Short and Sweet

Family,

Well this email probably won't be very long at all because we are doing a Zone Preparation Day! I just wanted to let you know how much I love y'all! Thank you for all the prayers and all the love you send my way. I feel it daily. I am so grateful to have such a great family. I felt the spirit a lot on the phone last night. Thank yall for being there and sharing great stories. It makes me smile a lot. I know that gopsel is true. I know that Jesus is the Christ. I know that we can be forgiven of our sins through His Atonement. I know that Joseph Smith was the Prophet of the Restoration. I know that he was given all the power and keys to restore the kingdom of God upon the Earth again. I know that He calls prophets today. I know that Thomas S. Monson is our Living Prophet today. I know that the Book of Mormon is true. I know that it will bring us closer to God. I know that it teaches us the higer law. I know that we will live as a family forever. I am so grateful for yall. I hope yall have a great week.

Love Elder Butler

Elder Richard G. Scott: The Importance of Covenants

What a crazy weekend. It has been great though. Sorry we are emailing late again. Our library is always packed and so it is hard to ever get emailing done on Monday. So things are going great hear though. Being in a three man is a lot of fun. We are always laughing! There is literally never a dull moment. It has been a bit hard to juggle 3 wards but it makes for a lot of work. I am so grateful for your prayers. Thank you so much for always keeping me in mind. I can feel it a lot!

Well this week has been a real interesting week to say the least. It is interesting how the Lord is in all of it though. I am so grateful for the power of the Atonement in our lives. I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to re-evaluate everything in my life and make sure that everything was in order. I am so grateful for the opportunity the Savior gives me each day. I am grateful for the decision Elder Bartlett made. I hope that he will have a transformation as he uses the Atonement in his life. Its amazing how much love that the Savior has for each one of us. It was a really neat opportunity for me to feel at moments, the love the Savior has for those in my District. I really am grateful for the opportunity I have to serve in this capacity. I am growing and learning so much from these great Elders and Sisters in my District. Miracles are happening as our faith is increasing.

Well it definitely was a very revelatory experience listening to Elder Richard G. Scott this past weekend. I am so grateful that the Lord has restored his kingdom upon the Earth once more. I know that the Apostles are truly called of God and hold that Authority to act in His name and Special Witnesses. It was really neat for me to see the powerful testimony which he held. It was really neat to see how Apostles continue to grow as we do. I am grateful for the opportunity that I had to learn. I am so grateful for the Spirit that accompanied the meeting. Something that I learned that was pretty profound, was the importance of Covenants. It was really funny to me how he was talking about marriage so much but I soon understood that it wasn't about marriage it was about that Saving covenant that we make with our Heavenly Father. I am so grateful for Coventants. I am so grateful that our Heavenly Father gives us power to keep his commandments. We just need the desire. Something else that I learned was that I need to be more dignified in my language. It really is all about Character and Integrity. I also learned that I need to "Forget Myself!!!" I can always do better on this. I am so grateful that Heavenly Father gave me the opportunity to sit at the Feet of His Servent. What a blessing it was. I will never forget the feelings I felt.

So working between both areas has been really interesting. It has been a real challenge but we can see the Lord working in all the plans we are making. I am so grateful that it is His work and not mine. I would have no clue what I would do. Through this experience, I have come to be more grateful for the nightly planning session. If we don't plan well then we have no clue what were going to do. I am so grateful that we have the spirit as our tool.

I am very grateful for my companions. Elder Johnson is such a great missionary. He is so spiritually guided and always says what the spirit wants him to say. I am so grateful for his great example. He corrects me often and I am so grateful that he loves me enough to do so. I love him very much and am grateful to be his companion. I am so grateful for Elder VanDeren. What a great missionary. He is always making me laugh. He isn't worried about plans changing because that is what the Lord wants. He is always ready to go where the spirit wants him to go. He has a powerful testimony of the Savior as well which radiates as he shares it. I can tell that he truly loves the Book of Mormon. The Lord has really blessed me with great companions. I am so grateful for the opportunity that I have to learn from such great servants of Him.

I am so very grateful for my testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is really interesting to me how much it has grown just being in this area. I know why the Lord has put me here. I am so grateful for the inspiration that you receive. I have truly grown closer to my Savior while I have been here. Talking to some of the Seminary students has really helped my understanding of "who He is really?" I am so grateful for the Gift of the Holy Ghost. I am so grateful for the opportunity I have to be a part of this work. I am so grateful for the inspiration I receive on behalf of this area. I am just so very blessed to be a Child of God!

I Love the Temple!

So I am sure that you are wondering why I haven't emailed yet. Its already Friday!!! Well lets just say this week has been absolutely crazy. So our Preparation day got moved to Wednesday because we went to the temple. I am so grateful for that wonderful place. I love the temple. I felt so peaceful there as I went. I learned a lot and am so grateful the house of the Lord is upon the Earth. I wish I could go more but I know that my work is among the living. So we tried emailing on that day but there wasn't any open computers. So we tried emailing yesterday so same thing. So we are emailing today in Zebulon. Know you might ask the question "why are you emailing in Zebulon?" Well lets just say we are now covering Zebulon as well as Wake Forest 1st and 2nd. Elder VanDeren's companion went home this morning. So we are now in a threesome covering 3 wards for the next 2 and a half weeks. Its going to be really interesting. It has been a really hard week for me this week being his District Leader and seeing Elder VanDeren's companion go home. It reminded me of when Elder Jones went home. It was pretty hard for me and I know it has been pretty hard for Elder VanDeren. So these next couple of weeks are going to be really interesting. I know this is the Lord's will and we will do it his way. I have faith that everything will be alright. On top of that the Sisters are going into a threesome as well. So its been quite and adventure this week. Really has tested my faith, but been great. I love my District so much. They are such great missionaries.

I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father that things are going well at home. Well I am sorry that this email is short but we have a lot of things to do today. We are having an open mic night at a coffee shop tonight. A lot of non members are coming. We are really excited about it. Then tomorrow we get to sit at the feel of an Apostle, Elder Richard G. Scott. I am really excited.

So this past week was a very great week for us. We have really seen a lot of a miracles as our faith has been increased in the Savior. This is His work so when we put our trust in Him He is able to bring forth those miracles. It has been really neat for us to see our faith increase. I am so grateful for the opportunity to study each week for District Meetings because it really helps me learn a lot. I am so grateful for the District that I have. I love them all so much. They are such great missionaries who have a lot of faith. I learn so much from their examples.

So this week we found three new investigators as we focused our thoughts on the goals that we have set. It was interesting to Elder Johnson and I how Preach My Gospel says "Set goals and make plans for...!" Well we did that this past week and saw a huge difference. It was awesome. We reached our new investigator goal. We are so thankful for that. We tried to make sure that we always had our purpose in mind.

We are starting to teach this new part member family. The wife is a member and just started coming back to Church and she just got married in November to her husband who is not a member. They are so wonderful. I am so excited to start teaching him. He has already committed to reading and praying about the Book of Mormon. I really like him a lot. He is a great man. He has a lot of the same beliefs we have so I know that the Lord has prepared him. His wife, Sister Alford, is doing a great job at teaching him about the gospel. He is genuinely interested in learning more about it.

We started meeting with this lady who is wonderful. Her name is Donna Wynne. Her parents are elderly, like 89 and 90 and she comes from California and stays here for an extended period of time. Well we asked if we could start sharing the message of the gospel with her. She agreed. We had two lessons with her that week and invited her to be baptized and she said she would be baptized if she found out it was true. She loves to read and is really excited about reading the Book of Mormon. She has had some really great spiritual experiences already which have prepared her to meet with us. So we are really excited to meet with her.

We also started meeting with Aaron Lumpkin. He is a student at the Seminary. He requested a Book of Mormon and met with us. He is a really nice guy. He just got married last year and is expecting a child. He really wants to know if what he is taking in school is true. He wants to find out if what we are teaching is true as well. He said that he would read and pray about the Book of Mormon. So we will see how that goes. There is something different about him than all the other Seminary students we have talked to.

