Photos From Christmas Week

Tracting in a shipyard does not produce many investigators but it produced great evening views of the city!

Mission Christmas Party!

District White Elephant Gift Exchange! Benjamin received tubs of Body Butter (everyone thinks it is great that his name is Butters and that in Chinese, it is a food!)

The homemade pillow case and body butter that Benjamin received!

Trying to get all the Christmas gifts and Elder McKean's bicycle home from the mission home after the Christmas party!

Elder Smith who is described as a "Nut Job".

District Lunch for Christmas Eve.

A Merry Christmas from San Francisco.

Elder Kotiah and Benjamin participated in a Christmas game at the YSA Christmas party.

This boy makes crepes for Christmas breakfast for his fellow missionaries! Not a bad guy to live with, if you ask me.

A Christmas Letter

ShengDan KuaiLe, Everyone!

Merry Christmas to you all! This is the best time of the year! In addition to being apart of all the hustle and bustle, we have had a week full of miracles!

Tracting has continued as usual, but this week has helped us to yield some great concrete results. We tracted into a young man named Gilbert last week, as he said we could return to teach him a little more. We did so Saturday morning, and managed to share with him a little more about God as our Heavenly Father. We also left him with a copy of the Book of Mormon, and he seemed pretty intrigued by the idea of developing a personal relationship with God through prayer. He is a YSA, so will be passed to the English Elders should he become a new investigator, but Elder McKean and I both loved the fact that we got to teach a little.

The real miracle comes from one of the referrals we received a few weeks ago! Kai Wang visited the Salt Lake City Visitors Center a few weeks ago, and gave the sister missionaries there his contact information. Due to finals and being busy as a college student, he was unable to meet with us recently.Friday night, we invited him to our Branch Christmas Party in a hop e to get to know him a little in a fun environment. He CAME! Our members talked to him throughout the night, and loved being with him. We learned a little more about his recent graduation as a Hospitality Management Major, and his love of video games and sports. Having some other missionaries there to fellowship him really helped as well. Anyway, the miracle of it all is that while there, we managed to teach him a little basic doctrine, and were able to solidify a return appointment upon his return from travelling a few weeks from now! We FINALLY have a new investigator, and both Elder McKean and I are thrilled. It was a true blessing to meet Kai, and we are really looking forward to teaching him. 

I've also had some great studies this week. I've been in the chapters of Alma where Alma is sharing his departing counsel to his three sons. I loved Alma 37:38-47, encouraging all of us to "look unto God and live!" What a miraculous promise! I also found a lot of insight into the missionary purpose by reading Alma 39:16: we are to help God's children to receive the word He has to offer them by the time of His Secomd Coming. We prepare their hearts, and that is all we can do. I hope to continue to try hard to prepare people's hearts. 

Christmas has been fun! We've had countless events and dinners aside from the Branch Christmas Party, which has helped to make this a very memorable Christmas for me. We had a District Gift Exschange, and everyone likes to capitalize on the fact that my last name is "Butters..." I got three tubs of Body Butter from Elder Smith...clever. We also had a great traditional missionary Christmas Zone Conference at the temple. Elder McKean and I have been having a blast in our apartment lately, talking adn shoting each other with NERF guns (He's shot me about six times in the face and head today already...the welts I got were fun!) This year is a very different Christmas to the one I experienced last year in the MTC. I am SO grateful that I get to spend my second and final Christmas as a missionary in San Francisco. I love this city! I love teaching people about my Savior and His Life and Birth! He LIVES!!!

I love you all! Thanks to all of those who remembered me all throughout the holiday season. We have so much sugar and warm clothes in our home, its great! I hope not to gain weight over the next few days.....

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas!

Wo Ai NiMen!

Elder Butters/Bao ZhangLao

Elder McKean's First Trip To The Bridge (and Christmas!)

The Christmas Box arrives at the apartment and Elders Smith, Kotia, and McKean, seem to think it suits them just fine!  There won't be much to open on Christmas Day but perhaps the food will last long enough to keep the smiles until then.

This guy knows how to get his companions out for a day on the Bridge - for most it is there first time there.  Another nine weeks in San Fran for this kid (at least) and he couldn't be happier.

Elder McKean having his first PDay at the Bridge - this is a tradition for the new San Francisco elders to be taken out to the Bridge with their companions on their first PDay.  Good plan, I think.

58th Email: Messy Gingerbread House, Roasted Potatoes and Couscous

DaJia Hao!

This week has been a pretty normal one for us. Its been one in which I've learned a lot from the examples of those around me. Finally, its starting to feel a little more like Christmas, too!

