July 4, 2016

Well another week full of miracles!! My companion and I started the week off without anyone preparing to be baptized this past weekend.. and so after having the miracle happen a week ago of baptizing the young man, we knew that Heavenly Father would be able to bless us again. So we prayed a lot together on Monday.... on who we should pass by so that we finish the week by finding our lost soul to be baptized. On Tuesday we were presenting some datos in a meeting and I had a strong feeling to put this one family's name on the board as people we could baptize this week. and so after lunch we pass by the family ( thinking that the husband would still be out of town cause he'd been gone for over a month) and there was the husband and he said " we missed you guys, can we get baptized now" and my companion and I just looked at each other and we just felt the Lords finger in this work! It was a pure miracle that came from a simple feeling to pass by the family. So this weekend we had the privilege to see them get married and also baptized! It was funny cause we were getting the wedding ready and they just walk in like an hour early and we were shocked haha because they lived like 30 minutes from the church.. and then on Sunday they all came to church together. I love to see families coming to church because they want to!  I know the Lord works miracles. And especially here in Ocotal! Throwing fire as the best area in the mission for the past few months!! It is very hot here. We do what we can here to stay cool. The only times that I see or feel air conditioned rooms is at church.  I love y'all! Ask for Miracles with faith, listen to the spirit, and you'll see and feel what I've seen and felt for the past 21 months :) This past week I got a call from the mission president's counselor and he was like hey Elder Baltimore I need to talk to you, I'll be in Ocotal in the chapel waiting for you in half an hour! I was shocked because I didn't do anything wrong haha, and so we talked a minute and he told me that they were gonna start seminary and institute here!!! He asked me who could be my teacher and I though in my head.. "hmmm who can be like Jeri Toolan" haha and so we got in his truck and headed off to this lady's house and talked to her and I shared her the story on how seminary has impacted my life and the changes that it helped me make haha and I told her that seminary teachers teach the future missionaries and then I shared stories and in the end she accepted!

June 27, 2016
So this was a great week! The Lord loves his missionaries!! I had another super miracle baptism this week. We didn't even know the kid until Wednesday, but found out that he had investigated the church before and was away for along time. His aunt is a member. We had a meeting in the church and he came and I stepped outside of the meeting to ask why he was there and invited him to be baptized the 10th of July and he said this Saturday. We almost didn't get baptized because he had vacation from school and had to go to a pueblo to visit his grandma and so he wouldn't be able to do it.. then he told us Friday that his vacation was canceled and had school Monday and that he'd be able to go to church Sunday and be baptized Saturday! so 2 big miracles... finding him, and in the end baptizing him. He came to church with his family to be confirmed! This week I was doing service making a fence and cutting down a tree whose branches had 3 inch thorns all on it... and one fell on my arm and the thorns went all the way in and it was super nasty taking them out and had to go to the clinic because my arm got swollen... so now I am just having to wait for the little barbs to come out of there holes in my arm.. :)... Also Saturday we had a big mother's day, father's day and children's day activity and came more than 100 people and it was super fun! There were many fun activities. I was asked to dance in front of everyone haha.. still not the best dancer let's just say :) Also today we went and visited a little city outside of Ocotal called Mosonte and did some exploring and found a cool little old catholic church and took some cool pics! But anyways I know the lord works miracles in our lives! My companion and I were praying a ton throughout this past week asking that we would be led to find those searching for the truth and want to be baptized. We didn't have anyone for this week, and so we set out searching with faith and we found our miracle. If we ask and have faith.. He loves us and will give us miracles if we do whats right. I love y'all! take care!

June 20, 2016

I do not have much time to write today. Here are a few pictures of what took place this week though. We were walking along the road on our Pday and saw this man who had his truck stuck in the mud. I ran to help him. As I was pushing him out, the mud splattered all over me, but that was ok because I was offering service.

The next pictures are of President Collado and his family with the farewell hugs. They are a great family and will be missed!

