MY week has been good but to answer some of you inquiries...Ya ok so i figured somthing out you can send me for christmas, i need a couple whitew short sleeve shirts, some dumb missionaries took mine. and also if you can send a couple mesh garment bottoms that would be great. oh man i miss that huge christmas tree but our puny charlie brown tree is awesome i love it we set all up this week and it was great were working on a christmas card now but zero ideas now. have dad hop on and tell me all about the dallas trip, how was the new stadium and all that jazz. so guess what i actulally wrote down things to talk to you all about so yay you'll actually here some good stories form my week. ok so first off big news i have recently found out that i'm mildly lactose intollerant, so yeah i eat cereal most mornings and have milk and my poo hasn't been hard in like over a year so we bought heaps of soy milk and oat milk this week and since i'm drinking that instead, guess what... Hard Poo hahaha sorry you had to endure that story but you wanted me to share about my week. we had zone conference in Melbourne so as you heard from last week we were down there. it was good and it was president lee's b-day and we got him a pink tie and he swore he'd never wear pink but we got him to wear it, it was great. then we rode a noce long train ride back to our area it was fun, and when we got back we went to this part member families house and they had been having stange happenings with spirits and they wanted us to dedicate there home, so they asked me to do it, so i did and it was very spiritual and it is the dad who is not a member and after the blessing we asked him if he wanted the Priesthood to protect and bless his family and he was blown away he said no body has ever asked him. but he said he'd talk mit over with his wife but i think he will want to recieve that it was such a cool expirience. so my area has been very hard we havn't found any new investogators in the three weeks i've been here, which is weird cause i usually get a couple a week. but just satuday night we knock this one door we saw a couple days previous so we knock it and behind the door is a burmese family they invite us in we teach them and it was tough but i feel they understood, and we got four new investigators it was great, some success finally. that was great, so thing funny that happened was we were talking to this girl on her doorstep for like 45 mins and the whole time this song was playing over and over and over in the background. so i wanted to guess what it was all about so i guessed " is it the title menu for a dvd of the show "third rock from the sun"" and i weas exactly right, how stinkin random i was so proud of my self. anyways my week was good and after being here for three weeks they finally got me to introduce myself in sacrament, after i'd already met 90% of the poeple there. but i think thats about it i love you all thanks for the love. talk to you in 25 days.
-Elder Ballard
Sunday, April 18, 2010
November 22, 2009
G'day Family.
This week was nuts-o, for some reason my mind is blanking. Bendigo is a tough area we havn't found anyone to teach in two weeks now it's a little fruterating but about to explode. first off we help this young guy with emphazema mow down a forest in his back yard full of red back (aussie black widows) crazy them we asked if he wanted to be taught and he said o"oh god never helped me!" but my comp said were sent from god to help him and he was just blown away then we just walked aways. he has our number but we were just frusterated. we have this one lady ready for baptism she wuill be getting baptized on jan 1st new years resolution awsome. the ward is awesome.The Rectors are aweomse they gave us a ride down to melbourne for stake conference and we'll be down here for four days cause we have zobne conference tomorrow so i'm kinda bugged about not doing work in my area fro half a week ugh, but something funny that happened this week is one i got trapped in a dust storm it was intense and also a little black boy came up to me and he pointed at the mole on my arm and asked "whats that?": hahahahaha he's never seen a mole cause he's black as night so funny i told it was my skin trying to be like him, and it was jealous skin. i thinks thats it. i apolagize family fdor my memory being aweful i'll make a list next week and it'll be a good one. i love you all and i hera the cowboys are tearing it up and 49ers suck but whats new.
