I was able to teach the Relief Society lesson today on Eternal Marriage, which tied in with the Gospel Doctrine lesson on the Plan of Salvation. Did you have the same lessons? Here is a quote from President Packer that I love: 

President Boyd K. Packer of the Quorum of the Twelve:

“There are three parts to the plan. You are in the second or the middle part, the one in which you will be tested by temptation, by trials, perhaps by tragedy. …

“Remember this! The line ‘And they all lived happily ever after’ is never written into the second act [of a play]. That line belongs in the third act, when the mysteries are solved and everything is put right. …

“Until you have a broad perspective of the eternal nature of [the plan], you won’t make much sense out of the inequities in life. Some are born with so little and others with so much. Some are born in poverty, with handicaps, with pain, with suffering. Some experience premature death, even innocent children. There are the brutal, unforgiving forces of nature and the brutality of man to man. We have seen a lot of that recently.

“Do not suppose that God willfully causes that which, for His own purposes, he permits. When you know the plan and the purpose of it all, even these things will manifest a loving Father in Heaven” (The Play and the Plan [satellite broadcast, 7 May 1995], 1–2).

This is our last 3 days of school:)

YEah!!!!

Thursday I am having a Colonscopy because I am 50---It is a routine exam and everything turns out ok I think I have to have one every 10 years. 

Erin and I went to see Nathan Pacheco Friday night in Cedar. It was a last minute thing. Friday morning Dad told me that Nathan P was going to be in Cedar soon. So when I got to work, I looked him up online and his concert was that night! There were seats available, dad couldn't go, but Erin and I were able to so sit four rows from the front. It was the BEST concert. The stage was so intimate and close. It was in the Heritage center so like a small capital theater. I loved every minute of it. Pacheco had a pianist and a cellist. So his instrumental was live for about 90 percent of the time. Nathan Pacheco served a mission in Brazil and also studied Italian. He sings pop and Italian/opera. I normally do not seek opera, but when Nathan sings it, it is amazing. The concert was clean, fun and not loud, perfect sound.

Saturday we had a BBQ that was fun. I invited the Talbots, Cindy Garn and Frank Max field; both of their spouses died this year, the Littels, and Jan and Bill Adams on.  The Adamson's moved into the Just's old home last June

Next week for memorial Day, dad invited his staff from work to come and join us for a BBq. I invited Daniel Pina, who used to live in the house that a girl named Corrina lived.Daniel is not a member, but I have seen him in his yard when I go on a walk on Sundays. I had the thought to "ask Daniel if he wants to come" So I did and he said yes.

Xxoxoxoxo

mom

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Family!

this week has been a great week and we have been greatly blessed! I spoke with Thelma and i will contact her sister this week to be able to know how we can plan to meet up. 

We have been seeing miracles in the work here in our area in Asuncion mita. I love this work. 

While thinking about what we can to in our effort to reactivate recent converts that are in our area we decided to follow the example of our family and whip up a BBQ. So my companion and I planned a family home evening and grilled up some meat under a mango tree for 2 large families this past week and afterwords the families told us their concerns. We have since been able to teach according to their needs and I am happy to share that everyone of them was able to join us in church this past Sunday!

We are finding many new people to teach and many investigators are progressing. Today I visited Ixhuatan ( an old area) and saw the chapel that is being build along with recent converts that will enter into the temple this year. I am more than happy and this week we are determined to continue working hard and preparing all those possible to make covenants with Heavenly Father! 

I love each of you. I pray for you and I am thankful for all that you do for me
have a great week!

Today is Sunday. Today when 'Erin and I were getting out of the car 5 min before church, I noticed I had my slip on and not my skirt-that was a first! Fortunately I made it back in time for the sacrament. I had told Erin to save me a spot in the back. So when I went in after the sacrament, she was on the front row. One of the speakers was a return missionary, Clay he served in New Jersey, he came home in November . He gave an excellent talk on keeping the Sabbath day holy. How we need to offer up our sacraments and remember it is a sign between us and Heavenly Father. He also encouraged us to read Doctrine and Covenants 59:There are wonderful promises for keeping the Sabbath day- we will be provided for so he used this with his investigators with great success.

