July 25, 2011

HELLO!

This is going to be shorter then last week!  I'm doing really good.  At first training and being in a new area, knowing NOTHING and Training was so stressful but it is all good now!  Elder Zarbock is great and is a GREAT missionary!  We are working hard but its a little slow in the new area.  But soon it will pick up.  This time of the year is what they call Protest season.  At least that's what I hear.  And when they protest they ripped the town ship apart trying to get the governments attention.  Seriously they tore up the streets burned down shops and houses and threw boulders in the road and lit tons of tires on fire!  They also were throwing huge rocks at the cars but my driving skills rock and I dodged them all hahaha just kidding they didn't throw any at me but I saw tons of cars get pegged!
We already had a baptism.  We only taught him a tiny bit but he is still ours.  He is a 15 year old kid and he is awesome!  He is really shy but man he has a strong testimony of the gospel.  He bore his testimony at the baptism which was HUGE for him!  He is so shy and he did awesome.  It was the most humble testimony ever we were all just short of tears.  That kid rocks!  We already have some solid investigators and they will progress great!  We have an investigator who is struggling with smoking.  She wont stop!  But we set up some goals for her and she said she would eat sour worms instead of smoking so we got her tons of sour worms!  I know she can do it!  We taught her about fasting and we plan to do that with her!  She's awesome!  We also decided to go meet some members to try to get referrals.  We just randomly picked some on the list and when we showed up the first 3 families were less active and had lots of needs, funny how the Lord just puts you where your needed.  I love my new area its HUGE!!!!!!!!  I'm soooo thankful we have a car!  But walking would still be great!  The week has been a little slow and I just hope Elder Zarbock doesn't get discouraged!  It will pick up very soon the area is golden!
I'M SOOOOO HAPPY FOR JANELLE!!! (if she said not to tell me then don't tell her i know hahaha) and I'm glad that Calee is feeling better and everything went okay!  I want Pictures of Lucy!  And Oma I was wondering why you haven't written me and I just got two older letters in the post and one recent one haha so I will get back to you and every one else for that matter.  Have a good week love ya!

Love,

Elder Balmforth

Peace out Office! 07/18/11

Hello family!

Well its my last week in the office!  I was the first person President Wood has ever given transfer news too.  I was shocked though!  He asked me to be a trainer!!  I'm pretty nervous!  But I'm excited!  I am being white washed (we will both be new in the area) so I'm a little stressed about that too but I think it will be a blast and I will hopefully stay busy enough to stay sain!  I'm going to a huge town ship called Khayelitsha. President is just adding two new missionaries to the area.  Its not too far from the office and I will live just down the street from where I live now.  My new companion will be Elder Zarbock from Draper Utah.  He is still in the MTC.  I'm nervous!  I haven't been teaching that much in the office so I'm sure he will be training me, but that's okay I need it! 

The big thing happening in the office now is all our Visas to Namibia have been declined!  I don't think they have ever been declined before.  After Tuesday we will only have 3 missionaries in Nam!  They just won't give us visas it sad.  So we have been fasting and praying for that.

Its been such a crazy week we haven't seen many investigators.  We saw Eureka and he even came to church!  We taught him about sacrifice and it really hit him because he walked a far distance to be at church! I have seen alot of sacrifice since I have been here. 

It will be sad to leave the office and sad to see the Herbert's leave next week but change is happening SO much and I'm really getting used to it.  I'm sure next week when there are Way more interesting things happening my email will be longer!  Thanks for everything.  I'm way blessed to have so many people supporting me in whatever way you are.  Thanks for everything. 

Love ya,

Colton

 

Pictures from Elder Balmforth 07/16/11

Colton in the office after the Probst's left, they had a lot of shredding to do.

Cape Town streets

Hugging Sister Probst before they left.  He loved the Probst's.

The office Elders, the Herbert's and the Probst's.

Elder Naylor and Elder Balmforth

More shredding

How many missionaries does it take to break into the Mission Home? 07/11/11

Hello All,

First all, Happy Birthday to the greatest Dad ever.  I hope you have a great day!  Its been a pretty slow week which is actually pretty nice!  Yesterday we picked up the Woods and the Assistants from the airport. They were exhausted they did a mission tour in a week.  So when we got to the mission home (not the office mom I know you get those confused) we pulled up opened the gate and the garage and we all just stood there expecting someone would pull out keys to open the doors.  Well non of us had keys!  So we ran and grabbed the spare from the Herbert's and brought the keys back.  We use skeleton keys here like the old fashion ones, so President went to open the door and the other key was on the other side! haha  So we still couldn't get in.  Then I heard the alarm go off so I ran around back and Elder Larrabee and Sister Wood set the alarms off in the the back yard because there are sensors hahahaha it was so funny but who knew there were sensors in the back yard?  So while we went to Gugulethu to get the main door keys from the maid the Wood's took a walk.  We finally got them in haha, it was a fun experience!

We started the week off with a 4th of July party!  Obviously they don't celebrate it here,but we were invited to the Birchards an American couple and they had a nice party with some of the ward members. It was fun. they had sparklers.  My mom hates those!

Our investigator are doing pretty well, not a whole lot of progression.  However we saw Moses who wasn't really understanding the restoration at all so after teaching it twice in different ways we decided to show him the video.  He got it!  He was really touched and now that he understands that he sees the importance of the Book of Mormon and praying about all the things we teach!  Its like it came all together!  So hopefully progression will come from that!

