Magandang Gabi ang pamilya ko

Things are going well for Elder Butler here! So we didn't get to see Elder Holland, but we did have a GREAT Fireside with Elder Tad R. Calister!. He is the man. And we also got to hear from Elder Nielson. The area authority. It was really good. They talked about being a consecrated missionary. Ibig-sabihin (Meaning), really consecrating all your time efforts and talent to being a dedicated missionary. It was really cool. So yeah!

About my week. Well, nothing big has happened. We have kinda been disappointed this week because two really important less active families whom we helped become active again, have become less active again... The weird thing is that they are really receptive to having us over, and when we commit them to come to church, they commit. But then they don't show up. That has happened twice now. AND They both have daughters in their family who can be baptized. The requirement to be baptized here are that they have to be taught all the lessons (Obviously) and they have to attend church for 4 weeks in a row. So yeah. But don't worry! they will come back. I think there are other reasons for why they didn't come. So we will figure it out.

Tagalog is coming still. Slowly but surely.  fun stufff.  We had one experience where there was this lady that we were teaching. she would not pray for the longest time. she just kept saying "I don't know how to" Even after we taught here!... Haha. but then we just stopped and waited and let the spirit work in her.  Finally, she got it.  She realized that we can talk to heavenly father and ask him for what ever! All you have to do is speak from the heart.  Once she understood that, she was like a praying machine. haha. and since then miracles have happened in her life because of her prayers to her heavenly father.  I testify that prayer works.  I know it without a doubt.  I say this in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

 Here is how we tract. We knock on a gate (cause everything here is gated) And we say "Tao Po" or "Person here" Then a person comes out and says "Ano Iyon" or "What is it?". then we say. "Maaari po ba kami makipagkilala sa iyo?" or "May we introduce ourselves to you?" Then they say. "Sure" And the rest is history. and eventually they turn into what is called a convert. Woo Hoo! I have done a lot of tracting already on my mission. haha. so its good.  

Well, I gotta go! Love ya! Bye

Elder  Butler  :)

Elder Cody Butler at the Philippine Mission Home

Temple trip!

Hello,

Update on the me. Alright, so Last Wednesday we had MTC exchanges where we go out with the MTC Elders so they can have a little pre-in-field experience.  So I took some Elders out to my area and we did some fun tracting!. Thursday was our Zone Conference!  That was really fun.  I also got to perform "In Christ Alone" As one of the special musical numbers so that was fun. I don't really have much to talk about this time, except that I do.

So today was our temple day, and guess who is in town this week? Elder Holland. He is here doing some recruiting for missionaries.  Now, I know that you are all thinking that I went through a session with him.  Well, I didn't, but he was at the temple while I was there!  Cool Corn huh?  So it's too bad, cause he is going to be doing a fireside for prospective missionaries, but the missionaries themselves were not invited! sayang (Darn).  It's okay though, because Elder Tad R. Callister is accompanying him and we get to have a fireside with him tomorrow.  I'm still convinced that Elder Holland is just going to make a special appearance.  I will let you know for sure though...Haha  If you don't remember, Elder Callister spoke in General Conference about the Book of Mormon, and how his grandfather was determined to find out if this was from God, or the devil.  He also told the story about the 14 year old girl who had a friend who said that the Mormon church isn't true, and the 14 year old said to her that there is no way you can say that without reading the Book of Mormon first.  Anyways, so I am pretty darn excited for that.

So the work here is about the same.  We still have our same investigators and they are progressing pretty well.  I have pictures this time by the way! Woo hoo!.  Our one investigator Rey is the man!  He has quit smoking in just 2 weeks.  He is gunna be ready for baptism on Nov 5th!  I'm so excited for him.  I love that man so much.  I want him to have the gospel so bad.  I never really realized how much I could want someone to have the gospel until my mission.  Until I started sharing about it.  It crazy. But I love it.  So things are moving along here.

Oh, so two nights ago was the coolest lightning storm, I've ever seen! It wasn't really a storm, but there was just this HUGE Cloud in the distance, and there was lightning flashes every 5 seconds consistently for about a half an hour.  It was way beautiful.  The Lord is great, that's all I can say.  There was no thunder, it was just lightning.  Really spectacular.  Anyways, it hasn't been storming that much. It just rains every now and then. So yeah!

So today is our zone activity. we are going bowling. I'm excited for that.

I love you all. the Church is super true! I say this in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Love Elder Butler

Conference!

Magandang hapon po yung pamilya ko.

So I know that Conference for you guys is basically old news now. But we just got to watch it Saturday and Sunday! Wow. If there was a General Conference for every month, my life would be complete! I hope you all took good notes and received some personal revelation for yourselves. I know that I did. If you didn't have a chance to watch it, go watch it online or read it when it comes out in the next ensign issue. Man. It was like a fire hose of the spirit just drenching me. I was just soaking it all in. WOO!

