Week 3 in Dallas March 23, 2015

Elder Baldridge and Elder Watson at a dinner appointment

Hello everyone! This week has been fairly good. Elder Watson has been feeling much better, so that helped a lot. We were able to actually be out doing something most of the time. We did have a lot of lessons fall through this week, but that is nothing I didn't expect.  Most of it is understandable, but it still kinda stinks.

D came to a baptism of Saturday of a little girl in our ward, and enjoyed that. She also came to church, which was good. L was not able to make it to either, but I think she will be okay. We have a lesson with her tonight, so we will see how it goes.

It is definitely hard having 4 hours of study a day (personal, companion, language, and training, all an hour each). It's not hard for me to focus, that part is fine. But it is hard to get as much done when we have 2 hours less than normal missionaries. So that is interesting. When we aren't studying or in lessons, we normally just walk around and try to talk to people or try to do service. They have tracted most of the area before, so we don't do much door knocking, although maybe we should do more...

This week we are trying to develop a program to get members more involved. Basically we want to set up a mission plan for each family, so they have goals and stuff to work toward, and so we can follow up with them each week. I think it will be good for members, and will also help us a lot.

This week I just want to stress the importance of member missionary work. You know it's important, but you never know how important until you are on your mission and you need the members. We can all do more, in little ways, to help the missionaries. We know the people in our town, and they don't. And it's a lot less intimidating if a friend asks someone to learn more than if a random missionary does. So, set goals for missionary work, and help the missionaries!! They need it. And remember, that all the friends and people you associate with need the gospel in their lives too! They just don't know it yet.

So, we will be working on that here, and you should work on it there haha. Anyway, good luck with everything this week. I miss you and love you and am praying for all of you!

Elder Baldridge

Getting ready to play disc golf on Pday

Second week in Oregon March 16, 2015

Hey family!!  This week has been a little slow. Elder Watson was fairly sick for a few days. So we went to all our scheduled appointments, but we weren't able to do much more. I'm looking forward to a whole week of hard work, hoping he is feeling better. He seems to be getting better, so hopefully all will go well this week.

 The ward here is really pretty good about missionary work. The bishop is totally focused on growing the ward, and the ward mission leader is really good too. We also have really great ward missionaries, and other people who are always willing to go out with us if they are available. This one ward missionary, Josh  (his family are all awesome, by the way), just got home from his mission to Germany, and is totally awesome. He goes out with us to as many lessons as he is available for. So we use him a lot, and that goes great. And a lot of other people help us. So we get good support from the ward. We also normally have dinner appointments, which is nice. Except I was planning on going to Brazil and losing weight, and now I actually have to be worried about getting fat. So, not something I was expecting. Working out at 6:30 in the morning is so hard, but I really need to start doing better... So yes, we get fed well here.

This week we put two investigators on date for baptism! L and D, and I think both of them will make their dates. Not too worried about it. The date for both is April 11th, so hopefully that will be my first baptisms!

So this week it rained for the first time. So glad I got that rain jacket from you. When it rains, it just like rains all day. The weather had been super nice since I got here (which people said was really weird). I wish we could check the weather each day, but we currently don't have any technology, so that's impossible.

Speaking of technology, we get iPads on April 8th. I believe that I will be issued a loaner one, because no one knows how long I will be here, but I don't know for sure yet.  But that will be interesting. They have this program set up where you have to basically do training and earn your way up to full use of the iPad. When you first get it, you can barely do anything, and after 3 months you have like full access. Basically they just want to train everyone how to use them the right way without wasting time and stuff. So, who knows how much I will actually get to use it, because no one knows how long I will actually be here.

We had Zone Training Meeting on Friday, which was good. Got to see the whole zone and practice some cool stuff. So that was good. We also did service at a food pantry kinda place on Wednesday. Afterward we go to a members house for lunch, and they make great food. So, always something to look forward to haha.

So, this week I was reading in Alma 32 I believe, and I think verse 23 says something about how God imparts His word unto men through angels. And then I was like wait, he imparts His word unto men through missionaries (or anyone who shares the gospel really). And so i wrote in the margin next to that scripture "Be the Angel." When people accept the gospel and it changes their lives, they often see the people who helped them get there as angels or like angels. So I want to be the angel to others. Just a neat thought this week.

Anyway, all is well. I love all of you. Hopefully this week involves more work and less sick. Have a great week everyone!!

Love, Elder Baldridge

First week in the mission field! March 9, 2015

Hello everyone!! I made it to Oregon, as I hear you could see from the pictures. I'm glad they sent you those so you don't need to worry, and you could see a bit of what's happening.

