Legends abound among the desert dwellers that a Healer walked among them and taught His redeeming Gospel. Today, His ambassadors are scattered across the Globe on an urgent rescue mission to gather those who will heed His call and bring hope to those who have forgotten their divine heritage. Among the ambassadors walks the Gentle Giant who is called for two years to serve the good people of Arizona and New Mexico. Schooling & dating can wait. Sports and Music are less a priority. Join Elder J. Sandor Baldwin as he testifies of Christ and as he discovers a fascinating land and people and, in the process, discovers himself.
[Left] No Rest for the Weary 😂 [Right] Elder Stewart and Me
Hola a todos! This week was awesome! I prepared this week to receive my new Companion Elder Stewart. Elder Stewart is one of my favorite companions I have had on my mission. He loves the work and wants to help see it progress. I have learned a lot from him already. He has taught me how to dedicate myself more to the work by visiting and teaching as many people as we can throughout the day.
In Preach My Gospel, it states that missionaries should “teach in unity.” First quoting Doctrine and covenants 42:6: “Ye shall go forth in the power of my spirit, preaching my gospel, two by two.” And then finishing with a promise: “Your teaching will be more powerful and interesting if you and your Companion work together in unity”.
Last trio Pic with Elders Johnson and Graham before transfers
When we are unified in the work, it becomes much easier to us because both missionary companions know what the other is thinking and what should be said next. I invite you all to be unified in your families and continue to strive to become better.
I would also like to give a shout out to my little sister Eszter Galilee who will be turning 15 on Nov 29th 2022. She is awesome and is turning out to be a great Tennis Player. Eszter if you’re reading this, may God Bless you forever! I look forward to the day when I can give you a big hug.
Happy Birthday Eszter! 🥳🎾🎈
Thank you all for your love and support towards me. I really need it. It is difficult out here without it. May God bless you all this week and protect each and every one of you as well!✌️❤️ 😎
THE ELDER BALDWINO!
Our newest addition to Elder Stewart’s and mine companionship
Hola a todos! This week was awesome. We have continued teaching our investigators Jordan and Alfredo. We are working hard trying to schedule with Anna because she is quite busy during the week. I have enjoyed my mission so far. It has been a journey with hard days and amazing spiritually uplifting days.
As we began to prepare for the transfer to end, I thought this area of Via Verde needs a lot of missionary work. So we tried our best at contacting and setting up as many lessons as possible with people in the area. Sadly as we know, most people don’t answer their doors. That’s where patience and faith in the Lord come into play. In Preach my Gospel on Page 63, it says that Heavenly Father blesses those who have faith to listen to and obey His son Jesus Christ.
I enjoy feasting upon the Words of Christ! I gain strength from my daily scripture study. This week, I was reminded of Nephi’s timeless counsel in 2nd Nephi 31:20:
“Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.
By pressing forward with a steadfastness in Jesus Christ, we show Him that we have a desire to change and become more like Him. I am grateful for each one of you. I have reached this point in my mission because of all the letters I have received and advice I have been given. The Lord is my salvation! I am grateful to the Lord for his support and guidance. Alma 26:12 shares my perspective:
“Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore, I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in His strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise His name forever.”
I know this scripture testifies of the truth I have been sharing for these two years! You are all awesome! Keep up the good work and I will see y’all in less than a year! Love you all and I hope these scriptures help any of those who might have been struggling this week.
Hola amigos! This week was a blast! We have been teaching three friends in the Via Verde area. These three friends are awesome and very promising. We had a lesson with one of our friends Alfredo and he was so excited to meet with us. It occurred to me that when we had come to knock on his door Thursday last week, that we should return in 15 minutes because he was a bit busy with a phone call. When we came back, he invited us into his home where we sat down and began to talk.
While we were talking, he grabs his Bible and sets it in front of us on the small table in the living room. He tells us he loves the Bible and knows it is true. We then start talking about Jesus Christ and he says: “Hold on a sec. Let me go get another book.” We wait patiently for him as it is taught in Preach My Gospel page 126: “Patience is the capacity to endure delay, trouble, opposition, or suffering without becoming angry, frustrated or anxious. It is the ability to do God’s will and accept his timing.” As he makes his way back, he brings a Spanish Book of Mormon. 😲 😱 🤯 My companions and I are shocked at the amazing miracle that occurs then. He sits back down with the Book of Mormon and begins to open it and tells us that he has read all the way to Alma (halfway through an over 500-page scriptural book) with a page turned in for his favorite chapter.
