Tag Archives: District Leader

SEPTEMBER 19, 2024 MÉXICO MTC (WEEK 3)

It’s crazy that this week is already over! This week was way more eventful than last week! It started out pretty normal compared to the other days, we had devotionals and tons of Spanish classes! Our district Is really working hard with trying to learn the language! The gift of tongues is real! we had some really fun activities that happened this past week that are going to be a highlight Of the mission! It was Mexican Independence day which was amazing! We had a mariachi band, tons of Mexican food, THE BEST CHURROS! I think they tasted so good because I haven’t had that good of tasting food in a while hahaha. Anyways that day was a blast! Mexican independence day was Sunday but we celebrated it Monday! These people here really know how to party haha all night we heard music, fireworks, gunshots, and laughter! It was pretty fun! Other than the fun part of the week we had some of the craziest storms I have ever been in! There were thunder roars that sounded like a whip smacking the sky. I don’t know how to describe it other than it was so loud our room shook and it was hard to sleep hahaha. This week was also filled with amazing spiritual events! Other than an elder in our district being healed from rolling his ankle 4 different times in a span of 3 days thinking he needs to go home to wake up the next day completely healed! It’s been amazing really studying the scriptures and Predicad Mi Evangelio! I really recommend studying the Christlike attributes in Chapter 6! I’ve been really feeling close to Jesus Christ this week and it’s been amazing! Anyways the week was a blast! Tons of tacos, enchiladas, and other interesting Mexican food is being consumed constantly here by me hahah or in Spanish jajajaja! My district is doing amazing and I’m really loving it a ton! I miss everyone back at home but I’m so grateful that I get to be here! Later in the week I was able to play this elders guitar lives in my District! I am currently trying to learn all of the songs that these 2 elders can play because they’re masters! It’s been a lot of fun being able to play with these elders because they appreciate music like I do! I’m so happy God put me in this district! I went to the Tienda on Tuesday and got some food that was most likely the spiciest chips I’ve ever had hahaha! Today I went to the temple which was amazing! We had a national earthquake drill that all of Mexico does on the 19th of September! It was weird because we had to stop what we were doing in the temple and go to the walls and just stand there as the alarms were going off hahaha but anyways this week was a blast, and was filled with a ton of fun and eventful experiences! I’m excited for this next week and can’t wait to see what fun activities are up ahead!

SEPTEMBER 12, 2024 MÉXICO MTC (WEEK 2)

Hola amigos y familia!!!

Wow, it’s hard to believe the first week is over! So much has happened this week that has made my brain explode but also feel the Savior’s love stronger than ever before! Thursday started out with a very long day of travel! I said goodbye to my family, and it was very hard. I realized how much I really love them! My travel day went from being an 8-hour travel day to over a 13-hour travel day! We had an unexpected delay in LA, which caused the delay in travel! It was crazy but fun! There were probably over 40 missionaries, which was crazy! The travel to Mexico was much better because it was international, and we had tons of space! Once we got to Mexico, it was amazing! Going through a busy city to a complete stop of motion, it was extremely peaceful entering the CCM! Let me cut to the chase and give a few highlights from this week!

My district is the best, and my companion is equally as awesome! The food is surprisingly good and fresh every day! We mostly eat tacos and enchiladas every day for all three meals hahaha! Anyways, my teachers are the greatest! Hermano Barrera is the GOAT! He is so awesome and really made the transition easy for all of us! He’s basically an older brother to all of us! Sunday was the coolest day ever! The spirit was extremely tangible! Also, I was called as District Leader, which is fun! I’m starting to feel much more adjusted, just trying to stay positive and keep my focus on Jesus Christ! My Spanish is definitely improving, which is a blessing! I couldn’t even bear my testimony or prayer well at all, and now I can do both and share messages in Spanish! The gift of tongues is real!! Also, basically every day and night, there are like four gunshots that go off, and after, there are sirens and normally a creepy death scream, which is always scary haha! Also, one night this past week, I pulled out a guitar because someone in my district brought one, and I played it just casually before bed, and it ended up having the entire house of over 24 people surrounding me asking me to sing my song “Found Love” on repeat hahaha it was super cool! Today I went to the temple, which was absolutely incredible! The temple looks like an Aztec temple, and it’s so beautiful inside! Anyways, I’m loving it here and can’t wait for next week! Also, I learned a new word that supposedly everyone uses here, and it means Chipy Chipy! It means sprinkling hahaha! It has rained a ton here, but also there are days that are extremely hot! Anyways, I love y’all and hope y’all have an amazing next week!

