8/29/16 | What a week!

This first week in the field has been so crazy!  So many
things have happened! First off, we left the MTC at about 4:30 in the
morning, that feeling was incredible! Only being in the MTC for three
weeks was definitely long enough! I loved the MTC, I loved the spirit
there, being surrounded by so many people with the same mindset,
learning how to teach more effectively, and making so many new
friends. Overall it was awesome!
       Anyways, we left the MTC early that morning, I was the travel
leader for our group so I had all the boarding passes and trax tickets
with me.  A bus drove us over to the front runner station in Provo and
sent us on our way.  It was nice to see the Timp temple and our
beautiful mountains one last time before I left.  I couldn't stop
thinking about all of you guys, all the memories that I made, I can't
wait for more to come! So we made it up to the SLC Airport.  I handed
out all the boarding passes and we got through security.  I also saw
Carson McCracken saying bye to his family!  He was happy to see me.
We all split up to find pay phones.  It was so nice to call home!
Talking with you guys made my day!  So glad we could catch up, I love
you :)
       So at the gate I saw Derek Butters chilling in a chair! So we
talked for awhile, took some pics, and sat pretty close together in
first class!  It was nice to see him! Us missionaries in first class
were treated like kings! There were three of us in first class, Elder
Campbell, Sister Bertha, and I.  It was so nice actually having leg
room!
        It was nice to finally meet President and Sister McMurray!
They are the nicest people, and are really down to earth!  I talked to
them a lot while we waited for the other missionaries to come in.  So
we got to the mission office around 2:00 and they fed us lunch.  We
went through all that orientation and introductions.  Then we were
assigned our areas and trainers!  Well, first they said that the
missionaries going to Wyoming had to leave early so they announced
them first.  I was assigned to the Riverton, Wyoming area, with Elder
Ma'ake as my trainer! The highest I can get in my mission! Elder Judd
got assigned to Casper, Wyoming so we got to ride for the five and a
half hour drive up there.  We had a lot of time to talk on our way up
there.  So we stayed the night in Casper, I ended up having to sleep
on the floor, seriously the hardest floor I have ever slept on....
Elder Ma'ake and I woke up very sore.
    So let me tell you about my companion.  He is the shortest Elder
in the mission, and I am the tallest!  So we stand out a bit.  So far
we have gotten along very well!  He has been an awesome trainer!  He
can't drive though, he lost his driving privileges cause he went over
90 miles an hour.... So I drive us everywhere in our Nissan truck.  As
for Riverton Wyoming, it is kind of flat..... But I guess a little
pretty! My area covers the Sunset Park Ward, Pavillion Branch, and the
Dubois Branch.  I haven't been to Dubois yet, it's an hour and a half
northwest.  So that is the highest you can get in our mission.  We
taught a lot of lessons this week, especially my first day!  My first
full day, we taught eight lessons and I placed two Books of Mormon! It
was a really cool experience teaching real people, instead of role
plays.
       I had the coolest experience while we were tracting for the
first time that day! So we prayed and chose a street to knock.  After
we placed the first Book of Mormon we knocked the rest of the street
with no luck, we were headed back the way to the car, knocking the
other side of the street, when we saw a man pull up in his driveway.
I knew immediately that we needed to talk to him.  So I told Elder
Ma'ake that so we headed his way, but as soon as Elder Ma'ake saw that
he was a cop, he said "no way we're talking to that guy!  So I
listened and we just said hi, and knocked the next house. No one
answered, and as soon as we closed the gate I told him that we needed
to talk to that cop.  So we headed back and knocked on his door.  He
is so Golden!  He answered and I introduced ourselves, we found out
his name is Randy, we shared a message on the first vision.  We asked
him if he thought it was crazy that Joseph Smith saw Heavenly Father
and Jesus Christ, but he answered "not at all! If you have enough
faith of course it could happen!"  So I invited him to read the Book
of Mormon introduction and he said yes.  We set up a following
appointment.  I can't wait to teach Randy!  I would say my first day
was a huge success!
       Well, who knew that I would already be bible bashed! Yes a
"born again" man told us his story, said he hated people who bashed on
other religions, and then told us our whole church was false.  Proving
it with his bible.  Kind of hypocritical I guess.... So we listened,
tried to get out a few times, but didn't bash back.  The craziest
thing of it all was when he pointed at me and said "Elder Bailey, I
can tell that you're a sinner, and that if you don't repent and be
born again, you're going to Hell."  Hahahahaha, I almost started
laughing! So that was interesting.
      The rest of the week we had other great lessons, and we got fed
by member every single dinner! I guess the members in Riverton love
the missionaries! We also had a baptism this Saturday in the Pavillion
Branch.  I'm not counting that for me cause I had never taught him,
but his name is Joe Lanham.  It was really cool to see his baptism and
confirmation the following Sunday.  It helped me reflect on my
baptism!
      Last thing, so our apartment is kind of crappy, we live in the
basement of a old house.  The ceilings in most of it are only 6' 5'',
so I have to duck most of the time.  The bed is really comfy, but it's
too short.  And the bathroom is pink..... Haha overall it's nice
though.
       I was reading in 1 Nephi 9 the other day, and it really helped
me know why it is so important to be strictly obedient.  It is a
really short chapter, so I want you all to read it! Ponder it and how
you can apply it in your lives! I know if you do it will strengthen
your testimony!
    Sorry this is kind of long! There was just so much to tell you
guys.  Hope you all have a fantastic week. (Some guy showed us all of
his guns so we took pics with them!) Love you guys!

