family is here

i'm so excited that i get to see the rest of my family in such a short period of time. My sister Ester and her husband Scott left last night but now my brother Chris and sister in-law Jen and their 4 kids are here and i get to spend some time with them. Shortly after that my sister Vanessa, brother in-law Stefan and nephew Sebastian will be coming out. Then my other sister Olivia will be coming. or maybe it's the other way around, i dont remember... the first to come were my brother Nick and sister in-law Adel and my niece Mia. I am so gland that they all get to come see me and spend some time with me while I am here.

i know that my family loves me and that I will get to be with them forever. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen

Family

the past couple of weeks have been really fun because my brother nick, sister in-law Adele, niece Mia and nephew Grant came to see us from Maryland and they stayed with us in the condo upstairs from us here. We had a lot of fun together and I was really glad they came. This Monday, my sister Ester and brother in law scott are coming. I'm so excited to see them soon. I'm so greatful to know that I can be with them forever.

i say these things in the name of Jesus Christ Amen

meeting a cool guy at pcc a couple days ago/ singing in December

hi everyone,

I had a really awesome experience a couple days ago. As some of you might know already, I play the ukulele at the mission settlement and ask people if they would like to play or if they are interested in buying one. Well this guy with tattoos (I don't remember his name so I'll call him jake)   and his girlfriend came and he started to play the ukulele. While he was playing a song he knew, he told me that they had just been to the visitor center next to the temple. He said something along the lines of "I wasn't prepared for what i saw when i walked in. I saw a HUGE statue of Jesus Christ. I had to make sure no one was looking because I started crying. He looked exactly the way i imagine him, tall and really strong looking. He must've been pretty strong because when He was growing up He was a carpenter. i'm excited for when He comes back,"

i don't know what will happen but i think that he has a really strong testimony of the Savior, and who knows? maybe he'll want to learn more.

I know that Heavenly Father lives and that I crossed paths with that guy so i could hear his testimony. I don't know if I'll see him at the pcc again but that experience really touched me.

i also got a call yesterday from a guy in president Orgil's (the president of the PCC)) office and they want us to do a few Christmas songs for their Christmas devotional on Dec. 7.We also get to do a fireside at the V.C. in December

i know that i will be able to meet people at the devotional that Heavenly Father wants me to meet and that i will be able to share my testimony with the people at the V.C. about the Savior's love for us and the real meaning of christmas.

I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen

Hawaiian's are awesome!

There're a lot of really cool customs that they have in the ward i go to here. One thing that they do is stand and sing "Aloha Oe" which is kind of like Hawaii's national anthem. It was written by Queen Lili'uokalani in 1877. It's kind of the Hawaiian version of God Be With You 'Til We Meet Again" she wrote it for a man she loved as he left the island and everyone sang it later that night and now everyone sings it when some leaves the island. Today they stood at the end of his farewell and sang Aloha Oe to a boy that is leaving on his mission to Las Vegas Nevada. After the song, most of the ward lined up to shake his hand and give him a lei around his neck.  He ended up with about 25 leis.  It's a beautiful custom.  I really like the people here in the Islands, because they are so kind and filled with love for everyone and for the Lord.

Another custom they have is not wearing shoes in church, and the ones that do, only wear sandals or flip-flops. My parents have joined in on this custom too. (not barefoot yet though).

I really like going to the Deaf ward because I get to talk to the few Deaf people in the ward and I'm one of only a few people in the ward (besides the interpreters) that can communicate with them and tell them what people are saying in church and stuff. I've also had the chance to talk to them at the P.C.C. I know that the Lord is helping me to have these opportunities to learn sign language here on my mission.

11/10/12 - 11/12/12 giving a friend a book of mormon and signing for people at the PCC

I'm combining two days into one post to tell you what happened yesterday and this past saturday.

 Saturday- So I've been talking to our contractor Daniel about the church for about two months now and I told him that if he had any questions he could ask me. He has had LOTS of questions and seems really open and interested.  Then we had a thing on Sunday called "bring a friend to church day" where we could invite someone to church to let them see/hear what we believe.  So, I invited him to church and gave him an English and Spanish Book of Mormon (because he speaks both English and Spanish) and told him that if he had any more questions, I'd try to answer them the best I could. I wrote my testimony inside and he read it out loud to me.  He would stop and say, "I believe that too."  He has a little boy named Lucca that he loves a lot and wants him to have a good and religious upbringing, so he is interested in the programs for kids at the church house. It felt so GOOD to open my mouth and bear my testimony to him.  He is a really good honest man and I pray that some day he can join the church and find all the happiness there. He would be a great member..

