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