July 15, 2013

Well hello all! I hope all is well in the great states!

So funny story, no one here can really pronounce my name...hardly ever. In sacrament meeting yesterday the first counselor announced that for the next week Hermana Bootuerfiel has the first talk and Hermana Villanueva has the second talk. Over the past couple of weeks Hermana Villanueva has been working with the members in how to say my name. In a chorus (of mainly the young men) of various members they said Hermana Buh der fild! So the counselor tried again...fail. So once again the almost in unison Hermana Buh der fild! It was hilarious. After a few aproaches he looked at me and asked if I understood and continued on. Hahah I almost died laughing.

This week we had interviews with President Marler. I really do enjoy interviews. We´re able to go to the offices and learn together and separately. We have our interviews where we can discuss concerns we have and get to know one another a bit better. President Marler truly is a great man. Very humble but very driven to do all he can to help the mission grow and the missionaries progress. 

This week was good. We are really starting to try and work with the members and the presidencies of the organizations in our ward. It´s really sad when you see a ward struggle. We´ve determined something. When there are members who aren´t active, it´s usually because of one of two things: they have done something that they are ashamed of and really only need to repent, or they have lost their faith because they have stopped doing the simple things - reading the scriptures, praying, and well, assisting church meetings.

These three things are one of my favorite things we teach to people. They are three things so simple in our lives, but so vital for our spiritual progress. When we pray, we know God. We can feel of His love for us and be guided. When we read the scriptures, we know Christ. We learn of His life and His teachings and how we can progress to be better. When we assist our church meetings and worthily fullfill our callings, we know the Holy Ghost. We are able to feel of His peace as we worthily partake of the Sacrament (which by the way has been on my mind a lot lately. For so much time I have taken for granted the blessing of the ability we have to partake of the Sacrament. I invite you to study this topic. To be honest, I felt terrible because I was so ignorant of what a blessing it is, but the beauty of the Gospel, WE CAN REPENT (: ) These three things are so easy, so simple, and I know when we remember to do these things, we are happier because through them we are able to recognize our true divinity.

We are working with a young man named Gustavo. He has accepted a baptismal date which is awesome! It´s really hard to meet with him to teach but he has a great faith. We need to teach him about the Word of Wisdom...sigh... 19 years old and every Saturday he enjoys his whiskey with his buddies. Shoot dang it! But, we have faith that if he can learn about the word of wisdom, he´ll be fine. He has such great potential in his life and there are such profound blessings we recieve when we comply with this commandment.

hmmm...ok another funny story. So when we are in the offices for interviews, we get to play games as a zone with the assistants and Sister Marler. One of the games we played was just so stinkin hilarious. I will try to explain...It´s kind of like Big Booty, but in spanish. It starts with the King and he says, the king wants to marry the queen . The queen says, the queen? And he says, then with who? and she says the name of one of the other players who is a number. No one wants to marry the King and the whole time you´re trying to confuse one another because if they mess up they get sent to the last seat and the goal is to be king. Well at one point Elder Hales was the King and I was the queen. This lasted for about 3 or 4 rounds. Elder Chacon was pestering Elder Hales not to let it get him truky talking about marriage. It was really funny. I will have to teach you the game someday...brace yourselves, it´s in Spanish haha.

Well, I love you all so much! Keep being good, keep being strong, and continue to spend time with one another. All we have is our agency and our time, and let´s be honest, there´s nothing I´d rather choose than my family. 

Hermana Butterfield

July 8, 2013

Happy fourth of July! It sounds like you all had a blast! I love hearing about your adventures and the times that you have to grow closer one with another. There`s a quote that I love that`s something like this -- we have two things in this life. Time and agency. -- I'm learning that how we spend our time is so important. I regret not spending the time I should have with you all. At times we lose focus as to what is most important in this life and I know for a fact now that first is our Father in Heaven and our families. We can spend time doing other things, but if it`s not with our family or something that is bettering our ability to feel love and peace for one another, it`s just not worth it.

