Tag Archives: Elder Wabunga

Elder Tyler LeBaron

February 12, 2018 Gonzaqueville (Week 9)

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Hey Family,

Ohhh man was it quite the week hahahaha!!!!  So basically on Tuesday morning I felt I needed to talk to my comp about what happened last week.   We talked for a while, but it led to me calling the President right then and there and set up and meeting.   I went to it, and I told him everything that happened in French it was dope!!!! The Lord has been blessing me like crazy!!! So then after that I told him about my 5 day constipation problem, so I had to go to the hospital the next day, so then Wednesday I got the meds I needed.   They gave me an enema, and I’ve never felt more pain in my life lol!  I thought I was legit going to die!!! hahahahahahaha!!!!  Then time passed with no word from President then Saturday after our baptism we got a call from him.  He wanted to see us again and then my companion had an super long interview with him.   Then after, he met with me for a bit, but still no word really what is going to happen. I know it is serious cuz President sent the Zone Leaders to our apartment today to have an interview with me.  So yeah not sure what’s going on, but I don’t even care I know I did what’s right and then Lord helped me know that, so I’m not worried that with time everything will work out!  So basically this week was crazy, but I’m doing great now!!! Yeah I don’t know what’s gonna happen, but I know president is taking it seriously.  I just pray they don’t keep me with my comp cuz he like hates me now, but I just serve him everyday and it seems to ease his heart a bit.   He just did something super serious and I couldn’t stand by and not do anything about it.  It was very difficult, but I know the Lord wanted me to say something to President.  You’d think through all of this I’d be homesick, but it’s really not a thing for me anymore.  The Lord has helped me so much, and I know he’s there for me.  Thanks for sending the pictures of Josh.  He looks like a man!  Well, dude, you got no idea what the Lord has done for me this past week. I went through hell with a smile hahahaha!!  😉  Missions are the best kept secret, but also the greatest blessing!!!  I have grown to love the Lord so much!  Reading about him has changed my life!!! You guys are my hero!!! I don’t know how I could sit back hearing all the crazy things that happen to me while I’ve been here and not completely freak out!  lolololololol!!!! 😂  I love you guys so much!!!!!

Beaucoup beaucoup d’amour!!!!

Elder LeBaron

 

Elder Tyler LeBaron

January 22, 2018 Gonzaqueville (Week 6 – Tyler)

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Hey Family,

This week was great!!!! Time is flying!!! The language is coming too which helps!! I can’t believe Josh is coming home next week.  I don’t get that homesick anymore which is a blessing like it comes but I get it outta my head a lot easier!! I feel the prayers for sure!!!!  It was great seeing my Mission President. He came by the apartment last week to check on everything. He is awesome!! I don’t see him a lot but he’s a great guy!! So is mama Benine she’s awesome!!  My comp is still lazy.  I will never let my comp compromise my obedience and he knows that! He and I are starting to get along a lot better though! I just serve him 24-7! When he pisses me off I just serve him haha.  He gets way confused!!  It’s super funny.  I get the most strength from serving.  My French has also been getting better.  I’m starting to understand a lot more of what people say!!   We go to the secteur a lot more, but just to sit at girls houses for hours. Its kinda frustrating, but I get to be out and hear French which is what I need most!!  I’ve come to learn that the gift of tongues is so real because my French is improving and I’m not even being trained!   Once the language comes I’ll be unstoppable hahaha!!! That is what gives me hope!! The Lord let’s me see the missionary I’m going to become and it is amazing!  My heath is good surprisingly!! haha  The Lord is preserving me!   He knows exactly what I’m going through and fills the gaps!!   Missions are truly remarkable things!   Regarding how I’m doing with water and food.  Water is ok.  We all eat together its just not a lot of food! Its just the mission life haha I’m in Africa I’m gonna lose weight haha its not a big deal!   I’ve lost like 10 pounds.  We don’t eat at members homes.  The last time we did was like the first week here. The other day a lady made some food for us so that was nice! My comp just doesn’t work with the ward very well, but I’m good.   The Lord gives me the strength I need haha! Because I can’t just ask him to feed me everyday haha!   Its ok.  My comps have taught me how to cook some things!  That is crazy Dad read Alma 19:23 because the other day I was reading Alma 17 18 19 20 all in french while my comp did the interviews for my zone leaders and stuff.  I talk about it in the recording. I had the same experience Dad did reading about placing me in the Trust of the Lord.  It’s how Ammon was able to do what he did, and by you placing me in the TRUST of the Lord I will be blessed.   It’s super sick I just got chills!!!!   It’s amazing!!!!  I love you guys sooo much!! Have an awesome week!!!!

