HELLO!!!!
Its been a great week! We have been so busy visiting every member on the ward list. This week we finally finished our area. It felt so nice to have it done! Now we are finishing a large map with stickers indicating Strong Priesthood, Aaronic priesthood, Less actives, Actives and in actives. We are giving the map to the Bishop and the Elders quorum Presidency. It will help with their home teaching and will help strengthen the ward by bringing back Less and in active members. We can already see the fruits of this work. When we got here they averaged 120 in sacrament meeting and now its any where from 170-200. Relief society was packed with chairs in the hall way and Priesthood was also incredibly full. Its just been so good to see this great change. The ward and the Van Sickles have worked so hard and it is paying off. We have also built our teaching pool by sharing this message with part members or friends of members. Automatic support! We have many investigators we are just trying to make their baptismal dates a little more solid and help them progress more. I have felt the spirit with us so strong as we have been in our area and I love the constant companionship of the holy ghost. It has been great to teach a mission prep class in the ward. We have 13 students and 10 already have their mission papers to start filling out. This last lesson was on personal worthiness and I tied it in to obedience to mission rules. I t was so easy to testify how important those things are because of how amazing the spirit is and how this work is impossible with out it. This week on Wednesday we went to PE to pick up the zone leaders so it was nice to get away for a couple hours. We went to McDonald's and when we walked in you will never guess who was there>>>>the Van Sickles! haha they had taken 4 young members to the doctors in PE for there mission papers and they were just getting them lunch after so they bought us lunch too. The lord new I was broke! Elder Ssemanda and I have been living off on chapatties and mince. They are filling and fattening, which is exactly what I need! I haven't gotten any post in 3 weeks because the office hasn't sent it! I don't know why. But its okay. I'm sure I will get a ton this week. Well, I love you all and miss you. Have a great week!
Love,
Elder Balmforth
Monday, February 27, 2012
Monday, February 20, 2012
Hot in PE 02/20/12
Hello every one!
Its been a great week! I'm sure my emails are sooooooo much more boring then Katee's, but oh well! things here are going good. Its a hot mother today so I'm happy its p day so we don't have to walk around in the heat!. I have a new companion named Elder Ssemanda. He is really cool. He is from Uganda. We are having a blast. He can make chapattis. It is like tortillas but better so I think we will have that soon! We also get to drive to PE to pick up the zone leaders so we might get McDONALDS!!!! I hated mcds before but its a rare thing now! Our area is doing great. We have built a really strong relationship with the ward.
Things are going well. We have been working hard to re activate and also strengthen all the recent converts. Can you believe that over 40 people were baptized in ONE ward in ONE year! I can't! The sad thing is that they are not all active. So its been a lot of fun work to help strengthen them. Little do they know I am probably the one being strengthened. They are such amazing people. We are working with one right now who is struggling with some obedience issues. His story is really cool though it all started with one small step in the wrong direction. Satan is so clever to help us make one small mistake and then he leads us in the a huge pile of sin. That is why exact obedience is so important! Stupid Satan! Well our recent convert is so strong we have been focusing on the healing powers of the atonement and I will lovingly say anyone who doesn't believe that there is a savior has not done their research and has not prayed about it! I know that Heavenly Father sent his son to suffer and die for each of us. He has felt our pains and our temptations and our griefs. I know he has. Becasue of that atonement we are able to be made clean. I'm so thankful for the atonement! Thanks for all you do I love and miss you.
Love,
Colton
Its been a great week! I'm sure my emails are sooooooo much more boring then Katee's, but oh well! things here are going good. Its a hot mother today so I'm happy its p day so we don't have to walk around in the heat!. I have a new companion named Elder Ssemanda. He is really cool. He is from Uganda. We are having a blast. He can make chapattis. It is like tortillas but better so I think we will have that soon! We also get to drive to PE to pick up the zone leaders so we might get McDONALDS!!!! I hated mcds before but its a rare thing now! Our area is doing great. We have built a really strong relationship with the ward.