October 14, 2019 Toit Rouge 2 (Week 2)

Hey man!!! yeah geeez it is so crazy its all coming to an end man!!! seriously i don’t even know what to think hahahaha!! I’m excited to come home for sure but like idk man I just know its going to be super different and i will never be the same after serving 2 years in Africa! It has been quite the experience!!! As I look back on my mission I just come to realize that through the ups and downs the only things that I remember are the good parts! There have been times I haven’t been super obedient others I’ve been crazy obedient and what I have come to realize is that it doesn’t matter what happens the most important is that you are constantly making small tweaks in your life to change and be better day by day week by week month by month and year by year! I look back on the start of my mission compared to know and i just see the amazing things the lord has blessed me with and truly the man he has forged in the fiery furnace of Africa hahahaha it has been tough but sooooooo worth it and I wouldn’t give anything to change this time I’ve given to the lord in his service for these last two years! i know who he  really is now and i cant even imagine what it was like to be perfect in a world of so much imperfection and just the immense trust he has in us imperfect beings. That’s just goers to show how much more trust we need to have in HIM! Gosh a freaking can’t wait to come home and see you guys!!! The only thing is knowing Ben won’t be there. It seriously is killing me! Man like I miss him so much dude! But its okay you guys will be there to help me!!!! The great thing is when he comes home we are gonna have SO much in common!!!!! My lil chunker hahahahaha!!!! Well I just love you so much dad!!!! Have an awesome week!!!

hey mom!!!! seriously though hahahahah i am feeling so many emotions at the moment it is insane!!!! i have grown to love these people and the people i have served side by side with these past few years seriously it has been amazing the past two years i see why it is the best two years!!!!! i understand be cause i lived it and i endured it!!! thats all the lord wants us to do is to live and endure this life so we can understand as he understands and that way we will be capable to have all that he has! seriously as i look back on my mission i just see how fast it has gone and I’m sure that is how the lord felt on the cross looking back on his life seeing all he went through feeling all the pains a mortal man could feel and then saying it is finished into thy presence I commend myself!!! I just see with the simple mortal intelligence i have the great joy he felt in that moment knowing all the pain heart ache and stress will all be over and that he will finally be able to continue with the next part of his life as a God. I too in a since am commending myself now into your guys presence in just a few short day and how freaking great  is my joy!!!!!!!! my work is finished!!! I have all the tools now to get me through the rest of my life!!!!!!  gosh i seriously cant wait to get out of the plan and walk down that elevator to finally embraced you guys!!!! 2 years may be long but it has FLOWN by!!!!!!!! seriously it is insane!!!!!! i just love you sooo much and cannot wait to see you guys!!!!

October 7, 2019 Toit Rouge 2 (Week 1)

Hey Family,

I got transferred back to Toit Rouge. I’m with another missionary from Nigeria who the Mission President wants me to train to be a leader. His name is Elder Nsing. He’s super cool and I love the guy.

Our secteur got white washed we know no one and the members are not very active in missionary work besides the DMP but he has been busy all week and there was problems at the apartment that people had to come fix and then the days we went to the secteur the people we talked to weren’t interested and just wasted our time hahahahahah I just hope we can find the investigators. The other missionaries were teaching so they don’t get lost hahahah but its aight the Lord is in control! It doesn’t help that I’m super exhausted as well I have no desire to go to secteur anymore its bad, but I’m forcing myself so that my comp doesn’t get discouraged! We’re going to work hard these last few weeks together. Hard to believe I come home in 14 days. Crazy! I miss you guys like crazy and can’t wait to see you!

