02/27/2012

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