Sandor’s Desert Sojourn

  • Talent Shows, Castles and the Good Ol’ Red White & Blue 🙂

    Cześć friends and family!! Well, it’s been another GREAT couple of weeks in Poznań!! I’m so grateful to be here in this beautiful city!! Yesterday I was out of town doing legal work so my preparation day got moved to today! Here’s a couple highlights: TALENT SHOWS!! One of the things I love about Poznań…

  • Skyping Siostras / Nuns on Parade 😉

    This week has been a great one. I think something I have really been recognizing is growth this week. In myself, and in the people we are teaching! It has been such a good week!! Friends we’re teaching:   – We’ve officially started doing skype lessons with some of the people we’re teaching!! On Sunday we…

  • Nie ma za CO!

    Hej cześć friends and fam! I hope you all have had a good one!! 🙂 This week: -We had exchanges with the Bydgoszcz sister missionaries and I got to be with Siostra Miller all day!!  It was a total blast!! -This week we had our LAST Zone Conference with Prezydent and Siostra Turek.  They are…

  • HAPPY FATHERS DAY ❤

    Hejka cześć!! Hope you all have had a wonderful week! First off, I have to say HAPPY FATHERS DAY to all the fathers and wonderful fatherly figures out there!! You are so loved!! I am so grateful for my dad and for the amazing example he is to me!! I want to be just like…

  • 5ks and Chalk talks 🙂

    Hej cześć friends and fam!! Hope you all have had a wonderful week!!  Here’s a couple highlights of this week: This week we also got to volunteer at Parkrun, an organization that sponsors free 5ks every single week. We were in charge of directing the runners so they would all stay on course- it was…

  • Poznań Round 2 :))

    Hejka!! Hope you all have had a wonderful week!! Thank you for the sweet birthday wishes last week. 🙂 My birthday was wonderful!! We had transfers this last week, and for the first time ever, I’m STAYING in a city more than a transfer. Siostra Aramaki and Siostra Gornichec headed off to Łódź and Gdańsk, and I…

  • Jestem bardzo dzięki!!

    Hej cześć family and friends!  Jak tam!? It’s been an exciting crazy fun couple of weeks to be in Poznań!!! Okay so to start, we have our smartphones now!!  Many of you might have noticed that I’m back on Facebook and Messenger!  Our mission is now authorized to use online tools to help us do missionary work!…

  • Seeking Answers to Life’s Important Questions

    Hej cześć friends and family! This week I want to share an awesome teaching experience: We just started teaching a great guy who heard about the missionaries, but didn’t take action until much later.  Two years ago, he met the missionaries and played frisbee with them one day, and then just two weeks ago he…

  • Captained by Christ

    Hej cześć friends and family! As I consider my missionary experiences from this past week, I feel greatly blessed to be serving in Poznañ with my two companions—Sister Gornichec and Sister Aramaki. We kept ourselves busy with teaching appointments and meetings, we spent time reflecting on the last week of the Savior’s mortal life, and…

  • The Miracle of Being in the Right Place at the Right Time

    Dearest friends and family, It’s been another amazing week to be a missionary in Poland! Here are some highlights:  -We found out our mission is getting smartphones in a few weeks (No more little brick Nokia phones… WAHOO!!!)  It’s going to be a total game changer for missionary work and we can’t wait!  Group messages,…

  • Talent Shows, Castles and the Good Ol’ Red White & Blue 🙂

    Cześć friends and family!! Well, it’s been another GREAT couple of weeks in Poznań!! I’m so grateful to be here in this beautiful city!! Yesterday I was out of town doing legal work so my preparation day got moved to today! Here’s a couple highlights: TALENT SHOWS!! One of the things I love about Poznań…

    Cześć friends and family!!

    Well, it’s been another GREAT couple of weeks in Poznań!! I’m so grateful to be here in this beautiful city!! Yesterday I was out of town doing legal work so my preparation day got moved to today!

    Here’s a couple highlights:

    TALENT SHOWS!!

    One of the things I love about Poznań is that there’s always something crazy going on in the city! Siostra Godfrey and I were planning in the park the other day next to a fountain when we started hearing music from across the park.We looked over and auditions for Poland’s Got Talent were going on!!They had a full set of bleachers set up and dancers and singers in all kinds of costumes who took turns performing on the stage! 10/10 the best way to end a planning session haha!!