Love,
-Elder Bailey

8/22/16 | Last week in the MTC!

 So to start off, Elder Holland was a rumor..... but we did have Sister Bonnie L. Oscarson speak to us!  She apologised for not being Elder Holland, so that was nice of her!  She spoke on how missions are the training ground for life.  I believe that this is so true!  All of these things I am learning in the MTC and what I will learn on my mission will help me be a better person, husband and father, and be a better brother and son to you guys!  She shared a scripture that was helped me a lot, Genesis 18:14, "Is anything too hard for the Lord?".  I challenge everyone who reads this to ponder this concept.  It has helped me understand many different things here in the MTC.  

         I also had a cool experience in class this past week.  Sister Nelson has been a good teacher, but sometimes she is kind of mean!  Which makes sense now.... I asked her in the middle of class how she was doing, and she almost started crying.  I guess she was going through a tough break-up.... So we all talked to her and she has been better.  Anyways, she bore her testimony in Japanese.  It was one of the strongest testimonies I have ever heard!  Even though I could only pick up a few words here and there, I could feel the spirit so strongly.  It was cool to see how the spirit speaks more through spirit to spirit, rather than language.  

          My other teacher, Brother Debeikes, shared a quote from Brigham Young that states, "The task ahead of me, is never as great as the power behind me."  I think that this will help me so much throughout my mission, especially through tough companions.  My teachers have taught me so much and have helped my testimony grow!  It is so cool to see my testimony grow everyday.

        This past sunday was a cool devotional as well.  It was by the Nashville Tribute Band, they are all LDS guys from Nashville, and they sing Gospel songs.  It was really funny because it was pretty much a country concert in the MTC!  We had the largest choir in MTC history too!  All 1,704 of us sang with them for some songs!  It was really cool! I am so glad that I decided to do the choir!  Elder Judd and I sing randomly throughout the day.  We are both pretty good if I do say so myself, but our companions are tone deaf...... They just come to the choir for moral support!  I love the guys in my room, and my district!  It is going to be weird leaving them soon. 

        Well I hope everyone had a great week this past week!  Love you guys! Thanks for the support!

-Love,    

Elder Bailey   

8/16/16 | Second week!

      It has been such a crazy week!  I can't believe I only have six more days in the MTC!  Time has been flying. So many things have happened in the past week the days are honestly starting to form together.  Lets start with last Tuesday nights devotional.  It was a an awesome devotional, and no one was expecting the speaker, Elder Anderson from the quorum of the twelve talked to us!  He talked to us about "hunting" for the opportune investigators on our missions.  It was incredible!  The spirit is so strong here in the MTC, it is the strongest I have ever felt it, and singing in the MTC choir has been such a blessing.  It has helped me stay focused and feel God's love for me.  Our devotional this past Sunday was by Brother Judd, he was a professor at BYU, a super cool guy, that was really in tune with the spirit.  He talked about pressing forward in the Gospel.  I'm just super excited for the devotional tonight, rumor is that Elder Holland is coming!  It is going to be such a blessing to hear from him.  Hopefully the rumors are true!

         Our classes these past few days have been pretty long but really helpful!  I feel like I have grown so much spiritually these past two weeks.  It is really awesome to see the changes that have happened in my life.  We have been teaching pretend investigators as well as some non-members, and the thing that has come easiest to me is getting to know the different aspects in their lives.  I think that it is a blessing from Heavenly Father to be good at this, everyone else in my district wonders how I feel so comfortable.  It has really helped me become a better preacher of the Gospel in the past few days.  I am so grateful for that. 

