Another good week for us here on the bay. We are headed into the rainy season, so that's a lot of fun, but nothing we can't handle or walk through (literally...)
We've been up to a lot of different activities this week, most of which have involved going street contacting Downtown. We hit McLaren Park and Market Street a few times this week, and even managed to go with one of our Branch members to Chinatown. Leon Huang is a Return Missionary who served in Oregon. He is very skilled with talking to people, and gave Elder McKean and I a few tips and tricks that will help us in future trips. Leon also speaks Cantonese, which is ALWAYS nice to have when we go contacting! We also spent some time with Leon this week helping him to edit his college application essays. Helping each other with our language abilities is a good trade-off.
A great day this week was an exchange I went on with Elder Hansen, one of our Zone Leaders. We had a great day teaching English class and studying a whole bunch. One of the things I learned from him was that pondering and asking "why?' in regards to Gospel principles will help us strengthen our own testimonies and be able to teach with more clarity and simplicity. He also was a choir kid and techie in High School, so we spent most of our night "nerding out" about theater and shows and on-stage mishaps. Its been a long time since I've been able to do that, and it felt GREAT!
Kai is doing well! We taught him the Plan of Salvation this week, which he seemed to understand with no problem. He's been asking us all about the things that he can and cannot do once he is baptized, but we were a little nervous as to how he would react to the Commandments. We gave him a simple overview of the Word of Wisdom, the Law of Chastity, and Tithing. His response: "Wow, its going to be hard to give up beer." What awesome faith! He seems pretty willing to keep the Commandments, and we hope to continue to help him along the way this week. Also, the Recent Convert we're working with, Guan Chen, received his temple recommend this Sunday, so hopefully we will be able to go to the temple with him to do baptisms for the dead for his first time coming up. Please keep both of them in your prayers!
My studies have been great this week! I am LOVING the Ensign, and cannnot believe I didn't see the power of the words of our prophets before my mission. A favorite talk I read this week was by Elder John C. Pingree, "I Have A Work For Thee." His words made me realize that Heavenly Father has a specific purpose for each of his children to fulfill here on Earth. I fully intend to find what mine is. In the Book of Mormon, I read Alma 60, Moroni's infamous "Hate Letter" to Pahoran. However, this time reading it, instead of reading Mormoni's comments as chastisement about Pahoran's supposed "idleness," I took it to mean that we all have a responsibility to take up our swords and save the "thousands" around us who are in need of our help. It helped me and inspired me to be more urgent in my purpose, and try to always take up my sword for what I believe in. I encourage you all to do the same.
I am so grateful for each of you. Thank you for all of the well-wished already for my birthday. I love and appreciate each and every one of you!
Wo Ai NiMen!
Elder Butters/Bao ZhangLao
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