WEEK 76 - Update - Christmas Eve

These last few weeks have been really great. We have been getting ready for Christmas. Instead of writing day by day I am just going to write a few notable things.

We decided to make some Christmas baskets full of food that is necessary and basic. Flour, beans, rice, sugar, and stuff like that. The members were SO willing to donate and we filled three baskets full and went and delivered them to families in need.

We had the mission Christmas party, it was really fun to see everyone and have a little fun, but also remember the true meaning of Christmas.

We had the ward Christmas dinner, it was great. We had a few investigators there and they loved it.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Elder Baller

WEEK 75 - Photos

Me with Kendric from the Estrada family

Elder Real cut my hair :)

Jose's baptism

Our tree and nativity

Nicole's baptism

Me and my son, Elder Navarro

Helped set up and decorate this tree with the Estrada family

Estrada family

WEEK 75 - Update

This week was great.

Tuesday
We went and visited Rene and Jeny, they are doing really good. We went and visited Yolany, she has a baptism date for this Saturday. We took Jose to the church for an interview to go to the temple.

Wednesday
Changes day. We went and visited some members and focused on Family History with them. It is great to see the people's joy as they can help their ancestors.

Thursday
We had a district meeting. Kind of a normal day. We had a stake meeting.

Friday
We visited Yolany, it was a great. She is doing great and progressing a lot. We visited the Rodriguez family and had a good lesson with them.

Saturday
My companion got kind of sick. We stayed home for a while and then went and did two visits.

Sunday
We had church. We went and visited Darlin and Herlin, they are doing really well. We went and visited a reference that we had, Cesar, he is awesome. He has a baptism date for next week.

Have a great week!
Elder Baller

WEEK 73 - Update

This week was great.

Tuesday
We are going to be having a talent show this Saturday so we went out to deliver a few invitations. We ended up at a less active family's house and they told us they had a reference. We contacted her, Yolani, and she is super positive. We had a great lesson with Rene and Jeny about the next life. We studied so much for that lesson. We went to visit Dany and his family, they are doing really good and looking positive.

Wednesday
We went and did some service in the morning. Cleaning up trash and cutting down trees. We did divisions with the Elders from La Era. I went with my old companion, Elder Torres. It was great. We went and visited an investigator, Nicole, and challenged her to baptism. She said yes! She has a baptism date for this Saturday.

Thursday
Thanksgiving! Normal day. We had a district meeting. We went and did a baptism interview for some of the Elders in the zone. We went to a stake meeting that we have every week. Good lesson with Dany and fam.

Friday
We went and visited Darlin and Herlin, they are doing so great. We had a good lesson about the Book of Mormon and they are really excited about everything. We visited Allan, a recent convert. He is doing really well.

Saturday
We went and visited Nicole, she feels good about her baptism and is excited. We visited Rene and Jeny, they are doing great. We had a lesson about The Plan of Salvation. They always have really good questions. We visited a family that we are teaching and they took us to another family.

Sunday
We went to church. Nicole and Yolani both went. We visited Darlin and Herlin with our ward mission leader. Plan of Salvation. It is always awesome to teach the Plan of Salvation to families because it is a great hope that we have to be together forever. We had a Family Home Evening lesson about obedience.

Would like to bear my testimony this week about The Book of Mormon. We have been focusing a lot on the Book of Mormon and we have seen that our investigators really change when they read it. It has power. It is true. I love knowing the Christ came to the Americas.

Have a great week! Happy Late Thanksgiving!
Elder Baller

WEEK 72 - Update

This week was great.

Tuesday
We had interviews with President Bowler. It was great to talk to him and listen to his advice. We watched Meet the Mormons with Jose. We had a great lesson with Keylin about baptism and about testimony.

Wednesday
We did divisions with some of the elders in our zone. I went with Elder Espinoza from Peru, to his area. We had a good day and had a great lesson with an investigator about the Restoration.

Thursday
We did house checks with the couple missionaries. It was great to go around with them and check the houses of the missionaries. We had a meeting with the leaders in the ward about activites that we want to do.