We've been tracting like crazy this week in an area called Bayshore. Its one of the more humble areas in the city, so we hoped that the people living there would be a little more responsive to our message. We spent hours down there, knocking and met with rejection, but some interesting gospel related conversations in between. One day in particular, when we had spent WAY too much time in traffic, we only had tie to ring a few doorbells, the last one of which we ran was opened by a man named Mr. Liu. We introduced ourselves, and he quickly explained to us that he has no idea who God is. I can't imagine living without a knowledge of Heavenly Father. What's exciting is that we have planned to stop by next Saturday to teach him a little more. Mr. Liu is among one of a few potentials we have found in this new area, and we are excited for some increased prospects. This week we want to try talking a little more about the Plan of Salvation and Family History in our finding efforts. Hopefully the change from the usual "share the First Vision on the doorstep" approach will yield some more potentials and exciting results.

I have had a lot of fun with Elder McKean this week! He is a great missionary, and had already taught me a lot about faith. On Sunday after our Branch Council meeting, after feeling particularly frustrated, he pulled me aside and reminded me that missionary work "is not about our own glory." I was humbled by his comments and reassurance, and even more so by his undying faith. Training has continued to be a blessing to me. We have a lot of fun with our friends, Elder Kotiah and Elder Smith, who serve in the Sunset and YSA Wards that meet in our chapel as well. We built a crazy gingerbread house with them as part of the YSA Christmas party. Seriously, my little sister Dorothy would be proud of how much candy was loaded on this bad boy!

We had the chance to do a LOT of service this week, and that always feels good around this time of year! Because we didn't have many scheduled appointments, we decided to fill our time being "in the service of our fellow beings," thus "being in the service of [our] God." The time I've spent serving in my mission has helped me to become quite the weed-puller and roasted-potato-scooper! Useful skills for my future, I'm sure!

My District is doing very well. The Chinese sisters are very busy and are working very hard with all of their recent excitement involving a date scheduled for the 30th. We pray as a district over the phone every night together, and it has really brought us closer together. I'm grateful to be working with them. 

I'm grateful for the incredible Christmas Season! I cannot believe I get to celebrate it in San Fran this year! Should be a memorable Christmas!

Have a great week! I love you all and wish you all the best!

Elder Butters/Bao ZhangLao

Photos From A Busy (Not Particularly Successful Week)

At the top of a long stairway near Benjamin's apartment, is this gorgeous sunrise view. The companionship climb the stairs for exercise and are rewarded by this sunrise!

The view from Bernal Heights across the Bay.  What a lovely place to live.

At Land's End during a Planning Session break.  I think this man likes living by the ocean!

In awe of his character writing and his willingness to serve the people he is working with.  This letter is written to Rebecca, a woman who was going to get baptized but cancelled and Benjamin felt impressed to send her a Christmas card.

The perfect tree sent to the apartment by Grandma Reynolds!  The guys did a nice job decorating.

The box filled with goodies alongside the Christmas tree.  So much gratitude for people taking good care of these good missionaries.

Week 57: Look Through Heaven's Eyes

NiHao, Everybody!

On a mission, the weeks seem like days, and the days seem like weeks. This week was no different. 

As always, we are still trying to find investigators to teach, and I have gotten a little down about our recent disappointing prospects. Its especially hard because I really want to give the best to Elder McKean for his first few weeks in the field. No one is interested, and all we want to or regularly meet with are busy...ugh...
We continue to knock doors, and that "opens" some great opportunities for us. This past week, we met a Philippino man named Salvador, and were able to teach him of the Apostasy, and left his doorstep with giving him a Book of Mormon. A highlight though, was contacting a woman named Dana Cheng. We knocked on her door Tuesday night, but she was busy playing Ma Jiang, so she brushed us off telling us to return during the weekend. We did so last night, and were able to pray with her on her doorstep. Both Elder McKean and I had the chance to bear testimony of the power of prayer to Dana, as well as to pray for her husband Byron, who is currently recovering from hip surgery. Its been interesting to see just how significant the little meetings we make and have can become.

We taught one of our less-active members this week as well. Bro. Tzeng is in the process of going blind, which is horrible, but the man has faith unlike anything I've ever known! Elder McKean shared with him the story of Enos, and explained that our faith in prayer should prompt us to do better at praying for those who need our help. In Enos' case, the apostate Lamanites. Thinking of others before yourself while you pray is a good way to add to the power of any prayer we say!

I've also found great hope in my studies this week. I've been reading in the Book of Mormon, Alma 26-32, and boy, was there some great doctrine therein! On one particularly frustrating day, I found Alma 31:38, saying that our trials are promised to be swallowed up in joy if we endure them! What a powerful promise. These chapters helped me to understand a little more about my personal desires to develop hope in this, the last transfer of 2017 (cannot believe its here!). Alma 32:21 defines faith as "a hope in things which are not seen, which are true." I In previous studies, I've come to define hope as having "confidence, optimism, and enthusiasm" in the Lord and his blessings. Placing my definition of hope into this scripture helped me to understand that I need to develop my faith just as much as my hope; the two are inseparably connected. I need to do better at having faith: confidence, optimism, and enthusiasm in my work and in the restored Gospel.