-Elder Ballard
This week was nuts-o, for some reason my mind is blanking. Bendigo is a tough area we havn't found anyone to teach in two weeks now it's a little fruterating but about to explode. first off we help this young guy with emphazema mow down a forest in his back yard full of red back (aussie black widows) crazy them we asked if he wanted to be taught and he said o"oh god never helped me!" but my comp said were sent from god to help him and he was just blown away then we just walked aways. he has our number but we were just frusterated. we have this one lady ready for baptism she wuill be getting baptized on jan 1st new years resolution awsome. the ward is awesome.The Rectors are aweomse they gave us a ride down to melbourne for stake conference and we'll be down here for four days cause we have zobne conference tomorrow so i'm kinda bugged about not doing work in my area fro half a week ugh, but something funny that happened this week is one i got trapped in a dust storm it was intense and also a little black boy came up to me and he pointed at the mole on my arm and asked "whats that?": hahahahaha he's never seen a mole cause he's black as night so funny i told it was my skin trying to be like him, and it was jealous skin. i thinks thats it. i apolagize family fdor my memory being aweful i'll make a list next week and it'll be a good one. i love you all and i hera the cowboys are tearing it up and 49ers suck but whats new.
-Elder Ballard
November 15, 2009
G'day Family
My week was long but most the time the first weeks go slow motion in a new area. it's only been like four days since i last wrote but i guess i'll just tell you a bit about the area. this whole week has been 35 degrees or over which is 95-105 in farhenhite (SP?) but i think i'll survive it's just like cali summers but the ozone is gone so it heats you fast as. but i love it because people take pitty on you and invite you in give you glasses of water and of course while were drinking we get an opportunity to teacha bit so thats good. it's the funniest when we go into a house and it is hotter and muggier than the outside and we swet more so funny. but the work is just the same as most places. but my last area was very multi cultural so we talked to all types of people, but here it's straight true blue aussies. but they are all pretty nice we get some harrassments but those are fun cause all aussies are cowards when confronted. a bit funny. i Met our Ward yesterday they said hi and what not but not overly welcoming like glenorchy in Tazzy. but they seem good they are a lot of very new members to the church which makes me wonder where are the old members they don't come so thats quite a bit of work for me. we also met Sister Rector apparently she knows you mom from online, she is just like mom. there house seems like ours in taste and ecoration and also with the christmas tree being up freakishly early. they are funny. then last night they had a fireside and like 30 nonmembers were invited it was great this ward is on fire. we gave a fat stack of copies of the book of mormon out and some guy started to read it in the foyer instead of socialize in the cultural hall it was awesome. lots of good stuff i can't wait. but other than the imense heat and awesome missionary minded ward, not much else happened. but i'm good my comp and i are doing good, love you guys and take care.
-Eler Ballard
My week was long but most the time the first weeks go slow motion in a new area. it's only been like four days since i last wrote but i guess i'll just tell you a bit about the area. this whole week has been 35 degrees or over which is 95-105 in farhenhite (SP?) but i think i'll survive it's just like cali summers but the ozone is gone so it heats you fast as. but i love it because people take pitty on you and invite you in give you glasses of water and of course while were drinking we get an opportunity to teacha bit so thats good. it's the funniest when we go into a house and it is hotter and muggier than the outside and we swet more so funny. but the work is just the same as most places. but my last area was very multi cultural so we talked to all types of people, but here it's straight true blue aussies. but they are all pretty nice we get some harrassments but those are fun cause all aussies are cowards when confronted. a bit funny. i Met our Ward yesterday they said hi and what not but not overly welcoming like glenorchy in Tazzy. but they seem good they are a lot of very new members to the church which makes me wonder where are the old members they don't come so thats quite a bit of work for me. we also met Sister Rector apparently she knows you mom from online, she is just like mom. there house seems like ours in taste and ecoration and also with the christmas tree being up freakishly early. they are funny. then last night they had a fireside and like 30 nonmembers were invited it was great this ward is on fire. we gave a fat stack of copies of the book of mormon out and some guy started to read it in the foyer instead of socialize in the cultural hall it was awesome. lots of good stuff i can't wait. but other than the imense heat and awesome missionary minded ward, not much else happened. but i'm good my comp and i are doing good, love you guys and take care.
