Email 12/16/13

This week has been better!!!! We have found new investigators. So that should be good. That is one thing that I don't miss is the stupid inversion!!!!!!!

 

Oh I miss putting up the Christmas village!!!!! I look forward to doing it next year!!!!!! Those sound so cute!!!!!!! I am really cherishing the Christmas traditions we have and keeping them close to my heart. I wonder if he thinks it is like the computer because on mothers day you were trying to get him to talk to the computer screen to me. So he could think that that is what it is. I am sure that it was sad. I miss them a lot!!!! I miss you all a ton especially right now.

 

I am so excited for the Christmas party tomorrow!!!!! It is going to be so much fun. Yes you can send the package to the Mission Office that will be just fine. You are so amazing!!! You really don't have to send me anything!!!! I love you all so much. I don't think I can tell you enough!!! The past week I have just wanted to pick up the phone and talk to you and tell you all how much I love you and am so grateful for you!!!!!

 

Wow I cannot believe that He is already coming home!!!!!!!! That is amazing. He will be home for Christmas!!!!!!! What a great gift.

 

I love Christmas as a missionary. I wish that every one could experience it!!!!!!!! It is a great feeling to be able to focus your whole Christmas on the Savior and serving those around you like he would. I could not imagine it any other way. I know that we do it as a family. But there are so many families out there that focus so much on the commercial side of Christmas and forget the true meaning of it all!!!!!!! And here as a missionary I am able to bring a bit of that spirit into their Christmas. I love it so much.

 

We had a ward Christmas party on Saturday and it was so much fun!!!!!! Santa came and I think my companion was more excited then the little kids were. She was jumping up and down yelling Santa's here!!!! It was quite entertaining. While we were there the Elders had an investigator come and He had been taught before about 2 years ago. He saw my badge and asked if I knew a Ballantyne who served here before. I told him that I had a cousin serve in this mission and He said that He remembered Him. Then later that night and on Sunday I had a few other people come up to me and ask if I knew an Elder Ballantyne. On of them said that He gave him some proper American candies. Will you ask Kevin if he served in Stoke??? Please and thank you.

 

That is so great that He is enjoying what he is doing!!!! I am sure that it is hectic. I remember seeing the kids in High School and how hectic their lives got this time of year. Lexie is great!!! I would just say to keep reminding her how much you love and appreciate her. Spend some one on one time with her or even write her a note telling her how much you appreciate her. I know that a note or a letter goes a long way!!!! I remember getting those from you and dad one girls camp and on trek and they helped me to truly feel loved!!!!!! You are wonderful parents and family and I could not ask for a better one.

 

That bird sounds absolutely great!!!!!!!!! I love you all so much!!!!!!!!!!

 

Thank you for all that you do!!!!!!

 

I love you so much!!!!!!

 

Love

 

Sister Ballantyne

 

Give everyone my love!!!!!!

Email 12/9/13

Dear beautiful Family,

 

This week has been rough but good!!!!! I went on exchange to Congleton and that was fun but emotional. Because it was Tuesday to Thursday the day of the viewing and funeral. I was wishing the whole time that I could be there with you!!! But I knew the only thing I could do was pray for you. I think I said a prayer every minute. And on Saturday I did something you will never believe!!! I sang on a bus. But not just any bus it was a double decker bus that was full of people!!!!!!! My companion and I sang Oh Holy Night. And I had no nerves at all!!!!!!!! The spirit was so strong I don't think they would have lasted long at all if they did come. It was absolutely amazing!!!! I still could not believe that I did it. Sister Brown was saying that it was something that she wanted to do so I told her to do it. But then our bus stop came. So we got off. And started walking. I told her that if we didn't get on another bus now then it probably wouldn't happen. So we said a prayer for her to have the courage to do it. And during the prayer i was told that I had to sing with her. So we waited for the next bus and got on walked up to the top. Sister Brown said that we would like to share a song about Christ. And we started singing. It was an absolutely amazing experience. It made bearing my testimony on Sunday a piece of cake.

 

I knew that that would happen. He was a very loved man!!!!! With a heart of Gold. That poem was in a weekly news letter from president the week before uncle Steve died. And i was telling president that it was one of my favorite poems. And I now remember why it was because Uncle Steve had shared it to me and I could see how much it reflected his life and all our lives. I am so glad that I have that to read now. I am sure that it was absolutely beautiful. And I do have to admit that I think I am still in a bit of shock. And I think that it is going to take some time to really sink in. But I know that I am being taken care of. That there are angels watching over all of us!!!!! And I know that the savior is always with us and helping us along the way. I am so grateful for that knowledge that I have and that even though this is a hard time I am able to serve others and help them know that they are never alone. Thank you for raising me in this gospel.

