A Good Week

Hello everyone! I just want to tell you all that I love you, I've been so blessed to have all of you in my life and I can't believe how privileged I am. I love you! 

This week also flew by as fast as Natalee's cabbage salad on a fast Sunday. I thought my time would slow down as I was going home but nope! It keeps going without fail. Just as the hymn says "Time flies on wings of lightning, we cannot call it back! It goes and passes forward, right to it's onward track. We can not bid the sun beams to lengthen out their stay, nor can we bid the shadows to ever stay away." 

I honestly can't remember much that happened this week, except two key things: 

1. Me and my companion were walking with Wisdom who is a new convert and went contacting. We found this younger boy named Joshua who allowed us to come see his sister and brother-in-law and they were super receptive! The mom already believed in the Apostasy. She said "There's no way Christ's church is still on the earth, look at all the different churches we have, with different teachings!" at the end of the lesson the Dad (his name is Prince) asked "So does that mean that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints is the Church Jesus Christ established on the earth?" we all paused and smiled. Then I said "I can honestly tell you... that it is. It's true." Then they asked how? I then explained how I prayed and received and answer and that they could too. It was a great lesson :) I hope and pray they'll progress before I go home. I love seeing prepared people!

2. We visited a recent convert named Ivy. She was just called as a ward missionary, but she doesn't know English too well. She is also around my age and has her own baby, but I don't know where her husband is. But something we told her that we'd do is read the Book of Mormon stories with her every evening so her English will get better and she will be able to know the Book of Mormon better as well. I tell you what, there's nothing more humbling than teaching someone your age how to read. It was such a cool experience to serve that way. God wants us to be educated and to learn of him and know him more. So I'm excited for more of those humbling experiences this week. 

I was also able to go to visit and call some of my recent converts which was a blast. My favorite recent convert Robert Vedgador was divorced when he was baptized but after a couple of months he called and said he got back together with his wife and now she's going to church with him every week. :) The gospel really does change lives for eternity. I am so humbled to be here. I feel like I don't deserve all these spiritual lessons and experiences. Something I've really seen on my mission is the Love of God for all people. "For every soul is great in the sight of God." Every feeling of love, joy, peace, and every other good feeling comes from Christ. This is the love I have for all of you. I can't wait to call some of you on Sunday and see all of you in a month. Once again I love you, I pray for you, and I know that this gospel... is true, and I can't deny it. Hope you all have a great week. 

In the name of Jesus Christ our Savior Amen.

-Elder Ballard

(Sorry for no pictures again) :)