Avec amour!!!!!
Elder LeBaron
Elder Tyler LeBaron

January 15, 2018 Gonzaqueville (Week 5 – Tyler)

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Hey Family,

This week was pretty nuts, but dope at the same time!  It’s been a lot better.  I’m not as homesick!  Your prayers are being answered!  🙂 I don’t know how I have been able to stay so positive!  The only way to describe it is because angels are carrying me everyday!!!  Emails have been awesome!  They help me so much!  So basically my comp really likes to waste time, LOL, but I’ve come to realize that the only thing I can do is just trust that this is the Lord’s plan for me and he has yet to cease to help me out!!!  I am blessed everyday!!!!  I have felt all of your prayers for sure!  Those are the blessings I feel every day!!!  I see what the Riccardi Letter meant that 80% of the missionaries do 20% of the work, and 20% of missionaries do 80% of the work!  It makes me so happy that Makayla got to spend the weekend with you!  She is so awesome!!!!  I just keep living the gospel here, so I can preach it!  🙂  My companion continues to be disobedient and lazy.  It’s giving me a lot of time to study the language!  I’m so glad to hear you are doing good!!  Elder Onleu is so awesome!  He came and brought me some food and stuff.  He’s such a stud!  I love Alban!  Please thank him!  I can’t wait to speak French with him!  Today President and his wife came to our apartment cuz Elder Wabunga finally called Mama Binene to help us in our apartment.  It was a little better this time with President!   He knows I’m new to French, so he speaks pretty simply to me but yeah it was good.  I love him so much!   He is so loving!!  I’m just glad that Elder Da and me cleaned the apartment this morning together cuz it would’ve been way bad if we left it the way it was!  Haha!   Elder Da (the new missionary Elder Ayama is training) is a total stud.   He is from the Ivory Coast, but speaks English partly so its awesome!!  He thinks exactly like me!   He’s a stud!!  We’re no longer in a 3-some.  Its a lot better, but also at times can be a curse cuz Elder Ayama would help me out to know whats going on, and now it’s just me and my companion.   Elder Ayama helped me so much!  They’re going to fix all the issues with our apartment haha! Hopefully soon cuz I’m tired of buying water hahahha! Well Elder Da is actually supposed to be in the Congo mission, so he will leave after his training sadly, but honestly he has been such a blessing for me!!!  I’m going to love serving with the Ivorians.  The people here are awesome!! 

I love you all soooooo much!!!

Elder LeBaron

Elder Tyler LeBaron

January 8, 2018 Gonzaqueville (Week 4 – Tyler)

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[Thank you so much for your prayers and fasting!  Elder LeBaron has experienced miracles this week!  His recordings couldn’t send last week, so we didn’t have the communication until today.  He’s working so hard, and you can hear in his recording how the Lord is blessing him tremendously!]

