Hand Shakes before Hugs

Hey Family!


I hope you had a great week, Mine was very very slow.. Elder Hatton, (my baby) fell off his bike and landed on the curb. He broke his wrist and got some pretty gnarly road rash on his face so our mission president and his wife told us to take it easy this week. So we didn't do very much. I just sat in my apartment while he slept and healed. I got a lot of the bible read during that time. I am in 1 Corinthians chapter 4 now. I don't really understand how people can be so backwards on their beliefs and just rely on their pastor or priest and don't know anything themselves. And on top of that their priests and pastors tell them not to listen to us because we are of the devil. Very weird coming from a book that says not to judge and keep your body pure, and be spiritual.  "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you, and suffer you?" luke 9:41.

Anyways, if you are going to send me a package, i would like to request my black sunglasses that are the same as my prescription ones.. i need those! its really hot here but i am sure it is worse there. I just hate wearing business clothes in the hot summer heat!

 Elder Hatton is getting transferred to Medford to become a Spanish elder, and i am getting a new guy named Elder Young. He came out in December when i was in Salem. So i know who he is.... He always tried to hug me.... but i don't believe in fake affection. If you don't know someone... hugging is not the way to go for me. I shake hands and meet them. I hold hugs up there right before kisses.. and i sure as heck ain't kissing any of these children. so same goes for hugs.

Sorry that last part was me going off on a tangent my bad. I think that is funny Cameron is starting to talk like a hill billy, he would fit in great here!  :) hehe

Well, i am sure i will have a lot more to tell you next week since i will actually will be doing some decent work.

but until then! i love you all very much,

-Elder Ballif-

Set a Baptismal Date

Hey my family,

I enjoyed your emails and i am really glad to hear that no one is talking bad about me. I had to pay a lot of money in order for that to happen. ;) I like that you guys got to witness some Mcdonaldness. I know that one of the reasons i was sent to this mission in particular was because God needed me to be influenced by them, they are awesome people and i have come to love them for sure!

That is cool that you saw Elder Bruton, he was a very good missionary, he definitely magnified his calling in all things. And he was with me not long ago at all.... I just hope he didn't tell you how much weight i have gained.. lets just say i need to go running when i get home for a while. I am only 215 but i definitely would like to be more toned. I need to get a wife!

Anyways, thank you for getting those letters to those that i wrote to. And it is fine that you read them.. I actually thought you would. But anyways, my baby and I are doing pretty good. I started Meditating this last week, which really helps me focus and concentrate and even it calms me when i get angry. So i don't care what people think of that.. of course i had to shave my head bald and i wear a robe now, but its worth it :) 

Well, not much has changed.. we are still trying to help some people quit smoking and we actually set a baptismal date with a guy named Ed. So that is exciting.

Well i will probably email you guys a bigger email next week. But you have a fantastic time without me!

love, Elder Ballif

Met with New Mission President

Hey Family, Sorry I am a day late.... we had a very busy day yesterday with Interviews with our new mission president. That went well by the way.. President Young told me that i was doing a good job training Elder Hatton, and that he would want me to train again. I am NOT too excited about that. I personally would much rather prefer to become leadership, but i just don't want to openly tell them that... I told Sister Young that we were doing a good job but i would rather not train, then i went and saw President Young, and he told me that i would be probably training again. AHHHHHHHHHHHHH! This makes me not very happy. :) Oh well, hopefully God will let me train and be district leader next time. Anyways...

I hope you guys are doing wonderful and having fun without me, i just wish i could hear from everyone a little more often. I feel like I only hear from 3 of you and including my brothers in law we have 8, if these were home teaching results this would not do. I would love it if i heard from everyone. and i would even consider writing letters to specific people during the week.

We just committed a less active member to quit smoking last night, and her son who has been chewing tobacco since he was 16 (he is 27) told her that he would quit if she would quit! And now we will be going over and helping her every day for the next week to help her (inspire her) to stop.

President and Sister Young are pretty cool. They are pretty funny and they have good ideas to help move the work of the mission further. President Mcdonald was a lot more of Spirit of the law, and the Young's are a lot more Letter of the law. (whatever the white handbook says)... They are tightening up the ship a bit. I prefer the way President Mcdonald was, in the way he runs things but i guess i will have to learn to go with the latter way as well.

I hope that you guys are reading your scriptures every day. And praying every morning and night. If you are not... Its gonna be that much harder for you to feel the spirit every day. Which can help you make decisions every day that can help you be happier. I have now started to try and stop everything in my life that would stop me from feeling the spirit as strongly as i can every day. I love it, it feels super good to have that burning feeling.

I am getting used to putting my contacts in now, its still a little hard because my eyes are teeny tiny.. thanks for those genetics mom. But instead of 15 minutes it used to take me to put them in, it only takes me about 3 minutes.. So theirs progress! I am currently reading the New Testament and Book of Mormon at the same time.. In the NT i am almost done with St. Luke, and with the BOM i am on Mosiah Chapter 2 one of my favorite parts!! I really like the book of Enos. But 2 Nephi 26-33 are still my favorite so far.

Well... i love you guys and i pray for your success and safety. Now just go out there and be somebody!

Love,
           Elder "Alma" Ballif

July 4th

My loving family,

I hope and pray that you guys are having a good time without me, i know it must be pretty hard considering how wonderful I am.. But lucky for you guys you only have to wait another 367 days for me to return. ; )

Thats awesome that you guys could have another awesome get together! i remember how much i loved those. i probably miss those the most. ;)

Me and my baby have had a good week yesterday we played some good hard nosed basketball and then we went and had a long dinner and little party with one of the member families in our ward. They are pretty awesome.

We have been trying to get these newbs to quit smoking and change their lives but its funny how much people here don't have a sense of responsibility or work ethic. I am gonna have to whip them into the real world!  :) anyways i hope the fireworks were wondrous.

And i hope you have a wonderful week!!!

love, Elder Ballif

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~

The Work Goes On

Hey Fam,

Our week went pretty good, we found 3 possible new investigators and we taught our normal investigators and a few of them came to church!!!!!! i was very happy. But as i have been gaining a powerful testimony of truth. I must admit i feel as though i suffer when others are ignorant and not willing to learn at all. It just makes me very frustrated with Satan and his influence. He has all of these people fooled and not even willing to feel the true spirit of God. He fools them into thinking that they are right and everyone else is wrong...when we have the real authority from God--very frustrating sometimes. But i know that i am clear in my message and they are just getting PWNED by Satan (for those who may not understand this urban slang term--it means:to conquer or to gain ownerniship over someone else), but when people are willing to listen it goes very well. I just need to pray and ask for patience with these people.

I have felt the spirit in my work and i am happy i am am being blessed with the Lord's spirit. Heavenly Father definitely leads my comp and I to people.. and he uses wasting time by talking to weenys to lead us to sincere peeps.

Make sure you guys are reading every night and praying as a fam and individually! or i will make you guys suffer when i get home. Ryan needs to be prepared more then i was. I got owned for a long time... but Ry Ry has a chance to Pwn Satan.. he should take that opportunity. he needs to do it for me... i dislike Satan and his followers... and whoever can own him--the happier i am.

i love you guys and hope you have a wonderful time in the promised land.

your son!
 -Elder Austin Jeffery Ballif-