Email from Mission President

Dear Parents,

We held a special zone conference the first week in January where we talked about Captain Moroni’s Title of Liberty and how that stood as a standard to the world. We also talked about how a standard is a declaration of who we are, what we believe and what we stand for. As part of the conference, we had each of the missionaries write their own title or standard representing these very things. Prior to that, we gave them quiet time to ponder and pray to prepare for what they wanted to write and declare. Then each of them had the opportunity to stand in front of the conference and explain their title and why they wrote what they did. It was a moving and special event and described by many of the missionaries as a sacred experience in their life.

Attached you will find two pictures of your missionary with their district; one picture as they were writing their standard and the second one as they were completed. We thought you might enjoy seeing these pictures and sharing in the experience.

The mission is doing well because we have obedient, faithful and diligent missionaries. We love them and it is truly an honor and blessing to serve with them.

Warm regards,

President and Sister Bullock
England Manchester Mission

weekly update 1/17/2011

> Hello everybody!
>
> This was a really wet week in littleborough, which made it pretty
> tough to speak to people. People just seemed grumpy. At first I was
> trying to blame the rain for making people grumpy. Later on Elder
> Riera helped me realize that the bigger factor was our own attitude
> and that the lord won't bless us when we are murmering all the time.
> We were seeing no success all day until we realized what the real
> problem was. then that evening we were able to see more success. I
> only regret that we didn't realize it earlier in the day.
>
> On tuesday, we had a tea appointment with the Beresfords. The
> Beresfords are a family from southport who were visiting family in the
> littleborough ward for the next few weeks. It was really good to see
> them again and feel their spirit, and to get a taste of southport
> again.
>
> On wednesday, I went on exchange with Elder Saunders. Elder Saunders
> is from Colorado One thing he helped me with was to eliminate yes/no
> questions. particularly while finding. For example not to ask "Is it's
> alright if we walk with you?" but rather just say "We can walk with
> you." Elder Saunders is a great missionary. If i didn't know it was
> his 3rd transfer i would have never guessed.
>
> On, saturday we taught our investigator Adele. She expressed that the
> gospel has really helped change her life around for the better. She
> then thanked us for the work that we do. It was really nice to hear
> that. It increased my testimony of missionary work a lot, and that the
> work we do really does help people have happier lifes. I don't know
> what Adele's life was like before. But i could as she told us this i
> could feel of her sincerity.
>
> This sunday in priesthood, Jordan, a recent convert, taught the
> lesson. The lesson was powerful. He will be a great missionary in the
> future! He has a strong desire to go on a mission! I know that he will
> be great. He doesn't have a preach my gospel nor has he read it and he
> is already using skills that are found in preach my gospel.
>
> I love and miss you all!

>
> Love,

weekly update 1/10/2011

> HI EVERYBODY!
>
> This week was a really good week with zone conference as the high
> light of course. I'm still getting to know more members. Hopefully I
> will get to know them sooner rather than later.
>
> Zone conference was fantastic! We had some personal time where we
> could be alone to study. It was really good to be reminded of the
> great experiences I had while In the mountains during my first zone
> conference, and also to have many more great and powerful experiences
> during the personal time. We talked about Captain Moroni and the title
> of liberty. I really enjoyed it because it is probably one of my
> favorite stories in the book of mormon. We had the opportunity to make
> our title of liberty. I did mine on serving others. Everytime I start
> getting selfish throughout my life, I will see the banner and be
> reminded of the joy that serving others brings.
>
> We recieved a new mission plan for the 2011 year. I already know that
> the mission plan is inspired! I was thinking about the Littleborough
> area as we read it and realized that this is exactly what our
> Littleborough needs! Especially working with the members. I'm excited
> to put the plan to work and see how it helps the area florish.
>
> Yesterday as we were traveling on the bus back from church a man on
> the bus asked me if I had a pamphlet to give him. So i gave him a
> pamphlet and talked to him about it. Then out of no where he started
> getting nasty with us. It turns out he only wanted the pamphlet to rip
> it up! It was a rough experiance. When we got off the bus as we were
> walking I kept thinking about the whole thing, and I was comforted by
> the spirit, knowing that the book of mormon tells us this will happen
> which to me is more evidence that the book of mormon is true which is
> one of the reasons times like this only strengthen my testimony.
>
> Thank you everyone i look forward to hearing from you! I love you all!

