Run in with a barbed wire fence....not sure who won with this battle....

Tradition for Missionary Birthdays....I got egged!!

October 5, 2015

Well this week was great!! full of frustrating situations towards the
end of the week but ill talk about that later haha. So this week
passed by pretty fast, my comp and I didn't find as many new people to
teach as we would've liked. But those that we did find are really
awesome. So this week we went crazy inviting EVERYONE to go to
conference it was crazy. then this weekend comes to conference time
right. My branch was supposed to have a bus to take the people , then
Saturday morning right before the route was supposed to start they
said the bus forgot and went to do another trip, so last minute we had
to find a bus and it was super chaotic and frustrating but i guess I've
really been calmed in my mission haha. But we were able to bring 14 of
our investigators to the conferences this Saturday and Sunday. All of
them really loved it and we could really tell. I love watching
conference, i was able to watch it in English too which was pretty
neat. Like every other elder probably, I loved the talk by Elder
Holland that talked about moms. I love my mom and i love how much she
cares about me, I also love my heavenly father and my savior and all
that they have given me and all that they have in store for me. I know
this church is true and that the apostles and prophet are called of
God to guide us in these latter days! Love y'all!

September 28, 2015

Well, I feel old now, My next birthday in a year i will have 16 days
left in my mission which is crazy. Tomorrow i hit 11 months! time sure
does fly in the service of the Lord. Well this week was very wet and
rainy, so it was another rain boots week! Something that has really been
funny this week is messing with other missionaries. My comp and i live
with our Zone Leaders and something that my comp and i always do is
when the zone leaders do divisions we all prank the "outsider" haha,
for example cutting off the power and playing some weird music.so my
comp and i got some good laughs as we went about throughout the week
haha. But also we had some really awesome families that were teaching
that almost got baptized this week but they had some family members
come in from a community and by the time they weren't able to do it.
But I'm excited this week for General Conference!! therll be 3 new
apostles too which is insane. SO today there were changes again but I'm still
in my area! That'll make 5 changes her! but I love it so I'm not
complaining! I'm excited to keep working with Elder Monson and throwing
fire by helping people come unto Christ. Days seem like hours here,
and hours seem like seconds.I love the mission and I love how much my
testimony has been strengthened here. Make sure y'all watch conference!
It'll be great! Bring a friend to go so that they too can listen to a
prophet of God!

September 21, 2015

Well not not much happened this week. We did have alot of super
spiritual lessons with investigators and we have a super sweet family
that wants to get baptized this week and all. But I've been healthy and
things are good. The days are going by faster and faster! and this
week ill finally be turning 19!! Its a missionary tradition to egg the
birthday person so this Thursday ill be on the lookout. Some of the
funny things that happened this week, is Elder Monson and I were
walking around out night and some bolo (drunk) walks up to us and
tries to shake our hands and we try to give him knuckles instead but
he wouldn't go for it so we shake his hand and he kisses our hands and
it was super awkward so we told him he should go home and rest haha,
then after we go do do some interviews for people and then these 2
neighborhoods start fighting and the streets get packed then something
scares them and they all disperse. Then later on in the week at night
we played an intense little game of Battleship with the lights off
using boxes to cover our boards and a flashlight in the box. So this
Sunday we were late to our services cause we had to bring a family to
church. So Monson and i had to go to a meeting later on in the
afternoon to take the sacrament. The church has a bus that takes
people to it so we get on the bus to go to it and the bus fills up
quickly so Monson and i end up having to walk the rest of the way so
everyone else can get there on time. So I'm walking and next thing i
know i fall into a barbed wire fence and get my shirt all cut up and
my arm and hand up a little but clean it off a little but i awkwardly
went to the meeting with a cut up shirt and bloody arm, but today its
not too bad. But the Lord works miracles! couldve been alot more
dangerous but everything under my undershirt was unscaved. But In my
mission I've learned a lot of things and had a lot of experiences that have
helped me learn things I otherwise wouldn't have learned if I was at
home. Ill try to take more pics this week! I hope y'all have a good
week and help other people daily. Choose the right! and next week is
changes!! but who knows the changes haha, only President & God

