Wherein Landen Blows us a Little Hallelujah Kiss!

July 30, 2018
  
     So glad you guys had such a great experience with Javier, sounds like a really cool kid. Sad I didn't get to meet him. 

     My week was pretty crazy down here. It started out last Monday when I had to go to the doctor with Elder Meldrum (he's the one that lived with me in BYU and he's in my district now) where we found out that we both had sarna. ;( So that was cool, we had to take care of all that and it delayed the work a little bit, but it still continues on!  We had time to do some good studies and prepare some good lessons for our investigators.

      After that we taught some really good lessons to our investigators as well, helping them to progress along. Let's see, which one should I tell you about? So we are teaching una hermana (no miembro) named Tania. She is the friend of our ward mission leader and had been looking into the church for a long time through a Facebook page that the Church has, when the WML offered to have us share a message with her and bring her a book of Mormon. She immediately agreed and accepted us over.  From then on we have been teaching her little by little, but she is hesitant to make any huge change in her life. She shows interest and curiosity in what we teach and share, but is just slow to jump on the boat. But this week we taught her about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. One of her problems is that she has had many experiences with other churches and religions that cause her to compare the Doctrine of Christ that we teach with the Doctrine she has learned elsewhere, generally finding and dwelling only on the differences, instead of on the truth. But in the lesson about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Simplicity of the Way came forth, and the path to salvation was laid out before her. I was grateful for the opportunity i had to share my testimony with her about Christ, about the power of faith in his name, the relief from sin and pain that repentance brings, the rebirth of baptism and the Joys and Guidance that the companion of the spirit brings. The path really is that simple. Our commandments are clear. As we fulfill our purpose, and follow our savior, the destination is secure.  We have this life to repent unto perfection. "Be ye therefore perfect" said the Savior, and He gave us the way. He paved the path and taught us the steps. This process is continuous, and something we have to do every day of our lives. We, just like Tania, continue to learn little by little, poco a poco, line upon line, pasito a pasito, here a little, there a little, suavecito.  And as we endure to the end; "Asi dice el Padre, tendreis la Vida Eterna" (2 Nephi 31:20).

I hope you guys are all doing good back home, from the sounds of it life is continuing well with many opportunities to learn, progress and grow. I hope and pray that every day, each and every one of us can learn more about our Savior, from his words, and grow closer to him, through following his example, until the day, as Elder Holland says "Eventually" that we will all arrive, together with the Father as an eternal family, purified by the sacrifice of our brother. 

Love you all Soooooooooooo Much and I love CC too.

Hope you all Have a great Week!!!!

Elder Bailey

(Guess that sun is really working hard on his legs!)

(Singing Hallelujah in Spanish with friends.)

Wherein Landen Has a Sick Companion.

July 23, 2018

 Wow, that's super great! Sounds like you are all busy with work and fun! I remember doing that same mud run YEARS ago, like literally 10 years ago when I was in 4th grade - long time ago. But I remember it being super fun, but very difficult as well. Also super proud of Emerson for doing so well in swimming. Is he in a league or something, doing competitions and races and what not??  Palisades is dope. I almost went into shock when I last swam there too. Maelynnn can tell you that story, she was there!

     This week was a little crazy here. It started out pretty normal. We got some work done, people canceled appointments, we taught some people, and we even Invited Luis and Aida to baptism this week.  They didn't say a straight yes, but they have been thinking about it for a while now and want to do it when they feel ready!  Then on Thusday, we have Zone conferences. Those were very inspiring as always.  But right at the end of the Conference, my companion went to the bathroom to throw up, because he had been feeling bad the whole conference.  He got some out, but then was just feeling nasty.  Needless to say, we didn't get to go work the rest of that day, or the next day at all either.  He was literally between the bed and the bathroom for the whole day.  And I cleaned the whole house and studied the Book of Mormon and Preach My Gospel. It was very cool and edifying. I learned a ton.  But we didn't get to get any work done.  Then on  Saturday, he was still sick, but we needed to get out and do some visits.  So I dropped him off with Arlys´s little brother for the day, and went out to work with her dad. It was cool. We had some good lessons that day. One of them was in English with an investigator who for most of his life has been accustomed to swearing. So every time he swore in the lesson, Hno Arocho (not knowing perfect English, but knowing enough to understand the swear words) started to laugh like a kid every time he said a swear word. It was kinda silly. Hno walked out of that lesson super happy though, so that's good.  And now I know how to make the members here happy, just swear at them in English I guess....jk, NOT going to do that! 