-Eler Ballard
November 10, 2009
G'day Family
Crazy news i have for all of you guys, i spent six tranfers in one area in tasmania and guess what, i'm getting tranfered from Reservoir. what the flip i just got here. they are sending me away to a place called Bendigo way out from the city in the middle of aussie bush. there are zero missionaries close by we are hours away from anything. truely exiled. oh boy i'm so excited. my new companion is Elder David Merrel from Hollister California, he is a real brainiac. we were in the MTC together so you can see him in those pictures. but thats the huge news, i'm gonna miss Rezzy i was starting to like it so i better be here for a while because i don't like this whole moving thing. ok so a couple cool things happened this week. funny thing was while Elder Gremmert and i Where talking to people on the trains we hopped off to go a couple train cars back to talk to more poeple but as we were walking back the doors started to close so i squeezed through but Elder Gremmert didn't the doors close and i see him get smaller and smaller and the trani leaves the staion. hahahaha OH NO! it was so weird toi not have a comp around but i went to the next couple stations and waited for him. but it was funny, and we laughed about it before. oh other thing is we ran a timed mile on monday i got 6:08 pretty good we've been training i want it under six. othere things that happened hmmm not sure wait till i get home hahahah in a very long time. love you family and we'll see you all later.
Elder Ballard
Crazy news i have for all of you guys, i spent six tranfers in one area in tasmania and guess what, i'm getting tranfered from Reservoir. what the flip i just got here. they are sending me away to a place called Bendigo way out from the city in the middle of aussie bush. there are zero missionaries close by we are hours away from anything. truely exiled. oh boy i'm so excited. my new companion is Elder David Merrel from Hollister California, he is a real brainiac. we were in the MTC together so you can see him in those pictures. but thats the huge news, i'm gonna miss Rezzy i was starting to like it so i better be here for a while because i don't like this whole moving thing. ok so a couple cool things happened this week. funny thing was while Elder Gremmert and i Where talking to people on the trains we hopped off to go a couple train cars back to talk to more poeple but as we were walking back the doors started to close so i squeezed through but Elder Gremmert didn't the doors close and i see him get smaller and smaller and the trani leaves the staion. hahahaha OH NO! it was so weird toi not have a comp around but i went to the next couple stations and waited for him. but it was funny, and we laughed about it before. oh other thing is we ran a timed mile on monday i got 6:08 pretty good we've been training i want it under six. othere things that happened hmmm not sure wait till i get home hahahah in a very long time. love you family and we'll see you all later.
Elder Ballard
Sunday, November 8, 2009
November 01, 2009
Hey Family,
So news flash I like my scooter, I don't really want to sell it cause I will need transportation when I get home. If you guys need a battery any scooter battery should work. One stipulation, if you sell it i'll need you all to provide me with a ride when i get home...deal haha. Yes today is November 2nd and it's my berfday. I'm 20...crap!!! That's old as. I did get my package it was so cool all the little toys you put in there are so fun but I probably wouldn't have as much fun with them if I wasn't a missionary. I gave all the missionaries and some other people heaps of candy. They love it and my box is still chokka blocked full of more. Don't worry you'll get pictures soon enough. I told you guys all about my new area and comp in my last couple of email, it's alright, it's no Tazzy thats for sure but just give it time. I was so excited to go to the temple up here but it got cancelled cause dumb missionaries can't keep there flat's clean. Oh yes it is getting warm, I don't know if you heard about the huge bush fires here this past February but Saturday we went up there to clean up and it was crazy I took tons of pictures. It was 34 degrees celcius that day thats like 97 degrees and with the lack of ozone it feels like 115 it's nuts. I didn't burn cause I covered myself in ash from the fire you'll see. I can't believe Winter is back in swing. I had my first run in with the police here we were walking to our car and these boys we talked to earlier said we should knock this guys door and as we get to his porch he is hiding behind his couch with the police on the phone and when we walk up he screams and says "oh my gosh they're at my door... oh wait it's just the jehovah witnesses!" hahaha I correct him and it turns out he is crazy, so we chat with the guys out front of his house and they're cool then the cops come but we had a tea appoinment so we gapped before they stopped us. it was funny. I got a video of me opening my package i'll send that soon or you guys can wait till christmass next year. Thanks for all the birhtday wishes I love you guys.
