June 13, 2013

Dear Family,

How is it the last week of the transfer? I'm still in denial that Sister Aiello and Sister Madsen are going home.

Tonight is their last site meeting :'( It makes me so sad! The White House isn't going to be the same without them.

The sites have been super busy but also super fun this past week. When we have morning shifts at the sites, it makes it a little hard to do our studies. A lot of the time we don't even have time to do ANY of our studies until after our shifts because we are taking tours the whole time. It makes it hard because then we have to go home and study instead of going out into our area. I have to keep telling myself and the other sisters what it says in Doctrine and Covenants 11:21, "Seek not to declare my word, but first seek to obtain my word, and then shall your tongue be loosed; then, if you desire, you shall have my Spirit and my word, yea, the power of God unto the convincing of men." We aren't doing ourselves or anyone else any favors if we don't obtain the word and the Spirit through studies. Ha ha I had to explain this to some of the zone leaders this week. A lot of our current zone leaders haven't ever served around the site sisters until now, so they aren't really sure how it works. One called me concerned about why some of the sisters don't have as high of numbers in their proselyting areas as the full proselyting sisters. I just laughed and smiled and explained things to him that about 6 hours of each of our days is spent at the sites which means it's 6 hours less in our proselyting area. He was very understanding and genuinely didn't know. It was just funny!

As you already know, I got to take a bunch of people from the Singles' Ward on tour this week! It was so fun to see them! Kind of crazy to think it's been almost a year.

Last Friday was our last Mission Leader Council with the Christiansons :( So sad to see them doing their lasts of everything. The meeting was great though. We talked a lot about what the prophetic priorities are for the next six months (aka things President Monson has told the mission presidents to focus on). Things like understanding the role of women in the church, separating the difference between the priesthood and those who hold it (meaning not to call men "the priesthood" but call them "members of the priesthood.") The whole time I was to grateful to know that we have a prophet here on the earth today. The assistants also did a training on becoming more profitable servants. So much of what I needed to hear!

Oh, we also had zone conference yesterday. It was supposed to be in the Sacred Grove but right as it was about to start it started pouring rain! We all got SOAKED! But it's ok, the conference was still amazing as usual. And... we won the gold plates again! Ha ha not only one of the cars, but both of the White House cars! And... also the elders in our district! It's never happened before that 3 cars won the gold plates and it was crazy that our whole district did. Talk about unity, right?

Anyway, I'm about out of time. This week is certainly going to be a crazy one with the transfer coming. I don't know who my new companion will be yet and I don't know for sure when my P-day will be next week. It will probably be Thursday or Friday. It definitely won't be Wednesday because of the new sisters meeting. Wish me luck!

Love you all SO MUCH! Thanks for all the love and support. Love you times a billion!

Love,

Sister Butters