May 27. 2013

People,

This is my final email from Botswana. I'm leaving Molepolole for Gaborone right after we are done emailing. We will spend the night there then drive down to Johannesburg on Tuesday morning. I'm officailly staying in the Johannesburg mission. I think it's what I want though.

Yesterday we baptized a man named Tiego. He's an awesome guy, with a big heart. He's so sincere about the gospel. He's read the Book of Mormon almost two times through now and is already excited to start serving in the church. He bore an awesome testimony too. I wish you all could've heard it.

I had to get up in sacrament meeting and bear my testimony too. I still hate getting up in front of crowds. I don't think that will ever change. I kept it short and sweet. 

This week was pretty slow going. It's just getting so hard to stay motivated. I have no idea how I'm going to do it for another five and a half months. I can't wait to come home. I miss everyone, and running water..

I love and miss you all and I'll write and tell you where I end up next week. Peace out.

Elder Balmforth

May 20. 2013

People,

This week has been pretty uneventful other than Elder Fraga and I are both leaving our area and Elder Brown is taking over both with his new companion. I'm probably going back to South Africa too. Crazy right?

Elder Fraga and I have been dying pretty hard here. It's getting really hard to go out and find people, but we're still trying. We had a bunch of guys at church this week that are all on date for baptism and we can see them loving the gospel and being converted. It's awesome. Even one of the guys is getting baptized next sunday. His name is Tiego Dimpa. He's a boss. He's read the Book of Mormon almost twice now and isn't even a member yet. He's pretty powerful.

We got to come to Gabs this week and I was able to take a legitimate shower this morning which was awesome. I can't wait to be able to do it everyday soon.

Not a lot more happened this week. It was awesome to talk to you all last week though. I love and miss you.

Elder Balmforth

May 6. 2013

Hello,

I get to talk to everyone in less than a week now. How crazy is it that this will be my last phone call before I come home? I can hardly believe it. On mother's day I will have exactly 6 months left.

This week was a little crazy. It started out last monday with us getting a chance to hold a baby lion which was awesome. We had to get our car serviced in Gabarone on monday but there was something really wrong with it so we ended up having to stay the night with some of the other missionaries because we had no way to get home. It was alright except there was no blankets so I ended up in a little ball under my sweatshirt all night which kind of sucked. Then on Wednesday I had the chance to have an interview with President Omer. He's an awesome man. I hope to be like him someday.

Saturday we had a family reunion. Elder Blake, my trainer, is the new Assistant to the President and he came out with Elder Fraga and I for the day. It was pretty fun, except that you can tell he's really excited to be the ap because he tells everyone.

Saturday night we ended up spending another night in Gabs because we had the first ever Gabarone, Botswana stake conference on Sunday. Afterward some of the senior couples made us lunch which was awesome because we had no food really to break our fast at home.

We found out this week that Elder Fraga was denied for his visa to stay in Bots and is getting kicked out in a couple weeks. Actually it's happening for  a lot of the missionaries. The Botswana government isn't letting very many people stay. President Omer thinks that I'm going to stay in the Johannesburg mission though. So what I think is going to happen is that I'm going to get a new companion and stay in Molepolole for one more transfer then go back to South Africa at the beginning of July. 

I love you all. Sorry that I didn't write last week.

Elder Balmforth