Two Guys in Suits, by Elder Balagna

We were a little late in posting this, but we got this a couple weeks ago and finally are getting it on the blog. Elder Balagna and his companion were fellowshipping a ward member who put this together for them:

So, here's the ol' rap I wrote. I sing from the beginning to the end of the second chorus (look up in the sky it's two guys in suits...etc) then I'm throwin down (rapper lingo) with Elder Prescott, then Elder Wheeler takes the stage and I do another verse (whatchyall think a dis beat beat beat) and then Elder Vigil does his part. Enjoy!

(click below)
Two Guys in Suits

Week #30 - Request for Mail Please

Hey Everyone!

It was quite the week this week. Before I say anything else, I'd like to throw out a quick reminder to all of my friends reading the blog that they should be sending me mail more often.

Speaking of mail, thanks a ton for the Superman sweatshirt! It's awesome! I've worn in a lot already believe it or not. It gets pretty chilly in the mornings and at night, so it's always a nice time to use it. Also speaking of mail, my dear companion Elder S. received the infamous Dear John letter this week. He's a way cool guy but he was pretty attached to his girlfriend. So, he struggled a lot last week. It really wasn't even that bad (he read us the letter), but he was still pretty depressed. She just told him he was spending way to much time on her and a bunch of stuff like that. She just wants to write much less frequently. So, he spent Friday throwing up and feeling terrible while Elder M. and I studied and watched uplifting movies at the church. Sidenote, the Glenn Beck one (An Unlikely Mormon) was really good. Thanks for sending it out!

We had Zone Conference this week and it was really good. Lots of crazy amazing talks. We also had some really good lessons this week- we did a lot of testimony bearing which is always a plus. There were some excellent spiritual moments.

It turns out Colin Stoddard was just companions with the son of someone in my ward. What are the odds? Anyway, sorry this one's short. I don't have a whole lot of updates but thanks for everything and what not. Happy late Martin Luther King Jr. Day as well as inauguration.

Elder B

Week #29 - Telephone Wires and Coaxial Cables

Hey Errbody!

I'm a bit pressed for time so this may be short, but life is spectactular. First and foremost, a big giant thanks to the Chief for his left handed letter! It made my month and I showed my companions and they thought it was the coolest thing in the world and they were all jealous that they didn't have as cool of a dad. Also the video that the Vreg sent was absofruitly awesome, and the ol' Lucy can say my name!! I s'pose the video makes up for not talking to me at Christmas. Gracie's also getting crazy big. Pants.

So that's pretty cool that I hit two hundred days. I had no idea. But, to celebrate, I might try and get my camera fixed because some doof dropped it on its lens and now it's jammed. So, pictures will be delayed for a while.

Anywho, I had a crazy awesome experience last week. We ate at an inactive family's house- they're AWESOME and you'd never guess that they didn't go to church. At the end of the meal, the dad says "I don't mean to bombard you or anything...I'd really like it if you elders could give our whole family blessings...it's been so long since I've been to church I don't really feel like I can do it." So, we agreed and he asked me to give him one. It was probably the first time I felt impressed to say such specific things to someone and I was giving advice and direction about different things that I didn't even know about (I'd just met him that night). I actually finished the blessing a little worried because I didn't really know what I had been talking about, and the dad just said thanks a lot and we went on with the rest of the family. After everyone had gotten a blessing, the dad said he wanted to bear us his testimony. He started getting really emotional saying how he knows so much that the power of the priesthood is real and that he knew without a doubt that I was guided by God on what to say in the blessing. He went on to say how I had said things in his blessing that there was no way I could have known to say any other way and he could feel the power in it. It was definitely one of the strongest testimonies I'd ever heard (why don't they come to church??) and the whole experience was pretty incredible. Heavenly Father knows how to speak to His kids. Plus, to top things off, they showed us a Book of Mormon that had been passed down in their family that was published in 1870. That was pretty awesome.

We picked up a pretty good investigator this week. Basically, we're offering her lots of hope which is pretty awesome. We had a good lesson with her and next week she's inviting her friend. Anywho- I'm pretty out of time. Have a good week!

Elder Al

Week #28 - Ben Knee Shuh

Good Day to errbody!!

So the new area's pretty awesome! The new companions are awesome and we're getting along really well. We're covering two wards- Lake Herman and Benicia. I guess the plan was originally to have me open a new area (Lake Herman), but a missionary decided to go home after his first transfer unexpectedly...so we are now in a nice lil' trio. It's way cool though- lots of work going on in the Lake Herman ward which is excellent- and the ward mission leader actually does his job (and does it well) which is a major plus. We'll do what we can! Anyway, the new area is great and I love it. We had a baptism Saturday and it went REALLY well. President came and said it was one of the best he'd attended. I got to play piano and we sang Amazing Grace and Blessed Assurance. Hehe. It was awesome. Everyone loved it. It's not every day you get to sing hymns like that in church.

Sorry about the new address stuff- I assume that's why I didn't get ANY mail this week. :-) I'm expecting at least ten letters before next Sunday.

Here's my new one:

Elder Pants Balagna 50 Chelsea Hills Apartment 7 Benicia, CA 94510

I'm a wee bit short on time so I need to wrap it up, but thanks for everything! Have a good week!

Love,Pants

Week #27 - Transferred!

Hey Family and Friends!

It seems I will finally be bidding adieu to Fairfield. I'm getting transferred to Benicia, which is about forty minutes away. I leave tomorrow morning and I'm pretty pumped. I guess I'm in a companionship with two other elders, so it'll be interesting. From what I hear they're both pretty cool. I don't have the address or anything yet, so just stick with sending everything to the mission home until further notice. It's pretty neat though- two other people who are way cool from this zone are going to my new zone as well- so we're pretty excited. Sister Benning (the member in the house I live in) cried when she heard the news of me getting transferred. Other than that, I made my rounds and told everyone goodbye and got some pictures with some cool families of the ward. It's been a mighty fine area and it'll be missed. Good ol' Fairfield.

Here's a video of my "Farewell to Fairfield" tribute.




Our temple trip was last Tuesday and it was crazy awesome. They had an exhibit at the visitor's center of all of these brass sculptures a lady made all about Christ. They're incredible. It was really cool to see them and the stories behind them are pretty nifty. They all depict parts of His ministry during the New Testament (i.e. Christ walking on water, healing the sick, raising Lazarus from the dead, etc) and there was also one of the First Vision and a lifesize sculpture of Christ with open arms. That one was way cool. The organ playing went really well in the temple. It was really neat to be able to play there. I was kinda hoping it'd be a white organ just because I thought it would make the experience cooler somehow, but it was brown. Still amazing though. I probably won't have many more opportunities to do something like that, so it was quite the experience. Our mission conference was the next day and it was really fun. There were lots of good talks and afterwards we did a bunch of fun stuff and watched the Olympics highlights. It was also great to see a bunch of people again that I'd met before in the mission.

Here's a picture of me opening my Christmas gifts - my reaction when I opened my Project Linus t-shirt!

I hit six months! Yay me! Here are some pictures of my 1/4 mark celebration. I burned a tie (one that I found in our old apartment. Really ugly)

That about wraps it up for the week.

Happy New Year!

Love-Elder Al