Happy Conference!
What
a weekend! Soooo good! Conference is the best! Especially watching it in English!
Hooray for being able to understand! All the gringo missionaries went to a
little room in the church and it was gringolandia. We had empanadas, and tons
of treats. Mom your sixlets were a huge hit and lots of English. Ha-ha the
missionaries here commented how I actually am fun and have a sense of humor because
I guess a lot of them thought I was super serious. I guess that’s what not understanding
will do to you. Hah.
But
really- can we just talk about conference for a minute. This was a much-needed
booster. Starting off with Elder Holland- ¨talk about man creating God in his
image. ¨ I love that man.
Then
I love how Pres. Uchdorf talked about gratitude. How it is easy to be grateful for
things, but we need to live in gratitude. Killer.
Ok
were you listening to Ballard? Because that’s your homework fam. I’m ready to
hear about your studies! Mamma go grab the Preach my Gospel from the basket by
the fireplace and get to work. I cant wait to hear from you all, esp. Jeremy
and Megan. (I am being dead serious right now. Megs and Jer get your inspiration
on because I’m ready :) )
Then
one of my very favorite was Stevens- chatting about the Olympics and how this
life is our 4 minutes. This is my new outlook for my
mission. I feel like our life is 4 minutes so that means my mission is about .2
seconds and I got to live it up- I have been preparing for this mission my
whole 19.5 years of life and I will be looking back on it for the next. I loved the analogy and am kicking it into gear-
I just got to get this little Spanish thing down.
Then
our dear prophet. I love that sweet dear man. I love being able to testify of
him and his work daily.
Oh
man then I love the spirit so much. It was during one of the choir breaks and
they started singing and I was just so full of love- I just closed my eyes and
started a little prayer of gratitude. I am so happy to be a missionary. I love
it. And I am so honored to be serving here. I have looked forward to my mission
my whole life and I am here! I am a missionary and I absolutely love it!
But I
was just talking with Heavenly Father and right as the choir sang ¨Heavenly Father are you really there?¨ I had such a beautiful little experience where I
just knew that He was there. I don’t know how to explain it but just little
words in my head and a feeling in my heart and I know he was listening to me
exactly in that moment- and that he is always listening to me!
Oh, then last Saturday we had the Women’s General Conference session. We were
planning to go to a member’s house to watch it but had stopped by José and Guisse for a lesson. Then we explained the conference was tonight if Guisse
wanted to watch it- so we hooked it up to the TV and then the whole family, José- Guisse, and the two little "missionary¨ girls sat with us. (They were
wearing our backpacks and badges all night. so cute. I will try to send a video
of their lesson to us- sooo cute.) But it was amazing. I remember last Women’s
session when I didn’t have my mission call I was just wondering where on earth I
would be at the next session- and here I am.
It was amazing. To think back to that and then to be sitting in the house of the
family we just baptized and reactivated. To be watching it and having the
craziest spirit with us. We all broke down in tears with the spirit there and
as I just tried to explain in my broken Spanish how happy I was to be with them
that night and how true this church is. It was killer.
Then
José explained that that morning he had prayed to Heavenly Father to know if he
was on the right track- if this really was the best thing for his girls and
wife- then the same night we watched the Women’s Conference- which showed him
how this church honors women and mothers. And all it does for its girls and
women. It was power to hear him explain this was his answer to prayer. Man what
a week.
We
found another girl- Mara. Who is gold. I am so excited to be teaching her. She
is really really smart and thinks a lot. She has been doing all the reading and
praying. It is the best. And she is really searching for the
truth so it’s only a matter of time. But she has awesome questions like ¨what
happens if you sin in the celestial kingdom?" or just different things about the
creation and our purpose and relationship with God. It is soo cool to have her
really searching.
Oh
man I had one of those little hidden tender mercies from heavenly father this
week. So the other day- I don’t know Thursday- we were struggling. It was just
one of those strait up rough days where every appointment fell through and every person we talked to rejected us. I was soo tired and just getting a little bit
frustrated. Like little tears in the eyes frustrated. You know? So we are walking
down the street and I am saying a little prayer in my heart to not cry and to
just keep working and we see the cute little man Alejandro (the one with all
the medals) so we chat with him and he asks us if we can help him move his wood
pile. If we did it would mean we were late to one of our appointment- Mara. But
we could tell he needed the help, so we hiked our skirts and sleeves up and
went to work. Before we did and right before we said yes I was just thinking
how I really don’t have the strength to do this. Or the mental strength. But I just
said a little prayer and dived in- the best thing happened. I literally felt
the spirit- like you know when Elder Holland speaks and you just feel it- that was
my whole body and mind. I was just given a boost and then we had that lesson
with Mara that was so good- and I think I needed that boost to be able to have
the spirit with me.
I
love heavenly father and I love the spirit. And I love how he loves me so much
that he helps me whenever I ask. Sure the idea of moving the mountain of wood
in my church clothes wasn’t the way I would have asked to receive help- but it
truly was the best!
Oh
fun thing this week! My favorite Hna J turned 21. Hooray. So we on her b day we
did 21 contacts and then had a little party lesson with José and Guisse-. Literally
the best. Man I love Hna J. I am so lucky.
Then
the other night we had another little party lesson with familia Zapata. So we
actually had two little party lessons with them ha-ha the first was a Family
Home Evening and we taught them how to make smores. Oh my dreamiest thing ever.
I could literally taste American Fork canyon. And they loved them- such a fun
night. Then we had a bbq for Hna J and oh I love this family.
We
also taught English classes this week. Little punks, I loved it. But we taught
everyone to pray in English- then they asked me for an example and it was so
crazy! I couldn't pray in English! It turned into this little Spanglish thing and
it was so weird. Yayay I am learning Spanish. Ha-ha also I guess I have been
sleep talking in Spanish so that’s the coolest.
This
week was the best not only did I get to watch conference! But I got to watch it
with 4 letters in my backpack and 2 packages! Beest. Thank you mama and grandma
ball for the packages. Mom you are the best ever. And grandma sent chocolate chip pancake mix and Sunday morn
before conference we made them THE BEST. Oh my taste of heaven. Manna. The best
of the best. Thank you. Then I got 2 letter from gma ball, 1 from gma simpkins
with the cuuuutest little pictures. Hah love. And one from my darling- Hermana Haley
Brunsdale. Best. I love holding these little pieces of home.
Well
that’s enough talk about home. But thank you all for the love. I can feel it.
I love
you muchly. Keep praying and reading and smiling.
Xoxox
Hna Ball.
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