September 14, 2015

Well this week was pretty interesting, lots of fun stories were made
and many spiritual memories.So the week kinda started out bad cause i
left a notebook that i had in a taxi that had some notes of memories
that I've had with other missionaries and advice and photos and all that
good stuff so yeahh. But then I found some weed eating equipment which
made it a lil better haha. And for the first time i watched a pig
running around get turned into ribs and it was weird but i bore it. On
divisions we found a cool bridge that had all these holes in it which
was funny, but we also found these really cool family that started off
as a contact and then the lady invited us in the house to sit down and
we share a message about repentance and baptism and how we all need to
better our relationship with God and her and her son accepted a date
to be baptized. Its crazy here how so many people hre are so ready to
be baptized as long as you follow the spirit, Christ will put those in
your paths and make us say what is needed to say to them. Then when i
got back to my area we had to take the trash out to burn and all these
mealworms were under the bag and so it got super nasty and smelled
horrible in the house so we threw the bag all over the fire. Then had
a seafood soup for lunch which was realllly good. Lobster, crab and
some fish which i somehow got lucky enough to kiss ;P. These past
weeks we've been teaching some siblings of one of my recent converts
and we were able to baptize the 3 of them this weekend which was
really nice, they're so awesome and are already trying to get their
other family to hear our message. But this week was really good,
rained alot but its always worth it working for the Lord. Ive got less
than 13 months left in Nicaragua, its crazy how time flies, but I'm
loving it how its not flying too fast. Nowadays i cant imagine how the
normal life would be, i just want to keep helping others come unto
Christ and seeing the differences the spirit can make in our lives. I
love y'all! have a good week! and remember, Have you done anything good
today?

September 7, 2015

Well how are y'all doing???My week has been a little interesting. I got
really sick on Tuesday and ended up not being to work really. I felt
like i was dying and everyone else was saying that too, I was just
balled up on someones porch all day. I ended up having some throat
infection after the fact too but now i can say, I, Elder Baltimore, am
healthy again haha. But this week has been really fun. My comp and i
have made alot of good memories with the people here. They love us and
we love them. One of the cool things that we had happen to us was one
of my recent converts had her family come in from one of the
communities and then she wanted all of her brothers and sisters to be
baptized which was really cool so now we've been teaching them with
her. Also a hermana in the branch had a son turn 8 years old and he
wanted to get baptized and he chose me to baptize him which was a
pretty cool opportunity. Then in our house we all decided to do some
weird hair parting stuff and i decided to part mine down the middle
and it looked really odd. But now i wanna talk about the importance of
the families. As missionaries alot of times we go about looking for
lots of families to teach and through my mission I've really learned
why.Families a a grand gift from God, A sacred gift. Without the
family, who would we be really as individuals? As families we need to
have good relations, not only within the family, but with God, which
means praying daily as a family, reading as a family, passing time as
a family, and talking and working things out as a family. The family
is perfect place too to live the gospel, if we live the gospel as a
family, we will be happy as a family. Here on the Mission I've really
missed my family, but I've really learned the importance of them and
the role they play in my life. Heavenly Father has really blessed my
family, which is why I'm here, to help other families here in
Nicaragua, in Puerto Cabezas, realize what I've have learned in my
life, that God put us all into one unit of people to be happy and to
feel his spirit, he wants us to come back to him too in these units
and not only as individuals. He wants us to be eternal families.
Remember the importance of our families that we've been blessed with
and don't take it for granted! i love y'all!

August 31, 2015

Well this week was pretty awesome again. It was weird cause it didn’t
rain as much as it usually does. One highlight of the week is that
Saturday we were able to hear from Elder Nelson, President of the
quorum of the 12 apostles. It was pretty cool to hear from him! My
zone however was the only group of missionaries that werent able to go
to Managua to see it cause we'd all have to take a plane ride and
yeahh. But it was neat to hear from him and he taught us alot about
the Topical Guide of the scriptures and also the importance of Family
history and how maybe one day soon we will have a Temple here in
Nicaragua! Things went good this week, My comp and i are doing alot of
great things. We were able to help a hermana this weekend be baptized
too, she was super stoked which was awesome. We almost had another
family but the man went out of town and couldn't come back till today,
they've been waiting for about a month now to be baptized cause she had
a baby and couldn't do it till now. But this month as a Zone here in
Puerto Cabezas, we broke a mission record and baptized 64 people here
who were ready drop their pasts, and follow Christ, we worked crazy as
a zone to teach together, help others out, and baptize. This mission
is the happiest place, Puerto Cabezas is the happiest place, were all
a family here. A family with one purpose, Invitar a las personas a
venir a Cristo al ayudarlas a que reciban el Evangelio restaurado
mediante la fe en Jesucristo y Su expiación, el arrepentimiento, el
bautismo, la recepción del don del Espíritu Santo y el perseverar
hasta el fin. Love y'all!