I am so grateful for these wards that I serve in. They are so great. I love the members. They have great spirits about them and are always trying to share the gospel. I am so grateful for my companion. He is so smart and teaches by the spirit. I am grateful to be a missionary. I am grateful for the opportunity I had to the temple. What a blessing it is to do work for the dead. What a blessing it is to feel a sense of peace from all the chaos that goes on in the world.

Well I hope you know that I love y'all. Thanks for the package. It was great. I was wondering... don't worry I wont burn down the house boiling water again.... if you could look through my stuff and find my black hymn book and send it to me. I gave mine away this past week to Blake Larson. He is inactive but really felt the spirit while he was singing it with us and Brother Larson. I was also wondering if at all possible you could send me a bit of cash. I had to buy some new luggage since mine was falling apart because of the airlines and I had to buy a few other things. My clothes are starting to look really bad so I have had to replace some of that. So if you could that would be great. Hope you know that I love you and am so grateful for all you do for me. Have a great week!!!

Love Elder Butler

Tornado Aftermath

Well I am sure you are wondering what happened this past weekend. Well you don't have to worry. I am doing good. So are all the missionaries in our mission. We got hit with 62 tornados this past weekend. The weather was pretty crazy. I have never seen so much rain, wind and hail in my life. We went to the Church and just hung out there until the storm calmed down. The Tornado that was by us hit only 5 miles away. A lot of the missionaries are helping with clean up. Wake Forest didn't get hit that bad but the surrounding areas got hit really bad. I hear that Pinehurst and Goldsboro got hit really bad so I have been praying a lot for those areas. It is amazing how the Church is always there to provide service to the surrounding communities. We have quorums that are going to be helping all week to help some of the people that really got affected. It was pretty crazy. Never thought I would be apart of that. It was a real blessing to us. The Lord really does bless his missionaries.

We had a great Zone Conference this past week. It was our Activity Zone Conference. We made some pretty cool t-shirts. It was alot of fun. Well at the Zone Conference we found out there we are seeing.......wait for it........ RICHARD G SCOTT!!!! He is coming for a Stake Conference in Kinsten so we are having a three hour meeting with him. I am really exctied. We will be seeing him on April 30. So I will let you know how that goes. President Scott (Temple President of the Raleigh Temple) had something to do with that.

This week has been a really great week. I have learned a lot about myself and how I can improve on my teaching. I am so grateful for the gospel in my life. I am so grateful to have Zone Conferences that motivate and inspire. I am so grateful for the spirit who teaches me daily. I know that the topic at Zone Conference was inspired. I learned a lot about prayer and the importance of it. I am so grateful for my companion Elder Johnson. He is such a great missionary. I continue to stand all amazed at the things he does and says. I am so grateful that Heavenly Father put us together. I am really learning a lot from him. He really is a very great missionary. I am grateful for the opportuninty that I have had this past week to partake of the Sacrament. I am grateful for the speakers who are inspired to speak and help us and our investigators grow. I am so grateful for the support the ward gives to our investigators. They really make them feel included and help them feel loved.

We had a lesson with Brother Wellborn this week. He really has nothing against being baptized but dropped the date the we set with him. He said he was going to be out of town but we couldn't set another date with him. We know that its just a smoke screen. We know that he wants to talk to other people. He is worried that being a member of the Church is going to completely change him. Make him not be the same person. So a member invited him over for dinner and he got invited to a family home evening to see that we are all normal. So we are really excited about that. I know that he is prepared. I know that he understands the importance of baptism. I hope that we will be able to help him into the waters of baptism and help him truly become converted to the gospel.

We have been having a lot of run ins with students in the seminary. It has really tried our faith but helped us grow a lot. We met with a couple of guys who tracted into us and wanted to meet with us. We went to the Church and gave them a mini tour of the church and asked them what their purpose was with meeting with us. We feel like one of them is prepared to hear the gospel just not at this time. He is getting sent to Salt Lake City, Utah. He feels thats where the Lord wants him to go. The Lord really does work in mysterious ways.

We also met with Brother Trubilla this week. He is doing great. I love him so much. He has truly been converted to the gospel. He is sharing the gospel left right and center. He is going to be giving two copies of the Book of Mormon to his parents and then a copy to his neighbor. We know that he has truly been converted and its because of the power of the Book of Mormon.

Well I am really excited about this next week. We have made some great goals that we feel have been lead by they spirit. We are trying some new ways to plan this week to try and make sure that the spirit is present and makes our plans instead of us making the plans. It cannot be some other way. We also had a really great weekly planning this week. I am so grateful for the time we have to prepare. Preparation is very important.

Well I hope y'all have a great week. Know that I love y'all so much. Keep up the great work and thank you for all the prayers in my behalf.

Love Elder Butler

I Finally Have Put a Hole In My Shoes!!

Well this week has been a really hard week for me. I ended up being really sick from about Wednesday night to yesterday. It was really hard not being able to work. But I took the opportunity to do alot of praying, studying, making sure everything is up to date with our area books and making appointments with those that we have been trying to see. It really has been a different pace being sick. We are always going going going which is good but the Lord definitely helped me learn something. I learned the importance of the Priesthood. I know as we rely on the Priesthood power and have faith in the Savior we can be healed. I also learned a lot about a ward family and the importance of being apart of that family. Everyone was so worried about me and made sure that I was comfortable and got me what I needed to get better. It was surely an amazing experience for me. I learned also to prioritize things as well. I learned that patience is key and that we need to be COUNSELING with he Lord each day to make sure that our days are purpose driven and that we aren't doing activities that are not the best. I am so grateful for my companion Elder Johnson. I really love him. He really helped me out when I was sick and was there ready to help me and to serve me. He truly loves me and I can feel that through his service.

We did however have a great District Meeting. I got really inspired By President Eyrings talk that he gave in conference. It really helped me look at what I could do to improve the quality of our District Meetings. The Spirit was so much stronger as we tried some new ideas and made it into more of a discussion rather than me teaching them. The Holy Ghost was really the teacher at our meeting. I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve in this capacity. I am definitely learning a lot and I know that the Lord is helping me every day help the district see miracles. I love my District very much. I know that the missionaries under my stewardship are purpose driven in everything they do. Each companionship is perfect. The members, investigators and non members see that we are called of God. What a blessing it is to learn from such great missionaries. They really have changed my life. I am just so grateful for them!

We had a miracle this past weekend. We have been praying a lot about the Brooke's family. They are ready to hear the gospel and want to hear it but don't ever have time to meet with us. We haven't seen them at Church in the past like 10 weeks until yesterday. The Lord sure has shown us his tender mercies. I know that the Lord blesses those who are obedient. So Maddie (the daughter) came yesterday and we were talking to her and she said "I miss coming here and so does my parents. We really love coming to Church and it has been different since I haven't been coming!" They want to have us over not only in their home but they want the Parrish Family to be involved. We are going to be hopefully meeting in the Parrish's home this week and have a lesson with them. It really was a great miracle!

The Lord has prepared the people here in Wake Forest. I know that there is at least a dozen people that the members know that we can teach who are prepared. I know that there are Dozens ready for us to find on our own efforts as well. The Lord is waiting to bless us but I have come to realize that its upon my obedience, the higher law, that we will be able to find those people. I am so grateful the Lord is with us all the way. I hope and pray that I can continue being an instrument in His hand and that He can keep refining me.

I am really excited for the Zone Conference coming up. Its going to be wonderful. I am so excited to learn from the spirit. The topic for discussion at Zone Conference is really what I need to hear. We have investigators that need help with the topic of prayer! I am really grateful for my Zone Leaders. I know that Elder Brown and Elder Torres are called to serve this Zone. I feel of their love and am so grateful for it. They are truly inspired.

Guess what. After 16 months I finally have put a hole in my shoes!!! What a blessing it is that I am able to walk and do the work of the Lord. Have a great week!!

Miracles Awaiting Us

WHAT A WONDERFUL WEEK!!!! I am so grateful for the gospel in my life. What a great time it is for us to be living on the Earth. I am so blessed to be serving for the Lord full time. What a blessing it is in my life. What a blessing it is to have that wonderful opportunity to hear from our Prophet. I love him!!

