01.23.11

Hey,

I got some letters from Sister Boyd, Kelsey, Dallan, Alyssa and Sarah and it has been really nice. It's just good to know that people are thinking about you.

Star is having a really dangerous operation done soon because she has an infection in her blood stream from one of her twins dying inside of her, I'm not sure exactly what it is or whats going on, all I know is that there's like a 30-40% chance that it could be potentially fatal. She also has ovarian cancer, and she's suppose to be delivering her one baby in the coming weeks... She's not doing good. I'm really worried about her. I gave her 2 blessings this week.  Please keep her in your prayers.

Elder Flores and I have 5 baptismal dates. Most of them are for Febuary, one is for this weekend. Sister Wait, a member in the ward, has us over for dinner a lot and takes picutures, she might send ya'll some pictures today, I gave her dads email.

Dads liahona looks really legit, like "it should be in a museum because lehi's fingerprints are still on it" legit. and Sarah's flower looks really good. I can't believe she's going into highschool. that's super wierd. 


Tell steve and danielle I love them.


Please continue to keep me in your prayers...  I love you guys. 

-Elder LeBaron

01.16.12

Mom and Dad,

Elder Flores and I set 3 new baptismal dates this week, and we baptized a lady named Georgia, that Elder Flores and Elder Wawro were previously working with. She's awesome, and she was super prepared, she'll make a great member. We spent some time with Star, she can go to the temple in April. can you believe that? I can't believe she's been a member that long. She just got married and were working on baptizing her husband Mario, he has a testimony, and he said he wanted me to baptize him. I love Star so much. she's really great.  


Thank you for your prayers, and your support... I love you guys so much. 


This email is gonna be short.


Love, Elder Lebaron

01.09.12

I'm sorry I haven't written in a couple of weeks. The past 2 P-Days were holidays and so the libraries were closed, and we had a lot of work to do during the week with Zone Meeting and Zone Leader Council and things we didn't get to it on any other day. I have been transferred back to Frayser and will be working with Elder Flores  All my recent converts and all the members were happy to see me back in frayer. It's funny, it's like I've only been in 2 different areas my entire mission. Elder Flores, has been out 4 and a half months. I like him a lot, he's super chill, and we already knew each other somewhat, so it's cool.

I love you so much...

- Elder LeBaron

Above is a small excerpt from a much longer e-mail, just to let you know where Justin is currently serving. As his parents we thought it would be good to let everyone know that Justin has been having some struggles the last few months with Depression (It run's in our family, so it's not any big surprise) we were hoping initially that it might have passed him by because of his somewhat laid back personality, but it has gotten progressively worse. It seems that this is the age where it is most likely to show itself, and with the added stresses of serving a mission it looks like it is the case with Justin.  

We have been in contact with his Mission president and had discussions about Justin meeting with a counselor and a psychiatrist to see if there is something that might help while he is out there. The result is that he has been diagnosed with Depression, and they have just recently put him on medication to see if that will help.  

The current plan is to give it 6 weeks to see if the medication will kick in, and if not then he will most likely come home so that he can be with family and not have the added stress associated with mission life, while we work through this.  

We want everyone to know that Justin has done and is doing everything that he can...he loves the people out there, and has worked harder than most.  The last thing that he wants right now is to come home early. 

As parents we couldn't be more proud of a son, who has really given this his all...we would like to ask for your prayers on his behalf, that the Lord's will would be done.  

Thank you so much for all that everyone has done to support Justin so far...

Love, 

Rich and Randie.

12.19.11

What Up What Up,

 

 

  It's good to read ya'lls letters. I just want to thank everyone again for the packages Elder Graham and I received. You should of seen his jamaican face light up, he was like "Man, you have really cool family man, they don't even know me and they love me!" He was way excited. He was yelling crazy things like "Raasta Fa Riiiaa!" He says that all the time, lol, even though he claims he's not rastafarian, because he doesn't have dreads or smoke marajuana. I appreciate it so much though... Elder Graham is a really loving companion, I'm so glad ya'll showed some love back to him, sometimes he gets down about his family not being there for him, I know it must leave a pretty big gap in his heart, I can't even imagine life without all of you...

  Well, this week was pretty awesome. The Elders Quorum Pres let me teach the Sunday before last, and I used PMG and spoke on the importance of members in this work, I really just wanted to inspire the ward and get some fire goin'. It seemed to work out pretty good, we had 11 member present lessons this week. Yea boiii. Elder Graham and I doubled the member lessons in the Zone just with our numbers as a companionship, the Lord is blessing us for our efforts. It was legit.

