Christmas Eve Skype with Elder Butterfield! 12-24-12

We got to skype with Elder Butterfield for about two hours.  It was so fun to talk to him.  These are the people that were there: Mom, Dad, Jessie, Rachael, Allie, Corey, Savannah, Lily, Grandma Beverly.  These are some of the things that he told us:

More details about the knife attack in Los Angeles.  After they told the guys to leave the girl alone, the girl ran away and a couple of the guys started chasing his companion one direction. Another guy tried to cut Nate's face but he got away and a couple of guys chased him.  He got back to their house and his companion wasn't there yet.  Soon his companion made it back and then all the missionaries prayed (there were four that lived there). The guys left and the missionaries didn't see them again.  One of the neighbors said that one of them had a gun.

Lupe's sisters are getting baptized.

More details about the man that was healed in the hospital.  After he left the hospital he told his sister that the man that healed him was in white and was shining.

He asked about Elder Corliss. We told him we talked to him and we are going to take him to lunch in a couple of weeks.

He was really happy about Miguel because he had to change the most and he is happy.

 

They got a cat for a day.  Someone asked them if they wanted a cat and they said yes and then they got home and said, "What are we doing?  We can't have a cat..." So, they went back out to find someone else who wanted it.  They found a home for the cat. He told us that was a p day.

They live in a little house behind a member family's house. They were calling from this family's house. They were going to have dinner with another family at 9 pm and then were coming back at 11 pm to open presents with the family. They have a little boy who is about 5 years old. They will work on Christmas day. Christmas eve is really the holiday there.

He got a letter from president Uchtdorf.

He will come home either mid October or the second or third week of November.

He's been bitten by dogs a lot.

 

Tell Kayla that a dog ate her letter. He is writing her another one. In Chile "the dog ate my homework is a legitimate excuse..."

 

The bishop of their ward told them that soon President Monson is coming there to talk to the members about the temple because they have been waiting so long for the construction to begin.  He is excited about that.

December 10th - 17th San Pedro

From 12/10/12

I lied my comp is from Chile!!! from Viña del Mar. He is a convert of a year and he is really cool. This area is like the richest in our whole mission and it is really hard to work there. But we are trying to help the members get helping us and find somebody to teach. I am kinda scared for this area but we will make it work. I don’t have much time today to write but pray that we can find more people to teach!

From 12/17/12

Well let me tell you about our week. It was pretty good. We have been trying to find people to teach and we have found a couple. It’s really hard cause everyone is leaving town and they are rich and too cool for missionaries. We have been working with the ward more often too and starting to get them more excited. My companion is an English professor so we are going to start up summer English classes to help kids that struggle and help families that way. We are really excited for that!!

Like every day here it rains and then the sun comes out really strong and I am like dying from all the changing of weather!! I sound like a dying toad when I talk!

And everyone here is freaking out about the end of the world.. Its kind of funny sometimes what the people say to us. I get along really well with my companion! He is really nice and loves everyone so we have been really good together.

Lupe is going crazy cause I cannot be with her for Christmas.. sad day but it will be good here too. Miguel is doing really good. I will let you know when he gets the priesthood. It is really tough here but we are getting better. We made really good friends with the bishop and this Sunday we are making a mission plan for the ward so that the work is more organized and the ward is actually involved. Our goal is to serve a lot and teach the members. So the work might be a little slow but in the end it will be permanent. So that’s about it!! And I will be talking to you in a week!!! yay!!!!! I love you all!!

 

 

December 3, 2012 Leaving Talcahuano

Hey family!!!

I am doing really well. The baptism of Miguel went really well. I just felt a little silly cause I forgot one word in the baptism prayer and I had to re baptize him.. But he was really happy and we went to his house after.

I am kind of sad too cause I am leaving this ward. I have had more time here than any other area and right before Christmas I have to leave... Lame.. But I am going to a cool place called San Pedro. It is a really rich sector. I mean like mansions everywhere. So I am excited and my companion is a Mexican named Elder Arraya. Or something like that... But I am really excited and sad at the same time. Today I have to say goodbye to Lupe... Sad day but it’s all good. There is not much other news.

And hopefully I will meet some cool people and have a good Christmas in San Pedro even though I would rather be here. And dad that is so funny about the camels. I see dogs people everything doing that here... Its kinda bad... hahahaha I love ya man take cool pictures at the football game!!!!

November 26, 2012 Talcahuano

Hey fam!

This week was pretty good, kind of slow in some parts, but the good thing is we have a baptism on Sunday and it’s the first man that I will be baptizing in my mission!! His name is Miguel and he has changed a lot to be baptized.  He feels a positive difference in himself so it’s really cool. His wife is a member who has a problem with smoking so this should help her be more motivated to quit so they can reach all their goals together.

My comp is doing good. I am kind of scared they might change me since I almost have five and a half months here... And that would be lame cause I wouldn’t get to be here during Christmas with all the people that I have gotten to know and love... Lame!!! But there is always a crazy chance that I might stay.... who knows. But other than that we are doing really good. Teaching some families and just working like always. We are getting more lessons with the members which is a really big goal for us cause they don’t have a habit of working with the missionaries very often... so we are trying to change that state of mind. It has not been easy cause this whole month our mission has not been knocking doors so we have to only work with references from members! It’s been tough but I think once it starts working it will work really well!!

