Hola a todos!

What a challenging week. Am I right? We have been struggling to keep appointments with our friends because people are busy. They are interested though which is awesome!

I am enjoying my time out here as a missionary learning and living the gospel of Jesus Christ. We, as missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, teach lessons every day that help others come unto Christ. Usually when we meet someone we ask: “would you like to hear a message about Jesus Christ?” Most of the time the answer is: “Sorry I don’t have time today” or “I am not interested in what you have to say.” It’s hard for me to understand, sometimes, the reasons for their lack of interest. Seeking out those who are interested is hard, I’m not going to sugarcoat it. 

Our activities as missionaries range from preparing ourselves to serve by studying our assigned language, the scriptures, keeping ourselves fit, giving service, listening to people and their challenges, giving blessings, teaching the principles of the gospel, and encouraging people to find lasting joy in life by following Christ.

In Doctrine and Covenants 11:21, we hear the Lord’s voice speaking to His missionaries:

“Seek not to declare my word, but first seek to obtain my word, and then shall your tongue be loosed; then, if you desire, you shall have my spirit and my word, yea, the power of God unto the convincing of men.”

I like this scripture because it teaches us that we must do our part to prepare to teach His word, and then He will help us to share it with others. I invite you to prepare to share the joy of the gospel with others.  As you do this, consider the following:

– How should I teach from the scriptures?

– What questions should I ask when I teach?

– What types of questions should I ask?

– How can I listen better to those I teach and to the Spirit?

These are all great questions to think about. As missionaries, one of our main goals is to teach, but you can do it too!  Just like a High School math teacher explains a math problem to his students, you too can explain the gospel of Jesus Christ to your friends and family.

I love my mission. I have learned how to communicate my feelings better and have come to understand that I am truly a child of God and that He loves me.

Thank you all for the love and support that has been shown to me. I miss you all and look forward to seeing y’all very soon. You are awesome! Keep up the great work.

✌️ ❤️ 😎

Until next week when I will hit a year out on my mission!

Hola a todos,  

This week was intense. We have been visiting many Spanish members of the Spanish Via Verde Ward here in Paradise Valley. I love that a Spanish Ward is located here. This is my first time attending a Spanish Ward, and it feels no different from an English Ward.  The Gospel is true in English and Spanish!!!

I am so grateful to be serving here. I hope that I can stay here for at least 6 months. I have seen so many blessings while serving here. For example, I taught my first complete Spanish lesson this week. It was awesome and very uplifting. I feel I have come a long way in learning my Spanish. I have grown to love Spanish more now that I have been out here for almost a year.

In Doctrine and Covenants 90:11 says:

“Every man shall hear the fullness of the gospel in his own tongue, and in his own language, through those who are ordained unto its power.”

The scriptures are true. The Gospel will be taught throughout the world in every language. It’s a blessing to know that the gift of tongues is real. With the help of the Lord, nothing is impossible. I can testify of that.

Here are some ways from the Preach My Gospel guide book  (pg133) that have helped me strengthen my teaching in Spanish:  

1. Recognize that you have been called of God by a prophet.

2. Live worthy of the companionship of the Holy Ghost.

3. Be obedient to the commandments and missionary standards

4. Pray sincerely for divine assistance 🙏 

5. Seek the gifts of the spirit, including the gift of tongues and the gift of interpretation of tongues 

6. STUDY, PRACTICE and use the mission language each day.

All these can help anyone to be a better disciple of Jesus Christ and to succeed. I pray that this email lights a flame inside each one of you to start learning a new language. Trust me the beginning will be a little rocky, but once you get the hang of it you will find peace and happiness, and will want to learn more. 

Thanks for all the support and love given and shown to me. 

Keep being awesome and will see you guys real soon!

BUENE SUERTE ESTA SEMANA!! 

✌️❤️ 😃 😎 

Hola a todos!

This week was super HOT! People stay indoors because of high temperatures during the day.