Love,

Elder LeBaron

February 18, 2019 Attecoube (Week 23)

Hey Family,

So the week was pretty great!!! Tuesday we had a lesson with this new investigator we got from fr luc and fr marius and sr elodine those guys we’ve been teaching and it was pretty good. The thing is he knows what we say is true but he doesn’t put it in practice so it’s tough hahahahaha. Wednesday we had a few cancellations, but we just did a little contacting and then saw our other investigators fr pacome and sr michelline but fr pacome has to get married before he can be baptised so that’s been a bit of a difficulty but with time! Then sr michelline she left back to her village this week and wont come back so thats a bummer but its okay because she was living in concubinage also that night too we tried calling sr nyomie the girl that was supposed to be baptised but she didn’t answer either cuz she was at village too hahahahaha good thing is she is already back here hahahaha! Thursday morning we saw fr luc sr elodine and fr marius and had a good lesson with them. I was super forward with them maybe a little too harsh but I just told them how it is and that they can either take it or leave it but that we are here to teach not force and we had a big lesson on agency and the plan of salvation it was super good and at the end we talked about baptism it was super awesome!!! fr luc said he wants to be baptised this next Saturday but the others are super calacala so pray he and sr nyomie can be baptised and that we can get a hold of sr nyomie!!!! Thursday we did like contacting all day after that though cuz all our rendez-vous fell through hahahaha but it turned out great!!!!!! We found some new people so we will see if any of them progress got lots of rendez-vous with them this week! Friday we taught sr Aïcha this girl whose brother is a member fr leonce the kid a while back that wanted us to talk to his dad who’s a drunk and smoker and stuff. We had a good lesson with her and we found these less active members that I pounded their foutou!

Then after we went to see this girl we contacted but she just keeps giving face rendez-vous and stuff but then saturday we went and saw her and l met her siblings that were super interested in our message so it was super great to see how persistence with things just brings blessings. Then Saturday was the concert with the mission choir at the stake of niangon centre. On Sunday we had church and stuff and it was soooooo gooood sr tabitha came and she brought her made that works at her house and stuff that we have been trying to talk to for so long but she always refused and then she came to church so that was a miracle hahahahahaha!!! Then after church we had choir practice for stake conference cuz our stake president heard our zone has singers so we were invited to that it was fun! then after choir we went to my mt elder nkrumah’s appartement for a little party we had with some other elders in the zone it was pretty fun!!!

Photos:

Our ward


I decided to pound some foutou for these less active members they were surprised i knew how hahahah thanks to my good ole mama audettte who taught me a while back hahaha

My noushi hommies hahhahaha and elder bateman! it was at our concert we had saturday night with our mission choir!

February 11, 2019 Attecoube (Week 22)

Hey Family,

How are you doing?! Life is awesome. My comp is soooo coool man we have been having so much fun!!!!! I sure love this guy!!!!! He is my favorite comp I’ve had so far on my mission!!!!! Its nuts its coming to an end so fast!!!! It makes me sad man. I have fallen in love with these people!!!!! But don’t worry man my best mile is always the last!!!!!! Just pray for fr luc fr marus and sr elodine that they can see the importance of baptism! and that fr jean-constant will have a change of heart and come back to the church. He didn’t show up for his baptism so we went to find him and when we did he said he didn’t want anything to do with us anymore. I’ve never been so devastated my whole mission but I realized I cant rest on the devastation because it will discourage my comp so I just turned to him and told him bro it doesn’t matter man we aren’t here to baptize the world just like 1 corinthians 3:6-9 we are here to plant and harvest but the Lord is who makes them believe!!!!!! It was a really pivotal moment for me!!!! I was super discouraged man and I was just hiding it from my comp cuz I didn’t want him to feel bad and we had to run back to the appt right before the baptismal service for our ZLs cuz they had 3 guys to be baptised in our ward and so while I was there at the appt I just said a prayer that the Lord would help me to see the reasoning of all of this and I felt as if he was talking to me and I just kept hearing that scripture in my mind  like he’s the one that makes them believe and I just saw that it was a complete trust thing. He wanted to see if I would still continue with this guy or just leave him after the first turn down and man it was just a tough experience but really good for me! And then also pray that sr nyomie can be baptized this Saturday!!!! She is supposed to be baptized this Saturday!! And then pray that we can find more people and that the ones we have already will come to church!!! I love you sooo much man I understand the love you have for me because it is what I have for you! You’re my best friend!!!! I can’t wait for that day I can squeeze the crap outta ya!!!!!!! I love you all so much!!!!!! Have an awesome week!

