All posts by Chris

July 17, 2019 Ghana MTC (Week 1)

Hey Family!!!

Holy cow man i am tired but i love it out here!!! Everything is super tough right now but I stay positive! I really have strived to just be happy! Its helped out so much and I pray nonstop. Seriously that’s all I do as well as read the Book of Mormon. I love the mission though I don’t know french but I know it will come with time! Everyone here knows Tyler! Its so awesome!!! I love you so much and i hope you wake up so i can see you man because I’ve been trying to use Hangouts for the past thirty minutes and no one is answering hahaha Oh well I love you! Have a great week! I’m going to share all my journal entries while I’m here in the MTC…maybe even my whole mission. I hope you enjoy them!!! Have a great week!

Love,

Elder LeBaron

Here are some pics on the flight, and the little kid was my buddy on the flight from Amsterdam to Ghana. he is 12, his dad is a pastor i think but i taught him about the church and the Book of Mormon and about Joseph Smith it was cool and this kid was so smart! I showed him a picture of Jesus and he was like Jesus is white?!! It was very interesting but I told him it doesn’t matter if he’s white or black, he’s the same. Also, pictures of the Ghana airport.

Crammed bus ride to the MTC

First day

My companion, elder from Congo, Brazzaville, missionaries in my apartment and MTC food

Our MTC room, the MTC entrance, my name badge, and the view

My first Hangout with my family

July 15, 2019 Gesco (Week 7)

Hey Family,

FAMILY NINSSEMON GOT BAPTISED!!!!!!!!!!! Ahhhhhh it was sooo dope!!!! fr bienvenue was the one that baptised him and it was so cool because fr bienvenue was just baptised a couple months ago and fr ninssemon and him are friends of 20 yrs so super awesome!!!! They were in the military together!!!! We also had leadership council this week and I absolutely love President!!! He is teaching us so much. He is so filled with the spirit and love. I just love him! At leadership council I saw Elder Mortensen my bud from the other mission who is assistant now so great to see him!!! He goes home already with my comp it is sooo crazy!!!! Time is just going too fast hahahahaha!!!! Pray for family Doué that sr doué can accept the church! Its that family that was gonna get divorced but we managed to save their marriage hahahaha it’s pretty incredible to watch the atonement work in their lives. I just pray that she can continue with her progression and accept to be baptised!!!! Their family is huge so like if we got her converted the whole fam is going to be baptized. It’s like a total of 6 baptisms which would be so dope hahahahahaha So really pray we can get them coming to church and stuff!!! but yeah everything is going great here!!!!!! I just feel so blessed hahaha like I cant even explain the joy I feel man!!!!! Missions are so incredible! I love you all so much!! Have an awesome week!

Love you all!

Elder LeBaron

July 11, 2019 Ghana MTC – Safe Arrival

Greetings from Accra, Ghana!

We are pleased to report that your missionaries arrived safely tonight at the Ghana MTC. They look tired but happy (pictures attached). We’re delighted to welcome them. We love them already!

They join a group of 160 missionaries from 25 countries for this 3-week cycle. We have missionaries from homes in Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Samoa, Argentina, the Marshall Islands, countries all over Africa, and other locations. The work grows across the world.

We’ll ask them to email you tomorrow (in about 12-14 hours) to let you know more about their trip.

This is a remarkable place to serve! The Church is growing rapidly with people who are faithful, strong, and committed. It is special time and the Lord’s hand is over this area. 

Thank you for your support and love. These good young disciples are in the care of our Living Lord. This we know.

President and Sister Allen

Ghana MTC

July 8, 2019 Gesco (Week 6)

Hey Family!!!!!

I’m gonna miss that Ben like crazy!!!!!!! lucky for you guys have been with him these last 2 yrs i got another 2 before i see my best friend hahhahaha really it is getting real for me! I’m just trying to lose myself in the work and the thoughts go away so it’s good! That is sooo awesome that Alban bore his testimony in our ward! I love that guy seriously!  Ben is going to freakin rock it man!!!!!! Our investigators are doing sooo great!!! we have a couple that are getting baptised this saturday and then their daughter in 2 weeks after she gets back from vacation! pray she will come back before my comp goes so that he can be there for her baptism!! also sr chimel is getting ready for the 27th to be baptised and then pray that fr abib will keep coming to church its been two sundays he hasn’t come and he wants to be baptised but just pray he will keep coming to church and stuff!!! fr akim the guy a taught with the return missionary has yet to come back to church and we don’t know where he lives so it has been super hard to do suivi so pray we can find him!! also pray that the contact we got last monday from FHE will come to church so she can get baptised and just that we can keep finding more investigators!!!! also really pray for our ward that the less actives can start coming and that the members will do visits and stuff!!! and just pray that we can be inspired to know how we can work in the lord’s place to arrange his ward here at gesco!!! love you sooo much man!!!!! have a great week!!!!

Love,

Elder LeBaron

Photos:

Zone Conference

party at cosmos for the 4th!! un mangez-vous avec un membre c’était trop doux!!!!!!!