    CULTURE NIGHT

    For our culture night, we went with Marta and the Womack’s to the castle at Kórnik, about 30 minutes away from Poznań. It was so beautiful inside. Half the time I feel like I’m in a fairy tale land here—we’re literally surrounded by castles!!

    FOURTH OF JULY PARTY!!

    On the Fourth of July, we planned to have a big English class celebration and we worked really hard to prep for it–we invited everyone we could think of, prepped for a barbeque complete with burgers, chips, and all the toppings, and prepped some fun America trivia for class. We set a (somewhat high) goal of 15 people to come. And not only did we surpass our goal, we had 6 brand new people come!! It was such an awesome success and just the perfect way to celebrate 🙂

    ZONE CONFERENCE

    We had Zone Conference last week and we got to meet our new mission president, Prezydent Chandler! Both he and Sister Chandler are AMAZING and I am so excited for what is to come! They both served their first missions in Poland almost 30 years ago, and now they’re here again!

    At Zone Conference we talked about our personal relationships with Christ!! Before we can help anyone else come closer to Christ, we first have to have a relationship with him. And the more we work on our relationship with him, the more we can share His light with the people around us! We also accepted a challenge: starting last Monday to read the Book of Mormon in 40 days! We are just over a week into the challenge now, and I can say truly have never been so happy and so at peace as when I study the Book of Mormon everyday. Scriptures that I have read and heard before jump out at me in new ways, and I am learning so much!!

    This week we also had a leadership meeting in Warsaw where we talked a lot about teaching and finding people by the Spirit. It was amazing because halfway through the meeting we took half an hour to go out into the street and put what we were learning into practice! We didn’t have any amazing conversations during that time, but I felt so spiritually renewed after!! It was great!

    BACK TO THE BEGINNING :’)

    And this weekend, I took a 6-hour train ride back down to the city I started in—Katowice—to do legal work!!  And the great news is everything went well so I’m good to stay in Poland!! 🙂

    I say this over and over, but I am SO GRATEFUL to be here in Poland sharing this beautiful message. We have a Heavenly Father who loves us and knows us individually. He knows our hopes, our dream, our desires, and our weaknesses, and He wants us to succeed!! We have the ultimate older brother, Jesus Christ, who lived and died for us. Because of Jesus Christ, we don’t have to go through any part of life alone—He is always by our side! Naprawdę wiem, że On zawsze jest blisko❤️

    Kocham was tak mocno!! I love you all!! Have a wonderful week!!

    z dużooo miłością,

    Siostra Baldwin

    Letters/packages:

    Kościół Jezusa Chrystusa świętych w Dniach Ostatnich

    ul. Wiernicza 135

    02-952 Warszawa Poland

  • Skyping Siostras / Nuns on Parade 😉

    This week has been a great one. I think something I have really been recognizing is growth this week. In myself, and in the people we are teaching! It has been such a good week!! Friends we’re teaching:   – We’ve officially started doing skype lessons with some of the people we’re teaching!! On Sunday we…

    This week has been a great one. I think something I have really been recognizing is growth this week. In myself, and in the people we are teaching! It has been such a good week!!

    Friends we’re teaching:  

    – We’ve officially started doing skype lessons with some of the people we’re teaching!! On Sunday we had a skype lesson with one of the sweet girls we’re teaching, and honestly it was one of the best lessons we’ve probably ever had with her. She is young but she has continually read the Book of Mormon over the last several months and is almost at the end of 2 Nephi. For this last lesson she kept her commitment to read  Nephi 29 and she was ready with a bunch of really amazing questions. What was even cooler was at the end of the lesson, we had her explain to us what the Bible is, what the difference between the Old and the New testament are, and how the Book of Mormon is a Second witness of Christ. It was amazing to see how much knowledge and what a beautiful testimony she has gained of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and of the Book of Mormon. I am so excited for her!! The Gospel of Jesus Christ is SO life changing!