I am enjoying my new area. For this transfer I have not one, but two companions: Elder Johnson from Tennessee, and Elder Rasmussen from Idaho. I am looking forward to learning to work with these new companions. So far I have found out that it’s harder to work in a trio because not everything is equally distributed such as speaking time.  There is a good thing about being in a trio:  we can visit a single woman; we do not need an extra priesthood holder.

This week, we found 5 new people who seem truly interested in turning their lives around. I enjoyed the visits to the new people. I am excited that a lot of people here are interested in learning more. I have never seen this many people wanting to hear our message. I am truly grateful for the opportunity to be in this area.

I feel that my mission experience has improved. I feel It has become much easier to talk to people in Spanish and English. Also, I have found new ways of doing missionary work. I learned that when teaching a lesson, questions are always a good idea. We can use open-ended questions, factual questions, and evaluative questions to make sure those whom we teach understand our message.  I guess I have been asking questions, but now I am more aware of this.

This past week we had a Book of Mormon Study group at a member’s home and talked about Alma 32:33 which says: 

And now, behold, because ye have tried the experiment, and planted the seed, and it swelleth and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow, ye must needs know that the seed is good.

This scripture compares a mustard seed to faith. In order for the seed (faith) to grow, you must feed it with prayer, faith, attending church, reading your scriptures, and many other ways too. Missions are a good way to grow this seed. My seed has grown so much it has reached a small tree. My faith in Christ is so strong that I can press forward in my mission each new day in spite of challenges.  I am grateful for this feeling.

I love each and every one of you and hope for the best. You guys are the best supporters I have ever had. Thanks for all the love and care shown to me. I love you all and have a good week! 👍 😎 🔥

ELDER BALDWIN ❤️

Hola a todos,

This past week was awesome. On Sunday, I gave a talk in Sacrament meeting in the Snowflake 6th Ward. The title was Foundations of Faith and I based my remarks on a talk given by Elder Quentin L. Cook during General Conference in 2017 called by the same name. This is a great  talk! President Cook encouraged all of us to build our faith through scripture reading, going to church every Sunday, and enduring to the end. I chose two principles from the talk that impress me—Faith and Patience. I shared personal experiences and scripture stories that helped illustrate these Gospel principles.

MY MOTHER’S CANCER: In 2012 my Mother, whom I love so very much, was diagnosed with breast cancer. This was a very difficult period of time in my life because I did not want to see her go through that. I was 10-years old and I remember feeling doubtful and overwhelmed. I was worried for my Mother because I wasn’t sure if she was going to make it. On one occasion as I was feeling down, I remember feeling a prompting that said: “Joshua say a prayer.”  I wasn’t sure where that feeling came from, but I knew that Heavenly Father answered prayers. So I knew that if I said a prayer, it would help my mother recover faster. Deciding to obey the prompting, I knelt down and prayed, and asked Heavenly Father to please help my mom recover. I told him: “I can’t live life without her, she means the world to me.”   As I finished that simple prayer with the faith that a 10-year-old boy can muster, I had a feeling that she was going to make it through this terrible ordeal.

That day I learned a few lessons.  I learned that asking Heavenly Father for help in our hour of need with even a little faith, can bless our lives.  I also learned that trusting that my mother was in the Lord’s hands was very important. The other important thing that I learned was that the teachings of the Gospel can become alive as we go through these experiences.  Knowing that through Jesus Christ families can be together forever gave me hope. 

Since that day, and with time and much effort, my prayers have become more open with Heavenly Father. I know that he does answer my prayers. I have learned to trust him more, and I know I can always ask for what I need.  Asking, Trusting and Knowing have helped me learn more about Faith, the power of Faith and the blessings that come as a result of it. 

You will be glad to hear that as of now, my mother has been in remission for 10 years.  With faith, the help of doctors and family, and much patience—it took 7 years for her to feel better— she is now considered a Cancer Survivor.  She is a strong role model and leader to me. I am here today because of the work she put in, in teaching me about the importance of faith and miracles.

