Photos from A "Up and Down" Missionary Week

A long day - followed by a perfect mixture of carbonated beverage and thoughtful respite.

The English class learned money values and coinage today - Benjamin thought it was funny that they all dumped their money on the table instantly for further clarification.  I guess most of the folks just hand over their handfuls of money to cashiers and hope they get the right change in return.

Benjamin's wall of Chinese vocabulary words and definitions and characters.

Dessert goes a long way to bring a smile to this missionary's face!  Not sure what these are but Benjamin says a student brings them to him because they are his favorite!

Planting seeds and trees for friends and neighbors - exercise, sunshine, service and short sleeves!

A replica of a photo taken by a Japanese missionary these two know.  Guess by the end of the week, anything goes with the camera.

Bet he wishes he had my kitchenaid right about now.

First batch of cookies since October!!

Word is that these cookies were a big hit with all who received them.....we were making them at our house at about the same time!

Letter #17

NiHao Everybody!

This week has had its ups and downs, which is okay! It gave us )me, in particular) the opportunity to be grateful for the little things and the tender mercies that God sends to His children.

The week started off with contacting and meeting with some of our less-active members. We have a pretty small branch here in Union City, and we're trying to re-activate a few people right now. We went with the Sisters Monday night to meet up with the Jiang family, and we really had a wonderful time with them. The sisters shared a simple message on the power of the Book of Mormon, which I always love talking about. That book is truly something special, and I continue to rely on it every day! I'm currently reading it in Chinese, sneaking glances of the English translation as I read. Its one of my favorite parts of the day.

We also met a woman named Sis Zhang, who lives in apartment that once belonged to a member who previously moved. She let us into her home on our first door approach, which is unheard of! We talked to her about her family and life in the States. She's been here for two months and cares for her two very young grandsons while their parents work We invited her to English class, and hope to meet up with her again soon. We also had a woman who none of us had previously met before, walk into church and stay the entire three hour block! Miracle!

Funny story, we taught our English students about American money this week. In an effort to help them understand the difference between pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters, I used some change from my wallet for reference...which led every single student in the room to pull out their own wallets and do the same. It was pretty funny watching everyone just lay their money on the table! I reminded Elder Li that we are indeed a free service to the Chinese community. They thought it was a useful thing to talk about!

Also, I FINALLY had the chance to make cookies today! It has been too long, but I made a batch, and shared many with our Zone. They were very well accepted. Even the Chinese missionaries, who are very particular about the overpowering amount of sugar us Americans put into our desserts, enjoyed them. Score!

I love you all and am so grateful for your love and support! I wish you all the very best of weeks ahead! Jia You! You XinXin You BanFa (When there's Faith, there's a Way!)

Elder Butters (Bao ZhangLao)

Photos from Week 16!

Displaying the new charts and graphs designed to better meet the needs of the investigators - lots of time spent on getting everyone's names, addresses, phone numbers and schedules organized!

The look of a missionary who is at the door of an investigator, ready for an appointment and no one answers the door......I can almost hear Homer Simpson saying "Doh".

Sixteenth Week's Letter

NiHao Everybody!

Another week for me here in Union City. Its been a busy one, with a lot of cool changes in our schedule and a lot of fun missionary opportunities. 

We began our week with my first Temple Day as a missionary. It was so nice to be in the Lord's house. I love the feeling that I get whenever I go there. The Oakland Temple is beautiful and HUGE inside and out. It truly is a special place, and a great way to spend our morning. The Hayward Zone went to "Fenton's" afterwards for fun! (Its a well-known creamery that was actually featured in the Disney movie "Up!") Great ice cream!

Now that I think about it, this week has probably been the most adventurous week thus far in my mission in regards to food. I have successfully tried (and kept down) Fish Head (eyeball included) and Chicken Feet! I'm starting to feel like I'm a Chinese missionary! 

We had a lesson this week with Sister Lu, who has been an investigator for a very long time. We had dinner with her family and our Branch President, as her husband, who works in China, returned to home this week. He's pretty stubborn about his own philosophies and isn't sure about the whole church thing. We bore simple testimony of the Gospel, and the blessings that we are promised if we live by the commandments and teachings our Heavenly Father and Savior have provided for us. He still seemed unconvinced, which was tough. Elder Li commented to me afterward that if we were in a video game, Brother Feng would be the boss at the end of the level that we have to defeat! 

Its been a long week, but not too bad. We're starting to contact some of or less active members as well as continuing to work with some of our current investigators. We keep trying.

Thanks for all the love and prayers. I hope you all enjoyed your Valentine's Day (thanks to those who showed me some love on that day, too!) Have a fantastic week and remember the Lord loves you!

Wo Ai NiMen!

Elder Butters

An Extra Email This Week!

Hi! 

So today I got to attend the temple with my Zone, so that becomes our P-Day, so I have a little more time to send a message!

The Oakland Temple is HUGE inside and absolutely gorgeous. 

They're doing a massive cleaning and refurbishing, so they will be closing the temple for an entire year starting next February. But the cool part is is that there will be a re-dedication in 2019!

I feel Edison's pain. Jerks! Good for him. I'm really proud of that kid!

I'm so glad that Harrison is working out. He and his family's names are all on the prayer roll now.

Please don't regret the test. I actually think its a great way to spend your time and try to find things to do now that life is picking up for your kids. Holy Cow, being a substitute would be so cool! 

Would you be allowed to do that with a Law degree? That's awesome. With the way you taught JA I think you'd work wonders. I also think that with the crappy state of the administration of the elementary school, you'd be a ROCKING AWESOME principal practically ANYWHERE!! Part of the reason that I've thought of being a teacher eventually is because I would have holidays off with my family, so I completely understand that!