  We had the Checkett brothers come out with us, and some craziness happened. Aisle is 23, he's an RM, and his little bro Benson is 18 getting ready to do his papers. They're cool guys. Well anyway, we went to visit Jerry (I love that man), and turns out he was more drunk than usual, he could harldly stand, so we talked to him for a minute and told him we'd come back later tonight if he promised not to drink anymore. We were leaving and getting into the car when this thug guy, probably like 23 or something, does like a double take and then starts walking our direction. (It was obvious bad news) He starts yelling at all 4 of us to get out of the neighborhood, that we worship a different jesus and that they didn't want us hear. I think I'm just tired of taking crap from guys like this, but I pipe up and say "We worship the Jesus that suffered for the world and saved us from our sins, What Jesus do you worship?  this dude thought he was hard (that's what we say down here in da hood) and he gets like 6-inches from my face and starts talking about how we have some golden book and we worship treasure hunters and he told us to leave in some profain ways. It was ridicuous. People frustrate me. We waited for him to start walking away, and then we got in the car, we were about to drive off, but Jerry came running up the window drunk as ever and told us he wasn't gonna let that guy talk to us like that and that he was gonna kill him and stuff, and we were trying to get Jerry to calm down, when we notice the thug guy turn around and start heading towards the car again. It was bad news. He just circled the car cussing at us, he tried to open Aisle's door, but it was locked, then he circled around to Benson's window, he had a coin in his hand told us to pick head or tails. Benson was pretty freaked out, he told him he didn't want to play and he just stepped on the gas and drove away. I was mostly just worried about Jerry, but we watched Jerry stumble back into his house. So that was nuts. The Checkett boys said that hadn't had that much fun in a while. Sometimes it's crazy being a missionary.

  Aside from that the big news is that Jerry came to church! and he was sober, and he said that he loved it, and he's gonna keep coming back. That was awesome. I was so glad. We have our zone conference Wednesday, that should be sweet.

  I think I'll probably be calling around like 3:00 on Christmas... Pretty sure. So I hope that works well for Steve too. I have to get goin' sorry it's super short this week. But I love you guys so much, I'm excited to talk to you Sunday. I can't believe it's Christmas.

 

Elder Justin.

12.12.11

Aloha family,

   Another week has past. I can't believe this transfer is over. There's 16 transfers in your mission life, and I've gone through 8 now, only 8 6 week transfers left. That's insane.

   This week was good. It was a lot better than the few I had before it. Things have really been improving. I've been focusing on 3 things - sleep, exercize, and nutrition. and I'm doing way good on all three, and it makes me feel really good. I was kinda sucking at all three of those the past few months, I was told that those are the 3 pillars to physical well being, and when your body's happy, your mind is happy. I do feel happier. I  started buying some healthy foods. I bought salmon, and shrimp, and some fruits and veggies and things, and started drinking more agua. I even bought some carrots and some spinach, cuz apparently it's like the healthiest thing in the world. I put some in my omelets, and it's that not bad at all. I think mom said that spinach is dad's least favorite food, but to me it kinda just tastes like broccolli. but idk, food is just food to me. But I think my body is a lot happier with me, previous to this last week I had been eating a lot of ramen, and that it's pretty much horrible for you, I'm feeling better without it. I've been taking 20 min naps at luch just to give my body a little more rest, and that has been doing wonders for me as well.

President Petersen awesome, I love that man. He gave me a blessing Monday night. Him and Elder Badger, and it was really an amazing blessing, and it gave me a lot of comfort. He came to our Zone Meeting on Wednesday, but it sounds like he told you guys about that as well. Zone Meeting went really well, I was glad President could come. I love the missionaries in this mission. I've made some friendships out here that will definately carry on into the eternities. They're my family right now, and I love different meetings and exchanges and things, because I love seeing my other friends out here.

  Let me tell you something awesome that happened. Last night we went and saw Jerry. I know I told ya'll about him. He's an older gentlemen who is addicted to alcohol, and always talks about how he wakes up mad, and feels like God has forsaken him. Well, he is a freakin stud, because he's been keeping his reading commitments. We left him Alma ch 14, where Alma and Amulek are thrown in prison, and are chained up and beat because they were crying repentance, and how the spirit of the Lord gives them strength, and they break the bands, and walk out of the prison as it crumbles on those that persecuted them, and Jerry loved it. He could relate to the suffering Alma and Amulek felt, and he said he had been praying like we asked him to, and that when he prayed, he felt like he was wakling out of that prison, and leaving all of his sorrows and worries behind. He said that he's never felt so happy or so close to God, and that he's coming to church with us next Sunday. That's a huge step! He told us when we first met him that we'd never get him inside the mormon church. The Lord is working miracles in his life. I was so happy hearing that last night...