THE WOMAN WITH THE ISSUE OF BLOOD: I would like to share another story. This story comes from the Bible. This story also illustrates the two ideas I am sharing with you today: Faith and Patience.

 In Luke 8: 43-49, we read about a woman who had had an issue of blood for twelve years and who was healed as a result of her faith in the Master.

   And a woman having an issue of blood 12 years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any,

   Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched.

   And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?

   And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me.

   And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately.

   And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.” (Luke 8:43-48)

Can you imagine having a health problem, or any kind of problem for 12 years?  I know that when I have faced challenges for more than a few weeks or months I have become discouraged, or tired, even impatient.

This woman was very patient and showed great faith. She knew that Christ would heal her if she touched His garment. Her patience and belief encouraged her to act.  This completed the last step of building her faith. She acted!  We too can do what she did: have faith, be patient, and act.

DRIVING IN THE MISSION FIELD: My last story is about how faith and patience helped me endure the waiting time to be able to drive here in the mission field. Perhaps you think this is silly, but I tell you, not being able to drive is hard. After I’m done with this story you are probably going to try to enjoy your driving more in case one day you can’t drive! 😂

Ever since I came out into the mission field I have been waiting, patiently, for the opportunity to drive. Each time a new transfer came around, I would find out that my companion would be the assigned driver. It would upset me so much that I did not know what to do. I began to feel like I wasn’t trusted with a mission vehicle, and that I would never drive. This situation went on until this transfer. At the beginning of this transfer I was worried. Many thoughts began to pop up in my head. What if I don’t drive? Why don’t they trust me? I had to exercise my muscle of faith, and be patient.

As this transfer began I was nervous to look on the assigned driver roster and sure enough when I looked my name was there! I felt so happy!  I felt very excited. I felt that my time had finally come. I learned that having patience and faith even in things like this it’s important.  Faith and patience in all things are keys to finding lasting happiness.

I was lucky to give this talk the Sunday before I left for Via Verde in Paradise Valley, Arizona; a suburb of Phoenix. It was difficult though to say goodbye to the members of Snowflake. I spent 3 months in this area and I felt I was just getting to, finally, know the members. Everyone there is so caring towards my companion and I am truly going to miss that area. 

I appreciate being on a mission, but when you get moved around so much and cannot settle down in an area for a while, it’s hard. Please pray that I stay in this new area where I am at right now for at least 6 to 8 months. I really want an opportunity to feel what it is like to serve in one area for that long.

Seeing and understanding the Gospel of Jesus Christ after you have been serving for 11 months is awesome.  So much knowledge can be obtained from serving a mission!!

I testify that this work I am doing at this time will bless my family, friends, and me in many ways.  You guys are the best! I love the support and cards I receive.

Please continue to send me cards. I love you all and will talk next week!

✌💓😎

BUENA SUERTE ESTA SEMANA!

Hola todos,

“And blessed are they who shall seek to bring forth my Zion at that day, for they shall have the gift and the power of the Holy Ghost; and if they endure unto the end they shall be lifted up at the last day, and shall be saved in the everlasting kingdom of the Lamb; and whoso shall publish peace, yea, tidings of great joy, how beautiful upon the mountains shall they be.”(1 Nephi 13:37)

This scripture explains that those who bring forth the Lord’s work shall have the gift and power of the Holy Ghost and if they endure to the end,  they will be exalted on high in the next life. I truly know this to be true.

It’s been such a blast to be out on a mission. I have learned many lessons. I encourage each young man and woman who will be reading my blog to think about serving a  mission. It is the greatest experience you will ever have in your entire life as a youth. I invite those who want to serve missions to talk to your Bishops and ask WHAT DO I NEED TO DO TO SERVE A MISSION? I know that if you do this you will find more joy in your life than you have ever felt before. I know this to be true.