Anyway I am excited for Sunday and Christmas to talk to uh... what was it called... oh yea! family!!!! wooo! Love ya all bye!

November 12, 2012 Talcahuano

Wow those are cool pictures. I definitely want to help with that in the future (the campaign). I was soooo mad I didn’t get to register in time to vote. And I have gotten all of my other packages just keep forgetting to tell you haha. 

And this week Lupe and Rayen got baptized!! It was so cool to be in the water again. It’s the only time I get to swim for another year. I made a goal with the Lord that I will have two people ready for baptism every month. So they were really happy and they got confirmed and everything and Lupe told me after church that a sister from the relief society said oh I can’t believe someone would get confirmed in jeans!!!! And Lupe felt really sad. She is the most loving person too. Wow did I feel anger... we had to tell her to forgive and forget and keep her sight on Jesus Christ. But really I know now that one little comment can ruin someone’s salvation. It’s so bad. But she said she will keep going to that class and the bishop is going to talk to that sister before I do... I am calm now but boy I got a glimpse of what it must feel like when someone does something mean to a kid as a parent.. but she is happy and fine. Tonight we are going to teach her about family home evening. 

And Mom, when Lupe found out I was sick she went crazy and sent me a whole bunch of medicine and commanded me to take it kind of like you would do!! I love you!

Also this last week another man named Miguel who we have been teaching has just been going to church on his own and we started to teach him and challenged him to get baptized on the first of December. He looked at us with a big smile, almost with tears and said yes, yes I will. I know it’s true. His wife is a member and he has never wanted to listen to the message but at an activity in the church I spent the whole time getting to know him and invited him to listen and now he has felt the difference in his own life. We also found out that he - on his own after reading what we left him - he just started to read the Book of Mormon from the beginning and he loves it. Then we shared a scripture with him in Mosiah 2:41 which is now my favorite scripture where it says we are blessed in everything we do temporally and spiritually when we keep the commandments and I asked him if he has felt that difference and he bore his testimony how now he has a lot more love for his family and the people he works with. He is so smart and understands everything. And this will be my first head of the house baptism. I am so excited for him. 

So we are doing good. And Elder Arnold, a seventy, came and basically told us to not contact doors anymore. We are only working with the members. 

Now the big miracle. Last Sunday a sister ran up to me after church and said please go to the hospital to give my nephew a blessing. He is dying. So we ran to the hospital and they let us in to the part where all the people in critical condition are. He was connected to all the machines and tubes were coming out of his body and it looked bad. But when I put my hands on his head I felt the power of the priesthood. I can’t explain it but I did and in the blessing I felt inspired to say that he would be ok and would live longer to be with his family. Well we didn’t know what happened until yesterday in church when she came up to me and just said thank you for having faith to act on the spot. He has a sickness that hardly anyone in the world has - some kind of pneumonia and his life percentage was five and he went flat line twice. He died twice. And after the blessing the worst part of his sickness was suddenly gone. He is out of the machines and tubes and preparing to leave the hospital. That power of God is real I felt it and it healed a man who was almost dead. That’s why we have to live worthy of the priesthood. It’s real. I saw God do a miracle with that power through me and now I am a witness that it is real. Never doubt it family!! We are doing really well - just working. I love you all and hope you are well.

November 5, 2012 Talcahuano

Hey mom. We are doing good. We are baptizing Lupe and Rayen on Friday. I am going to baptize Lupe and my companion, Rayen. So that’s pretty cool.

Yesterday I fell with a fever and gross mucus and I feel super sick today and yesterday. So I think I have to go the doctor yay. It stinks being a missionary sick… But we are doing really well. Sorry my letter is short but I am wanting to go rest a little bit today.

October 29, 2012 Talcahuano

Hey family!! I am almost a year old in the mission and I have been thinking a lot about the changes in me… wow… sorry for the kid you had to deal with before... But this next year will be a lot better with the knowledge that I have. I really hope to just work hard and let the Lord work through me.

Lupe is just incredible. She wants us to be teaching her every day. We are reading the Book of Mormon with her and her family right now and we are teaching her sister Elda who is twenty and has been going to church with her and we are hoping to put a baptismal date with her tonight. If you guys come out here you have to meet this family!!

Today we are going to a zoo that is close to our sector so we will take lots of pictures.

We also still are teaching two other people that are coming to church and are progressing very well and me and my companion last week worked our tails off and we are sooo tired today haha. I felt like a zombie this morning from all the walking.

So we are doing good. It’s sad that I probably won’t be here for Christmas with Lupe and this ward. We have transfers on the 4^th of December and I will almost have 6 months here by then so I will go I think. I want to get a really nice gift for Lupe and her family. They get baptized on the 9 of December just so you know!! Keep praying that all goes well!! They are excited but nervous for their baptism.

I am well but there is not much else to say! We are good. Oh and this Christmas will be my last one and then I’ll be home for Christmas!!! Bye!