Love,

Elder LeBaron

Pictures: a dope suit I wanna buy hahahaha its expensive though is from angola its 35.000FCFA so like 70bucks hahahahahahahah it was fun tryin it on though and taken some pics!!!! our mangez-vous with family odjo had escargot and bœuf with foutou banane and sauce graine it was sooooo gooooooddd!! Our DOPE Ward! My wanna be daughter hahahahah she came over to me and my best friend Elder Kanza my ZL and I waved for her to come to me and she like ran over to me and came and sat on my lap she is seriously so precious man!!! I’m gonna miss these kids man!!!! but even more I’m gonna miss Elder Kanza. He is seriously my best friend man and such a good guy!!!! 

February 4, 2019 Attecoube (Week 21)

Hey Family,

This week has been great. Water problems in the apartment are making me so grateful for running water back home. I haven’t had a hot shower since I got here. Gotta love bucket showers! Hahaha I’m absolutely loving my companion! He looks out for me so much. They’re really racist here and yell stuff at us all the time that’s super rude, and my comp yells right back and gets super mad at them. I say dude you’re a missionary you can’t say stuff like that. Haha. But I do love how he protects me! He’s seriously my favorite comp! I have really come to learn patience a lot on the mission and just not snapping right away at someone like I used to if they would say something against me hahahaha I don’t anymore. I guess I’m growing up. 🙂

You know it hasn’t been easy switching missions but it has forced me to be strong on my own and really just search the Lord! I’ve gotten so close to him!!! Satan has been working so hard on me lately but I have seen the power of the scriptures that just eliminates the temptations! It is amazing!!!

Pray for my investigators come to church and those who are preparing for baptism keep their commitments. I love you guys soooooo much!!!!!!!! Have an awesome week!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love,

Elder LeBaron

Pictures: some attiéké(it wasn’t that great) we ate cuz we got back late from secteur and my maman wasn’t there to make me a super panini it was a good time though!!! notice i ate with my hand and he grabbed a spoon hahah it was sooo funny!!!! the other was some foufou my comp made it was good!!!

January 27, 2019 Attecoube (Week 20)

Family,

Looks like you guys had a good week! I seriously have been soooo blessed with this new companion! He is like my favorite comp so far hahahhahahah!!! He’s from Togo!!!!!!! So dope!!!!!! and sooo chill!!!! His name is Elder Akpotossou!   He’s super cool!!! Freakin buff too hahahaha He wants to join the US Navy. I love him so much!

Well my investigators are not keeping their commitments. Please pray for fr luc that we can get a date for his baptism and sr nyomie that her father accepts and fr jean constant that he gets baptized this Saturday and fr pacome that he can continue to come to church and stuff and that sr evelyne, sr fidele, and sr joellle will come to church!!! Its cuz of your prayers that I’m still here!!! This week was great as well I talk about it all in the recording . We got a date set for sr nyomie so that rocks!!! Its the 16th of Feb!!! Sadly fr jean-constant wasn’t baptized. He had cadre de dignité so yeah bummer with that! IDK how to explain cadre de dignité in English cuz it has like no translation basically its just high sins like avortement or loi de chasteté  parole de sagesse and just stuff like that hahahaha! He had helped someone do an avortement and he did one with a girl he got pregnant. I guess this dude used to be quite the player and then he got sick from  drugs and alcohol and so now he is looking for God and he has stopped all that stuff for like a year or so cuz he just wants a better life. He’s such a great guy!!!! So yeah it should be this next Saturday that we will baptize him!!! With my new comp I think I may fall in love with training! That would be cool if you met the president! I’d love to see that pic you guys at dinner with him that would be sooo cool! Well I love you soooo much!!! Have an awesome week!!!!

