I am doing alright. It has been an ok week. I have had a cold so it has been quite interesting. My hand is healing fine. I got the bandage off last Monday at the Hospital. I can't tell you how happy I was. It is healing quite nicely.
I love it here and all of the people. They are
so amazing and I didn't think I could grow to love them so fast in such
a short amount of time, but I have. It is amazing how fast your heart
can grow and let so many people in.
We have had quite a bit of snow here as well on Friday it felt like Utah. I kept snowing until we had about 3 in. of show. We sat
in the flat that night watched the cars and told them they were either
going to fast and they needed to slow down, or that they were too close
to the other cars and they needed to back off;) It was really
entertaining cause they couldn't hear us but we kept trying!!! When it
snows we are out in it! So we have to bundle up and find those souls who
are ready to listen. We use the bus around here. But sometimes I would
rather walk especally when it is snowing here. because they don't plow
the roads they just put down salt. And the drivers don't really slow
down. It is pretty scary.
Laura is doing alright. Her grandfather died last Sunday so she has been with family. We met with her on Tuesday
and she told us that her family has really be giving her opposition
about the church. We had her lesson at a members home and I think it
helped a little bit. I fill so bad for her. I wish there was something I
could do for her to make the pain go away. I know how bad it hurts to
loose someone you were close to. We have a few other investigators, but
they are not keeping commitments which is frustrating because I know how
much it can help them, but I can't hit them over the head with it. They
have to do it for themselves.
I am not sure what they have planned for sports day. It is the whole
mission but they split it in half. Some areas on the 30th and some on
the 31st. All of the sisters will be on the 31st. So we will be going to
the Manchester Stake building that day. Yes I told them all thank you
from you!!! They said your welcome. I know it really is a small world.
I love you tons and | hope you have a wonderful week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I will talk to you again soon.
Sincerely
SIster Ballantyne
Monday, January 28, 2013
Monday, January 21, 2013
Email 1/21/13
I think my hand is fine. It doesn't hurt just itches really bad. It is a
second degree burn. The Dr. told us that she didn't take care of burns
so we went up there for nothing and now have to go back to the hospital today
at 2:15. To get it re-bandaged. Its not like I meant to touch the stove. I
meant to just hover my hand over the burner but my hand had another
idea and touched the burner. We were at the church for Spealized Zone
Conference and President Interviews. Sister Spencer took me to the
hospital at 9pm because my hand was swollen and I couldn't move it. So I
quit being stubborn and let her take me to the Hospital. It is just
across the street from our flat. We were there for 3 hours. We didn't
get home until midnight and had to go back at 2:15 the next day. It took 3
hours because when they get snow here in England everything shuts down
and there were a few accidents that came in to the hospital while I was
waiting. Just so you know I really hate the burn dressings!!!! They
sting really bad when you first put them on.
I do love this country, the people, my companions, and the work. After the blessing I knew that all of you would be alright, and I knew it even more when I talked to you on the phone at Christmas.
Before I left it was mixed feelings. I wanted to come and do the lords work, but I also wasn't so sure that it was where he needed me or if it was just something that I wanted. So I came out here because I knew that I needed to do something for myself. So I left everything that I love with all of my heart behind. I came out here to find that I could love this place just as much as home and I do. I love everything out here. I have to have faith that he will help me for doing what he has asked of me.
It has and always will be from now on between me and Heavenly Father just like it should have been from Jr. High when I started putting others before myself and ignoring my own feelings to help others. I have come to the realization that no matter what I cannot make everyone happy or fix everyone. I found that out from an experience here it has also helped me gain a bigger testimony of the atonement.
Thank you so much for those thoughts from Stake conference. I have now more than ever been relying on My Heavenly Father. He has helped me so much and I have realized that I have not been giving him the credit or thanks that he deserves. I have learned to trust in him that he will help me through anything and that as long as I listen he will lead me where he wants me. He has already given me the strength to actually listen to what he was telling me.
All my love
Sister Ballantyne
I do love this country, the people, my companions, and the work. After the blessing I knew that all of you would be alright, and I knew it even more when I talked to you on the phone at Christmas.