 

It sounds like it was a great Christmas party. Who was Santa??? Oh I do hope you all have a wonderful Christmas. I will most likely be skyping you at 6pm here which is 11am your time. Is that alright???? 

 

I am so excited for him to go. I miss doing that!!!!!!!!

 

Oh she will be so good at that!!!!!! It is something that she enjoys doing!!!!!! I have always loved her cakes!!!!! Wish I could have one here. Oh well probably wouldn't taste very good by the time that it got here;) That is really funny that they were already doing one of her cakes.

 

We have not had snow yet it has been sunny. My companion says that it has been chilly but I don't feel it quite yet. Pictures of the beautiful snow covered mountains please and thank you!!!!! There was a flood in Rhyl last week. I miss it a lot but I am glad that I was not there for that.

 

I should get the packages next week on Tuesday because that is the day we are going to the mission home for our Christmas party. So I will refrain from opening them until Christmas even though it is probably going to kill me to wait that long. Hehe but I will be patient.

 

I am grateful that I was not transferred as well. This is great ward and have helped me a lot.

 

I love and miss you all tons!!!!!!!

 

Love

 

Sister Ballantyne

Email 12/2/13

Dear Beautiful and Strong Family,

 

It gave me a lot of peace as well. I just had to know how you were all doing. But I had to hear it in your voices!! I am glad that you all have each other for the support!!!!! And I am so grateful that I am here in this beautiful place with these wonderful members who have been so great. I have gotten so many hugs and love from these members. I love this church so much because it is the same. You can find the same love and kindness where ever you go.

 

Please know that I am sorry that I cannot be there but you all will be in my thoughts the whole time!!!!! And I will be praying for you forever!!!! You have so many prayers being said in all of your behalves!!! I wish I could do more, but one thing I have learned is that prayers are so strong and powerful. And to have people that are here with me that are here to help people who better then to have them saying prayers for my family. At first I didn't want people to know because I just wanted to deal with it myself and to continue the work. But then I thought about My wonderful family and how it was selfish of me to not want them to have the comfort that they could receive from the prayers of the righteous follower who put their own life on hold to help those who have lost loved ones or who may be struggling or who need comfort.

 

Please watch after Katie I am afraid that she is going to be strong for her mom but not let herself feel break down when she needs to. Her and I are a lot alike because I do that myself. Please let her know that I love her and that I am always here for her!!!!!! I truly wish I could be there with you!!!!!!!!

 

Tell them all hi for me.

 

We had Stake conference this week. It was really good!!! The adult session was all about missionary work. They had us missionaries as the Choir and I sang in a quartet. It was nerve wracking but I am starting to realize that it is not that bad. My companion Sister Brown is an absolutely amazing singer and she is going to help me work on my voice and lungs and get them back to what they used to be. It should be good I hope. President said that he wants us to go caroling through Stoke. We have already done it a bit and have seen some miracles. We have some potential Investigators from it. I love how the spirit of Christmas changes people and they are a bit more open. I love Christmas time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

My siblings are so amazing, and so very talented!!!!!!!! I am so grateful for them!!!!!!!

 

I would like some Christmas pictures of the family sense I never got them from last year and I mean every one in the family not just a few. Please and thank you!!!!!!!!!

 

I love and miss you all so much!!!!!

 

Love

 

Sister Ballantyne

Email 11/28/13

Oh how I love you all so much!!!!!!!!!!!! I am still in stoke and my new companion is Sister Brown. She is from St. George Utah, She is spunky and crazy just like me so we are going to have lots and lots of fun together!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She is an absolutely amazing singer!!!!!!! She was trained by my previous companion Sister Fortuna who is now on a plane home to California;( I am really going to miss her but it was her time.

 

I was able to go to the Temple on Saturday with some members here in this ward and it was absolutely amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have missed it so much. I just want to say that if you are not going to the Temple regularly you should. Because it brings so much peace and clairty into your life!!!!!!!!!!!!! That is what I miss so much! And when you go don't just rush out take some time to sit and ponder and to talk to your Heavenly Father. The temple is a place were you can have a pure one on one conversation with him with no other outside influences getting in your way. Show Him that He is improtant to you!!!!!!!!!!