Love,

Elder LeBaron

Pictures:

My new studly comp!!!! Elder Akpotossou

January 21, 2019 Attecoube (Week 19)

Hey Family,

This week was really great!!!!!! This transfer is going to be really good the Lord is soo amazing!!!! I have just seen him prepare me in so many ways for each transfer!!! I will be staying here in this secteur and will be training my 3rd son! At first I was super mad I was training again so I just went to my room and just got on my knees to pray for peace and it was just so incredible!!! I know with no doubt in my mind that this is exactly what the Lord wants and it is no question that is why I will be ending with that American president! This has been a bumpy ride but man has it been great! I have come so close to the Lord in so many ways!!! I will get my son tomorrow so we will see what nationality he is! I have a strong feeling he will be an english speaker. It is interesting because I have been praying so hard that I’ll be transferred and every time I just had a feeling I will train and then it happened but yeah it will be really great cuz we will have a baptism this Saturday for the fr constant!! Sadly we didn’t get those other investigators to church but I just know they will come. They are so close if they can just make it to church they will be baptized!!! Pray they can come to church!!!! They read the scriptures and have testimonies but they don’t come to church it is sooo hard to see but when you look at it you realize that everyone has their own agency! It kills you but all you can do is warn them and NEVER give up on them! I may be transferred and other missionaries in a year from now will baptize them like what has happened with fr pacome! I hope we can get him baptized!!! He just has to get out of all his sins. He loves going to hotels and bars! He parties tooo much and has a wife at port bouet. Its a sad situation but with the help of the Lord it can be made right!!! Sounds like u guys had a good week! Yeah that reminds me of the time I saw the blood moon here I will never forget it. I was at port bouet when it happened!!! Yeah I know that’s it tough with him leaving but don’t think in the present. Realize that he is going to become a man in the service of the Lord! There is no other way!!! The Lord will continue to strengthen you!!! Don’t worry grandpa will come lift you up! I think he’s got me back on my two feet for the moment! Plus you need it more hahahahaha!!! Just be patient with yourself! Regarding running mom, you will be back there and when I get home i’ll start running with you again!! I gotta get my rice belly away hahaha I got this small little roll hahaha and my arms are skin and bone and I got a little roll hahahahahahahahah! Man, I’m jealous you’re getting so much snow! I want to go snowboarding sooo bad hahahahahahah!!! Soon!!! In like 9 months hahaha!!!

So here’s a quick summary of the week since I didn’t get a chance to give you a recording. Tuesday was conference mulit zone so that was dope! had some great lessons on obedience and integrity! Wednesday we saw fr constant and then went and saw sr evelyne and sr joelle. It was a great lesson. We thought for sure they’d come to church but they didnt come sadly hahah Then Thursday we saw this one new investigator that came two weeks ago to church and is seriously golden!!!! She’s sooooo awesome her name is sr nyomie!!!!! She told us she wants to be baptized but has to talk to her dad so she will be baptized February! So hopefully right before I get transferd she’ll get baptized!!! We then went and tried to see this lady sr catherine that we contacted a while ago and ended up finding her younger sister at the house and had a good lesson with her. She doesn’t know if God exists and thinks that it is all fake and human made so we will help her with time hahhaha! Friday was good we saw sr tabitha and sr joelle again it was great lessons!! Saturday we saw fr pacome and taught with this guy fr tehin who is a member and camùe to find out it was him that referred him to the first missionaries and so we had him come to the lesson and it was so amazing the spirit was soo strong man in this lesson and in the one for sr nyomie like I almost started crying when sr nyomie was saying she wanted to serve a mission and get baptized and then she started crying a bit it was so insane man it was such a great week man!!!!

Well I love you sooo much!!!!! Have an awesome week!!! 

Love,

Elder LeBaron

Pictures:

party at my mt elder nkruma’s place it was sooo lit we had fajitas!!!! elder harris made them that guy can cook man!!!! he’s a new american that came like 5 months ago it was fun! we were with elder nwachuku this missionary that’s goin home tomorrow.

a little party we had at picasso!!! also the going away present i gave to elder citeya!!!

Here’s some pics of when mercer left the apartment.

The going away party for elder nkachuku