Many things have happened since my last email. First off, many of the missionaries that I have known since I have been out on mission have gone home. They finished their service to the Lord and have returned home with honor. It’s sad to see them go, but I hope that eventually I will see them again. It’s crazy how when you are busy doing the Lord’s work the time flies. Next month on September 27th, I will be celebrating my first year serving and I feel I have made changes in my life.

I am grateful for this opportunity to learn, serve, and teach about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This week we found a very nice lady who seems interested in learning more about Christ. I am very excited to teach her about the Gospel. I testify that what we teach as missionaries—the principles and ordinances of the Gospel— changes lives.

This past week I had exchanges with Elder Hatch, my Zone Leader. I can not explain how much I have learned from him. He is a great and knowledgeable missionary with a strong testimony and broad understanding of the mission purposes.  By serving with him I learned how to communicate with people much better and how to express my love for them—very important skills to have.  Elder Hatch is a beast Missionary. He explained to me that the mission isn’t about NUMBERS, it is about finding those who are fully committed to be baptized and to restart their life. Many missionaries think sometimes it’s all about NUMBERS, NUMBERS,NUMBERS. The question that often comes up is: “How many people can you Baptize in a transfer?”  Although numbers are important because they reflect missionary work, I want to focus on those that are fully committed to learning and have a desire to become members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I know there are many people seeking the Lord and His blessings.  I want to be available to teach the “ONE.”

This past week we were lucky to have a member of the Church teaching us about roping on preparation day.  He attends the 1st Ward; his name is Terry Stratton. He is such a loving and caring guy.! I enjoyed this activity and I think that was pretty cool.

Learning new things is exciting!

Thank you all for the love and support. I miss each and every one of you, and pray for you each day too. Keep up the great work

p.s. August 30th is transfers. I will be heading into my 8/17 transfers of my mission. We’ll see if I stay or if I go!

Buena Suerte este semana!  💕 ✌️ 😎

Adios! Until next week.

Hola a todos,

This past week was a tough learning experience. Many of the members, with whom we had set lessons, did not answer their doors. It’s difficult at times when all you want to do is share a message to change their lives. Thousands of missionaries today go through the same obstacles. The Savior experienced constant rejection too.  Not much to do other than continue working hard praying to find those who want to hear the good news the Gospel brings.

My favorite part of the week was attending sacrament meetings for the 11th ward here in Snowflake Arizona. We had the opportunity to listen to a mission president and his wife who had recently returned from serving a 3-year-long mission in Uruguay. They spoke about having to send home 120 missionaries because of the Covid-19 Virus. I can imagine how hard it would be to have to send that many missionaries home!

We need Missionaries NOW! Every day the world gets darker and darker. We must encourage each other to serve one another. Thanks for the love and care and support that I have received throughout my mission so far. I appreciate the love you give me! ❤️ ✌️ 🙏 😎

Elder Baldwin

Hey y’all,

Interesting week for me.

So after I got released from the hospital I got stuck and quarantined in my apartment  for a week and a half. Let me tell you it was no fun at all. Being cooped up in a place for a week and a half can have effects on you mentally and physically! It definitely affected me mentally because after I got out—back to work—it felt strange.

Not seeing members for a week and a half was difficult. I am glad I am finally out.!!!

The last  couple of days we have been visiting members again. Many of them approached me and said: “I heard you were in the hospital, are you doing ok?” I said “Yes, I’m doing so much better thanks to you guys. Thank you for all the prayers and dinners I received during this time.”

Snowflake is a heavily populated member area. The people are kind and serviceable.  Most of them tell me “Thank you for serving here in Snowflake Elder you are doing a great job”. It is always nice to hear from members that the work is good.

Not much happened this past week because of Covid—my companion Elder Carn came down with Covid too. I am glad to be out of the hospital and back in the Lord’s work.  I love every one of you!

There is a video I love called “Being an Agent to Act. In it, Elder Bednar talks about having faith to see the miracles in life.

