Wrapping up

Hey mom!

I can't believe that this is my last week of the mission. The good thing is that we're finishing the week with a baptism! We're baptizing the Elders Quorum President's niece.. We've been teaching her in his house, and it's been super effective. Maybe you should see if someone could come over for dinner next Friday. It's incredible how effective it is to teach people in the houses of members. We've had a lot of success in our area this week. We had 10 investigators at church! Hopefully we'll have more next week. 

Next week, Tuesday after changes Elder B.and I are going to see President Brough! I'm definitely stoked to see him. They're going for 400 this month. Hopefully they'll be able to reach it. 

I'm really leaning towards being an EFY counselor, just to try and give something back. I think the deadline for applications is in May. I'm gonna have to ponder and pray about it. We totally should go to the temple!

I'm super glad that I'm here in this area. I'm so thankful for the experiences that I've had these past two years and I'm looking forward to making more at home with you guys! love ya tons!

Con Amor Eterno,

Elder Butler

Last week of February

Hey mom!

The temple trip was great. I absolutely love it. can't really expound details, but it was so great. I love going to the temple. Hey when I get home we're going to go to the temple more! I think that going once a week is a pretty reasonable goal. I feel like it would be one of the best uses of my time.

Well it's official. I've got my return information. Wow, time has gone by so quick. I can't believe it.......It's going to be a little interesting in our area. We had 2 sets of missionaries in our ward. They're going to close the second area. My companion and I are going to work in all of Barrio Cerro Grande! I'm excited! Our areas really small, so we're going to be able to reach out and find more people! I feel sad, though. Elder Fraughton is easily one of my best buddies in the mission. We thought he might've stayed for one more change.  We're going to need to be firing on all cylinders here in the zone. Our goal for March is 24 baptisms. That'll be the new record for most baptisms in a month in the stake. I just hope we can get it done. Hopefully this last change we'll be able to get some more miracles here. 

I found out last week that yet another person that Elder V. and I visited in Mezquital got baptized. It makes me glad to know that none of our efforts are wasted. 

Well the weather is still the same here. It doesn't really change. Actually, it's been getting a little hotter here. I'm losing weight! I've been drinking more water and I'm not eating tons of junkfood. I'll be coming home with my beach bod.

I can't believe this is my last change. I'm so glad that I've had all this time to serve here in the mission. I'm ready to go out and work with all my heart, might, mind, and strength. Love ya mom! Thanks for everything you do! You'll always be my hero!

Con Amor Eterno,

Elder Butler

New area on fire

Hey mom!

We totally had some miracles this week. Working in the other area has proven to be quite incredible. We had 7 investigators at church yesterday. We have 3 investigators that have accepted fechas in March! I'm so stoked. I love working in the new area. There are a ton of people that have been prepared. We're totally gonna find more people this week. Know it. I'm glad i get to end my mission in this area. The ward is getting so much better here. I love it. 

I'm stoked to come home to the spring time. I totally want to mow the lawn when I get home. 

Well, the zone is doing great right now. We've got a goal to baptize 24 people this month. we're lookin pretty good. A lot of areas are working well. Being a zone leader here has been super genial. I love the missionaries in our zone. It's like an all star team right now. I love it. We're going to have a lot of miracles this month.

I can't believe I have such little time left. I have such little time to do so much. O well. I'm not baggy. I'm working hard and I'm going to return with honor.

I think evertyhing's fine for school......I'd like to apply for some summer work to keep options open. THe only problem is that you have to take care of your own transportation. The civic will die if it's taken out of Ohio (gift of prophecy powers.) But i would totally love the experience to give back to the youth. What would be great is if you could see if there are any job postings around that require someone speaking Spanish. be prepared. 

Hey something that I think we're going to do is make shirts for the zone. It would require just a tad bit of dinero. Also, there's a guy here in the mission that does suits. He said that he could embroider a guatemalan flag into my jacket for 300 quetz. I think it would be kinda rad. ni modo.

Hey we're totally going to see the next conference together! Just to let you know, I refuse to watch it in the house. I have repented of my ways for always sleeping during conference. I will not go back to my own ways. We're gonna go play bball with some investigators today. It's really embarrassing because I've lost all my skill, but there are some really good players here. 

Love ya tons mom!

Elder Butler

February a quiet month so far

Hey mom!

Well this was a better week. things are on the up here in our area. We're finding more people and we've got some more people progressing. God definitely answers prayers. Our ward leaders, though, are really awesome. They're truly converted people and they put a great example for everyone here in the ward. 

Why's everything so cold and frozen? I mean, it's winter, but you guys have now been like that for quite a bit of time now.....I wonder what's going on there. Ni modo. 

I can't begin to tell you how many things I've learned here at the mission. It's made me realize that I truly am a debtor in so many aspects, and that I need to pay my dues. I really want to help this future generation of missionaries be more prepeared. That's a huge motivation I have.

Anywho, I have a determination to just die like a champion. We've got interviews tomorrow. I'm looking forward to being enlightened by Pres.'s advice and spiritual knowledge. 

I'll try to have a little more content next week. I'm on the same brain wave as well, not a lot to tell.

FYI we won't be writing until Friday of next week because we're going to the temple. don't worry. love you guys a ton!

So long January

Hey mom!