  Rochelle is so solid. She was the girl Elder Graham and I baptized a few weeks ago, and man. She has really warmed up to the ward. She's in choir, and she's the president of the investigators class we have in the Little Rock ward, and she's been fellowshipping the investigators coming in like crazy, she's awesome.

  I don't know exactly when I'll be calling on Christmas Day, probably sometime in the evening.We have Sacrament Meeting at 11:30. I think I'll try and call maybe around 4 or 5. It depends on when we're having dinner. It'll probably be closer to the evening, don't worry you can definately go to sacrament meeting. I love you guys.... I'm so greatful for such a wonderful family. Elder Graham told me to tell you all thank you for the Christmas presents, he wasn't expecting to get anything for Christmas, and he ended up getting qiute a few gifts. He's been really happy about that. Thank you so much. I love you. talk to you soon

Elder LeBaron

Dear Family,

 

 

   Thank you for your emails. I really appreciate them a lot. It's always nice knowing you have a family back home that supports you. I don't know what'd I'd do without all of you.

 

   This past week was good. Tuesday I got to go on exchanges with Elder Hanneman, and he's like the definition of a stud. Right out of High School he got drafted to play for the Kansas City Royals (MLB) and they offered him a $350,000 signing bonus, and he turned them down to go serve a mission. He's legit, he actually came out with my companion, Elder Graham, and so he's been out for about 17 months. He's one of the District Leaders in the zone, so I've gotten to know him pretty well. Whats really legit about him is that he's really humble, he hesitates to tell ne one that he got drafted and doesn't like a lot of people to know, I have a lot of respect for him for that, he's awesome. Word on the skreet is that he might be my next companion, since Elder Graham is probably goin' over the river and Elder Hanneman is probably going Zone Leader. I'd be happy with whatever. Exchanges with him were great though, the Lord led us to some people that were for sure prepared, and we saw a few miracles, it was an awesome day.

 

  We had Zone Leader Council on Thursday, and it was over in the Stake Center in Memphis, so I got to go back to Memphis for a day, that was sweet. I miss Memphis. When we were drivin over the Mississippi River looking at Midtown and that big sign that says "Memphis" I felt like I was coming home, lol. I love that place. We drove for probably 6 hours total that day, we went over with the AP's and came back with the NLR Zone Leaders, so it was a slow day. We wished we could have gotten out and done some work, but I took a nap, so that was pretty nice. Zone Leader Council was really great, President is such a spiritual giant, I really look up to him. We talked about daring to stand alone, and going against the grain, not being average, but being everything within our own potential and power. Doing the Lord's work, the Lord's way, and by his power. Elder Badger gave me a surprise 10 minutes to speak on elminating fear, lol, he wanted me to do the balloon object lesson for all the Zone Leaders, so that was cool.

 

  The rest of the week went well, I don't have tons of time so I'm gonna keep this one really short. Elder Graham and I have to go back and finish planning Zone Meeting, it's on Wednesday, so wich us luck.

 

  Oh, and I got pulled over for the first time on my mission two nights ago. I did an illegal U-Turn in an intersection, and I guess this Lady cop was chillin on the other side of the intersection, I just didn't see her. She just gave me a warning, so that was a relief. I just used my good looks and charm. U know how I do. jk. ;) I think God decided to give me a break on that one, I was pretty greatful.

 

I know this is way short. But I love ya'll.

 

Elder LeBaron.

11.28.11

What up, what up?

 

How ya'll doin? sounds like you had a fun trip to good ole Utah. I hope the turkey was tasty. Elder Graham and I had some turkey too. We actually went over to this nice old ladies home and ate with her family. She's 83, so she's getting up there. There was turkey, the ham, the potatoes- the works. The cool thing was, we brought our investigator Houston, he's an older guy, I think he's in his 70's, but he looks and acts like he's closer to 50. His family actually live in Utah, so he didn't have anyone to celebrate trukey day with, so I was glad Sister Colewell said it was cool if we brought him along. He really seemed to enjoy it, and said that the discussion answered some of his questions. Houston is legit. Or as Elder Graham would say with his jamaican accent- YouStin!

 

Elder Graham cracks me up. His accent is cool. "You think she enjoyed our me-tin (meeting)"?" or, every morning he'll ask me, "Did you have nice rest?" I guess in Jamacia they don't use the word sleep, they just say rest. He pronounces my name more like Ell-la labarin. I think the L in Elder and in LeBaron just throws him off and his tongue gets confused. He has taught me some Jamacian though.