August 24, 2015

Well! this week i hit 10 months! This past week was really fun though,
My new comp Elder Monson, and I did alot of cool things and helped
alot of people. We had a family that we had planned to get baptized
last Saturday and the wife is very pregnant and the husband was working
in the ocean, and we got worried that they weren't going to be able to
be baptized, But the husband was finally able to come back early and
his brother came too, so we were able to help the 2 brothers get
married with their wives and get baptized, They're so legit and are
already super legit members getting involved in classes and
everything. But like i said this week we did alot of good here in our
area. We have multiple people planned to be baptized for the next 5
weeks and its so amazing to realize how much they're learning and
changing to being converted and coming unto Christ. My comp and i are
really getting along well and the people love us. In my Branch that I'm
in, our assistance is slowly increasing but the last month it has
drastically increased. This Sunday, we FINALLY broke 100 people, and
had 110.But man I love my area, and i love all the people in it. The
people here in Puerto Cabezas are so ready to hear the gospel and take
action on it. Theres gonna be some surprising news next week!!! so
stay tuned! I love you all and take care! Help the missionaries share
the gospel, go with them, and testify, and God will bless you. Alot of
times, the little things that we do, actually matter, the little things
sometimes, change lives, families, and generations to come.

August 18, 2015

Well how y'all doing!? So yeah i know that I'm writing y'all on a
Tuesday but that's because the power goes out here alot in good ole
puerto cabezas. I know am starting my 4th change here in the Branch
Bilwi! but yesterday i got a new comp named Elder Monson! Hes super
legit and has a little over on his mission. But were ready to do alot
of good here in the area! This past week elder cayax and i were able
to baptize a man who is super cool, before he was even baptized he'd
help us teach some lessons and translate in Miskito for us. So we were
blessed to be able to help him make a covenant with God :) Monday
(yesterday) we had transfers and my old comp elder cayax wen t an area
called caminante, and I received a different missionary from puerto
named Elder monson like a said a little more earlier. My good friend
from here, Elder Pilling, had changes and went back to the pacific to
be a secretary for president. But things are going good here in
Puerto! and in Nicaragua! I just want to testify on how important the
Lords work is for everyone, not just the missionaries either, but for
everyone. But I'm thankful for this 2 year opportunity i have to be
100% dedicated and focused on the Lords work! Its great to get lost in
the work and you truly feel happy and perfect with the spirit. Follow
the spirit always in your life's and everyone will be able to share at
least one spiritual thought a day. Here in my area its very important
to follow the spirit, not only to protect us from danger, but also to
find those who God has readied to hear his gospel. Follow the spirit,
and find. Follow the spirit, and be happy. I love y'all! be smart and
don't do drugs!!

August 10, 2015

Well This week started off a little bad for me. Right after i got done
emailing we went to the market to buy some things and then we took a
taxi to the house... and i had the phone in my pocket.... and
apparently it fell out during the ride :/ so i got pretty frustrated
in myself and now were basically phone less for a while. We got a new
phone but the lady from the phone company hasn't activated it which
kinda stinks. But this week President Collado came here to the beloved
Puerto Cabezas to visit and train us. He brought another senior couple
with them that were doctors and in charge of all central america and
they told us how nasty the world is in reality haha and all the germs.
And here in Puerto Cabezas many of the people here drink out of wells
but if you drink from wells you're almost guaranteed to have a
parasite. So he was just reminding us to drink purofoed water, don't
buy food off the streets and yeahhh :/ But president taught us many
good and better ways to teach Gods children here and the importance of
teaching by the spirit and following the spirits promptings! This
weekend were were able to baptize a little girl who is super legit and
already is a great member :) I love y'all and have a great week! do
good and help others do good! and remember, God First.

August 3, 2015

Whats up?? This week my comp and i worked our butts off harder than ever. We talked to everyone we could. Used every second of every day to do our Lords will. And it felt amazing. Our President has somethings called a Seperadora de trabajo that is pretty much a super high standard that you have to make, and my comp and i finally made it. We found 4 new reallllly awesome families to teach and who are all working to be baptized. we contacted 74 families so we really were talking to every house and every family. It felt straight up amazing though. I felt the spirit so strong teaching these families and i know the Lord has blessed my area with many of his children who are ready to come unto him. This week has been very spiritually uplifting. I Lord our Lord, I Love this Gospel, I Love my family back home, My Miskito family here, my friends. We all need to get a little more lost in the Lords work. Yes salvation is individual, but who would we be if we don't help others fight for their salvation too.

