Busy busy busy week this week. A couple of fun things happened! Last Thursday, we did interchanges, which is where you switch companions with someone else for a day. Well my comp had to do some interviews, so a Latino that was in the Same MTC group as me named Elder Murillo did some exchanges in our area! I love him, he is such a funny guy and its a lot of fun having a Latino companion because it really makes me focus on using my Spanish literally 24/7! We spent most the time contacting, and had some success!
The Next day was my first multi-zone meeting. That did not go so well. It was 6 hours long, and half the time they weren't using a microphone so I couldn't hear or understand anything because there were like 70 people in this meeting, and the second half was our mission president roasting us for not getting good numbers as
a mission. Also told us we were banned from all music which is a real bummer because my mom just sent me
some CDs. He found out that people were downloading regatone songs and listening to them. I'm a little upset about that, but hopefully we will get privileges back.
Spanish is actually improving a lot. I can understand almost everything apart from Old people with no teeth. I met another missionary here that is from Magnolia, so that was sweet, small world!
Saturday we did some service for this old lady, we chopped her grass, which was really just a field of weeds on top of a bunch of rock. Luckily I had some similar experience working for SC Builders this summer, so Mom tell Mike I thank him for that!
I had my first real experience with Racism this week. Of course a lot of people are subliminally racist to us because me and my comp are gringos, so as missionaries we just have to ignore it and not let it get to you. One day I got on a bus. The Bus ride was gonna be like an hour and a half, and they are usually full so you are lucky if you get a seat. Well I didn't want to stand, so I went to the back and there were 4 seats pen next to people. When I walked by I asked to sit and they all put there stuff on there seat and told me to keep moving, seat by seat, I was denied because I was white. Lol. I tried to ignore, telling myself not to get angry, but honestly was mad, especially at this one guy who was a jerk. All of the sudden, a Woman picked up her 5 year old child, and made room for me to sit and told me to sit down. All of my anger went away. Its funny to see how when someone shows a person an act of love, how it can change there whole attitude. I ended up talking with her and her family, and I paid for there bus fair too! awesome experience.
I want to share an experience I had with y'all. Saturday nights we usually walk to every investigator that we know and invite them to church. We have been teaching this Lady named Wendy, and one of our last stops, we took that hard hike up a mountain to invite her. Wendy lives in a very very impoverished area, even more so that the rest of the area. She has 3 kids or so, and a boyfriend.
We found her sitting on a bucket in front of her house just contemplating life. We went up to her and greeted her, and invited her to church. She just told us that she doesn't know what to do, she has absolutely no money to feed her kids. She asked us how can I go to church in the morning when my children are starving and I have nothing to give them. This really struck me hard. Of course we know that when you show faith to God by coming to church, he will be able to bless you, but this is a hard situation to be in. As missionaries, we are not allowed to just give people money, because everyone here needs money. All I wanted to do was give her everything I had, buy her something, whatever, but also I don't want to break the rules.
We left, and honestly I was depressed. I thought about it nonstop for 30 minutes. My comp and I also had not eaten all day so we were starving. We went to the house of the bishop, and his wife handed me a plate of Fresh Tamales. Even though we were hungry, I knew this was an answer to my prayer. I told my companion after we left that we had to go back to Wendy's house and give her the food. I had been praying to know what I could do for her, and Food had literally been put into my hands. We hiked back up to her, gave her the food, and left.
I haven't seen her since, But I know that I was told by the spirit to do that. I have experienced some crazy stuff here, God is real and he cares about each and every one of you. Have faith, he will Answer.
Elder Butler
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