Well the conference was incredible! Elder Cook was so awesome! Elder Soares was there was well. Elder Cook needed a translator so it was a little difficult sometimes to focus, but it was way easier to take notes. He told us that we should look at 3 things in each ward and find how we can grow them. 1. attendance 2. spritutality 3. future missionaries. Man it was awesome. He talked about how, on his mission, He was put in an area and needed to start a branch. He and his companion fasted and prayed that they'd be able to find the leadership of the new branch. They were riding home on their bicycles and felt an impression that they needed to stop and tract. They went and ended up baptizing the branch president, relief society president, and many other leaders in just that street. How amazing! I had a similar experience and was able to baptize a former pastor! I've really been trying to focus more on being guided by the Spirit. Well, I learned a ton from the conference. I don't have time sufficient to tell you everything, but I have notes!

Crazy to hear that it's super cold and crazy in Ohio. I've loved that you'll never be able to expect what happens in Ohio. Being a meteorologist there must be a pain lol. Hope you guys and everyone else can be safe!

The weather here has been super sporadic (spelling?). It's super cold in the morning, super hot in the afternoon, and super cold at night. It's the roller coaster of weather here.

Yesterday I ate something called "ravo". It's cow tail. It was really delicious, but super difficult to eat. Here in guatemala many parts of the cow are eaten. I've eaten cow tongue, stomach, liver. I've eaten a matriz de pollo (female part of chicken). All of which were quite delicious. 

I'm super stoked to do family history work with you guys.

Love you guys!

Elder Butler

The work goes on

Hey mom!

Well my new companions name is Elder A. How crazy! I've got another gringo companion. It's been great, though. We had a solid week. We found some new people this week that are pretty solid. Just gonna go out and work hard this week. Our bishop is super awesome. We had a super good visit with him. He's 100 percent behind the mission work. We're gonna start working a lot with the ward. Super exciting times. Also requires lots of faith. They just opened up two new areas in the zone so we've got 10 companionships in the zone. Hopefully we'll be able to get a lot done.

Elder V. went home Tuesday. He was pretty sad to go, but at the same time super happy. He was a good guy. It's so crazy. Now all the legends that I've known are at home now. It's so crazy that I've got so much time now. Saturday I hit the 21 month mark. I'm really old. Don't worry, though, I'm still focused on the work. It's just super crazy. O well. heart might mind and strength. 

That's crazy the high school team is doing so good. Who all's on the team?

Hey guess what? we're going to see Elder Quintin L. Cook and Elder Soares from the Presidency of the 70 the 22nd. Sweet! That's means now I'm going to have seen 2 apostles! How awesome!

Well I find myself with very little to write. I'm super glad that I'm here on the mission. I hope you guys are doing well.

We're starting interviews with President this week in the mission. He wants to talk with us about our goals for this year. It'll be interesting because I'll have to share goals about the mission and what I want to do when I get home. I  think it would be cool to really put my sights on the temple when I get home. It would be cool if you could help me learn how to index and do family history work. What do ya think?

Hope you guys love the sporatic weather. Everyone's telling us how cold the states are right now. enjoy! the weather's always the same here. 

Well, I love you guys a ton. Hope everything goes well for you guys this week!

Con amor etrno,

Elder Butler

Goals - Key to progression

Hey mom!

Well this was a super difficult week. We found a lot of people, though. It's just that I've never had a point in my mission like this where we haven't been able to find a lot of people to teach. IT's all good, though. Great trials bring great blessings. Well I've got 2 changes left. My companion goes home tomorrow. I'll be getting a new companion. It very well may be my last companion. I feel like I'm on a super high point, though. President taught us about the importance of learning and studying the first principles and ordinances of the gospel. It's helped me out so much to put in perspective the commandments and points of doctrine. I feel like I've been learning a ton. I'm almost done with the New Testament! I'll be starting Revelations this week. I'm now on Alma 40. hopefully I'll be able to finish the BOM before the end of the mission. That'll be my 4th read though. Twice in English and twice in Spanish. I love the scriptures. I loved the goal to become an expert from Pres. Uchtdorf. I feel like I've been learning a lot from the scriptures lately. They just open up the windows of revelation. I have to take advantage of the study time that I have here because I totally won't have 3 hours everyday to study. tengo que aprovechar!

Goals are so important. I've been trying to so hard to dial in on the goals. One of the reasons why this mission doesn't baptize a lot is that no one knows how to set goals. I want to be example. I have 2 big ones before the end of my mission. 1. I want to have at least 1 Sunday where we have 20 investigators in church. 2. have 20 baptisms in the zone in March. Before we got sent to Mision Sur, Elder Duncan from the 70 taught us about the way to have more success in our missions and in life. You have to have a vision, goals and plans. You have to write down your goals. ( Harvard studies show that you have 10x more success when you write your goals down.) I'm glad you wrote me about goal setting. I'm going to work on that this week. 

Well I've been a zone leader for a change now. It's a challenging experience. Sometime it feels like a babysitting job. I'm super privileged, though, because I get to learn from all of them. It helps out a lot. I can't believe that I only have 3 months left. I just want to go out with a bang. Just really help out this ward. It's got so much potential. Well tomorrow will be a crazy day. Changes are always so crazy and nerve wracking. WHO WILL BE MY NEXT COMPANION??????? that's probably the biggest question that's on my mind. 

Well, you'll have many details next week. It'll be an exciting new chapter in the story of the mission of Elder Samuel Forrest Butler. Love you guys!

Con Amor Eterno,

Elder Butler

P.S. Thanks for the application stuff. Coach said that I would have to come do a visit so he could see what position I would have to play. It's all good!