Dear Blog:
Everything is great since I have gotten to Australia. The plane flight was kinda crazy. I took the first 2 connecting flights to Los Angeles and when I arrived, I found out that my flight got cancelled. I went over to the desk to figure things out and they told me I could either take a flight to Oakland, CA and connect the flight to Melbourne and then to Perth, or wait till the next night and there would be a direct flight to Sydney. I decided to take their offer to stay in a hotel and wait till the next night. I went to the desk in the second terminal to get my arrangements and be taken to the hotel and after making the arrangements, the agent told me that there was a flight leaving right then if I wanted to get on it. I didn't really want to wait an extra day, so I had him book me on that flight and I ran to the terminal to get there just in time. After the flights I arrived in Perth not knowing what to expect. I got off the plane and felt like the missionary in Other Side of Heaven when I found that nobody knew I was coming. I was sitting there in the airport alone and with no money(it was only american so they wouldn't take it) and all I had was a desire to figure out what to do. After about an hour or two of wandering back and forth in the airport hoping that maybe someone would show up, I decided to sit at a coffee table and say a little prayer. Not a minute after I prayed, I had the idea pop into my head that I had a paper that the mission president had previously sent me and I pulled it out to find the phone number to the mission office on it. I was so relieved and immediately called the number and the mission presidents picked me up telling me they were expecting me the next night. It was such a builder of my belief in the power of prayer and the tender mercies of the lord. The next week at transfers, I felt famous because everyone who talked to me knew me as "the missionary who made his own flight plans"

Since then I have been serving in Kwinana which is about an hour south of Perth. It is so beautiful here. Contrary to popular belief, there are very few kangaroos here. In fact, I hadn't seen any. But missionaries have told me that there are a few in the more outlying outskirt areas so I will probably see them eventually. I am still working hard and it is great seeing the lords hand in the progress of people we meet. It is sad when so many people reject the message though because it would make their lives so much better.

Elder Butts

p.s. I had octopus for the first time today