   I had a Colonscopy Thursday. Erin took me in at 7:00 am while I was being prepped, I was talking with the nurses and anastegiologist about the beauty of the drug that I will be put under and wake up an hour and half later. I told them I needed to get the drug to use at Lake Powell so I can sleep at night. So I have an appointment on Thursday; I am going to see if I can get some strong sleeping pills. So everything went great with the procedure, I have a clean bill of health. It was funny though, Erin told me that when I was waking up, I told the nurses that Grant Baldwin was picking me up:) I do not remember that conversation.

    I sent a Nathan Pacheco picture because ERin and I went to his concert last Friday in Cedar! It was so wonderful, intimate and amazing! He sings Italian also, he went to Brazil on his mission and now sings, he is like a David Archuelleta, but older like 30 years old.

 We are having a BBQ tomorrow, dad has invited his staff from work, I invited a nonmember I met when I was walking, so I also invited the Stewarts because Mike Stewart is now the Elders quorem president, the goal is to fellowship him. There are pictures of the pool, we put up new lights. 

Last night was Alyssa Staheli's wedding, They were married in the Stahleis back yard. Very pretty, Erin went and helped decorate.Great food, dad was mad at me today because I ate all of the mints that we brought home. They were in the middle console of the car. I didn't think he really even liked the mints. I think we should get him a year supply for Father's Day and call it good:) By the way you are scheduled to speak on Father's day, June 18th at 9:00am, I hope that is OK.

Jordan and Camilla came up tonight because Jordan needed Dad to give him a blessing. Jordan is going to Flagstaff tomorrow to begin the Police Academy program! so yes they are moving. It is sad, we will not see them again until December, they will be up for a couple of days.

How are Marcotulio and Everilda?

Love, xxixoxoxoxo
Mom

Jerrika had her 8th birthday yesterday. Her baptism is next Saturday. We were wiggle racing at Veyo, it is a lot safer than roller skating, speaking of clumsy, Grandma Barlow fell over a cabinet yesterday and landed on her face mostly. She is black and blue, lost a tooth, and another tooth is loose! but no broken bones:).

Dear Family!

This week has been amazing! We have been enjoying the work in Asuncion Mita. We have been blessed with so many miracles. To start off we found our that a full branch Presidency had been called! We are know working according to our full capacity. We also started Weekly activities as missionaries to reactivate our some members that have strayed and to learn and grow as a branch. This week we are going to Teach the book of mormon in our chapel and watch the testaments afterwords. Turns out Popcorn is a big deal in Guatamala too!

We have been teaching a Father and his daughter named Marcotulio and Everilda these past two weeks. They are very friendly poeple that recently moverd to mita from a small village that is about an hours travel above our pueblo, They are very excited about the gospel! Everilda is a single mother and it is amazing to see the changes that she is already experiencing in here life by following the gospel! 

We found a new investigator this week whose name is Jilda. She has been attending church with us for Quite some time without us knowing that she wasnt a member and We finally were able to teach her this week. She has all the desire to follow Heavenly Fathers plan for her. She works as a maid for one of the members of our branch and told us that she wants the happiness that she has seen in the lives our the member family!

The rainy season has continued and we love it! Anything that can take away the heat and the sun for a moment inn our area is a welcome blessing from heaven. 

I love the savior and all that He does for me. I am grateful for the invitation that he has extended to us to follow him and  I know that if we do so our live can chagne in every aspect. We assimilate attributes from of His light. I love his work! I invite you to search ways to share his love with others this coming week! 

Love,

Elder Baldwin

May 21 (8 days ago)

Grant Baldwin

May 6, 2017

This has been an Amazing week! In our mission the transfer cycle ended on Tuesday so we traveled to Julapata to say goodbye to the missionaries that were leaving our Zone and to spend a moment together as missionaries. This week we focused on developing a new part of our area and we found a lot of great new people. The rainy season is starting once again and during the heavy afternoon showers, people seem to have mercy on them on the missionaries out in the street. It's incredible to see people that literally have almost nothing invite us in  and offer us the only plastic chair or any chair / bench so that we can visit them. Many times they want to sit on the floor or stand no matter how much we insist they use the chair.