Hello Family,

Last week was soooooooo much better!!! I had an amazing experience yesterday.  Saturday we had our first baptism!!  It was amazing.  I committed both of them to baptism, and they were baptizedI  I talk about it in my recording.  I read everyone’s emails.  Thank you for all of them!  You guys are awesome!!!!  I can feel everyone’s love!  I got so many emails!  It was wonderful!  It’s been an amazing week!  I’ve been writing in my journal a ton.  I write like I’m writing to my children.  I’m probably going to run out of paper before the two years are up!  I’m going to get the packages you sent at the multi-zone conference in a couple of weeks.  Yeah I took your advice and just chilled out and it has seemed to help. Elder Ayama told me something that is so true, “just play the fool to win the war”,  which basically means suffer through the crap till your out of training then you can do whatever you want.  We’ll be together until the next batch of missionaries come at the end of the month.  I’ve come to realize so much this past week with the spirit as my trainer!  He’s the real teacher!  Satan has been trying to get to me, but he got a giant curb stomp yesterday!  😉  So I have no clue why my comp has been better this week.  I think I got him in a good place right now, but even the smallest things tip him off, so like I want to say I’ll be able to email next week but there is also a high possibility of not hearing from me.   Haha it just will be in and out!  The good thing is I got to fast, so I put my starvation to good use!  🙂  I’m honestly better than you think!  The Lord is blessing me!  Mom, I have lost a lot of weight, which I thought was impossible…haha!  The good news is the Lord is blessing me because I haven’t felt hungry anymore, which is a huge blessing.   Alban’s friend called me the other day!  He’s gonna come by the apartment.   He is an area authority, which is dope!   He seems like a stud!  I also met Alban’s other friend too that he served with when he was here.   It was super cool because we were talking with him and then I asked him if he knew Alban and sure enough he served with him!  The Lord is in our lives more so than we can even comprehend!  It’s impossible to not see the blessings that keep coming into my life.  I’m great.   I don’t have any anxiety.   Just bursts of homesickness sometime,  but I’m doing a lot better!!!  The power is sketchy so some nights its super hot others its freezing, but I’m getting more and more sleep as time goes on.  It’s all apart of the adaptation!  🙂 I just have to laugh about it.  Africa is really funny actually.  When I think about how I’m living and what I’m doing I just laugh.  🙂  Hahaha I’ve come to realize that is the key to get my comp happy is to laugh.   I just joke with him and even if it is the dumbest thing if he thinks its funny then it is freaking hilarious!  I’ve gotten pretty good at fake laughing hahahahaha!  These people are really easy to love!   I’ve come to find ways to just love them for who they are and they have grown to like me so thats a blessing.   It is all the Lord’s hand.  He needed me to suffer to know what the good feels like, if that makes sense?  The spirit is really helping me learn and grow.  You’re awesome, Dad!   I love you so much!!!!! I tell people stories about your mission and just your awesome example in general like all the time!  I have also grown to love the Savior so much and have gained so much respect for him!! Read Jesus the Christ!!!! It is amazing!  Well, this place is amazing…it’s the comps that have made it terrible.  LOL  I just have such a lazy comp.  Oh well, I have a ton of time to learn French and study!  

I love you sooooo much!

Elder LeBaron

 

 

Elder Tyler LeBaron

January 3, 2018 Dad Post

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Tyler is with two French speakers in a threesome. He can’t communicate with his mission president yet because he doesn’t speak English. He’s in an apt that doesn’t have power and sketchy water. His two comps are not very obedient either, and don’t want much to do with Him, and aren’t letting him email home on P-day. He could use your prayers! He said he’s ready to give up! So hard to be a parent in this situation. It’s certainly brought us to our knees! Please join us in fasting and prayer this Sunday for him! He’s tough, but could use a little help! Thank you!

Elder Tyler LeBaron

January 1, 2018 Gonzaqueville (Week 3 – Tyler)

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Hello…

This past week was not good.  It was so hard and I’m struggling to even want to be here anymore.  I’m really struggling with my comp. I don’t even know where to start.  My recording should help you understand what’s happening, but my comp doesn’t speak English and hardly talks to me.  Basically our new apartment doesn’t have great water so I’ve had to use the filtered water bottle thing to get water and the power is super iffy so its way hot.  We hardly go to the secteur and my comp isn’t doing much to help he just kinda adds to the stress and is super selfish with everything.  I can’t communicate with the Mission President because he only speaks French.  I’m scared if i say anything about it it is just gonna come back to bite me in the butt.  Yeah its tough man I seriously am ready to just throw in the towel and come home I can’t take it man!  I’m in a threesome.  Everything they want is done and they just kick me to the curb.  I’ll try to be strong. This is so hard you seriously have no idea the crap I’ve been through already.  They’re super disobedient as well.  Like really bad.  I’m trying my hardest.  I’m just glad I have you.  We had to take a survey today, so I was able to come and communicate with you.  My comp wouldn’t let me come yesterday on the P-day.  I just hope I can communicate with you on P-days.  I just want to be the best missionary and I just don’t know what to do.  I think my biggest problem right now is that I’m trying to be so perfect in an environment that is so difficult.  I’ll work to be obedient even though these missionaries aren’t doing what they should.  Well hopefully my comp will let me come to the cafe next week.  He really just plays video games and watches movies all day.  I’m going to focus on learning the language and studying and try not to upset my comp.

I love you guys so much thanks for everything!!!!!

