Inspiring Story!

January 8, 2016

Hello, Hello!

It's snowing right now! There is something that is so calming and peaceful about watching snowflakes fall quietly and slowly to the earth. It makes me think, how often do we stop for a second and just observe the beauty around us?

Well, where to start. I'm trying to remember what happened this week, haha.

It has been SO quiet. The last night the lights were on was last Sunday. The Holidays are over and everyone has gone home. What are we left with? A quiet, quiet Temple Square. However, we have been able to take more tours which has been fun!

A couple nights ago sister Chamberlin and I had just a few more minutes of square time before we were to go to dinner. We were walking by the temple model and we started talking to a lady. She was with two young women aged girls and they all had just dropped off a friend/sister of one of the girls off at BYU-Idaho. So they are from Kentucky and they all had the cutest accents! They were so friendly and open, and it reminded me of the people back home! I didn't realize how much I missed the south. So they are from a really small town and they only have a branch, but they are keeping up on missionary work! So one of the young women aged girls, C, was baptized about a year ago. She is 17 now and has such a strong testimony of the gospel. One day the missionaries knocked on her home and her mom answered the door. Her mom started listening to them but turned out not interested, but C started taking the lessons and ended up being baptized. Her whole course in life has changed because she accepted the gospel. She is now planning to attend BYU-I. Before she said she probably would've attended her local college which has a high rate of suicide, amongst other things. I didn't get to talk to her for very long but I could just feel how changed she was and how strong her testimony is. She reminded me a lot of Julie actually. When Julie sets her mind to something she sticks to it and she works hard to reach her goals. I guess it was the personality traits they have in common I was noticing. I just felt so happy that C was able to find the gospel to help her in her life and to reach her potential! It made me so sad to think about what her life would be like if she never found the church. That is why we are trying to spread the truth to all the world, so we can help God's children find where they belong and achieve happiness and salvation...and on and on it goes.

We will be getting a new mission president within the next few weeks so we wanted to do something special for our mission president and his wife. So for Relief Society we did a surprise program for them! This consisted of us singing, reciting poems, and a slideshow. I have never felt so much love in one room for such a long period of time. As zones we sang the EFY Medley, For Good (from wicked), The Lion King opening song with rewritten lyrics that applied to our mission, and We Thank Thee O God for a Prophet (with changed lyrics of course). Many tears were shed. It was touching looking over at the Poulsens wiping away tears. I think it's finally hitting them and us that they're leaving. I didn't get to serve with them for very long, but I sure got to see how they serve with their whole heart! I love them and will forever remember their example.

Well, I think that's it for today! We are having zone activity this afternoon that we need to get to
(games, spiritual activity, and FOOD!). I know it will be fun!

I hope all is well for each of you! May God bless you always!

Love,
Sister Butler