Хмельницький!

Woo hoo!

I'm finally in my new area -- Khmelnitsky.

You know, I don't think I could have picked a better last transfer for myself.  President Rizley sure was listening to the spirit.  I've been sent to a nice quiet town in a trio with a missionary who is learning how to be a new district leader, and I'm training a brand new missionary from Crimea!  It's really just the best situation.

Well, I've only been in town for a day and a half, but we have a potential meeting on tuesday with a new fellow, apparantly some potential in our english classes that still has yet to be tapped.  We have english TWICE A WEEK in this city!  How cool is that!?  I've always loved teaching english, because it brings so many people into our meeting places, and gives us a great opportunity to teach them about the gospel in a way that allows us to give them a church tour and everything!

Oh, but here's something straight up awesome about our church building--

It's on the second story of a stairwell in a complex where we have a lot of different businesses... and if you ascend up the stairs, you go to our church... and if you descend down the stairs, you go to a poorly lit bar.  

Ha.  Irony.  I almost cried laughing about that when we showed up on sunday.  The gospel is true, people.

Anywho, I'm having lots of fun with my two companions.  Elder Lemons is an old friend from my Chernivtsi and L'viv districts.  We've always gotten along pretty well.

Elder Hryshanov is a fireball, and has a very sturdy work ethic.  I'm very glad that we've got such a solid team.  There's definitely a whole lot of work that needs to get done in this branch!

Our Branch President is SO solid.  I really like that man.  We're going over to his house tonight for Family Home Evening, and it's going to be great!

I don't have much else to report, besides this;

I LOVE my mission! And I love my Heavenly Father even more.  I'm so glad that the Gospel was restored, and that all these people that I've come to love can be blessed with things of eternal value.  I'm grateful for a beautiful world that was created for all of us.  I know that Jesus Christ is our savior.  He atoned for us, and because he did, we all have the opportunity to break out of the pains that this world can trap us in, and become free and happy.   I know families are forever.  I know that for sure!

Remember.  There's nothing more important than being a good example of the believers.  Let's do everything in our power to bless the lives of those around us.  It's what Christ's people should do. 

 "Have they not read the scriptures, which say ye must take upon you the name of Christ, which is my name? For by this name shall ye be called at the last day... And whoso taketh upon him my name, and endureth to the end, the same shall be saved at thelast day."  -- 3 Nephi 27:5-6

Elder LeBaron

Pictures

With Elder Tikhomyrov in the sunset

Saying goodbye with the assistants 

All my planners from my mission -1

District from L'viv

Getting into Khmelnitsky late

Transferred

They're shipping me out of here.

It's obviously a mix of feelings for any missionary to get transferred.  I already knew that this was going to happen, so I figured that it wouldn't be that hard.

I was wrong.

Bearing my testimony at church yesterday was one of the most difficult things I've done in a long time.  

I really love this city.

Aren't all of these transfer emails the exact same though?

It's never easy... and then you fall in love with the next place you go.  It'll all be good.

The one thing that's kind of difficult about it is that I'm only going to be in the next city I'm going to for 6 weeks.  I'm also going to be training -- in a trio.  I'll be training a new missionary from Crimea, Elder Hryshanov, and Elder Lemons is going to get a 6 week leadership training program on how to be a stellar district leader!  I'm so excited-  I get to do the things I love most for 6 straight weeks without distractions!  Isn't life the best?  So much to smile about!!

 That means that I've got to go out sprinting.  Luckily, that fits right into my personal goals!  Isn't the gospel great like that?

This week, we had exchanges with our Zone Leaders and our District Leader.  I went with Elder Shnyriov (my old companion who became a zone leader) and Elder Hunt (the only other elder trained by my trainer, Elder Peterson!)

It was a good, productive week!  I felt like we worked pretty hard.  There's always room for improvement, but it was a pretty satisfying week.

I learned a lot about two things:  Kindness, and Patience.  Not because the missionaries are hard to work with, or because anything went wrong... actually, the exact opposite.  I saw how these missionaries, in spite of difficult circumstances, exhibited these characteristics, and I was very impressed by their examples.  I've still got a lot I can learn from such great people.

I've been thinking lately about the decisions we make in this life.

The lines from "Have I done any good in the world today?"  always hangs on the back of my mind:

Have I done any good in the world today?
Have I helped anyone in need?
Have I cheered up the sad and made someone feel glad?
If not, I have failed indeed.
Has anyone’s burden been lighter today
Because I was willing to share?
Have the sick and the weary been helped on their way?
When they needed my help was I there?