-Elder Ballard
So news flash I like my scooter, I don't really want to sell it cause I will need transportation when I get home. If you guys need a battery any scooter battery should work. One stipulation, if you sell it i'll need you all to provide me with a ride when i get home...deal haha. Yes today is November 2nd and it's my berfday. I'm 20...crap!!! That's old as. I did get my package it was so cool all the little toys you put in there are so fun but I probably wouldn't have as much fun with them if I wasn't a missionary. I gave all the missionaries and some other people heaps of candy. They love it and my box is still chokka blocked full of more. Don't worry you'll get pictures soon enough. I told you guys all about my new area and comp in my last couple of email, it's alright, it's no Tazzy thats for sure but just give it time. I was so excited to go to the temple up here but it got cancelled cause dumb missionaries can't keep there flat's clean. Oh yes it is getting warm, I don't know if you heard about the huge bush fires here this past February but Saturday we went up there to clean up and it was crazy I took tons of pictures. It was 34 degrees celcius that day thats like 97 degrees and with the lack of ozone it feels like 115 it's nuts. I didn't burn cause I covered myself in ash from the fire you'll see. I can't believe Winter is back in swing. I had my first run in with the police here we were walking to our car and these boys we talked to earlier said we should knock this guys door and as we get to his porch he is hiding behind his couch with the police on the phone and when we walk up he screams and says "oh my gosh they're at my door... oh wait it's just the jehovah witnesses!" hahaha I correct him and it turns out he is crazy, so we chat with the guys out front of his house and they're cool then the cops come but we had a tea appoinment so we gapped before they stopped us. it was funny. I got a video of me opening my package i'll send that soon or you guys can wait till christmass next year. Thanks for all the birhtday wishes I love you guys.
-Elder Ballard
October 26, 2009
Family...
This week was a bit better than last week my ear continued to try and kill me and almost the whole week I couldn't hear out the left one but i'm alright now. Apparently I have no infection or things wrong with my ear but my throat and things in my neck were so sick and swollen that it blocked my ears off so i'm taking antibiotics and now everything is fair dinkum. The week was good i'm still mourning the loss of my last area but i'm getting to know this one fairly well. We have a few people were teaching but nothing too big at the moment. So my new addiction is... Aussie Golf, the same as american golf but in Australia. We went last week and again today, I shot a +8 today on 9 holes.
We tracted for over 20 hours this week so i'm getting pretty tan. We helped some greek lady move 300 pound peice of concrete in our suits while tracting she was so happy, she offered us beer. Also some drunk aussie bloke approached us and he wants us to come over to have tea(dinner) and teach him everything, but not much else happened this week and if it did and I forgot you can just read my journal when i'm home. My new area is 1/20th of the size of the my old area so it's tiny as! My companion is Aaron Gremmert from outside of Seattle. It's all good i'm not in love with the ward yet but it seems so awesome. Happy Halloween every one I love you and be good.
Elder Ballard
This week was a bit better than last week my ear continued to try and kill me and almost the whole week I couldn't hear out the left one but i'm alright now. Apparently I have no infection or things wrong with my ear but my throat and things in my neck were so sick and swollen that it blocked my ears off so i'm taking antibiotics and now everything is fair dinkum. The week was good i'm still mourning the loss of my last area but i'm getting to know this one fairly well. We have a few people were teaching but nothing too big at the moment. So my new addiction is... Aussie Golf, the same as american golf but in Australia. We went last week and again today, I shot a +8 today on 9 holes.