This week went fast! We had our first multi-zone with President Marler and his wife on Tuesday. They are very special people. I can tell that they are going to help us work miracles in our mission. I loved something that President Marler said. He said something to the effect of that we aren`t going to focus on baptisms anymore. Our focus is the temple. How true it is. So often I am learning that yeah we can have baptisms, but ultimately if the goal isn`t the temple, they aren`t going to stick with the Gospel. It`s hard, but it`s the truth. I try so hard to picture the people we teach dressed in white and having the opportunity to be with their families forever. What a blessing to be able to share that with them.

We have a couple of new investigators this week. One in particular is a family. The mother, Luz, and her children Juli and Kevin. Juli`s husband was an old investigator we found in our binder. We actually went to look for him to see if we could work with him again -- everyone has their own time. But we encountered Luz. We have taught them about prayed and the importance of this commandment. We invited them to pray together as a family everyday to receive the promised blessings (3 Nephi 19-21). We saw Kevin (15) the next day while walking and asked him if they had done it. He said they had and that they felt really good when they did so. BAH! I am anxious to visit with them again and teach them more. They seem very open to the Gospel and I`m praying that they will be able to observe the Sabbath...it`s going to be a struggle, but I have faith that it will happen.

Saturday was a rough day. We literally had nothing other than contacts. My companion and I we both tired, we were cold, and we were rather discouraged to be completely honest. We were standing in front of a house that we had an appointment that had once again fallen through. We were talking and I was thinking about a quote that Hermana Villanueva had shared with me by President Hinckley that talks about how when life is hard we need to look through the clouds to find the sun. I was thinking about this quote when Hermana Villanueva stopped and recounted the same quote. Literally in that moment the sun peaked out from behind the clouds and for about 5-10 minutes we felt the sunshine. To be honest we didn´t have anything happen the remainder of the day, no lessons, no refrences, and lots of appointments that fell through, but we had felt the hand of the Lord in that small moment and we felt the love of our Savior. 

I invite and encourage you all to search for the sun through the clouds. At times it`s difficult, but their is always something to be happy about, something to find joy in. Many times it`s a small and simple thing, but that`s where we find joy. 

I also have been thinking about obedience a lot lately. There`s a promise in DyC 82:8-10 in cooralation with obedience. In Alma 10:5-6 (I think) I was thinking about how often we forfeit the blessings of the Lord because we simply don`t want to be obedient to His commandments. Let`s not forfeit our blessings by thinking we know better than God. I promise you as well, that as you strive to be obedient to his commands you will recieve strength and the ability to be better.

I love you all so much! I hope you know you are in my prayers and how grateful I am to you for your examples to me.

W

ith all my love,

Hermana Butterfield

July 1, 2013

Can you believe it´s July already? I feel like yesterday was June 1st! Time is flying. I love hearing about your lives! It sounds like things are going great. You are all in my prayers and I think of you often.

Well, this week was pretty great. In our goals we were kind of low, but it was better than last week. My companion is awesome and our ward is starting to get motivated. It helps when they have confidence in the missionaries.

This week we had a service project as a mission. We went to Central (a place in our mission) and went to a place that I think is like for the Government and had a meeting with the Mayor of Acaldi. He presented President Turk with a certificate and metal of some sort. The church is a friend to the people here. It was a really cool experience. We sang our national anthem and then the national anthem of Peru. At the end of their anthem it says ¨The God of Jacob¨. I thought that was really cool. Then we went to our assigned areas and swept the streets. It was long and for the first time in a week the sun came out so it actually got hot...not as hot as you´re experiencing though. 

We taught a young lady named Marcia one day this week. It was an interesting experience. She´s 20 and has received part of the lessons before...like a year ago I think. She believes the Book of Mormon is true and I honestly believe she´d be baptised, but her family is very catholic (like everyone else here) and she is afraid that they will (I think) disown her. She loves her family clearly, and doesn´t want to hurt them. We will teach her again this week. Please pray for her strength. 

Another cool experience: New President of the mission! He got here on Saturday. Saturday we were out tracting when we got a call from Elder Castillo -- assistant to the President. He asked when our ward met -- 8:00. "President Marler would like to meet with you and your companion before your meetings!" We got to meet him and his wife and they assisted our Sacrament meeting!!! We are the first missionaries to get to know him. So cool. He and his wife are very humble and just such great people. I can tell they are going to be great leaders.

Well, I love you! I hope you´re doing great. I pray for you often.