These are the questions that I ask myself frequently throughout the day now.  I'm kind of looking at them as my: "What are you REALLY doing" questions.  After I've reflected, and feel pumped up, I sing the chorus in my head:

Then wake up and do something more
Than dream of your mansion above.
Doing good is a pleasure, a joy beyond measure,
A blessing of duty and love.

Isn't it so great that the way we find the greatest joy in this life is through helping other people?  We are happy because we make others happy.  I can't believe it too me traveling to the other side of the world and being away from home for almost 2 years to get that!

Missions are the best.  You learn so much.  I think I'm going to just stay on mine forever, even if they take my tag off! :)

And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom ; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God. Mosiah 2-17

I hope your days are filled with service and joy this week!

It's the fastest way to improve your life.. at least, that's how it worked for me so far.

I wish you all a great week! have fun, and make all the best choices!

here's the bad news about my email....

I forgot my camera today.

Sorry!  I might send pictures later in the day If I get the chance!

Love you all!

Elder LeBaron

What it means to be free...

It means : 

Not having to plan for conferences

Not having to plan for transfers

Not needing to do ANYTHING besides MISSIONARY WORK!!

BEST WEEK EVER!

I can't even tell you how good it was to have a week like this right after conference!

Let's start from the beginning!

Monday -- monday...

So, many of our beloved members left to the temple!  Among them was our senior couple, the Plasters.  We were asked to help them get a taxi... but it was rainy and stormy outside, so there ended up being no taxis available.  I called and told them that we would find a taxi, and to be patient. We ran down the hill from the church, and like a white lightning crack out of heaven, we saw one taxi parked on the side of the road.  We enlisted the driver, and were off to the Plaster's house!  They had around 40 minutes before their train was supposed to leave. I called them, and asked where they were.... and they had already gotten on a Tramvaj!  ​They would be late if they took that all the way to the train station... so we told them to get off at the next stop.  They did... and then wandered off into some ally way to wait for us! Here, we have a lost senior couple and a couple of missionaries with an agitated taxi driver trying to find eachother on one of the busiest streets in L'viv.  Awesome.

After Elder Plaster had explained where they were for the 100th time, we finally just swung a right turn, I said a little prayer, and we saw them standing right on the street corner!  We found them, and they made it to their train on time.  That was pretty awesome.

We also went on exchanges with our beloved Carpathian Zone Leaders.  I got to go with Elder Huth!  What a great missionary he is!  Diligent, dedicated, and dignified.  We had a funny moment that day, where we had run to the store to grab some stuff for sandwiches that we could eat at the church before our investigator showed up for a lesson.  Elder Huth had made himself a sandwich, when all of a sudden, our investigator calls and says he is walking up to the front of the church.  Elder Huth wasn't fast enough to eat it, so as we ran out, I saw him hide his sandwich behind his back and shake hands with our investigator.  We began the church tour, and at some point, he managed to hid the sandwich in a back room.  After our lesson, and after the investigator had left, he said nothing about the sandwich.  We ran around all day doing lessons and such, and when we got back, he snuck into the back room, and grabbed his sandwich.  HA!  Apparently, he had told our district leader to get it and finish it, but Elder Hunt didn't want it... so it just sat there all day.  

Also, we did this activity on the street where we stand behind a table and invite people to come and test their english skills on us.  It was such a positive experience!! I met a man who was born in Chernivtsi, moved to Philadelphia, married a woman from Argentina, and had returned to visit L'viv!  A couple of people from the United Kingdom, another man from Iowa.  One guy started singing "If you could hie to Kolob" right there on the street when he found out that we're "Mormons".  I was impressed.

Overall, in the space of 2 hours, we got 15 numbers and a set up lesson.  Talk about a good use of time!

Then... the rest of the week blurs together into all the people that we're teaching!

First, Paraskeva -- she's the 90 year old mother of a member of the church, and she really wants to be baptized.  I've never raised my voice so loud on a lesson.  She's mostly deaf, and mostly blind.  It's actually really fun to teach her though, because she laughs and jokes with us (when she can hear).  Her son is really supportive, and even wants to take us to see some really cool art gallery in L'viv sometime.

Then, Brother Oleg's mom started talking with us about the gospel, and she became a new investigator!  She's progressing okay, but her son needs to show a bit more enthusiasm about life to be a real help for her...  being really sad all time doesn't really help people believe you when you say, "the gospel makes you happy!".  Gotta figure that one out.