We tracted for over 20 hours this week so i'm getting pretty tan. We helped some greek lady move 300 pound peice of concrete in our suits while tracting she was so happy, she offered us beer. Also some drunk aussie bloke approached us and he wants us to come over to have tea(dinner) and teach him everything, but not much else happened this week and if it did and I forgot you can just read my journal when i'm home. My new area is 1/20th of the size of the my old area so it's tiny as! My companion is Aaron Gremmert from outside of Seattle. It's all good i'm not in love with the ward yet but it seems so awesome. Happy Halloween every one I love you and be good.
Elder Ballard
October 18, 2009
Hey family
This week kinda uh... sucked! I almost died four times. We didn't get to teach any body except one big family who said they would come to church and when we went to pick them up they said they couldn't make it ughh oh well next week. Any ways...
Death escape #1 so we were driving home from an appointment (Alder Page the zone leader) and we yeilded to the traffic before we made a left turn (which is a right turn in american) then Wham!!! We got rear ended! I just yell out "oh my back!!" just for kicks I didn't get hurt and neither did our car they killed themselves on the trailor hitch so funny all they did for the first five minutes was scream the F word I laughed most of the time.
Death escape #2 before the accident we had a vegetable soup with 10 vegetables, and my body did not like that so it decided to get all my inards out as fast as possible, so all day the next day I had exsplosive diharria (SP?), but I survived barely.
Death escape #3 the next morning after filling the toilet with "yoohoo" I woke up with the flu and cold and fever to which I just tried not to rip out my own eyes. But I just read all day.
Death escape #4 after the fever had broke I contracted two ears that wanted nothing to do with my body I tried to rip them off but the blood made it too slipery. hahaha JK
well family don't worry about me i'm fine not dying yet, so yeah thanks for all your words.
love you guys.
-Elder ballard
This week kinda uh... sucked! I almost died four times. We didn't get to teach any body except one big family who said they would come to church and when we went to pick them up they said they couldn't make it ughh oh well next week. Any ways...
Death escape #1 so we were driving home from an appointment (Alder Page the zone leader) and we yeilded to the traffic before we made a left turn (which is a right turn in american) then Wham!!! We got rear ended! I just yell out "oh my back!!" just for kicks I didn't get hurt and neither did our car they killed themselves on the trailor hitch so funny all they did for the first five minutes was scream the F word I laughed most of the time.
Death escape #2 before the accident we had a vegetable soup with 10 vegetables, and my body did not like that so it decided to get all my inards out as fast as possible, so all day the next day I had exsplosive diharria (SP?), but I survived barely.
Death escape #3 the next morning after filling the toilet with "yoohoo" I woke up with the flu and cold and fever to which I just tried not to rip out my own eyes. But I just read all day.
Death escape #4 after the fever had broke I contracted two ears that wanted nothing to do with my body I tried to rip them off but the blood made it too slipery. hahaha JK
well family don't worry about me i'm fine not dying yet, so yeah thanks for all your words.
love you guys.