Friday
We visited the Chacon family, they are doing really good. We are still working with the parents and baptism. We visited the Rodriguez family as well, they are doing well and progressing a lot.

Saturday
We had Jose's baptism, it was great and I had the opportunity to baptize him. Marbelline, a recent convert, gave a talk and it was awesome.

Sunday
We had church. We gave Jose a suit and he looked awesome. He got confirmed and received the priesthood. We had a Family Home Evening with a family and they invited their neighbors, a couple that is really positive.

The power of prayer is real. We can talk to God, that is crazy. We can ask Him for the things we need through prayer. I invite all of you to pray more often.

Have a great week!

Elder Baller

WEEK 72 - Q&A

1. Who prepares, blesses and passes the sacrament in the wards in your mission?

In all of my areas so far, it has been the young men in the ward - as much as they can. Sometimes the bishop in a ward or we, the missionaries, will fill in. But they try to have young men do it when they can.

2. Is the bread for the sacrament the same as what they use in the states?

They usually use white bread here, but it isn't sliced like ours. It is usually more of a crusty bread, like the consistency of a roll.

3. Do you get asked where you're from a lot? Do people assume you're American?

People always ask. And for the most part, people do assume I'm from the states. What I get asked most often is where specifically I'm from in the states. I've had a couple of people ask if I'm from El Salvador. I've tried to make a joke that I'm from Honduras, because there's a place in Honduras called Santa Barbara where people are pretty light. So I joke that I'm from there sometimes.

4. Is your mission going by quickly?

Yes! It's going really fast. Lots of people say that the days go slow but the weeks go fast. And it's true. There will be days that you'll think, "wow, this day was long. We did a lot. I've got a long ways to go." But then, really quickly, it's Sunday and so it goes really quick.

5. Do you feel safe?

Yes, I do. I've actually never had, really, any problems with safety issues at all, in any of my areas.

WEEK 71 - Update

Tuesday
We visited some members that I had never met. We talked to Jose for a little while, and visited with the Estrada family.

Wednesday
We visited a few less active members and were able to help them out a little remembering the covenants they made when they were baptized. We had a Family Home Evening lesson with a recent convert and his family.

Thursday
We had a district meeting. It was really good, we learned about commitments. We visited the Chacon family, they are such great people. The parents aren't members so we are working with them. We visited Rene and Jeny, they are great as well. They ask such great questions about salvation. We went to a stake meeting. We went to a baptism from the ward. It was great.

Friday
We had weekly planning. We watched Meet the Mormons with a family where everyone except the dad are members, they loved it. We went and contacted some references of some members.

Saturday
We had a fantastic companionship study about the Priesthood. We went to a session of Stake Conference. We visited some really good people. We passed by to visit a family that we felt we needed to see and they said they had been praying so that we would show up.

Sunday
Stake Conference. One of the counselors in the stake presidency gave a great talk about obedience. We had some visits. We visited a family and talked about prayer with them. They commited to praying together no matter what it takes.

I want to testify of the Plan of Salvation. When we know where we came from, why we are here, and where we are going, this life gets so much more interesting. We value more the time we have. The Plan of Salvation is perfect, God knows us and loves us. We are all children of Him. He knows what we need most.

Love you all.
Have a great week!
Elder Baller

WEEK 70 - Q&A

1. What advice would you give to those preparing for a mission?
I've said this a hundred times, but number one is scripture study. I came to the mission with some knowledge about the scriptures, but I would say study, study, study, study. Seriously, get in the habit of studying the scriptures every single day. Because that honestly was a habit I was not too diligent on when I left on my mission, but now it's something that I love. I LOVE reading the scriptures every day.

Other than that, my best piece of advice - and this is for all you shy people out there like me - just break it, just break through your shyness. It's better to do it at home than getting on your mission and being nervous to talk to people on the street. Just get over it before you come. I would even say to practice. With your family, if you need to at first, and then literally just practice with random people in the street. Just go up to someone and start talking. It'll be hard, but just do it.