    And YES, as the title of this email suggests, we did become part of a Catholic parade (kind of). What really happened is that we were heading home on Friday and we were almost at our tram stop when a huge and I mean HUGE crowd of people started coming up the street. The literally hundreds a of priests and nuns and other people came down the street and there were so many people that we were literally pushed along. The trams were stopped all the way down the street. A ways down he street, everyone in the crowd started singing hymns together. it was probably one of the most beautiful things I have ever been a part of. It was one of those moments when you realize where you are and you are just so grateful!! And truly, I am so grateful for the mission. I am so grateful I get to share this beautiful message.

    I love you all!! I hope you have a wonderful week!! Kocham was!!!

    z dużoooo miłością,

    Siostra Baldwin

    Letters/packages:

    Kościół Jezusa Chrystusa świętych w Dniach Ostatnich
    ul. Wiernicza 135
    02-952 Warszawa Poland  

    pics:

    –Our żabka sign 🙂

    -The parade!

    -After Parkrun!

  • Nie ma za CO!

    Hej cześć friends and fam! I hope you all have had a good one!! 🙂 This week: -We had exchanges with the Bydgoszcz sister missionaries and I got to be with Siostra Miller all day!!  It was a total blast!! -This week we had our LAST Zone Conference with Prezydent and Siostra Turek.  They are…

    Hej cześć friends and fam! I hope you all have had a good one!! 🙂

    This week:

    -We had exchanges with the Bydgoszcz sister missionaries and I got to be with Siostra Miller all day!!  It was a total blast!!

    -This week we had our LAST Zone Conference with Prezydent and Siostra Turek.  They are both truly amazing and they will be so missed.  At zone conference we talked about the Atonement of Jesus Christ. One of my favorite scriptures that was discussed is 1 Corinthians 15:22 –

    For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

    And I know that this is true!! Because of Christ, we know that death is not the end.  Through Jesus Christ and his Atonement, we can all be made alive!

    This week, our district in Poznań is splitting up!  Starszy Wagley has finished his mission and is on his way home, and Starszy Posacki is headed off to Szczeczin, which means we don’t have Elders in Poznań, just Sisters!!  These next few weeks are going to be an awesome adventure! 

    I love you all!! I hope you all have a wonderful week! 

    Kocham was!!

    Siostra Baldwin

    pics:

    1. Serving in Poland or Disneyland??

    2. EXCHANGES with Siostra Miller and Siostra Lueck 🙂

    3. The Poznań branch!

    4. The Poznań missionary district

  • HAPPY FATHERS DAY ❤

    Hejka cześć!! Hope you all have had a wonderful week! First off, I have to say HAPPY FATHERS DAY to all the fathers and wonderful fatherly figures out there!! You are so loved!! I am so grateful for my dad and for the amazing example he is to me!! I want to be just like…

    Hejka cześć!! Hope you all have had a wonderful week! First off, I have to say HAPPY FATHERS DAY to all the fathers and wonderful fatherly figures out there!! You are so loved!! I am so grateful for my dad and for the amazing example he is to me!! I want to be just like him when I grow up!! 🙂

    This week was a great one to be in Poznań- the weather has been pretty hot and humid recently and we’ve been busy!!

    A couple highlights from this week: 

    We had our first sports night of the summer on Saturday and it was so successful!!! We had a few branch members, a few people we’re teaching, and some new friends we met contacting recently come!! We played volleyball and frisbee and it was such a good time:) 

    On Wednesday we had a leadership meeting (Called MLC) in Warsaw and it was amazing 🙂 Prezydent and Siostra Turek are so inspired!! It was also a really sad MLC because it was our last one with Prezydent Turek!! We’re getting a new mission President, Prezydent Chandler at the the beginning of July!! 

    I love you all!! I hope you all have a wonderful week!!

    z miłością,

    Siostra Baldwin

    Letters/packages:

    Kościół Jezusa Chrystusa świętych w Dniach Ostatnich
    ul. Wiernicza 135
    02-952 Warszawa Poland  

    pics:

    1. Ice cream with Martyna<3

    2. One last picture with Asia before she goes home for the summer!

    3. SPORTS SATURDAY!!!

    4. Parkrun with Sister Womack :))

  • 5ks and Chalk talks 🙂

    Hej cześć friends and fam!! Hope you all have had a wonderful week!!  Here’s a couple highlights of this week: This week we also got to volunteer at Parkrun, an organization that sponsors free 5ks every single week. We were in charge of directing the runners so they would all stay on course- it was…

    Hej cześć friends and fam!! Hope you all have had a wonderful week!! 