Before I left it was mixed feelings. I wanted to come and do the lords work, but I also wasn't so sure that it was where he needed me or if it was just something that I wanted. So I came out here because I knew that I needed to do something for myself. So I left everything that I love with all of my heart behind. I came out here to find that I could love this place just as much as home and I do. I love everything out here. I have to have faith that he will help me for doing what he has asked of me.
It has and always will be from now on between me and Heavenly Father just like it should have been from Jr. High when I started putting others before myself and ignoring my own feelings to help others. I have come to the realization that no matter what I cannot make everyone happy or fix everyone. I found that out from an experience here it has also helped me gain a bigger testimony of the atonement.
Thank you so much for those thoughts from Stake conference. I have now more than ever been relying on My Heavenly Father. He has helped me so much and I have realized that I have not been giving him the credit or thanks that he deserves. I have learned to trust in him that he will help me through anything and that as long as I listen he will lead me where he wants me. He has already given me the strength to actually listen to what he was telling me.
All my love
Sister Ballantyne
Email 1/14/13
My week has definitely been better. Not as many meetings;)
I am glad that you were able to go to chruch last week!!! Church is a wonderful place. Yesterday at church I was talking to Sister Wild the Relief Society President. I told her that I needed a mom hug. (Just so you know they are from you). She laughed and gave me two. Sister Whillans over heard me say this and gave me another one. I felt so loved. The only thing that would have made it better was if they were really from you and if I could get one from dad. We aren't having much luck with our members here giving us refferals either. Most of them are too caught on indexing, or Temple work which is good. But it means that it is harder to do missionary work as well. I am sure that they both did wonderful.
The ward is doing alright we have been meeting a lot of the new ward members. We get lost a lot but end up finding different people that we were not planning on seeing that day. It is crazy how that works. No we have not been able to see Laura. She was on Holiday, and had to come home early because her Grandfather was in the Hospital again. I guess that they told her he probably wont last the next few days. So she has been with family. I have sent her a text asking if there is anything we can do and have not gotten a response yet. So we will just have to be here when she contacts us. She is in my Prayers. I just hope that her and her family are doing alright.
The weather is cold. It snowed Last night!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was so happy at one point I stuck my head back and opened my mouth and stuck my tongue out;) hehe it was a lot of fun!! I took pictures so I have proof that it snowed. Good thing I did because it was all gone this morning. I knew that would happen while I was gone!!!!! It wouldn't snow because I wanted it to, but when I leave it decides to be really mean and snow so that I cannot enjoy it;( GRRRRRR!!!! hehe. How is lexie liking work???
The shoes are good!!! Yes they are comfortable. But I needed them because of all the walking I had worn holes in the others so they were letting water in. I figured that that probably wasn't a good thing.
Love you tons
Sister Ballantyne
I am glad that you were able to go to chruch last week!!! Church is a wonderful place. Yesterday at church I was talking to Sister Wild the Relief Society President. I told her that I needed a mom hug. (Just so you know they are from you). She laughed and gave me two. Sister Whillans over heard me say this and gave me another one. I felt so loved. The only thing that would have made it better was if they were really from you and if I could get one from dad. We aren't having much luck with our members here giving us refferals either. Most of them are too caught on indexing, or Temple work which is good. But it means that it is harder to do missionary work as well. I am sure that they both did wonderful.
The ward is doing alright we have been meeting a lot of the new ward members. We get lost a lot but end up finding different people that we were not planning on seeing that day. It is crazy how that works. No we have not been able to see Laura. She was on Holiday, and had to come home early because her Grandfather was in the Hospital again. I guess that they told her he probably wont last the next few days. So she has been with family. I have sent her a text asking if there is anything we can do and have not gotten a response yet. So we will just have to be here when she contacts us. She is in my Prayers. I just hope that her and her family are doing alright.
The weather is cold. It snowed Last night!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was so happy at one point I stuck my head back and opened my mouth and stuck my tongue out;) hehe it was a lot of fun!! I took pictures so I have proof that it snowed. Good thing I did because it was all gone this morning. I knew that would happen while I was gone!!!!! It wouldn't snow because I wanted it to, but when I leave it decides to be really mean and snow so that I cannot enjoy it;( GRRRRRR!!!! hehe. How is lexie liking work???