So this week has been crazy, and Wednesday seems like forever ago. We flew in, met the Samuelians and the APs, and then went straight to the temple. The Portland temple is amazing.  They have a mini visitor center there, which is cool. So after that, we drove to Newburg (where the mission home is) and met some other missionaries. We then proceeded to drive out to the coast and had like a mini devotional on the beach. Here's why. The symbol of our mission, a huge rock that sits a bit of the coast, is obviously at the beach. Our mission theme is to build upon the rock, and I believe our mission scripture is D&C 6:34. So, we had a cool experience at the rock. All new missionaries go there, and it was a cool experience. Then we went back to the mission home, ate dinner and had interviews with President. The Samuelians are crazy awesome, and President is easily the most inspired man I have ever met. He just spews revelation at you. It's crazy. For example, in our interview, he asked me to open with a prayer in Portuguese. After he was like "I have no idea most of what you just said, but now I know where you will be serving and who your companion will be." He had no idea before that. He is SO inspired.

Elder Baldridge with his first companion and trainer, Elder Watson

So Thursday we had some more training, and then we met our trainers. Elder Watson is super cool. We get along well. So then we drove back to Dallas. We had an appointment or two that day but they fell through, so we went around introducing me to investigators and members and seeing if we could do anything for anyone. We had scheduled to go to the temple with investigators on Saturday, which doesn't happen often I guess, so I was excited. But all three that were supposed to go cancelled. So, lame. We went to a child of record baptism instead, and I met the bishop. Bishop Short loves missionary work. He really has a vision (something President Samuelian feels is very important) and we have loads to do to accomplish that vision. So that was a bit intimidating, but also inspiring. We have a ward member who got home from his mission to Germany like a week ago, and he is going to be working with us a lot. He is super awesome, and a really good missionary. So that will be great. His name is Josh, and he is great.

I am really excited for this coming week. We have a lot to do, and I am ready to get to it. I haven't been able to teach too many lessons yet, but I think that will turn around. We have 2 tonight, after P-day is over. I'm excited! We should be setting a baptism date for one of our investigators tonight, so wish us luck!!

I wish I could tell you every detail about everything, but I just can't. So sorry! But I am doing great. I love Oregon, and I love the town of Dallas already! I love all of you too!!!!

Elder Baldridge

He made it!! March 4, 2015

Elder Baldridge left the Missionary Training Center today and flew to Portland, Oregon - to begin his mission in the Salem Oregon Mission.  His new mission president and president's wife picked him up at the airport - and then sent us a nice note and picture to let us know that our missionary arrived safe and sound!  Here is a picture of Elder Baldridge and President and Sister Samuelian in front of the Portland Oregon Temple.  

Last week in the MTC! March 3, 2015

Hello everyone!! I'm glad to hear that everyone sounds like they are doing great! It's crazy that I'm going to the same mission as Louis, at least for a little bit! Exciting stuff.

I have been feeling a little sick the past morning or two. Just my throat, so nothing too major. But I really don't want to start my actual mission sick, so I would appreciate a prayer or two. I'm fine, I just don't want it to get worse. Thanks!!

I had a really good last week. We finished up teaching our "investigators" a few days ago, and that was kinda sad. Especially since both of them agreed to be baptized and we never got to do it!! Haha. But even though they weren't really investigators, we still grew to love them. So it was a good experience, and we learned a lot.

I am going to miss my teachers and district so much!! They have helped to make my MTC experience amazing. I absolutely love our teachers. One day, Irmao Sears talked to us about what it means to be a successful missionary. In Preach My Gospel, it says a successful missionary is one who is committed to finding, teaching and baptizing, as well as helping others become more faithful members and enjoy the presence of the spirit. Or something like that. Through tears he told us that we had helped him to feel and enjoy the presence of the Spirit more in his life, so we have already been successful missionaries. He thanked us so much, even though he did more for us. That really touched me and stood out to me, and I love him like crazy. He also did a little exit interview with each of us yesterday, and he said some super nice things about me and helped us with advice and such.

We hosted again this week, which was fun again. A nice break from the normal, every day monotony. Our district was also chosen to help with this thing on the first night for new missionaries. Basically there are like 50 missionaries in a room with an investigator. We meet the investigator and just get to know them, get their background and try to lead into a discussion kinda thing, like any first visit would be. Then we leave and the new missionaries have to team-teach them. When we did it our first day, we were horrible haha. But it was fun. We really just had to get to know the person. Our teacher recommended us for it because she thinks we are the best haha.

That night, we got our reassignments. We all opened them together and people freaked out a little bit and it was pretty funny haha. It was a neat experience. I was proud of my district because no one seemed too upset about not getting their visa, and everyone had a good attitude.

Thursday was infield orientation. Basically there are just lots of small workshop things where we learn how to do better contacts, how to work with members, and other things. It was good, but so long! We started at like 8:00 in the morning, had a lunch break, and ended around 5:15. It was a long day...

Friday was skyped Brazilians for TRC again. It was super fun. The guy we skyped this time knew English really well. We could ask him how to say specific words we didn't know, and once he responded to our question in all English because it was really important to him and he wanted us to understand all of it. It was kinda nice, but also threw me off a bit. He was a returned missionary and basically seemed like he is super strong in the gospel and knew everything, so he basically taught us.