Things are going well. We have been working hard to re activate and also strengthen all the recent converts. Can you believe that over 40 people were baptized in ONE ward in ONE year! I can't! The sad thing is that they are not all active. So its been a lot of fun work to help strengthen them. Little do they know I am probably the one being strengthened. They are such amazing people. We are working with one right now who is struggling with some obedience issues. His story is really cool though it all started with one small step in the wrong direction. Satan is so clever to help us make one small mistake and then he leads us in the a huge pile of sin. That is why exact obedience is so important! Stupid Satan! Well our recent convert is so strong we have been focusing on the healing powers of the atonement and I will lovingly say anyone who doesn't believe that there is a savior has not done their research and has not prayed about it! I know that Heavenly Father sent his son to suffer and die for each of us. He has felt our pains and our temptations and our griefs. I know he has. Becasue of that atonement we are able to be made clean. I'm so thankful for the atonement! Thanks for all you do I love and miss you.
Love,
Colton
Monday, February 13, 2012
Sooooo Tired!!! 02/13/2012
Hello,
I know that if I don't write I will be in trouble. I am soooooo tired. We moved into a new apartment this week and it is HUGE! So empty but it's nice. It has just been exhausting moving plus I didn't sleep much last night so I'm sooooo tierd. Which is why this email will be short and if I don't respond to other personal emails I'm sorry. I really am. But we had the open house on Saturday and it was so much fun! It was a huge success. There were TONS of non members and while the youth washed their cars we gave them a chapel tour around to the different displays. Every one loved it and we have a lot of people to go visit! I'm so excited. it was alot of work but a very creative finding method. So I found out I will be staying and I'm so happy! I'm learning alot in this area. Elder Mooki is going to Cape Town so that's too bad and my new companion will be Elder Ssmanda from Uganda. I hear he is a good cook. I sure hope so. I am on the last belt loop on my belt I can't get any skinnier, none of my pants fit right any more. I could use more fat hah. So hopefully we will see that soon. Elder Pearson is going to the office so he can heal quicker. Poor guy, he will enjoy the office though. Elder Cowey is replacing him so that is sweet. I hope I can handle two English guys in the district haha, but I love them both they are awesome. They are two of my favorite elders. AGAIN I had so much to say and I left my planner at home!!!! But more about the open house. I loved seeing the ward come together and help all of the visitors. The spirit was so strong and I just knew that is where Heavenly Father wanted them to be. It was amazing. I'm sorry this is short I love you all. I got two letters this week from my grandmas! Oma and Grandma Harward. Everyone knows I have the best two grandmas because I usually get a letter from each every week! Today we are going to PE and the Van Sickle's are taking us out to eat. They are awesome! Well I love you all, have a great week.
Love,
Colton
I know that if I don't write I will be in trouble. I am soooooo tired. We moved into a new apartment this week and it is HUGE! So empty but it's nice. It has just been exhausting moving plus I didn't sleep much last night so I'm sooooo tierd. Which is why this email will be short and if I don't respond to other personal emails I'm sorry. I really am. But we had the open house on Saturday and it was so much fun! It was a huge success. There were TONS of non members and while the youth washed their cars we gave them a chapel tour around to the different displays. Every one loved it and we have a lot of people to go visit! I'm so excited. it was alot of work but a very creative finding method. So I found out I will be staying and I'm so happy! I'm learning alot in this area. Elder Mooki is going to Cape Town so that's too bad and my new companion will be Elder Ssmanda from Uganda. I hear he is a good cook. I sure hope so. I am on the last belt loop on my belt I can't get any skinnier, none of my pants fit right any more. I could use more fat hah. So hopefully we will see that soon. Elder Pearson is going to the office so he can heal quicker. Poor guy, he will enjoy the office though. Elder Cowey is replacing him so that is sweet. I hope I can handle two English guys in the district haha, but I love them both they are awesome. They are two of my favorite elders. AGAIN I had so much to say and I left my planner at home!!!! But more about the open house. I loved seeing the ward come together and help all of the visitors. The spirit was so strong and I just knew that is where Heavenly Father wanted them to be. It was amazing. I'm sorry this is short I love you all. I got two letters this week from my grandmas! Oma and Grandma Harward. Everyone knows I have the best two grandmas because I usually get a letter from each every week! Today we are going to PE and the Van Sickle's are taking us out to eat. They are awesome! Well I love you all, have a great week.