Yesterday- As most of you know, I know ASL and part of my mission is to sign for the Deaf people that come into the center. So far I've only used it one other time but yesterday I was at the Lu'au and a tour guide came in and said "Hey Ben how much ASL do you know?" I told him I knew a lot and he said "Do you think you know enough to do a tour?" I said "I'll do my best. when do you need me?" he said in about half an hour. I asked someone at the luau if that would be OK and she said "Why don't you just go with him right now so you have time to wait for them."  So I went to the front of the center and waited for them. I wasn't sure if I could do the whole tour in ASL so I asked if a tour guide could come with me and do the talking and I could translate it into sign language. So, I got to go around the center with this lady and her daughter. The mom was Deaf  and her daughter was hearing but knew fluent ASL.  Her daughter  really helped too because if the mom was behind me or something, she would sign for her if I didn't know certain signs. It made me feel really good that I was able to communicate with the mom so she could enjoy the center.

MISSION MAN!

With all the buzz about the lowered age for Mormon Missionaries, here's a great video to share with all the 17- and 18-year-olds you know. http://youtu.be/Elwp8J1pTho #LDS #Mormon #missionaries 

polynesian recipies to try

recipes from the PCC
Watermelon Otai

look at how hard this is to make... ;)

1st ingredient watermelon
2nd ingredient coconut milk
3rd ingredient ice

Taro Bread

Hawaiian taro is more versatile today than just traditional poi. In the islands it's also made into chips (as in potato chips) and even flour which is then used to bake pancakes, or bread. Our Polynesian Cultural Center Alii Luau recipe calls for a delicious dinner roll form.
Yield: 1-1/2 doz

Ingredients

	Warm water (90 degrees), 1-1/3 cups
	Egg, 1
	Poi, 1 cup
	Butter, softened, 1/2 cup
	Purple Food Coloring, 1 tsp
	Sugar, 1 cup
	Flour, 2 lbs
	Salt, 1/4 tsp
	Yeast , 2-1/2 tsp

Instructions

1.	Using a table mixer
2.	In a mixing bowl combine egg, butter, food coloring, poi and water
3.	Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients.
4.	Mix all ingredients on speed 2 with a dough hook; texture should be smooth
5.	Remove from mixing bowl and place on flour table top; scale 3 oz. Dough and roll into ball size.
6.	Line baking pan with aluminum foil and place roll taro balls 3x4
7.	Set a side to rise for 15-20 minutes
8.	Bake at 225 degrees for 20 minutes.

COCONUT SYRUP

1 can coconut milk

1 cup flaked  coconut. for best coconut flavor, plant a coconut seed, grow your own coconut tree, wait for the coconut to ripen and climb the tree and pick and shred the coconut with a sharp stick. save the milk that come out of the coconut. ;) If you want an authentic hawaiian experience do it this way...... or not. careful when you climb the tree that you don't fall and break something. ;) ok for those of you who are a little scared of heights... go to Smith's marketplace and buy a coconut.

3/4 cups brown sugar

combine all ingredients into a heavy sauce pan, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes. stir occasionally. transfer to a blender and puree until smooth (this is what it said online but we didn't do it that way we just blended it until there were little coconut chunks in it. it's better this way in my opinion) serve immediately!

Resurrection Cookie Recipe

I dont know the original source for this recipe so if you find it can you add it on here so i can give credit to the person who figured this out? the website I found it from though is http://www.motherhoodonadime.com/kids/resurrection-cookies-printable-recipe/

 so i can give credit to the lady that posted it last
 

• Resurrection Cookies: Directions & Printable Recipe

  April 3, 2012 by Stacie Nelson
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  I’ve had this recipe for Resurrection Cookies in my Easter file for a while, but this is the first year I felt my girls were ready for them.  (The last few years we’ve made Resurrection Rolls — just because I felt the simpler approach to the death and resurrection of Jesus was more age-appropriate for younger preschoolers).
  I would suggest reading the Bible story of Jesus’ death and resurrection aloud to your children before you begin making these cookies.  I particularly like the version in The Child’s Story Bible by Catherine Vos for older preschool and elementary-aged children.
  

