June 4. 2012

Hello All,
This week has been hectic. It’s ok though. But the craziness continues
as I sit in this sketchy little email shop with muslim prayer music
playing in the background.
I finally got my new missionary companion this week. His name is Elder
Rowberry. He’s from Peoria, AZ, is 22 years old, and is about 6’4”.
He’s really cool though, although it’s scary to have to be pretty much
the only one supporting the area. The mtc really doesn’t teach much
about teaching, but rather the importance of the fundamentals of
missionary work. He really doesn’t know what to say, and gets pretty
nervous in the lessons we teach, but he’s a good guy. I just have been
putting him in situations where he has to sink or swim, and he usually
comes away from it ok. He is pretty celestial though. He’s one of
those guys that makes you feel like you do horrible in every aspect of
the gospel because he is so good. I hope I don’t corrupt him or
anything.
This week has been one mixed with a ton of emotions. I’ll start out
the day feeling like I’m going to do great. I’ll feel way motivated
and want to do my very best, but by the end of the day I feel like
“get me the heck out of here, these people make me feel like punching
a baby!” The fact that I am training a new missionary doesn’t help
either. I don’t really like being the one who has to decide all of the
time exactly what we are going to do, scheduling everything, and then
having to carry all of the lessons. It’s making my hair even more grey
I think. It’s ok though. Somehow I make it through.
It’s also been a pretty discouraging week when it comes to our
investigators. We haven’t taught a whole lot of lessons, and the
people we are teaching really aren’t keeping commitments. I feel like
they don’t care, and I have no idea how to stress the importance and
eternality of the choices we make and the message we are trying to
share with them. It really isn’t something that you can teach. At
least I haven’t found out how to do it yet if there is a way. The only
way I know is to keep bugging them about reading the Book of Mormon.
That’s what changed, and is changing me. Nothing anyone ever told me
has made me believe the church is true, but when I actually started to
read and ponder and pray. I just don’t know how to make people do
those things. Everyone seems to think that their problems are so
unique and that reading is way too simple an answer to be the right
one for them. But they’re wrong. From what I’ve seen, it is only by
doing the standard mormon answer (reading, praying and going to
church), that fixes any real problem. Any.
Sorry to vent, it’s just been a crazy week and I don’t think it’s
really a good idea to say these things to my greenie. He still has his
fresh out of the mtc hope. I guess it’s good I’m training though.
Maybe he’ll rub off on me a little.
Anyway, I love you all. Reading all of your letters really has been
the highlight of my week, and I feel a lot better now. I miss
everyone.
Elder Balmforth