Thanksgiving round 2

My friends and family, 

This week was super busy. We were out of our area for like half of the week, but we got to do some really cool stuff. On thanksgiving we had a potluck breakfast meal with like 200 pancakes with the whole zone. That was a super good time for sure. We played a sweet game called werewolf, let's see who can catch the gummy bear in their mouth from the longest distance away, and find 10 gummy bears in a bowl of whipped cream with your mouth with the whole zone too. It was a great time. 

One of the things we are working on this week is focusing on our purpose as missionaries in teaching repentance and baptizing converts. We saw a super cool miracle inviting someone to be baptized with a date the first lesson which made us super pumped. We are just praying and praying and praying that she stays golden. We shall see folks. 

Another thing we are working on is sharing the church's Christmas initiative with everyone. It's honestly such an awesome thing. If you have not seen the video yet, go to Mormon.org right now and watch it! I also want to invite all to participate in the activity of serving in 25 ways over 25 days! THIS WILL BLESS YOUR LIFE, AND THE LIVES OF THOSE YOU SERVE MORE THAN ANYTHING! Let us be like the savior and serve others every day in a distinct way until Christmas and hopefully for the rest of our lives. 

I want to bear my testimony that Jesus is the Christ, our Lord and Savior. In the month of December, we celebrate him. He was born, he suffered for the sins of the world, died and was resurrected, and he did it all for us because he loves us. He is the light of the world and the only way back to our Heavenly Father. In the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, we do all that we can to follow him, and do what he would do. We are imperfect, but we do our best to follow what the Holy Ghost has told us is true. I know that this is THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST restored here in the latter days. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. 

Elder Baron 

New people and waterfalls in Barrio 8

Citizens of America, 

First off, thank you to all of the people who thought about me today and wrote me notes. If I had more time I would wrote you all more, but know that each and every one of you mean a lot for me in my life. 

This week went pretty well, but was a little on the slower side though. One of the funniest things that happened this week was we were teaching this part member/ part active family and the dad shared this story. It was a long story. Anyways, he finished his story and the 9 year old girl goes, " that's great dad but you have committed a sin, you wrote on your hand with pen and you tell us that we can never do that." It was an awesome kid comment that made my day. 

Today we had a super rad day. We went to this super sweet waterfall with a member from my companions first area. It was super super pretty and quite the escape. There was fresh air, no buildings, and hardly anyone around. It was a great opportunity to just relax and be with nature. I truly am grateful for all of Gods creations and how much I can feel Gods love for us being around all he created to make us happy. 

One of the best experiences this week was meeting with this young girl from Peru. We met with her right outside of the temple and we shared the first lesson. She had an aunt that was Mormon and had taken her to church before. She was super into the lesson and showed some super real desires to read the Book of Mormon and to pray to know from God if these things are true. I know she will receive that answer as she does her part without a doubt in my mind. What's really cool about her was one day I was studying and had a feeling to write my testimony in a Book of Mormon to give it out some time to who knows who. Well, the Lord gave me the opportunity to give it to someone that very day while waiting for the train and it was her. It felt super good to not only give the Book away, but to share a written testimony with someone, and especially with someone so humble and willing to listen to the gospel. 

I also heard something that really touched me in a sacrament talk this week. This guy named Angel Diestra (right hand angel in English) talked about how often times the words of testimony shared are the same amongst us, but what is really heard and felt is what comes from what's in the heart of the person sharing the testimony. That one hit me hard because I know it's true. As we live the gospel and do all we can to come closer to God, we can bear powerful testimony from the heart and don't need to worry about the words so much. 

Other than that, life goes on little by little here in Spain. I think the mission just progressively gets better and better. I love the people we have to work with right now, be members, or investigators, or the other missionaries in the zone, and I'm super grateful to be here. 

Hope you can all feel the love I have for each of you

Hangin out under the missle toe realizing I still have 10 months left

We got to visit this sweet town on the way to the falls

Elder Baron 

How many elders does it take

Hello to all,

This week was another super super busy one. There were so many things that happened and we were super busy. The work is going forward in this ward! I love these people so much and I am super super grateful for the role they play in my life. One of the pictures I sent comes from a part member family that feeds us till we gain 10 pounds twice a week. We are trying so hard to help the nonmember dad, but man they are the best. 

This week I'm super short on time, but to sum up a lot, I learned a ton about myself and the atonement this week. There were some things this week that fell through and just really did not go the way we planned.... like it was a huge test of my patience and faith. I was pretty down at one point. I kept asking myself why some of these unjust things had to happen, why why why. After saying a prayer, things didn't change at all immediately. As I sat there and thought about it though, the Lord slowly brought the peace to my heart and helped me feel like it was all ok. It took some time, but He took all those feelings away. Completely. Sometimes life is unjust, and sometimes we feel like others are favored of the lord more than us. As we pray and ask him to help us in these situations, all things are fixed, and the spirit helps us understand it all. 

Keep praying, and keep trying if any of you feel this way, I'm rooting you on today, tomorrow, and forever. 

Elder Baron 

We walked into a bad scene where the other companionship that lives with us was giving hair cuts. We did our best to fix it, but well, the picture explains it... poor Elder MANGUM 

Elder Baron 

0 degrees Celsius

Hola a todos, 

This week.... well to sum it up we: have done a bunch of intercambios (missionary exchanges), did a baptismal interview, helped someone get the priesthood, ate non step visiting members trying to get them to share the gospel with their friends, played a sweet volleyball match with some latinos and missionaries in the stake center, learned how to speak Nigerian English, froze, and yeah that's basically it. Things are going good here. We are doing all we can to try and find people to teach through the members still. Poco a poco. We've got some really awesome people to meet with though. 

One of the coolest things that happened recently was this lady came up to us who just moved here from Mexico and said that her friend told her to look for us. We were able to start teaching her this week and she is super incredible. She's just super humble. She was so grateful to find us and wanted to give me a hug and besos (one kiss on both cheeks) I had to awkwardly back away and tell her that I couldn't do that, but man she's super super sweet! You wanna know how this lady started investigating the church in Mexico.... because some lady in Mexico talked to her about the gospel in the supermarket. I'm so extremely grateful that that lady had the courage to open her mouth and speak to someone about the blessings of the gospel in such a place. 

The greatest joys of the mission come from the moments when you see someone accept the gospel and apply it to their lives and see the difference. The hardest moments are when people don't. Everyone has their agency though.... the important thing is that we try with everyone. We can say we did our part if we do. Share the gospel and your whole aspect on life will be changed forever. I testify to that. 

Hey, love you guys all tons 

Elder Baron 

Translations from Nigerian English to American English 

Where you did go brother? - where are you going? 

What'em be da problem- what's your problem? 

How far? - how are you? 

What you did do brotha?- what are you doing? 

(Credit to our investigator who moved here from Nigeria and helped us with the translation) 

Dominos pizza and volleyball 

Definitely missed American hamburgers