Week 12 - Hook 'Em

Hey Everyone!

Doing a lot better  this week health wise so thats always good. This week was just an average week, nothing significant happened, but I witnessed prayers be answered and I have seen my language improve tremendously! 

Herard that BYU beat Wisconsin, so I am kinda enthusiastic about that considering last season we may have been the worst team in the country. My Longhorns had a good win against USC too so Im pumped about that as well!

This week we felt a little behind because of being sick all last week, and on top of that our bodies felt a little weak but we have been determine to work hard always. One thing I say to myself all the time is, I remember before any sports game, football, rugby, track, ect., I would always say a prayer for God to help me through it, when I was tired, if we were facing a hard team, all of that kind of stuff. As a team in football we had 2 different team pastors who would come tlak to us and pray with us as a team the day before a game and before we went out on the field. In the end, we would always say "Always Give the Glory to God". And I dont know about everyone else, but I always truly meant that. In the grand scheme of things, obviously a simple sports game doesn't really matter that much, but God cares about what we care about, even if it is only just a game, and if we pray and show faith, he can help us with all things. This is something that I have always loved about sports.

At times, missionary work is really tough. We wake up at 6:30am every day, leave at 10 and dont come back to the house until 9:30. It is phisically and mentally exhausting. (Not to mention I am thinking and speaking in a foreign language 24\7, really tires out your brain sometime.) Sometimes I just want to rest instead of walking up and down giant hills, a million stairs. Soemtimes it sucks when you try and try, and people reject you. I love this mission, but why is this so hard? When I get this way, I always think of 2 things.

1. Jesus Christ literally suffered for every pain, feeling, sickness, and sin in the world. He was the literal son of God. He performed miracles, healed the sick, loved everyone with a perfect love. Taught the truth to people, and was the most perfect person and "missionary" to ever walk the Earth. Yet people still rejected him and his teachings. People still didnt have faith in him when they witnesssed miacles. He still suffered every pain in the world for us, so that through him, we can become clean. All of this for us, all of this for you, all of this for me. Suffereing for our sins was the hardest thing that was ever done by anyone. Now if it wasnt easy for the literal son of God, how can I expect missionry work to be easy for me? How can we expect life to be easy for us when it was never easy for him. This helps me when I start to think of only myself.

2. If I believe that God could answer my prayers and help me with my sports when I was younger, which I do believe he did help me and I give all my success to him, then obviously he is going to help me with this missionary work, his work, to bring people unto God and unto Salvation. This is literally his work, and is so much more important to him than any game, so obviously he will answer my prayers too!

People, always pray and God will answer. I dont have more more to write this week, I am going to try and respond to more people this week, so if I havent responded yet please dont be offended, I am trying to answer everyone! Also send me pictures everyone, funny tweets, ect! Love you all!

Elder Butler