July 10, 2013

Dear Family,

Pageant is SO CLOSE! Right as I write the cast is outside rehearsing away in the humidity. Ha ha I don't envy that part of what they do that's for sure!

We start pageant mode at the sites tomorrow. I'll be at the Smith Farm for the next 7 days (we have a regular shift there this afternoon). When we are on pageant mode, we stay at one element of the tour (ex. downstairs log home, upstairs log home, parlor of the frame home, kitchen of the frame home) for an hour and the people come to us. After an hour, we rotate elements so we aren't stuck in the same spot for the whole 6 hour shift. It will certainly be different because you don't have a chance to get to know the people you are presenting the information to. We will all just have to rely on the Spirit to tell us what they need. It shall be a blast! :) After my shift each day (or before if I have a p.m. shift) I'll do my studies, referral calling and sorting and distributing referrals to the sisters as well as pretty much being attached to our phone to answer questions. Somewhere in there we will teach the people in our area. :) It's going to be so great! Next Wednesday I'll switch to being at the BOMPS until the end of pageant. Luckily I get to stay at the White House the whole pageant and will get to sleep in my own bed. We currently have 10 sisters living in the house (the cast trainers started living with us on Saturday night) but it will go up to 11 tonight. Our house is certainly bustling and is the farthest thing from clean, but it will go back to normal at the end of pageant.

As for watching the pageant, Pres. Francis is allowing every missionary in the mission to go once regardless of whether you have an investigator or less active attend with you (the "freebie" time). After that, you can attend as many times as you can bring someone with you. The sisters have the added bonus of watching it when you man a booth. I have 2 booth nights!

As for emailing next week, Sister Killen and I are planning on emailing next Thursday, July 18. We won't have an actual p-day but we will get that hour to email. Hopefully no disasters happen with the schedule that would change that.

This past week has been a busy one. Nothing new, right? Ha ha. Sister Killen and I spent the last part of our p-day making a video for site meeting. Sister Killen knows a lot about video editing, so it turned out really well! You may have seen that they posted it to the Hill Cumorah Visitors' Center Facebook page. Site meeting starts at 7:30 p.m. every Wednesday and we were at the Howell's (a senior couple) editing on their Mac until 7:25. They live about 5 minutes from the Hill so we hurried over and still had to print the schedule so I sent Sister Killen in to do our announcements and borrowed a sister to watch me on the computer while I printed the schedules. We are never never under that much of a time crunch, and of course it had to be this time because President and Sister Francis unexpectedly showed up to site meeting. We didn't think they were coming, but of course the first time I meet them is walking in late to site meeting ;) ha ha they were really nice about it. Everyone loved the movie too! It was a total hit.

I've actually gotten to see the President and Sister Francis and their family a ton this past week. I met President and Sister Francis on Wednesday, had Mission Leadership Council with President Francis on Thursday, had the Meet the President meeting and interview on Saturday afternoon and then took them on tour at Hill later that night. I love them all so much! President Francis is 6 foot 7 and is so funny but serious at the same time. He is one of the happiest people I've ever met. Sister Francis is so kind. They each bore their testimonies and said over and over that they wouldn't be here if they didn't know it was all true. When I took them into the Christus on tour later that day I was able to thank them for their dedication to Christ.

Anyway, I'm about out of time for the week. I am so so so excited for this next week and a half with pageant. Miracles are going to happen at the sites and in our area, I can just feel it!

Thanks for all the love and support! Love and miss you tons. Y'all better let me know ASAP if baby Addi comes!

Love,

Sister Butters