Love Hermana Butterfield

I read Alma chapter 5 -- very humbling experience but then I read chapter 8. I invite you all to do the same. Also 1 John 4:6-9 and 16-21

June 24, 2013

Hola familia!

What a week! New companion, WOW! Amazing. Seriously spectacular! Her name is Hermana Villanueve and she´s from Lima. She´s 22 and has been in the mission for 7 months. It´s hard because I feel like I´m being completely retrained in so many ways, but it´s a good thing. She is so strong and works through the Spirit. Nothing is really rote (which is difficult at times since I don´t know what to say a lot of times), but the people we teach are able to feel the Spirit which is more important.

We had the baptism for Melanie on Saturday! Wahoo! It was great because her family was there and everything was well organized (it helps when the Bishop and leaders have confidence and trust the missionaries). It was really special because Hna Diaz worked with Melanie for 7 months and it finally happened. Melanie seemed so happy and we are going to continue to work with her to help her grow and continue in the faith.

We watched the broadcast last night with all of the mission and the Turks said their goodbyes and bore their testimonies. Blech! So hard. The broadcast was rough because it was in Spanish so really there was a lot I didn´t get, but one thing that I thought a lot about was how we have a loving Heavenly Father who loves us, always. We have a brother who is the ultimate example of how to live, because he always taught and lived with love. Therefore, if we want to live effectively, if we want to become like them, we HAVE TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER! It is essential. There is no other way to live righteously. It will be so hard to have the Turks leave, however, they have been here for three years and their time is over. They have been a solid rock in this mission and will be greatly missed. We are anxious and excited to meet President Marler and his wife soon. Please pray for them that they can feel peace as they transition into a very rough call.

Something I´ve been thinking about a lot over the last few weeks are the birds here. I´m a little torn. Let me explain why:

On one hand, they are very religious creatures. Very close with God. A woman we were teaching one day said something I loved. That the birds are always praying, always! Always singing and praising the Lord. I loved that. I want to be like that.

On the other hand, the birds here are also a  little confused as to their nature. At times I think they´ve forgotten their grand gift of flight. They scuttle around, bound to the streets and sidewalks. The only time I see them fly is when danger is too close. Often times when danger draws near they simply scuttle into a bush. It´s not unless the danger is fatal that they fly. I´ve thought a lot about how as humans we forget our nature. How we stay so close to the world when we could be flying. It´s not until we have trials in our lives that really test us or really hurt us that we turn to the heavens. I fear that one day these little birds are going to forget where they are able to turn -- just as I have witnessed in my own life at times that I forget where I can turn. Let´s never forget our nature and that we are able to do so much more, we just have to turn in the right direction.

Also I have been loving studying the family the last couple of days. The family is key to our salvation. Hna Villanueva said something I loved the other day. We can do a lot to strengthen ward members, but if we don´t strengthen the family there is a problem. We won´t live with our ward members forever, we will be with our families forever. Bah! I loved that. Let´s please try always to strengthen our family. Pray together often, read together, eat together, play together, work together. BE TOGETHER!

I love you! Be strong. Love always. Remember your nature.

Love Hermana Butterfield

June 17, 2013

Happy Father´s Day to all the Dads in my life! I love you all so much! Well, it´s been a week already! Time just seems to be flying! Let´s see, what´s been going on...

I have been studying faith a lot recently, it just seems to be the focus of my thoughts. Faith is truly the basis of everything we do. If we don´t have faith it´s impossible to do much of anything. I was reading in Hebrews Chapter 11 and I loved it. I invite you all to read it as well.

We have cambios this week. We found out last night that Hermana Diaz will be changing and leaving to a different area. It´s rather sad and I´ll be honest, I´m quite scared. She has been in our area for 8 months and knows it and the people like the back of her hand. I have 2 months here and...well yeah I couldn´t tell you much.  It´s so hard because everyone has 3 plus names and they say it so fast I can never really catch it. And the addresses are even worse to learn haha...oh dear. Elder Cook said that my new companion is awesome and probably one of the very best sister missionaries in our mission...no pressure.

Elder Espinal, our District Leader finished his mission today. So sad. He was an awesome missionary for sure.

