Monday, November 21, 2011

11.21.11



Aloha Colorado,

  Oh how I miss those mountains. Sounds like everything is going well back home, and sounds like ya'll are excited for the holidays.  This time of the year is always my favorite. Everyone has the spirit of love and thanksgiving in their hearts. I think we'll get in a lot more doors from now until Christmas.

   Let me tell you about the wonderful week Elder Graham Slam and I had. Tuesday we went up to Montecello to see Elder Carson's District Meeting, and give a little instruction. Elder Carson's a funny guy, I love him. He got in the mission a transfer after I did, and served in Frayser when I was in Raleigh, so I know him really well. He gave a really good District Meeting on commitments and using the Book Of Mormon more in teaching. I definately received some personal revelation and was spiritually edified. Then we went out with them the rest of the day and blitzed Monticello. I went with Elder Stewart, who's still being trained, and he's awesome. He definately came out on his mission with a purpose. I enjpyed teaching with him for a day. Monticello has been having a dry spell for some time now, and they didn't have many investigators, so we decided to spend most of the day finding, and try to up their teaching pool. The Lord definately granted us miracles. We found 5 new investigators and set 2 new baptismal dates, and we found this in-active member who's crippled, who desperately wanted to get in contact with the church, he just didn't know how to find it. Then we set a Teaching In-Home Commitment with a solid member family in the branch. It was awesome. Miracles always happen on exchanges.

  Wednesday we brought the Monticello Elders back to Little Rock with us, so Elder Carson could attend a Leadership Training Meeting with us. The meeting was really good. President really focused on TIHC's, and using members homes at every possible opportunity for a teaching environment, which is actually what Elder Graham and I have been trying to focus on in our Zone. Elder Badger talked about retaining recent converts by doing everything you can to get them to the temple to do baptisms for the dead within the first 3 months. Then President talked about how we need to expand our vision. President Petersen is a very succesful businessman. He's the CEO of Petersen Incorporated, you can check out Peterseninc.com to see what they're all about. But he said that he was in some kind of meeting where he was being counseled on how to help his business, and he was told to imagine his business 10 x larger, making 10 x the amount of money, figure out what it would take, and to make a 3-year plan on how to accomplish it. 3 years later that goal was accomplished, his company started out in a garage, and now it's signing 30 million dollar contracts and things like that. Often times we hold ourselves back because we think things are immpossible. We need to expand our vision. The only things in our lives that are impossible are the things we wont try, because of our lack of faith or confidence. It was pretty awesome, and way inspiring.

  Friday we went on exchanges with Little Rock. Elder Hardy (my 2nd comp) went to Maple Street with Elder Graham, and I went to Little Rock with Elder Warner, and we had an awesome day. It was a lot like our day in Monticello. We set 2 dates, had 5 new investigators, set a TIHC, AND we taught this lady from SryiLanca (sp?) or some place that sounds like that. She was cool. Oh, I almost forgot. So it was like 8 at night and Elder Warner and I were walking back to the apartment, when we notice that these 3 guys behind us have been following us for like 5 min. So we start taking some different turns down different streets to take another route home, to see if they were really following us, and sure enough they wouldn't get off our tails. They were probably 30 feet or so behind us. Now, whenever someone is following you it's pretty sketchy, when it happens in the Ghetto at night, it's super sketch. I have no doubt in my mind their intension was to jump us. So... they had been following us for like 15 min, and they were getting a little closer, and we were coming up on this bridge, where there's no street lights, and its just super dark, and there's no where to turn. We looked at eachother and kinda just knew we were both thinkin, whatever happens happens. Elder Warner has only been out 3 weeks. So I wanted to say something comforting, so I just told him not to worry and that God would protect us, but it's kinda ironic that this guy we talked to earlier in the day told us a story about how he had been jumped a couple years ago in this area and he got beat with bricks by like 4 guys that stole his wallet. So I was just thinkin, man, I hope they don't have bricks. Anyway, I said a pretty sincere prayer in my heart that we would be protected. About 30 seconds after that the spanish missionaries drove across the bridge and saw us, and pulled over and gave us a ride home. It was crazy. I know my prayer was answered.

   Saturday we met with Rochelle, and took a member out with us to follow-up with some people. Rochelle is awesome. She's getting baptized Saturday. She's the one that loves to sing, I think I mentioned her in my last email. We have her baptismal suit ready for her, we're making the program today, she's really excited for it, everything is going smoothly.

Yesterday was awwweeesoommmee. Elder Graham and I had 9 investigators to church, I think that's a personal record on my mish. We had a good week. Our Zone is sitting at 6 baptisms for the month so far... which isn't amazing, but they already beat last months total, so hey, that's improvement. We're thinkin our zone will probably end the month at 10, and the mission will hit around 45, which is really good, but our goal is 57. We need to go pray for more miracles. I don't want to be close to President when we don't hit the mission goal... again. He gets pretty disappointed, lol. but never discouraged. He just makes sure we keep our commitments.

I love you family. I miss you. I hope the holidays treat you well. When you're going around the table saying what you're thankful for, just know that I'm thankful for you.

Love,

-Elder LeBaron

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