Example and Testimony

Sometimes its just by our examples that someone will be converted to the gospel and also by bearing our testimonies. Everyone has a testimony of Christ or they wouldn't be on Earth. It is our job to bare our testimonies and help them recall some feeling they have had in the past (pre-mortal life). I was thinking of Sam. Even though his big brother Nephi was the one talked about alot Sam was just as righteous.

Well my week has been pretty eventful. Elder Birrell left this week which was really hard and I think about him alot. He really taught me alot but I need to take what I have learned and just move on. My new companion is Elder John Andrew Cline II. He is from West Jordan, Utah. He has been out 6 months, so it is a great feeling knowing that he wont be leaving me!! He is the oldest of three. He has a 17 year old brother and 7 year old sister. He is really awesome. I love him already. He is really into music and plays the piano so we have been having alot of fun with that. He is the Senior Companion and I am the Junior. It has been a bit wierd leading the area just because I know it. Its surprising how the Lord helps me out with the area. I have been sick with the flu this week so we have been home a couple days this week but I am better now almost. We set a baptismal date with Astevia, Kim and Katherine for April 24th. We are really excited about that. They asked if they could pray about it but didn't find a problem with the date. We told them they should pray about it. I am really excited for them. We dropped James this week. It made my heart sad and it was really hard. His mother told us that he didn't want to meet with us and that he wasn't going to join our church. It was really sad. We have 2 new investigators though. It is a real adventure teaching them. They like to talk alot but we got in a lesson and the spirit was felt. I really love our ward so much. They are so great!!!! Well that was pretty much my week. We have interviews with the president coming up next week and we have a temple trip on April 14 which I am really excited about. Well know that I love you all and pray for each one of you!!! I know the Church is true and it was restored by a Prophet that was Called of God. I know that this week is going to be great because we get to hear from our General Authorities. I am way stoked about it. I love my Savior Jesus Christ and know that he suffered for me. Keep on doing what your doing and remember to take the time to read your scriptures and talk with your Heavenly Father Daily.

Love Elder Butler

Thoughts of Home

I have been thinking alot about home this week! I really do miss it sometimes but I am trying not to focus to much on it. It has been a really tough week this week. Elder Birrell leaves for transfer meeting tommorow where he will be going home on Wednesday. I have really seen him grow this past little bit and have noticed how strong his testimony is. It has been a bit hard though because he has become "trunkie!" I love him though. We have been talking alot about home though. But I passed off another lesson with him this week and will be passing off another one before he leaves tommorow with him. I have had to memorize so many scriptures but have truly loved doing it. This week has been pretty good though. We have been tracting alot and having little success but its been good trying to find people. I had the opportunity to go on exchanges with the Zone Leaders this week and take over our area. I know the area better than I thought which gives me comfort. I need to stop stressing out about alot of things but put all that energy that goes into stressing, into the Lord. We haven't really had much sucess teaching our investigators but we have been using the Book of Mormon in our teaching more. There has been a drastic difference when we have used The Book of Mormon. It is tangible evidence that our Church is true, without it we would just be another Church. I have made some new goals for this new transfer that will help me stretch and grow. I am excited to get a new companion as well even though it will be different I am really excited. Elder Farrer, who is serving in Cammeron and is in our district, is being transferred as well. So half of our District will be new. My new companion will be the District Leader so that will be good! Things have been going really good here though. It has definately been a real growing experience for me thats for sure. I can see myself changing to what the Lord wants me to be. We had Stake Conference this weekend which was great. We had a broadcast from Salt Lake. Elder Sitati, Sister Thompson and President Packer spoke. It was really great. I love how the spirit works. Its not only a comforter but it also is a corrector. It has chastized me so many times this week which means that I have alot of changing but that the Lord cares enough about me to push me in the right direction. I also have the FLU!!!! It has been terrible but I have been trying to work as much as I can. Its getting worse but I know and have faith that if I keep working hard the Lord will help me. I hate being sick but it happens. It has started to get really beautiful here. It got up to 90 the other day. Man its going to be a hot summer. Well I am glad to hear that everything is going well. I hope you know that I love you all and am so proud of each one of you. May the Lord bless you as you continue to do those daily things to bring you closer to him. Like it says in the Book of Mormon Introduction: "A man/women will grow closer to God if he reads the Book of Mormon"

Love Elder Butler

Working out Salvation

Well my week has been pretty good. We went golfing again on Monday so it was pretty fun. I am getting better at it but its a hard sport. So this past week Astevia, Kim and Katherine have been sick so we haven't been able to teach them at all which has been a real bummer! We have been doing alot of tracting but haven't had anyone be responsive about our message. I had the opportunity to sing in Church on Sunday and it went really well. I messed up a bit but thats ok. The spirit was definitely there testifying of the message I was singing about. Elder Birrell was asked to speak for a bit on the Sunday morning. He did a wonderful job for being asked right on the spot. He has really been converted to the gospel through this experience being a missionary. "A testimony is what we know and feel but conversion is what we do and become." We have been meeting with Brother Leech again but he leaves again this Friday for a month of training. He is "becoming" and I really love him so much. I dont know why but I feel a special connection with him! Elder Birrell has been letting me do alot of things, like plan what were doing, weekly planning, phoning everybody, passing off the lessons, just getting ready for him to leave. Its crazy that he only has 7 days left. It seems like I just got here yesterday. We have stake conference this weekend which will be awesome. Its starting to get really warm outside. I was on exchanges yesterday and we biked 20 miles. It was a good bike ride. We got to see Mrs. Torrez. She is a minister at another Church but has come to Relief Society and felt a spirit there that she loved. So we will continue trying to get ahold of her. We are going to try and be setting dates this week if the spirit prompts us to. I am still trying to learn the lessons better. I am starting to get comfortable with teaching people. I am starting to know what the spirit is and how it feels and how I can recognize it. I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!!!! It is truly helping me change to become a better follower/disciple of Christ. Well this week is going to be really wierd for me but I am going to try my best to focus and help Elder Birrell focus. He is so great and I love him so much. We have been trying to share the first vision as much as we can because there is a special spirit when a missionary shares that first vision. I have almost got it down but the spirit is still strong even though i don't say it word for word but I'm working at it. I have also been trying to memorize a scripture for each principle of every lesson. I will be passing of Lesson 2 and 4 this week and then I will be done passing them off!!! Well things are going really well here. I am glad things are going good at home! I love you all so much and if there is anything I can ever do for you let me know.
Love Elder Butler