  
  

  
  

  Resurrection Cookie Recipe

  Supplies:
  
• 1 cup almonds (or pecans)
• 1 tsp. vinegar
• 3 egg whites
• Pinch of salt
• 1 cup sugar
• Zipper baggy
• Wooden spoon
• Mixing bowl
• Mixer
• Cookie sheet
• Spoons
• Tape
• Bible

1)  PREHEAT OVEN TO 300 DEGREES.  Place one cup nuts into a baggy.  Beat the nuts with a wooden spoon until broken into tiny pieces.  Remind children Jesus was beaten by the Roman Soldiers.

Read John 19:1-3

¹ Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. ² The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe ³ and went up to him again and again, saying, “Hail, king of the Jews!” And they slapped him in the face.
I also included Isaiah 53:5:
But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.

2)  Allow each child to smell the vinegar.  Pour a small amount into a bowl and allow them to taste it.  Explain that vinegar was given to Jesus to drink when he was on the cross.  Add 1 tsp. vinegar into a mixing bowl.

Read John 19:28-30

 ²⁸ Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” ²⁹ A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. ³⁰ When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

3)  Add egg whites to vinegar.  The eggs in this recipe represent life.  They remind us that Jesus gave his life to give us life abundantly.

Read John 10:10-11

¹⁰ The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.  ¹¹ “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

4)  Put a pinch of salt in your child’s hand.  Allow them to taste it.  Add a pinch of salt to to the eggs and vinegar.  The salt represents the salty tears cried by the women who followed Jesus.

Read Luke 23:27

²⁷ A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him

5)  Place a pinch of sugar in your child’s hand.  Allow them to taste it.  Add one cup sugar to the mixture.  Up to this point, the ingredients have been very  bitter, but the sweetness in the recipe comes from the sugar.  The suffering and death of Jesus are bitter, but the sweetness is that Jesus died because He loves us.  Oh, how He loves us!

Read Psalm 34:8

⁸ Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.

Read John 3:16

¹⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

6)  Beat the mixture for 12-15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed  (I recommend setting a timer — it’s important to beat the mixture well).   The whiteness of the mixture reminds us of purity and the cleansing of our sins because of Jesus’ death.

Read Isaiah 1:18:

¹⁸ “Come now, let us settle the matter,”
says the LORD.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
they shall be like wool.

7)  Stir in the nuts.

8)  Drop the dough by spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet.  The mounds represent the tomb where Jesus was buried.

Read Matthew 27:57-60

⁵⁷ As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. ⁵⁸ Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. ⁵⁹ Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, ⁶⁰ and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away.

9)  After the oven is preheated, put the cookie sheets in the oven.  TURN OFF the oven.  Allow your child to place pieces of tape and “seal” the oven door.  Jesus’ tomb was sealed with a large rock.

Reread Matthew 27:59

⁵⁹ Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, ⁶⁰ and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away.

10)  Leave the cookies in the oven overnight.  Your child might feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight (they were probably expecting to have a yummy treat soon – at least mine were).  Jesus’ followers were very sad when the tomb was sealed.

John 16:20-22

²⁰ Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.²¹ A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world.²² So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.

11)  In the morning, open the oven and have some cookies!  The cookies should be hollow inside.  Remind your child that the tomb was empty.  Jesus is risen!

Read Matthew 28:1-9

¹After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.
² There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. ³ His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. ⁴ The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.
⁵ The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. ⁶ He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. ⁷ Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”
⁸ So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. ⁹ Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him.

The tsunami

So I had an interesting Saturday... In the morning we went to Honolulu to go to the swap meet where you can buy really cool expensive stuff for dirt cheep. After that, we went to the Live in HD broadcast of Verdi's opera "Otello" based on Shakespeare's play. After it was over, we went shopping for some lights that we are going to install sometime this week. Maybe tomorrow or the next day, I'm not sure. Then, we went to the new movie called Hotel Transylvania and about 1/2 way through, one of the guys that worked there, came into the room and he said, "there is a tsunami warning that is going to hit in about two hours. if you come out into the lobby, we can get you another ticket to come see the movie again..." The only times i've ever heard about tsunamis were a year and a half ago when one hit Japan, and the other time was when I saw the movie The Other Side Of Heaven.