OH! and my favorite right now -- Viktor.  He's GOLDEN.  We called him up from a number that another missionary gave us.  Basically, we had two stellar lessons with him already, and he's thinking about baptism on the 7th of December!  We're definitely going to be helping him as much as we can with that.   We meet with him every tuesday and thursday, and it's just a joy to talk with him!

I also learned this week that my companion knows the scriptures insanely well.  I mean, seriously well.  He can whip out 15-20 verses to explain one topic from all of the books of scripture without even blinking an eye.  It's nuts.

I love teaching with him.

I'm sad and happy at the same time, because soon we will have transfers.  Transfers means 2 things -- Sad, because that means that I'm going into the last transfer of my mission.  Happy -- because IT'S GOING TO BE THE BEST TRANSFER OF MY ENTIRE MISSION!  I'm going to make this time really count!

So what does free mean really?

It means that when we follow the Lord's plan for us, we open up the doors that give us the most positive array of choices.  I've already seen how the sequence of my choices has gotten me to this point in my life, and how bright the future looks because of the Lord's loving influence.  Search diligently for Heavenly Father's guidance through prayer and scripture study.  Listen very closely to what was said at conference!  You will find the path that God has prepared for you.  That path will bring you the happiness and peace that you are looking for.

I sure love you all a lot! Thank you for being a support for me, and friends in the faith.  I hope that I will be able to return the favor to each of you some day for the good role you've played and are playing in my life!

Have a great week!

Get ready for one more week of joy in the vineyard! :)

-- Elder Le Baron

CONFERENCES ARE THE BEST

I don't know how to explain how much I love conference.  

It's not possible with words.

First of all, I will begin ponderizing.

I'm sold.

I had the most incredible stream of revelation pounding my brain the entire time.   I love our new apostles!  I love our Prophet!  I love those examples of real faith coupled with action prompted by a loving Heavenly Father through the Holy Ghost.  Could you feel the intensity with which President Monson spoke?  Did you see how determined he was to get the message to us, no matter what it took.  I thought of so many examples of Prophets of old who, despite their physical fatigue, strove to do everything possible to deliver the message that God had for His children.

I was deeply touched by two other the talks especially--

Elder Nelson's talk on the divine role of women in the church just completely shook me.  I sat there and realized something.  If it weren't for my mother, my sisters, my friends (who are girls), and the great example of the sister missionaries around whom I served,  I don't know if I would have 1) Left on a mission and 2) Stayed on a mission.  Maybe those two points don't seem that significant to you, but one needs to understand that these almost Two years have been the most influential in shaping my character out of any other given years in my life.  Because of those good influences of righteous women, I'm where I am now.  I understood something else from this -- It's almost the same story for every male in this church.  I felt a sense of righteous pride swell in my heart when I thought of the quality of women in the Church.   It's incredible.  So, I came to a better understanding of the value of the opposite gender.  It's about time that I got that one through my thick skull, I suppose.  Thank you Elder Nelson!  And a deep personal thank you from me, to all of the young women who have helped me in my life to get where I am. 

Next, I was obviously impacted by Elder Holland's talk.  Who didn't feel that one rock their soul?  Mom, I love you.  

I wish that I could explain more about the impact of that talk on me without getting too emotional, but shorter explained,  I have felt more support from my Mother on my mission than from almost anyone else... and it all came to a cumulative emotional jab when I listened to this talk.

Thank you Elder Holland.  Thank you, Mom!

Our mission conference also went very well!

I taught about being good leaders, and good disciples.

My companion spoke about planning and how to have a good relationship with your companion.  

Elder Sichkarenko taught about charity, and how we can develope it more as missionaries.

President Rizley spoke about unleashing the truly powerful missionary inside each and every one of us.  It was a rock-solid day of testimonies, teaching, training, and inspiration.

Being a missionary is the best thing I was ever given the gift of doing.  I wish I was better at it,  but that will still come with time.  

I know, that this Church is the church of God, and that anyone can find joy in living by the principles which are taught here.  I know that through keeping our covenants, we can become what Heavenly Father is striving to create us into -- which is the happiest, greatest, and most glorious version of who we are.  I love my Savior, and I'm more than thankful for his sacrifice.  I need to be better at repenting, but my heart is filled with thanks, knowing that I can change.  I know that the Priesthood has been restored, and if you need evidence of that, look to the incredible leaders of this church.  I know that our Apostles and Prophets are chosen by God.  I know it!

I love you all so much!

I'm thankful for your prayers on our behalf.

They're felt, no matter how far away you may be.

Have a great week!