My next piece of advice would be to learn to deal with other people. In the mission, you will literally be with someone 24/7, and you have to deal with them whether you like it or not, because God has put you guys together. So, it's better to learn patience, love and service at home than it is in the mission. Just get used to it.

2. What are some daily habits you have developed on your mission? And which ones would you like to keep?
Some things I did before the mission, but have become much better on my mission, like praying and daily scripture study. Those two I will definitely keep after the mission. One that I am not 100% consistent on, but usually do it daily, is exercise. That's something I'd like to continue after the mission.

3. What things do you miss most about home?
Obviously, family. Andrew, specifically, is someone I miss A LOT. To be honest, one of the things I miss most about home is work. I loved, loved, loved my job and so I miss that a lot. I also miss music.

4. What things will you miss from Honduras?
First, the food. I've learned to love the food so much, and in the states you just don't eat food like you get here. Beans and tortillas in the states just don't compare. Baleadas don't even exist in the states. I will also miss the people - converts, I'll miss a lots. Mission friends - luckily I'll be able to stay in contact with most of them after the mission, but mission friends I will definitely miss. Honestly, just being here - it's so weird, I always talk about this with my companion now. He asks me if I ever saw myself in Honduras. And I say that I never, ever saw myself in Honduras, but I am truly so glad I am here.

5. Is the mission the same or different from what you expected?
Both. I knew that I would be teaching and working every day. But how it all works - how the mission is managed, companions, how everything works - just the logistics - that is different from what I had thought. I guess it's more that I just hadn't ever really thought about details of how it would all work. For the most part, I would say that it is the same as what I expected.

It's an incredible experience! I would encourage anyone who is thinking about serving a mission, don't think about it again. Just do it! I actually said this to my companion last night, I said, "You only live it once, so live it right." But really, a mission is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. You can never do it again. So if you are thinking about it, stop thinking about it and just do it. Start filling in your papers - RIGHT NOW. 

WEEK 70 - Update

This week was really good.

Tuesday
We had a meeting where they talked about teaching efficient lessons and that we should ask inspired questions and then listen to the investigators. It was very interesting. We visited some really smart kids that got baptized a few weeks ago. We visited an investigator named Wilfredo. He is a great guy!

Wednesday
We visited the Chacon family. The two daughters are members but the parents aren't, so we are working with them. We visited Jeny and her mom. Her mom had been really sick for a while, so we talked to her for a bit. We visited Dany - really cool family. We talked about the Restoration. They had a lot of good questions. We visited the Rodriguez family. The mom is a member but the rest of the family isn't.

Thursday
We had our district meeting. It was great. We visited a recent convert named Allan.He was investigating the church for about 2 years but was never interested.

Friday
We had weekly planning. We visited a member named Esau. He had an accident a few years ago and is missing a leg and an arm. He is super cool. We visited the Estrada family. They got baptized like three weeks ago. They are awesome.  So awesome to see the changes that the Gospel has in people's lives.

Saturday
We went and did some service. We helped a member dig a little trench and then we went helped moved a bunch of stuff into a truck. It was tiring but super worth it. We went and visited a couple members.

Sunday
We had church, it was good. We went and visited some more members in the afternoon and at night we went and visited the Estrada family to talk about family history. They are super excited.

I love this Gospel. I want to share my testimony of eternal families. Seeing the Estrada family and the desires they have to be together forever has made me realize that through this Gospel, families truly can be together forever thanks to the blessings of the temple. The temple is the house of God, literally.

Have a great week everyone!

Elder Baller

WEEK 69 - Q&A

1. What is your favorite scripture? Has it changed since you've been on your mission?
My favorite scripture when I left on my mission was D&C 24:7-8. That is still my favorite, or one of my favorites, but I have added some. Alma 26:27, which is about the sons of Mosiah. Joshua 1:9. Those are some of my favorites; they are all somewhat related. They all have to do with being patient, being diligent and being strong.