 The guy told us to find higher ground in case the water came further inland. We stayed in our van listening to the radio, and finally slept there for a few hours.  Don't worry, it didn't even come anywhere close to where we were. It was interesting though because while I was really scared, everyone else was all calm saying stuff like "when this happens...." one of my friends even told me that it's an annual thing that they do every year just in case something happens... which it did.

There are still people watching it to make sure that it is still safe. The Big Island was the one that got hit the most. They had all these different shelter places for people in the different cities to go and the place that the senior missionaries were told to go was the Temple or the Temple Visitor Center.

I think we were inspired to stay in Kaneohe and not go home after we went to the swap meet in Honolulu. Our condo sits right on the ocean, and those coastal towns were all evacuated to higher ground.

Hawaii the Beautiful

sunsets

                                     These are a few pictures of the sunsets here.

New Opportunities

On Saturday, my mom and I found a recipe for Taro rolls. you probably don't know what taro is but it basically looks like a purple potato. It tastes different but it looks the same. If you've been to Hawaii and you've tried Poi, it's made out of taro. The recipe that we used was the same recipe that the Polynesian Cultural Center uses in the Lu'au.

Yesterday in church, I told one of the interpreters that if they needed another guy to sign the Sacrament prayers, I'd be happy to do it. they said "sure go home and practice it and you can do it next week." So last night I went on lds.org/asl and watched both of the prayers in ASL. If you click on the link that
I've posted you can see how they are done in sign language.

I get to go on splits with the missionaries again today! SorryI' m kind of jumping all over the place but I'm just remembering all these random things. ... let me see.... Oh I am going to give a Book of Mormon to a guy named Daniel that we met when we got out here. He's our contractor that is helping us with our condo. I also might invite him to come to church with me and my parents. They're having another music fireside on the 21st that i might get to sing in again.

that's all i can think of for now but i'll post later if i think of anything else.

My average day at PCC

I know a lot of you have probably been wondering, "What does Elder Ballam do every day?" Well, I'll tell you.

      My day starts when my parents come back from their morning walk around the beach/ golf course. Yup we live on a golf course... anyway, I get up, have morning prayer, get ready for the day, eat breakfast, read the Book of Mormon as a family. This should be when I have exercise time but we're still trying to figure that out so we haven't been very consistent with it. I either take the bus or go in the van to the PCC, where I go to Hale Ohana which is a Barbecue lunch, 11:45  to take tickets.  I have had some cool experiences there with people from all over the world.  I can eat there for free, and it's great food.  I love the purple Taro rolls. After that, I go to the Mission Settlement which is a replica of three buildings that were built when the early Christian settlers came here and started Christianity in "the Islands", the Chapel, the Schoolhouse, and the Mission Home. I'm working on learning all the facts so I can share them with the guests. I stay there until 3:30-ish.

Then I roll across the street for seven minutes and go to a Gospel ASL class that I am taking so I can learn all the Gospel vocabulary in case a Deaf person comes into the Center. That way I can talk to them and help them with anything they need.  If you have been reading my posts,I wrote an experience about using sign language a few days ago.

After my class, I come back to the "Center" and stay until 6 when my dad (or mom) comes to get me and take me home.One of my responsibilities is to teach ukulele lessons to people. So the first thing I had to do was learn how to play it myself. :)

 Since it's October now they have started this thing called Haunted Lagoon that I get to work at once in a while, giving hot chocolate (although i dont know why they drink hot chocolate in one of the hottest places on Earth) and Cup-O-Noodles to the people that scare everyone that goes through the Lagoon.

Occasionally I get to work with my parents at the Lu'au that I work at in the morning only we do dinner instead of lunch, and we take tickets.

