weekly update 9/6/2011

HELLO EVERYONE!

This week has been a very successful week! We saw the hand of the lord this week. It started on Monday, when we went to the temple on p-day. While I was sitting in the temple, I pleaded with the lord that he would lead us to find his prepared children. And through out the week we had seen my prayer answered by finding many people that the lord has been preparing. I think a very important part of my pray being answered was the principle of working to have that pray answered. I pleaded with the lord like it all depended on him, and then Elder Schmid and I got up and worked like it all depended on us. I that is when the lord was able to place these people in our path. Prayer + work = BLESSINGS!!!!!

This week we had a church history tour with the rest of the mission for zone conference. We visited a few different sites including, Liverpool (Albert Dock), Preston, and Downham. All three of these places have a significant roll in the history of the church here in England. I enjoyed going to Liverpool and going to the museum to look at some of the ships that the saints would have been on, during their journey. I can't help but to think of the dedication these people had towards the lord, to just pick up and leave to go to America. I also enjoyed coming back to Preston to be reminded of the history that this place has. I am so blessed to work in the same place that some of the first missionaries served. We are "standing on the shoulders of giants."

With University starting in the next few weeks we have been focusing our finding on campus. We have found a few Chinese students to stop and listen to us, their names are Alan, Carol, Ireese, Jo, and Duxing. The Chinese are great!

Elder Schmid is doing great. He is probably an expert at teaching the restoration now. He is still consistently speaking to everyone on the streets. There were a few times during the church history tour when Elder schmid would be asked a question, and he would immediately strike up a conversation with them about the gospel. He is a forever finder!

Thanks for everything I am excited for this coming week. Everything seems to be on a rise!

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With Love,
Elder Ballantyne