"Missionary Vacation"

Hey everyone!! :) 

It was such an amazing week!! And I'm way pumped to tell you all about it!! 

I'll start off with the fun/crazy stuff, then get to the spiritual stuff to finish it off!! We went on a "missionary vacation" to Hamilton on Monday-Wednesday. It was so fun!! We stayed in Elder Seoul and Elder Ngungutau's flat and played volley and ate their food all night. (well... till 10:30 of course!! :) ) 

Okay... I don't know if i told you this story already.. but who cares. We have sports night every Wednesday here in Hawera. We were playing basketball and they called all the missionaries over to play and get in line so they could pick teams. I was thinking to myself.. alright i'll just play and take it easy since i'm in my proselyting clothes. So they picked 2 captains and started picking teams. I WAS THE LAST PICK!!! (Without sounding cocky) That has NEVER happened before!! So my thoughts changed... alright.. i'm going to absolutely smash these guys... because that was embarrassing!! ;) So long story short.. I hit everything.. had three dunks.. and just shocked everyone there... so I've been the first pick ever since!! ;) 

Alright... The reason we went to Hamilton, like i told you last time, was because we were going to see Elder Bednar on my birthday. Man... he is so amazing!! We were supposed to come "seeking for answers!!" But i didn't really feel like i had any questions in the first place. So i just enjoyed to spirit that was there along with Elder Bednar, Lynn G. Robbins, and a few other 70's. But close to the end of his address he bore the most simple but powerful testimony of the Book of Mormon i've ever heard. I've always had a decent testimony of the Book of Mormon, but I've been frustrated with the promise in Moroni 10:4-5. I felt like i haven't received an "answer." But oh my goodness... When he said "The Book of Mormon was translated by Joseph Smith by the power of God," I felt something... and it was a feeling that has only occurred a few times in my life (going through the temple for the first time being the other.) It was unbelievable!! It took me reading the Book of Mormon 3 times.. and putting in tons of effort.. to finally receive my answer!! But I am more than grateful for that experience!! Oh.. I finished the Book of Mormon again yesterday morning by the way. 

So after that.. I was on cloud 9. I thought my birthday couldn't get any better. But then my boys took me out to eat! They bought me Subway. I had 18in of Subway. We ate it at a lake in Hamilton. It was too funny.. There were ducks and Pukekos (i think that's how you say it) all around us while we were eating!! After that we chilled with the sisters for a bit and got ice cream at Mcdonalds. There was a member at Mcdonalds and he put 10$ in Elder Waldron's pocket and left. So we went to the grocery store and bought 2 birthday cakes!! :) I ate SOOO much!! :) It was definitely in my top 3 birthdays ever!! 

That's all for the week!! It was so great!! :) I love you all!! Ofa Atu!! :) Miss you all heaps!! :)

cheers!!

Elder Butler