     Then Sunday came around and my comp was getting better , but still to weak to walk anywhere, so we could only do a few quick visits close by. and basically that was our week. 

one of the families that came to church this week tho is this super cool less active family that we've been by to share a couple of messages with.  This family had been less active for 2 years straight and every time their home teachers and visiting teachers visited them they would always say "We'll be there on Sunday." For 2 years. Every week.  But they never would actually come.  So me and my companion went by one day, very much led by the Spirit, but even so - we were still nervous, and as we were talking, we called them to repentance.  It was one of the few times in my mission where I've actually had to (and had the opportunity to) tell someone to repent. And they still didn't come to church.  Then the next week we went by with the bishop and told them basically the same thing, but added in to it that they were losing the blessings of the temple (they still haven´t gotten sealed) by not coming to church, and the bishop helped them to set a goal to go to the temple and we shared about how that first simple sacrifice is coming to Church. And you know who pulled into the chapel that Sunday?  ... The Nuñez family in their big red van! It was super cool to see them there! They have come for two Sundays back to back now. 

    That's basically my week. I'm kinda rushed with things this morning cause we have to drive Elder Meldrum (my roommate from BYU that got his call here too) all the way to San Juan today for a doctors appointment. It's like 2 hours one way.  So that will be my whole day. 

But Love you all lots!! Have fun at girls camp and other cool things!

Elder Bailey

Wherein Landen Shares Something He Prays For Daily!

July 16, 2018

     This week we had a super good week. We have been working super hard with members and have been able to get a ton of referrals from members and a ton of members are coming out with us to lessons to help in the teaching of these super cool referrals.

      I think I already told you about Luis and Aida. they're the investigators whose house we are building. I have gotten averagely good at building cement houses by the way...  but anyways we are teaching them too, and they have been coming to church the last couple of weeks, and they have been liking it a lot. they are receiving quite a bit of resistance from their family members though about their interest in the church, and its been pretty hard for them. But they are continuing on and fighting strong to come to know of the true fold of the Good Shepherd. So we are super excited to see where they go! 

     We also saw a super cool miracle this week which strengthened our testimonies.  About 10 days before, we had gone to a funeral for a less active member whose wife had died (the wife was a non-member, but the widower is a less-active member. We had gotten the widower's phone number from his member mother who had come to town for the funeral. She asked us to watch out for him and try to help him come back to church.  So we tried to call him a few times, but never got an answer. Then this last Tuesday we had a prompting to call him again and he answered and started to go off about how he had just finished talking to one of his friends about the church and how she had a ton of questions and everything and wanted to learn more. So talking to him we were actually able to set up an appointment for that very night and teach him and his friend at the church.  It was a very spiritual lesson and it was very obvious that his friend had been very prepared to hear about the restored Gospel! 

     So I guess moral of the story is to always follow the promptings of the spirit, because they will guide you to help other people that God wants you to help! Or how Thomas S. Monson always said it, they (the promptings) will "take you on the Lords errand."          Something my MTC president always encouraged us to do, that has helped me for almost all of my mission, is every morning in our prayers to pray to God and ask Him specifically to send us on "His Errand" then try throughout the day to be actively aware of the promptings we receive from the Spirit, and act upon them.  As we do so, we will earn the Trust of God and He will send us more and more promptings to help His children all over the world! 

     Try it. I dare you all! Go on the Lords Errand! You will be surprised by all of the miracles and spiritual experiences that are waiting for you all  - just around the corner!

I love you all!!

Elder Landen Bailey

Wherein Landen Hikes to a Waterfall!

July 9, 2018

    (About Tropical storm Beryl): So we didn't even get any rain where I'm at, it literally did nothing. So we went on a hike to a waterfall, I sent some pictures..... it was pretty fun.