Get ready for your next sacrament!

Pictures:

Game night shenanigans

Set up for conference

IT'S SNOWING!!!

Good Week

It was a good week.

and a weird week.

Moment of shame:  I kicked an old lady.  We were coming home from a long day, and we have a big metal door that leads into our apartment stair well.  You need a little magnetic key to open it.  Well, my companion put the key in, and I thought I would be funny and police kick the door in after the magnet gave out.... and there was a little old lady on the other side of the door.  Luckily, I didn't kick it too hard.  She was still standing, and forgave me.  But man... that's embarrassing.  Oh be wise...

We're are getting ready for our AWESOME mission conference on thursday!  It's going to be really inspiring, and I'm super excited about it.  We've finally changed it up, since half of our missionaries are native Ukrainians, my companion is going to teach in his native language, and I'm going to be the only missionary teaching in english this time around.  That's going to be very cool to see everyone taking part in their native language!  It's going to be awesome.  It also means that my companion and I are going to have to run back and forth to do the translating.  This is going to be a blast!

This week was good!

Our miracle investigator Erlan didn't make it to church, unfortunately.  He's socially not very open, and so we've had a hard time getting him to come to any group... anything.  Finally, we invited him to sports day with the promise that we would play soccer.  He came, and played as goalie... you know, the position AS FAR AWAY AS POSSIBLE FROM EVERYONE ELSE.  Well, after awhile, something happened.  The prayers for him to feel comfortable with members of the church worked out, because he says, "Hey, Elder LeBaron, switch me out."  And he ran out and started playing!  The members made great friends with him, and how we have a much more solid base to work on.  I'm excited about the direction things are taking with him.  With time, more and more miracles will begin to happen.

Andrew... andrew.  He's been kind of flaky on us.  He has two very demanding priorities -- a job, and a girlfriend.  Meetings with him are really great, and the spirit is there whenever we talk about the church and about the gospel, but he's always busy!  We've just got to keep being patient, inviting him to everything, and making every moment with him quality.  The more he feels the spirit, the more he's going to want to come back.  We're glad that we're working with him right now.

Other than that, we're just living the dream.

It's a great thing to be serving in this mission.  I'm so glad the Lord lead me to where I am today.  The Lord will always work with us so that we can become what will make us the happiest.  

A long time ago, a friend of mine taught me the parable of the currant bush.  I think that I finally get what that means.  Took long enough, right?

Well, you all have a good week!

​Pictures:

We visited an old lady in the branch.  She fed us so much food.  We bless the sacrament, and then had a photo-session with her.

I stole all of the nametags at MCM.  Awwww buddy.

We helped a member who had an operation at the hospital.

​We're inviting EVERYONE to conference!

My One True Love

No... We didn't get transfer calls.

We just spent the WHOLE WEEK training new trainers and their trainees, and it was a BLAST!!! I love training so much, and it was like Christmas for me to have many classroom and field practice sessions with our 6 new Elders and Sisters, and also get to work with their Trainers, who are all great missionaries who I respect and love.

One whole week of that...

That's better than Disneyland, people!

The only issue behind that is that with the first trial of our program, we spent a lot of time in the classroom, which meant that we didn't get to go and work on our area very much.

Well, throughout the day, I was saying a little prayer in my heart that Heavenly Father would bless us to have opportunities to still be missionaries and do what we could to build the Kingdom in all the spheres that we are responsible for!

And then a miracles happened, because Heavenly Father loves his children.

A returned sister from our mission met a returned missionary from the Moscow, Russia mission.  That sister found out that this young man had taught a fellow named Erlan, who moved from Moscow to L'viv, Ukraine, and she gave my contact information to that young man.  The returned missionary sent me an email with Erlan's phone number, and we contacted him and met yesterday!

So, in a really complex and incredible way, because everyone was focused on the good of others, we are going to be teaching Erlan now!

He's a really nice kid who's in university.  He's studying German and English language here, and is also a really great artist.  We had our first meeting just recently, and we're excited to get to work on teaching him soon.  We spent a long time talking and getting to know him, and we even gave him a tour of the branch building.  He really thought it was pretty and took lots of pictures of the outside of the building.  

That was my testimony builder for this week!

Things are going great here.  

I'm so glad that I'm a missionary.

There's nothing better I could be doing with this precious time.

I hope you all know that God loves you, and he's watching us all very carefully.

Read your scriptures,

Say your prayers,

Go to church,

and seek Heavenly Father's will!

Everything will work out just fine!

-- Elder LeBaron