Christmas is well under way here in San Francisco. I'm SO EXCITED to spend the holidays here! We've gotten the chance to go around a little bit, see some gorgeous views from up on hills and streets around, and enjoy the sights and sounds of Christmas! Its a little weird at times; because we're so busy, it almost just feels like any normal time of year. But, thanks to some awesome family, Elder McKean and I now have a house with a trimmed tree, Christmas pillowcases, and enough Peanut Butter/Chocolate candy to sink a ship! Man, I love this time of year. I love my Savior!

I'm grateful to be able to share the ups and the downs with all of you! I'm grateful for the Christmas season, and the time of reflection and love it is for our world. 

Love and best wishes to you all! 

Elder Butters/Bao ZhangLao

A New Companion, Goodbye Elder Li and A New Name Tag

Playing around in the grocery store with Elder Li's name tag.

Elder Li packs up to move back to Hayward - this is the second time Benjamin has helped him pack his things to go elsewhere.  Curious, whether they will cross paths again.

Elder McKean joins Benjamin as the junior companion for a while - after one week together, Benjamin reports that Elder McKean is fun, athletic and in tune with the spirit!

A visit to the mission home to exchange companions and make new friends.

Greg found his name tag from his mission in Taiwan.  We sent it to Benjamin wondering if he might like to wear it a few times on his own mission.  It has the old name of the church on it but we thought it would be a unique opportunity for Benjamin to walk around with his father close by.

M Is For Miracles

DaJia Hao!

This has been such a great week! We've been SUPER busy! So many blessings have come into our area!

Firstly, The nws you've all been waiting for...My "son" arrived! My new companion is Elder McKean, from Layton, UT. He is a great missionary; diligent, dedicated, humble, eager to learn, and lots of fun! He is a mountain-biker, and has worked previously at several bike shops. He is also a great skateboarder, soccer player, and very talented artist! His primary concern is in the language right now, as was mine first coming into the field (and at most times is still a concern), but he is already doing a great job!

He didn't arrive till Wednesday night, so I got to spend the day with Elder Kotiah while we waited for our new companions (he's an Elder in my District who is training, too!). We spent most of the day in the YSA area, where we ran into a few former investigators. One such former was a woman named Elizabeth, and she invited us in. We taught her the Restoration and also had the chance to pray with her. In reality this is nothing very special, but I'm grateful for every teaching opportunity I have, as I don't get to experience that very much. We also had a fascinating lesson on how Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon. I learned that more than anything, it was a truly revelatory process.

Anyway, picking up Elder McKean was fun! We have seen a few miracles as a result of his arrival. We have been out tracting all week, as part of the new initiative Pres. Frandsen has applied into our mission! One afternoon, we decided to contact around a specific area not far from the beach, but we soon realized that tracting there was not being very fruitful. Elder McKean felt impressed to leave, and we made our way to a MUNI train to get back into the central part of the city. While on the train, we tried to talk with a lot of people, and used Mandarin to speak to one another. A man and his son overheard our conversation, and were very impressed to hear us speaking Chinese. We introduced ourselves, and came to know a little bit more about them; the Ying family just moved here from Ning Bo, China, and have spent the last three months looking for work. We managed to add them as potential investigators, leaving them with a pamphlet, an English Class card, and receiving their number in return. We plan to try to call them this week to make things more official. After we got off the train, one of the first doors we knocked was opened by an elderly woman named Mrs. Li, who was kind enough to listen to the First Vision. She doesn't seem as interested as the Ying's, but anyone willing to listen to us I consider to be a blessing! I was grateful for a companion who was inspired by the Spirit, and the mercies of the Lord to put those who are prepared into our path.

Since beginning my time in the field, we have focused on developing a new Christlike Attribute each transfer as a mission. For this, the final transfer of 2017, we've been given permission to choose which Attribute to focus on. I'm excited for this idea; I feel that it makes the goal much more personal for all of us! I have chosen to focus on Hope, and a lot of my studies this week focused on that attribute. Through reading Alma 26 I learned a lot about the confidence I need to have in my Heavenly Father, not only believing in, but expecting good things to come from my efforts. I want to improve the confidence I have in the Lord, my optimism toward the work/our goals, and my enthusiasm toward each and every day.

In other news of the week, we did service with Juan Cahua at his kitchen, attended Institute for our Branch, had a great testimony meeting (including a "break the fast" with the YSA Ward), and a good Weekly Planning session. I've never been busier, I don't think!

I love this time of year. Christmas is definitely something very, very special! I encourage you all to keep "Christ" in Christmas this year!

Love and joy to you all! Merry Christmas!

Elder Butters/Bao ZhangLao