So some good news, we finally got permission from Melani´s parents for her to be baptized! We´re planning on it for this Saturday! Hermana Diaz is really struggling because she has worked with Melani from the beginning for 7 months and now that we finally have permission she is being changed. It´s really sad, but I´m trying to stay optimistic...I can´t even imagine how she must feel. 

We also have started teaching a young man named Gustavo. We´ve met with him twice and he came to church on Sunday. Progressing investigator finally! He doesn´t have a strong belief in God, however, he wants to learn more. He also said he´d be baptized if he feels it´s true. Lot´s of prayers, please?

Also, happy moment yesterday, Santiago, the young man that was baptized when I first got here passed the Sacrament yesterday! It was such a cool feeling to see him practice his Priesthood. He is awesome and always enthusiastic to learn more about the Gospel and help.

This week we did intercambios and I went to the Zone Primavera with Hermana Bedoya and Hermana Arancibia (they are both in my district). We were talking with a woman that they know at her tienda when the woman reached into her shirt and pulled out a baby duck. What the heck?! Yes a baby duck, living, wrapped in what looked like a stretched out cotton ball. My guess is she was trying to just keep it warm since it´s been so cold. I laughed a lot after we left. Just so bizarre and I wasn´t expecting it at all.

Also, while in Primavera we helped Elders Cook and Hales set up for a mass wedding. It´s cheaper for the people to do mass weddings so their were 4 couples married on Saturday. Way cool.

We are trying to work hard always and trying to do what we can to strengthen our area. It will definitely be a change with a new companion so please pray that we can work well together and that I know enough about my area that I don´t ruin everything...haha...but really.

I love you all so much. Keep being good, keep being strong, and remember your covenants.

Love,

Hermana Butterfield

Faith without works is dead and works without faith is pointless!

June 10, 2013

For our last P-day we were able to go to Huanchaco. It´s an area in our zone that has a beach. It was beautiful.  We really can´t spend time on the beach, but it was beautiful to look at. We ate lunch in the house of their pensionista and then went to the beachfront church and watched Cars 2.

We are hoping to get permission this week from the parents of one of our investigators that we´ve been working with for quite a while. Lots of prayers, please! We are constantly contacting and searching for new investigators. I know the Lord is and will continue to bless us as we work hard and have faith in His works.

The Book of Mormon is so true. When we know this it´s easy to have a testimony of Joseph Smith as a prophet of the Lord. We are so blessed to have this truth that was written for us in our times. I feel the love of the Lord through it´s words and as we strive to live how the Lord wants us to, we receive blessings that we don´t realize.

 Continue to be amazing!  Love Hermana Bug

June 3, 2013

So some funny stories for you...mainly to do with my inability to pronounce certain words at times. These stories can go in my book of embarrassing moments like the rest of my life (:

So when you´re hungry you say yo tengo hambre -- I have hunger, right? the word for man is hombre. One day I accidentally said, yo tengo hombre...yeah, I have a man...obviously. Then, I was telling the family we pension with when my birthday was. August 29. But instead of Augosto, I said Augusto. The husband, Freddy, asked, who is Augusto? Hermana Jessica yelled, He´s her Hombre! They tease me about him a lot. But he came in handy the other day after one of our lessons when one of our new investigators (who is 63) asked if I had a boyfriend or was engaged because, well, he wants a wife (yeah no thanks). My companion said yes she is engaged to Augusto, he´s 29 and lives in the United States and is waiting for me. So if you all meet an Augusto who is 29...let me know, because I´m engaged to him and he hasn´t written yet (; haha oh my life.

Anyway, things are going well here. From enjoying all of the dogs in the streets and their little flea friends, to helping a lady pick avocados from her tree, Peru is always an adventure!

It´s been really cool to see Santiago (the first youth that was baptised while I was here) grow and get involved in his quorum. It´s really great to see how when you have people receive and magnify their callings how they bless lives. His Quorum leader has really taken an interest in their quorum and there is such a great unity now with the young men and they are embracing Santiago so well. He wants to start joining us in lessons which is awesome!

I am definitely learning that faith is a choice and not something that simply comes. It takes work, but it is worth it. Well my time is short today, but I love you all so much and for your examples to me. Thank you for everything you do and for who you are. You have made me who I am (the good parts at least)

Con amor,  Hermana Butterfield