October 28. 2013

Family,

Well, I only have two weeks left of proselyting, and less than three weeks until I get to see all of you again. I can't believe the time has come.

This past week was a good one. We taught a few families that came to church and our lessons with them were awesome. They asked all the right questions, and understood all the right things at the right times. Probably some of the best lessons Elder Dalton and I have taught together. One of the families is a new one that we've recently begun teaching, Adeus and Chipo. They're from Zimbabwe and are super cool. He's a project manager for a construction company, and she's a social worker, and some of the nicest people I've ever met. After teaching them about the restoration, we invited them to church. They seemed hesitant, so we just promised them blessings if they came and didn't try to convince them. After the lesson, Elder Dalton and I asked Heavenly Father to help them come to church, and to our surprise they actually showed up and a bunch of people from the branch made them feel really welcome.

Yesterday we finally had the chance to begin watching conference. We only watched the Saturday morning session though. I'm not going to be able to watch all of it before I come home which is kind of lame. I'm excited to be able to listen to the rest of it. Elder Hales talk made me feel like the world is coming to an end soon though. The way Elder Bednar exhorted us not to procrastinate the day of our repentance also made me feel that way. I think they're aware of something that we're not.

Elder Dube, who spoke, is from Zimbabwe and I think his talk was one of the favorites among the branch members here. He even baptized one of the sisters in our branch on his mission. Also, Elder Soares or however you spell it, was a seventy assigned to Johannesburg before he was called to the Presidency of the Seventy, and I met him when I met Elder Holland last year. It was cool to hear him talk, especially since I'm pretty sure that I met the Brother Mohlangu he was talking about when I was serving in Soweto which is kind of cool. Even, I believe that I taught his son once who had been less active for years before returning to activity. Crazy right?

Anyway, Elder Bednar is coming to my mission this week on Thursday, but I won't be able to meet him because our zone is too far away. President Omer felt bad that only our zone, out of the 16 or so in the mission, doesn't get to go, so he's having the mission do a nice lunch for us that day which will be cool.

We'll be having a couple of baptism's next week Sunday. Ben and Ryan. We're looking forward to it.

I love and miss you all. Have an awesome week.

Elder Balmforth

October 14. 2013

Family,

This week has been a fairly normal one, beside the fact that we were fed by members twice in one week, which never happens. That was pretty awesome, except that one of them was actually really not that good, but the lady that made it is probably one of the sweetest ladies that I've met so it was ok.

I only have 29 days left as a missionary. It's almost done, but it doesn't quite feel real yet. The days remain the same. Same people, same challenges, same excuses, same schedule. I don't know why I imagined anything would change. It's strange to almost be done. You spend your whole life hearing people speaking about missions served and not really knowing what it is like, and then all of a sudden you're looking back at the end of your service thinking "wow, that's what it was!" It's an odd sensation.

Our work this week was ok. We had a decent turn out at church which is always cool, we're just trying to figure out what to do with a lot of these people we're working with who are just going through the motions and not really progressing. 

That's about it for this week. I love you all and can't wait to see you again soon.

Elder Balmforth

October 7. 2013

Family,

This week has been an interesting one. My district leader, Elder Ouma, who lives with us is training this transfer and his trainee is from some obscure village in Uganda, so he doesn't know how to do a lot of the things that we take for granted. He said that he could drive, but after a very short lived driving session we came to learn that he had actually purchased his driver's license on the side of the road or something. So now neither he or his companion drive so Elder Dalton use the car every day which is cool, but the downside is that we have to drop them off and pick them up every day and take them everywhere they need to go. Which is kind of lame. He also started a small fire in the house this week by accident while using the stove. The house still smells. He's a good guy though, and we like him a lot. His name is Elder Mayende.

Yesterday at church we had an awesome turnout of investigators and less active members, and only a part of them showed up. I can't even imagine what it would be like if everyone that we were working with came to church on the same sunday. The endire chapel would be full to the brim. It would be crazy.

It's strange to think that in just six weeks from yesterday I will be arriving in Salt Lake City. It's a strange feeling. It still feels like it's not really going to happen. I'm sure that my attitude toward being a missionary full time will change somewhat once I'm not one, and I'll long to come back. But as for right now, I'm just excited to see everyone at home again. 

I love and miss you all.

Elder Balmforth