Week 87

Here is the latest letter from Jacob. The weeks are passing quickly and soon it will be August 15th and he will be home. The time has passed so quickly. "Hey there everyone!  Thanks a lot for the letter and the moral support, we had a very solid week and I'm really getting excited to work this week.  There's not much new, we've been very busy and this week we're going to be much busier, but it keeps me going.  It wasn't as hot this week, and we're almost done with the hottest month of the year.  Next Wednesday, we're going to head up to an old castle called San Juan if you wanna look it up, I'm sure everyone will want to visit Veracruz in the family...  That is kind of a tough part of The Book of Mormon, but there's all sorts of treasures to find too.  That's a very interesting find in New Mexico, what else do we need to prove the truthfulness of The Book of Mormon?  That's wonderful news about the Church, I hope Mitt Romney gets a shot at anwsering questions about the Church and bearing testimony of it, maybe he could pass Obama a copy of The Book of Mormon...  Who's he going to run with?  We saw an article in the paper about the Church down here, I have no idea why it was printed but it mentioned that a Bishop of a local ward slipped in soapy water and possible fractured some bones.  It was the strangest article I've seen in awhile.  Haha, we sent off our third companion for a few days to cover a sick missionary's spot. Well, thanks for your prayers, I hope everything goes well with the family.  I'm trying to work the hardest I can knowing that the time is ticking away, just keep on praying for me and the people that I'm here to teach.  I love you all and I can't wait to hear from you next week! -Elder Butterfield

Week 86

Well no email today because we talked/skyped with him on Sunday. It was so nice to hear and see him It was a nice visit with him. No post this week.

Week 85

So excited to get my last skype/phone call with Jake before he is home for good. Here is his latest letter. "Hello!  Sorry I couldn't write on Monday, it was a busy day.  I'll certainly be calling on Skype around 4:00 on Sunday, don't miss it!  We only get 40 minutes to talk (new rules) but it should be alright.  Yesterday, we went to the Zone Leaders' Counsel and afterwards President took us to see La Laguna Verde that is the only nuclear power plant in all of Mexico.  It was quite an amazing sight I must, I'll explain a little more on Sunday.Thanks and I'll talk to you soon! -Elder Butterfield

Week 84

Well here it is week 84 and here is Jacob's latest letter. "Hey there!  What a pleasure it is to hear from you all!  It's actually been scorching hot here, but I'm constantly rubbing sunscreen on my face and arms.  It was a tough week, but also a blessed week.  We were given the priviledge of helping a couple get married and baptized in a little branch where there are no missionaries.  They had been going to Church for more than a year, but they weren´t married because the man needed to get divorced (something difficult to do in Mexico).  They were baptized in one of the gourgous beaches here in Veracuz.  Thanks a lot for sending me my schedule, when do you want me to return home? This week there are going to be some transfers in the zone and we're going to receive another companion who has had a tough time recently.  I'm really excited to get out and work and do everything I can for the people here. Could you tell my sisters to write me?  Haha, I certainly appreciate their letters of support every once in awhile.  Well, tell Pat that I say hi all the way from Veracruz.  I'm struggling but I'm certainly growing and experiencing the power of the Atonement.  There was never any event of equal importance neither will there be in our history and existence.  I declare that Jesus Christ lives and that He knows and loves even the worst of sinners.  His grace and mercy are great enough to defeat any affliction of ours, there is not much more to preach about, there is not much more to study about when one begins to understand the shere awesomeness that is the Atonement of Our Lord and the Sacrifice of Our Father in Heaven who withstood the pain of watching His perfect Son suffer without a single complaint.  I love the Lord and we must offer a sacrifice similiar to His if we are to become His disciples. -Elder Butterfield

Week 83

Well here we are at week 83 can't believe it. The time is slowly winding down and I am looking forward to my last phone call from Jacob before he is home. Here is his latest letter. "Hey there, thanks a lot for the email!  What did Elder Wilson speak on?  Is the Stake going to split?  Thanks for going to the temple, it is the best way to pass a Friday night.  Could you send me my schedule and the classes I'm going to be taking?  I'm not opposed to taking an extra Math class.  If you feel like I should live on campus again that's perfect, I would probably like living in apartments, but on campus is fine too.  The weather is fine here, just really hot, it's tough walking around all day in the sun, but I'm always sure to put on sunscreen or as they call it here, ''bloqueador.''  I'm not in need of anything right now, I just always enjoy the packages with random things inside.  We had a tough week because no one showed up to Church, but we're putting our trust in the Lord.  I really want to finish up strong and I don't want to waste time either.  It's time to be converted and stick it out, I'm really going to have to rely on the Atonement for focus and strength.  It's been such an amazing experience, I really don't want to come back the same.  I look forward to talking with you all on Mother's Day, and I'm sure you all too.  I love you all for the constant sacrifices you've made for me and because you didn't give up on me when I acted poorly.  It's a true lesson in patience and I thank you for teaching me it.  Well, I better get going, it's time to work!   Love you all, -Elder Butterfield

Week 82

I am totally caught up on letters and I will try really hard to keep it that way for the last few months. Here is Jacob's latest letter along with a couple of pictures.

"Hey everyone! I thought Erica would be headed to Canada, but I guess it will be even colder than I thought!  Elder Gunther, my former companion, has a brother that served there and I hear it gets pretty chilly; and we thought we had it bad in Wisconsin...  Haha, that wonderful news, I believe Erica will be in the MTC for quite a while, maybe I'll be able to write them.  I'm doing fantastic here and I'm really set on working hard to help out the mission and the Lord.  This week we found a number of new people and although everything wasn't perfect, we ended very well.  On Saturday we were blessed to enter the temple with one of the converts from my first area (my companion had met her too) and I did the work for her late husband in the initiatories and the endowment.  She was then sealed to him in a very brillant and spiritual ceremony.  I love this Work and I am amazed at the mercy and the love the Lord has for us.  On Sunday we ended the week with a baptismal service of a young boy named Gabriel.  It has been a week of pure miracles.  I hope you share these experiences with Mitch and Erica and I will certainly let them know too.  Thanks for sacrificing so much for me and I love you all. 
 
-Elder Butterfield

Week 81

Here is the latest letter from Jacob.

"Hey there everyone, Happy Birthday to Stryder too!  We had a very busy week with activities, divisions, training meetings and a lot of tracting.  The whole country is on vacations and I think they all go to Veracruz, haha, it was the hottest it's been down here, and I got a little sunburnt the other day even with the sunscreen I put on (I now am certain to reapply every few hours).  The beach is packed and there are quite a few people the left for the week.  We had an activity with the young men from one of the stakes, and we went on divisions for a few days.  The young man that was with me was very shy, but willing to share his testimony.  We've been experiencing tough times here, but we're not losing the faith.  We just found out that we're getting about 30 new missionaries in the mission and I'm sure some will end up in our zone.  It's time to prepare for the big division of the mission and we have to lead it.  The leadership is essentially the same out here, but I would say that the Mission President is more active here.  The missionaries have to do a great deal of things for each branch and ward, but it's basically the same.  Before I close we went to the acquarium today and it was quite spectacular, we'll come visit it sometime in the future.  Well the time is going by fast and I love it!  Talk to you next week!

-Elder Butterfield