>
> Love,
> Elder Ballantyne

weekly update 1/4/2011

Hello Everyone,
>
> Just to go over the week...
>
> This was a good first week in Littleborough. I was able to meet many
> of the members over the new years weekend. I met a lot of them at
> church as well. There are still a few that i need to get to know
> better. But for the most part Elder Riera has been a big help on
> getting to know the members.
>
> On thursday, we had a tea appointment with the Thompson's from the mtc
> presidency. When I was in the MTC I enjoyed a few meals with them. We
> have had some good conversations while eating meals in the MTC
> Cafeteria. It was really good to be able to see them again and to
> enjoy another meal with them. The Thompson's are really nice.
>
> The first two days I have been in Littleborough we got let into two
> doors while tracting. One the first night and the other the night
> after. I have been let into 3 doors throughout my mission and these
> two times were two of the three. So the lord is blessing us with
> miracles right from the start. I feel that miracles like these will
> continue to happen through out the transfer.
>
> One of the doors we got let into was a man named Rhees. At first we
> knocked and he didn't even bother opening the door to tell us he
> wasn't interested, so we carried on tracting down the steet. Later
> Rhees came out and told us to come in. As we spoke to him we soon
> found out that he has had quite a few problems in his life. I know
> that that we were led to him by the spirit through our planning the
> night before. I have grown to have a real strong testimony that
> Nightly planning is when the spirit can guide us the most. It is a
> time when we can sit down and hear the promptings of the spirit more
> clearly.
>
> Thank you for all you support. I look forward to hearing from you. My
> new address for the next few weeks is: 14 The Millhouse, Gale Close,
> Littleborough, England, OL15 9EJ.
>
> With Love,
> Elder Ballantyne

Weekly update 12/30/2010

I still don't know Kevins new address.

Sorry!




> HIIIIYYYYAAAAA FAMILY AND FRIENDS!
>
> I hope everyones christmas was full of excitement and miracles! I had
> a great christmas!
>
> This was a good week. We went and visited Adam, investigator in colwyn
> bay, on Sunday and we met his mom, They are a really nice family. Adam
> is a great Investigator. He has started reading the Book of Mormon
> from the beginning. He is also understanding it very well. I am
> grateful for the chance i had to meet him and his family.
>
> So i'm not in colwyn bay anymore. I got transfered to Littleborough,
> England. I was really sad to leave Colwyn Bay. The members were great
> and the helped us a lot. I will miss being apart of the branch.
> However i'm really excited to be here in Littleborough with Elder
> Riera. Elder Riera Is From Barcilona, Spain. He too just came from
> Colwyn Bay before Littleborough. Some more great news is that Elder
> Jolliffe, my second companion, is my district leader! I'm so excited
> to have Elder Jolliffe as our district Leader again! I can't wait to
> go on exchanges with him.
>
> I have really enjoyed studying the Christlike Attributes and applying
> them. It has helped me have a Christ centered christmas and look
> forward to having all of my christmas's more focused on the real
> reason we celibrate christmas.
>
> Thank you all! Again I hope you all had a great christmas, and wish
> you all a Happy New Year!
>
> With Love,
> Elder Ballantyne
>
> p.s. This computer is ancient it's running Windows 98 and stuff!

Weekly update 12/23/2010

Hello Family!!!

This was a really great week! Our teaching was way up! It was one of the best weeks i have had while in Colwyn bay. Things are definitely turning around here. Colwyn Bay has a great future ahead. On the other side our finding dropped quite a bit.

One of our investigator's named Adam is so Solid! He doesn't have to work on Sunday which is Boxing day. He was able to get it off just so he could go to church! I am so excited Adam he even asked us what music we listen to just to see if the stuff he listens to is appropriate. When we leave a chapter for him to read he reads it a couple time until he can understand what it is saying. Then when we follow up with his reading he is able to give a detailed description of what the chapter was talking about.

There has been a lot of snow the past week, I would say there have been a good 3 in. locals say they haven't seen it like this in years. And it has definitely affected us here. The buses are being cancelled on us. Everything is closing really early, including the libraries which is the reason we are emailing today. The library closed earlier than it was supposed to so we ended up working so that we could email today. It's kind of funny how such a little bit of snow puts a halt to everything here. Snow is not that great for missionary work, but a side from that i love the snow still!

