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| Me with the group (I couldn't find my tie.) If you thought Filipinos are small, the kids are smaller (obviously). [These very beautiful children are all in the same primary class at church. I believe they are all around 10 years old since Brooks said the boy, Christian, is that age in his letter below.~K] |
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| Beautiful water. As I walk across this river Ub in the shallow parts I have to resist the temptation to want to just jump in. The water is really warm too. |
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| In the ravine of a river we cross to get to our investigators in Balabag. |
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| Something else fun I ate |
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| I'll just let this picture speak for itself. |
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| From the top looking over the river I just crossed. |
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| I climb down, across, and up again to this valley and then back about twice a week now. [If you look carefully you can see the river down there that they cross through. It looks so small a faraway, yet is very wide! He has got to be in some serious good shape! We need to know the best mountain trails to take him hiking on around here for when he gets back! Sounds fun!~K] |
Hello Family,
"Now behold, a marvelous work is about to come forth among the children of men. Therefore, O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day. Therefore, if ye have desires to serve God ye are called to the work; For behold the field is white already to harvest; and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul..."
I just wanted to start out with Doctrine & Covenants section 4 because that’s what has been on my mind lately, all be it a very highly used section, and I think it has been getting more and more on my mind the closer I get to D day (departure day).
I read Alma 29 recently as well and felt like shouting with him: "O that I were an angel... that I might go forth and speak with the trump of God, with a voice to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people!"
If only I could help every person that I know understand that the only way to true happiness and lasting peace is repentance! What a wonderful word repentance is! To me it means life and light, joy and servitude, it means Jesus Christ and His power to set us free through His infinite sacrifice. My heart yearns to declare it from the top of the tin roof on our apartment and then bring every last inhabitant of Colonia Divina and surrounding areas with me to meet our Father is His Kingdom through His Son!
And yet at the same time that I feel the Spirit swelling with in my breast, I feel so small in the great eternal perspective of things, and humbled to the dust by the thought that I am in actuality less than the dust.
If you can't tell yet, I'm in a pretty interesting state of my realizing that this makes the beginning of my last transfer in the field.
This week was another wonderful week of successes and trials, but I like to talk about the successes so I think that is where I'll start.
We had another four baptisms this week plus a child of record, which I thought were special since they all happened to be in the same primary class together. Those baptized were Christian, Chezee (Lovelyn's niece), Carol Jane and Charity (Jestoni's younger siblings), and Jane Mae (child of record).
Christian (10) has been someone we've taught for a while now, and has been going to church on his own for a while as well, but we hadn't baptized him yet or really invited him to be baptized since we were trying to help his mother to progress as well, who although incredibly nice and receptive, hasn't gotten enough courage/conversion/understanding yet to go to church, but after one Sunday where Christian observed another one of our baptisms he asked us, "Elders, when am I going to be baptized? I want to be baptized too." We told him that his parents needed to both give their permission before he could be baptized, and that he needed to be ready to promise to Jesus that he would keep all of His commandments. He seemed pretty resolved that he was going to be baptized after that and sure enough a few days later when we came to his house to teach him and his mother he said excitedly, "Nanay (mom) says I can be baptized!"
Even though we had never extended an invitation to him specifically, this child knew what was the right thing to do and he showed his mother a wonderful example of faith and took the initiative to be baptized. His mother commented that she could see a difference in Christian since he started going to church and being taught by us, and she recognized that it was a good thing that he wanted so she gave her consent, after talking with her husband who works away from home much of the time.
On a similar topic, we have now been receiving a few referrals from parents for us to teach their children. Even though they aren't completely interested in it for themselves yet, but because they have seen the children and families that we do teach now and the noticeable change in those kids (some who had been notorious for being "wild"). It's just another tender mercy of the Lord and I have a strong testimony of how the children can soften the hearts of their parents. Also I am convinced that the primary children that I see every Sunday are going to be the future leaders of the church and need just as much attention as those older.
I wish I could write more about the other children who were baptized, because to me they all have stories that are worth hearing, but I don't think the time will allow. But hopefully the pictures I attach will make up for the difference.
I love you all so much and I hope you are all happy and healthy!
Take care!
~Elder Butler
