Week 61: The Self Reliance Initiative

I would like to wish my wonderful mother a happy birthday!!! I would not be here without her and I can not express my appreciation for her and for all that she done in my life!

I will keep this short because I ran out of time. On Thursday, one of our newer investigators found out that she has cancer. It has been really hard for her the past week but she has been realizing the spirit that she feels when she meets with us. On that day, we met with her and I would have to say it was one of the most powerful lessons in my mission. The spirit was super strong and all of us felt it in the room as we talked about the Plan of Salvation, the atonement of Jesus Christ, and the blessing of repentance. President Szabadkai was there and he gave a powerful testimony of repentance. I am grateful for these experiences and I know that God watches out for each one of us. I love you all and have a great week!

Love,

Elder Ballard

Week 60: General Conference Was the BEST!

Indeed it was.

I am SUPER grateful to have heard from the Lord's servants this past week! Their dedication and spirit is indescribable and I have got to say that they are called to lead us at this time! Bence, our investigator who was on bap date came to one of the sessions and Elder Russell M. Nelson's talk fit PERFECTLY with Bence's needs. Bence has had a harder time with the Book of Mormon but we are trying to help him realize the power it has and if he reads it and receives an answer then this church is true. My personal testimony of the Book of Mormon has been strengthened and I am trying more than ever to diligently study from the Book of Mormon everyday. Russell M. Nelson did promise that if we read the Book of Mormon everyday then we will make better decisions everyday! 

As a result of this, I am trying to better incorporate the Book of Mormon in my daily approaches with people and with lessons. Instead of me trying to answer investigator's or people's questions, I am trying to use the Book of Mormon. That way they will always have a source of knowledge about important questions.

This week we were working on Facebook pages in the office. This has been a project the past several weeks but it is taking affect pretty soon. If you see any weird activity on my page, that is why haha Also last week we went to the National Museum in Pest and it was gorgeous. I would say getting to see Liszt Ferenc's piano (and Beethoven's) was the coolest exhibit. There is so much history in this country and it truly is eye opening. 

I challenge you all to read the Book of Mormon diligently everyday and the promises given will come true! Have a great week!

Elder Ballard

The piano Liszt Ference and Beehtoven played on 😱

Splits with Elder Terry- Secret pathway 

Facebook: One small step for man, one giant leap for Hungary Budapest Mission

Buda Missionary squad

Week: 59: The Blessings of the Hungarian Language

Thisss weeek,

We did a lot of stuff in the office but we did go out and find. Mostly I am working with apartments and landlords and landladies, you know the typical stuff ;). We did get out and talk with a lot of people about family history. It is a super great approach! We asked the question we asked last time and it is getting a lot of attention. Sometimes when people see you they know that you are missionaries and they sometimes immediately do not want to talk. But at the same time, it is very interesting to see how quickly interested they get when we explain we are Americans here in Hungary, trying to learn the language, and trying to talk to people about Jesus Christ. It is funny because a lot of Hungarians would not expect people from America to learn their language. So when they see someone who is trying to learn it, they get interested and they listen to what we have to say. I am very grateful for that and for this language.

We met with Bence this week. He was super busy because a lot of things happened over the past month but he is ready to meet again. He is coming to watch General Conference today. We promised that the questions he has about the church will be answered. I pray and hope that the talks will meet his needs. 

I am grateful for repentance and the opportunity it gives us to be better and to grow. Even for the most serious of sins, our Savior Jesus Christ suffered. He loves us and wants us to be better to become like him. That is why he died for us. I invite you all to diligently listen to the speakers, those called of God. The messages they brought and prepared were for us. I hope that you all have a wonderful General Conference weekend!

Love,

Elder Ballard

Week 58: Zone Conferences

Szervusztok!

We had zone conferences this week and a lot of good things are coming to the mission! The Self-Reliance Senior couple, the Bradshaws, talked a lot about Self-Reliance and the importance of it. It was really interesting because Elder Bradshaw said that the rate of success of missionary work increases when we teach others how to become self-reliant. They are having us take the course over 12-weeks so that we can better understand it and as a result, we can help others understand it as well!