I still cant get the Muslim lady of my mind.  The one who was ex communicated from the church and converted for some reason.  I just really want to go visit but she knows way more doctrine then I do!  All we could do is bear testimony that is if we could get a word in.  I have been praying about that a lot.  I don't know what to do yet! 

Well this week should be busy we will hopefully do transfer travel!  I can't believe its that time again!!  It will be cool to see the changes.  There are already so many just with travel!  I am glad that you got to meet the Probst there AWESOME!  I can't wait to see them again!  The Woods are also Great and I'm excited to get to know them more, they will be Great here!!!  I'm still working on writing all my letters I just haven't had a lot of time, but I am working on it today.  Have a great week.  I love you all.

Love Elder Balmforth

Happy 4th of July 07/04/11

I figured I would do this first!  It's been a long week.  I know this is only about 4 days since my last email but I need to get back in the habit of emailing on Mondays!  This one will also be short but I will have a good one next week.  President and Sister Wood are great!  I was a little worried about the transition.  I HATE change, but they are great.  They are much different from the Probst's but I don't think anything will change around here.  He did tell me I would be leaving the office if everything works out ok.  He really wants us in an area full time.  It will be sad to leave the office but I am also excited to go out in an area.!  I just love to stay busy in the office!  Hopefully I go to a busy area!  If not I will make it busy. 

Before President Probst left in our Zone Conference we counted how many times we prayed every day.  It can be up to 30 times!  IN ONE DAY!  I had never thought about that.  With all the lessons and morning and evening prayers.  Then he talked about how that is how we have built a strong relationship with our Heavenly Father.  I just thought that was pretty  cool to think about.  He told us that ever morning when we wake up at 6:30 we are praying with the army of God which I also never thought about. 

On Sunday we had a double DA.  That is ALWAYS a painful experience!  We ate a late lunch at the Mendus!  They are awesome!  They are a young couple with one little kid named Tando and another on the way.  They make great food.  We had some pork dish.  It was great!  Then we went to the Austens, like we do every Sunday for an earlier dinner.  It again was painful.  The food is great but it was A LOT!

Elder Naylor and I found a way good frozen yogurt place. I mean its no TCBY but is close enough.  We have had it almost every night! 

We are still teaching Mosses and his friends.  The last lesson was way awkward.  I don't know why though it just had a lot of silence in it.  Not the good spiritual silence it was just the awkward silence.  We tried to talk but it was just one of the weirdest lessons I've had.  So hopefully next lesson will be better.  Eureka is doing fine.  He wasn't at church yesterday though but we will see him later today. 

We are going to the Birchards tonight for a 4th of July FHE.  There an awesome American couple in the ward.  This is my favorite holiday and its nothing big today obviously:( but i think they have sparklers so I'm going to get some!  I can't believe fire works are legal in Utah now!!!  I'm so jealous.  Oh well I will see them in a couple of years!  Well, I'm doing great and I am working on letters!  Sorry I am taking for ever!  Thanks for everything and HAPPY 4th!!!

Love Elder Balmforth

Table Mountain in Cape Town, picture taken on the way into the mission office.

 Sister Probst took this picture showing how hard they work in the office.

The last Zone Conference for President and Sister Probst.

Crazy, busy week 07/01/11

Well it is definitely time for an email!  Sorry it has taken me for ever!  Its been the Busiest week Ive ever had in the office! We started the week off with a staff meeting that consists of me, Elder Winegar, Elder Naylor, Elder Senyange, and the Assistants and the Herbert's and the Probst's.  We went over a lot of things and later that night President trained the Assistants and me on the Mission President side of IMOS.  It was so cool!  We saw how to work the transfer board and all of that it was way cool! 

Earlier this week we had our last zone conference and it was so good!  I mean not my last conference but With president Probst.  It was so cool!  We got some pretty Great insights from him.  He basically went over all the things he goes over in his final interviews with departing Elders.  It was great!  They are awesome!  They have taught me so much that I doubt I could have learned from anyone else.  I'm gonna miss them.  They left on Thursday and they came to the office to say their final goodbyes.  It was sad but the Wood's are great!  We had another staff meeting with the Wood's yesterday.  They are very different from the Probst's but I think everything will stay the same.  The Wood's served in Jo burg for a year as office staff in the Area Presidency offices and they loved it.  He knows a lot about the scriptures which is cool.  I have a lot to learn! 

Man it is so hard to read some of these baptismal records hahaha.  We never get one that is right!  Its such a hassle!!  The end of the month is always busy!  We have to send our reports in so all baptisms have to be in and its just a pain. 

We are teaching a guy named Moses.  We had an amazing lesson with him the other day!  When we got there he had like 5 friends over and it was pretty intimidating but when we started teaching they were all silent!  Then they started asking question after question!! BAM, 5 new investigators!  They are all awesome!!!!!  "Will you all be baptized by someone holding the authority from God"  > " Its obvious YES" haha we were soooo excited! 

That sucks that Katee had to leave her area.  I hate leaving but you always love your next area just as much. I hope shes doing okay.  Calee sends me a picture of Brayden every day it's cool to be able to see him a little.  Ive gotten some great letters and I promise I will write back!  Laura I'm not sure where to send yours I'm just going to send it where it came from and hope it gets there!

A guy just came in to pick up a box.  I signed the paper and then took the box haha he said in his African voice "hey can I have my box...please" hahaha okay fine so my life is boring but its busy so can't complain!  I hope every one had a great week, because this email sucks  will send a picture.

Colton