February 29, 2016 - Bangalore Whitefield

Hey fam!!! 
This week was a pretty decent one.  We worked pretty dang hard this week and got bunked LIKE CRAZY!!!! But we still managed to put up some pretty decent numbers.  The best part of the week was Thanush getting baptized.  I will send some pics next week, but he had his family members from another Ward come and his cousin baptized him which was sweet.  It was a pretty good end to a tough week.  

We are doing pretty well for a tri-panionship but we are still growing together and working hard to make our area the standard of the mission.  It is going to take a ton of work and patience to get to that point, but we are being positive and having faith that we can do it.  We have done a ton of door knocking, but this week in weekly planning we felt inspired to try again to do more work with the active members.  So we are going to put our faith in that decision and see how it goes.  

Other than that, Babitha didn't end up coming so we decided to move her to the 20th because we feel that she isn't quite ready but for sure she will be baptized.  Our other investigators are really struggling so we are trying to find a lot of new people, which this week we didn't have much success with.  But, a mission is too short to be discouraged so we are pressing forward and going hard.  

Ummmmm i guess i don't know what else to say except this week we are going to Coimbatore to attend their zone training, so it will be cool to see a new place so i am pretty pumped for that.  Elder Basil and I are really enjoying together again, and our other companion Elder Coleman is way cool.  We have a ton of fun together.  Elder Basil and i are starting to train for the last 5 months, and we are going to gym every day and working out until next transfer when we will do a bunch of stuff to get in shape and get our skill back in ballin.

So anyways sounds like you guys are doing great and that's wonderful.  Time is really flying.  I'm sorry my emails are not so good lately haha i am running out of things to say, but i will try my best to keep some good info in these emails.  Especially with the surprising and unique new experience i am having right now.  

Love you guys a bunch!!!

Elder Ball

February 22, 2016 - Bangalore, Whitefield

Hey so last week i guess the mylds system crashed, so i guess my email didn't send to you.  So i forwarded last weeks:

So the title of my email this week is ummmm because i have no clue how to explain this week...So Tuesday and Wednesday i was just kind of chillin and mixing with different companions and stuff until the trainees came on Thursday.  So we had our trainers trainees meeting on Thursday morning and got assigned to a new Elder from India...

But the ummmmm part is what happened that day.  Right after the meeting and lunch, my companion was talking to president berrett for a while and then that night, he got on a train and went home.  I didn't even get to take him back to the apartment.  One day and he was gone that day.  So sad.  Poor guy.  He was awesome too.  Has an awesome testimony and so much gospel knowledge, speaks good english and is a really cool guy.  So basically i have been without an official companion this entire week.  These last four days i have been with my good friend Elder Porter (one of his batchmates), as he is waiting for his new trainee who comes in this week from England.  So i have no clue what is going to happen.

So not a lot got done this week but Preethi was baptized!!! It was awesome.  She brought her parents and friends, and it was so awesome!! Her mom introduced her to everyone and cried and shared her testimony it was awesome.  So Babitha probably will get baptized on the 28th!!! And Thanush also came, so he is getting baptized this upcoming week!!! It is great!!! Back to back to back baptisms.  For sure back to back and hopefully back to back to back.  

So basically it has been a difficult/weird week so i don't have much to say...sorry about that!  Thanks for the updates on the fam, and the SC and everything.  We will see what happens to me this week. 

We have about 78-80 missionaries right now.   After my batch, no one has come back yet...and no more hindi.  Yep Elder Ward worked with us for his last week!! it was cool.  I really like that guy.  Hey now!!! Don't put down my elephant ride!!! haha  Elder Coleman, one of the assistants rode with me.  They did two at a time.  So basically that's all i got this week...bummer right? But i guess it will all work out in the end! Love you guys!

Here are some pics from the baptism!!! 

As for this week....i will keep it fairly short.  Basically, out of nowhere I was asked to be an AP (Assistant).  Crazy how before this transfer i hadn't had any leadership, but this will be a great opportunity for service and to learn a lot.  I am in a tri-panionship with Elder Coleman and also my Aussie mate Elder Basil.  So we are together until Elder Coleman goes home next transfer, and then me and Elder Basil will be companions and run Whitefield by ourselves.  We have enjoyed being together and are working really hard.  We extended Thanush's baptism to next week and are hoping Babitha will also be ready.  We will see for sure, but basically this week and these days have been a blur, and this assignment by President Berrett came as an absolute shock to me but it will be great to learn from him.  So this probably means that i will be finishing here in Whitefield.  So basically that is it.  That's what i got for you this week and last week.  Been crazy but good.  Love you guys!

Elder Ball

Elder Chetti is on the left

Elder Ball and Preethi

Elder Ball and Elder Porter with Preethi and Irene

February 8, 2016 - Bangalore, Whitefield

Hello all! This week was an interesting one.  We had success/not success at the same time.  

As far as the not success, Thanush had to go out of town, so he wasn't able to come to church but he was bummed about that.  But he is still super pumped to get baptized, and so we just extended his date to the 28th.  we also invited his parents for baptism, so maybe his whole family will get baptized together.  That would be better anyway.  

We found 11 new investigators this week....11....which brings me to my next point.  This area has a problem.  But a good problem at that:)  We have too many people to teach.  No joke, every night when we plan, we have no idea how to schedule things around, because there are so many people we have to visit and teach.  So it will be interesting to see how that works out.
One of our super progressing investigators is Preethi.  She came again and is super excited for her baptism on Sunday! And even better, she brought her mom to church.  Yes bavitha finally came to church.  And they brought two of the other girls we are also teaching with them.  It was pretty great.  We also had a new family of 4 that we taught the parents come to church and that was good, as well as another sister who was a former investigator, but got offended a while back and now is coming around again.  We found so many new people to teach and most of them seemed pretty good actually.  February looks to be a busy one which is good but will be difficult to schedule everything.  

Also, another thing....I'm pregnant....So Elder Singh got transferred to Coimbatore.  Which leaves me here...President Berrett called me and asked me to train a brand new Elder that is coming in this week.  There are 4 new ones coming in, and i am going to train one of them in Whitefield.  Quite the shock for me.  And to be honest i totally feel inadequate about training.  I mean a lot of pressure to train in the same ward as the assistants are serving and that President Berrett attends, and given the fact i haven't been in leadership my entire mission...so i am a bit nervous about that.  I will get my son (trainee) on Thursday.  I am going to try my best, so just pray for me so that i can be a good trainer and example to this new elder, because trainers are really important as they are the first impression of a mission.  

As far as other things go that is about it.  Some good things going on here in our area and now a new responsibility, so should be interesting.  These last couple of weeks have really been frustrating with my companion.  My last companion Elder Ordejan explained patience as an eraser, every time you use it it gets smaller.  So i guess that has happened during this transfer, which isn't that good on my part.  i guess i still have to increase in patience....so i will be working on that. 

Well i love you guys and hope you have a great week!!!

Elder Ball

February 1, 2016 - Pictures, Manila Temple, Bangalore, Mysore

Manila Philippines Temple

The batch had the opportunity to go to the temple before leaving the 'pines

Elder Singh



Back to India and Elder Ball's love for Indian food!

The Zone went on a PDay trip to visit the sites at Mysore.

Proof that Elder Ball rode an elephant!

Reena's baptism