    Here’s a couple highlights of this week:

    This week we also got to volunteer at Parkrun, an organization that sponsors free 5ks every single week. We were in charge of directing the runners so they would all stay on course- it was pretty funny because Siostra Godfrey and I were cheering really loudly (for everyone that ran by- and usually Polish people don’t really cheer until the end of the race!! Several people came up to us afterward and we got to share who we are and what we do 🙂

    On Saturday we had our branch barbeque/ picnik and it was SO MUCH FUN!! We bought several of pizzas, drinks, cookies, and salads, and went to one of the beautiful outdoor parks here in Poznań and played football (with an authentic American football!), frisbee, badminton, and a bunch of other games. The time went wayyy too fast!!

    We also went out this week to Park Cytadela and drew the Plan of Salvation out in chalk this week, and Emyla (from the Poznań branch!) and Michal (visiting from Lublin!) came out and helped us. We had several awesome conversations!!

    This week was a little bit slower of a teaching week because most of our people are either taking exams or going home for the summer. We’re going to keep on teaching some through skype, but this also means we’re going to be out talking to people and finding people to teach! 🙂

    I hope you all have a great week! This gospel, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, is TRUE! I love you all!! Kocham was!

    z miłością,

    Siostra Baldwin

    pics

    1. PARKRUN!! 🙂

    2.Runners at Parkrun 

    3. Chalk talk!!

    4. Michal at the chalk talk 

  • Poznań Round 2 :))

    Hejka!! Hope you all have had a wonderful week!! Thank you for the sweet birthday wishes last week. 🙂 My birthday was wonderful!! We had transfers this last week, and for the first time ever, I’m STAYING in a city more than a transfer. Siostra Aramaki and Siostra Gornichec headed off to Łódź and Gdańsk, and I…

    Hejka!! Hope you all have had a wonderful week!! Thank you for the sweet birthday wishes last week. 🙂 My birthday was wonderful!!

    We had transfers this last week, and for the first time ever, I’m STAYING in a city more than a transfer. Siostra Aramaki and Siostra Gornichec headed off to Łódź and Gdańsk, and I was assigned a new companion – Siostra Godfrey! Sister Godfrey and I were in the same mission zone when I started my mission in Katowice and we even went on splits together once when I visited Krakow. We’ve already had some great adventures and teaching experiences this week and I can tell it’s going to be another amazing couple of months in Poznań!! 

    Today I want to share a quick thought from a devotional address I read this week given by Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, titled “The Two Guiding Lights”. In this devotional, he explains that the Savior has given us two great beacons of light in our lives to help guide us through the storms of life. These two great lights are the first and second commandments. In Matthew chapter 22:37-38, we read:

    Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.  This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

    https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/joseph-b-wirthlin_two-guiding-lights/

    In these few short sentences, the Savior has provided us a foundation for everything we think, say, and do as disciples of Jesus Christ. When loving God and loving our neighbor is at the core of everything we do, we find increased direction and peace in our lives.  Truly, we find ourselves when we lose ourselves in service—at least that’s what I’m discovering!! 🙂

    I love you all! Thank you for your love and support for me! Although sometimes I can’t respond to every email, know that I read every single one and I am so grateful for you all. I hope you have a wonderful week!!!

    z miłością,

    Siostra Baldwin

    Letters/packages:

    Kościół Jezusa Chrystusa świętych w Dniach Ostatnich
    ul. Wiernicza 135
    02-952 Warszawa Poland  

    pics:

    -Ice cream feat. the 2 biggest BYU fans in Poznań 🙂

    -Siostra Godfrey and I after being caught in a May rainstorm!!

  • Jestem bardzo dzięki!!

    Hej cześć family and friends!  Jak tam!? It’s been an exciting crazy fun couple of weeks to be in Poznań!!! Okay so to start, we have our smartphones now!!  Many of you might have noticed that I’m back on Facebook and Messenger!  Our mission is now authorized to use online tools to help us do missionary work!…

    With Karol and Tosia!! They’re the BEST!

    Hej cześć family and friends!  Jak tam!? It’s been an exciting crazy fun couple of weeks to be in Poznań!!!

