January 9. 2012

Sup,

This week was actually a pretty good week, because we were actually able to work for a solid week. I also was able to have my first interview with my mission president, President Omer. My first interview in the field anyway. It was pretty cool, he's a really nice guy and I can tell that he genuinely cares about all of the missionaries, and that he spends all of his time thinking, praying about and serving the missionaries here. It's really cool.

On Thursday this week Elder Blake and I got stuck in the rain for several hours, and despite our best efforts to get inside people's homes to get out of the rain, we ended up getting drenched. Soaked to the bone, I never thought it was possible to be that cold in Africa. Even the appointments with the members that we set up that day cancelled at the last minute, making us have to bike in the rain even longer. The next day Elder Blake punctured another bike tire so we had to walk to all of our appointments. We spent like 5 hours of the day just walking in the sun. The sun was out and way intense too so we both got really sunburnt. I now have a ridiculous tan line where my watch was.

Other than that though, the rest of the week went very well. Most of our appointments kept and the people we are teaching all seem to be keeping their commitments. Marcus, our investigator who has progressed the most, is now 7 days without smoking. If all goes according to plan he should be baptized on the 29th. That is still the only thing holding him back. Other than his smoking, he's been ready to be baptized since I got here. We have also been getting him involved with the branch members a lot more lately. On Tuesday, we took him to do some service (painting) at the home of the branch relief society president. Ever since that day they have been hanging out a lot together, and she is helping him stay clean. She's divorced and so is he, and Elder Blake and I are pretty certain that they are going to get married down the road. All thanks to us. Because we're awesome.

We also taught the Ntshonyana family again, but this time we brought a member of the branch who is a recently returned missionary. It went awesomely. We went over the entire restoration with them and introduced all 5 people who were there to the Book of Mormon, and challenged them to read and pray about it, which they all accepted.

We also taught Sharon and her son Umro again. I don't know if I've mentioned them before but they are both Afrikaans speaking, and the only person who has been able to translate for us is the lady who is hosting them in her home. The hard thing about this is that the lady is a muslim, which makes things a little complicated because she keeps throwing in her own understanding of God in the translation process. Anyway, we planned a lot for our lesson with them this week and it paid off. They have both been reading the Book of Mormon and seem to be liking it a lot.

The final significant lesson that we had was with the Stake President's neice Jessica Doyle and her friend Jai. It was cool though because they both are motivated to learn more about the gospel, and when we asked them to be baptized they were both excited to accept. They should get there by the 5th of February.

Sunday was fast and testimony meeting, and I was actually very glad that very few of the people we challenged to come to church showed up, because there was this crazy Africa from Mozambique who showed up and got up and was yelling into the microphone pretty much. He speaks portugese and very broken english. But he went on forever and all I could understand was at the end when he gave out his phone number for some reason. There was also another man who we've never seen before from Zambia who came to our class that we teach. He was very nice and knowledgeable, but I don't think he's ever taken a shower in his life. His smell filled the whole room and I almost started to choke when I walked into the classroom. I had to sit next to the open window to be able to breathe at all.

I feel good this week becaus I was able to work pretty hard and, some funny stuff happened. I just wanted to remind everyone that they should all have and study from Preach my Gospel. It's really helpful, not just for teaching but for learning as well. It has a section on prayer, that has truly helped me to understand it's importance, and as I have been praying more earnestly I have felt a lot better throughout the day. It truly helps a lot and I want everyone to see how important it is. I've also learned how important sincere scripture study is in life. So much so, that I've been waking up an hour early every morning to study more. It has been helping me to grow and understand very quickly.

Also if you get a chance to watch Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration, you should. It's pretty awesome.

I love you all and hope that you know that I pray for you all the time. Thank you so much for all the letters and support.

-Elder Balmforth

January 3. 2012

Sup-

How's it everybody,
I'm sorry that I didn't have a chance to email yesterday. Because New Year's Day fell on a Sunday, all of the email shops were closed on Monday. I hope everyone had an awesome New Year's Eve and Day by the way. This week we went to a place called Bruma which is a huge market place where you haggle with people for really cool, traditional African stuff. It was crazy. All of the shop owners pretty much swarmed us because we look rich all dressed up. We had to fight our way out almost. That was the most interesting part of the week though.

We started to teach a few new investigators that we found. They're really cool and just happen to be like the only black people in all of Alberton. It was awesome. They're the Ntshonyana family, and don't worry because I still can't pronounce it. The family is a mother, a son and four daughters. They're all super nice, and if we can get them baptized I know that they will be a super strong family in the church. That lesson was last Tuesday, and after that everything went downhill way fast.