 

Those gifts I am learning about are still in the process!!!!! I am not exactly sure what they are but I am working on building them up. Read D&C 46. It is so great!!!!! I am learning that I can do things (Like Singing.) as terrifying as it is I am getting more comfortable singing in front of people. And I think my new companion will help a lot with that!!!! The difficult part is believing in myself and that I do have these gifts. And letting myself use them instead of talking myself out of it like I have so many other times. (ie. Trying out for the softball and football teams in High school, Trying our for choir or singing solos.) I have a tendency to tell myself that others are better then me so why even try. And I have learned throughout my mission that those thoughts are not from God and are not going to help me progress. All good things come from God, everything else is from Satan.

 

I love Thanksgiving!!!!! Today we are going to the Bishops home for tea. And guess what He is American.Thats right we get a proper American Meal!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so excited!!!!! I love this ward so much!!!! They are so kind and loving. This is going to be a wonderful Transfer. 

 

Oh I so wish I could have been there with you. It sounds like it was a wonderful conference!!!!!! Those Lyrics were amazing!!!! I really like them. What Hillary Weeks talked about is so true. We have been learning a lot about that last transfer. Talking about how half the stuff we say to ourselves(about ourselves) we would not say to others(about them). So why do we feel it is alright to say it to ourselves. Especally when we know that our Heavenly Father would never say that to us. He made us exactly who we are for a reason. And we should love ourselves the way that He would love us if He standing right in front of us. 

 

I am not so much terrified about coming home as about not having a plan for when I get home. I don't want to be a missionary that falls into a rut when they get home because they had a great mission and came home and quit progressing. I don't want to fall back into what I was before my mission. That is the only thing that I am terrified for about coming home. Thank you mom you always know what to say to help me feel better. 

 

Oh I miss Pie Night!! Did you do crafts???????????????  Oh good I am glad that they got the letter!!!!!! That little boy is so cute and I am sad to say has grown a lot. I am not even going to recognize anyone when I get home. 

 

Sorry that I was so vague last time.  

 

I want you all to know that I am so grateful for each and every one of you and for all of your support and love. You have all had an influence in my life and I will forever be grateful to you for that!!!!!!

 

How is the Ward doing???

 

Love you the most

 

Love

 

Sister Ballantyne

Email 11/18/13

Dear Wonderful Family of mine,

 

I love and miss you all so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hope and pray that you are all doing well! Last week was crazy!!!!!! But really good. We were able to pretty much book all our christmas plans already!!!!! So if I stay in stoke (which I think I am) I have the best day planned ever!!!!! I am so excited!!!! I have also been able to learn more about the gifts I have. It has been really hard and a bit painful. But I know that it needs to be done!!!!!!!!!! And I am learning a lot about myself in the process!!!!!!

 

My asthma is fine. Yes the medicine is working and I don't think I need anymore now. But I would like family pictures of all of you please and thank you!!!!!!

 

Teaching is going fine. We don't really have investigators at the moment but we are teaching a lot of less Actives which are great!!!!! And we are actually going to be teaching a cute little 9 year old who has decided that she wants to get baptized!!!!!! We are teaching her the first lesson today!!!! I am so excited. I love teaching little ones!!!!!

 

Wow that is amazing!!!!! I would love to go there one day!!!!! It is so rich with history!!!!!!!

 

I have really gained a huge testimony of Family History!!!!! I love it and want to do so much of it when I get home!!!!!!

 

She is a wonderful speaker I wish I would have been able to hear her agian. Maybe some other time. She is very personal when she speaks.

 

Oh I hope you have a wonderful time at your conference and I look forward to hearing all about it!!!!!!!!!!!! I hope that lexie will enjoy it!!!!!

 

I have been worried about all of you for the past few weeks. Just had a feeling that you were having a rough time. I hope you are all well. I have no idea what I am going to do when I get home and it kind of scares me. Okay it really terrifies me. 

 

I wish I could be there with them!!!!!!!! I miss each and every one of you so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

 

Will you Tell the primary thank you for the package that they sent me I really appreciated it. 

 

Transfers are next week. 

 

I love you all so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Love 

 

Sister Ballantyne 

Email 11/11/13

I am doing fine. We had an exchange last week and it was so much fun. It was completely full of laughing and singing!!!!!!! It was great!!!!!! Don't worry I am continuing on getting better.

