"Light Refreshments"

This is Elder Butler......

Great week! (like usual)

Thank you for all the emails this week! You went to Sister Chudleigh's homecoming? So lucky! She's wonderful! I'm so jealous that you got to see the whole flippin' crew...the Taylors, the Rudds, the Thalmans. MAN...flippin' jealous!

Also--mean lunch with Sister Lifferth? (I think her name is Hanna, but she's still in the missionary zone, so I'll call her Sister Lifferth!) ;) 

I've got nothing but trunky emails lately. Haha, I'm shocked that people actually want me home. I mean, mother you will obviously not be the "ping pong champion" any longer. Dad, the pantry will be empty, and the term "left overs" will not exist anymore. Jaycee and Baylee, I'm still going to tackle the crap out of you both, and tickle you to death! So don't be too excited! ;) I still have ages though, but I'm doing just fine! (A little nervous though!)

So this week we went to a few baptisms. They were really solid! We got permission to leave the zone and take one of our elders to a baptism where he could baptize his former investigator. It was awesome--especially because it was in the Samoan ward. So there was HEAPS of food! Man, Samoans know how it's done when it comes to "light refreshments." I'm pretty sure they don't even understand what that means. After a baptism, the person conducting should say, "Thank you all for coming to the baptism. After the closing prayer, we will meet in the cultural hall for a 9 course meal where we will all eat until we've hit 'throw up point'... thank you again for coming."  I hope you get to experience this for yourself someday so you know what I'm talking about! ;) 

We tracted out two mean families these last few weeks! One is a South African family, and the other is a Maori family! They're both so nice, so hopefully we can help them in the next few weeks so I can tell you more stories! :) 

Well, I have a bit more, but it's not important. So I'm done typing for today, unless you want to email me back and forth...all good! But I love you all heaps! Keep being wonderful! 

The gospel is true!

Elder Butler 

Cool Little Miracles and Heaps of Gifts

Kia ora whanau!

What a hard week! Transfers is always great and sad at the same time! Especially because I know that I probably won't see these fellas again. The hardest thing was when Elder Muli left. He's been our next-door neighbor since day one of Kura! He gave me a sweet Tauvala when he left which is something I've wanted for a while! It was so cool! Love that fella!

This transfer is weird. I wasn't all that pumped for it because I knew I would be gone in a few weeks anyways. But Elder Johnson has now been named my longest companion throughout my whole mission. We'll be together for 4 months, and it's been flippin' solid! I love the bro, and I'm glad he's killing me off! He's a Zone Leader now as well, so I'm not alone in the calling! ;) #relief

We played another mean game of footie at the park on Monday. It was a mean P-Day to finish the transfer off with! We're playing some volley today as well! :)

The work lately has been a bit difficult. Currently we're going through all the former investigators and trying to see if any of them still live there, and are still keen. We've gone through heaps, and haven't found much success. But the other day we had a pretty mean experience. We were walking in the POURING rain, and we saw this lady about 200 ft. ahead of us. We wanted to talk to her, but she was walking too fast, and not very many people like to stop and talk to us in the rain. Then, the heavens literally started dumping, so she hid underneath a tree. It was the perfect opportunity to talk to her, so we rushed over and hid as well. We talked to her for a bit and she was decently keen. Literally the second we finished writing down her details and said our goodbyes, the rain completely stopped and the sun came out. It all happened so fast. It was a cool little miracle! The rain allowed us to talk to her! :) 

We had a funny experience a couple days ago. We were walking down the street and saw this lady who waved at us. So whenever that happens, you immediately go talk to them! ;) We talked to her for a bit, then her husband came out. Long story short.. they were flippin' crazy! Haha, they were from South Africa (obviously crazy) and they talked for EVER! Then she went inside and brought us a gift. It was a little box with heaps of scriptures inside. Then the husband said something to her and she ran back inside and literally brought out every Christian thing in her house for us as gifts! Ha it was hilarious! I have pics, so I'll show you! ;) 

That's about it! I'm doing just fine! I've learned heaps the last few weeks! It's great because I'll study for a little while, then feel like I know heaps, then I'll think of something else to study and realize that I have a ton that I don't know, which allows for more study! It's great! Right now I'm focusing on the Tribe of Judah. I thought I'd study it a bit to realize why I'm from that specific tribe! So hopefully I get some sweet info!

So yah...that's all! I love you heaps! Talk to ya'll next week!

Arohanui,

Elder Butler 

SUMO!!! This is me getting wrecked!! :/

So the SUMO mat is right behind me, but after Bauder wrecked me.. He hobbled over to the stairs and body slammed me off the stage! :) It was so much fun!  

Another pair of kicks down!

Lunch with the bros

Me and the Bro, Muli!

Bus station

Okay.. my face looks ridiculous. I couldn't see! :/ But here's all the stuff that South African lady gave us! ;) 

Best/Worst of Times...The Church is Still True

Kia ora whanau!

Well, I don't have too much to say this week. 

