Email 5/7/13

Last week was really good. We have 4 new investigators and it has just been really wonderful to she how the Lord has blessed this area.We have one investigator dated for baptism and another thinking about a date to be baptized. I am so grateful to be here and to be a tool in his hands.

This week has been really good so far as well. The ward is really taking care of us. A lot of them went to a lake yesterday and 3-4 of the families invited us to go. It was so much fun and it reminded me of UTAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was so beautiful. I will have to send pictures next week.

I have come to realized that the areas I love the most so far have been the areas where I have had the hardest time with myself. It is amazing to see that even through those hard times I can still love the people and area that I am in. They are all so great and exactly what I need. There is a less-active and his wife who is also less-active who we have been working with. They are so amazing. Their 9 year old son wants to be baptized and go on a mission one day. Both of them are starting to come back to church and have promised us that it is for good this time. It has been so good to see them both grow together. The first time we went over to teach them we went with the plan to teach him, but it soon became clear that we were really there to teach her. And to help him teach her. That was going to be the way to get both of them back and to bring their kids with them. During one of the lessons we found out that her brother had died, and she asked where he would end up. After we left Sister Clawson and I were talking about it and we just had this overwhelming feeling that her brother had accepted the gospel and that he had led us to her. He has been helping ever since. It is such an amazing experience to know that people on the other side of the veil are leading us to their family. I absolutely LOVE it here.

It is not a castle it is a Mansion. And yes we are going on friday so we will be out all week.

Wow so many Birthdays!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Tell them all Happy Birthday for me!!! I hope that you all had a great Cinco De Mayo.  I told people here that it was Cinco De Mayo and they all looked at me really weird which is nothing new, but I had to explain that it was an American Hoiliday.

Oh I hope that he feels better!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes that is the right time. I can hardley wait as well. I will be skyping from the YSA house so you can meet some of my friends that I have made here. It is funny because one is just like me and the other is just like Sister Clawson. Yes they can help me. That day we are going to a house for tea and their son is on a mission in New Zealand so they get to speak to their son that day as well.

I love you all so much.

Love

Hehe

Sister Ballantyne