Hey, I'm alive. In Honduras. It is amazing here. I love it. Right when we got here we took a picture and had a little meeting. Then we went contacting. I was with Elder Padilla. It was awesome. The first time was terrifying but after that was great. We taught a lesson and gave him a Book of Mormon. Then we referred him to the Hermanas and then found the Hermanas and they went and taught him. Anyways. I will write you more next week.
Love you!! Miss you!!
-Elder Baller
Tuesday, August 18, 2015
Wednesday, August 12, 2015
WEEK 5 - Q&A (Aunt Edition)
This week, I decided to ask some of Aidan's aunts to write the questions for the Q&A. I only gave them about 30 seconds to give me questions, but they did an awesome job! Enjoy!
1. Susan - What has been your biggest challenge so far?
Language. Good grief. It is so hard to just be thrown into it and be expected to speak it all the time.
2. Susan - What is your favorite thing about Guatemala?
The weather. Wowza. It is perfect. It is about 80 degrees all the time. And it rains. A lot. Like a lot.
3. Susan - If you could bring one thing home with you from Guatemala, what would it be?
My companion. He is awesome. He has become my best friend over the past couple weeks.
4. Susan - Who is your favorite aunt?
I am not allowed to pick favorites cause I'm a missionary. ;)
5. Sharon - Who would win this fight: Elder Speth, the guy who gives the buzz cuts, or Presidente Cox?
Elder Speth. That guy is a rock solid. He is like the buffest kid that I know.
6. Diane - What do you like people to email you about?
Pictures. I always always always love pictures. But just about life too, because I never know what is going on so it's nice to see what is going on at home.
1. Susan - What has been your biggest challenge so far?
Language. Good grief. It is so hard to just be thrown into it and be expected to speak it all the time.
2. Susan - What is your favorite thing about Guatemala?
The weather. Wowza. It is perfect. It is about 80 degrees all the time. And it rains. A lot. Like a lot.
3. Susan - If you could bring one thing home with you from Guatemala, what would it be?
My companion. He is awesome. He has become my best friend over the past couple weeks.
4. Susan - Who is your favorite aunt?
I am not allowed to pick favorites cause I'm a missionary. ;)
5. Sharon - Who would win this fight: Elder Speth, the guy who gives the buzz cuts, or Presidente Cox?
Elder Speth. That guy is a rock solid. He is like the buffest kid that I know.
6. Diane - What do you like people to email you about?
Pictures. I always always always love pictures. But just about life too, because I never know what is going on so it's nice to see what is going on at home.
WEEK 5 - FIFTH WEEK IN THE CCM
This week was so awesome! We are getting to the end of this experience and I am so stoked to get out into the field and serve people. I have been praying for opportunities to serve people and boy did I get it. On Friday, they make assignments for new District Leaders and President came and got me, everyone thought that it was going to be me, and they were wrong... I got called to be the Zone Leader for Rama B. Basically I am in charge of the third floor and I have to go around and night and make sure everyone is in bed at the right time. I also have a Botiquin, which is a medicine box, and I have to give out medicine to people who need it. I also get to turn off all the nights at night. It's lovely. It actually is a great experience because it is teaching me patience and service.
We had a devotional last night from President Duncan, he is the Area President for Central America, it was awesome. He talked about how this mission isn't our mission. Which is true. This mission is for all the people we will help and all the people they will help. The church is true. Nothing else really happened this week. This is the last time I will write from the CCM so that is soooooo fantastic. Much love. Miss you all so so so much.
Love,
Elder Baller
We had a devotional last night from President Duncan, he is the Area President for Central America, it was awesome. He talked about how this mission isn't our mission. Which is true. This mission is for all the people we will help and all the people they will help. The church is true. Nothing else really happened this week. This is the last time I will write from the CCM so that is soooooo fantastic. Much love. Miss you all so so so much.
Love,
Elder Baller
Tuesday, August 4, 2015
WEEK 4 - Q&A
1. Describe a Sunday in the CCM.
We wake up and have personal study for an hour and a half. And then we have district class, where we teach each other about how to be better missionaries. And then we have priesthood class, which is just like home. And then sacrament, where they chose 6 random people to speak and you have to have your talk ready. And then we just have devotionals the rest of the day.
2. Have you received any physical letters/packages yet?
Yes, I have gotten quite a few letters. Everyone in my district hates me cause I get tons and they don't.
3. What's the best thing that happened this week?
When we taught our less active.
