Frayser (1st area)

Hello Family,

Alright... What you're probably wondering is where I am, so... I'm serving in a little place called Frayser, it's right outside of Memphis. Idk if you've received the letter I wrote from the mission home yet, President Drewes took a picture with us and sent out those letters out I think. but yea, my new home is in Frayser, I live in the Frayser house with my companion, Elder Badger, who is also my District Leader. He's super legit, he's putting me to work. The other Frayser elders live with us too, Elder Peay and Elder Lester. Elder Peay is my Zone Leader, so it's legit, I live with my DL and my ZL and they're awesome elders, and they help me out.

You should see this house we're living in, lol, or I guess you should just see Frayser. I can describe my area perfectly in one word... Ghetto. We are livin in the Ghetto. I think I've seen 5 white people in the past 5 days, and 3 of those were elders. There are no white people here. Everyone speaks Ghetto, looks Ghetto... I've never been in a place like this before, and the Missionaries stick out like a sore thumb.

The first night we stayed in the mission home, we met the AP's and the President and Sister Drewes. We got up the next morning, went to transfer meeting, I met Elder Badger, and then we just got to work.

I can't understand most of the people around here, because they talk Ghetto, and I promise that's a language. It's mostly just mumbling and slurring words together, lol, but honestly it's so hard to understand most of the people. It's funny how they say my companions name though, there always like- "ay! Eda Badga! ow you do'n duday" translation - hey! Elder Badger, how you doin' today. I wish you could hear some of these people, this little kid in our ward named Blue (idk his real name, his street name is blue, btw everyone has a street name around here) he talk's so ghetto though, haha, Elder Badger always has to translate for me. but he's really cool.

Honestly, Frayser is a sad place. There's a lot of crime, and a lot of homeless people, most families don't have cars, some people live out of there cars, the houses are tiny and falling apart, drugs is a huge problem, chastity is a bigger problem, there are two or three girls in our ward that have had 1 or 2 babies before they were even 16. There are no boyfriends and girlfriends in Frayser, I have yet to hear that term, everyone has either a baby-momma or a baby-daddy. Most people never graduated high school, a lot of the people we teach can't read. (that makes missionary work so hard, how can they gain a testimony without reading the Book Of Mormon, so we have to read to a lot of investigators and break everything down ) Teaching people in this area is literally like teaching childen, we have to teach so so simply, and it's difficult to get people to understand our message.

The good thing about Frayser is how humble everyone here is... you can walk down the street contacting and literally everyone will listen, if you mention Jesus Christ you have their full attention, these people are so religous and love God, but most people don't understand our message, they think that God is good and church is good, but that every church teaches correct principles, and that if you love God you're saved. It is so crazy how many different churches are here, there's about 25 churches in just our little area, most of them are baptist, and most people just go to the church that's across the street from their apartment or house or wherever they're living at the time. It's difficult to help people understand the restoration and things, but just in these past few days i'm learning so much and how to teach everything more simply. On the way to transfer meeting I heard a lot of Elders say that when you teach in the Ghetto you learn more quickly than pretty much any other area, because you learn how to really apply your lesson the the needs of the inverstigator and to teach more simply. So i'm happy to be where I am and know that this is where my Heavenly Father needs me.

My Trainer told me on the first day that apparently I came pre-trained, and that I'm gonna be an AP, lol, and looking at the APs I met in the mision home, I strongly disagreed with him. maybe in 20 months. but he says I'm a better teacher than a lot of the Elders that have been out here 6 months, and I told him that that's because I worked hard in the MTC. but honestly, I do feel like I've been able to hit the ground running. We're not just out here to go through the motions, we're out here to bring others unto Christ, we need to be looking at the eternal prospective, this is their salvation at stake, and when we show them we love them and that we're all sons and daughters of our father in heaven, they'll listen. I've seen amazing things happen with people in these last 5 days. It's so crazy.

Church was interesting, and actually, about 30% of the congregation was white, so I have seen some white people, but only at church. lol, there's this man in our ward, everyone calls him "amen charles" because throughout church he's sitting in the crowd yelling "Amen!" every 20 seconds or so... so, It's different, he's really nice, and it's honestly really funny. lol.

We were gonna have 2 baptisms last saturday, we were teaching these two girls, Jessica and Chasity, they were solid investigators and the date was set, and they were so ready, but the night before their dad called us and said to never come back, and that they were going to be baptized into his church by his minister... it was rough, and I had only met them twice, but I guess their Dad hated the missionaries coming over, and now there's nothing we can do.

So yea, my P-day is on Monday. If you want to send me mail send it to the mission office and they'll send it to me. I think the address is 905 Kierre Dr 72116-3709 North Little Rock Dr. I got your package with my bedding, so thank you! and thanks for the jerky and sour patch.

People make some good food out here in the Ghetto though, and we have dinner appointments for like the next ten days, yeaaa booyy. I'm getting tired of ramen and peanut butter and honey sandwiches, so dad, you should send me some easy recipes that are simple and easy to make, because I sure do miss you feeding me.

This week has been hard, and good, and fun, and more than anything interesting. Tonight one of the APs is going to go to some of the appointments Elder Badger and I have, so I'm excited for that, Elder Badger said I'll learn a lot from him. But don't worry about me, things are great, and I'm safe, and people don't mess with us because they know we're men of God. I'll think about sending you some pictures soon, because I want you to see some pictures of Frayser and how ghetto this place really is.

I love you, and I miss you, write me some letters and let me know how things are going back at home! and I'll try to write some letters when I get time. We definately are very busy though, and that's a good thing. I pray for you everyday.

Love, Elder Justin LeBaron

p.s. I remembered something I wanted to tell you, so one of the white guys in our ward , Brother Presley,is a professional Elvis Presley impersenator... It is extremely strange, but I'll have to get a picture with him and send it home, He is the wierdest man I've ever met, and dresses like Elvis, always. even at church, which I frown upon, but our ward is interesting, and he's a new convert, I'm glad he's going to church.... I'm in a strange place.