Sunday we had mission conference, which is basically stake conference. We have them every fast Sunday here. It was really long, but really good too. The devotionals and everything here are super good! I wish I could go to more!! We are hoping for an apostle our last night here tho! Except there are only 3 people from our district left, so the others who have already left would be SO mad haha.

Also on Sunday I had a departure interview with President Jackson, the branch president. I love him a lot. Everyone here is awesome! In the interview, he told me some really nice things and expressed great faith in my ability to be a great missionary.  I'm not so sure yet. I have a lot to learn, but I'm going to do my best to live up to what everyone thinks I can become. We also had our last District Meeting Sunday, where we basically had a small testimony meeting. We did kinda the same thing again last night with our teacher. I just love all the people in my district, I can't imagine what the MTC would have been like without them.

Anyway, I'm excited for the next step of my mission. I'm so pumped to get to Oregon and get right to work. I love the MTC, but I'm also ready to leave haha. I want everyone to know that I am not sad in the slightest that I haven't received my visa yet. I know that where ever I am asked to be, that is where the Lord needs me. And where ever I am, I will work my hardest and do my best to bring people closer to Christ. The place doesn't matter.

I love you all, and wish you a great week!!!

Elder Baldridge

REASSIGNMENTS! Feb. 25, 2015

We just opened our reassignments!! And I hope you saw the bracket we made, because we absolutely called it!! Me, Elder Lowe, and Elder Moffat are going to Salem, Oregon!!! I have no idea how we called it by flipping coins, but we did!!  (Mom's note - apparently Elder Baldridge and the other Elders in his district who haven't received their visas yet, made up a bracket and flipped coins to determine where they thought they would be reassigned.Oregon won the bracket. They were amused the next day when three of them actually did get assigned to serve in Oregon!  The bracket is behind them on the white board in the picture!)

We leave next Wednesday!! We leave the MTC at like 3:40 am and our flight leaves at 8:45.   We get into Portland at about 9:40.  I'm excited!

Reassignment " bracket" for Elders still waiting for their visas to Brazil 

MTC WEEK 5 - Feb. 24, 2015

Hello everyone! This week was pretty cool. On Wednesday we got to host new missionaries. And we get to again this week! It was kinda cool. But the missionary I hosted was coming back for a second time because of some medical stuff the first time, so he didn't even really need me. Lame. And I only got to host one person, because not as many people came into the MTC last week. Our zone didn't get a new district, and we don't again this week. So that is strange.

I'm pretty sure our district has the two best teachers ever! I'm sure all MTC teachers are great, but they rock. We love them, and they tell us every day that they love us. One day an Elder was having a fairly bad day for some reason. But Irmao (Brother) Sears noticed, and stayed after class like 30 minutes to talk to him. And ever since, he has been doing great. So basically, the teachers here are amazing.

On Friday we did TRC, but we skyped Brazilians! We skyped this nice lady named T… , who was about 23 or so, and was a returned missionary herself. It was a cool experience. She and her husband were super nice. We could understand a decent amount of what she said. And she said our Portuguese was good! She probably was going to say that even if it wasn't, but I'll take the compliment.

Saturday it snowed for like 10 minutes. Literally just a bit of dusting on the ground. And all the foreign missionaries from like island places and I'm sure other places too, flipped out. We were walking back to our residence halls at night at they were taking group pictures in less than a 1/4 inch of snow. Haha it was super funny to see!

On Sunday, Elder Lowe and I were released as Zone Leaders. It was kinda sad, because I loved getting to know people in our zone better, and serving them. President Jackson, our branch President, said he wished he could leave us in our positions, but they are supposed to switch every 3 weeks. That was a nice thing to hear though.

Half our district also sang in church on Sunday, because it was our last normal Sunday, since this next week is Fast Sunday. We sang Come Thou Fount, and I personally think we sounded pretty good. A lot of people said we did good (of course, typical thing to say) but one Elder came up to me and thanked us, and sincerely said he felt the spirit during our song. That was cool, and meant a lot more than anyone saying we sounded good.

Yesterday, some of the Elders spoke only in Portuguese the whole day. It was tough, and I would still speak English to other people, of course, but it was a cool experience. I can definitely see how fast you will learn if you are immersed in it and speak it all day every day. I think we will try to do that for most of this week. We will see how it all goes.

I think we get reassignments on Thursday! I'm pretty excited! I would be a whole lot more nervous if I were going straight to Brazil, just because of the language. So this is probably a good first step haha. Although I'm also worried about losing the Portuguese a bit. So either way is a little scary. I heard that when we get our reassignments, we can email you for like 20 minutes that day. So, be ready for that sometime later this week!!

Anyway, this week has been good. Still lots of learning and lots of feeling the spirit and a whole lot of work haha. I'm really loving it though. It seems like we have been here forever, but I also wish I had more time everyday, because there isn't enough time at all to study and learn all the things that I want to. Oh well. All is well. I am healthy, and I love being a missionary. I miss you all, but this is where I need to be. Keep doing awesome things! I love you all so much!

Love, Elder Baldridge