We will also be using technology a lot more to help better reach out to people. We are trying to find out how to use different services to help connect with people and to talk with them online and other stuff like that. I will keep you all posted on how that is going.

On P-day we got to go to a science observatory thing and one of the exhibits was an illusion exhibit so we got to take pictures of that and next to our good friend Issac Newton. 

Super cool, so on Tuesday, Elder Bloomer and I went out to do look ups of old investigators and old members. We start doing the first couple and either no one is home or no one wants to talk to us. We get to one of the homes of a less active and we ring the door to the apartment and no one answers. As we were about to leave, her neighbor comes and lets us in to the apartment. It turns out that she was home! We were able to give her some cookies and we were able to talk to her about her baptism and other things. I am so grateful for her neighbor and for the Lord's mercy to be able to have talked with her. 

I love you all and I hope you all have a great week!

Szeretettel,

Elder Ballard

Week 57: Do you know your Great-grandpa's name?

So this week was bámulatos (amazing)!

On Tuesday I went on exchanges in Pest with Elder Leavitt and it was super cool! We talked with lots of people and we got some potential investigators! Elder Leavitt helped me set some goals for teaching lessons and it went super well! There was an investigator that was having a hard time accepting the Book of Mormon because of historical evidence and other things. We tried to help him understand that by simply proving the Book of Mormon to be true is not possible but you have to read and pray about it in order to gain a witness to be true. I recently have been praying about the Book of Mormon and my testimony of it has been growing!

I am grateful to be out here on a mission to represent Jesus Christ! I feel the spirit and there is no better feeling than feeling the spirit!

I love you all and stay safe!

Elder Josh Ballard

When you mess up brownies  (its all good because it still tasted fine)

Office life!

When it is even cold in the office

Sometimes things happen...

Going on splits!

Week 56: Exchanges in Pest

So this week was bámulatos (amazing)!

On Tuesday I went on exchanges in Pest with Elder Leavitt and it was super cool! We talked with lots of people and we got some potential investigators! Elder Leavitt helped me set some goals for teaching lessons and it went super well! There was an investigator that was having a hard time accepting the Book of Mormon because of historical evidence and other things. We tried to help him understand that by simply proving the Book of Mormon to be true is not possible but you have to read and pray about it in order to gain a witness to be true. I recently have been praying about the Book of Mormon and my testimony of it has been growing!

I am grateful to be out here on a mission to represent Jesus Christ! I feel the spirit and there is no better feeling than feeling the spirit!

I love you all and stay safe!

Elder Josh Ballard

Week 55: New Missionaries, Transfers, Finding

What a crazy but fantastic week!!!

We had tranfers this week and it was insane! Eighteen new missionaries arrived on Tuesday and it was super cool seeing their energy and fire for the work! We went out streeting for a bit and I learned a lot! One of the new missionaries, his name is Elder Fales, is actually from Las Vegas! It was super cool to go out and street with him and to learn from him! As we were walking back to the mission home, this huge group of runners were running toward us and Elder Fales, smiling, waved at all of them and I as well, wished them a good kitartás (endurance). They wished it back to us as well :) 

We then had a big dinner, courtesy from Sister Szabadkai, and afterwards we went out and went to Fisherman's Bástyán near the Mátyás Király temple. Super pretty! 

As a district, this transfer, we set a goal to do at least an hour of finding each day. As secretaries, it is kind of tough to find because we work in the office but we made a goal to do so. Over the past couple of days, I have seen a lot of blessings from doing that. The Lord has blessed and led us to people were are ready to receive His gospel.

I would say one of the most touching moments of this past week was when we streeted this one lady as we were about to go back to our apartment. Elder Bloomer asked her what makes her happy in this life and she immediately broke down and started to cry. She asked how she could find happiness, specifically in this life. The spirit was strong as we talked with her about Jesus Christ and how he can help her. She said she would like to meet next week! We are super excited! I am super grateful for Jesus Christ and the peace that he has given me in my life!

I love you all and I hope you can feel the peace that the Savior brings into your personal lives! 

Csausztok!

Elder Ballard

The new missionaries!

RIP Elder Szerdi

RIP Elder Fitzgerald