July 27, 2015

Man the months are flying by more rapidly. But this week I've got a little time to write, AND I've got pictures!!!!! So This week was really fun, my comp and i worked our butts off. Last week we didn't do to good for various reasons, but this week we repented and worked hard hard hard and became the 15th highest companionship in the mission! Last week my comp and i had some problems with drugged up guys that got pretty dangerous, but this week we were able to go around without any problems! We talked to alot of families and invited them to be baptized so were seeing a good month of August coming up. One of the families is super cool. The lady knows the church is true, wants to get baptized, we started teaching the husband too and cleared up all his doubts and he had some really inspired questions. They just had a baby too this past sunday too. But this sunday we had alot of people come to church, 67. which is alot here for my branch, were working super hard with the less actives to help them come back to church and this Sunday i was able to see many which i had been praying supper hard for. Also my comp hit his one year mark so we had a little party at a members house and we egged him alot cause it was also by his birthday which was pretty funny. So today our lunch cita made us letras de tortuga. ( seaturtle fins and tail) and it was pretty good, inow have had turtle and probably every type of fish, lobster and shrimp now, and for any of y'all that know me good, that's a miracle haha. But the turtle has already put me in the bathroom a few times :/ But i love all of yall! keep doing good things and helping others. This week I've really been studying the importance of doing the things that you know are true. When we know the commandments and what we need to do, we need to follow them, cause if we knowingly break commandments, and put God in 2nd place, there is alot of consequences... But if we keep the commandments and put God first, there'll be many blessings. I challenge each of y'all to find one thing that your not fulfilling 100% and fix it. I know and testify that it will bless you. Always keep the commandments and you'll be happy. If were not happy, were not keeping the commandments. Take care this week and i hope to hear from y'all next week! Mosiah 2! Read it, love it!

July 20, 2015

Well This week was very interesting. We had 2 baptisms planned for this weekend but one we couldn't get permission from the guardian to allow the baptism and the other went to a community out of Puerto :/ But this week some of our old investigators called us to start visiting them again so we went and have started teaching them again which is really good, We get to their house and he asks us when can we baptize him and his wife :) Then also this week many fishermen are getting back from the ocean with lobster, and one of our recent converts gives us 8 nice lobster. So i tried lobster and turtle for the first time this week! They're both actually pretty good! The spirit has really been strong with us this week and the Lord has really been on our side and protected us. I took pics this week but the computer wont let me send them. I love y'all!

July 13, 2015

Hey y'all! Hows everyone doing? Well this week i finally wasn't sick so i felt amazing! One of my recent converts who is super awesome, went and took both pairs of my shoes to get resoled this week cause we didn't have time and now i have 2 pairs of shoes now instead of having to walk around all the time in rain boots! We have a nice family that is planning on being baptized this week. This week President Collado visited again to interview all of us missionaries cause he does that every 3 months. This week was pretty neat. We've really been working on visiting less active members and bring the spirit back into their lives. So i challenge all of you to visit someone that you haven't seen in a while. Sing a hymn, share a scripture, pray. I love y'all and hope all is well! keep writing me!

July 6, 2015

Well I'm here In Bilwi, Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua! still but I'm happy about that! So this week we've found more and more families that are ready to hear about the Gospel of Christ! We brought some cool people to church and were able to get more people and less actives in the church which was one of our big goals! Started the week off with some stomach problems like always so i decided to take some "Magical" Chocolate to fix the problem and also some magic worm killing medicine to kill any other problems so now I'm all fixed up and good! :) The work is really progressing here and i feel like the zone and district will be expanding sometime real soon! we've got some really converting families to baptize next week and were praying hard for them. I love y'all and sorry for no pictures this week!

Okay first off sorry that the photos are super huge cause this computer isn't letting me put them on like normal lol. But this week was okay. We baptized a really nice lady who we found not to long ago. Shes really nice and is super pilas! This week i was on divisions one day in a different area and we were exploring a new part of their area that they received. We were walking and somehow we caught a drunks attention so he started following us, so me and the other Elder decided to walk off the main road into a bunch of Little walkways and the man still followed us and he was doing weird things to the people who were walking against us and so me and the Elder decided to take an even smaller walkway and we booked it running to the other end and hid, tan he came up to us again and started picking up mangoes to throw at us so we ran with him running behind us and crossed the main Street and hid cause he got stuck cause there were alot of cars passing the Street. So that's one of my funny stories of the week. But we were able to help´another hermana here come unto Christ and be baptized which was definitely the highlight of the week. Shes super awesome and she had come to church on Sundays on her own and everything. She was a lady who my comp found a few months ago but she went to work in the ocean for a while and we found her about 2 weeks ago and she had returned and so we taught her and she had marked up all the pamphlets with notes, had a paper with her questions and she found the answers in the book of Mormon and wrote a paragraph of answers for each question she had. This week President Collado and the APs are flying out here to Puerto Cabezas to work with us and to have a special divisions! where everyone has divisions with a different person in the zone! it'll be super fun and I'm looking forward to it! Hope you are all well. Everyday my testimony is growing and my love for the Lords work is ever growing! I know this church is true without a doubt, I'm thankful for the opportunity that we have to follow the example of Christ with the proper authority. I hope all of share your testimonies with someone new everyday and invite them to church!