June 13, 2016

Well this week has passed by fast! just 19 more weeks left :/ next week my pops Elder LeSuer heads back to his house and I'll be left fatherless in the mission! But things are good! Wednesday we will have our last meeting with President Collado because hes finishing his mission too and all. This past weekend we had a cool baptism in the waterfall and it was great!! Today we went to Rio Coco and went fishing! We were a little unsuccesful, aparently fish don't like hot dogs lol. We have been teaching this wonderful family and the husband is super pilas. He goes to church by himself and his wife was mas o menos, but this week she finally came to church with him which was a miracle! We passed by thir house in the morning and they weren't home so we went to church a little dismayed, We sat down and were getting ready for the Sacrament meeting and he shows up and is like " dont worry my wifes on her way" and in the end she came!! YESSSS!

This week has been great in the area, we foundsome cool new people and some old members that are less active! We found a man that is from bluefields and was the first member in ocotal, but hasn't come in a while, so we talked to him and are working on reactivating their family because they're super legit! Hope y'all have a great week! Don't forget to say your prayers always!!

June 6, 2016

Well how are y'all this week? This week nothing too big happened. It rained everyday of the week, I got soaked and sick but its all worth it right? We ended up not being able to baptize the families because they lacked papers to do their marriage but we have got all them now so well see what happens this week! it rained demasiado so I don't really have much other noticias. But my companion and I have been really doing well.. this week with the lessons we had with our investigators and recent converts/less actives, we had over 130.. it was amazing, we worked super hard and we were able to see the results greatly in the area. We found a less active member that has the priesthood and everything and we were able to get him reading the book of mormon more and seeing him grow spiritually everyday of the week was super animating. This week we will baptize the future branch president!!

May 30, 2016

So this week was pretty interesting! We have got 2 awesome families again that will be getting baptized this week and its going to be really awesome! One of the men, named Rony, I've been secretly preparing to replace me as branch president! So for a little over a week we have been teaching them about the temple and they're so animated to go to Honduras in a year to the temple. Friday Rony told me " so in a year when we go to the temple we want you to come with us to watch us get sealed" and how in the temple prep book it teaches that we shouldn't just go for curiosity, but to make covenants and it really hit me how chosen they are. here in the mission we work a lot on finding the chosen people who God has prepared in these days to hear the gospel. and I am so grateful for my heavenly father for putting me here in Nicaragua, where he has a lot of children waiting to repent and make covenants with him. I've had a few converts now that have gone to the temple and its sad not being to go with them because we still lack a temple here in Nicaragua, but its just a great feeling to know that someone's not just baptizing to be baptized, but really doing it to come unto God and live according to his gospel. I love my Nicas!!  I was able to help a hermana build more on her house by making adobes, which is just mud blocks that are put out to be dried... that is how the houses are made here! super neat! then today we went back to Dipilto and climbed the mountain! super exhausting but fun at the same time!! talk to y'all next week! remember the sacredness of our purpose in this life!

May 23, 2016

Well! things are going great! we've been doing excellent in our area! this week we were able to bring 9 of our investigators to church and it was a miracle because of this 9, about 7 went to church by themselves and they all liked it and are willing to continue visiting and be baptized! I had to travel 2 hours away from my area to an area called Jalapa to do divisions for 2 days and it was pretty fun, I got a little sick though but I guess that is all part life... haha, I hope all are going well! this week I will be going to my first new missionary meeting in over a year because of my greenie that I am training! It is gonna be super weird but I guess I'll be learning bunches too! This week in church after everyone left we found a chicken in the church and so us missionaries decided to teach him and all haha and in the end decided to throw it over the fence so he wouldn't poop all in the church. I am already tired of traveling in buses....in my time in Ocotal I have already spent about 40 hours in a bus and I am learning how to position myself perfectly to be able to finally sleep in the journeys haha. have a good week!