    Okay so to start, we have our smartphones now!!  Many of you might have noticed that I’m back on Facebook and Messenger!  Our mission is now authorized to use online tools to help us do missionary work!  This won’t change anything about communication (still emails on P-days!), but I’m so excited to see how this great change will help hasten the Lord’s work! 🙂

    Siostra Aramaki and I hit our 8-month mark together!

    We’ve had some amazing meetings with people we’re teaching recently:

    • We had an awesome lesson with a girl we’re teaching this last week and she decided she wants to prepare to be BAPTIZED on June 22. Step by step, she’s building her faith in Christ as she is reading the Book of Mormon and praying.  I’m so excited to see the changes she’s making in her life as she prepares for baptism!
    • We had a great meeting with a less-active member yesterday after they came to church. We talked about the importance of Prophets and how amazing it is that we have a living Prophet today.  The world might change over time, but the Lord never changes- throughout history, He has always called prophets on the earth to serve as the mouthpieces for God on earth!
    • And we had another meeting with Nikola and her mom!   We talked about the Plan of Salvation, meaning God’s plan for us.  I’m so grateful I get to share such a beautiful topic with so many people!

    And funny language moment: This week, as we were teaching Sunday School, I meant to say I was very thankful for something (Jestem bardzo wdzięczna).  Instead, and without even realizing it I said: “Jestem bardzo dzięki“, which means “I am very thanks!!!”  I couldn’t figure out why my companions were laughing but when they told me afterward we all laughed pretty hard! 🙂  Learning polish is such an adventure!

    With Bożena

    I was reading an Ensign magazine this week, and I came across an article that I’ve been thinking about ever since.  God is the ultimate artist! There aren’t very many people who can sit down with a blank piece of paper and draw a beautiful landscape.  I, for sure, can’t! But God is the creator.  He is the ultimate artist.  Not only did he create everything around us in beautiful 3-D, but he also created people, with all of our differences, personalities and talents.  Not only did He create us, but He is our literal Father in Heaven and He allows us to call Him Father.  He loves us and He knows each one of us so individually.  And for that, I am so grateful.

    Walking down the streets of Poznań

    I hope you all have a wonderful week!  Kocham was!

    z miłością,

    Siostra Baldwin

  • Seeking Answers to Life’s Important Questions

    Hej cześć friends and family! This week I want to share an awesome teaching experience: We just started teaching a great guy who heard about the missionaries, but didn’t take action until much later.  Two years ago, he met the missionaries and played frisbee with them one day, and then just two weeks ago he…

    Hej cześć friends and family! This week I want to share an awesome teaching experience:

    We just started teaching a great guy who heard about the missionaries, but didn’t take action until much later.  Two years ago, he met the missionaries and played frisbee with them one day, and then just two weeks ago he remembered that the missionaries also teach a free English class.  He showed up for the first-time last week and then participated in our religious discussion afterwards.  During our discussion, he accepted a copy of the Księga Mormona and scheduled to meet with us the following week.   Our first lesson with him was this last week and he was very prepared with some great questions likes: “Why do you believe in God?  Why do you believe in Jesus Christ?  Why are you a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? Why not another Church?”  

    I am so grateful for the knowledge that I have that YES, there is a God—we have a Heavenly Father who loves us and knows us individually by name. YES, Jesus Christ is the Savior!  And YES, the same Church that Jesus Christ established when He was on the earth has been restored and is on the earth again today!  I don’t just know these things because they have been written in the scriptures or they have been spoken of in Church. I know these things because I have searched for the answers, and I have felt the confirmation that these things are true!  In The Book of Mormon from Alma Chapter 32, we can read about an ancient American prophet Alma who compares faith to a seed:

    “Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me.”

    and then in verse 33 he explains:

    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.”

    If we want to find answers to the questions our new friend had, whether the Gospel is true, first we need to have the desire to know. We have to really want it and be willing to work for our answer! And then, as we strive to listen to the word of God, to read the scriptures, to pray, and to ponder, we will receive our answer.  I know this is true because I have taken Alma’s experiment myself!  And I have received a personal witness that these things are true. The Spirit was so strong as we testified to this man that we CAN receive answers to our hard questions—all it takes is us having the desire and the willingness to try.