July 1, 2019 Gesco (Week 5)

Hey Family,

We had an all mission conference to say goodbye to President Hamand this week. It was awesome to see everyone. It makes me so sad he’s leaving, but I’m excited to meet my new president. I love President Hamand so much and I know I will be close to him for the rest of my life! I also had some fun taking pictures of my new soccer jerseys!!

Love,

Elder LeBaron

Photos: At the conference with all my vieux pères!! elder mitua my favorite comp and elder asamoah adjei and then elder moruba my mt hopped the the photos hahahha!!!! then me and elder tanoh my assistant that is such a stud as well!!! gonna miss these guys sooooooo bad!!!!! especially mitua geeez!!!! that guy will be my bro for life i can’t wait till the day he comes to america!!!

LETS GOOOO ÉLÉPHANTS!!!! goin strong so far they won their first game to south africa but lost the second to maroc! its aight they’re still in it!!!!!!! african cup 2019 Egypt!!!!!!

the other jersey i got i got a white and orange one they’re sooo dope!!! im sad though cuz the guy didnt have your size dad so i’ll just have to keep searching hahahah!!!


June 24, 2019 Gesco (Week 4)

Hey Family,

This week was amazing. I got to go visit my first village!!! It was one of the most amazing experiences. We had many experiences I don’t have time to write down, so I’ll tell you when we connect today. I hope you love the pictures as much as I loved taking them!!!

Love,

Elder LeBaron

Photos: Trip to village cosrou at our split at dabou.

my lil gang of minions!!! the kid climbed this giant palm tree like it was nothing we were all so shocked it was oooo dope gave him cent franc for it hahhahahah its basically like a quarter worth of money in usa

last pics of the village and then the splits i had with my mt elder morouba we had a good time!!!!! 

after the visit with srge beynaud we visited his restaurant he opened it was pretty decent not that amazing though but so dope meeting him!!! i had no idea he lived juste à coté de mon premier secteur à gonzagville or however its spelled



June 17, 2019 Gesco (Week 3)

Hey Family,

So I just wanted to hurry and write an email explaining what had happened yesterday seriously a miracle! After church I was sitting talking with brother touguira a return missionary that I served with in my last mission. We were just reminiscing about our missions and just how far I’ve come through all I’ve been through and just how far he has come since he’s getting married this Thursday. We then just were talking about life after the mission he was asking me about my plans and stuff and it just got me thinking a lot about that and just how I don’t have a plan really but he was just saying not to worry about it and that the Lord will provide a way and will lighten the way! After that another brother came over and introduced his friend he invited to church and so we got talking. Long story short the kid had talk to missionaries before but it has been a while since he came to church he said he’s already assisted at church over 3 times and has read the bofm and knows that joseph smith is a prophet i was klouike what how is this kid not baptised like he comes to church has a solid testimony what’s holding him back? I just felt like I needed to take him to a room and teach him with the return missionary I was talking with so I followed the prompting and we started the lesson after a super solid lesson on the gospel of jesus christ the spirit was sooooo strong we had just finished talking about faith and the importance of showing the lord we have faith by acting. We then told him the importance of repentance and we read a few scriptures with him just in alma 39:9 and then the brother i was with explained his conversion story that was seriously sooooo powerful!!!!! the spirit was soooo strong he explained his problem with alcohol and how he over came it and stuff and then he said how everyone has something that weakens them and that it is when you recognize this weakness or weaknesses and turn to the lord for strength that the lord blesses you in so many ways i then shared  mosiah 18:10  with him and asked the same question that alma asked the lamanites and  he then just totally opened up to us and explained his problem he has had with the law of chastity and it was just so powerful i just felt prompted to share 1 cor 10:13 and alma 34:32-35 with him and at the end we committed him to baptism the 29th of this month seriously like the most incredible experience if  I hadn’t listened to the spirit we wouldn’t have fixed his baptismal date seriously in looking at this experience i had i know without a doubt in my mind that the lord is in control and that if we humble ourselves enough to follow his will not our propre volonté le seigneur nous bénira vraiment chers frères et sœurs suivent tous les impressions que le seigneur vous donnera et vous ne serez jamais égarés!

Sorry for my grammar, but I can’t speak English anymore!! Hahaha Have an awesome week!!

Love,

Elder LeBaron

Photos: Mangez-vous with family teko we had one of my favorite dishes that elder akpotossou my old son would make all the time called akoumai or something like that its a type of foufou. The other was with this family named kah that we saw last Monday and seriously had the best meal my favorite one given I’m guéré it was rice with sauce feuilles de manioc it is the best its like bownang or something like that hahhaha we ate the same sauce again with the family we visited last night family bosson it was so fun!! its been the best doing the 3rd hour with these families and fhe!!

