The Zhao Family

2025-06-20 FF Girl's Camp

This year FF went to girls camp at Camp Round Meadow in Catoctin Mountain. They had a really fun time! They get to learn new songs, met new friends and had a great time. On Thursday night, Da and Abbey were able to go up there to help serve food and listen to the young women bear their testimonies.

2025-06-15 Elder Zhao's 1st week at MTC

HEYOOO!! Its Elder Zhao from the MTC: WEEK 1

Hi Everyone!!!

It has been three and a half months since I was called to serve on a mission, and I am now at the Missionary Training Center!! For anyone who doesn't know, I have been called to serve in the China, Hong Kong mission for 24 months :)

However, before that happens, I will be staying in the Provo Utah Missionary Training Center (MTC) for 3 weeks to prepare how to properly teach strangers about Christ. Missionaries learning a foreign language such as Cantonese normally stay here for 9, but I have been placed in an ADL class since I know the basics of the language (My Cantonese is not nearly good enough)...

There have been so many things that have happened within just the last 4 days after landing in Utah, and hopefully I can encapsulate the majority of it in just one email update! I have made a bunch of notes and have 1 hour to describe everything.

By the way, I am sending this on Saturday because my P-day (preparation day/ the one day I will be able to talk to friend sand family) is on Saturdays instead of Mondays like I originally thought. This is just at the MTC, and I assume my Pday dates will change while I am in the mission field.

There is so much to journal/ talk about so I will just get into it since I don't have a lot of time!

First day/ Tuesday 6/10/25:

It was a very bittersweet moment to say goodbye to my family at 5 AM, but it made it all the better when Mrs. Grimann, my middle school art teacher and amazing friend, came to surprise me and say goodbye. For the flight, I made it to Utah on my own!! It was the first time I flew solo and it was a little stressful trying to coordinate a ride and getting luggages. I was so grateful to have my roommate from last semester, Theo, give me a ride from the SLC airport to the Missionary Training Center. Before then, I was also able to meet up and spend time with Sam, another friend at BYU.

Since I was technically a day early, (call date was 6/11) the first day at the MTC went pretty slowly as they couldn't really have a full orientation yet. However I got to meet my companion then! In some coincidence, my companion, Elder Balakrishnan, had also arrived a day early. Companions are with each other 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, like on the mission, and keep each other locked in. He will be with me for this short 3 weeks before I leave to HK. The day went by pretty slowly; we got our missionary phones, papers, and tags (mine hadn't arrived yet) and then went to bed at 10 in temporary residences.

In our temporary residences, I was able to meet Elder Lukoji, Elder Hean, Elder Burt, and Elder Wong! Elder Wong was actually in my district (group of missionaries I will have classes with) and Elder Lukoji taught me some French slang. To top it all off, Elder Burt's feet stank so bad we left the door open until we went to sleep... Anyways, since I had woken up at 5, I was pretty tired so I went to sleep relatively easy, even though this was super abnormal to my body (my sleep schedule was from 2AM-11PM, conservatively).

Wednesday... To today (I'm running out of time to write this email)

We started off the day at the marvelous time of 6:00 AM!! Normally it is 6:30 but we needed to move our things to our permanent residences before we would go through the official MTC orientation. In a crazy coincidence, the zone leader who was guiding and introducing new missionaries that day was another of my roommates, Elder Plumb! We attended a devotional given by Elder Dube, who shared the importance of viewing everyone you teach by their divine potential, and also never giving out a closed Book of Mormon. It was super powerful to hear how dedication to Christ had changed his life.

At last, at 3 PM, we met the rest of our district. I learned that we are actually an "international" ADL district, which means we will only be learning through English, as opposed to other districts who are usually taught alongside their missionary language. What was really cool is that all of the elders in my district (5 including me) are all from different countries, and almost all going to different countries speaking different languages! Elder Wong is from Hong Kong and serving with Mandarin in Calgary, Canada. Elder Olson is from Thailand and serving with Thai in Thailand. Elder Roldan Pinto is from Peru and is serving with Spanish in New York City. Elder Balakrishnan is from India teaching in English in Wichita, Kansas, and I am from Maryland, US, speaking Cantonese in Hong Kong! They are so awesome. The rest of the day flew by super quickly as we met the MTC Presidency, where I was able to talk with President Owen for the first time.