2. Do they celebrate all the same holidays in Honduras?
They celebrate most of the same holidays here. The ones they don't celebrate are: St. Patrick's Day, the 4th of July (obviously), Pioneer Day, Halloween & Thanksgiving. There are also some holidays they have here that we don't at home. Kids Day (September 10) - this one is actually pretty fun. They give kids gifts - like candy, they always do a piñata. They just go crazy for the kids. September 15 is Independence Day here. It's nuts on that day, kind of like the states - lots of fireworks, lots of flags, lots of shirts and everything that has to do with Honduras. Christmas here is a really, really big thing. People go all out for Christmas. In the city, I've heard it's pretty crazy for Christmas. I'm not sure if I'll still be here or not. But I've heard that Christmas in the city is pretty intense - lots and lots of fireworks, lights and everything. Other than that, holidays are pretty much the same.

3. What about birthdays? Do they do Quinceaneras or anything there?
Birthdays here are a really, really big deal - for kids, but also for adults. Everyone has parties. Sometimes, if the people have money, they'll do a Quinceanera. But not always. But yeah, birthdays here are a huge thing. There is ALWAYS cake. You can't have a birthday here without cake. Another fun birthday tradition here is to smash an egg on the person's head and then throw flour on them. The person ends up smelling SO bad. Sometimes they throw water too... usually just whatever they have, but almost always eggs.

4. Now that you've been a district leader and a zone leader, can you explain the different roles of each?
So the role of a district leader is to take care of his district by: doing divisions, training in the district meetings, call each night to get DATs for the day. And then, obviously, just "animating" them (Elder Baller uses that word a lot - it means like encouraging them), giving them advice, all that stuff. The DATs that we take at night are: "Open the mouth" - how many people they talked to, lessons with members, new investigators and baptism invitations.
Zone leaders are in charge of the whole zone. They organize everything. They teach the district leaders. And then the district leaders pass their numbers to the zone leaders at night. The zone leaders communicate with the APs and take direction from President and pass it on to their zone. The zone leader is just basically in charge of organizing everything in the zone. It's not uncommon for zone leaders to be really stressed out. :)

5. How often do district leaders communicate with zone leaders and why?
A district leader talks to the a zone leader every day to pass on numbers. They also call if there is permission needed for something in the district that is beyond what the district leader can give permission for. So, daily communication. 

WEEK 69 - Photos

Out the back of a bus

Inside the bus

Elder Navarro and me

After an adventure in the rain - I told my mom the story (to be posted later)

Inside Rigoberto's house when we went to fix his roof

My comp talking to Rigoberto

Brother Rivero fixing the roof

Daniel's baptism

Me, Daniel and Elder Navarro

WEEK 69 - Update

This week was great.

Tuesday
Saying goodbye to the people in El Sitio. Not the funnest but still it was a good day.

Wednesday
We had changes in the morning, after that we had a meeting with Elder Dallin H. Oaks, it was fantastic. He talked about missionary work in general and a lot about dedicating ourselves completely to the work. Got to know a few people in the new area.

Thursday
Working. We had a great lesson with a couple, Rene and Jeny, they ask some really good questions. They were asking us about the Book of Mormon and lots of other stuff.

Friday
Friday we had weekly planning. We had a great lesson with another couple that had listened to the missionaries like 10 years ago. Plan of Salvation. They are super smart and we were just kind of helping them understand a little better.

Saturday
We taught this lesson in a pulperia with this guy that was just asking us tons of questions about the church. Very weird. We visited a couple families. The Rodriguez family, great people, we taught the Plan of Salvation and they loved it. They love the idea of eternal families. Watched The Testaments with a recent convert family.

Sunday
We had church. We go to another building, they made a bunch of changes in the wards and so we go another building. It was great. We went and visited Keylin, an investigator that didn't really want to get baptized, but we talked to her a little bit about that and she changed her perspective a lot.

I absolutely love this work, being a missionary, and this Gospel. Something I always say to people is that sincerely if I didn't believe in this Gospel I wouldn't have left my family and work and studies and everything to preach it. I know it is true.

Have a great week!