So I am staying another transfer with Elder Johnson. Nobody in my District is changing which has never happened for me before. They are really great missionaries. Things have started to really pick up in each area. The Lord really truly is blessing us all. We are still without a vehicle for the moment. Elder VanDeren gets his results back on his MRI sometime this week. So we will see what happens. There are a lot of things going to happen in this next month. On April 11 there is FHE at the Hopkins who are in Falls Lake Ward. They are having a musical FHE for our investigators. On April 29th we are doing an Open Mic Night at a coffee shop. We are inviting a lot of members from the community to come and perform and have a good time. We are going to talk to everyone. Its going to be really great. We have activity Zone conference as well next week. We also have a temple trip this transfer. So this month is really going to fly by. Oh and its My Birthday and MOMS Birthday as well which adds to all the excitement!!!!! So I have decided that I am going to be a little more positive. I have been worrying to much. I need to stop and trust in the Lord! I am just really pumped up and ready to work HARD this next transfer. We are going to find these miracles that are waiting for us. We need to seek them.

Well I will tell you this week has been a really amazing week. I have seen the blessings of the gospel in my own life and the lives of others. We are truly seeing miracles as we put or faith in the Savior. I have also realized the importance of the Spirit being the teacher and using us as His instruments. I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve the Lord at this specific time in my Life. I am so grateful for the opportunity I have to be another transfer in the Wake Forest Area. I really love this place a lot. The members are wonderful and really trust us, and the people that we meet are really awesome. I hope that I can keep on becoming and talk to everyone. That is one of my goals this week, to look for someone who is prepared to hear the gospel in every activity I do. Even if it is going out for lunch at a fast food place!

So we had a miracle this past week. We got home from an appointment around 8pm and decided that we needed to go and see this part member family, the Gants. So it was dark and it was about 4 miles aways so we plugged it into the GPS and started riding. Well we were biking for a long time not knowing where we really were and then we stopped and we thought we had reached our destination when in reality it was 7 miles away from where we were supposed to be. Well it was about 8:50 and we had to decide what we were going to do. Before we got in this neighborhood I told Elder Johnson we are going to see a miracle. So we prayed and asked Heavenly Father what door we should knock on. Well by this time it was 8:56pm. We walked down the long driveway and knocked on this ladies door at 8:58. We knew that we had been sent to this area for a reason. We wanted to at least knock on one door because we knew that we had a long ride back home. So we knocked on this one door. Well she was on the phone the second time we knocked and waved us to wait a minute. Well we talked to her for a moment and explained what happened and she was fine with where she was at. Well we both walked away realizing that it was probably just a test of faith on our behalf. Well we rode up the hill and the security guard was driving towards us. As we were talking to him we realized that we had come in the back way to a gated community. As we were talking to him we invited him to be taught by us and he said " I am really busy but I want you to come and teach my family your message." We got his number and had a really good feeling about him. It is amazing the miracles the Lord has in store for his people as we diligently search for them. It was a testimony builder to me that we need to work till the last moment. Its not till that last moment that we will see that miracle.

We met with Brother Wellborn and had a great lesson with him this past week. We shared with him the Plan of Salvation and had Brother Cooper Epps with us on exchange. He bore his testimony powerfully. I know that he is going to make a great missionary. Well we talked to him about the purpose of life and then he went into saying "Well I already live the lifestyle y'all live. I drink coffee but I can stop" Well we invited him to be baptized on April 30th and he accepted. The Lord truly is effecting his life. It was really exciting to see him really figure out what his problems were and what he needs to change. It was really exciting. The only problem we have with him is that he doesn't want to meet every week. But we are doing service for him every week so that will help us make sure that we are having daily contact with him. I am grateful that his wife is active and is always there for him. I know that the Lord has prepared him to hear the gospel.

We have been working a lot with our ward with the President Harding Challenge. We have seen some great success from it and it really is exciting the members to do missionary work. It is something that definitely takes patience but in the end it will bless the future missionaries of this area and it will bless the members individually. I am so grateful that we have an inspired leader who acted upon the promptings of the Holy Ghost. I have seen a difference in our district because of this Challenge.

I am so grateful for the opportunities I have to work with so many great missionaries. They really are teaching me a lot and I am so grateful for their faith and wisdom. I truly love each one of them and I know that the Lord has put them in their respective areas for a reason. I am so grateful for the power of the Spirit which blesses our district meetings.

General Conference was amazing!!!! I loved every minute of it. I learned a lot about myself and how I can become better and how I can help my investigators progress. I also learned about the pattern of teaching from the Authorities. They are truly inspired men. I love each one of them and sustain them. I am so grateful that the Windows of Heaven are open and that the Lord really pours out his blessings to his children as they are worthy.

Thank you for all your support. I hope y'all know that I love and pray for you everyday. I am so grateful to have a wonderful family. What a blessing it is in my life. Keep up the great work. Y'all are doing so great and I am so proud of you and I know that Heavenly Father is proud of you. I feel bad for y 'all because you live in the world right now. It must be hard and I look up to you. I know that as you keep his commandments and endure to end he will bless you continually. The Heavens are Open!!!! HALLELUJAH!!! Hope y'all have a great week

Love Elder Butler

Faith to Obey

It seems like the weeks get busier, shorter and more rewarding. It seems like the same, crazy weather pattern is happening here as well. It was like in the 80's last week but its now in like the 40-50's this week. I cannot wait for spring to be here but thankfully as of April 1st, Suit season is over! I am really excited about that.

Well this week has been really good. Elder Johnson and I got sick towards the end of the week but we had a really great beginning of the week. I am so grateful to have such a great companion. I really do love him very much and am so grateful for his beautiful and strong testimony of the gospel. It really is changing peoples lives, mine included.

We met with a family for Family Home Evening at the Jones. It went really well. We had a great dinner and really good conversation with them and then we went and had a great lesson. We showed them a clip from Mormon. org "Lifting Burdens" and it really brought the Spirit. It is really neat to have the apostles and Prophets of our dispensation testifying of the Savior. What a spirit that was felt. Susan is in the right place to learn. Her husband passed away a year ago and she has some really great concerns that we are excited to help her solve. Her son Kyle is so smart. He asked really great questions and has some really intellectual answers. I know that if they develop faith that their love for the Savior will grow. We will hopefully be having another appointment with them this upcoming week.

We met with Steve Fritz again. We were going to have a drop lesson with him because we felt that he wasn't progressing but he recognized that he felt the Spirit. He described the feelings of the Spirit and we got really excited. He has really changed a lot since we have been meeting with him. I know that the Spirit is working with him and I know that it is just a matter of time before he finds out for himself that there is a God. We are really excited for our lesson with him tommorrow. It should be great. We hope to start teaching his daughter Alyssa. She really has a lot of potential. She really is yearning to learn but for some reason doesn't want to sit down at the table and listen.

We also met with a part member family this week, the Alfords. They are great. The ward has really been doing a great job of fellowshipping them and have really opened Eli's heart to hearing the message of the gospel. We stopped by to see them and it was a really neat experience. He said that he wanted to learn more and that he would read the Book of Mormon to find out if its true. His wife is doing a great job of helping him come unto Christ. We are really excited about that. He wants us to come over again next week!!

We also met with another part member family, the Littles. He is really into the Baptist belief but would like some questions answered. So we are going to meet with him to evaluate his questions and see if he truly is seeking to find out if the gospel has been restored to the Earth. I am really excited about them. His wife is an active member so it should be great.

We have some really great goals to work with the members more this week and become more organized. We feel that we can do a better job of being organized which will cause less stress. I am so grateful to have a planner where I can record EVERYTHING! It truly is a blessing for me.