He also tells us that he has been comparing the Bible to the Book of Mormon and that many other religions like Catholics, Jehovah’s Witnesses and others have tried telling him that what we share is not true and that we are not good people. This is where faith plays its roll. If you believe in Jesus Christ, then do as our friend has been doing and compare the Book of Mormon to the Bible and you will see for yourself that THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS is the restored church upon the face of this Earth. I testify that to be true. This is one of the biggest experiences I have had so far in my mission! This experience helped build my testimony and shows that God is always watching over us. He is the Grand Leader in this work. Because of His son Jesus Christ, we can be clean of our mistakes and become better people.
There are days in the mission in which I think: “Man I wish I were home with My Dog Denali And family.” But then I think about the people out here who still need to hear the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. Missions are difficult and consist of good growth and learning experiences. I am so grateful to have a chance to serve a mission at this time. I have enjoyed the friends I have made and I am excited for these next months. Thank you all for supporting me and encouraging me to endure to the end as it is taught in the scriptures that we must endure with a full purpose of heart unto God. May God be with you all until we meet again! 🙏 ✌️ 😎 ❤️
This week was awesome. We have started bringing members to lessons. It is such a wonderful experience when a member testifies of the truth; that’s my favorite part of the lessons. We are encouraged to invite our friends to share their understanding of the Gospel and help them learn more. Also, we want to share activities with them where the Spirit is present so they can, on their own, learn about the truth through the Holy Ghost.
It is always nice to have a member invite the friends to a baptismal service so they can see what a baptism is like. It is always good to introduce your friend to the Bishop of the ward and make them feel welcomed.
To help nourish our souls:
– Missionaries should teach all the lessons before and after baptism, and members can be present to give love, support and share experiences.
– Remind new converts and returning members of commitments they made before baptism and the covenant they made when they were baptized and confirmed during one on one interactions, family home evenings and other fun moments.
– Encourage them to study the scriptures daily by studying with them using all available technology!
– Continue to teach the importance of attending church each Sunday and worthily partaking of the sacrament.
All these ideas can help members aid the missionaries in the work of the Lord. This is the Lord’s work and only through him can we bring others unto Jesus Christ. I LOVE. MY SAVIOR. He has been there for me and my family. Thank you all for your support and care for me! May this week be a week of joy and happiness and may God bless each of you as I continue to serve him.
This week was stressful. We had a few lessons planned, but of all the people we tried visiting none of them answered their doors. It felt like it was Halloween and the doors were all haunted and wouldn’t open. It is difficult when no one has the desire to listen.
We have continued teaching Jordan about the principles of happiness. He is awesome! He has come to many of our English Connect classes and he has a desire to learn more about the Church. We invite people to come and learn English and this opportunity opens the door for us to introduce the Gospel. Many people has been blessed by these English classes because in trying to learn a new language they have also learned the Gospel and and its truths.
Scripture of the week:
” when you are filled with charity, you obey God’s commandments and do all you can to serve others and help them receive the restored Gospel”. This is so true.
In Moroni 7:48 in The Book of Mormon it says “But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him,”
Our goal is to be filled with this true charity, so when our time comes to meet the Lord, whether it is soon or at the second coming of Jesus Christ we can be prepared to kneel at His feet and worship Him. Thanks for listening in! I hope this thought touched your hearts 💕.
It is a great privilege to be here as an ambassador of the Lord Jesus Christ. I look forward to when I can look into my parents’ eyes and say to them: “Mom… Dad…. I did it”! I served the Lord for 2 years. Thank you for teaching me about Jesus Christ and his love for me and my family”.
You are all awesome, Terrific, and I love you all. ❤️
This week was an eventful week. We had a friend we are teaching come to English Connect Class. From his attitude I could see he really enjoyed it. Also, many of our Guatemalan friends we met while street contacting are learning Spanish as well. It is difficult to express In Spanish the things you want to teach sometimes, this is where the gift of tongues comes into play. I have seen many miracles in my mission with the use of the gift of tongues. For example, a few days ago we were teaching a new friend—Hugo. He has some things he is going through, and we as missionaries are there to help him solve those things by sharing perspectives and new ideas. With the help of the Holy Ghost we can communicate, even when our Spanish is not perfect.
Missionary work is not easy, you must learn to use your time wisely. As a missionary you are only out serving for 2 years and once those 2 years are up you return to normal life. What you learn here, CANNOT be learned anywhere else.
MY MISSION PRESIDENT SAID THIS ONCE: “If you come out on a mission and you go through the mission with no changes, then you didn’t serve correctly. But if you serve, and learn, and grow, and let the mission go through you, and you see that changed person in yourself once you get home, then you served correctly and to the best of your ability. LET THE MISSION change you.” I have come to learn that on a mission is where you grow the most. Everyday I spend at least 5 hrs talking to people in their homes or out on the street.