Elder Baller

WEEK 68 - Q&A

1. Do they have a lot of the same businesses/stores/restaurants there as in the states?
You'd probably be surprised at how many are the same. The most common thing between the US and here are fast food restaurants. For example, we have Burger King, Popeyes, McDonald's, Wendy's, Pizza Hut, KFC. There are fast food restaurants here that are not in the states - most of them sell chicken. As far as stores go, like clothes stores, they are actually pretty similar too. There are a few here that I have never seen in the US - like one called Lady Lee. A lot of the stores here are in malls, that we aren't allowed to go in, so I haven't seen a lot of them.

2. What products are the same there?
There are a lot that are the same, mostly food - chips (Lays, Doritos, Cheetos), soda (Coke, Pepsi), cookies (Chips Ahoy, Oreos).

3. What products or things do you buy that are different?
As far as other products go, like cleaning supplies or toiletries, the product names are all different here. In addition to the food that is the same as in the US, they will have a similar brand, but in Spanish. So, in addition to Lays, they also have Civas, which come in all the same flavors as Lays. They also have a few different sodas here that aren't in the states - mostly fruit flavored, including orange and banana. It's sort of like Fanta.

4. How is the weather different there?
There are only two seasons here - summer and winter. I think October to March is considered winter and April to September is considered summer. In December, it actually gets pretty chilly here. Last December, I was in Danli, which is actually one of the coldest parts of the mission. What I love about the weather is that it's not as extreme as Utah. When people ask me what the weather is like back home, I tell them that it's really hot in the summer and really cold in the winter. It snows in winter, and it's hot hot hot in summer. People can't really relate that those extremes because it's pretty mild most of the time here. There's nothing that I really dislike about the weather here - only that, when moving around, you have to get used to different temperatures. Danli was cooler, and then Choluteca was so hot, and now here it is cold again. That has been a little hard to adjust to. I've been in the city for about two months and I'm still adjusting to the cold because I was so used to the heat in Choluteca.

5. Do you ever have a hard time time sleeping?
We are usually so tired that we pass out pretty quick. There have been very few days that I have trouble sleeping. Normally, it's only when I have something on my mind - usually an investigator and what we can do to help them. But usually we don't have any problems sleeping. I would say that we typically fall asleep in two minutes or less every night.

WEEK 68 - Update

Tuesday
We visited Rigoberto, an old man that can't walk. We visited Waleska. She had some great questions about the Book of Mormon. We went and visited Diana and Milton. They are awesome!

Wednesday
We went with a bishop and another member to visit Rigoberto because we were going to fix his roof. Fun little visit. We went and visited Diana with a member and had a fantastic lesson about the Plan of Salvation.

Thursday
Thursday I was on divisions with Elder Thornock. We had a really good day.

Friday
We had our district meeting and then we to do the baptism interview for Daniel. We went to fill up the font and figured out that no water was coming out, so we ended up carrying water in buckets to fill it up.

Saturday
Saturday we went to fixed Rigoberto's roof and then we had the baptism.  Awesome experience! After the baptism, we had a ward activity.

Sunday
Nelson came to church.

Changes this week.... I am going to be going to La Travesia in Zone Esperanza.

Have a great week everyone!
Elder Baller

WEEK 67 - Update

This week was excellent.

Tuesday
We contacted a bunch of people on Tuesday. We visited a family, the Floreses, that we contacted a while back. They are really interested in the Gospel. The thing that has sparked their interest most is the Plan of Salvation. They love learning and are progressing quite a bit. We also met with Martha. She is one of the member's mom, she is a great lady. She is really quiet, but we have worked with her and she has changed.

Wednesday
Wednesday we had divisions with the Zone Leaders. I went with Elder Foster. We visited Jesus; he is a great guy. He and his kids listened to us teach the Restoration. They had lots of good questions and lots of interest. Jesus told us about how he had prayed and felt like everything was true. We visited Milton and Diana, they are brother and sister. We have been working with Diana for a while. They are both great people.

Thursday
We visited Katerin. We had been preparing her to be baptized this coming Saturday, but she couldn't go to church so we are going to postpone the baptism. She talked a little about her fear of baptism, but we explained everything to her and she accepted it. We visited Daniel. He is ready - real evidence that the Lord prepares people.