Over these past first days, I have been blessed with so many amazing experiences such as:

- Learn of Elder Balakrishnans conversion story and how he came to the US after a hard life in India, how his trust in God allowed him to be sent here to serve with me! (BTW he's been a professional chef for EIGHT years so he can teach me a thing or two)

- Finding so many old friends here, such as Elder Plumb, Elder Andrew, Elder Leyman, Elder Lencioni, Sister Au and Sister Murset

- Becoming District Leader of District 5-E! Even though I have a lot more responsibilities, I am so grateful for such an opportunity to serve alongside the missionaries in this group

- Private Cantonese tutor lessons! Thank goodness, because I need them to be prepared in just 3 weeks

- Use Google Calendar a LOT more because every day is so packed with activities

- Getting used to the 10PM-6AM schedule as well as the dining hall food which is... edible

- Calling my family on P-day and almost missing dinner because I took too long writing!

- And much more that I am forgetting :(

Anyways, it's only been five days I've been away from home, but so much has happened. Although I miss home and I miss my friends and family, I remember why I am here. I am so excited to spread the gospel which has given me hope and joy.

A small quote I want to share is from Elder Bednar's talk on the Character of Christ, which he defined as "turning out to others when the natural man would turn in." In our lives, when we are faced with challenges, we often think of ourselves first. However, we instead reach out to see how we can serve others. It was so cool to hear the stories of later speakers who found love in turning out rather than thinking of themselves.

From this, I invite you guys to turn out when we feel like turning in, even when times get tough. I promise that, as you do, you will find love and peace.

I miss you all and I hope to hear from you guys :) Please send me an email to let me know you exist or something!

Of course, I you bet I got pictures, so if you got to the end of this behemoth of an email, here's the link to my google drive:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/qkaoEe965etiYQuj7

I've attached my five favorites to the email itself.

Finally, unfortunately or fortunately, depending on how you look at it, I'll be making shorter emails because this was... quite the work, even though my p-day ends later than usual. This email was way longer than I expected but it's ok since its the first! Email me any time and I'll reply on Saturday :)))

Peacee

Elder Zhao

Last pre-mission meal 🙃 Sam came to say bye

Featuring: The Owl

First of many missionary pictures

Elder Andrew (my BYU day 1 roommate)

Right: Elder Neyman (Connors BYU roommate!)

Right 2: Elder Angell, their companion :)

Elder Plumb (pink tie) was another one of my BYU roommates 😎 He was ZL at the MTC when I got there and just by chance led our group with his comp E. Mitchell (front right)

Temp roommates 🥹 From top left to bot right: E. Hean, E. Lukoji, E. Burt, E. Wong

MTC Prez President Owen and Sister Owen :)

President Christensen and Sister Christensen!

Becoming District Leader and responsibilities

While waiting for Elder Balakrishnan in the bathroom

Thank you so much to the Andersons :) these treats were so yummy and everyone loved them

😎😎😎😎😎

2025-06-15 Family gatherings

In June, with all the kids home, we were able to gather many times to have dinner and play games together.

Da's sister would invite our family over for dinner, and they we would invite Da's sister family over for dinner so the kids can spend as much as together as they can.

We took some family photos and see how much the kids have grown. Now that Emilee is at UMCP and doing EMT, Chris is studying at Cornell, Brennan and Clayton at BYU, Cayleigh still at high school, and Phoenix in elementary school. Another reason for the gatherings is before Clayton goes on his mission.

After Clayton left for his mission we had more family gathering. When Clayton called home, the cousins were at the house so they get a chance to chat with him. He gave some great experiences at the Missionary Training Center.