The shoes are good!!! Yes they are comfortable. But I needed them because of all the walking I had worn holes in the others so they were letting water in. I figured that that probably wasn't a good thing.
Love you tons
Sister Ballantyne
Monday, January 7, 2013
Email 1/7/2013
Laura is Amazing!!! She has been on Holiday so we haven't seen her for a little bit.
I absolutely love my new companion. We get along so well we have a lot of fun together. She has been out about 14 months I think she will be going home in about 2 transfers. She lived in the Roy, Ogden area. Don't worry I fully plan to stay in contact with each and everyone of my companions!!!!
I think they are handling it pretty well. It didn't seem like anything had changed in church on Sunday other than a few different faces. Every one was talking to each other and getting along. In Relief Society the lesson was on being a Daughter of God it is something I really needed to hear. I have been feeling a little neglected by Heavenly Father for a few days. I have felt like he hasn't really been listen to my prayers and not answering them. At the end we sang a song that was so beautiful I think it had every single person in tears. The song was called: "Walk Tall You're a Daughter of God". It is so comforting to know that even though I may feel like he is not there or not listening to me, but he is there and is listening.
The meals are still big and I think they will always be. They like to make there best meals for us. Which is usually their Sunday Roast.
Everything that is supposed to be at home will be there. Everything will work out how it is supposed to. That is something I have had to learn myself and it is not easy but I know it is true. God will not take away good things for us serving him. He will not take away blessings He has promised us for us giving up 18 months or 2 years of our lives to do what He has asked us to do. Everything will be there when we get home and if it is not then it wasn't worth the wait.
Lots of love
Sister Ballantyne
I absolutely love my new companion. We get along so well we have a lot of fun together. She has been out about 14 months I think she will be going home in about 2 transfers. She lived in the Roy, Ogden area. Don't worry I fully plan to stay in contact with each and everyone of my companions!!!!
I think they are handling it pretty well. It didn't seem like anything had changed in church on Sunday other than a few different faces. Every one was talking to each other and getting along. In Relief Society the lesson was on being a Daughter of God it is something I really needed to hear. I have been feeling a little neglected by Heavenly Father for a few days. I have felt like he hasn't really been listen to my prayers and not answering them. At the end we sang a song that was so beautiful I think it had every single person in tears. The song was called: "Walk Tall You're a Daughter of God". It is so comforting to know that even though I may feel like he is not there or not listening to me, but he is there and is listening.
The meals are still big and I think they will always be. They like to make there best meals for us. Which is usually their Sunday Roast.
Everything that is supposed to be at home will be there. Everything will work out how it is supposed to. That is something I have had to learn myself and it is not easy but I know it is true. God will not take away good things for us serving him. He will not take away blessings He has promised us for us giving up 18 months or 2 years of our lives to do what He has asked us to do. Everything will be there when we get home and if it is not then it wasn't worth the wait.
Lots of love
Sister Ballantyne
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Email 1/3/13
We did not get an email Wednesday. So happy to have one this morning. She seems so much better.
I am so glad that I got to talk to you on Christmas as well. I really thought that it would make that homesickness worse that is part of the reason I didn't skype home. But it actually helped!!!! I am doing much better.
New Years day we did not proselyte at all so we went to members homes and watched disney movies, played games, and had tea. One of the members let us barrow a movie and we called President Preston and asked him if we could watch it that night since we were in our flat and not at a members home. He let us watch it!!!!!! It was Cool Runnings!!!! I was so happy I have not been able to see it in years.;) We also got to sleep in till 8 am!! I know it is crazy how fast it has gone by.
So as I told you last week we had transfers yesterday!!! Both of my companions have been transferred and I now have a new companion/follow up trainer. Her name is Sister Spencer. She is from Colorado/Utah. And guess what she is taller than me!! But all of my other companions so far have either been my height or shorter. Hehe. Also they just split the wards and added one so I am now training her on an area and learning a new area as well. Because they took one part away from our ward and added another one. So I now get to learn that new area. But it will be good we will learn it together. I have been so stressed with all of this coming at me all at once.