Friday
We had a district meeting and then went to do some baptism interviews for the Zone Leaders. We visited Diana. She is doing really good. We have been trying to get her to pray on her own - something she struggles with, but she has grown a lot. We have really seen the Gospel work in her life.

Saturday
We went to the Zone Leader's baptism, and Diana was able to go! She loved it and seems like she is really animated to do it herself. We visited Katerin again and talked about the importance of baptism and a couple commandments. We visited Martha and talked about the Book of Mormon. If we can convert people to the Book of Mormon it is easy for them to realize the the Church is true.

Sunday
Church was great. Diana and Daniel both went, They loved it. We went to visit Daniel in the afternoon to prepare him for baptism. He is a great guy.

Love being here. I am loving the work and the people. Being here, it is impossible to feel that Christ-like love for everyone.

Love you all! Have a great week!

Elder Baller

WEEK 67 - Q&A

1. How do you get your mission money?
I have a card that they gave me when I got to the mission. I use that card at an ATM to take out money and then we spend that. It comes biweekly, usually on the 14th or 15th and then again on the 29th or 30th.

2. How much money do you get?
Biweekly, I get 2500 lempiras, which is about $100.

3. What do you spend that money on?
The money we get from the mission is typically spent on transportation, food, personal needs (haircuts and hygiene products), and cleaning supplies. In my current area, we don't have to buy a lot of food. We spend a little bit more on transportation.

4. Do you ever run out of money?
In other areas, people do run out of money, mostly because they have to buy all of their food. So, yes, it is possible and quite common in some areas for missionaries to run out of money. But they just have to try to budget really well to cover their expenses. Or, they have to take out their personal money to use that.

5. How do you budget together with your companion?
Usually, each of us just handles our own personal expenses. I buy my stuff and he buys his. If there is something we will both use, we usually go half and half on it. For instance, if we need to buy cleaning supplies, we go half and half. But we typically just buy our own stuff.

WEEK 66 - Photos

Elder Baller with Hermana Bernal and Hermana Snell

Elder Navarro, Elder Baller, Hermana Powers, Hermana Nunez

Elder Baller in Valle de Angeles

Elder Baller, Elder Judd and Elder Foster - Elder Judd ate half a cake

Our zone last change when we went to El Picacho

WEEK 66 - Q&A

1. Do the members there go to the temple often?
In the ward that we are in now, the members actually do go quite often, because it is so close and not hard to get there. It is pretty easy to go.

2. Do you see your whole zone every P day?
We usually do do activities together but not always.

3. Have you been sick since getting to your current area?
Not too bad. Stomach ache here or there but not too bad.

4. Are most of the people in your area native Hondurans? Or are a lot from other countries?
They are all Hondurans or at least the majority. We have met very few people from other places.

5. Does your companion speak English at all?
He actually does speak a little and I am teaching him a little more.

WEEK 66 - Update

This week was great.

Tuesday
We made a little Plan of Salvation map, pictures to come in following weeks. We went and visited a family. We taught Katerin, she is great and we used the Plan of Salvation map. Went and talked with Nelson.

Wednesday
We had a training meeting in the morning. Good instructions. We went to Valle de Angeles to do a baptism interview. We came back and found Nelson, he is having some problems so we are going to postpone his baptism for a while. We had a visit with Diana, she is great as well.

Thursday
We did a few visits, it was kind of a normal day. We ended up looking for Nelson again and didn't find him but his neighbor, Daniel, was there and he used to go to church and wants to get baptized. We visited Alba again.

Friday
District meeting was pretty good. We went to do a baptism interview for the sisters. We went to do two more interviews for the Zone Leaders.

Saturday
We did a few visits in the afternoon. We went to the Zone Leaders baptism and Diana went with us, that was a great experience and we have a lot of hope for her.

Sunday
We had church. Katerin and Daniel went. We went and visited Daniel, he is doing great. We visited Milton, Diana's brother.