The Preach My Gospel instruction book page 143 states: “as you devote your time and attention to serving the Lord, leaving behind all other personal affairs, the Lord will bless you with increased strength, knowledge and testimony of the Restoration and of the truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ”. PMG Is one of the main missionary tools we use. It teaches us how to use time wisely, how to find people to teach and guides us through the 5 Lessons we as missionaries teach on a daily basis. I encourage each of you to continue working hard and to become disciples of Jesus Christ today. There are people out in this world that need to hear this message.
I know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches the true gospel of Jesus Christ and that Jesus Is the Christ. I know that we are preparing this world for his second coming too. I know the Book Of Mormon is true with all my heart.
Thank you all for your continuous love and support. You are all fantastic people and I look forward to the day when we can see each other again. Have an awesome Week and see you all SOON!
This week was super tough. Not very many Hispanics had a desire to listen to our message about the restored Gospel Of Jesus Christ this week. It was difficult approaching many of them because they would ignore us and walk off, or they would listen to us, but they would not act on the invitation.
Change has continued to be on my mind. In order for YOU to change your life and be more dedicated to Jesus Christ YOU have to commit to follow his teachings. The Word of Wisdom is one of the restored principles of the gospel that can bring peace and health. In Doctrine and Covenants 89:18-21 we learn about the blessings of following the Lords health code which that we must abstain of certain foods to be truly healthy and receive the blessings.
18 And all saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments, shall receive health in their navel and marrow to their bones;
19 And shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures;
20 And shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint.
21 And I, the Lord, give unto them a promise, that the destroying angel shall pass by them, as the children of Israel, and not slay them. Amen.
I have seen a big difference in my life obeying the Word Of Wisdom. I feel my body and mind are stronger because of it. It makes it so much easier to play the sports I love: Pickleball, Basketball and Tennis. The Lord has given us these guidelines because he loves us so very much! I don’t think of these teachings as rules I must follow. I think of them as protection barriers from the harmful worldly addictions like drugs, smoking, and vaping.
Testimony is one of the topics I really like. I learned more about is as I studied it in Preach my Gospel on Page 201 (Bear Testimony frequently)
In this section of Preach Gospel it states that we as missionaries must bear our testimonies of the Gospel Of Jesus Christ frequently throughout the lessons we teach. This is important because it invites the Spirit to testify of the truth. For your testimony to have convincing power, you must be sincere. You can also give witness that what your Companion has taught is from God. BRIGHAM YOUNG WAS NOT BAPTIZED INTO THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER DAY SAINTS IMMEDIATELY AFTER LEARNING ABOUT THE RESTORATION. DURING HIS FIRST YEAR HE LEARNED ALL HE COULD AND CONTINUED TO LEARN UNTIL HE FELT HE HAD FOUND THE TRUTH. It takes time for someone to come to a knowledge of what we are teaching is true.
These two teachings of Jesus Christ have helped me become a better person while I have been out serving a 2 yr mission. Most people who have served missions say: “Missions are hard but they are worth it!” I invite all young people who will be reading this to decide to serve a mission! It is the greatest experience of your whole entire life (so far) you will ever have. Take the chance while you have it!
Thank you all for the continuous support you have shown me. I am here because of all of you. For the family members who are serving missions or will be serving missions in the next few months “Press forward with a steadfastness in Christ” and MAY GOD BE WITH YOU TILL WE MEET AGAIN!
This week was tough, but very spiritually enlightening. We had a big Spanish cultural event on Oct 8th, and it was super fun. We had a lot of good food from different countries around the world. We also had dancing and invited many non-members to this event. I have to say many came and were pleased with the outcome. I enjoyed seeing the dancing and meeting new people. This event brought me back to the times my family would have wedding events. Spanish culture is so different from American culture! Both wonderful!! I especially loved seeing my mission president break out some sweet moves. He is a dancer! Watching him and his wife mingling with the members shows that the members of the church are happy people. The Gospel allows us to share wonderful moments and make new memories.
This week in personal study I studied the new For The Strength Of Youth pamphlet. It has so many good pointers on how we, as young people, can make good choices in this life, and how we can stay out of trouble.
In the FOR THE STRENGTH OF YOUTH PAMPHLET WE LEARN THAT:
1. JESUS CHRIST IS THE WAY TO ETERNAL JOY.
2. YOU ARE A BELOVED SPIRIT CHILD OF GOD
3. YOUR FATHER IN HEAVEN TRUSTS YOU.
These three ideas found on pg 4 testify that we are on this earth for a reason and that these guidelines are here to guide us through this life to eventually one day return back to our Heavenly Father.
Mosiah 4:29-30 King Benjamin teaches the following principle:
29 And finally, I cannot tell you all the things whereby ye may commit sin; for there are divers ways and means, even so many that I cannot number them.