So I have been studying a lot in Alma this week about being exactly obedient. It was amazing to me to read in Alma 57:21 about the strippling warriors. They had faith to obey whatever their mothers had taught them. They Obeyed, Observed to perform and did it with exactness and it was because they had faith in the Savior. If we have faith in him we truly love him. I am so grateful for the opportunity I have to repent daily. I know that I make many mistakes but because of the Savior's Atonement I can be forgiven of my sins IF I continue to endure to the end and forsake the sin. I am so grateful for the patience my Savior has for me. I am really learning alot about his plan for me. I just need to get on board.

Well I hope y'all know that I love you very much. I am so grateful for the Love and support y'all give me. May the Lord continue to bless you in all you do. May y'all have a revelatory experience this week listening to General Conference.

Love Elder Butler

I love the Scriptures!

I have really found a love for reading out here. I can't wait to get home and read everything! Its really enjoyable. I read everything that I can get my hands on out here. I hope to finish the New Testament by the end of April and the Old Testament by the end of May. Its going to be tough but I want to read through everything so that I can become a more effective missionary.

Well this week has been really eventful. We had training this week which has really helped me strengthen my testimony. We also had Stake Conference were Elder John A. Anderson of the Seventy came and addressed us. It was a really neat experience. You can always tell that they have a burning testimony of the gospel. Its really awesome. I hope that my testimony can grow like their's. I am so grateful for all the experiences I have. What a blessing. I learn so much from every experience I have!

It was wonderful seeing president this past week so many times! I am always so grateful for the opportunity that I have to hear him teach and how he leads by example. I'm thankful he always helps me in times when I am struggling. I really learned a lot at the training that I had. I learned that teaching by the spirit is very hard but if we just stop thinking and get out of the way we will be able to help those that we are teaching come closer to Christ. It is His gospel and needs to be taught His way.

Well I am so grateful for the scriptures. I have really been having trouble with understanding the doctrine of the Atonement. As I have been studying and pondering and trying to learn about it I came to the conclusion last night that in order for the Savior to fulfill his purpose we need to apply the atonement's so we can fulfill our purpose. It definitely was a very profound thought that I had which I am so grateful for. I am so grateful that I have a loving Heavenly Father who cares about everything I engage in.

Well the area is really starting to pick up. As we have increased our faith individually and as a companionship we have started to see real miracles. We have been trying very hard to listen to the spirit and it has been a real challenge for us. We have some investigators who are not progressing and that we are having drop lessons with this next week. We love them very much and its going to be hard but we know that if they are not progressing then we are not fulfilling our purpose.

I know there have been people prepared in this area that are waiting to hear from us. The members in the ward have been doing a great job! We have four members that are going to have people in their homes for us to teach in the next couple of weeks. We have an appointment with a family this evening that we are very excited for that a member invited them over for dinner and then a family home evening. She has been prepared. Her husband just recently passed away and he was a very less active member of the church. He was baptized at 8 but never said anything about it. So she is now really curious about the church. We are really excited about it.

Brother Fritz is not progressing. He is reading out of the Book of Mormon but not really doing it with an open heart. I hope and pray that he will start praying. He is starting to show signs of finding out. He has started praying but just says the word and doesn't believe that he is talking to anyone. We have seen the Holy Ghost work with him over the past little bit and its been amazing. He works with a lot of members that help him out and answer all his questions. So we know that he has been prepared to hear the message but we are trying to help him realize that. We are going to try and start teaching his daughter who has showed signs of interest. She hasn't wanted to sit in any of the lessons but she loves coming in and out of the room and sitting on the couch so she can hear while were at the table. So we will see what happens.

We are working with the ward a lot with the ward mission process. It has been really effective. The people on the process are really getting exited about the gospel and are really trying to share the gospel with whoever they can.

President asked me to let him know what principle I was going to work on and I have decided that under the Teach People, Not lesson's Section I am going to work on the principle of: I act on the impressions that come to my mind or heart as I teach. I hope to be able to just act on the promptings of the spirit instead of thinking it through.

Love Elder Butler

A Rather Challenging Week

I am more and more grateful each week for the members of the Church with big families and still raise them in righteousness! There is a quote in PMG on Pg 19 that says. True doctrine understood changes attitudes and behaviors. I know that it has changed my attitude!!!

Yesterday was absolutely beautiful. It got up to 75. I hope it gets warmer so we can take off our suit jackets. If it gets above 80 we can take them off. I am also excited for General Conference because that weekend kicks off the end of Suit Coat Season. We are having Stake Conference next weekend which I am really excited about. Elder Evans of the Seventy is coming to speak to us. So I am pretty excited about that!

How are the gas prices!? They have been sky rocketing here. It doesn't really affect us right now because we gave the car to the Zebulon Elders full time. Elder VanDeren has tendinitis so his knees have really been hurting so I talked to President about it and he has it for the next few weeks. So it will get us out on the bikes more and using members more! It am really excited about it!

Well it was wonderful to see president and his wife this past week. They are really a strength to me. I am thankful to them for always being there for me and for correcting me as well. I am so grateful for the Savior's atonement and I hope that the Lord can forgive me as I try harder to listen to the promptings of the spirit. Thank you!

Well this past week has actually been very challenging for me. A lot of our appointments cancelled this week and I just didn't get why! I know that it is really teaching me patience and love for my investigators. I guess its back to the drawing board. We need to find our brothers and sisters who are prepared to hear about the gospel. In my prayers I have been trying to seek from Heavenly Father what I can do to have those opportunities to find our brothers and sisters who are prepared to hear the gospel. I was reminded quickly its by speaking to everyone and asking everyone for referrals. So that is going to be a goal of mine this week, is really to talk to everyone and even if they aren't prepared they know who is. I hope that with this new direction I will be able to find those who are really prepared to hear the gospel message!

So we had a meeting with Ken O'Brian this week and it was a very hard lesson. We have decided that we are going to have one more lesson with the Bishop there and if he hasn't been reading and praying about the Book of Mormon then he is not ready yet. I have been having a hard time with him and keeping my emotions out of the situation. He is such a great person but that's not what this work is about. Its about finding those who have already been prepared and if they are not prepared at the time then planting that seed and writing it down in the area book for another missionary to harvest that seed. I have really learned this principle this past week. I know that if I can follow the spirit on everything I do that I will be able to know who is prepared and who is not.

We met with Yasmany this week as well. He is such a great guy. He is living with a member at the time being until he gets on his own feet. He is dating the daughter of these members. He really has no Christian Background but seems to be pretty willing to learn more about the gospel. His girlfriend is really against the Church and so its hard for him to accept the truth. We are going to just try and help him read out of the Book of Mormon each day, pray and play basketball with us on Mondays! He has grown up in a very hard situation and doesn't have the support that most people have. We have a lot in common so I hope that we will be able to help him realize that the Gospel of Jesus Christ can change his life!

Brother Wellborn is a part member family who we weren't able to meet with this week but he came to church. It was so good to see him there. We have an appointment with him this next week. We are trying to get the ward to fellowship him. I know that if we can get the ward more involved with him that he won't feel pushed into the gospel and that he will be more comfortable at Church.

We have been working a lot with the members on the Ward Mission Process in the first ward! We have been seeing miracles because of it. They are great families. They also have a lot of non-members for friends who they are going to talk about the gospel with! I know that if the ward gets the ward mission process going that it will effect the missionary work in the ward. We are still working with the second ward trying to get them started on the Ward Mission Process. Brother Dixon is going to talk to Bishopric about it. He has brought it up numerous times so hopefully we will be able to get in going in that ward. I would like to talk to President on Thursday about it. Maybe he can help us get it started!

Well I am very grateful to be in this wonderful area. I love Wake Forest! I truly love this people and want to do whatever I can to help them increase their faith in the the Savior, Jesus Christ. I feel that this week that I had a wrestle with the Lord. I felt like Enos. Well I probably said the longest prayer I have ever said and after I had wrestled with the Lord, I felt that the weight was lifted from me. I felt clean! As I fasted for strength to overcome my weaknesses, I felt the power of the atonement. I know that the Lord hears and answer's my prayers. I know that it takes time and patience in being forgiven and that forgiveness is a gift but I am excited to work harder this week and correct those things that do not align my will with the Fathers. I am so very grateful for the power of the Book of Mormon. It truly brings me great comfort as I read it. I know that it is truly the word of God and I have grown closer to my Savior as I have read it and abide by its precepts.

