Elder Ian Baldwin: 4th of July Week

Wassup Everybody! Happy 4th of July!!

First off, Thank you for the emails and love! I feel everyones support everyday!! On Tuesday, we went over to Jays place. He bought us 24 tacos to eat and those things absolutely destroyed us... haha! We had a solid lesson with him. We challenged him to gain a testimony for himself. Jay was talking for like an hour on how impressed he is that us missionaries give up so much to serve! He looks to me and says "especially you, someone who is disgustingly good looking and could get any girl that he wants." I was like ughhhhh.... Man crush on me for sure haha.

Wednesday felt like a PDAY, which probably isn't good to say but... We started the day by moving a less active family and the we drove to Destin for Millers doctors appointment. On the way back we finally picked up my bike from the Zone Leaders! I CALL HER MY HORSE CUZ SHE IS NIIICCCEEEEE. We also stopped by Ross on the way home and man that place just eats up my money somehow... haha. Later in the afternoon we went and visited a recent convert. her name is Hannah and while we were over there talking to here and her sister, the sister just straight up asks us if she can sing to us.... It was hilarious cuz here is this random girl belting gospel music! Good times. So Elder Kalama shared a very cool story with me, Here it is : So this guy was giving his farewell talk and in the talk he was telling a story of a dream he had about the pre existence. And in that dream he had met a friend. Tjis friend and Him were just clicking on everything. They grew to become best friends. So while talking to each other, and angel comes up to them and hands them each a letter. The friend opens his letter and it reads that he will be born into poverty, no gospel, a very difficult life, and he will be born in Costa Rica. The guy opens his letter and it tells him that he will be born into the Gospel and that life would be pretty simple for him. He looks to his friend and says "I will come find you". So this young man received his mission call to Costa Rica and being out for about a month or so he writes his bishop in 4 simple words saying "I found my friend". SO powerful!!

The 4th was a rough day for sure! I just missed the family so so much!! Wayne and Lima the Polynesians who play volleyball and basketball with us invited us to their bbq. When we were walking up their whole family started screaming at us because they didn't think we were going to show up haha! Man did they feed us... holy cow... Before Prayer, Lima circled the whole family up and told us missionaries that we are now part of their family... DOPE!!! Lima is tight!! He is less active. he came up and apologized and told us he is trying his very hardest! No judgment here brotha!! Lima showed up to church the next day and I got the biggest smile as he walked in. He doesn't even remember the last time he went to church. He liked his wards testimony meeting so much that he asked to stay for the next wards... SO we did. During their testimony meeting he gets up to the pulpit and bears his testimony!!!! I WAS SO PUMPED!!!!!!!

This morning we woke up at 4am because Wayne and Lima took us fishing haha! It was tight for sure!! It was so sick being out there fishing with the sunrise!! It sucked though because It totally reminded me of waking up early to go surfing... oh well haha! Momma Stevens took us to her gymnastics gym just a couple hours of go and my body is so messed up!! My joints are all out of whack but its all good!!

love always, Elder Baldwin