What's that? You want to know who's talk was my favorite? Oh ok. Well, let me tell you. Jeffery R. Holland's from the priesthood session. Alright. I know that he was everyone's favorite for the guys at least. But I just loved how he laid the smack down. Pick a team and play for them. The Lord's team, or the Adversary's. You can't choose both. there is NO middle ground. You can't play for both teams. Young men, Priesthood holders. Shape up. Become worthy of the priesthood you hold. I loved how they said, "We have spread the priesthood enough already. It's time to spread the power of the priesthood now." Aw sick! I loved them all. They were all great. I can't wait till the November issue of the Liahona comes out so I can study them. Some revelation that I received for myself is just about smiling and ALWAYS having a good attitude. We have the restored gospel. Try to smile just a little bit more. maybe like, always. haha. Don't be afraid of waving at everyone and smiling. There is nothing wrong with doing something right to make someones day more bright. Today in our District meeting, one of my zone leaders had a good quote that I would like to share with you. It says this, "Faith is the power, Obedience is the price, Love is the motivation, and Christ is the Reason." What are we doing with Christ name as Members of this Church. Let us stand strong and steadfast. Don't be ashamed of His name. Be proud to be a member of this church just as you are proud to support BYU or UTAH. Here is my testimony in tagalog cause it's been a while since I have written any. Alam ko na. totoong propeta si Thomas S. Monson. Alam ko na sa pamamagitan ni President Monson, tinatanggap niya ang paghahayag para sa ating simbahan. Iyan kung bakit sobrang halaga ang General Conference. Alam ko po na totoo yung Aklat ni Mormon. Nilalaman niya yung mga sagot para sa atin. Nais ng diyos, para sa atin na makabalik sa kanya. Alam  ko po na mahal tayon ng diyos. I really really know that. Pakidasal nyo sa kanya often. Use his atonement that he has given to us. I say this in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Here is a little update on how the language is coming for me. I'm still by no means good, but here is a little story to kind of illustrate where I'm at. Last week, I went on splits with the missionary who just came into the mission.What?! My trainer sent me and the new missionary, the two who don't know the language at all, out together to go preach the gospel. We were in my area and I had to lead it all out. Good thing I had two ward missionaries. Haha But still, I was able to talk to people and teach and say what I wanted to say, and they seemed to understand. Now don't get me wrong, I am still nowhere close to being fluent, but I can get around now. Anyways, so that's that.

We had our investigator Rey come to general Conference so that was sweet. If you can get investigators to general conference, then they will feel the spirit and will have a confirmed witness. So that was a way cool thing. I also want to share with you a cool little experience. Last night, after General conference was over and we were out working, one of our appointments fell through. We decided to go spirit tracting. We said a prayer and asked the Lord where we should go. After we closed the prayer, we just starting walking and when while we were walking, this security guard approached us and was like "Hey, do you have some thing for me?" And we were like, "We sure do!" haha. We gave him a pamphlet of the restoration talked a little bit about it and gave him our phone number if he had any questions. He asked where and when our church started and stuff. Haha. Who knows what will come from it, cause he lives far away from our area. That is just where he works. but hey. I promise you that if you just pray to the Lord sincerely, he will answer. It wont always be like that kind of answer, but he will answer. So that's that. I love you and say this in the name of Jesus Christ amen.

Just to let you know, it is rainy season here. Rainy season starts in august and goes till about December. It's called Tagulan (Rainy season). I will send pictures next week. I haven't taken any cool ones really so far on the camera, but I will for sure next week. Promise. It's good to hear everything is going well. I pray for you and love you! till next time.

Love Elder Butler.

Two Typhoons in 1 week!

Hey coolest family in the world!

I'm still alive and plan to be until I die, or the second coming happens...Ha. alright so Unang una (First off), I still haven't seen general conference.... It doesn't broadcast here till next week, cause If I were to watch it live, I would be breaking the mission rules by staying up past 10:30... Time is a little different over here on the other side of the world...Ha. But it sounds like it is gonna be awesome! I'm way excited to watch it! That is all my trainer has been talking about lately. He's like, "Man, I can't wait till general conference!" It's good. So anyways. There was another typhoon but it was in the north part of the Philippines. All we got was a little wind. Sayang (That's a waste or darn). Anyways so not much else has happened here other than that. the work is going good. We were a little disappointed yesterday because we didn't have any investigators come to church and some of the less actives that we have been working on didn't come either. But it's all right. The Lord is blessing us immensely in other ways.

So I am no longer the new missionary in the Philippines because transfer day was on Wednesday and we got a new batch of missionaries from the MTC on Thursday so I am now a veteran you could say ha. It feels good to not be the one that the whole ward makes fun of because they don't understand the language....haha. The language gets easier every week. It's kinda cool to see how far I have come with it. I understand so much more now than I did.

So that guy I told you about, Rey, he is progressing well. He didn't come to church yesterday because he had to work. He is doesn't have a real job, he just does odd jobs here and there. So hopefully we will be able to figure that out. I just want to say that I love being a missionary I walk all day long in the rain. My shoes and feet get soaked some days. But you want to know why it's all good? It's all good because I am teaching the true, restored gospel of Jesus Christ. I have every reason to be happy. I have every reason to smile. I have every reason to keep going and help people even when it's hard for me. I have the Fullness of the Gospel. It's so rewarding when I go to sleep knowing that I tried the best I could all that day to accomplish my plans. The Church is true and I'm soo excited to watch general conference and receive personal revelation. I say this in the name of Jesus Christ amen.

Elder Butler