Hey Family,
I'm sorry I didn't email last week, it was Labor Day or something, so the library was closed, and yesterday was a little crazy, and we didn't end up having time to get to the library. BUT I'm emailing now, so don't worry, I'm still alive and well. That's cool that you guys joined Villa. I am a little jealous, haha, I can't wait to hit that up when I come home. That's awesome that you're gonna take a few sessions with personal trainers and what not, if you don't know what you're doing in a gym you can end up doing more harm than good to your body, so that's smart of you. lol, I've been working out with this big black guy every morning in the gym, and he always gives me tips and shows me some cool stuff I didn't know before. He's giving me one of his old lifting belts tommorow, he said he never uses it and it'll help me take the tension off my lower back when I lift, so it's pretty sweet, he's a cool dude. I try to throw some gospel principles into our conversations while we lift, and he's a really religious guy, he's just really involved in his church. He teaches a sunday school class, and he's in the choir and stuff, but at least I get to plant some seeds, he's likes mormon missionaries, so he's whats up.
Things have been pretty good here in the Ghetto. I don't know if I had a chance to tell you, but a couple weeks ago I got to go with Stephanie Lewis to the temple and see her do baptisms for the dead! It was like the best day of my whole mission, I was sitting on the side as a witness and I was trying not to tear up. I don't know if you remember Stephanie, but Elder Badger and I taught her. She was an alcoholic when we first met her, and living with this dead beat guy that's actually in prison now (I didn't like him at all). I think I told you, but the night I baptized her was pretty memorable because she's terrified of water. I had to baptize her twice because the first time she freaked out and started like thrashing around. So you can imagine the courage she had to have to go to the temple and be baptized for 10 different people. It was so amazing to watch her, lol, you could tell she was scared out of her mind, she kept her eyes closed the entire time and had a death grip on Brother Godwins arm. Every couple baptisms he'd ask her if she was okay and she'd just nod her head. I was so freaking proud of her. Afterwards I went and gave her a hug (It doesn't say you can't hug people in the white hand book, I think that's just a myth, or maybe an un-written rule, but either way, I don't care, I love Stephanie and I'll hug her as much as I want, I think Jesus would do the same) and told her that she did awesome. She was crying... and she just looked at me and was like " Elda LaBurn, if you wasn't here I don't think I coulda done it", I wish I could describe to you guys how she talks... lol, it's so funny. I think she just drank so much in the past that she's done some damage that she can't repair, but, she's just so awesome... I love her to death, and she's been so diligent since she's been baptized. Her, and Star, and Mary, those 3, they are like the shining stars from the converts I've been able to have. Mary hasn't missed church since her baptism, and she doesn't even speak English, she's the coolest lady ever. Star is amazing. She's had some rough patches since her baptism. She's pregnant again, and she's not married, BUT she talked to the Bishop about it and is on the right track again. She's so mad about what she did now because I guess Bishop decided she can't do baptisms for the dead for another year now, and she wanted to go to the Temple sooo bad. So I'm actually way glad, she has her goal in mind and she said she's definately not breaking the law of chastity again, nothing's going to keep her from the temple. I'm so excited, because in about 6 months I'll be able to start going to the temple with some of these converts and watch them take their endownments out... Ahhh!
I can't wait. :)
District Meetin is soon and we gotta bounce. Let me just tell you one quick story. So last night we were over at Star's, and before we left she asked me to say the prayer, there was a lot of people over there so we gathered them all together and knelt in a circle and held hands, and Star asked me to say the prayer, so I start praying, and Kanitra (Star's 13 year old daughter, we baptized) was on one side of me, and during the prayer I just feel kanitra like cuddle up next to me and put her head on my chest, and I was like what the heck, it really freaked me out, cuz as missionaries we just avoid girls like the plague. lol. my missionary instincts told me to push her down and run away, but then I realized I was still supposed to be praying still, lol. So I finished the prayer, then pushed her away. It was way akward. I think Kanitra has a crush on me, when I shook her hand as we were leaving she like grabbed my arm and started rubbing it and was like "bye Elder LeBaron! I love you" and I was like, Elder Kowalk lets get the freak out of here. lol.
Alright, I gotta go, sorry it's short. But I love you all. Thank you so so so so much for your package mom. It was a life-savor. When I got the box from the post office I looked at Elder Kowalk and I was like, "Man, I hope this is just loaded with food", and then I opened it, and beheld, and it was food, and it was delicious to the taste and very desirable. Thanks so much! I love you, have a good week.
-Elder Justin Scott LeBaron
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