Almost 90% of our appointments this week cancelled our teaching appointments. It was actually looking like a very promising week until that happened. The only other person that we taught this week was Marcus, who is going to baptized soon if we can get him to quit smoking. I mentioned him in my last letter, and he was actually doing very well for the better part of a week, but he relapsed. He's been taught every lesson like 3 times now and he has a strong testimony, he just has to quit smoking. To help we go see him almost everyday.. That's one reason we see him anyway. The main reason is that we don't have very many investigators because rich white people are the hardest people to teach ever, so we have a lot of open time to tract and visit members.

I also crashed my bike this week and I have a huge welt the size of a grapefruit on my thigh, and it's turning a bunch of crazy colors and it hurts. It was just a result of me being dumb though. I didn't rip any of my clothes or anything though which is good. I'm really working on staying positive lately. My companion, Elder Blake, and I are working on developing Christlike attributes and Hope is the one I'm working on right now. It's really hard to make a person (myself) who is a pessimist by nature, to have a hopeful point of view.

Since most of our appointments cancelled, we have had a lot of time to tract and I think we're getting to be pretty good at it. I've just recently been trying to think "I'm going to get into this home" before I ring every call box, and it has actually been working really well. I'm also learning to be more bold, and aggressive when talking to people about the church rather than trying to dance around the fact that we want to help them.

This week Elder Blake also got a flat tire which means we have to walk until we can get him a new tube, and get our bikes serviced. It doesn't seem like a big deal until you think that our closest investigator is like a 45 minute walk from our flat, and the church building is like an hour walk. I never thought I would be glad to have a bike in my area until I had to go without one.
New Year's eve and day were really fun though. I was able to hang out with my district since we weren't allowed to be out proselyting because of all the crazy people out partying. I like pretty much all of the guys in my district, they're all fun to be around. Especially Elder Beenfield. He's an awesome guy, but he's one of those people who makes you feel like you have done nothing with your life. Not because he's mean, but because he's just so much better than everyone at everything he does.

Anyway, I love you all and I'm so thankful for all the letters and everything. Remember to read and pray always, and follow the commandments to the t. I miss you all.
-Elder Awesome

Elder Blake and Me at the summit

View of my area from the mountain we climbed

Crazy cactus we found on our hike

Same cactus

What tracting for us looks like

This is what all the fences around every house looks like

December 27. 2011

Hello Everyone,
I forgot to bring the cord to my camera this week, so I can't upload any pictures. Sorry. I will make sure to bring it next time. I hope everyone had an awesome Christmas (And remembered what it was really about), and I hope everyone has an awesome New Year. This week was really crazy and we didn't have very many appointments or lessons or luck with tracting because during the holidays here everyone leaves and goes to the coastal towns. We did go to like six different Christmas parties though, and I've eaten more candy here than I ever have in my life. I actually like the chocolate here, it's a lot better here than it is in the states. This week we had one of the APs come out with my Elder Blake and I on exchanges, so we spent the day as a tripod. The Elder that was with us was named Elder Ssempala, and he's from Uganda. He's a really cool guy and he's an awesome and powerful missionary. He should be though, he's been here for 22 months. Even though he wasn't here very long, both Elder Blake and I learned a lot from him.
We live in a flat at the base of a mountain, and one morning this week we woke up extra early and hiked it and did our studying at the summit. It was really cool, and the view was really cool. I took pictures but I'll have to send them next week. After that we had an appointment with one of the only progressing investigators that we have. His name is Marcus, and he is going to be baptized, the only reason he hasn't been already is because of his smoking addiction. He's cut down a lot, but he has been regressing lately. At the end of our lesson though, we gave him a blessing and he hasn't smoked since. It's been 6 days. The missionaries have been trying to get him to stop for forever and he has never gone and entire day without a cigarette until we gave him the blessing. It was so cool to see the Priesthood in action, and to see how it really can help us to do anything. Marcus only has to make it two more weeks and he can be baptized. It is so cool.

We would be much more productive but the relationship between the missionaries and the branch was ruined by a couple of Elders who were in this area before we were. Since most conversion happens through referrals from members, and not from tracting (only like 1/100 of the people we talk to will take anytime to even acknowledge that we exist) we've decided to focus the majority of our efforts on building our relationship with the Branch members. We're still doing the best we can on our own, but hopefully our efforts to befriend the members will bring a lot more investigators.

