Volcano Stew

Hello Everyone!!!

Thanks for all of your wonderful emails! I looked in my journal and realized another whole month has already passed as fast as a toro lawnmower at a seminary! It's so weird how fast time goes! This week was fun, it had some different things happen and  I learned a couple things!

Last week I bought lots of vegetables so I could attempt making my first African Stew. So I was making it just like my trainer made it. It turned out super nice! It had cabbage, onions, tomatoes and other good stuff. I was so proud of it that I had my companion take a picture of me with it! (see attached) After the picture I looked at my plate, being so proud of myself for actually making something that's eatable. Smiling to myself I took my fork and took a bite...To my astonishment I discovered that my stew tasted as though it was harvested from a volcano. It was so spicy that it made me cough and cry! It turns out that when I bought these teeny tiny green peppers I was only supposed to add like three but I added something close to twenty two. They were green so I thought they weren't that hot! I knew my trainer used them but I didn't remember how much...The funny thing is the Nigerian Elder couldn't even eat it! It was so hot! I managed to eat half of my plate, but after that, I couldn't continue. So I learned my lesson this week about how many peppers to put in my stew. :) 

At the end of the week I was able to redeem myself. I made a flippin nice stirfry with indomen (Ramen) noodles, cabbage, onions, green pepper (the bell kind), and eggs! It was so nice! I even added some African spice to make it taste even better. So I'm glad I could redeem myself and cook something that won't kill anyone.

As teaching wise goes, people haven't really come to church that we have been teaching. But a couple of less actives came back which is like the same thing! So our focus this week will be to find more serious people to teach and commit them to church! Also this week we are having a mission tour with a general authority named Elder Vinson. Our apartment was even selected to have a study with him in our apartment which will be a really cool experience! 

Something else which was funny is that multiple people have guessed my age to be 25 years old. Which makes me feel... Well I don't really know. It made me laugh, people wouldn't believe that I was 18. I guess they don't know how to measure age with white people that much? I don't know, but that was a funny thing that happened. 

So on a more serious note, I just want everyone to know that we are in the right place, there are so many churches or organizations that want to take people away from the truth. But we are so blessed to have this truth in our lives! Just keep reading the scriptures, praying, going to the temple, and loving each other and I know that you can be blessed. If you see that someone doesn't have a knowledge of the truth that you know, open your mouth and share something you know to be true! If you do this they will not really think about what you said but they will remember what they felt when you said it. The Holy Ghost is there to testify the truth but it has to work through someone to be effective! I know that this Gospel is true and that we are all in the right place. Just keep doing those little things and trust in God. Believe that he lives and that he loves you, because he does! I love you all so much and hope you have a great week!

Sincerely 

-Elder Ballard

My Volcano Stew before I tasted it...

                   

and my amazing stir-fry! 

My companion made Zimbabwean food called sadza! It's corn dough that you dip into stew, kind of like banku but it isn't fermented so it has a different taste! 

My shoes after proselyting :D