-Elder ballard
Thursday, October 15, 2009
October 11, 2009 Post Conference
This week was very slow, only one really weird thing happened this week that i'm still kind of in shock about. We were teaching this man named Peter he is 21 and Peter lives in a care-ers home so he can be watched, and just talking to him he seems a little less-accountable you may say but when we sat down with him and taught him about the restoration I have never taught anybody that was so on the ball and answered all our questions perfectly and he just understood so well. So I was all jazzed to go back and teach him. We went back and he was on his porch reading the Book of Mormon, see we had asked him to read the introduction and to pray about it. He did and he also read fifty more pages in two days and we questioned him on what he read and he really did read and understood it all, this kid is a mad one. We start to ask him if he prayed he said he did, and he said he felt undescribable and he knew it was true. Ya I was blown away this kid was ready for baptism so we start to talk to him about baptism, he agree's with the doctrine of it and he said he wants to get out of his bad life he has had before. Then he goes kind of quiet and my companion keeps talking. I imeadeatly feel the spirit leave me and then Peter just blurts out. "I was baptised presbityrian and I don't want to change! Stop trying to brain wash me! Take your book and yourselves and leave before I call the cops!", he thrusts the book at us and leaves. In shock we write our phone number and leave the Book of Mormon. I knew it was coming before it came and it was so far from left feild how could that ever happen. Like I said i'm still in shock but oh well. We also had conference this weekend love hearing from the apostles and the prophet they are turely guided by the lord. If you didn't watch it go online and watch them we all need to know what the lord is saying to us today. My birthday is coming and I bet you guys want to send me things, so a request just things I can share like candy and anything like that. I love you all. I love my mission, but most of all I love the lord.
-Elder Ballard
-Elder Ballard
October 04, 2009
G’day family,
Transfer news has come and gone and you’ll never believe it!! I have finally been transferred hahaha I’m sorry for not emailing last week because I was on a plane bound for the promise land. I’m serving in the Epping ward, in the Heidelberg stake just north of the city. Ok since it’s been two very hectic weeks, the first part of the email is from last week and then I’ll continue with what has happened in the past few days. This week has been a bit hectic but wow it’s been really, really cool. So this last Monday we went to Glen Huon to teach this less actives members wife, she is a non-member, her name is Amy Watson I have been teaching her since March which is long as. But one of the zone leaders and I drove out there to teach her, she has let us know that she will be baptized but after she knows it is true. So we were going to teach recognizing the spirit and also fasting for answers to our prayers. So we get there and we also invited her sister and brother in law whom are members, to help fellowship. We teach her the first part about knowing when you receive the spirit then I teach about fasting and I ask her sister in law to share a spiritual experience about fasting and she does, and it was very good, and then I share about how us as a family fasted and prayed for Kevin and Keagan heaps for them to make it through their first few months. And it was great and right after I shared that Elder Nelson asked how she felt and she kind of danced around saying she felt the spirit but she did, we all did and Eder Nelson asked her again and she just confessed all. She told us this was the strongest she has ever felt the spirit and she knew that what we teach is true, and she has in fact felt the spirit every time she met with us and also every time at church. It was incredible she received her witness right in front of us. The scariest part about it is she said at the end she was going to ask us not to come back after tonight but apparently the lord had other plans, and then later that week I got the call that I’ll need to pack all my things and get ready to fly to the mainland. Finally I made it to Australia!!!! I went to transfer meeting to meet my new companion and I was able to meet all the other 50 missionaries I’ve never met. My new companion is Elder Aaron Gremmert from Seattle,Washington. He is pretty fun he is always happy like me so it’s great, I really really miss Tasmania and my old comp but this place is nuts. My first day was ridiculous. After we cleaned the flat because we were doubled into the area which means both of us are completely new to this place. So after we cleaned the junky flat we went out to track. I first ran into some wino that clamed VB (Victoria Bitter…a beer) is his religion and he was stumbling around everywhere them from there we went to these former investigators house, turns out they didn’t live there but there we met Flip, Flip loves marijuana, I could tell before he opened the door, but he invited us in and had a chat he was gonzo. But before we left he said “hey guys I’m gonna smoke more pot and go to work, you can toke if you want with me or you can go I don’t really mind” so we left. Later that night we then were tracking. We ran into a small gang of biker hoons around 16 years old they were questioning/ poking fun at us but we turned that into a good conversation and had them liking us by the time we left. And then we met Kevin Grise “The Hypnotist” hahaha ya we knocked a door and the lady said “I think my husband wants to talk to you” so out comes Kevin, he is from Montana but lived in South Carolina and he was an executive secretary in the bishopric there, he was crazy, he has apostatized from the church but he likes us he was saying that the Bishops and Stake Presidents are all angry at him for him being a hypnotist but I don’t think that’s the reason, the reason I figure is when he hypnotises people he does it by the laying on of hands the only thing he doesn’t do is say “by the authority of the Melchezedik Priesthood” ya what a loony. But he invited us back for stake so I’ll take that offer. Hahahaha. This area is fun and I’m still learning it but I’m doing great. I also met our ward yesterday there are heaps of Samoans oh man I love it. We ate Samoan food last night I had octopus and while I was eating it I found the eye in the eye socket so I pulled it out teased the sister missionaries with it them ate it, it popped in my mouth and was mm mm yuck hahaha actually not too bad… oh ya we have sister missionaries it’s weird but they're cool. They’re in our ward and they get us meal appointments. Well family that’s it how are all you guys? I love you all and be good.
