Lasike and I worked with him a lot and although he never reactivated, a very beautiful friendship developed with me and his little wife. We even started to work with his son and I received a small package with a letter and a note from Hermanas Lasike and Evans telling me that his son had reactivated. A very special moment for me. Anyway. Yesterday in church Hermano Rebasa came. He said he told me before I left Bellamar that he was going to come see me before I returned to the states and he couldn't fail his promise so I was able to chat with him for a moment and he gave me a lot of chocolate. Even better, i got him to stay for sacrament meeting in the other ward with his granddaughter. I love that family and I was grateful to see him again.

I have read and re read the talk becoming perfect in Christ by Gerrit W. Gong of the seventy. I love it and I invite you to read it. It is a talk for young adults, but it is so relevant to all of us and the love Christ has for us.

I hope you´re all doing well. Be happy. Love life. Read your scriptures. Pray.

Love

Hermana Butterfield

July 28, 2014

Happy birthday, Brisbane! I thought of you all day yesterday. I can´t believe you´re two years old now.

Let´s go to ice cream soon ok?

Let´s see. Biggest news of the week: Segundo and Consuelo Goicochea passed their baptism interviews this week and will be getting baptized on Saturday! After months they are doing it! To think that they have had missionaries for years trying to help them and that I have had the privilege to work with them as well makes me so happy. I´m happy that I will be able to end seeing them make these sacred covenants. He originally chose the 29th of August. That´s cool. I kind of like that date a bit, but I told him I wouldn´t be here and he said, no you have to be here and so now they will be baptized the 2nd of August at 3:00 pm and his family is coming in from Trujillo for it. It will be a very special day for all.

Another very special thing happened yesterday. Last week Bishop called to talk about some things since we hadn´t gone to church. I was talking with him while H. Skirvin was resting and he told me that an elderly man had come to church and had asked if I was there. When I wasn´t there he asked the Bishop for our address and our wonderful Bishop said that he couldn´t give it to him, but that I should be here the next week. He cautioned me to be very careful. He was concerned because he looked like a man ¨from the street¨and just didn´t want anything bad to happen. I had a few people from Bellamar go through my head and the person that matched the description would have been puzzling. But I was right. I don´t know if you ever remember me talking about the Rebasa family, but Hermano Rebasa has been inactive forever. Hermana Lasike and I worked with him a lot and although he never reactivated, a very beautiful friendship developed with me and his little wife. We even started to work with his son and I received a small package with a letter and a note from Hermanas Lasike and Evans telling me that his son had reactivated. A very special moment for me. Anyway. Yesterday in church Hermano Rebasa came. He said he told me before I left Bellamar that he was going to come see me before I returned to the states and he couldn't fail his promise. So I was able to chat with him for a moment and he gave me a lot of chocolate. Nice. i got him to stay for sacrament meeting in the other ward with his granddaughter. I love that family and I was grateful to see him again.

I have read and re read the talk becoming perfect in Christ by Gerrit W. Gong of the seventy. I love it and I invite you to read it. It is a talk for young adults, but it is so relevant to all of us and the love Christ has for us.

I hope you´re all doing well. Be happy. Love life. Read your scriptures. Pray.

Love 

Hermana Butterfield 

July 21, 2014

This last week was pretty good. Tuesday we had to be a the bus terminal at 6:30 in the morning so we could see everyone off that was leaving Chimbote and take Hermana Taylor since she was sending her companion off. We went back to our area, ate breakfast, got ready and went back to the terminal to help all of the missionaries coming into Chimbote get to the  church building. Long morning but always good. Our zone leader also asked that I go buy poster board and stuff to make a happy birthday sign for President Marler. Did it. Didn`t turn out super awesome, but I did it. 

Our meetings that we normally have Tuesday were moved to Wednesday. When things get switched up the week always seems to go a bit differently which is pretty nice sometimes. 

Thursday morning we went to play soccer. We play soccer about 3 times every week which is really fun. It really helps my companion and to be honest it helps me a lot too even though she`s good at soccer and I`m terrible at it haha. It`s fun though and I`m improving a tinge. This last week, however, somehow collided with one of the young men that always comes to play. I hit the ground pretty hard and I'm a bit bruised up but I'm fine. Poor kid felt so bad and what do you do in situations like that? You try to make sure the person is okay and help them up but when he tried all the elders started yelling "Don`t touch her! What are you doing?!" Poor guy!

We had interchanges again. Always fun. I went this time with Hermana Childers to Chimbote Chimbote and Hermana Mathis stayed with Hermana Skirvin. it was a good thing. I always like working with the Hermana leaders. Hermana Childers is actually cousins with Chris Childers. remember him? She`s from Idaho Falls and we are in the same group haha

Then Saturday Hermana Skirvin wasn`t feeling super great and that night threw up twice and couldn`t keep anything down.  We went to the clinic Sunday morning instead of church and she got an iv.  She slept pretty much all day yesterday and the elders came to give her a blessing last night.  She`s doing better today. Not 100% but a bit better.

Times going kinda quick and I`m pretty excited to see you all. How long are you guys going to even be in Peru with me? One week? 

love you all.

love,

hermana butterfield

July 14, 2014

Well, it`s been another week. I survived changes and I will be ending here in Gedeon in Chimbote with Hermana Skirvin. This will be my fifth change in this ward making it the longest time I have in an area. Four changes in Los Jardines in Trujillo. Three changes in Bellamar in Chimbote. And now five in Gedeon. I`m happy to be ending here with so many people that I have come to love and consider family and close friends. I can`t quite believe I`m on my last change and I`m hoping that I can just finish off how I should.

Super bummer about changes -- Elder Cortez, our zone leader got changed to Trujillo. He finishes with me so he got changed on our last transfer. So sad. He`s definitely become a good friend and we have been saying since we got here four changes ago that we were going to ¨die¨ here in Chimbote Buenos Aires together. Nope. I will be the only one in this zone that finishes this change. Here come all of the trunky jokes straight to me....bah.

This week was actually really rough for me so I`m hoping that this next week can be better. One good thing that happened though is that Saturday morning we went to clean the church with Segundo Goicochea. He`s one of our investigators and he really wanted to help clean the church and let me tell you what, he understands the importance of where he worships. He and his inactive daughters took more care in cleaning our assigned area than our most active members all with enthusiasm and care. He`s a great guy. We`re going to try to work with he and his wife to get there date moved up.

Sunday was good. We had ward counsel like usual, but it ran over quite a bit because the first counselor of the stake presidency came and I`m hoping that the semi-training that he did will be beneficial. Our ward is really good, but the counsel lacks some umph in getting things done. Then we got permission from Hermana Editta to go have lunch at another family`s house. It was good...really oily, but it was good and I love the family so it was lovely. Just so you know, carbrito is not lamb like I always thought...it`s goat. I love goat. Who knew? I found out as of yesterday. hehe

"Many times we await instant solutions for difficulties, forgetting that frequently it`s necessary to put in practice the celestial virtue of patience." That might not be a direct quote, but it`s close. It`s something I have to remember and learn to put in practice more. It`s been the theme of this last week.

I love you all! It looks like you had a really fun, hot weekend. Save me some huckleberries please. I`d love some good pancakes or crepes when I get home.

Love,

Hermana Butterfield

P.S. That is definitely Heather`s child. She is beautiful.