June 10, 2019 Gesco (Week 2)

Hey Family,

I had a great week!!!! I’m right on track to achieve the goals we’ve set for ourselves! I’ve really been seeing just the personal revelation that comes from personal study it has been so strengthening for me!!!! The secteur is slowly moving a long. We have this family we’ve been teaching that they are just so convinced of the truthfulness of our message they read the Book of Mormon and they came to church for their first time this last week so it was super great!! We also had like 3 new investigators come so it was like 7 investigators at church it was great given I’ve been sick since Thursday with symptoms of Malaria, so keep me in your prayers hahaha We did splits Thursday and that morning I just woke up feeling crummy and then Friday it was just worse like I had a fever so I just took some meds and slept the whole day and then, saturday morning same thing but I got to strength to go to the baptismal service the afternoon and then we went to and activity for one of the wards in the zone so it was super good. Sunday I felt way better we went to the coolest part of our secteur it’s a total village I had no idea cuz we are just right in the city and then you just go out a little ways and it’s just village its sooooo dope!!! The members there are sooo humble and awesome too!!!! I’m so in love with this secteur hahaha!! We have been trying to really visit the members a lot to motivate them to give us investigators! I will see at least 125-140 assistance by the end so easy!!!!! I just feel like this secteur is going to be so great there is so much work here to do!!! I pray I will have enough time to get it to were the Lord needs it to be! I know He will give me the strength as He gave to Nephi!!!! I’ve already been seeing the spirit guide me in this secteur. It is the first time I’ve really prayed to have the Lord help guide me to really get to know this secteur well and fast so that I can do the work He needs me to in the little time that I have left. It has just been amazing to see the blessings of the Lord continue to pour upon us!!!!! I’m really missing my comp now! I’ve had to cook a lot more in this secteur since the comp I have doesn’t know how to cook! I’ve just realized Elder Mitua my last comp was such a blessing for me in so many ways and it totally prepared me for this secteur!!!!! I’m so glad you guys are all having such a good experience with Come Follow Me. That should be number one focus for everyone in the family!!! If you continue to focus on that you guys will see the blessings!!! Everyone has to to it!!! You’ll see the change and the strength the Lord will give you guys during this difficult time with Ben leaving you guys got to really make the time everyone in the family for personal and family study!!! The Come Follow Me is sooooooo amazing! We have been doing the 3rd hr with families every Sunday since I’ve been here and it has been so awesome!!! I haven’t really studied much that manuel but man it is so awesome!!!!! Our prophet is so inspired!!! but yeah I just love you sooooo stinking much!!!!!! Can’t believe I’m almost at the finish line!!! During our leadership council Tuesday at the very end president showed us a video of a marathon and we just used that to compare it to a mission and it was just sooo cool to see how all the connections I have made personally to running and the mission that then the assistants and president talked about the same thing it was so cool! The spirit just whispered to me “it’s time to kick” just like I felt during my cross country races!!!! I’m at the sprint and there is no lookin back!!!!! Finish line here I come!!!!!!! Love you soo much!!! Have a great week!!!!

Love you,

Elder LeBaron

Photos:

Had a nice meal at leader council we went to the same place as last time it was great! we also had a baptism! fr ulrich got baptised so that was super dope!!!

I made a bracelet for ologundudu!!! I also made another for sorensen!!! Just more pics of the baptism and then fr ulrich with his brother who got to the service just at the end hahaha he felt bad but we told him don’t worry we will take your pics and it will be like you were there the whole time hahahahaha it was awesome!!!!

June 3, 2019 Gesco (Week 1)

Hey Family,

I got transferred to a new area called Mondoukou. My comp is great. We’re still getting to know each other so that’s fun, but he seems like a good missionary. Also, we met with Elder Christofferson this week with the other mission as well. It was amazing!! It was so great to get together with the other mission and see him. So awesome!!! Hope you love the pictures!

Love you,

Elder LeBaron

Photos:

The MTs!!! Elder Sorensen, Elder Ologundudu, Elder Bullock, and Elder Pond!!!!! I saw Elder Lukombe my father on mission sadly the photo didn’t turn out too great so I didn’t include it, elder kayembe my homie from my first zone on mission, elder habluto, and elder temahuki at the end! crazy all these guys go home sooo soon!!!!! Man it was so great seeing all these guys!!!

Party on the bus trip home after the conference!

Little pit stop at Burger King with the bros! Some dope new ties I got and then the bamboo bracelet that elder mitua my old (favorite comp) showed me how to make that I finally finished it was quite the project hahaha

May 27, 2019 Toit Rouge 2 (Week 13)

Photos:

The ties I bought from Ghana soooooo nice!!!!!!!! except the dumb dude jacked 3 ties and said i had to pay 10000fc more for the other 3 cuz there was a “change in the exchange rate” which is just not true i knew the guy was gonna do something to get money out of it so i just left the other three and took the 20 cuz still 20 at 66000fc is better than 100000fc so I’m pretty happy still! i was gonna buy another pagne to have some ties and shirts get made but it was kinda expensive since i just pulled out a lot for those other ties i felt guilty taking out more hahahahahahahaha but it’s alright maybe I’ll find it again!