This week I also went on an exchange with some other Elders in our district. I was with my District leader Elder Bais (Australia) and I went to Alexandra in the township (Ghetto of all ghettos). Elder Bais doesn't have a driver's license, so I had to drive. That might not sound like a big deal but I've been on a bike since I got here, and they drive on the wrong side here and the first rule of the road is that there are no rules. It's truly crazy scary driving here. I didn't have any time to practice either, they just tossed me the keys and said "ok, drive!" In the township the streets are super narrow and everyone lives in these little shacks made out of whatever was closest to them. And that could be literally anything from bathmats for shingles, to mud or anything. Anyway, I'm learning to drive on these narrow dirt roads with sewage flowing down the sides, on the wrong side while trying to dodge not only people, but goats and chickens and children and RATS. Big rats. It was literally the opposite of the area that I usually serve in. I liked it a lot more though, because there were no stuck up, rich, white people. There was only black people, but they're way more humble and easy to talk to. I committed my first person to be baptized there and they said "What is the soonest I can be baptized?" It was awesome. I hope I get assigned to an area like that next time transfers happen.

Besides talking to everyone on Christmas, that was the highlight of my week. I love and miss everyone, and thank you all for the letters and emails. I really appreciate them. Sorry I couldn't send pictures, but I hope everyone has a happy New Year!!

-Elder Joshua Danger Balmforth

December 19. 2011

Hello,

I finally left the MTC!! I also got my first real companion. His name is Elder Blake and he is from Virginia. I was so glad. I was so worried because I wanted an American at first. Anyway my companion has only been out for 3 months and he's already training. I'm in an area called Alberton and I'll be here for at least 4.5 months. It is totally not what I expected at all. It is the richest, whitest place in the world. It is like the Beverly Hills of South Africa. I've never seen so many BMWs, Mercedes, Audis and even Ferrari's and Lambo's in my life. It's crazy. Because all of the people are rich and white, none of them want to hear anything about the gospel because they think they have it all figured out, so we don't have very many investigators. So we spend the majority of our time tracting, which you wouldn't think would be so bad except that all of the houses here are huge and have crazy electric and spiked fences with like 10 guard dogs each. I hate dogs. I have a theory that the fences here aren't made to keep people out, they're made to kill you if you try to get in. And because of the fences and dogs we can't even knock on people's doors, we have to talk to them through these stupid little call boxes on their driveway entrances. And when people aren't looking you in the eyes it is a lot easier for them to shut you down. I'm really starting to hate white people, seriously. The only nice people here are the black ones, but we cant teach any of them because they all live outside our area and we only have bikes even though our area is huge.

I have taught a couple of lessons though. But they were to investigators that we already had before I got here. Even though I've only done it a few times I'm already a lot better than I thought I would be. I also went to my first barbeque (Braai) where another missionary in my district and I had a wrestling match and I accidentally gave him a bloody nose. His name is Elder Beenfield. I like most of the missionaries here in my zone, and it makes it a lot easier to be here with people to talk to who get me. On Saturday we got to go to the Temple again but I left my recommend at my flat so Elder Blake and I had to wait around the Temple grounds and distribution center for like 3 hours.

I also went to the Alberton branch for the first time on Sunday. The members are all really nice, but since the holidays are here, there was only literally a hand full of people there. I also had to get up and give a talk with like no notice, but it went ok.

Overall I like it here. My legs are going to be huge by the time I leave here because we're on bikes and every appointment we set up is on the opposite side of town than where we currently are.

I found out that at least for the next 4.5 months I will be in an area where I can get and print emails, so that is going to be the fastest way to get a hold of me.

I've really been learning a lot and even though I've not been here very long the way I see things is completely different. Please to your best to obey and do everything that you are supposed to. Even if it seems really small and insignificant. I can't stress how important all of this is. I just love and care for you all so much. And I miss you all a ton. And I want to be with you all forever. I love you all so much. Thank you for all the letters.

Also If someone could please send me a couple of things. I need black athletic type socks(preferably moisture wicking, these church socks aren't doing it for me.). I'd also really appreciate an electric shaver, a couple of tie bars and some more ties.

About Christmas calls:

Dad-I'm going to call you on Christmas Eve at around 230pm Eastern time, so please be home. I only have a few minutes left on our phone, so I'm going to have to give you my number when I call you and have you call me back.

Mom/Kelsie-I'm going to call you on Christmas at around 1000am Mountain time, and I'm going to let you guys figure out where to meet up. Kelsie's number is the only one I remember so I will be calling her phone. Please make sure that you guys answer and are together.