4. What is your district name? Are any of the missionaries in your district going to your mission? Where is everyone else going?
Malaquias. I am the only one in my district going to Honduras. Everyone else is going to Ciudad de Guatemala Sur, Reyu, or El Salvador San Salvador Este.
5. Who are your closest friends in the CCM?
My closest friends are my comp, obviously. Elder Baldwin. Elder Stephan. Elder Adams. Elder Anderson. And my district.
We wake up and have personal study for an hour and a half. And then we have district class, where we teach each other about how to be better missionaries. And then we have priesthood class, which is just like home. And then sacrament, where they chose 6 random people to speak and you have to have your talk ready. And then we just have devotionals the rest of the day.
2. Have you received any physical letters/packages yet?
Yes, I have gotten quite a few letters. Everyone in my district hates me cause I get tons and they don't.
3. What's the best thing that happened this week?
When we taught our less active.
4. What is your district name? Are any of the missionaries in your district going to your mission? Where is everyone else going?
Malaquias. I am the only one in my district going to Honduras. Everyone else is going to Ciudad de Guatemala Sur, Reyu, or El Salvador San Salvador Este.
5. Who are your closest friends in the CCM?
My closest friends are my comp, obviously. Elder Baldwin. Elder Stephan. Elder Adams. Elder Anderson. And my district.
WEEK 4 - Week 4 in el CCM: Earthquakes, Spiders, and Disease
This week was just splendid. Apparently last week we got a 5.1 earthquake that no one felt. Maybe Presidente Cox is just crazy, but he said there was one. And then we had a marvelous conversation with Hermano Morales about the spiders here. That are as big as hands. And are too fast to kill. And they jump. And if they touch you, you get a rash. Yay. And then last week, just about everyone got THE ICK. The ick consists of cramps, diarrhea, some puking, and stomach pains so bad most people couldn't get out of bed. Luckily, only one person in our district got it because we are amazing.
This week did have it's good parts though. WE ONLY HAVE TWO WEEKS LEFT UNTIL EL CAMPO. And the Latinos that come tomorrow are the ones that will leave with us. That is crazy. I also got to pass the sacrament on Sunday, which was an awesome experience. And we had a testimony meeting, which was very spiritual. Also on Sunday night, we got to watch Ephraim's Rescue, which was wonderful. And then after that, Hermana Hatch was having really bad flu-like symptoms, so she asked for a blessing. Elder Speth had the opportunity to give his first blessing and it was amazing. The spirit was so strong, and like the Spirit directed him to say, she was healed almost fully by the next morning. The priesthood is real, it is the power of God.
When we taught our less active on Saturday, we were kinda just talking about the importance of continually praying and reading the Book of Mormon, and she said she didn't have one. So Elder Speth had followed a prompting and brought an extra one, which we gave her. About ten minutes after we finished, our teacher brought it back, so we thought she didn't want it. But she wanted us to write our testimonies in it!
A couple other random things of this week. I did some surgery on one of my ties this week because it didn´t have the little back thing that you put this skinnier part through. So i took one of those from a tie that had two and sewed it to the other one. Grandma would be so proud. Right? :)
I love you all so so much! Miss you all!!
Elder Baller
This week did have it's good parts though. WE ONLY HAVE TWO WEEKS LEFT UNTIL EL CAMPO. And the Latinos that come tomorrow are the ones that will leave with us. That is crazy. I also got to pass the sacrament on Sunday, which was an awesome experience. And we had a testimony meeting, which was very spiritual. Also on Sunday night, we got to watch Ephraim's Rescue, which was wonderful. And then after that, Hermana Hatch was having really bad flu-like symptoms, so she asked for a blessing. Elder Speth had the opportunity to give his first blessing and it was amazing. The spirit was so strong, and like the Spirit directed him to say, she was healed almost fully by the next morning. The priesthood is real, it is the power of God.
When we taught our less active on Saturday, we were kinda just talking about the importance of continually praying and reading the Book of Mormon, and she said she didn't have one. So Elder Speth had followed a prompting and brought an extra one, which we gave her. About ten minutes after we finished, our teacher brought it back, so we thought she didn't want it. But she wanted us to write our testimonies in it!
A couple other random things of this week. I did some surgery on one of my ties this week because it didn´t have the little back thing that you put this skinnier part through. So i took one of those from a tie that had two and sewed it to the other one. Grandma would be so proud. Right? :)
I love you all so so much! Miss you all!!
Elder Baller