In the scriptures, the prophet Alma testifies of the same principle that  Elder Bednar talks about. Alma said “And now as I said concerning faith—faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true.”  Alma the prophet and Elder Bernard testify that faith is necessary to see miracles. 

I have a firm testimony of the church, and of the knowledge I have gained so far while I have been out serving a mission. It’s crazy-enlightening to dive deep into the doctrine of the Gospel. I am grateful for the time I have to do that.

I truly believe I am blessed with the best parents In the whole world. I wouldn’t be here without their knowledge and diligence in encouraging me to serve. Thanks for all you do for me Mami and Dad. You guys are the best. Love you guys.

Thanks to all for the support during this long week and a half I was quarantined. I learned a lot while I was out. One thing I learned was to eat healthier foods, and to plan out my meals better. Another thing I learned was that our Heavenly Father is always there for us. He will never leave us alone to suffer.

Love you all and will see you very soon!

BUENA SUERTE! ✌️ 😎 ❤️

Elder Baldwin

Hey y, all! This past week was crazy 🤪. I came down with COVID-19 on Wednesday, July 26th.

It all started Wednesday last week when I had a sore throat. Then once Thursday came around I started feeling severe congestion and a tremendous pain in my chest. I asked my companion Elder Carn for a priesthood blessing, which he gave to me. My symptoms continued through Friday evening until my roommates took me to Summit Regional Medical Center to the ER that late evening in Show Low, Arizona. While there, they performed an Echocardiogram test on my heart. Turns out the wall that was protecting my heart was being attacked. So the doctors kept me there for 2 days and 2 nights.

I am truly grateful for this learning experience because while at the hospital I had time to think and ponder. In April 2010, during General Conference, President Dallin H. Oaks, a member of the First Presidency gave a talk called HEALING THE SICK. I listened to this talk the second night I was in the hospital because I couldn’t sleep very well. It was a wonderful experience to hear what he had to say.

In his talk, he spoke about the powers of the priesthood and the blessings that come from keeping the Ten Commandments. He said:

“Latter-day Saints believe in applying the best available scientific knowledge and techniques. We use nutrition, exercise, and other practices to preserve health, and we enlist the help of healing practitioners, such as physicians and surgeons, to restore health.

The use of medical science is not at odds with our prayers of faith and our reliance on priesthood blessings. When a person requested a priesthood blessing, Brigham Young would ask, “Have you used any remedies?” To those who said no because “we wish the Elders to lay hands upon us, and we have faith that we shall be healed,” President Young replied: “That is very inconsistent according to my faith. If we are sick and ask the Lord to heal us, and to do all for us that is necessary to be done, according to my understanding of the Gospel of salvation, I might as well ask the Lord to cause my wheat and corn to grow, without my plowing the ground and casting in the seed. It appears consistent to me to apply every remedy that comes within the range of my knowledge, and [then] to ask my Father in Heaven…to sanctify that application to the healing of my body.”

Of course, we don’t wait until all other methods are exhausted before we pray in faith or give priesthood blessings for healing. In emergencies, prayers and blessings come first. Most often we pursue all efforts simultaneously. This follows the scriptural teachings that we should “pray always” and that all things should be done in wisdom and order.”

Sunday came and I was told by my nurse that I was going to get discharged from the hospital that day around 12-1. And so I did. At the moment, I am quarantined back at the Sundance house in my study room away from my companion and roommates. 😃 😊

It’s been hard not being able to visit members and share our message. What’s crazy is that since I couldn’t go out to visit the members, the members brought me vitamins and groceries from Walmart. It’s just amazing how much missionaries are looked out for and loved here in Snowflake Arizona. It’s super tough though I am not going to lie. Being away from family for two years and getting Covid is super hard. But once we reached out to the members of the church, they care for you and bring you things that make you feel loved.  it’s just amazing!!!!  I can testify that we have some good members up here. I am grateful for these members and how much they help to further the work of the Lord.