Safe Arrival to His Mission Area

Week Three

Hello everybody,

I wish I could tell you all something new I learned about South Africa this week, but I've been stuck in the mtc the entire time. Pretty much all that I know about this place is what people tell me and what I can see from the window. It's kind of like Spirit Prison. Our schedules are such that we can barely breathe without being told that we can, we're only let out in the yard to play sports an hour a day and to go to the cafeteria to eat. And I'm stuck with a companion that I don't really like while people are teaching us the gospel all the time. Besides that though, everything is pretty sweet. I've started over in my Book of Mormon reading, and It's crazy how differently I see it now. It's not just a book anymore. On Tuesday we went to the Joburg temple and the distribution center again. It was awesome. Everyone needs to go to the temple as often as they can. Also, at the distributioncenter they had this big Book of Mormon covered in wildabeast fur. It was crazy, it looked like something out of Harry Potter. They had a ton of stuff like that, and I took some pictures with it but I can't send them yet. It's been Interesting being here but I still can't wait to get out of the MTC. I'm leaving on the 13th, I'm excited to have a companion who actually knows what he's talking about. Yesterday we had something called TRC, which is where they bring referrals into the MTC to be taught by the new missionaries, and the teachers tell us that all of the people are real investigators but you can totally tell that they're all members. Some you can tell are wearing garments, others accidentally introduce themselves as Brother or Sister and one of them forgot that he was wearing his ctr ring. I thought one of the guys Elder Masaya and I were teaching yesterday was a real investigator until I realized that he had a vile of consecrated oil on his key chain and I couldn't take anything he was saying seriously after that. I also found out that polygamy is legal here because the chef in the cafeteria has 3 wives of his own. Apparently if we're teaching someone and we find out that they have more than one wife we're just supposed to stop teaching them. Today I'm also going on splits with the real Joburg missionaries and I'm pretty excited that I'll get to see some of what this place is actually like. Hopefully I don't get mugged. They had a member who is an ex-cop come in and talk to us for an hour about how not to get killed. It was pretty funny. But other than learning about the gospel and how to teach nothing else has really happened.

What I'm going to try and do since I do not have enough time to read all of my emails and then respond is I'm going to print out the emails as soon as I get on the computer, then respond to the previous weeks questions and read my emails when my time to write is up.

Dad-

1. I think that as long as it is an attachment and not a link I can open it because of the filters on the computers.

2-3. Anything printed out would be awesome. I just found out that I'm allowed to print here at the MTC but I don't know if there'll be a printer available wherever I go. I'll let you know as I find out.

4. I met up with Elder Dirkmaat in london. He is a pretty cool guy and we'll both be going to the same mission so I'll probably get to see a lot of him.

I love you all. Sorry I couln't tell you more but my time is up. Thank you for all the letters.

Josh

Week Two

Dear Everyone,

I'm sorry that I won't have time to reply to everyone's emails right now. While I'm here in the MTC I only have 30 minutes every week to write letters including reading all of your letters. It's actually a pretty stressful event. It's fun being here, except that it is a lot what I thing spirit prison is like. There are bars on the windows and a spiked fence all the way around the property with security guards and such, and our schedule is very strict with people teaching us about the gospel constantly. My companion's name is Elder Masaya (from Zimbabwe), and while I thought it would be cool to have an African companion.. We really don't get along very well. He's pretty much the polar opposite of me. Yes, skin tone also. Other than that, all of the other Elders in my district (8 Elders in my room, and the only 2 sisters here) are really fun to be around. I think they're trying to make me fat because they feed us 4 huge meals a day, and the rest of the time we spend sitting in class. We also keep having to teach fake investigators all the time, even though none of us really know anything and we don't have senior companions to save us when we talk ourselves into a corner. I feel like we're all being given final exams on the first day of class, and none of the teachers will give us any answers. They just tell us to figure it out. Yesterday was awesome though because we had a real referral come in to talk to Elder Masaya and I about the church. It went awesome. I've never felt the spirit like that. We had all the answers and right things to say to him. It was one of the coolest things ever. We also went to the Johannesburg temple for the first time on tuesday and its tiny. The endowment room could only fit a maximum of like 15 people. The whole temple seemed miniature. We also were able to do some sealings which was new. My time is just about up, I'll have more time to write and answer questions and stuff when I get out of the MTC. I love you all. Thanks for all the letters.

Josh