"Wha a gwan my yute? " Which means, "whats going on, my yute?" yute is like bro or dude in jamacia.  He's cool. He's too charitable. He's like the nicest man I've ever met. He does my diches for me before I can even finish eating, or he'll make my bed, and he gave me like 5 tie's already. I learned not to compliment his ties, because if you tell him he's wearing a nice tie you'll find it hanging in your closet the next day. Elder Graham is legit.

 

To sum up the week, we baptized Rochelle Saturday. Yeah Buddy! and I confirmed her in church yesterday. She's awesome, and the Little Rock ward is awesome, I'm so happy I'm in a ward that is functioning properly and knows how to coordinate with the full time missionaries. Rochelle already has hometeachers, and tons of fellowshippers, a permanent ride to church. She's set in stone. Sister Lewis took her to a relief society activity. It's the best transition I've ever seen with any of my recent converts. It's so good. She makes a wonderful addition to the ward, lol. She's a big woman, and she's way loud, and loves to talk, and sing, and she's just so alive. I love her.

 

We're coming up to the close of the month of November. Our Zone is sitting on 9 baptisms 8 confirmations right now... which is an improvement, but it's bitter sweet. Like my good friend Dustin Taylor always used to say, almost only counts in horseshoes and hand granades. We got closer to hitting our goal this month, but we still didn't hit it. I was dissappointed. Not discouraged, just disappointed. This Zone has so many stud missionaries, and yet only 4 companionships baptized in our zone. thats 33% of the missionaries. Which President said is actually a common statistic for every mission, 33% of the missionaries get like 90% of the baptisms. Our goal is to get everyone baptizing. We have 12 companionships, so our goal was 12, and we're gonna keep it at 12 for December as well. We want every missionary to realize this is a team effort, all for 1 and 1 for all. It's great that some missionaries are baptizing, but if every missionary isn't baptizing then we're not working at our full potential. I've come to realize that one of my biggest weaknesses as a Zone Leader is critisizing. If I see a problem with a companionship or District, I point it out and tell them to fix it... We have Conference Calls every Monday morning where we talk to the District Leaders about how the mission and more specifically the Zone is doing, and I look at the numbers and want to just call people to repentance and tell them to grow a pair and go get it done, I see that even some of the District Leaders are turning in numbers that are less than praise worthy, and I wanna call them out, but I'm thankful Elder Graham keeps me in line. It's all about being a Shepherd and not a Sheep Herder. When you push people, there's gonna be resistance, when you lead people, they just follow. I'm learning a lot this transfer. I just feel like leading takes so much longer than pushing, when are they gonna start following? I need some more patience.

 

Thanksgiving was great though. I love southern cookin', When I come home Christmas Day 2012, I want to have some Sweet Potatoe Pie, Fried Ocra, Biscuits fresh out the oven, Greens, Deep Fried Cat-fish, Hush Puppies, and then pour gravy all over it. With a big glass of red kool-aid, Idk if the kool-aid is southern or just ghetto. Then dad will have to learn how to do some Memphis Style BBQin'. cuz that's where it's at. With some Corky's BBQ Sauce.

 

So my official humpday of the mish is in 17 days. That means I get to burn a shirt. To inform ya'll, my camera is kinda jacked up. I'm not sure how it got that way, but ne way, I was talkin to Elder Carson this morning on the phone, and I mentioned my jacked up camera, and he told me he found a camera on the side of the street, that works perfectly. It even comes with a case. So he said I can have it as a Christmas present, so I'll take some pictures of the Holidays and me lighting a shirt on fire for you guys. Speaking of things that are broken, my bike is in bad shape, but we found out there's a guy in the ward that's way good with bikes and he's gonna take a look at mine. I can still ride it, the brakes are just broken, lol. When I was with Elder Kowalk, I would just stick my shoe on the top of the back tire to slow it down, it works pretty effectively. But I should be getting that all fixed up here pretty soon, so no worries.

 

Two of our investigators are getting married on the 11th of Dec, and then we'll have their baptism on the 17th, so that's exciting. They are super solid. Hopefully we'll be able to get Houston baptized this month, he has a super strong testimony, and tells us he's received countless witnesses from the holy spirit that the LDS church is true, but he say's he doesn't want to get baptized yet. He feels the Lord wants him to wait and learn more first, which is okay, it's a longer process for some people, I just hope it happens next month.

 

I love you all. I appreciate your emails. Keep it real. Hang Loose. Have a nice week. Spread some Holiday Cheer.

 

 

Elder LeBaron