I am so grateful for all the prayers that have been offered on my behalf. I am feeling 3x better than before thanks to all the care and support I received and will continue to receive.

Thank you all for being there for me. I did feel alone at times, but knowing that I was being thought of, really helped. I love you all and have a blessed, healthy, safe week.

✌️ ❤️ 😎

Elder Baldwin

Happy Monday Y’all!

This week was awesome! We have continued teaching the “B” family. They came to church again yesterday, Sunday July 24th. The best part of a Sunday is having our families come to church! It’s awesome to see this family wanting to better their lives.

This week we are planning on inviting them to begin their journey on the Covenant Path by being baptized.

This week we celebrated Pioneer’s Day with the community.  The festivities ranged from games, performances, good food, arts and crafts and Car Show. They had the grocery run , keg barrel race and chicken catch. Also a lot of fun was the money calf run and all sorts of other fun activities. I have decided I am coming back for the 4th and the 24th of July to Snowflake after my mission for sure! We also enjoyed the parade – I rode on a space-themed float with a life-size lunar module and the words: “Pioneers of yesterday took one giant for mankind. Pioneers of today take ‘one small step for man preparing to live in a higher and holier way.’

We also enjoyed a Pioneer program, rodeo and fireworks!  I have never seen anything like it!  Snowflake was flooded with people coming from out of town bringing with them the spirit of Celebration!

I am grateful for my pioneer heritage and freedom of religion. All of us are pioneers in many ways and celebrating these freedoms feels good!   I know for sure it was hard for the pioneers to do what the Lord asked them to do-crossing the plains was a difficult task.  We might not be asked to do the same, but the Lord has asked us to do hard things too.  The Pioneers gave us great examples of obedience and hard work.  They got us to where we are today, and now we can take it from here.  Let’s not disappoint!

I am grateful for family and just like Vin Diesel says “Family is everything”. I experienced a sense of family togetherness during the celebrations and it felt awesome to know that through the Gospel of Jesus Christ families can be together forever. Wouldn’t you want to be with your family forever? I know I would.

Thanks for all the love and support you all have continued to show me!

 I love you all, and good luck this week! Buena Suerte Adios! 👋 ✌️ 😎

Elder Baldwin

Hey y’all!

This week was my last week of transfer #6. Change is good but stressful too. It takes forever to get used to new areas, new companions, and new weather; although here in Snowflake it is cool and beautiful!

We have continued teaching many good families here in the area. We had 5 people come to church on Sunday this past week. It was amazing to see how these young people are deciding to change their lives. This is what we should be doing too.  Changes can take place all the time and hopefully for the better.  For those who are desirous to change, the Book of Mormon is the perfect place to start:

In Alma 34:18-26  we read:

“Cry unto Him for mercy

Humble yourselves

Cry unto Him in your fields, over all your flocks

Cry unto Him against your enemies

Cry unto Him against the devil

Cry unto Him over the crops of your fields

Pour out your souls in your closets and your secret places and in your wilderness.”

And if you want to change even more then the Lord has more counsel for us:

Alma 34:28:

Do not turn away the needy or the naked

Visit the sick and the afflicted

Impart of your substance

“For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors.” Alma 34:32

It’s awesome to know that there is a God who loves us so much that He sent His Son Jesus Christ to be our example and to help us change from the inside out.

“The Lord works from the inside out.  The world works from the outside in.  The world would take the people out of the slums.  Christ would take the slums out of people, and then they would take themselves out of the slums.  The world would mold men by changing their environment.  Christ changes men, who then change their environment.  The world would shape human behavior, but Christ can change human nature.” (Ezra Taft Benson)

I continue to be grateful for the experiences I have every day that help me see how I can change for the best. Changes take place all the time.

Thank you all for the continued love and support you have shown me.

I love and care for you all.

Good luck this week and talk soon!✌️ ❤️ 😊 😃

Elder Baldwin – writing to you from the White Mountains of Arizona