The Christmas Zone conference was great. We got to got through the temple as a mission, I love to see the temple! We also watch Joseph Smith: Prophet of the restoration, it is the one that wasn't realised to the public until recently. When we went to Chorley I stopped in the distribution center to buy the DVD. It should be a good tool to use in teaching.

This Has been a great Christmas season so far! As i study Becoming like him, It has really helped me to look past the commercial way of celebrating Christmas, And helped to focus on the real reason we celebrate Christmas. I can say i am going to have a more Christ center Christmas for the rest of my life.

Thank you every one! and MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
With Love
Elder Ballantyne

Weekly update 12/13/2010

HELLO EVERYBODY AND MERRY CHRISTMAS!

This week was a very successful week! We actually have a teaching pool now! We got two new investigators this week. One of their names is Adam. When we found him last Sunday we Left him a book of Mormon and a chapter to read. When we taught him on Friday, We followed up with him and he said he had read it a few times to understand it. He was able to give us a really good overview of the chapter! His parents seem pretty happy that we are teaching him too! We have high hopes for Adam.

This week i was able to go on exchanges with Elder Sorensen. Elder Sorensen is from Logan, Ut. He is serving in Chester at the moment. He is a great missionary. I learned a lot from him. One thing i learned from him is to always have a pass along card in my hand while finding. For me it's always hard to find a pass along card. especially now that it's winter and we are bundled up in coats. I have also found it effective to use the cards to get their attention while finding.

Elder Hanks is a great companion. One of the many strengths i saw is when he recieves responsibility he really steps up.

This coming week we have a fireside planned with one of the member families. Thier assignment is to get one friend to come to it. I think we have really got the trust of the members. They had missinaries before not teach according to their needs and they ended up not being interested. The member was hesitent to invite her friend again, but we have gained the trust of the members and they said they will invite them again.

Thanks for the love and the support!
With love,
Elder Ballantyne

Another email 12/6/2010

I want to share part of Kevin's email to our Parents.



Hello!

*They do have a few costcos and they sell a lot of American foods and things. So I'm going to ask them to by me some American peanut butter. The kind they have here is rubbish (Garbage).
*I have been seeing Elder Mecham allot lately. He is not in Wales, he is in Birkenhead because another missionary hurt his ankle so him and this missionary switched areas for the rest of the transfer. But Birkenhead is in the Chester zone. I'm in the Chester zone, WHOO HOO!
*There quite a few Christmas lights all around here. Every now and again you see a Christmas tree in random places around town. We don't have a tree for our flat. mainly because we are moving flats in mid Dec. Because the flat we are in is too expensive.

*In fact we move the week before Christmas. So don't send anything to the flat if it will get here anywhere from Dec 17 - 23. *
* It has been freezing, I just bought a lot of warm things like a scarf and a beanie. We got permission to wear beanies for the next couple of days because it's so cold. Today has been really nice though.
*Elder Hanks and i Bought some really nice Under Armour Gloves Last week. Anyway Love

Elder Kevin Ballantyne

What a time for him to be moving. It takes 5 days to send a normal letter to his flat. So send Christmas cards now. (I bet he will understand if they are late.)

I will post the address as soon as I get it.

weekly update 12/6/2010

Hello Everybody!

This week we have been putting a focus on building trust with the members. We have been trying are best to build that trust. We have also been emphasizing member missionary work. Elder Hanks and I still both feel that working with the members and less actives is what will get the branch to flourish.

This transfer has been pretty tough because the appointments we have set up have been falling through. I feel it is because we haven't really been to diligent on Potential investigator follow up. I feel that if we commit to following up the day after we make the appointment, we will see more appointments go through.

This week i was able to go on exchange with Elder O'brien. Elder O'brien is from a town near leeds, England. I think it was a successful exchange. I learned many new things from Elder O'brien. We were also able to speak to some great people during the exchange.

Elder Hanks is a fantastic missionary. Not only that but he brings a lot of joy to the work as well. He really knows how to make hours of finding a lot more joyful. I can see him being a senior companion.

Last week we had a training I really enjoyed the training President Bullock gave on setting up appointments and confirming them, we have applied the training right away. I just want to say it really works! We have been able to see a lot more success in setting up more appointments.

Thanks for your love and Support everyone!
With Love,
Elder Ballantyne