Week 13: Cool Spiritual stories/Happy Birthday to My Lil Bro and Dad!

Mi zú!!!

So this week was pretty swell and a lot more entertaining with the election and what not. I apologize with the lack of pictures this week I shall send more next week!

Needless to say a lot of experiences happened this week. I will tell you all two of them. On Tuesday we tracted in one of the 10 stories in our area and we talked to this guy who allowed us to talk to him about our church. He told us that he doesn't believe people should drink or smoke, and that he believes in baptism by immersion and receiving the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands. Literally a Mormon right here!!! Me and my comp were super excited because we knew that this was going to be the baptism this transfer! We met with him two times after that and gave him the Restoration and Plan of Salvation pamphlets. He told us that he felt this warm feeling in his heart when he read the pamphlets but he flat out told us he doesn't want to get baptized because he has been already baptized in the Reformatus and Baptist churches here. We were so disappointed because this man was so prepared and he told us that he felt the Holy Ghost! But I know that the Lord gives us agency for a reason and I cannot take that away.

A more positive story happened in the same building. We tracted into this young man in his late 20's. He told us that he knew we were Christians by the light that was in our eyes and by our countenance. We told him a little bit about our church and that we wish to share it with him. He told us that he had been praying for comfort and guidance ever since his father had a stroke. He told us that us meeting with him was probably not a coincidence. What a testimony builder that the Lord is guiding us to His children in need! We will try to visit him on Tuesday!

My testimony has strengthened with the truthfulness of this gospel. I know it is true and I feel the Holy Ghost and Jesus Christ's atonement every day! I hope you all have a great week and I will talk to you all next week!

Sok Szeretettel,

Elder Ballard

Debrecen life

Throwback to World War II

Week 12: Look-Ups/Tracting

Sziasztok,

So I may need to keep this pretty short because of time but the past couple of days have been a lot of working. We have done a lot of tracting and organizing the Area Book.

Our emphasis these past couple of days have been organizing the Area Book and meeting with investigators. We were able to meet with our investigator, we found while tracting (Sandor Zoltan) but it seems we may need to clarify what our goal is when we meet with him.

We were able to meet with our progressing investigator, Andi, and she is praying and reading the Book of Mormon!!! Her problem is recognizing an answer from God. Me and Elder Smith shared our experiences with the Book of Mormon and we pray and hope it will help her recognize her answer. She is almost done reading the Book of Mormon which has also been a big miracle! It seems that her desire to read the Book of Mormon and pray is really increasing! We will meet with her on Thursday, fingers crossed!!!

Anyways, besides that, nothing much happened. While whipping on Wednesday this guy comes up and talks to us about our whips and we let him try it. He goes intense on the whip, like he is whipping everywhere. It was insane!! #goals

Sorry I kept this one short but I hope our efforts of tracting and finding pay off this upcoming week! Have a fantasztikus week!

Szeretettel,

Elder Ballard

Whipping

Sunset behind the branch house

Debrecen

Exact Translation: Watch out! the Dog is false

Tracting selfie

Ever raining Debrecen

Walking down a sketchy alley

Week 11: Boldog Mindszentek!!!

Boldog Halloween!

I apologize for the late emails. Hungary had it's famous holiday "All Saints day" so we we did a lot of finding that past couple of days because people were home. Basically all Saints Day is the day after Halloween where people celebrate their ancestory at the graves. Unfortunately because of the holiday, a lot of the people we wanted to meet with didn't answer their phones or called us back so we will see how this week goes.

We did have zone conference on Wednesday so we got to go up to Budapest which is always fun! And on Sunday we had District meeting in Miskolc with all the branches in the eastern part of Hungary! It was super cool because Elder Saban, a councelor in the Area Seventy over Europe, came and spoke to us!

I loved his talk because he talked a lot about our identity as children of God! He talked about four aspects to always remember: You are a son/daughter of God, you are a disciple of Christ, you are a healer of souls, and you are an Heir of eternal life! What great truth!

This past week was hard in terms of our finding efforts but once again I did see the value of working hard! We had splits yesterday. While we were tracting on Monday night which was Halloween we ran into an old investigator who met with the missionaries in 2010! We gave a lesson that night despite the power going out twice during our lesson so we had to teach by candlelight which was really cool! We met with him again yesterday and are meeting with him tomorrow!

On P-day we got to go to Hortobagy so we could get my comp, Elder Smith, a whip. We got to whip in Pros which was fun.

I hope you all had a Boldog Halloween and I will talk to ya'll on Monday!

Szeretettel,

Elder Ballard

Hortobagy's police 

Vonati Állomás

THE SQUAD!

Splits with Elder Seamons.

Burning old teaching records

My sweet apartment!

Week 10: Staying in Debrecen

Hellosztok!

Well this week was transfers! I'm staying in Debrecen and Elder Smith is my new comp! He is from Maryland and is super cool! It was crazy seeing Elder Haroldsen leave but he served the people of Hungary well!

Not a lot happened this week besides transfers. I had to take the lead on the lessons we had this week which was a little scary but things turned out well! We have been trying to help one of our investigators, Andi, to read and pray about the Book of Mormon. Sometimes I just want her to "Just Do It"- Nike/Shia Labeouf. But God gave agency to us for a reason so we are praying and fasting that she will do so.

This week I learned a lot about the value of service! Jozsi, I think I talked about him a couple of weeks ago, is in a wheel chair and needs help with getting dressed and doing other chores around his house. Seeing him being happy after we helped, helped increase my happiness in what we did. Service and turning outward is how we can truly become happy and I testify of that!

I wish you all a great week and a Happy Halloween!!

Szeretlek titeket,

Elder Ballard

An investigator fed us dinner at an Indian restaurant

Fall is here!

My new companion in the lower left.