What a week. I hope I have enough time to throw all this down on an email!!
I'll start off with a wonderful story of a near death experience!! Traveling up to transfers, I drove... with Elder Joseph, Selma, and Van Thiel in the back! It takes about 5 hours to get there, and I was dead tired! During the drive, everyone started sleeping a little bit, and suddenly I started dozing off!! I woke up to "Elder Butler!!!" We started driving into a little dirt ditch thing right next to a mountain wall going about 100k's (around 60mph.) So I turned to the right to get back on the road and fishtailed into the oncoming traffic where a car and a semi were coming at us. I then fishtailed back towards the little ditch and a few more times then finally started going straight again! It was the scariest experience that I've ever been in I think! For the next few minutes.. nobody said anything!!
So there is the kinda bad news for the week.. not even bad! But everything else is good!!
Elder Hopoate seems like the man! He's a lot older.. He's 26. He's very mellow and chill which is good... but also a hard worker! We've taught some solid lessons the last few days and have talked to Heaps of people!
Transfers was still pretty hard even though I wanted to leave! I loved Hawera! It was funny.. in the handbook it says that we're restricted to handshakes. But the people of New Zealand don't understand that! I gave more hugs and kissed more cheeks this last week than I have in my whole life!! It's hilarious!!
So here in Hamilton East, it's solid... let's just say that! We get fed 5/7 days of the week. The people that we're teaching are university students. So tons of the people that we teach are my age!! We had a dinner with some Samoans the other day. One of them, his name was Milo (Mee low) sounded and acted just like Riley!! It was hilarious!!
That is the hard part though I've noticed. They're all my age, so they're all my buddies!! ;) We found some Tongan's the other day by just randomly showing up at their house. They were eating KFC, and they made us sit down on their couch. They brought us plates and napkins, gave us their whole flippin' bag of KFC, and said, "Brotha's, sorry we don't have anything better to give you!" I was like, "What?? You didn't even know we were going to come over!!" It's so sick!! We also had a mean steak dinner at a member's home... wow!! Just thought I'd throw that in there!
So remember when I gave sister Moore's mom a shout out? I realized why! When I walked into church yesterday, Sister Moore, her mom, and her dad were sitting there at sSacrament Meeting!! So I went over and talked to her for a bit! Turns out.. She's a flippin' Lifferth!! We talked about them, and how I used to be over at their house often!! It was hilarious!! ;) She's the bomb!!
More bad news.. I forgot! This was announced by president the other day. There is a preacher coming from America to do a big 3 day fireside thing (if you can even call it that) about anti-mormon stuff! Right in my area!! He's an ex-mormon who's part of the Church of Christ now! So I'm excited to see how that goes!!
But back to my area... MEAN AS!! Everybody we're teaching is from a different country. We met some people from Djibouti the other day.. they were Muslim (oh.. I learned that Muslim women aren't allowed to shake another male's hand by the way!!) But we're teaching two Colombian families that only speak Spanish! But they're keen as!! We're taking them to the visitors center next week to watch the Restoration in Spanish!! :) So sweet!!
Man.. We met the most hilarious people yesterday! We were trying to visit a former investigator and found out that he had moved. But instead, we met Tai and Nia. Tai is a Tongan/Fijian and Nia is Fijian. He is a pastor in the AOG church and when he saw us he said, "Brotha's come get some juice!" So we were all for it! He brings us in and talks to us for a while. So when we're about to leave, I ask "Is it alright if we leave you with a prayer!" and he says of course and asks me to say it. So I get going and during my prayer they're doing the usual "mmm!" "YES!!" "THANK YOU JESUS!!" and the most hilarious one.. I said "Thank you for allowing us to meet these kind people!!" and Tai yells out, "THANK YOU LORD, JESUS FOR BRINGING THESE BROTHAS HERE TODAY!!" I almost broke down.. but instead... I sinned! During my prayer, I was seeing how good of a reaction I could get from them!! It was so hilarious! :)
That's the story for the day ladies and gentlemen!! ;) Hope you enjoyed it all the way from the good ol' NZ!!
Laterz,
Elder Butler
Some of my favorite people right here!! Tom and Stella.
Me and Sis Remihana smiling for a picture!!
My man Terry!! I saw a big change of heart in this man!!
Solid Bob!! I was hoping to see him get baptized during my time.. but he will soon!! 100% positive!
Me and my favorite people ever!! The Taylors!!
Branch president in Hawera and my future missionary buddy!
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