Love,
Colton
Monday, February 6, 2012
Hey, This Book really does work!! 02/06/2012
Hello,
I have so much to write about and I wrote it all in my planner and then, I left it at home!!! Before I forget Happy Birthday Liz and Grandpa. I know Grandpa is happy celebrating his birthday in heaven. This week was an answer to probably a lot of prayers. It was rainy and very cool all week long! I had all my energy back by Wednesday and it was awesome! I have been beating myself up about being so slow in the hot sun but this week was such a blessing. Now its super hot but if the Lord can work for me then I will work for him! Actually I would work for him anyways. But this week was good. For the past couple of weeks we have been planning a church open house for the community and it has been a lot of work for the whole district. Its going to be huge. It will have a free car in the parking lot and then in the building we will have different displays (Restoration, Book of Mormon, Temples,Baptism, Ect.) We are really excited and I hope people come. It has been announced on the radio and in the news paper. So things are looking good. There is an awsome couple here named the Van Sickles we LOVE them they have helped so much and elder Van Sickle is JUST like my dad so that's been cool! Also the Taylor's are amazing! The whole zone went to Ado Elephant Park today and that was a ton of fun. There are all kinds of animals like elephants, lions, zebra's, giraffes, except I didn't see the giraffe! It was a blast! We just drive around and get so close.
This week we met with Babalwa. She reminds me of my friend Mishon. Her brother in law is a recent convert and she is preparing to be baptized. I guess they decided to read the Book of Mormon when they didn't have much to do. They are both out of work and desperate to get jobs, so as they were reading, Vuyos (the brother in law) the phone rang and it was someone offering him a job. At the end of the phone call Babalwa put down her Book of Mormon and said, "#@!& that book really does work!!" hahaha I love Africans!!
I also know that that book, the Book of Mormon IS the word of God and it is true! Reading it will bring us closer to God and help us know how we can rreceive full salvation. I love you all and hope everyone is doing great! Oh and congrats on getting engaged Brad. That is so awesome!
Love ya!
Colton!
I have so much to write about and I wrote it all in my planner and then, I left it at home!!! Before I forget Happy Birthday Liz and Grandpa. I know Grandpa is happy celebrating his birthday in heaven. This week was an answer to probably a lot of prayers. It was rainy and very cool all week long! I had all my energy back by Wednesday and it was awesome! I have been beating myself up about being so slow in the hot sun but this week was such a blessing. Now its super hot but if the Lord can work for me then I will work for him! Actually I would work for him anyways. But this week was good. For the past couple of weeks we have been planning a church open house for the community and it has been a lot of work for the whole district. Its going to be huge. It will have a free car in the parking lot and then in the building we will have different displays (Restoration, Book of Mormon, Temples,Baptism, Ect.) We are really excited and I hope people come. It has been announced on the radio and in the news paper. So things are looking good. There is an awsome couple here named the Van Sickles we LOVE them they have helped so much and elder Van Sickle is JUST like my dad so that's been cool! Also the Taylor's are amazing! The whole zone went to Ado Elephant Park today and that was a ton of fun. There are all kinds of animals like elephants, lions, zebra's, giraffes, except I didn't see the giraffe! It was a blast! We just drive around and get so close.
This week we met with Babalwa. She reminds me of my friend Mishon. Her brother in law is a recent convert and she is preparing to be baptized. I guess they decided to read the Book of Mormon when they didn't have much to do. They are both out of work and desperate to get jobs, so as they were reading, Vuyos (the brother in law) the phone rang and it was someone offering him a job. At the end of the phone call Babalwa put down her Book of Mormon and said, "#@!& that book really does work!!" hahaha I love Africans!!
I also know that that book, the Book of Mormon IS the word of God and it is true! Reading it will bring us closer to God and help us know how we can rreceive full salvation. I love you all and hope everyone is doing great! Oh and congrats on getting engaged Brad. That is so awesome!
Love ya!
Colton!
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