P.S. - What is Nicholas Perona's MTC Address or where can I write him?!?!?!?And could you possibly find out Patrick Laing's new address as well!!! Oh sorry, and is anybody gettting married???? I have heard of a few already but just curious!

Small and Simple

What a week! We have been trying to Obey with Exactness this week which has really helped us both grow towards our Savior and feel a bigger portion of the spirit to be with us. I feel the added strength by getting up on time and going to bed on time even though I haven't been able to get as much done. I have found becoming one of the hardest parts but I have loved every minute of it.

When we do small and simple things like reading our scriptures and praying we show the Lord that we love him and have faith in him. We also show Him that we can handle the small things and he will instill us with bigger things.
It talks alot in the scriptures how our faith needs to be like the faith of little children. I have been trying to have that faith of a little Child. I have found out this week that faith even though we may think its such a simple principle, it really is difficult to define and describe. It says in Alma 32 that faith is a hope for things which are not seen but are true. It is comforting to know that even though we can't see things like Chirst or his ministry that they are ALL TRUE! I have really taking a liking to studying the scriptures. Yesterday we were at a members house for lunch and they have a son that is less active. There son is planning to be famous with his music. He had a friend doing his photograph for his website come from Utah for the weekend. Well Doug ( the less active) came to church with his friend for the first time in 6 months. It was great to see him there. Well anyways his friend is trying to become an institute teacher and is very intelligent towards the gospel. I want to become that way sometime. I know its all about becoming. There was a quote that I really liked. A Testimony is knowing and feeling but true conversions is about doing and becoming (Elder Oaks) Isn't that such a true statement. We are all on different stages of our conversion and I want to become so bad but I know that I am nothing without the Lord (Alma 26) It has really put myself in my place reading Alma 26. I need the Lord to do HIS work. If I dont have his spirit I WONT be able to do his work the way HE wants it to be done. I have been trying to be really positive to myself this week but I have found that this is my weakness but the Lord will show us our weakness that through him they might become our strengths (Ether 12:27) I am so grateful for the gospel and all that I'm learning. I want to become so bad but I need to realize that it will take time and I need to be patient and dililgent!
Well our investigators are doing really good. We tried to set a date with Astevia, Kim and Katherine but they said they weren't ready yet. They are still waiting for that big answer that they wont get. We are going to try to explain to them again that the peace they are feeling is their answer. That they need to show faith by acting on that answer and be baptized by the proper authority. We have been doing alot of finding activities this week. Its been really hard being slammed on alot but it will be totally worth it. We will find those souls who are really prepared and elite and want the gospel in their homes. Elder Birrell is leaving in two weeks which has made my stress levels go up but its all about becoming and I need to just trust in the Lord for he will deliver me. I'm prettty sure that I'm going to have a follow-up trainer but we will see... Well things are going good here in North Carolina. It's crazy to think that I will have been out for three months and even crazier to think that when Elder Birrell leaves I will have been out the same amount of time as Nauvoo. I am so grateful for each one of you. I love you all and keep you in my prayers.

Love Elder Butler

D&C 121:43

This week has been really good. I got really chastized on Wednesday from President! He was really disappointed in me for not gettting up on time and not going to bed but he told me that it needed to stop and I needed to change and repent for what I had done. He really loves me and its so great to feel that love. I have had that desire to become more obedient and see that the Lord helps me out when I have that desire. Ever since I have talked to him I have been getting up on time and going to bed on time. What a joy it brings when I am obeying with exactness. I hope to continue to do so becuase I want those blessings and I want to serve the Lord in the best way I can. We have been meeting with Astevia and her family weekly for a while. We are going to set a date on Thursday with them which I am really excited about. Things are starting to wind down for Elder Birrell but he is still going strong. I love him so much and am so grateful for him. We have been trying to do alot of finding but no luck has occured. We are trying to get our members involved as well in missionary work but it is a slow process. We are trying to find new investigators but there has been no luck. The Lord will help us if we continue to do his will and continue to be obedient. Well I am going to be singing in church on the 14 because Elder Birrell phoned the music coordinator to get me to sing before he goes home. So I think I am going to be singing "Come Thou Fount" from the Reflections of Christ CD, but we will see. Things are going really good here though. I am learning alot about the gospel and about myself and am excited to continue to keep on learning. I am going to really try and treasure these last few weeks with Elder Birrell. I really love him so much and we have become really awesome friends. I am worried about my next companion but I know that he is going to be my companion becuase the Lord wants us to be. I am excited for whatever is thrown at me.