We have an Investigator named Laura and she is now left in my hands. I am so nervous!!! She is so close to baptism that I keep thinking I might mess something up!!! Or push her away. She is so sweet and willing to learn it is amazing. I have already seen her come so far. The first time I met her it was her 2nd time meeting with Sister Longmore and Sister Hanson. She asked for a Book of Mormon before we even mentioned it to her. She said that she was talking to her boyfriend and told him that she would like one to read. This last meeting we had with her on New Years Eve she pretty much told us that she was living the word of wisdom. We have not even taught her that yet. She said that it is weird she just feels like she doesn't need to drink coffee in the morning anymore and that drinking is a waste of time. She has felt the spirit on her own. One day she sent us a text saying: I think i just felt the spirit I thought you might want to know. She is worried about her family and boyfriend though so it may be a little bit before she decides to get baptized, but I can definitely see her there. She is coming to church in a few Sunday so I am excited for that. She is just amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am sorry that you have had to work the past few Sundays. I know how you hate when that happens. I know what you mean it feels like nothing goes right and the weeks seem to drag on. Church may seem really stupid to some people who do not know what we believe in, but I know that if they came to church and felt the spirit and comfort that is there they would come to know why it is so important. Our Church time was Changed to 9 as well. So it is going to be lots of fun!!!
We don't really have very many regulars but we have a few that we teach every so often. With the new area we have some potentials that we can call by next week. I am excited!!!! I have learned a lot about myself and my testimony has grown quite a bit.
Love you tons
Sister Ballantyne
I am so glad that I got to talk to you on Christmas as well. I really thought that it would make that homesickness worse that is part of the reason I didn't skype home. But it actually helped!!!! I am doing much better.
New Years day we did not proselyte at all so we went to members homes and watched disney movies, played games, and had tea. One of the members let us barrow a movie and we called President Preston and asked him if we could watch it that night since we were in our flat and not at a members home. He let us watch it!!!!!! It was Cool Runnings!!!! I was so happy I have not been able to see it in years.;) We also got to sleep in till 8 am!! I know it is crazy how fast it has gone by.
So as I told you last week we had transfers yesterday!!! Both of my companions have been transferred and I now have a new companion/follow up trainer. Her name is Sister Spencer. She is from Colorado/Utah. And guess what she is taller than me!! But all of my other companions so far have either been my height or shorter. Hehe. Also they just split the wards and added one so I am now training her on an area and learning a new area as well. Because they took one part away from our ward and added another one. So I now get to learn that new area. But it will be good we will learn it together. I have been so stressed with all of this coming at me all at once.
We have an Investigator named Laura and she is now left in my hands. I am so nervous!!! She is so close to baptism that I keep thinking I might mess something up!!! Or push her away. She is so sweet and willing to learn it is amazing. I have already seen her come so far. The first time I met her it was her 2nd time meeting with Sister Longmore and Sister Hanson. She asked for a Book of Mormon before we even mentioned it to her. She said that she was talking to her boyfriend and told him that she would like one to read. This last meeting we had with her on New Years Eve she pretty much told us that she was living the word of wisdom. We have not even taught her that yet. She said that it is weird she just feels like she doesn't need to drink coffee in the morning anymore and that drinking is a waste of time. She has felt the spirit on her own. One day she sent us a text saying: I think i just felt the spirit I thought you might want to know. She is worried about her family and boyfriend though so it may be a little bit before she decides to get baptized, but I can definitely see her there. She is coming to church in a few Sunday so I am excited for that. She is just amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am sorry that you have had to work the past few Sundays. I know how you hate when that happens. I know what you mean it feels like nothing goes right and the weeks seem to drag on. Church may seem really stupid to some people who do not know what we believe in, but I know that if they came to church and felt the spirit and comfort that is there they would come to know why it is so important. Our Church time was Changed to 9 as well. So it is going to be lots of fun!!!
We don't really have very many regulars but we have a few that we teach every so often. With the new area we have some potentials that we can call by next week. I am excited!!!! I have learned a lot about myself and my testimony has grown quite a bit.
Love you tons
Sister Ballantyne
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