Wednesday, September 19, 2012

September 19. 2012

Hello,
First of all I'm sorry that it has taken me so long to email this week. The power was out in my area and so the place we usually email from was out of service.
This week was a pretty awesome week so far though. It started out with a huge group of missionaries playing rugby and volleyball at the mission office which was a pretty awesome pday.
I went on exchange with my district leader's companion this week. It went well except that I ended up burning my face on the stove top. You know when you stand up quickly and end up getting light headed? Anyway, that happened to me as I got up to help my companion who was cooking, and by the time I got the counter I blacked out completely. The next thing I knew I was coming out of it and I was shaking and my face hurt. I didn't know why though, because I couldn't remember anything. I looked in the mirror and there was a bunch of skin scraped off my nose and a big burn on the left side of my face. We pieced together what happened when we found some skin scraped off on the edge of the pot of rice that had been moved off the burner and we found my chin print on the counter. It hurt pretty bad, but is healing up pretty well. It looks like I got in a crazy fight though.
I ended up yelling at a couple of my investigators who just wanted to prove us wrong this week. I felt horrible and apologized before I left and they accepted it. I don't actually think they were offended or anything though in the first place, it seems like they are use to arguing. I still felt really bad though. In my defense though, they were claiming to be apostles, and when I read to them from Acts 10 where it talks about the witness of Christ that all of the prophets have and asked them if they had seen the risen Savior they defiantly answered yes. Their answer made all of my patience and rational thinking go right out the window. I bear witness that the Old Apostolic Church of Africa is false!
On a lighter more fulfilling note, we had an entire father led family at church this week. Isaac, Thutula and their two children. It was so cool. They enjoyed it and the ward did an awesome job at fellowshipping each of them. It was an awesome sight. We have also picked up what I think are some pretty prepared investigators.
I guess the week was pretty even with awesome and lame parts. Overall though, this week I've become a lot more grateful for the blessing that the gospel is in my life. As I sit and watch these people so stubbornly reject something that could help them so much if they only gave it a chance, I feel as though I understand to some minute degree what the Savior must feel all the time as he watches his spirit brothers and sisters reject him. It's so sad. But it has helped me to realize how good we all have it, that we were raised in such a way that we were receptive to the Savior and his teachings.
I love and miss you all and am so grateful for all of you. I hope you have an awesome week.
Elder Balmforth

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