-Elder Ballard
Transfer news has come and gone and you’ll never believe it!! I have finally been transferred hahaha I’m sorry for not emailing last week because I was on a plane bound for the promise land. I’m serving in the Epping ward, in the Heidelberg stake just north of the city. Ok since it’s been two very hectic weeks, the first part of the email is from last week and then I’ll continue with what has happened in the past few days. This week has been a bit hectic but wow it’s been really, really cool. So this last Monday we went to Glen Huon to teach this less actives members wife, she is a non-member, her name is Amy Watson I have been teaching her since March which is long as. But one of the zone leaders and I drove out there to teach her, she has let us know that she will be baptized but after she knows it is true. So we were going to teach recognizing the spirit and also fasting for answers to our prayers. So we get there and we also invited her sister and brother in law whom are members, to help fellowship. We teach her the first part about knowing when you receive the spirit then I teach about fasting and I ask her sister in law to share a spiritual experience about fasting and she does, and it was very good, and then I share about how us as a family fasted and prayed for Kevin and Keagan heaps for them to make it through their first few months. And it was great and right after I shared that Elder Nelson asked how she felt and she kind of danced around saying she felt the spirit but she did, we all did and Eder Nelson asked her again and she just confessed all. She told us this was the strongest she has ever felt the spirit and she knew that what we teach is true, and she has in fact felt the spirit every time she met with us and also every time at church. It was incredible she received her witness right in front of us. The scariest part about it is she said at the end she was going to ask us not to come back after tonight but apparently the lord had other plans, and then later that week I got the call that I’ll need to pack all my things and get ready to fly to the mainland. Finally I made it to Australia!!!! I went to transfer meeting to meet my new companion and I was able to meet all the other 50 missionaries I’ve never met. My new companion is Elder Aaron Gremmert from Seattle,Washington. He is pretty fun he is always happy like me so it’s great, I really really miss Tasmania and my old comp but this place is nuts. My first day was ridiculous. After we cleaned the flat because we were doubled into the area which means both of us are completely new to this place. So after we cleaned the junky flat we went out to track. I first ran into some wino that clamed VB (Victoria Bitter…a beer) is his religion and he was stumbling around everywhere them from there we went to these former investigators house, turns out they didn’t live there but there we met Flip, Flip loves marijuana, I could tell before he opened the door, but he invited us in and had a chat he was gonzo. But before we left he said “hey guys I’m gonna smoke more pot and go to work, you can toke if you want with me or you can go I don’t really mind” so we left. Later that night we then were tracking. We ran into a small gang of biker hoons around 16 years old they were questioning/ poking fun at us but we turned that into a good conversation and had them liking us by the time we left. And then we met Kevin Grise “The Hypnotist” hahaha ya we knocked a door and the lady said “I think my husband wants to talk to you” so out comes Kevin, he is from Montana but lived in South Carolina and he was an executive secretary in the bishopric there, he was crazy, he has apostatized from the church but he likes us he was saying that the Bishops and Stake Presidents are all angry at him for him being a hypnotist but I don’t think that’s the reason, the reason I figure is when he hypnotises people he does it by the laying on of hands the only thing he doesn’t do is say “by the authority of the Melchezedik Priesthood” ya what a loony. But he invited us back for stake so I’ll take that offer. Hahahaha. This area is fun and I’m still learning it but I’m doing great. I also met our ward yesterday there are heaps of Samoans oh man I love it. We ate Samoan food last night I had octopus and while I was eating it I found the eye in the eye socket so I pulled it out teased the sister missionaries with it them ate it, it popped in my mouth and was mm mm yuck hahaha actually not too bad… oh ya we have sister missionaries it’s weird but they're cool. They’re in our ward and they get us meal appointments. Well family that’s it how are all you guys? I love you all and be good.