We found one man named Victor Manuel, who is elderly and lives alone, he is  a farmer who is planting corn right now to make his living. We contacted him while he was sitting on a tree stump in front of his house, he told us that we were the first visit that he has had in years and he has he was very grateful for our visit. He is preparing for baptism during the second weekend in June.

Thursday we got up at 2 a.m. and got on the bus to go to the capital for an immigration appointment for my companion traveling in Guatemala. You never know quite what you're going to see on the buses. This time it  seemed as if we had boarded a Mobile Zoo, the other passengers were mostly small animals, little chickens, and dogs. Sunday we also got up early to travel to the neighboring Department of Guatemala Palapa for our Stake conference. The bus that was contacted for our Branch filled up quickly and we decided to stay behind with the branch president to find another way to arrive. The brother of the branch president had his car and we were also able to make it in time for the conference. During the conference I saw a man that I baptized last fall in Jultapa named  Victor and sustain him to receive the Melchezidek Preisthood.

 Pedro Sanchez, an investigator, was also able to attend the conference with us he's preparing to be baptized this Saturday he's doing great and was a little awe struck when he realized that the church is much larger than he originally thought. His lifestyle has changed dramatically in the last few weeks we have been visiting him. At the conference he had tears in his eyes. He told us afterwards he told us that he too wants to serve the Lord we are very excited for him!

I am doing well and I am learning so much from my mission and all of the many people that we meet and visit I love this work I love I hope you all have a great week see you Sunday love , Elder Baldwin

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May 7

Hello Familia!

This week has been very good! Pedro sanchez se bautizo yesterday and we are very grateful to see his progression! He is a very humble man who has a desire to serve the lord. Yesterday he shared his testimony during our priesthood class and is was a simple and powerful moment that really strengthened my testimony. It was fulfilling to see his change! It was great to be able to see and speak with you yesterday! Thanks for sending the information that i asked you for! send if for Cole as well if you can! This week we have a goal to help Leslie, Kimberly, and Everilda progress. They are all investigators that we have been teaching for a few weeks! they came to church yesterday and we are excited for their progression! 

We have been studying the life of Christ in the Book of Mormon and as we do so I feel that is is easier to see others as he does. As who they can become.

I love my mission!

 

I love each of you and hope that you have a great week!

Elder Baldwin

On Sun, May 7, 2017 at 9:23 PM, Stephen Baldwin <BaldwinSD@ldschurch.org> wrote:

Greetings Elder. Well it's been a busy week. I have been spending a lot of time trying to find a vehicle for you to drive. I know you haven't thought of it at this point, but hopefully we will have something by the time you get home.
Sounds like you had a great week last week. The Lord is great! Glad to hear the work is going forward. It is so strange that your two years are almost over. It has gone by so fast. I hope before you leave, over the next 6 weeks, that you take an opportunity to stop and look around and really let it sink in how great of an opportunity and blessing these two years have been. You have touched many lives and many people have touched yours. Think about the things you have experienced, seen, and learned. Think about the lessons that came from the really tough times. Think about the special moments when families were baptized, people first felt the spirit or received the message of hope that you brought to them.

You will draw from those experiences for the rest of your life. If you haven't recorded those memories, please do while they are fresh because, if not, you likely will forget the details.

Things here are good. We are truly blessed. The Lord has showered blessings upon us beyond our dreams. No doubt due to your service.

Well, son, may the Lord bless you this week with great success. Tell your companion hello and that we love him. Know that we are so very proud of you and we love you.

Love, Dad

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Who knew desert plants grew flowers! I would love to show you the areas where I have served. This country is and eternal spring! its beautiful.

I love my mission and treasure each moment! I have kept journals and taken lots of pictures. Dad, I am sprinting to the finishline! I am físicamente cansado. Pero Dormimos temprano y estamos disfrutando los dias. Amo a mi mision! 

No te precupes a cerca del auto si es algo que puede esperar. Estoy agradecido por el trabajo que estas haciendo para mi. 

Espero que tenga una buena semana!