Starting off though--P Day. Oh my goodness...funniest P Day ever! We had a waffle party and a member brought sumo wrestler suits. It was absolutely hilarious, but I got wrecked every time! My socks were way too slippery (good excuse) and I would slip and fall, then just get body slammed by my opponent! It was a great time though. Heaps of people from the zone said it was the best/funniest P day they've ever had! **note from Robin: I will post these pics next week. :) 

We had one of the worst days of all time though a couple days ago. We had heaps of stupid disobedience all at once that we had to deal with. We literally didn't work the whole entire day. We had to go and interview missionaries close and far away, and we didn't get back until about 7pm. We were so emotionally drained, we just went to a member in our bishopric and he cheered us up! It was very, very sad and hard! :( Especially when you love these missionaries a lot, and you really have to get into them and rip them apart! It's just not me, you know? 

Other than that, we had 2 baptisms. It was a beautiful service! Elder Johnson's camera got a virus, and it isn't allowing us to send anything, so it's really bumming me out! :/ But it was a mean as baptism! 

We also had the weirdest Sabbath day of all time. There were so many false/weird things taught during class. It was hilarious! Finally, Elder Johnson and I just had to get up and "go to the bathroom." The struggle is real on the mish...it's always nerve racking bringing investigators to church ESPECIALLY during Fast and Testimony meeting. Oh my dear goodness, testimony meeting is the worst. I shake with fear the whole time. When someone starts walking up to the pulpit, I'm thinking/praying in my mind, "Please don't say something stupid, please don't say something stupid!" Our poor investigators are wondering why everyone goes up to the pulpit and just starts bawling! :) It's flippin' hilarious.. but bad at the same time. Luckily, the church is still true! ;)

Well...Hanna killed her talk! It was awesome! Thank you for sending it to me, and I'm glad you guys got to go! 

I miss you heaps! I hit my 1 month left mark a couple days ago...that's weird. But all good...I'm still pushing along just fine! 

So yah...that's all! Love you heaps!

Elder Butler 

#baptism

Penguins out! 

The Bros! 

Hokimate :)

Kia ora everyone!

I shouldn't tell you that I've gotten trunkier in the last 5 minutes, but I have! ;) The mish life is flippin' mean as, but honestly, I can't even remember my life back home almost. I feel like I've been in New Zealand my whole entire life, and knocking doors is the only thing I've ever known! I know that sounds ridiculous, but it's true. I was telling Elder Johnson about some of my stories from back home with my friends, and I couldn't even remember what their last names were! What the flip?! :/ Oh well... It's all good though! 

Alright, trunkiness is gone... 

Okay... flippin' Hanna got home! My goodness! Also President & Sister Rudd, Elder Zesiger, Elder Tibbitts, and heaps more! MAN!!!!! Okay... NOW my trunkiness is over! 

So, this week was pretty solid! We had a pretty cool experience with a lady named Hokimate (Ho key ma tay). We were tracting the other week when we found her. She wasn't very nice to us in the beginning, so we weren't too keen on returning. But, we went back to her house a few days later, and she was the same. So a week went by and we were in the area, and we decided to stop by again...who knows why? This time, she was completely different. She was a less active for about 40 years, and she wasn't too excited when she saw us coming over, but then she said she felt the spirit for the first time in 40 years when we walked through her gate. So it must have been time for her to start making her way back. It was a wonderful thing to hear! We continued to visit her throughout this week, and she loves us. We finally shared a message with her, and she's working on coming back to church! We'll get her there!

 Also, we've been playing 5x5 ball on Friday nights at the Rec center for our 8:00 finding activity. It's mean as. And we've been balling with this fella named Jordan. We've gained a really solid relationship with all of those fellas because we have been playing really well! :) But one day, we went and knocked on Hokimate's door, and Jordan answered. It's her flippin' son! So we found a mean part-member family!

Also during ball, I became good mates with a North-African fella. He's a Muslim, but he's nice as. He said to me, "Man, I really respect what you guys do. These fella's have heaps of good things to say about you as well!" He was nice as. He just moved here from Denmark, so he's the flippin' man. Good baller as well! 

So we have a new Mission President now. I haven't even met him yet. But I have an interview with him tomorrow, so that should be sweet! He's from AUS, so he has to be a bit weird! ;) I'm going to miss President and Sister Rudd though, they were the flippin' bomb! I love them so much! 

We're having a 4th of July waffle party today. That should be pretty solid.. all thanks to the FACs (Fun activities coordinators) aka Elder Butler & Elder Johnson. Elder Bauder was the FAC for a while but we had to release him because he wasn't magnifying his calling, but all good! ;) Also, one of the Stake Leaders is bringing over the massive SUMO suits for us to fight each other with.. It should be flippin' solid! ;)

Alright.. That's about it. I can't remember much more because I forgot to write down my "email moments" throughout the week. :/ But I hope you're satisfied with this email! ;) 

I love you all heaps! 

Elder Butler