-Elder Ballard
September 20, 2009
G’day Family,
Wow this week was so absolutely pointless we did so much work and I honestly think nothing came from it, but at the same time my spirits are unusually high for having zero success. I’m currently trying to think of any thing super cool that happened to me this week. Probably the best thing was our interviews with president; he surprised us by telling us he’ll be having our interviews in our flat, so we had to tidy up real quick before he got there. Our interview was right, we just discussed the current slow down of the work and talk on how we can pick it up, I was a bit bummed that he didn’t give me any hint on whether I’m getting out of here or doomed to stay here for ever, but the best part about it was getting my package from you guys. It was awesome, we sassed the Reece’s and I love the other stuff like the sweet water bottle and the journal. Funny thing I bought a journal last week so I’ll be sweet for probably the rest of my mish. And I don’t think you need to send me anything for my B-day cause those stickers were dang expensive so I’ll be alright. The tape was awesome apart form Chad’s voice, he is not aloud to speak on my tapes anymore...further reason will be provided in my tapes. But yeah like I said the work is super slow at the moment and our baptism that we have this Saturday will be postponed due to our inability to contact this girl. Kind of a bummer cause if I get transferred I will not be here for the ordinance but that’s ok. Like I said I’m not down or discouraged at all. I rejoice in my work and I’m having a wonderful time. My studies are great I truly do love growing closer to our savior through my study and prayer. He’s there and loves us all too. Transfers are next week so next time I’m on will be with the big news. Pray and fast for me, not to be transferred but to but put where the lord needs me most. I love you family and your love and thoughts are appreciated. Take care everyone.
With love, Elder Ballard
Wow this week was so absolutely pointless we did so much work and I honestly think nothing came from it, but at the same time my spirits are unusually high for having zero success. I’m currently trying to think of any thing super cool that happened to me this week. Probably the best thing was our interviews with president; he surprised us by telling us he’ll be having our interviews in our flat, so we had to tidy up real quick before he got there. Our interview was right, we just discussed the current slow down of the work and talk on how we can pick it up, I was a bit bummed that he didn’t give me any hint on whether I’m getting out of here or doomed to stay here for ever, but the best part about it was getting my package from you guys. It was awesome, we sassed the Reece’s and I love the other stuff like the sweet water bottle and the journal. Funny thing I bought a journal last week so I’ll be sweet for probably the rest of my mish. And I don’t think you need to send me anything for my B-day cause those stickers were dang expensive so I’ll be alright. The tape was awesome apart form Chad’s voice, he is not aloud to speak on my tapes anymore...further reason will be provided in my tapes. But yeah like I said the work is super slow at the moment and our baptism that we have this Saturday will be postponed due to our inability to contact this girl. Kind of a bummer cause if I get transferred I will not be here for the ordinance but that’s ok. Like I said I’m not down or discouraged at all. I rejoice in my work and I’m having a wonderful time. My studies are great I truly do love growing closer to our savior through my study and prayer. He’s there and loves us all too. Transfers are next week so next time I’m on will be with the big news. Pray and fast for me, not to be transferred but to but put where the lord needs me most. I love you family and your love and thoughts are appreciated. Take care everyone.
With love, Elder Ballard
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