October 22, 2012 Talcahuano

(To Dad)

Yay Gators!!!!! There is an Elder from Gainesville in my zone and we were talking about our trips there!! HAHA bye bye to the Game cocks!!! That’s cool. I love the Cheezit picture you just made me trunky for Cornbelly’s and cheezits!!! We are doing great here.

Lupe is incredible. She really didn’t want to give up coffee but she just did it and now she is used to it. She and her daughter will be baptized for sure in November and her sister is really interested too so hopefully we can help her get baptized too. We have some other investigators too that should be baptized in November so we should have five!!! We are praying for that.

The mission is putting a lot of pressure on us to just baptize and that’s getting hard. Sometimes I feel like we pray and maybe there just aren’t people or I am not doing or working hard enough so I am trying to be better but it gets hard when our leaders are just telling us to baptize and do it now. But we are being really patient with our investigators so they are converted not just baptized. So we are really doing good.

I am trying to gain more faith and be more humble and it is really hard. I have a lot to get rid of still from my past but I am a lot different than a year ago for sure. I hope I can learn to be more humble and faithful this next year. My comp is great we have a lot of fun teaching and just working. I love him. I have been lucky with my companions. We are good.  Just working and trying to baptize five this next month. Love ya all. Have a fun Halloween!!!

(To Mom)

Ya, I love that idea. That would be soo fun and cool!!! Mom I can’t believe it. Elder Corliss is home... He wrote me and said he is finding time to come see you guys.. That is soo weird. I am so close to a year.. And the other day President walked up to me and said almost done with the first and you won’t even see the second.... Jerk haha. But we are good keep praying for our investigators this next month to be baptized!!

October 16, 2012 Talcahuano

Hey family!!!! 

So this last week Satan was like trying to kill us and I know why. Lupe is a miracle for us. The impression that we got when we first saw and taught them has proven to be true. She is one who God has been preparing for us. We have taught her and her sister and her daughter, of course, almost every day. They came to church and loved it and are very excited. We have their baptism dates for the tenth of November. I can’t believe her faith. She is so humble and full of the light of Christ that she just knows what we say is true. The spirit just testifies to her and she accepts. Yesterday we taught her the word of wisdom and she accepted it and the law of tithing and even though it will be hard for her to give up coffee she is just willing to do it. 

Also, Miguel, the husband of a member accepted baptism and is preparing. Hopefully he can get baptized here soon too. We have another lady we found who loves the Book of Mormon and wants to go to church and is very interested. And another family of three that we found that we are going to teach again tonight. They all have quite a bit of interest in the gospel. We are going to go for 8 baptisms in November. 

Mom thanks for all that service you are doing and I hope this news helps. We could baptize 8 people so please everybody pray for these people especially Lupe and Rayen and Elda. I don’t know if I have ever felt the love of God so strong for anybody besides my family. Marcos is having a little bit of a hard time but we are trying to keep helping him. He will walk with faith. He is cool. 

Today will be interesting I am going to work with president… He wants to work with me to visit a less active member and then I think we are going to take him to meet Lupe. I love our president. He is soo loving and so powerful and I love him a lot. So the adversary is trying to kill us right now cause we are going to at least bring 8 of God’s children back to him. I am so grateful for this gospel and I am glad everything is good back home!! I love you all!

October 8, 2016 Talcahuano

Well family this last week has been a great week. We had conference which was so incredible. I am so excited that Jess can leave on a mission soon. She will be such a light to the world!! She is right now but as a missionary? Cool beans!! There is no other word for it. 

This week we had some miracles happen. We have been struggling with helping investigators progress but this week we contacted a family. It was a mom with two daughters. When I saw her something was trying to tell me not to talk to her. So I did. And she and her family just glowed with the light of Christ. And when we asked if we could pass by and share a message with her she accepted right away. I assumed she was a member or something. But no. We got to the first lesson and she has never shared with missionaries. She said she had been to some other churches but she did not like it. Well, we taught her about prophets and apostasy. She understood and knew what we said was true because the spirit touched the Light of Christ that she has. Then she told us a story that shocked me. When she was just a little girl both of her parents died at the same time from cancer. She said that she would like to know why and where they are. Well that put tears into my eyes knowing that we have the answer that she has been searching for her whole life. We testified that God does have a plan. We have another lesson with her today. Her name is Lupe and she has two daughters - one who is ten, Rayen, and one who is like three or four. Her husband left her and she just lives with her sisters and some of them also are interested. I have never seen someone so humble and loving. She just beams with light and I know she will be able to recognize the truthfulness of this message. I love them so much and all the hard times and failure in the work and in my own life have paid off to be able to finally be guided to people who really need the gospel in their lives. 

Also, the husband of a member finally let us teach him and he is progressing very well. We are happy and I hope sooo much that Lupe and her daughter get baptized. Please pray for them!! Thanks for your prayers. I am so grateful for the atonement, that even me, one of the most imperfect things on this planet can receive forgiveness to be able to help others with the gospel. 

I love you all and Jess turn in your papers and come on down to Chile to the mission celestial!!! Tee hee!!