Dear Family and Friends:
It was so great to speak to Taft (Elder Butler) via Skype on Christmas day. He is doing great. He’s happy and loving the mission experience, especially the people.
Here are some of his emails from Dec and Jan. I hope you enjoy them.
1-9-2012
Hey so I'm shipping out. Just found out that I'm going to Vancouver 3rd ward(on the other side of the mission-about 2 hours from where he has been serving). I'm going to be greenie busting and district leader as well. I can't wait. (We also found out that he will be biking it again.)
On Sunday I got to confirm Andrew, the little boy we baptized last week. He would've gotten confirmed last week but they forgot about the time change because of the New Year. We went from 1pm to 9am. So they got caught off guard. But, they came yesterday, and i got to confirm him :) As i said the words"...receive the Holy Ghost." I felt this incredible rush of the Spirit. It was one of the most un-forgettable instances of my mission. As i pronounced the blessing, the Spirit would continue to remind me how important this boy was. He's had a lot of "hard" moments in his life. But, he has been such a great example of hope and optimism. I was grateful to have taken part in such a wonderful experience. I hope you guys all have a wonderful week. I love you and take care.
Till we meet again...
Elder Butler
On Sunday I got to confirm Andrew, the little boy we baptized last week. He would've gotten confirmed last week but they forgot about the time change because of the New Year. We went from 1pm to 9am. So they got caught off guard. But, they came yesterday, and i got to confirm him :) As i said the words"...receive the Holy Ghost." I felt this incredible rush of the Spirit. It was one of the most un-forgettable instances of my mission. As i pronounced the blessing, the Spirit would continue to remind me how important this boy was. He's had a lot of "hard" moments in his life. But, he has been such a great example of hope and optimism. I was grateful to have taken part in such a wonderful experience. I hope you guys all have a wonderful week. I love you and take care.
Till we meet again...
Elder Butler
12-19-2011
Hey thanks for the money, and yes i did get the presents. Can't wait to open them. If there is a tie, can i wear it to the Christmas zone conference on Wednesday??? I know it'll be before but it's just one present. Anyways I'll be skyping @ 2:30 pm Christmas day. So i hope that can work, if not then we can try a different time. Sadly i didn't get presents for you or dad. But, i do have presents for the 3 kids. They're in the box i sent home. There's a white watch, a carnigan sweater, 3 CD's, and a camera. The watch and sweater are for Kimball, the CD's are for Alyssa, and the camera is for joseph. I was hoping you could wrap them for them and they could open them when we skype. I'd like to add that there is a sweater and also a nylon jacket. The jacket and everything else in the box stays mine. Those things are things i'd rather not have them have. There's a pair of headphones that i found in the appartment (probably from the last missionaries), a pair of nike shoes ( i had those given to me for my birthday by Pedro the kid i baptized), and the jacket i had before i left but Kimball doesn't need it. If you could wrap those things i would be very thankful. If not then we can just give them to them on Christmas. I love you mom thanks for all that you do. Take Care
Elder Butler
Elder Butler
12-12-2011
Read this : Mark 9: 14-27
This last week has been full of fun and packed with great experiences. I want to talk about one specifically though. A little background information first though. About 2 months ago, when Elder La Rue and i were first put together. We were tracting, and one day as we turned a corner to go down a street we met a woman standing outside, with her 18 month old son, smoking. Just standing outside, talking with a one of her friends. We, being missionaries indulged ourselves and talked with her. As we talked with her , and i say only her because her friend walked right inside the house once we came around the corner :(. As we talked with her, we got to know a little bit about her. Her name was Tasha, she played football in High school, she has 14 siblings, etc. So we talked with her, gave her a book of Mormon, and went on her merry way. And till now we've been going over on and off teaching her about the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith. We also later found out that she was great friends with our ward mission leader, Rob Bready. And as we kept teaching her, she would come up with questions, then we'd answer them, and then she's go study more of it. Long story short, she texted us on Saturday and had some pretty heavy questions about faith. So we had a sit down with her at Bro Bready's house and taught her a little more about faith and how "faith without works is dead." She accepted, and figured she'd go and study a little more on the subject.
