The Work is Picking Up

Hey Family,

i trust you guys are doing well. i hope that seaworld was a blast!!

i do wish i could be there with you all but i trust the Lord has important things for me to do here as well.. and i will show you by example as Christ did when i return into your arms.

Elder Hatton and I had a good week, We taught 16 lessons this last week and we are going to be helping some people quit smoking this week so they can get baptized!

I was also asked to teach in combined district meeting this Friday about how to teach members how to do missionary work. And ways to get Referrals by inspiration. I trust that the Lord will help me to prepare a very solid way to teach that.

 I have taught before but i believe that our new mission president will be there so it will be a good opportunity to show off my skills, and my rapid progression. And show that anything is possible with FAITH in God and that he can help you.

Me and my baby are getting a long pretty well. He is a lot like me.. But he dates models... which is not like me.  :)

I hope and pray for your safety and your ability to do what is right and to Read and Pray every day! The most important things in the world.

I am glad that the nephews are remembering their favorite uncle.. no offense to others.. but i am there favorite uncle. Its a fact. We can fight over it later. when i don't have to fully represent the Savior.

My favorite chapters in the book of mormon right now are the last chapters of 2nd nephi, Chapters 26 to 33. Nephi is the bomb--he lays it down on all the other people that are not of God. It clearly states what is NOT of God.

I love you guys, and i cannot wait for the day that i can see you all again so i can help you guys in any way that i can.

I am very grateful of your love and support,

love, Elder Ballif, Aka Alma the Younger.

Letter From President Macdonald

Initial week of Training Going Well

Hey Fam, i don't got much time this week,

but just an update.. Training is going good. I am enjoying it.. its a little weird that i have to do everything.. but its not the first time i have felt this. I give my new companion more breaks than i usually would take but i am going easy on him for the first week--this week is going to suck for him. Plus my allergies were owning me this last week--that is also why we took more breaks.

We have some good stuff going on so i am pretty excited for him.

If you guys could i would like you guys to send me a book called "The Day of Defense" from Melvin Mcdonald.. that would be spectacular.. its so weird how much i like reading now.. i love it! People are making the mistake of calling me a pretty intellectual person. Please send that for me, and the contacts aren't my prescription but they work alright so i guess its all good.

i love you guys,

Elder Ballif

A Trainer in the Making!

Hey, Family!

I trust that your weekend was all that you could ever hope for? not really... thats ok.

Mine was alright... i really like today so far. I went and played soccer with the peeps in corvallis at the practice fields.. then we drove back and i have been shooting hoops until now. In the short time i have been really obedient in my mission my knowledge has grown immensely. Its quite Invigorating, to see how fast i have changed and had a change of heart. I feel like a monk. But way cooler... because i can have hair.

I found out my baby's name is Elder Hatton and he is from American Fork. I hope he can ball.. because if he can't we are gonna have some problems.... i am just kidding. i will still love him no matter his passions. I was told that i was being considered for district leader but they decided to see how well i did with leading a new missionary before i lead others.. but i know that the lord has good things in store for me. And i trust him no matter what decisions are made.

Some pictures from our Zone Conference:

I loved the pictures and the email sent to me from Jennifer, thank you for being a great mommy and showing your baby pictures of me. She needs to know who her favorite person is going to be!! ;)

So i have been thinking... i don't really want to be picked up. I would much rather fly home. And if you guys wanna come back here we can come back for a little vacation.. but yeah, that is my thought.

And just so you know my Mission President's homecoming will be coming up i believe late June if you would want me to get some info for that.. also, My good friend Elder Matthews is going home this week and he said he is going to stop by and meet you guys. he lives in Provo... but he said it would most likely be before the 21st..? but yeah watch out for him. he is pretty awesome. He has taught me alot while i have been here and definitely one of my fav comps. He also taught me how to study and how to learn the scriptures and he is a wise bird.

I also have a few things i would love from you guys... 1st. I need some contacts for sports and when i am not feeling the glasses. 2nd. I would like "the Great Apostasy" from Talmage. That is what i would like to read after i am done with the JS book. so if you guys could fufill my wishes that would be wonderous.

Family, not much has changed here, i am building up my spirit so i can own people with it. (in a good way) I feel the spirit all the time now, And I can tell what is right and wrong. I love it.. God is such a good spiritual Daddy.. i love him very much and i love you guys very much as well.

I am trying to be a good person and through that a good missionary..

i love you,

Elder Ballif

Hoorahhhh for Israel!

Hoorahhhh for Israel!!! (punch in the air)

Hey People, i hope you had a fantastic week..

my week went by really fast but we didn't do as much as we thought we did. We had like 7 lessons fall through! It was very frustrating... Satan is owning our investigators because they are not praying for protection.. or maybe they just aren't praying at all. But we are working on it.

I am feeling the spirit a lot more now and i love it. One thing that does suck is i took the Christlike attributes quiz and my patience needs some repairs. I am not very patient at times with other people.. and myself with wanting to change. I just don't like that i have the strong desires and i have to hold off on them.

I am going to be having my baby in like 8 days from now! Its crazy, i hope he likes sports.. because i play ball very ferociously :)  I am getting a lot better at Basketball and enjoy expanding my Gospel Knowledge.. those are like my favorite things.. besides movies. But oh well.. some movies are a waste of time. I never thought i would think that..

there isn't anything new to tell you guys, i am feeling a little better in terms of frustration and my heart is becoming more and more soft. ITs the bomb!!!!

i love you guys dearly,

Your Son, Brother, Uncle, and Lurp.

~Elder Ballif~