    Sounds like Maelynn is getting accustomed well back to home life with many dates heading her way, sounds about right. Seth, Javier and Lane have some good times ahead of them, lots of fun out in the sun on scout adventures! 

     To make this my response to both you and dad as well, because you both wrote me about similar things...

    I'm glad Maelynn did so well on her talk, sounds like she really did have a lot of support from family which is good. Everything she said is true, I testify.  From what I've heard about it, true conversion really is more that just having a testimony, it is striving to become like Jesus Christ, which 101% means treating other just like Christ would treat them. Amen lil' Sis. 

    This week was a good one here in San Sebastian. We worked hard with the goal to get all of our progressing investigators to church.  So we visited them all, multiple times, teaching them about the importance of church attendance and how to feel the spirit, and then come Sunday we stopped by some of their houses again.......and none of them could come. 

    We were pretty upset because of how hard we had worked, but we went to sacrament meeting with no investigators there with us, and we were discouraged and everything because none of our investigators wanted to show up.  But then we saw a miracle, just as the bread was being passed, we saw 3 people walk into the chapel, 2 investigators and 1 street contact that we were not expecting to show up - but they got there and they loved it! 

     The 2 investigators are the ones where we are building the mother-in-law's house because her spouse (the lady's son) died in the hurricane.  And like the whole ward already knows them before we even introduced them to anybody!  It was crazy!  Of course the people helping with the house know them, but another family who had no idea that the elders quorum was building their house turned out to be some of their best friends from more than 20 years ago, and they didn't even know that the family were members! And a totally different family turned out to be their cousins and they didn't even recognize them at first! They were super welcomed to the church, they felt right at home with the hermanamiento (fellowship) that the ward killed it with. Their names are Luis and Aida by the way. 

     We were also able to make contact with and teach some super dope member referrals that we have been receiving recently with all of our member work we have been doing. My companion and I are really getting along with this ward and it is showing great fruits!  We are excited to see where else it brings us!

The photos I sent thru the thingy on google are from a really cool waterfall that we hiked to today with views from in from behind and on top! Enjoy!

Elder Bailey

Wherein Landen Teaches a Felon!

July 2, 2018

      That's super cool about Gayle and Craig though, and that does sound super intense. Mission presidents' MTC experiences are crazy. We don't really see our Mission president and wife all that often, only ever about once a transfer (for zone conferences and interviews).  But they're super cool.  I guess Gayle knows Hna. Smart too somehow - bought a guitar from her or something after the hurricane hit that I didn't know about. But yeah, at least where I'm at on the island, we are kinda banished from everything else and we hardly ever see anyone else. But we get to know our members super well, so that's cool! 

     As far as things going on here, some of the cool unbaptized people we teach (that's too long, they're just investigators) are doing well. Daniel Is a very receptive old man that lives alone on his little farm, he has 4 dogs and 2 horses and we have been teaching him for a couple of weeks. he is driving us crazy cause he wants to get baptized, but he wont come to church and we have to be very strong with him to even get him to pray or read, so he{s a work in progress, but he{s softening up little by little. Charlie is another cool investigator, he is the son of a member, he is very receptive also really wants to get baptized, but is tied to his house by and ankle tracker that the government has him on. yes, i think hes a felon, we don't know what he did, he says he didn't do anything which is why he only has the tracker and hes not in jail but yeah, the tracker was suppose to come of like right after the hurricane hit, but because of the hurricane, the government lost a bunch of electronic records or couldn't reach them for a long time, so he has been on the tracker for a lot longer than he should have been apparently and long story short, it should come of soon. He is a very repentant investigator which is the coolest part, very humble and very willing to change and improve. 

     I hope you guys have a great time at the Bailey family reunion and I hope you received all of my pictures too! I uploaded a couple (a ton). 

Congrats to Maelynn on completing her Mission! She looks actually kinda sad getting released. I imagine I will be too, but still, all good things must have an end for the better ones to start. She's going to love it at BYU. You're going to have to tell her all this stuff for me because she didn't write me. 

Also Javier seems super cool - Dile que aunque no lo conoxco, todavia lo quiero como mi hermano!, y despues chocale con cinco para mi! 

Tell the Fam Hi from me and That I love them all!!!!!}

Love, Elder Bailey