Love Elder Butler

The "President Harding Challenge"

Well there is a lot going on here in Wake Forest. We have had to make some decisions on who we need to drop and who to continue teaching. It has been really hard but I will never forget the experience Elder Hansen and Condie had with a lady that they shared in a Zone Conference. We need to make sure they are progressing and if they are not then we need to find the elect who are looking.

So we have been working a lot with our ward mission leaders in trying to get the Ward Mission Process up and running. We have seen some great success from it. Our days have gone from sort of busy to extremely busy, especially having two wards. I love it. It helps me make sure that I always have the spirit with me so I can just go where He wants me to go.

I love our investigators. The opportunity to serve as a District Leader has helped me increase my love for everyone. I feel like Nephi when he said "My eyes water my pillow by night!" I find myself doing that more often. I truly love my brothers and sisters. I would do anything for them. I hope and pray that the Lord will help my love for them to increase and that I can continue to be more obedient every day in thought and action. It is hard to overcome the natural man but I know that it is part of the Lords plan for us to become saints.

So this past week a lot of our investigators canceled our appointments which was hard but we worked with the members and have been seeing a lot of success from the "President Harding Challenge" We have 4 appointments because of the challenge and we by the end of the month we will be having hopefully 5 more appointments with members friends. I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve in this stake with inspired leaders. What a privilege it is.

So I had the opportunity to go on an Exchange with Elder VanDeren. He is a wonderful missionary. He has a testimony that is solid and the people really love him. Elder Bartlette and him are definitely getting along great and working hard and are seeing miracles in their area! They are being obedient which is great. I really love those missionaries! The Sisters are doing well! They are getting along great and really "thinking outside of the box" and seeing success that way. I am so grateful to have such great missionaries in the District. The Lord is truly blessing us. I know that I have to work harder in this next week to help my area become a "model area" If the District is going to grow I need to step it up and make sure that I am following the Lord in all I do to find those people who are ready to come unto Christ.

So Josh Coley has decided that he wants to serve a mission. I really truly love that kid so much. He is doing so good. I love his family a lot as well. They have us over for dinner at least once a week and we hang out with them almost every Preparation Day. Such good people. Josh comes out with us whenever we need him so its been great for him. We continue to really work hard with lots of the young men. Its really neat. I love these young men so much. They have so much potential to be the great missionaries of the Church. They are getting better and better each transfer.

Well I am sorry this is short but I don't have that much time. It seems like I never have time to do anything anymore. Its wonderful! I hardly think about myself. I get less sleep because I am always thinking of others. What a unique opportunity I have to be serving at this time. Elder Johnson is a great missionary. I really love him a lot! We get along really well and I have learned a lot from him. He likes to help me remember how old I am in the mission though. I can't even believe how fast it is going. I am starting to appreciate it more and more. I am starting to go out of my way to talk to more people, work harder, study like its my last day and most of all pray like I can change the world. I love it. I don't want it to end! I am so grateful for the opportunity I have each day to share the gospel. I hope that I can continue to grow!

Thank you so much for all the hard work you do for me. Know that I love you very much and and so grateful for your prayers. May the Lord Bless you in all that you do!!!

Love Elder Butler

Elder Austin Johnson

Family,

Time really is flying by. It is really interesting to hear how technology is changing so much. I feel like I am out of the loop all the time. Its especially weird when I have no clue what something is (like the Ipad for example). I get it all the time. It's weird to think that I have been on my mission for this long. It feels like just yesterday.....

Well this week was pretty fantastic. I am so grateful for the wonderful things that are happening in our area. So as you know I got a new companion. His name is Elder Austin Johnson. There are like 4 Elder Johnson's so I have to use his first name when introducing him. He is from Flagstaff, Arizona. He has only been out for 2 transfers and so I'm his follow-up trainer! He is a very good missionary. We have only been together a week but we get along GREAT!!! He really knows his stuff. It seems like the missionaries that are coming out are a lot more prepared to serve missions than the group that I came out with. Its really crazy. Its amazing how the Lord binds us together with Unity and how we can teach together like we have been companions for like months. I am so grateful that he is my companion. I know that I am going to learn a lot from him. Just to let you know Elder Scott Petersen went to Sholote ( Which is right by the beach. He already sent me a sea shell!!!)

So our teaching pool is starting to really increase. It's been really wonderful to see the tender mercies of the Lord. We found a couple of investigators this week that we hope will see the importance of the Gospel in their lives. Tommy is a former investigator who has been through a lot in his life. He is now at a point where he is very humble and really receptive of the message that we have to share. Jesse is a 15 year old girl that is living with him right now. I know that she is looking for more in her life and I know that the gospel will help change her life. It was absolutely heart breaking to look in her eyes and see the hurt that was there. I know that because of the Savior that He can take that hurt from her and replace it with peace, joy and happiness!

We also went and saw the Fritz family this week. Man he really tests me spiritually. I know that because of the Spirit that the lesson went really well. We talked a lot about faith and how he needs to have more of it. We also talked a lot about prayer and why it is so essential in the whole scheme of things. He told us that he would rip apart the chapter we gave him and he would ponder it in his heart. I know that if he truly desires to find out if all of this is true that he will be able to. It was really wonderful because Maria (his wife) sat in for the lesson and she added to the conversation. We tried to ask her as many questions as possible so that the spirit could bare witness to her husband. It worked!!! Steve is starting to figure out how the Holy Ghost works with him. It was amazing!!!! I am so excited to see him again this next week. I hope that they won't be out of town this week so that they can come to Church.

We weren't able to meet with the O'Brians this week. Kelly was really sick so we scheduled to meet with them this Thursday. I am really excited to see them again. Elder Johnson has some great ideas and our companionship studies for them have been really great.

We met with Brother Wellborn this week. He is great. I love meeting with him. He makes me laugh so hard. He reminds me of the scientist off of "Back to the Future" We had a really great lesson with him though. He has been reading but not praying. We told him that we would have to pray in order to find out if the Book of Mormon is true. He came to Church on Sunday so we were pretty excited about that. He told us that when he found out these things are true that he would be baptized. So hopefully he will find out soon. It's all up to him though.

We had a miracle this week as well. We met with Ken Green again. He was a former investigator who is now a progressing investigator with a Baptismal Date for March 25. We had a wonderful lesson with him and Borther Larson. The Spirit was so strong while we were teaching him. I know that the Lord put him in our path for a reason. He really wants his wife to increase her faith as well and hopefully she will meet with us next time. He said that he would come to Church this next week. Man he is so great. I love him very much.

We also met with Gene Schultzs this week. He is a really wonderful man. He is very Catholic and is very set on his beliefs but we have arranged for him to have a dinner with a member who was very Catholic before she became a member of the Church. So we are pretty excited about that. Talking to him strengthened my testimony of the truths that we know to be true.

We also had our musical fireside this weekend. Sister Dodge was freaking out. It made me laugh a bit. She was so worried that people weren't going to come and then the projector didn't work and etc.... So we all said a prayer together and then it went really well. The spirit was so strong in that meeting. There were a lot of members but there we some non-members as well. SUCCESS!!! They want to do something like this twice a year. The members loved it and it will hopefully get them excited about missionary work.

Well that was pretty much our week. I really love this area so much. It is a real blessing to meet so many wonderful people who are always trying to help me. I know that the Lord will continue to lead and guide me in everything that I do. I am glad that you liked the pictures. I am excited to see some from back home. Well I hope y'all have a great week and know that I love y'all very much!!!

Elder Butler

Power in the Book of Mormon

Elder Petersen is getting transferred. I am really sad about it. I love him very much and its going to be hard to see him go. So I will be getting a new companion tommorow. Our district is also changing. President has called me to be a District Leader. The District is going to consist of Zebulon and Knightdale and the sisters. We are also going to a part time car which shall be interesting but that is what the Lord wants so we will do it His way. I am so nervous but really excited as well. It will help, really help me grow and expand my capacity to love.