Have a great week everyone!
Elder Baller

WEEK 65 - Q&A

1. Where did you watch conference?
At the stake center on Saturday and at our building on Sunday.

2. What language did you watch conference in?
English on Saturday and Spanish on Sunday.

3. What was your favorite conference talk?
I think it was Elder Stevenson that talked about the Book of Mormon.

4. Did you see anyone in the MTC choir during conference you recognized?
Nope.... should I have?

5. What was your favorite part of your week?
Conference.

WEEK 65 - Update

This week was great.

Tuesday
Contacted for a bit. Found some pretty positive people. We went and visited Alan and Katerin. They are really positive and have tons of great questions.

Wednesday
We visited Hermano Rigoberto, he is an old member that we help out sometimes. We talked to Nelson. He said he doesn't feel quite ready for baptism yet, but we are working with him for that.

Thursday
We had our weekly planning. We met with Diana. An investigator that the missionaries had taught before and didn't have any success. We are really working with her. She is really positive. We met with Alba again. She is doing great.

Friday
District meeting. We contacted a bunch and found some nice people.

Saturday
General Conference. We went to the stake center to watch conference. Loved it.

Sunday
General Conference.

Have a great week everyone!
Elder Baller

WEEK 64 - Q&A

1. What experience this week strengthened your testimony and how?
Just working with people. Seeing how the Gospel actually changes lives.

2. What is something that made you laugh out loud this week?
Some of the people here are just crazy. People who try to talk in English.

3. If you could fit anyone in the world in a suitcase to come and spend a day in Honduras with you, who would it be?
Andrew. He is my bro and he would love it.

4. Is the church building where you meet now a standard church building? How many ward members come each week?
It is a building, kind of old, but a building. About 100.

5. What specific things would you like people back home to pray for for you?
For our investigators. They need more help than we do.

WEEK 64 - Update

Tuesday
We contacted a lot. All of our visits fell through so we contacted some more. We found a man named Jesus that is really positive. He wants to change his life.

Wednesday
We went to do some baptism interviews for the sisters on Wednesday. So happy for them. We found one of our investigators reading the Book of Mormon. Yay! We found a new lady named Diana, she has lots of questions and wants to learn.

Thursday
We contacted a little more. We met with Jesus, he is doing really well. We met with Nelson, he has a baptism date for the 8 of October and that is looking really good.

Friday
We had Zone Conference, we learned a lot about teaching. It was really great. We visited Alba, who has a baptism date for the 15th of October, she is also doing really well. We met with some other investigators.

Saturday
We visited an old investigator, Alan, he is doing really well and has lots of desires to learn. We did a little bit of service for a member and then carried some bags up a hill to help some ladies.

Sunday
We had church. Nelson went. We taught Gospel Principles. We contacted A LOT. it was worth it to see the people willing to listen and help them out.

Have a great week everyone!
Elder Baller

WEEK 63 - Photos

Yay! Our first photos from Elder Baller in almost a month! He has had a hard time finding a computer that would let him upload all of the photos he's been taking.

Enjoy!

Elder T

Elder Torres and Elder Baller

Valles de Angeles - we hiked up at about 7am

Valles de Angeles

Valles de Angeles

Santa Lucia

Elder Baller & Elder Judd (he reminds me a lot of Ren)

Elder Baller & Elder Judd

On our way to El Picacho

Elder Baller and Elder Judd - we get along really well

Walking to El Picacho

Elder Judd

Elder Judd

View of the city from El Picacho

Elder Judd

Elder Judd with Hermana Powers in the background

Statue of Christ at El Picacho

Elder Foster (our other zone leader)

The city with the airport in the background - notice it only has one landing strip.

El Picacho

This was when we went to do some pottery. This pottery wheel is actually powered by moving your leg.

Elder Judd was taking my pictures

Working on a jar

Pottery the missionaries made - a pumpkin, a turtle, a cactus with a hat (LOL), a bowl of cereal with a spoon, etc

Me, Elder Foster, Hermana Snow, and the guy who helped us

Mannequins the sisters made

Elder Padilla