Baptism is the Beginning

Hello Family!

This week was a week of somewhat mixed emotions for a few reasons. One of the emotions was that of somberness as on Wednesday we received the call that Elder Baird would be transferring the next day, which would end the two months that we had serving as Zone Leaders together. He has returned now to Tacloban, since I think they are reopening the less hit areas and I think almost all of the original missionaries have now returned to the Tacloban mission.

Although this week has been a very happy and rewarding week with being able to witness in the baptism and confirmation of the four young women, who all have been incredibly strong and faithful along this whole journey of theirs to their baptism.

Despite having gone through numerous persecutions from everyone in their neighborhood, etc., they have all stayed so strong and turned to the Lord for their strength.

They came to church yesterday before their confirmation and told us how they had been experiencing the most persecution they had yet, mostly from the ignorant boys living around their neighborhood who have nothing better to do than shout profanity at anything that isn't worldly. We had a very sober but spiritually uplifting lesson in our gospel principles class about charity and the example of Jesus Christ.

I also reflected on how Jesus Christ's mission and greatest trials came directly after he had been baptized by John the baptist. In fact straightway after His baptism he went into the wilderness to be tested and tried. Our joining of the Church of Jesus Christ or association with it is not a guaranteed protection from the sorrow and temptation of the world. In fact, the time where we are trying our very best to become closer to Christ is the time the heat is turned up and is intensified.

When we promised to follow Jesus Christ, we also agreed to follow in His footsteps, which include persecution, rejection, sorrow, and pain. But if we endure those steps well, then we have eternal life and everlasting happiness to look forward to at the end.

The future is bright for those who continue through the darkness. So it's best that we keep on moving through the darkness and not allow it to drag us down into it. Fortunately for us we don’t have to go it alone, because our Savior already charted the way for us and will never leave us in our time of need.

Right now I have a short term companion who is a local form Negros, from Cadiz (the northern part of the island) and by next week I should be able to get my new companion, but until then I'll be flying solo for a bit as the one and only zone leader for Sipalay, also while trying to keep our area running at the standards it needs to. Wish me blessings.

I love you all!

I'll post pictures of the baptism next week since  the shop we're now doesn't have USB capability.

~Elder Butler