Elder Baldwi
















Dear Grant, 

So great that Maricio and Isabel were baptized, it looked like they had a marriage celebration also?

Yesterday Erin, dad, the Talbots and I went on a rv trip from our house to Pine valley and ate at the Brandon Iron Stake house. As you can see from the pictures we had a little problem. Just as we left across the highway by the mailboxes we became imobile in some mud. Kyle and Lori pulled as out and we were on our way within 5 min. That was our only mishap.

Sunnie was not so lucky Saturday night she rolled over on a side by side on a young adult activity. She is going to school in Oregon, you knew that right? She got a scholarship with Big Ben for basketball and has been playing there this year. Anyway she broke her collar bone and her hip is hurting her. She is in the hospital; Angie flew up this morning. Sunnie was given a priesthood blessing before the ambulance arrived. So she doesn't have a concussion and no brain damage.

So grateful for the Priesthood power and all blessings that I enjoy which are innumerable.

Baptism of  Mauricio and Isabel!

That is an amazing story! Revelation is real! Sacrifice is necessary, I am healthy! This week we saw many miracles and baptized the family of mauricio and isabel!

We will be able to skype! next week I will send the details. I love you! 

Elder Baldwin

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Today in Gospel Doctrine the lesson was on keeping the Sabboth day holy and offering up our sacrifices, the story of Peter Neilson was given Peter Neilson, one of those little-noted and now-forgotten Saints of whom we have been speaking. He lived in St. George and had been called to go there:

In the course of constructing that tabernacle, the local brethren ordered the glass for the windows from New York and had it shipped around the cape to California. But a bill of $800 was due and payable before the panes could be picked up and delivered to St. George. Brother David H. Cannon, later to preside over the St. George Temple being built at the same time, was charged with the responsibility of raising the needed funds. After painstaking effort, the entire community, giving virtually everything they had to these two monumental building projects, had been able to come up with only $200 cash. On sheer faith Brother Cannon committed a team of freighters to prepare to leave for California to get the glass. He continued to pray that the enormous balance of $600 would somehow be forthcoming before their departure.

Living in nearby Washington, Utah, was Peter Neilson, a Danish immigrant who had been saving for years to add on to his modest two-room adobe home. On the eve of the freighters’ departure for California, Peter spent a sleepless night in that tiny little house. He thought of his conversion in far-off Denmark and his subsequent gathering with the Saints in America. After coming west he had settled and struggled to make a living in Sanpete. And then, just as some prosperity seemed imminent there, he answered the call to uproot and go to the Cotton Mission, bolstering the pathetic and sagging efforts of the alkali-soiled, malaria-plagued, flood-bedeviled settlers of Dixie. As he lay in bed that night contemplating his years in the Church, he weighed the sacrifices asked of him against the wonderful blessings he had received. Somewhere in those private hours he made a decision.

Some say it was a dream, others say an impression, still others simply a call to duty. However the direction came, Peter Neilson arose before dawn on the morning the teams were to leave for California. With only a candle and the light of the gospel to aid him, Peter brought out of a secret hiding place $600 in gold coins—half eagles, eagles, and double eagles. His wife, Karen, aroused by the predawn bustling, asked why he was up so early. He said only that he had to walk quickly the seven miles to St. George.

As the first light of morning fell on the beautiful red cliffs of southern Utah, a knock came at David H. Cannon’s door. There stood Peter Neilson, holding a red bandanna which sagged under the weight it carried. “Good morning, David,” said Peter. “I hope I am not too late. You will know what to do with this money.”

With that he turned on his heel and retraced his steps back to Washington, back to a faithful and unquestioning wife, and back to a small two-room adobe house that remained just two rooms for the rest of his life. 

This experience struck me because I would have thought the Lord would have blessed him with a new/grander home because of his sacrifice, but he wasn't. He remained in his 2 roomed adobe house the rest of his life. It reminds me of the people you are in the midst of. As I was looking at the pictures you sent, the humble circumstances your people live in and they are happy. Remember when we watched "A dollar a Day" before you left on your mission? We were commenting how incredible it is that they have nothing materialistically, but are so happy, it is all relative isn't it? 

Love you hope you have a great week.!!!!!