Elder Ballard

Well Hello Everyone!

 

This week has been great! A lot better than last.  Like A lot. First off we start at the end of the week Yesterday! So we left early from church to go to Torrance to the stake center there. Basically this is the first and only time we will meet as an entire mission. And there are so many missionaries I do not know. Its crazy. There is about 270 missionaries, a bunch will leave this summer, then like last summer there are a lot that will come in. So it will still be a big mission. Anyways. somehow, I do not know, we fit the entire mission and senior couples in the chapel, and overflow.... still confused on how we did that. It was tight but everyone could see. that was the good thing. we waited there for about 20 min and then Elder Ballard came in. For some reason I thought he was tall, but we were wrong, he's like dads height maybe a little taller. we then all got the chance to one by one go up and shake his hand, and the other 2 70's hands whose name I forget. one was elder Acosta from last week, and the other was over the missionary department. Anyways we shook their hands then started the meeting. The spirit was so strong there. I learned so much and There are a lot of things I'm going to work on now. One of the talks was on repentance and how we need to teach people how to repent, not just teach them about repentance. There are so many people that get baptized without really truly knowing how to repent and that's why they fall and go inactive. He used the example of Nehor in the book of Alma.  this guy all around didn't preach bad stuff, he talked about Jesus Christ, and stuff like that but failed to teach repentance, and in chapter 15 when Alma is teaching the people, it says that the people were wicked because they were never taught repentance. Anyways that's a side note that I really liked. Elder Ballard talked about the spirit and its importance for conversion. He talked alot about how we truly need to feel the message not just teach it. The visit was Awesome, something I will always remember. 

As for the rest of the week, it was lots better. the week before we got I think 4 lessons..... yeah horrible. this week we ended up with 14! so we were busy! it was great. lots of new people. we were looking at our board of names and we realized that it was almost all new names from the beginning of the transfer 5 weeks ago. Anyways. we have about 12 investigators. Most of which I would say have lots of potential. *** finally came out and told us her fear of getting baptized. She doesn't want to fall and mess up after. so we told her to write down all her questions and that we could help her answer them. we also told her to talk to her sister who is a recent convert who probably had the same ?s. We found 2 others and set baptismal dates with them. One is *** she's 18 just graduated and we found her at a former's house that we were trying to visit. the former's really have no interest anymore, but she was very intrigued by our message and so we shared the restoration and she loved it  we invited her to be baptized right then and she said yes! She is super cool! were just  a little short of time because she leaves for the army in July... then also we found a super old guy named *** he's 78 and lives alone. super catholic but when we taught him he really enjoyed the lesson, loved the feelings of peace he had, and easily accepted a date. so yeah lots of cool things happening.  Over all I've been good. I got super stressed out a couple of weeks ago, and I don't even know why, read through the stress manual and that helped alot and I've set some goals and gotten alot better.  My companion is just super awesome. Very hard worker and loves the work.

 

well I love you all! keep up the great work. And Thanks for all the prayers in my behalf. Remember to read the scriptures always. its in them that you will learn the things that will make you better. It will be a continual testimony strengthener. Read the book of Mormon, its truly the keystone! its hasn't fallen yet, and it never will. I know this his the true church, that it has been restored! I love you all and thanks for all your support! and don't forget to write me letters ;) it always makes me happy! Hope you all have a great week!

 

Love,

Elder Hollingshead