30 But this much I can tell you, that if ye do not watch yourselves, and your thoughts, and your words, and your deeds, and observe the commandments of God, and continue in the faith of what ye have heard concerning the coming of our Lord, even unto the end of your lives, ye must perish. And now, O man, remember, and perish not.
What can you do to involve Christ more in your life?
1. Pray morning, during meals and at bedtime.
2. Read your scriptures ex. BOOK OF MORMON, BIBLE and ponder the messages both these books contain.
3. Attend church each Sunday to partake of the sacrament and renew your covenants you have made with God.
These three actions will help you involve Christ in your life so much more! I have seen a big difference in my life as I have applied these three principles. Thank you for the love and support all of you have shown to me. I love serving a mission, and yes it is super difficult to be away from family for two years. I always remember the saying that goes like this: we as missionaries take two years out of our own lives away from our families to go out and search for those who would like to be with their families for eternity.
My mission has blessed me immensely and I have faith that it will continue to do so. I love each and every one of you and am looking forward to the time when I complete my mission honorably. But until then, my focus is on the work of the Lord!
This past weekend we had the Semiannual General Conference of the church, and let me tell you that it was spiritual recharging. I noticed that many of the speakers spoke about the importance of not judging others for the choices they make. We are all God’s children.
I enjoyed hearing from our prophet president Russell M. Nelson during the various sessions of the conference. These are a few of the highlights from his talk that spoke directly to me during the Sunday morning session.
– “Yoking ourselves to Jesus Christ which means to give our whole heart to him”.
– “Take Charge of your Testimony and don’t let it get polluted from others”.
– Cherish and honor your Covenants
– JESUS CHRIST OVERCAME THIS WORLD AND YOU CAN TOO!
– He also shared the new Book Of Mormon Video of Jesus Christ coming to the inhabitants of the American continent. IT’S IN THE GOSPEL LIBRARY! 🙌
Also, I really enjoyed the talk from Elder Mark D Eddy. Some of the remarks that spoke to me are as follows:
1. The Book Of Mormon Is A Survival Guide.
2. Reflect on the Lord’s grace.
3. Seek to cut through the adversary’s tactics.
4. He also shared that the virtue of the word of God is His Son Jesus Christ.
Both of those speakers were top notch!
I hope y’all enjoyed this weekend of General Conference. I look forward to the Day of Christ’s second coming, when the Earth 🌎 will praise and honor, and bow at his feet.
Thanks for all you do for me. I love you and I hope this weekly letter touches some of your hearts. I also hope that as a result of you reading this letter you will want to make a change in your life. Thanks again wonderful family and friends!
I am celebrating having hit 1 year in the Mission! I thought my one year mark would never come, and the realization that now has come and gone is freaking me out!! Missionary life is honestly the best life! You get to go around and teach and talk to people on the street, and in their homes. The best of all is you get to help them to see new ways to change their lives. One of the scriptures that inspired me to come on my mission is found in Joshua 24:15:
“And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
Celebrating my 1-year anniversary by treating ourselves to a shaved ice treat
As it states in Preach My Gospel Study Guide on page 116: “you can help people by reading the Book of Mormon with them”. I believe this is totally true. This idea got me thinking about How we should use the Book of Mormon in our daily lives. Many people I have met out here don’t have a desire to read the Book of Mormon because they don’t understand it. If we take time to help our friends understand the Book Of Mormon they will come to the realization that what the Book Of Mormon teaches is true, and in turn, they will be able to apply its teachings to their own lives. Through my service in the mission and The Book of Mormon I have learned that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world and that through him all things are possible.
I want everyone to experience this feeling. I am inspired by The Book of Mormon scripture found in Mosiah 2:17:
“And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.”
I am very impressed with the counsel found in the study guide. Let me share some ways we can use to help our friends understand The Book Of Mormon so they can grow their personal testimony.
1. Set up a time to read the Book Of Mormon
2. While reading it with them, stop every few verses and explain what those verses mean to you.
3. Pray sincerely and ask help from God so those you teach will be able to understand The Book Of Mormon.
4. Act on the answer you receive from God to help your friends.
If we apply these suggestions into our life, then we will be able to understand more about how The Book Of Mormon can answer the questions we have. For example, I have often wondered why the Lord uses young missionaries like me to accomplish His purposes. I found the answer in Alma 37:7:
“And the Lord God doth work by means to bring about his great and eternal purposes; and by very small means the Lord doth confound the wise and bringeth about the salvation of many souls.“
Thank you for the love and support you have shown me this past year. I couldn’t have made it this far without any of you.
Send me emails! I would love to answer them and see how you are all doing.
A Desert Sojourn by Elder J. Sandor Baldwin 