Well this week has been a wonderful week. I am so grateful for our area book and the wonderful tool it is for missionary work. Elder Petersen and I have been seeing miracles as we have applied the training that we have received in our Training. We decided at the Training that we would role play in our companionship studies how to use the Book of Mormon more in our lessons. We have quite a few investigators that have concerns about the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith. It has really helped us out as we have role played these situations and how we have used them in our work. We can't teach until we have aquired how to teach the doctrine by the Spirit. We have also been able to teach with more unity as we practiced in our companionship study.

Things have been going really great here in the Wake Forest Area. We have been going through our area books and it has been a really neat experience. We have seen so much success with the former investigators as we have stopped by to see how they are doing. We have gotten 3 return appointments with them and even taught one of them a lesson and is now an investigator. I am so grateful to have the area books. It has made me want to make sure that our area books are always up to date and that we are keeping a "neat and clean" record of those who weren't ready then to accept the gospel but now could be ready.

We met with the Fritz family again. I was on exchanges that evening but they had a good lesson with them. Brother Fritz has a big problem with faith and prayer. He has compared faith to believing in Santa. He has lots of support from the members in our ward who continually try and help him out. We have another meeting with him this upcoming week.

We will also be meeting with the O'Brians this week. They have really tested my faith which has been great. I have learned so much as I have put countless hours of study, pray and fasting for them. I know that if they read the Book of Mormon with sincerity they will find their answer. It isn't going to be by proving Jospesh Smith is a true Prophet with a battle of words. God is the only one that can testify to them that the Book of Mormon is true. I am so grateful for the power of the Book of Mormon. I am also grateful for them and their love for the Savior to continue learning.

We have a few appointments lined up for this week that will be wonderful. I am really excited. This area is starting to boom! I am so grateful for the support of our ward mission leaders and bishops. The first ward has all 15 names and the 2nd ward has 12 names. Thing are starting to get really busy and crazy but its all very exciting. The wards are amazing and I love them very much.

Well I hope y'all have a great week. Know that I love you and will give you more information about whats going on next week.

Love Elder Butler

Spiritual Guidance vs. Our Own Understanding

Things are going really great here. I can't believe its almost the end of another transfer. We find out this weekend if one of us is getting transferred. I have a good idea that I'm staying here and Elder Petersen is getting transferred. I talked to President at Training and I had to ask him to see if I need to get someone else to sing in the musical fireside that we are putting on so he told me that I will most likely be staying but we will see where the Lord wants me.

Well this week has been a really great week for me. I am always so grateful for the opportunity that I have to learn more about the gospel in our training meetings. I am so grateful for the spirit who teaches us all something that we personally need. I learned a lot from the spirit this past training and my testimony of the Book of Mormon really increased this past week. I am so grateful for The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ. This is the only way that our investigators will gain a testimony of Joseph Smith. I am so grateful to have the restored Gospel in my life.

Well things have been going great here. Things can always go better but we have had some very challenging lessons. The O'Brian family is a wonderful family. I really love them very much and am so grateful for the opportunity that I get to know them. They have some really interesting concerns. The are very smart and know the Bible like the back of their hands. So they have a lot of questions out of the Bible which we try and answer with the Book of Mormon. It has really tested me doctrinally but more than that spiritually. We have had some really great conversations with them where the Spirit has guided our conversation. Other times in the lesson it was me just using my own understanding. I am starting to see the difference on how the Spirit wants the lesson to go and how I want it. Let me just say it always works when the Spirit guides it but never when I do it. They have problems reading out of the Book of Mormon because they don't believe Joseph Smith is a prophet so they don't even trust the Book of Mormon so they say "why would we read it?" it would be like reading a fiction book." We have to get them reading and praying about the Book of Mormon. That is the only way that they will find out all of this is true!

We met with another family this week as well, the Fritz family. I love them so much. They are so wonderful. They are a family of six that 2 members of the ward have referred to us. They are really great. We had a great lesson with 2 members that are really good friends with them. Brother Fritz works with a lot of members of the Church. He really has a lot of respect for what our church teaches and wants to learn more about it. We had a really great lesson with him. He doesn't believe in the divinity of the Savior. So we are going to be really focusing on faith and prayer in this next lesson. He is very intelligent and knows the Bible very well. He has a lot of questions that are lead by the Spirit. The spirit was very strong in the lesson and I know that he could feel it. His daughter also listened in on the lesson as well. We invited her to join but she said that was alright and just sat on the couch behind the table. At the end of the lesson she thanked us for coming and was really interested in the conversation that we had. I know that she felt something and said that she would sit in on our lesson next time. His wife will also be sitting in on the lesson this next week. They are such a wonderful family.

I didn't realize how hard it is to cover both wards but its a great challenge. We are going to try this week to be more involved in the second ward. The second ward has some really golden investigators (The Brooke's family and two youth). They won't answer our phone calls though. So it is really hard to get appointments with them when we can't get ahold of them and neither can the members. I know there are dozens prepared in both of these wards we just have to find them. I am so grateful to be in these area's. I love it so much and I love the members and the people that we have the opportunity to serve.

I am also very excited for this musical fireside that is happening in a couple of weeks. The wards are very excited for this as well. They are inviting a bunch of their friends which is great. We hope there will be a big group. It is a wonderful opportunity for people to feel the spirit.

Well I am sorry this is so short but I hope y'all know that I love you! Y'all are great. Keep up the great work and know that the Lord is always there for ya!

Love Elder Butler

P.S- I am finally caught up in my journal so I will be sending home them this week along with an SD Card. It will have what I sang in Sacrament this past week! It went pretty well.

I am thankful for all the support our mission president gives me!! I am so grateful to have a loving mission president, for talking to me while we were at the mission home. I wasn't expecting it at all but it was a wonderful surprise. I really have learned a lot from him and have been using the suggestions he has given me and our companionship. I have noticed a huge difference in myself and my companion since we have met with him. We are a lot more bold and are fulfilling our purpose more as missionaries. I am thankful for his being inspired to speak with me. I am so grateful for him and love him dearly.

This week has been pretty slow. Our investigators have had a hard time answering their phones for some reason. We have gotten a lot of appointments for this week though so we are really excited about that. The work here is going really good though. The ward is there 100 percent to support us and Brother Larson got the 15 names from the ward this week and the 2nd ward are going to decide on some names and contact them this week and have some people for us to see. We are really excited about it.

We had a whole family come to Church this week. It was wonderful. Our Elder's Quorum President invited them to his baby blessing and they came. We met with them this week to drop a movie that a member wanted us to drop off. He is a really great guy and has a wonderful family. The Friz family has 4 kids all over the age of 8. Brother Friz was like well when are you going to come over again and talk to us about the movie I watched. We set up an appointment with them for Tuesday. They are wonderful. A lot of the ward actually works with him so there are a lot of fellowshippers.

The Brookes family didn't come to Church again this Sunday and won't answer our calls. The members can't get ahold of them either so we're not sure whats going on there. We hopefully will find out soon! They are a wonderful family who is prepared for the gospel message!

We also have an appointment with the O'Brian family this week as well. They are wonderful! I am so grateful for them. I am really excited to meet with them again this week!

We are also seeing this new part member family this week, the Alford family. Sister Alford just got married. She is an active member. Her husband came to the ward activity this weekend and so we set up an appointment to meet with them this Tuesday. They are wonderful.

Our youth are amazing. They brought their friends to the dance so we gave them Books of Mormon to give to them. It was a really neat experience for us and them. I know that our youth are where we are going to find those ready to hear the message of the gospel.

Well I am sorry this is so short but we have a lot of things to do today for P-Day. We are trying to hang out with a member of our ward that is not to sure about going on a mission. His father is terminally ill. He only has weeks to live so we are trying to be with their family to help in any way we can. Hope you have a great week and know that I love y'all.