    I love this gospel, and I am so grateful for the opportunity I have to share this life-changing message. I love you all! Bardzo was kocham! I hope you have a wonderful week! 🙂

    z miłością,

    Siostra Baldwin

    Letters/packages:

    Kościół Jezusa Chrystusa świętych w Dniach Ostatnich
    ul. Wiernicza 135
    02-952 Warszawa Poland  

    pics:

    1 & 2. The daily run!

    3. The story our intermediate english class wrote together! 🙂 W

  • Captained by Christ

    Hej cześć friends and family! As I consider my missionary experiences from this past week, I feel greatly blessed to be serving in Poznañ with my two companions—Sister Gornichec and Sister Aramaki. We kept ourselves busy with teaching appointments and meetings, we spent time reflecting on the last week of the Savior’s mortal life, and…

    Hej cześć friends and family!

    As I consider my missionary experiences from this past week, I feel greatly blessed to be serving in Poznañ with my two companions—Sister Gornichec and Sister Aramaki. We kept ourselves busy with teaching appointments and meetings, we spent time reflecting on the last week of the Savior’s mortal life, and we celebrated with the Saints of Poznañ the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! 😊

    Here are a few highlights:

    We had a terrific meeting with the sweetest girl we’re teaching.  Our conversation focused on God’s plan for us as His children, and our purpose in life!  We also talked about the meaning of the Atonement and how powerful it can be when we apply it to our own lives.  The Spirit was so powerful as we testified of the power of the Atonement and the peace it brings!

    Several people we are teaching are steadily progressing and it’s amazing to see them week after week, as they keep their commitments, read the Book of Mormon, pray, and grow so much spiritually! 😊

    For our service project this week, we visited a non-profit hospicjum (hospice) here in Poznań. The staff and residents are preparing for a huge festival the first couple days of May where, as their fundraiser for the year, they will sell hand-crafted and painted butterflies. Our project was to assemble and glue each butterfly. It was awesome!

    On Sunday, I spoke in Sacrament Meeting on some of the varied and distinctly meaningful titles of Christ including Savior, Redeemer, Prince of Peace, Son of God, and Son of Man—and on how His Atonement and Resurrection are the greatest gifts we will ever know. It was the first time I wrote my talk in Polish (up to this point, I have written them in English first and then translated them into Polish). I felt especially fluent and was grateful to share my testimony with the members and guests of the Poznañ branch. In addition to this week’s special assignment of speaking, one of my regular weekly responsibilities is pianist for the congregation so I stayed quite busy during the meeting.

    As I was preparing my talk, I found a General Conference address by President Ezra Taft Benson from October 1985.  Included below are a few favorite sections:

    “Yes, Christ changes men, and changed men can change the world…Men changed for Christ will be captained by Christ. Like Paul they will be asking, “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” (Acts 9:6) Peter stated, they will “follow his steps.” (1 Peter 2:21.) John said they will “walk, even as he walked.” (1 John 2:6.)  Finally, men captained by Christ will be consumed in Christ. To paraphrase President Harold B. Lee, ‘they set fire in others because they are on fire…Not only would they die for the Lord, but more important they want to live for Him…Enter their homes, and the pictures on their walls, the books on their shelves, the music in the air, their words and acts reveal them as Christians.”

    https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1985/10/born-of-god?lang=eng

    I love you all so much!!  I am so grateful to be a missionary!  I know this Gospel is true, and that if we are captained by Christ, we will find more joy than we can ever know!!  I hope you have a wonderful week!

    z miłością,

    Siostra Baldwin

    Letters/packages:

    Kościół Jezusa Chrystusa świętych w Dniach Ostatnich
    ul. Wiernicza 135
    02-952 Warszawa Poland

  • The Miracle of Being in the Right Place at the Right Time

    Dearest friends and family, It’s been another amazing week to be a missionary in Poland! Here are some highlights:  -We found out our mission is getting smartphones in a few weeks (No more little brick Nokia phones… WAHOO!!!)  It’s going to be a total game changer for missionary work and we can’t wait!  Group messages,…

    ‘Lucie‘ (Little Girl Drawing the Sun in the Sky) by David Mesguich, Poznań, Poland

    Dearest friends and family,

    It’s been another amazing week to be a missionary in Poland! Here are some highlights: 

    -We found out our mission is getting smartphones in a few weeks (No more little brick Nokia phones… WAHOO!!!)  It’s going to be a total game changer for missionary work and we can’t wait!  Group messages, Facebook, google translate—anything is possible! 🙂