Yeah, I expected to be in Union City for another transfer, so don't worry! I expect to be here for a while yet. There are only three primarily Chinese areas in our mission, so I could either be here for a few more months, or even get transferred back here eventually. Everyone keeps telling me that I WILL go to San Francisco at some point, especially because I drive! I would love that! 

You're such a good lady. I am humbled by your ability to constantly put others first is such an example to me!

I'm so grateful for you!

Let everyone know that today I ate at the ice cream shop that's at the end of the Disney movie "Up," and also that Elder Li is doing well: He has a head FULL of History knowledge, and shared with me last week that the Ancient Egyptians believed the Sun to be a massive poop ball....Hope they laugh!

Love you!

Ice Cream and The Temple on a Wednesday!

Great picture overlooking an amazing city from Temple Hill.  A special Wednesday P-Day to visit the Temple and get some ice cream.  And, I got to write a surprise email to Mom!

The Hayward Zone at the temple.

The Chinese missionaries - great friends for life sharing great experiences and great ice cream!

Photos of the Giant Service Project!

Missionaries don't just build testimonies, they build IKEA furniture too!  A giant service project for Benjamin and Elder Li as they assisted a mom and daughter moving into their new apartment!

Whether their tools are drills and hammers or scriptures and lessons, these two are armed with the Spirit!

Elder Li sometimes gets bored during morning study session.

Elder Benjamin reacts the same way every time.....he had this same reaction when we acted silly too.

Brother Lee, a counselor in the branch presidency, has a wife who works for Facebook and they asked Benjamin and Elder Li to test the new virtual reality software she is working on -

They didn't mind one bit - careening down the mine shaft roller coaster was a nice reward after building furniture and hammering all day long!

Week 15 - Service With A Smile!

NiHao JiaTing He PengYouMen!

This has been a fun week here in the City. Good news is that Chinese New Year is now over, and we should be seeing a lot more Chinese people slowly but surely making their way back to the States! Transfers were this past week, and because I'm still in training, I will be in Union City with Elder Li for another transfer.

We did SO MUCH SERVICE this week. It was so nice to break from the normal missionary routine and invite others to see missionaries fulfill their purpose in a different light. Elder Li and I, along with Bro. Lee (our Branch's First Counselor) helped Sister Su and her daughter, Evie, move into their new apartment and set up new furniture. Over the course of two days, we built two queen size beds,  TV stand, a desk, a desk chair, a glass dining room table, and two chairs to match. It was a nice way to spend some time with them. As we left, Bro Lee told us how grateful Sis. Su was for our efforts, and that it really helped her to see that missionaries do a lot more than just preach. We really strive to be examples of Christ in everything we do.

Another totally awesome thing! A lot of people in this area work for Facebook, which is currently developing Virtual Reality software. Bro. Lee's wife works at Facebook, and they have a new system in their home, and we got to test it out! (I really thought Elder Li would wet his pants.) It was fun and really nice of him to do that for us. 

We also had Stake Conference this weekend, and I learned how to set up translation equipment. (I thankfully didn't have to translate...maybe a little later...a lot later...). Elder Snow of the 70 was in attendance, and he gave a really great message on Faith, Hope, and Charity. It was a nice meeting with him.

I love you all and hope that you are all well, safe, healthy and happy! Thank you for all of the love you send to me here in CA. Have a great week!

Wo Ai NiMen!

Elder Butters (Bao ZhangLao)

Week 14 - This Kid Is A Rock!!

NiHao Everyone,

I've officially completed my first transfer in the mission field. It's crazy to think that six weeks has already gone by so fast.  

We've had a lot of teaching opportunities this week. We had a family home evening visit with the Tam family and mother-daughter investigators that the sisters in our branch teach. Brother Tam is also our awesome new branch mission leader, so we work with him a lot. Elder Li and I taught a lesson on the Atonement and Repentance. The little changes we make are super important! I've also learned a lot about how to rely on my Savior this week, in fact, this entire transfer. I've learned that without Him, we are nothing. 

We also taught one of our investigators, Sis. Hu. She is one of our English Class students, and has a lot of questions, but we were able to sit down with her and talk about how we can find answers. We shared Alma 32 with her. Its incredible that if we have only the faith the size of a mustard seed, the Lord will be able to work through that. We testified to her that as she exercises her faith and reads the Book of Mormon, she will be blessed. She came to church on Sunday, which was a miracle! 

Speaking of English Class, we had some fun lessons with our students this week. Our Wednesday class was Chinese New Year themed, talking about how to say popular Chinese New Year greetings in English, as well as all of the animals of the Chinese Zodiac. Thursday was all about American food, and the students loved to share their opinions on all of the "nasty" things we Americans eat! They loved it!

It's been pretty wet in Union City over the last couple of days , and it looks like its only going to get more wet. Oh well, we move forward.

Thank you for all of the emails, notes, cards, letter, thoughts, and prayers. I love and miss you all! Keep up all you're doing, and never give up on Heavenly Father! He doesn't give up on His kids!

Love

Elder Butters (Bao ZhangLao)

Photos from A Wet Week 14

Benjamin loves to cook and added curry to his list of favorites this week.  He is so happy to have a kitchen.  I wish that face was in my kitchen right now!

Off to work in "Dong Dong", the mission car - Dong Dong means Winter and it is a wet one in San Fran this year.

Attack of the seagulls during church - the birds left their mark on the boys' car and they had to clean it up.  Benjamin was impressed with their aim but not with what they left behind.

Elder Li was not as excited to go do emails as Benjamin was - I love the honesty in Benjamin's face as he waits (and waits) for his companion to "GET UP".