Holy cow.. I'm fighting back tears reading all your letters. I absolutely love them so much. You guys are the best. Thank you for all the support back home! It means so much to me. I have the best family and friends in the world!! Sometimes it breaks my heart being away for so long, but then I bounce back and remember that because I'm away.. I have the opportunity to change families so they can have similar blessings as mine. It's amazing! Speaking of families.. We had a man come to us the other week with his wife.. He doesn't like to talk much, but he's way nice. He wanted to know more about the gospel after Peter's baptism. We went and talked to him about a week later. He REALLY wants an eternal family now, and wants to bless his family with the priesthood. So it was as easy as that. We're having our fourth baptism soon. It's the best feeling ever when somebody comes up to you wanting to know how they can change their lives.because the message we have to share with everyone is better than anything they could ever imagine.
So that's that...It's been a great week. Iakopo is getting baptized soon, We have 4 new investigators, and the work is just great.
So as missionaries, we are always trying to find different ways to find people to teach. We use street contacting, tracting, and singing songs.But Bishop came up to me and Elder Prasad this last week and wanted us to go to mutual and interact with the nonmember boys during an activity. So we went... they were playing ball. I was more than excited. I walked into the gym and looked down... We had to play in our suits. The boys quickly invited us to play.. not knowing what they were getting themselves into. So i took off my shoes and played in my socks... I'll never forget the looks on their faces after i got a steal and threw it down with two hands in my suit and tie with no shoes. It was the perfect opportunity for me to get to know these fellas because after that...they wanted to know me too!! ;)
So that was the good part about basketball.. now for the bad part. I played in no shoes. After we were all done, I noticed my feet absolutely killed. I took off my socks and had 3 massive blood blisters on the balls of my feet and my toes. I was not too excited knowing i had to walk a ton the next day. They killed me to the point where i didn't even want to walk on them...It sucked. So the next day, I found some tape, and rolled my feet in athletic tape. It was the worst couple days of tracting I've ever had.
Just one thing i thought was kind of funny.. In gospel doctrine... The teacher was feeding us the worst false doctrine i've ever heard. To make it even better, It was about marriage, and how many wives you can have. I couldn't help myself but just laugh.. even the bishop busted up when we told him:) So i'm going to come home with some "new knowledge."
So here's a cool story about the history of the church in New Zealand. In 1881 the Maori people of the Ngati Kahungunu tribe had a convention because the people wanted to know which church was the right one for the Maori race. So they asked their most respected leader Paora Potangaroa. And he said "Taihoa" (wait) so Potangaroa fasted and prayed for many days until he finally found his answer.. and this is what he said in his own words. "The church for the Maori people has not yet come among us. You will recognize it when it comes. It's missionaries will travel in pairs (Elder Butler, Elder Wangsgard). They will come from the rising sun. (I came from the East). They will visit with us in our homes. They will learn our language, and teach us in our own tongue. When they officiate, they will raise their right hands." Soon after, mormon missionaries came and baptized 10% of all the Maori people in New Zealand. People are keen as to learn the gospel. That's why the work is so great!!
Another cool story.. A Maori chief a long time ago prophesied in Hamilton on a certain area that there would soon be a house of the lord on this very spot. And they will do work for our dead. The Hamilton New Zealand Temple now sits in that very spot.. The Church is true everyone.
That's all i have for now.. I don't have as much time today!! But I love you all!!
ka kite,
Elder Butler
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