Then, yesterday in ward council, she texted us. She had told her dad about what she was doing with the missionaries and that she was going to church with the Mormons. Her dad had grown up in small town Idaho, and had a couple bad experiences with Mormons. So you can imagine how concerned her dad was when he found out that she was meeting with us. And yes He was mad, He flipped, and basically warned her that if she went to church with us, he would disown her. This was definitely not what we wanted. So we went to resolve the concern. We took with us the Young Men's president from the ward, Les Evans. He had had the same experience when he joined the church.
When we got to Tasha's house, she was already waiting for us. It was definitely inspired to bring Pres Evans. He bore strong testimony of what God's eternal plan was for all of us. And how much influence She will have on her family, if she follows what God tells her to do. Sadly he had to leave for a Priesthood meeting, but we stayed a little bit longer. And we continued to talk with her and help her through the situation. We all thought it was funny how she had had questions on faith, and how she could make it stronger. Then God in his miraculous timing throws up this road block in her way, resulting in her having to exercising the most faith she probably has ever had to use. I love God's Irony.
As we continued to help Tasha, i received the prompting to share the story listed up at the beginning of this email. As I rehearsed the experience, the Spirit came upon me very strongly. It's funny because it's doing the same thing right now, even as i write this email. You should have seen Tasha, it was obvious she was feeling the Spirit. Needless to say, she came to church. And wholly acting on faith. BTW, Her Dad to my knowledge still hasn't talked to her. The sacrament meeting talks were self molded for her. They were on Joseph Smith and the First Vision, and faith in Jesus Christ. She loved church. I'm grateful for Tasha's faith, and the desire she has to make her life better, even if this results in her parents leaving her. I hope i will have that same type of faith when God calls me to use it. I know that He loves all of us, and that
He does know best. I know as we have faith in God's commandments, and hearken unto the Holy Ghost, we will be blessed. I know this to be true because I have felt His love, and seen the blessings. I love you all.
Till We Meet Again...
Elder Butler
Then, yesterday in ward council, she texted us. She had told her dad about what she was doing with the missionaries and that she was going to church with the Mormons. Her dad had grown up in small town Idaho, and had a couple bad experiences with Mormons. So you can imagine how concerned her dad was when he found out that she was meeting with us. And yes He was mad, He flipped, and basically warned her that if she went to church with us, he would disown her. This was definitely not what we wanted. So we went to resolve the concern. We took with us the Young Men's president from the ward, Les Evans. He had had the same experience when he joined the church.
When we got to Tasha's house, she was already waiting for us. It was definitely inspired to bring Pres Evans. He bore strong testimony of what God's eternal plan was for all of us. And how much influence She will have on her family, if she follows what God tells her to do. Sadly he had to leave for a Priesthood meeting, but we stayed a little bit longer. And we continued to talk with her and help her through the situation. We all thought it was funny how she had had questions on faith, and how she could make it stronger. Then God in his miraculous timing throws up this road block in her way, resulting in her having to exercising the most faith she probably has ever had to use. I love God's Irony.
As we continued to help Tasha, i received the prompting to share the story listed up at the beginning of this email. As I rehearsed the experience, the Spirit came upon me very strongly. It's funny because it's doing the same thing right now, even as i write this email. You should have seen Tasha, it was obvious she was feeling the Spirit. Needless to say, she came to church. And wholly acting on faith. BTW, Her Dad to my knowledge still hasn't talked to her. The sacrament meeting talks were self molded for her. They were on Joseph Smith and the First Vision, and faith in Jesus Christ. She loved church. I'm grateful for Tasha's faith, and the desire she has to make her life better, even if this results in her parents leaving her. I hope i will have that same type of faith when God calls me to use it. I know that He loves all of us, and that
He does know best. I know as we have faith in God's commandments, and hearken unto the Holy Ghost, we will be blessed. I know this to be true because I have felt His love, and seen the blessings. I love you all.
Till We Meet Again...
Elder Butler
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