           The most eventful thing that happened this week was on my temple walk.  I saw the Judd's from our stake, they were so excited to see me. Sister Judd was so happy to send a picture to you guys!  Then I was walking back to the MTC, and I heard someone yell "Austin!"  I turned around to see Frank running at me with the biggest smile on his face!  It was so fun to catch up with him, he said Duke has been really hard, but he's loving it!  All of my district was in awe of him, it was hilarious.  I was glad I saw him.  It is so crazy to see all of the people I know here at the MTC. 

            Thanks for all the letters and packages that all of you have been sending me! I really appreciate the support, a lot of missionaries in my district do not get this much support from family and friends, and I couldn't be more grateful for that! Like in 1 Nephi 8:3, "...I have reason to rejoice in the Lord..."  I do have so many reasons to rejoice in my Savior, I love you all, and miss you!  

Love, 

Elder Bailey

P.S.
Going to the temple this morning at 5:30 was a fantastic experience as well.  Going to the temple is such a blessing, especially when you are cooped up in the MTC for this long everyday!  I am so grateful for the blessings of the temple.  I can't wait to have the Fort Collins, Colorado temple finished when I arrive in my mission soon!  (my companion didn't want to go, but I'm the Senior Companion, so I said we were going :)!) Love you guys!

8/9/16 | First Email!

There is so much that has happened in the last week!! I don't know if
I can explain it all but I'll try! Thanks everyone for all of the
support and love so far in the MTC! It's been such a blessing knowing
that I am being prayed for and being missed and home. Some Elders here
don't have such fantastic homes, families, and friends that love and
care about them! I'm one of the lucky ones that's for sure!

Let's start with my companion, his name is Elder Campbell, he is so
awesome!  He is very spiritual and loving in every study, practice
lesson, and class that we have. He's from Las Vegas, and his dad is
not a member but his mom received her endowments with him before going
on his mission. He has such an awesome testimony of the Gospel, it has
helped me a lot.  He's a little socially awkward..... But I bring it
out of him!

In my room theirs only four of us elders, there's usually six but we
got way lucky! It makes our room seem a lot bigger than it would have
otherwise.  We room with Elder Judd from Las Vegas and Elder Mickelson
from Grace, Idaho! We are all really good friends so far.  Our
district is pretty sweet at well!  We have eight Elders and four
sisters, four of us are going to Fort Collins, four to Gilbert, AZ and
the sisters are going to Charlotte NC, we have all become very close
and our classes are always very spiritual!

It has been a Lone Peak reunion here! My companion and district kinda
hat it when ever five minutes in saying hi and hugging somebody! I
have seen so many people I know, and every exercise time I play
basketball with Spencer White! In the MTC, we are all-stars! It is
honestly so fun to just destroy other people at basketball! It's
helped relieve some stress.

It has been pretty rough waking up at 6:30 every morning, I'm not
gonna lie! But I think staying strictly obedient has helped me so
much! At night when my room and district goes to bed, other than
elders are goofing around and being way noisy out in the hall. Some
nights are worse than others, but I can tell a huge difference. I feel
like my testimony and my ability to recognize the Spirit has been
tripled since I got here, every devotional, every class, being on
campus, everything is spiritual if you have your heart and mind in the
right place!

On Sunday we had an incredible devotional by President Matt Holland
about Joseph Smith, it was so awesome! And of course being a part of
the choir helped feel the spirit so much more! President Holland is
such a great speaker! We also went to the temple this morning, it is
such a neat experience being a missionary and attending the temple! I
loved every second of it!

It is weird to think that just week ago was my last night at home!
Being in the MTC is such a different atmosphere! I honestly forget
that I'm in Provo most the time! I am so grateful for the family and
friends that I have at home! Being supported has really helped me get
through those tough times in the first week!  I miss you and love you
guys a lot and have loved the dear elders I have gotten so far! Talk
to you guys next week!

-Elder Bailey

8/3/16 | MTC

7/31/16 | Farewell dinner

We had a hotdog bar, cookie salad, pear salad, watermelon, and a bunch of yummy desserts. 

