"I would do anything to take this from you."

[The Krueger family from NC found Sister Butler!]

This is what we did being stuck in the apartment all day--Sister Phasomkla from Thailand was sick. :(  Hope you get a good laugh!

Meet Cindy and Joe. "AHHH!"  

"Ahhh!"

"That's enough screaming, Cindy."

Dear family,

What an adventure this week has been. Almost our whole zone got sick with either the flu, a nasty cold, and another thing that I won't mention--or just have all of them simultaneously. Sister O'Reilly and I have been staying in various sisters apartments for the past three days to be with them so their companions can take care of their assignments. That sounds really simple, but when you throw in having to run to different apartment buildings/having to figure out a way to always have a companion/finding assignment covers, it gets kind of crazy. Being sick is so hard! These poor sisters! Thankfully, we have not gotten sick--but I don't want to speak to soon. :)

General Conference is just around the corner! I didn't attend the General Women's Session, but I got to watch most of the talks during an office assignment (scheduling tours/answering phone calls). I think my favorite talk was Sister Stephens (AND President Uchtdorf. He is the bomb!). She gave three examples on how our faith can deepen in Jesus Christ. I loved all the examples, but the third example stood out to me the most: "The Master Healer can comfort and sustain us as we experience painful “realities of mortality,” such as disaster, mental illness, disease, chronic pain, and death". She shared an experience of a young lady named Josie who struggles with bipolar disorder. Sister Stephens reads part of Josie's experience. Josie said she had an experience where she felt at the "apex of mental anguish". She had tears streaming down her face and her mom was in a panic of what she should do to help her. 

Her mother said, "I would do anything to take this from you." 

In Josie's own words: “Meanwhile, the darkness intensified, and when I was convinced I could take no more, just then something marvelous occurred. A transcendent and wonderful power suddenly overtook my body. Then, with a‘strength beyond my own,’ I declared to my mom with great conviction seven life-changing words in response to her repeated desire to bear my pain. I said, ‘You don’t have to; Someone already has.’”

I loved hearing about her experience because I feel like in the midst of terrible anguish and pain, when we feel like we're at the lowest, that the Savior saves and comforts us. Hard and painful things can turn into something beautiful, I'm a huge believer in that.

Just the other day I was at a desk assignment and I started talking to a senior brother in the Church. He had a big camera strapped over his chest and looked like he was having a good time capturing some of the beauty around Temple Square. He said that he likes to capture things that people may not notice. He showed me some of his pictures of plants or objects and they were lovely. It made me think about how often do I overlook the simple things in life that bring beauty and joy, but instead get caught up in the to-do lists and schedules. I'm certainly guilty of that. I'm in one of the most beautiful places and I know I can be so focused on something that I don't even notice the Salt Lake Temple sometimes. I get to be in the heart of the Church. I'm surrounded by beautiful gardens and people from all over the world ready to hear the gospel. AND I'm in a place that was prophesied by Isaiah thousands of years ago! (Isa 2:2: And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.) There is so much to be grateful for!

Anyway, back to this brother. We talked for a little bit and then at the end of our conversation he seemed to get a knowing look in his eye and said, "Sister, you're doing a lot more good than you think you are. You never know what effect your testimony has on people who come here. Just remember that." I really appreciated that. I really needed to hear what he had to say. I thanked God for sending me an angel in disguise to uplift and encourage me that day.

Yesterday we had Zone Conference!! It was really GREAT. I know President Risenmay has the priesthood keys to preside and receive revelation for this mission. He is very close to the Lord. He knows what we need to hear to progress as missionaries and as a mission. There were so many great things I learned, I can't possibly sum it up--or I don't have the time to. One of my favorite things President shared was a journal entry by Hugh B. Brown of his first experience of going into the mission field. He had no training, no companion, and he was scared to death. Read his experience! It was miraculous! https://www.lds.org/ensign/1976/01/elder-hugh-b-brown-18831975-in-memoriam?lang=eng

I love you all! The Church is true. The gospel was once again brought back to the earth. President Monson is our living day prophet who leads and guides the Lord's Church. May God bless you all!

Love,

Sister Butler

Line of the Week:

We were shopping with a sister from Mexico, Sister Pech, and she was trying to find a certain product in the dairy section, but she didn't know what it was called. We tried our best to help.

Sister Butler: "So Sister Pech, how would you use this item normally?" 

Sister Pech: "To eat." 😄