Elder LeBaron

[These were sent today, January 8th]

Elder Tyler LeBaron

December 25, 2017 Gonzaqueville (Week 2 – Tyler)

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Family,

The Christmas party yesterday was so awesome!   It was honestly so crazy!! Like too crazy I don’t know how president was okay with the music they played but like everyone says this mission is different than all others. We all sang and danced and had a huge feast it was so great I also had a cool experience with this poly guy named Elder Tia he’s from cali! I took a pic with him and this other elder Elder William and made my name like “Ty” William LeBaron lol its a stretch but it works! So yeah it was a blast!!! Meeting Elder Olo was so great he gave me the biggest huge I didn’t get a pic of it though!!  I’ve been really struggling today like I’ve been just fine till today. I have been holding so much of my stress in and I just broke down alone in my room today I’m feeling better now though so thats good!  Yeah its just been rough haha! But yeah I’m just trying to stay positive but its been pretty tough like I feel like I’ve been pretty good at it but today just hasn’t been great haha. I can feel your prayers!!!!  I was fearing the homesickness would come…I think it’s been tough because I have sat in the apartment a good portion of the day until I finally convinced my comp to go with me to the bank cuz I only got half the money I needed yesterday.  I got it though and I’m good now so thats all that matters haha!  I’ve been praying and reading my scriptures a lot and it’s making a difference.  I just need to keep reminding myself that I’m not alone.  The issue is my trainer hasn’t started my training and said we were gonna start this week cuz we’re new to the area, but he has yet to start and I don’t know what to do. Hopefully he starts tomorrow haha!  The reality is I think I’ve just been waiting too much for him to train me when in reality I should just start doing it myself!  Haha yeah its tough!   I need to pause and just do the things I can control like make a schedule of studying and just try to learn and study French. So we’re in a threesome now because there isn’t a comp for Elder Ayama and the nice thing is he is from Nigeria, so I’ve been talking with him a lot but I think you’re right I need to get to know my comp and start speaking more French! I think I have been struggling so much because I’ve been fighting back the French and I need to just stop that and welcome it and forget English!  Ologundudu said to call him if anything isn’t going right so I may call him tonight and see what he thinks. We can call other missionaries in the field with the mission phones so its nice!  I think everything happened today for the Lord to show me somethings that I haven’t even thought of that I have been doing! The Lord works in mysterious ways!  If I don’t email next week,  know it is because A) my comp didn’t want to or B) I have no connection!! Hahaha

I’ll pray for you as well!!! Love you guys!!  I love you so much!

 

 Au revoir!
Elder LeBaron
Elder Tyler LeBaron

December 22, 2017 Gonzaqueville (Week 1 – Tyler)

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Family,

I don’t have much time.  The Internet isn’t very good and this French keyboard is messed up.  🙂  So it is sketchy here, and I will have weeks were email will be down so you guys will have to bear with me and know that I’m okay.  President is great he knows hardly any English so its kinda tough.  My comp is awesome  and a great guy! He’s from the District Republic of Congo.  His name is Elder Wabunga. There’s a picture of my companion and me below.  You also need to know that this Sunday I get to call you because we don’t have facetime here.  I’m hanging in there. This is a lot crazier than I would’ve imagined.  We don’t really eat lunch here and breakfast and dinner are small, but i just have to get used to it. My stomach has been killing cuz I’m hungry so pray that i can get adjusted to the food and stuff.  I have to adapt.  The food is great.  There’s just not a lot of it.  LOL.  It’s part of the African Mission. This is a mission like none other.  It is also the highest baptizing mission in the world, so with great blessings comes great responsibility.  Pray that I can learn french and that i will stop feeling so homesick.  Good news I don’t have bad diarrhea, bad news my allergies are going outta wake, and I don’t feel that great.  I got special permission to write you today. Monday is the mission Christmas party, so I will finally meet Ologundudu.   I’m so excited!!!!!! We will have p-day Tuesday next week, but I don’t think we can email so this will be it for another week or so haha.  Christmas here is a huge party I hear so I’m stoked!!  The people are so loving here I just don’t understand them lol.  I love you guys so much you have no idea how in tune you are with the spirit!!   I can show love through servicing my comp.  He is amazing at serving I seriously love him so much.   He’s such a stud!!!  My blessing I got today said that I need to stop focusing on myself and focus on the people and how I can better help them.  It will be amazing to look back on this!  Well, I love you guys soooooo much!!! 

Love you!!!!!!

Elder LeBaron