Love Elder Butler

I Have Grown An Inch

Well I am really glad to hear that everything is going well for y'all at home. I sometimes wonder what everyone looks like and how everything looks but it seems like y'all are growing so much spiritually, physically and mentally. I have actually grown an inch out here which has been exciting. I have gained about 10 pounds! With Elder Petersen getting sick and everything I haven't been exercising like I have wanted to and so I have been gaining weight but that will change this week! I am still crossing my fingers that I don't get sick. Elder Petersen is doing a lot better, which I am grateful for! I love my mission! Its the best experience ever! It sometimes feels like I have been out a while. I don't really remember things worldly anymore. Like sometimes when we talk to members about lets say music, I have no clue what bands I used to listen to. Its really weird. I am grateful for that though. I like being secluded from the world!

It seems like every week that I email you I say it has been a great week and I am learning a lot, but its true. My understanding of the gospel increases weekly and my understanding of the language of the spirit increases weekly. I am so grateful for the opportunity I have to serve here in the North Carolina Mission. This week I read a talk that has just gotten me real fired up about the work. It talked about inviting everyone you meet to repent and follow the example of our Savior. Well I have seen miracles come from it. As we are declaring repentance among the people with love and boldness, they feel the spirit testify to them that all of this is true. I also feel that we have more QGC's when we approach it this way because people have something they want to say on the subject and it makes for a good conversation. I am grateful for my ward mission leaders here. They are always fired up about the work and help the members become fired up.

I have been studying a lot about the apostasy this past week. What a huge difference it has had in my teaching. I now understand more about the apostasy and how important it is to explain it clearly but simply. I hope that I can continue to increase my testimony on the apostasy so my testimony grows and I can bare my testimony with power and authority.

We have a new investigator that we are working with. Brother Wellborn is not the member in part member family. His wife attends regularly and continues to encourage her husband to come. Well we had a great lesson with him on Wednesday night. We talked a lot about the Book of Mormon and why its important to read it every day. We also told him about baptism and why its important to be baptized by the proper authority. He understands that and said that we would read and pray about being baptized and if the Book of Mormon is true or not. I am really excited about him. He is a really great guy and is very knowledgeable in the things of the world and the bible. He doesn't like to be forced at all but he likes to have really good gospel conversations with us.

We haven't been able to meet with the Brooke's family this week. They haven't answered our phone calls and weren't at church. Their daughter, Maddie, is involved with softball and that takes up alot of their time. So hopefully we will be able to meet with them this week. They are a really great family and have been prepared to hear the message of the gospel. We will also hopefully be meeting with the O'Brian family as well this week. I have been studying hard for them and am really excited to meet with them but know that its going to be the spirit and the Book of Mormon thats going to convince them, not anything I say.

We also had a miracle happen this week. We walked into Church and Brother Trubilla's Dad was there again. We were totally surprised about that but he really enjoys coming to Church and he came to support his son receiving the Aaronic Priesthood. It was definitely a miracle. We are going to have dinner over at a members house with Brother Trubilla teaching the New Member Lessons but are also going to have his parents come because they know the members that are having us over for dinner. We are really excited about it. Brother Trubilla is doing great! He has been inviting people like crazy to meet with us. He is a really great example to me.

Well know that I love y'all so much and know that you're always in my prayers. Well the computers about to cut off on me so I will talk to you later

Love Elder Butler

Brother Trubilla stepped into the waters of baptism this past week!!

Elder Petersen has been feeling alot better so its been a more eventful week. He still has this really bad cough but hopefully he will get over that. We have been helping a couple of young men in our wards to decide to serve a mission. We have a FHE tonight with one of them on the subject of joy. I really hope they decide to go on one. The Message in the Ensign this month was all about serving a mission if you are worthy. So we are trying to get them to come on splits and try to talk about missionary work all the time with them. Hopefully that will get them fired up about going on a mission.

Well it definitely was a wonderful and inspiring week for me. I am so grateful to be serving in this great area of Wake Forest. I have a true love for the people here, members and non-members. I am so grateful to be embarked in the work at this time in my life and at this time of the year. We have truly seen some miracles this week which has been really wonderful. I am so grateful that we have Zone Conference to help refocus my thoughts and recommit to my Savior that I'm going to do better. I have seen a real difference as we have been using the Planning guidelines more and have felt more inspired on where we should go. Our focus on the Key indicators really helps us plan meaningful activities for the day and the week. I know that as we continue to use these guidelines throughout the rest of my mission that it will lead me to those who are elect and ready to make covenants with our Heavenly Father.

Brother Trubilla stepped into the waters of baptism this past week!!!!!! It was incredible! The Spirit was so strong at his baptism. He definitely was ready to make that covenant with his Heavenly Father. The Lord definitely taught me a lot as we have worked with him these past 8 weeks. I learned to have a lot of patience and learned how to listen better. This is the Lord's work not mine. It needs to be done His way not by some other way!! His parents attended the Baptism and really enjoyed that experience. It was evident in their faces that they felt the Spirit and didn't know what it was. They also came to Church on Sunday to support their son. They really enjoyed that and the members really fellowshipped them and made them feel welcome. We will hopefully be meeting with them this week as we teach the new member lessons with his new home teachers. We are really excited about that.

The Brookes family is doing good. They have very busy schedules and its really hard to find a time that works with them to meet. It seems like they are always on the run. The whole family has been reading and praying and they feel good about what they are learning but still have a lot of questions. They have concerns about the Book of Mormon and why we need it and they want to know where in the Bible it talks about Christ visiting other people. So I am really excited to find a time to meet with them, hopefully this week. Brother Brookes was sick so he wasn't able to make it on Sunday but Sister Brookes and Maddie were there. They had a real enjoyable time. The ward has been so good about fellowshipping them. I really love this family a lot. They are honest seekers of truth. They have been being prepared for a while and they are ready to hear the message of the restored gospel.

We met with a new family this week, the O'Brian family. They are neighbors to the bishop. He asked if we would go with them to teach them because they had alot of questions. They met with the missionaries before but it has been a while. They are wonderful. Brother O'Brian is a quadriplegic and has had some real tough experiences in his life. His wife started following the teachings of Christ only 3 years ago. They have a lot of great questions. Brother O'Brian likes to study deep doctrine (like the journal of discourses). We had a great first meeting with them. They have a lot of questions on the apostasy which is great because the questions they have asked I don't know the answers to, so I have some studying to do. I know that the Spirit will help us as we pray in faith to know what to share with them. They are seekers of truth as well. They don't know how the Holy Ghost feels so we are going to have to help them with that so they can know when they receive answers to their prayers. Brother O'Brian is feeling as of now that everything he has been learning so far is just making it more clear to him how the "Mormon religion" isn't true. It was a comment that worried me but I know that if we put our faith in the Lord that he will help us guide him to what questions he needs to ask and where he needs to read. So its definitely going to be a great experience. I already can tell that I am going to learn a lot with him. He is really going to help me rely on the Spirit more and not use the understanding I have but that which the Holy Ghost has to offer.

I am grateful for the opportunity we have to set goals each week. I have really seen as I have been striving to meet my goals that my faith grows in the Savior. I need to work harder at keeping focused. My mind wanders sometimes and I have made the goal when that starts to happen to hum a hymn or to read scriptures. I hope that it will help me keep my mind constantly focused on the Savior and the people that we are entrusted with.

Well I hope y'all know that I love you so much. I can't believe how time flies. I love it out here though. I really hope that I get to stay in Wake Forest for a while. Good things are happening here and the people are really amazing. I love them all so much. Know I feel all y'alls prayers and that it gives me strength. I hope the week goes well and hope to hear from you next week.

Love Elder Butler

Member Missionary Work, Works!!!

A mission definitely is the greatest experience. I heard that they have a newlds.org website. I haven't looked at it at all. Its crazy how detached from the world we are but I am grateful at the same time. I really love not being of the world. Its like living the dream. I am grateful that the Lord has given me this opportunity to serve and not be of the world. I hope to be able to apply all this after the mission as well.