my fist day using ASL at the PCC

A few weeks ago, I was taking tickets at the Lu'au and a tour guide came in with his group just like he had for several days but this time he said we have___ # people but we cant communicate with two of them. I said we could try to find someone that speaks their language and he said that would be a problem because not many people at the center speak their language. I asked him what language they spoke and he said ASL. I told him I could talk to them for him if he wanted me to. I followed him over to where this couple was standing and I started to talk to them in Sign Language. they told me where they were from and how long they would be in Hawaii. I asked them what they were looking for and they said they didn't know. I said, "Well you can eat here or you can eat at the Banyan Tree snack bar which is like a fast food place." They said that they would go look for the Banyan Tree. I told them if they needed anything else, to just ask for Ben, the Volunteer in a wheelchair and someone would be able to tell them how to find me. A few minutes after I finished at the Lu'au, I went back to the Mission Settlement and that same couple came walking right in to the Mission Home and I asked them what they were looking for and they said, "Oh we're lost but we think we'll just look around." I was able to help show them around a little and find their way. I know that that wasn't just a coincidence that they came to the Lu'au and that their tour guide asked if I would help them.  Since then, the people at the information center asked for my card and phone number so that anytime a deaf person comes in and needs ASL, they will call me.  I want to bear my testimony that I know that Heavenly Father was watching out for me and that he knew that I wanted to get the chance to use my sign language abilities to help that couple.
I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ Amen

Polynesian Words of the Day

Hoa is the Tahitian word for friend
Uo is the samoan word for friend
Lu'au is the word for Feast
Koa is Hawaiian for Warrior
Ali'i means King
Lani means Beautiful
Lei means flower
Kalua means baked
my name, Ben in hawaiian is Peni
Waka means Canoe
Iosepa means Joseph
Roti is a fijian meal which is like a burrito with curry and potatoes, carrots,meat, etc. it's really good. but is's spicy
Otai is a mango smoothie type drink that is really cold. it has slices of mangoes and other fruits and it has the juice from those fruits as well. It's reeeealllly good!!!
Taro is a purple root that kind of looks like a purple potato. it is what they make Poi out of. Any of you that have been here, know what Poi.

i cant think of any more right now but if i do i'll let you know

Missionary fireside with Ben signing and singing

                               Elder Ballam has already been called on to participate with
                                      the missionaries at a musical fireside using his ASL.

President David O. Mckay and the Miracle of the rain

Yesterday I was watching aa DVD that they gave me from the P.C.C. that I have to memorize so I can tell the stories from memory to the people who come into the center. One of the many stories that "Auntie Gladys" told, was about the Prophet David O. McKay who was the Prophet at the time that the PCC was built. the day that the Center was supposed to be dedicated, they had a really bad thunderstorm/ rainstorm. The Islanders were wondering if the Center would dedicated that day or not All of the sudden, President Mckay came up in a Limo and someone came to hold up an umbrella for him when he got out of the limo. He smiled, handed the umbrella back, and the rain stopped. Then, suddenly a pillar of light came out of Heaven and surrounded President McKay while he dedicated the Center. When the dedication was over, the pillar of light went back into heaven, the Prophet got in the limo, drove away, and the rain continued.

I know that Heavenly Father watches over us and that He knows when we are doing special things like  dedicating temples and that if we look for it we can see miracles happen during those special times and other times. I kow that He watches over the prophet and listens to his prayers for us just as He does with us.

I know that Thomas S. Monson is His prophet today and that he leads and guides His Church.

My beloved friend and companion, Tennessee

The Miracle of the Wood

I heard a really cool story a few days ago about how the Laie Temple was completed. They were almost finished when they noticed that they hadn't bought enough wood. But since they had a deadline of when it was suppose to be done, they prayed to Heavenly Father that somehow He would provide a way for them to get the right amount of wood by the deadline. Well a few days went by and a cargo ship wrecked on the shore of Laie. The captain got off the ship and said, I have a whole bunch of supplies that I needed to send somewhere but if you help me unload it, if any of it is undamaged, it's all yours.

They unloaded the cargo, opened the box and inside was the right amount of wood to finish the Temple. From then on, it was known to all the islanders as the Miracle of the Wood.

I know that Heavenly Father answers our prayers. He answered the prayer of a young boy in Palmyra NY, named Joseph Smith, about which church he should join. And in Feb. of 2009, he answered the prayer of a 17 year old boy about wanting to serve a mission. Two missionaries came to give him the Sacrament in Primary Children's Hospital, and as they were leaving, they gave him a blessing and part of that blessing said "Your Father in Heaven wants you to know that you will serve a Mission and be a father in this life." Any of you that I have told this story to, already know that the boy in the story, is me.

In a way, I think this story is kind of like the miracle of the wood. How else would those missionaries know that that's what I needed to hear at that exact time?

- Elder Ballam