 

I am glad that you have had good weather. We have had pretty decent weather. Starting to get colder but I don't mind because it doesn't really bother me but I am still bundling up. So that I don't catch my death;)

 

Oh I miss shooting so much. And the people here although they are wonderful just don't understand. I really look forward to doing it again when I get home. How are Gary and Cindy???? How are the horses????

 

That is so sweet of him. Tell them thank you for remembering me!!!!!! I cannot believe that she is already 1 years old. That is absolutely crazy!!!!!!!!!!

 

Oh that is going to be a great Christmas party. I love Christmas so much. I am hoping that I will be able to stay here in Stoke at least one more transfer. So that I can be here for Christmas!!!!!!! I would love it so much if I could. I love this area!!!!! They are just so great!!!!! Will you be keeping with tradition and going to Aunt Lynn's for Christmas breakfast???? Do you want to skype there????

 

I have had a prompting to bear my testimony:

 

I know that this Gospel is true. I would not still be out here if I didn't. I know that God has a plan for each and every one of us. He knows exactly what we need and who we need in our lives. He loves us so much more then we realize. And I am beginning to understand a little bit just how much we are truly missing when we think that we are completely alone on this earth. Because in all actuality we are never alone. There are angels all around us constantly and they are trying to help us we just need to let them in and to let our Heavenly Father in. We need to build that relationship with Him. (2 Nephi 33:6)" I glory in plainness, I glory in truth, I glory in my Jesus, for He hath redeemed My soul from hell. I know that He died for each and every one of us with no exception. I heard a quote the other day " Even if only one person accepted the Atonement it still would have happened." And that is because of us never ending love for us. He wants each of us to have a chance to be with our loved ones again, and that includes Him. I know that trials are hard and painful!!!! But I also know that without them we would not progress and we would never learn who we truly are!!!!!! We will never be able to gain the understanding of what our true purpose on this earth is at this very time. We were not placed in these places or families by accident. There is a reason and we need to find it. And help those that he has placed in our path. 

I know that the Book of Mormon is true. I have felt its power. I have seen it soften some of the hardest hearts. It has a power to change you like you would never believe unless you read it and experienced if for yourself. But you have to do what it says in the introduction and int Moroni 10:3-5. You need to have the sincere heart, pure intent, and faith in Christ. And you will see the power it has. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and that he was called to restore Christ church back on to the earth. I know that He restored the wonderful power of the priesthood. And because of that wonderful priesthood I am here today helping these wonderful people. I am so grateful to have magnificent priesthood holders in my family and for all that they have done for me. I am also grateful for those strong and courageous women who stand right along with those priesthood holders helping them to use their priesthood power. I know that Thomas S. Monson is the prophet on the earth today and that He is called of God to help this church grow into the wonderful safe haven it has become and will continue to become.

I am so grateful for all of the blessings I have received in my life and for the wonderful examples I have in my life. I love this Gospel with all of my heart and I want it to be apart of my life forever. I know that Heavenly Father is watching over each and every one of us and that He knows your needs all you need to do is turn to Him and let Him help you. Prayer is one of the saving graces in my life and I have been able to learn so much through prayer. I love you all so much and I am grateful for each and every one of you for helping me become who I am today. I say these thing in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. 

 

Love

 

Sister Ballantyne

Email 11/4/13

YAY SNOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I wish I would have been able to see it. I miss it so much.

 

I am able to go out and go to lessons I just have to rest and not push myself too hard. But don't worry I am getting better!!!!

 

Yes I am taking the medicine, and I think I am doing fine. But thank you!!!!!!!

 

I don't remember them but they may have been living there before I left. I am so glad that she came to church and liked it. I love that you are all doing missionary work. You are all wonderful!!!!!!!!! I am so grateful to have you as my family!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 Oh that is so exciting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love little babies. It kills me that we are not allowed to hold them on our missions.

 

Things are fine here. The weather is getting colder but I don't really feel it. My companions seem to always feel it more then I do.

 

Last week we had our zone meeting and the musical number that they had me put together turned out just fine. But I was a complete nervous wreck right before it. But once we got up there all my nerves went away and I was able to do the solo. I love that when we feel that we cannot do something our Heavenly Father helps us when we do our part.

 

That will be good for the both of you to do together!!!!!!!! Tell him not to worry. Just keep working hard. Tell him that I love him!!!!!!!

 

I love you all so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Love

 

Sister Ballantyne