7/31/16 | Elder Bailey's Farewell Talk

In Matthew 7 starting in verse 24 it says: 

24 ¶Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

 25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

 26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:

 27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

 28 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:

 29 For he taught them as one having authority.

In this parable it talks about rain, floods, and wind that beat upon these houses on there different foundations.  I believe the rain, floods and wind represent different types of temptation and struggles that we face in our everyday lives.  We have to build our houses on a sure foundation in order to deal with these trials.  It may not be easy at times but it needs to be a priority.  As it is depicted in the parable, the man who didn’t have the sturdy rock foundation lost his house to the rain, floods, and wind.  

To me, building a sure foundation is to work every day to develop and maintain faith in Jesus Christ and to follow Him.

I really like a talk given by Elder Holland in the MTC several years ago.  As I continue to work on my foundation as a full time missionary, his message will help me get through those tough times, to develop greater faith, and to accomplish what God needs me to do.  He said, 

“When my body begs for rest I give to myself this rallying cry, Remember Him.”

He points out that missionary’s could ask a lot of questions, some of these he’s even asked himself:

·      Why is this so hard?

·      Why doesn’t it go better?

·      Why can’t our success be more rapid?

·      Why aren’t there more people joining the church?

·      Why don’t people just flock to the font?

·      Why isn’t it easier?

·      Why don’t the people understand?

·      Why do they reject us?

He continues: “Missionary work is not easy because Salvation is not a cheap experience.  Salvation was never easy.

Why would we think it would ever be easy for us, if it was never easy for Him.

We must be prepared to walk a little bit of the path He walked.  Feel a little bit of the pain He felt.

I don’t think missionary work has ever been easy.” Close Quote

From the most recent General Conference, Elder Kearon talked about the refugees in need of help, and about how we have been protected from the raging storm with this by having the Gospel in our lives.  He said, “We have found refuge.  Let us come out from our safe places and share with them, from our abundance, hope for a brighter future, faith in God and in our fellowman, and love that sees beyond cultural and ideological differences to the glorious truth that we are all children of our Heavenly Father.” Closed Quote

In a way we are all refugees, even the Savior was a refugee.  We have a responsibility to reach out, helping refugees and helping each other because we are all refugees.  I get to do this as a missionary, and I can’t wait for that opportunity.  

I have been blessed to be protected from the raging storms, by having the Gospel of Jesus Christ in my life.  It has helped me know the right decisions to make when I’m faced with challenges.  In my life, I have experienced being a recipient of others reaching out to me as a refugee.  They have lifted me up and blessed my life in many different ways.

I honestly have some of the greatest friends I could’ve ever asked for.  Chase, Matt, Wiscombe, you guys have helped me so much, and I am so glad that we have been such good friends.  I also had such a good experience working at BYU this summer, because of all of the great friends I have gotten to work with.  All of my other friends have made such a difference in my life.  They helped me throughout some of the toughest times in my life, and have made life fun. Thanks for coming today guys.

I’ve been blessed to have some of the most amazing priesthood leaders that have helped me grow spiritually and physically. Through all of the sweat and tears that we’ve shared together, I know they love and care about me.  I want to thank Brother Ballif, Brother Hilmo, Brother Anderson, Brother Oaks, Brother Lee, and my dad.  I honestly can’t count the number of miles we’ve hiked together and the fantastic devotionals we’ve had along the way.

I was so lucky to go to Lone Peak and have the best principal, teachers, and coaches.  Like my church leaders, I always knew that they loved and cared about me, and would do anything for me to be successful.  

My family has been such a blessing in my life, and I don’t know what I would do without them.  My grandparents have been such spiritual anchors in my life. They served several missions together, and with that example I have always wanted to go myself. I am blessed to have the best brothers and sisters, I’m so grateful for their examples to me and that they’ve always loved me.  I am so grateful for my mom and dad, they have taught me everything I know; I’m going miss them a lot.

All of these things have truly helped me get through the raging storms in my life and to help build my foundation.

Many people ask me “why are you going on a mission?” I’ve asked myself the same question, “why am I going?”  Some of the reasons are, 

·      I’ve always wanted to, 

·      It is a priesthood responsibility, 

·      To bring others unto Christ and serve, 

·      To grow spiritually and strengthen my faith.  

But I think the most important reason is because the Savior gave me everything, He gave His life for me, and He suffered for me. 

Now I get a chance to be a full-time servant of Jesus Christ, and I am going to give my all, everything I have, I am going to work hard every day, and obey all the rules.  This will be my motivator every day; He gave everything to me, and I am going to try my best, and work my hardest to give my all to Him.  

 TESTIMONY