    I promised I would talk about the amazing people we’re teaching more, so this week I’ll tell ya’ll about Ola!  Ola is the cutest young mom from Ukraine who has been learning about the Gospel of Jesus Christ for the last few months.  She has such a beautiful spirit and always asks the best questions.  This last week, we taught her about living prophets and watched one of President Nelson’s talks from General Conference with her in Ukrainian (I couldn’t understand anything, yet the Spirit was still SO STRONG!).  Right away, she said that President Nelson was a wise man and Ola decided to pray more to know if he is really a prophet of God.  I’m so excited for her to get her answer! 🙂

    This week I’ve been absolutely awestruck by the way the Lord leads us to the right place at the right time if we just listen.  We were coming home one night and were already in our apartment building when we met the cutest 13-year old—Nikola—and her mom.  We were exactly in the right place to help them with something they really needed; and afterwards, they invited us to their apartment.  We had the absolute best conversation and got to testify of Christ, that He knows us so individually and that He will put the right people in our lives when we need them.  The next day they invited us back and we gave them Books of Mormon, shared our favorite verses, and taught them about the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Meeting them was a total MIRACLE and was the total highlight of an already great week!

    General Conference was this last weekend and it was AMAZING!!  If you didn’t get a chance to watch it (or if you want to listen to it again!) you can check it out on churchofjesuschrist.org!  I especially loved Elder Brooke P. Hales’ talk.  He reminded us that God knows everything—He knows the past, the present and the future, and that sometimes the answer you get to a request is a ‘no’ in favor of a later, better ‘yes’!  I testify that what he said is true!

    https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2019/04/13hales?lang=eng

    I love this Gospel and am so grateful for the opportunity to be a missionary. This Gospel is TRUE!  I love you all, and I hope you have a wonderful week!

    z miłością,

    Siostra Baldwin

  • Hola a todos,

    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.

    My email is Joshua.baldwin@missionary.org

    I love you all and have a safe awsome week!

    Buena Suerte and HURRAH FOR ISRAEL!

    See y’all in less than a YEAR!!! 🥳 🎉 🪅

    Reflecting on My 1st Year Serving the Lord

  • 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!

    Learning & Teaching the Word of God

  • 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. 20220906_143729

    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!! 

    ✌️❤️ 😃 😎 

    Teaching in all Lands & Languages

  • My latest Spanish speaking trio that includes Elders Johnson and Rasmussen and me

    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.

    In our apartment hangs a banner signed by each current and former Spanish speaking missionary

    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 ❤️

    Los Tres Amigos y La Semilla de Mostaza

  • 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.  AskingTrusting and Knowing have helped me learn more about Faith, the power of Faith and the blessings that come as a result of it. 

    September 2022 – Cancer Free!

    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! 😂

    Two of the trucks used by missionaries in the mountains

    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!

    Steering with Faith & Patience

  • 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.

    A Promise and a Blessing unto All 🍇

  • 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!

    It would have been tremendously difficult for me to have to be sent home because of illness. I’m glad I’m still here.

    They also spoke of blessings we would receive for ourselves and for our families for serving a mission for The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-day Saints. I have grown to love my mission. I feel the time flies when you are so focused on your purpose in doing the Lord’s work. The book Preach My Gospel states that our purpose is to “invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the Restored Gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, Repentance, Baptism, Receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and Enduring to the End”. (PMG pg 1)

    During my time in the mission, I have come to know that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world. I know that The Book of Mormon testifies of Christ and that there are great miracles and blessings that come from reading that book. I know that serving a mission for two years is the best thing I can do at this time. The prophet of our day President Nelson stated that:

     “Every worthy, able young man should prepare to serve a mission. Missionary service is a priesthood duty—an obligation the Lord expects of us who have been given so very much.”

    He also explained that for young sisters, a mission is a welcome option but not a responsibility and he finished by inviting many more mature couples to serve.

    (Oct 2012 general conference)

    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

    A Mission: A Worthy Cause

  • 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

    Good Riddance COVID & Back to the Lord’s Work

  • 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

    My Experience with COVID-19

  • 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

    Pioneer Day in Snowflake AZ – Nothing Like It!