Well this week has definitely been a really different week. With the really weird weather, then my companion getting a virus, it has been a lot of time in the apartment unfortunately. We were able to get a lot of work done from the apartment though. There is always book work that can be done. Also we have been making a lot of phone calls to the members and our investigators setting up appointments and making sure they are doing alright. I have had some really powerful spiritual experiences this week as I have been trying to think outside of the box more in my studies and my prayers. I am trying to make it apply more to my life and trying to make it the most effective for me. I have seen a real difference as I have tried to put the Lord first. My experience has been great and mission-changing for me. I have realized that there is time in the day to do everything but its just about prioritizing things and not getting frustrated when things don't work out. This is the Lords work, not mine. I have really been humbled this past week realizing this. I hope and pray that I can take the valuable lessons that I have had this week and apply them.

Brother Trubilla is doing great. His baptismal date was supposed to be for the 15th but he didn't feel like he was going to be ready that day. It wasn't because he was breaking any commandments but personally he didn't feel ready. It was really hard for me to get my mind around that concept. Elder Petersen and I prayed about it and know that he was ready for that date. The Lord was definitely testing me and helping me build patience. This is His work not mine. Its His time table not mine. We have been meeting with Brother Trubilla 3 times a week, or trying to, and have been making daily contact with him. It has been really great to see his countanance change over the past week. He is definitely ready for baptism this weekend. We are really excited for him. We wish the ward was more supportive of his baptismal day. Since he has called off a few baptisms they don't want us really making it public until the day before and even the morning of. Its hard but we understand. We know he is ready this time and prepared to make the covenant with his Heavenly Father. I have really learned to love him so much. He is a great man and has a lot of potential. We know that the gift of the Holy Ghost will help him. That is his greatest desire at the moment. Its wonderful to see him live the gospel and not be held down by sin and guilt.

We have a new family that we have started to teach. This family is a miracle and shows that member missionary work, works!!!! I remember you telling me a while ago "that the youth of the church are a gold mine!!!" Well your absolutely right. They know so many people and a lot of their friends aren't members. Well there has ben a young women about 14 who has been attending for the past 6 months. A friend invited her and she came before the wards split with this friend. Well the wards split and she was in a different ward but she felt something different. She kept going to church even though she was in a different ward. The young women really made her feel welcome. Well last week she brought her family for sacrament and they loved it. This week they came for the whole 3 hours and loved it even more. They feel comfortable in the church. Thats what they told us. So we are really excited about them. We are going to start teaching the Brookes family in the Perrish's (fellowshipper's) home. We are so excited. They have truly been prepared.

We will also be teaching this family this week that Bishop McEwen referred to us. The O'Brians are former investigators and had a real hold up with the Book of Mormon. Well they called up the O'Brians and said that they wanted to meet with us again. The McEwens say they know that they are ready this time and are more open to the gospel. So we are really excited about our lesson with them.

Things are starting to pick up here in Wake Forest. The wards are really amazing. They are always trying to help us and giving us people to go and see all the time. I am so grateful to be here with my companion Elder Petersen. He is such a great missionary. We had a really great weekly planning this week with a real spiritual companionship inventory. We are really excited to work this week and find some new investigators this week. We are going to try something new this week. Instead of going to the apartment for lunch we are going to pack lunches and take the car and our bikes places so that we can work harder and not waste as much time. We are really excited for this and hopefully it will help us build our teaching pool. We know that the Lord has prepared dozens in each ward.

Well I hope you have a wonderful week. Know that I love y'all and am so grateful for all you do.

Love Elder Butler

I'm so excited that I have the chance to do this for the rest of my life.

Elder Petersen and I are staying together another transfer in Wake Forest. We might have to start sharing the car starting this transfer. We are not sure though. It would be really tough but we will see. Our area is huge. There has been a ton of snow this couple of weeks. Its has been really crazy. We are supposed to get another huge blizzard in the next couple of days so ya its crazy. Everything shuts down, including missionary work. I am really grateful to be serving here though. I am not sure how I would like being a missionary in a place that snows all the time. Things are going really great though. I am learning a lot more now than I have my entire mission. The Spirit is becoming stronger with me as I study harder and learn the gospel and change my mindset.

I had to give a talk this past Sunday. I found out on Thursday night so I had a couple of days to prepare it this time. Unlike last time where I only had 20 minutes. It went really well. It was on Spiritual Preparedness. I will send a copy home of it along with Journal entries this week. I have become a real slacker in my journal writing. I have been doing video journals every night but I have made it a goal to write every day again. This past transfer I only wrote in it like 5 times.

This week has definitely been a week that really has built my faith in the Savior. I had some really powerful spiritual experiences this week that have really helped me make some goals to become a better missionary and servant of the Lord. Some goals that I am continuing from last week are Reading the Book of Mormon for at least 30 minutes a day. I did pretty good with this goal this week but I can always do better. I have also been working out for the whole 30 minute period and it has made a real difference. I feel more invigorated about the work and feel more awake throughout the day. The Lord truly blesses us when we become exactly obedient. Some goals that I am going to do this week is read my Patriarchal Blessing every day, Pray more fervently and try and be positive in everything I say. I have noticed a real difference as I have wrote these goals in my LTP. I constantly think about how I am going to have to make a report at the end of the week and how I am also going to have to make a report to the Lord at the end of the day. So its really helped me focus more on my goals and on the work.

This week has been really great. Steve is doing really good. We have been meeting with him almost everyday. If were not meeting with him we are keeping daily contact. He passed his interview this past week which was really exciting for him and us. We know that he is ready to take the next step and be baptized. We were going to be having his baptism this week but he wants it to be next weekend. We tried to talk to him about the importance of being baptized as soon as he is ready but he is pretty set on the 22nd for a reason. I was not sure about the decision he made to be baptized on the 22nd. We did a special fast for him and the spirit really put my heart at ease. I am so grateful that this is the Lord's work and not mine. Sometime I want to do it my way and I think that my way is best but then learn that the Lord has a different plan. It is a very humbling experience but I am grateful for my Savior and Him always helping me out. Steve also came to the Fireside at Presidents. It was really great. I love being in this zone because we get to associate more with President and Sister Cotterell. We get all the recent converts and they have a Fireside where they just bear their testimonies. It's wonderful. Steve really had a great time. He really trusts us a lot. We are going to be helping him install some air bags on his motor home this week. Working at Get Hitched has paid off!!!!!!

We had a lesson at Bishop Despain's house with a young man named Ben Malone. His parents wont let him be baptized so we are just trying to keep in contact with him to get to know him. He is a really good kid. He knows that the Church is true and comes as often as he can. He associates with a lot of members of the Church. We hope his parents will soften their hearts to the idea and let him be baptized. His father came and enjoyed himself but we think that his mother is the one that has the real problem with it. We had a good discussion with him about the doctrine of Christ. We read out of 3rd Nephi 11 and the Spirit was very strong there. The Bishop told us after that Ben really enjoyed it so we are going to try and keep visiting him and not having a formal lesson but read out of the scriptures with him.

We also had a miracle at Church. The young women have befriended this girl, Maddie Brooks, for about 6 months now. She comes to Church pretty much every Sunday. Well this Sunday she brought her parents. They loved it. The whole ward was really great and welcomed them really well. It was really neat to hear that they were invited to dinner that Sunday night and they had a dinner and family home evening the next night lined up. It reminded me of the role play we did at Zone Conference. The members here are really wonderful. They said that they are going to come next Sunday as well for the whole 3 hours. They also told us that they wanted to start to meet with us as well. They said they would talk to us next Sunday about meeting up. We are really excited about that.

This area is really booming. I am so grateful that I have another transfer to be here. I really love this area with all I have. My prayers are more and more centered on the members and our investigators. I am learning how to lose myself in the work. They are all I think about. I had some really powerful experiences in my study this week that have really changed me. I am starting to feel the same way the Savior feels for the people. It takes real focus to feel that way all the time but it is so worth it.

I really love being a missionary. I am so excited that I have the chance to do this for the rest of my life. The Savior has been really good to me and this is the least that I could do. Know that I love y'all so much and am so grateful for y'all. Have a great week

Preach Loud, Preach Proud!!!

Love Elder Butler