April 4, 2011

 Dear fam

Conference was amazing.  There where a few greenie missionaries at the building where we were watching at and they asked,  “does being a missionary make these better or was it just that much more touching".  My reply was "yes the mission makes it a lot better; maybe because we are more in tune with the spirit than our past lives and also we are missionaries as well. Its like President Howell talking to us."   It was good to know that I have grown a little bit and now able to help other missionaries a little bit instead of being the one that always needs advice. One other thing that I kind of noticed is that the speakers seemed more down to earth, more like us and not like these big giants.

I have not been able to meet with President Hugh.  As a district we are planning on going to the temple together.  When we go I will meet up with him and ask him a few questions I have and also be able to chat with him about how crazy the Haws kids where in high school ; )

Is that the same mission or close to Elder Weiss?  He is in the Buenos Aries area isn’t he? (I guess that Portugal is sorta close to Argentina, isn't it? lol) That’s so neat . . . Joe, in his last letter to me said he thought he would be state side but look at that, he’s going to Argentina.   Maybe instead of thinking I was going foreign I should have thought I was going state side so I could go foreign. ooo well.   There were a few talks, not beating around the bush, saying that every young man needs to serve a mission who is able.  Everyone is able though the atonement.  I think they were talking about disabilities people may have.

The new comp is Elder Donald Peterson.  He dies in next transfer, and its going to be a long one with him... good thing I get to stretch and grow, or I would go crazy  . . . hahah! We have had a good few chats about being obedient, he was a zone princess (anyone know what that means?) for a few months so yeah just going to be a long one.  He is from Orem Utah.  He said he recognized Dorie from some where, not sure where but he does.

It wasn’t my bike that’s broken it was Elder Orton’s.  Mine is totally chill.  We are hitting the bikes really hard this transfer because we were way over last transfer so we are trying to figure it all out, and we will eventually.  I was on a bike in the winter, in the snow, nothing really stops the missionaries unless they are lazy or sissy lala bed wetter’s but there’s none here!!  We do bikes and cars in this area right now.

The weather here is silly and difficult to figure out. I may need to get a lighter, more water proof and wind proof jacket with a zipper... my other one is a little heavy and is meant for those negative temperatures, not the 40 above. Some Elders it’s just right for but for my AZ blood, it’s still a little bit chill!!  There are still spots of snow and still mounds of snow in the parking lots.  Its been raining all last night and today.

Today is kind of an interesting day.  We are with Elder Waller and his companion in their area.  Elder Peterson wanted to come back and see the area and I wanted to hand off Ray to them, so it all worked out.  We will be chilling with them all day today and going to the science museum of Minnesota.  Elder Waller and I are a little more on the nerdy side. It will be fun to do some "sight seeing".  He told me that mom was able to meet his mom and to talk on book face a little bit.

We picked up a new investigator this week. He is an ex convict and is having a rough time with the law, ex wife, and many other things.  He wants to get closer to God so he wants some help that way.  He will be an awesome atonement miracle.  He is a Protestant which will make the baptism a little more difficult for him to understand and the authority that is needed.  As we go over and teach to his needs, hopefully he will start to understand why he needs to be baptized by the right and proper authority. 

A few weeks I said a brief thing about a lady named Rose that is temporarily living in our apartment building (same floor a few doors down).  She has a very trying and difficult life right now.  As Elder P was unpacking, she knocked at our door crying uncontrollably.  We talked and were able to calm her down so that way we could understand her. Three of her children have passed on to the other side of the veil... 2 by suicide and one in gang violence.  Last and most recent one was in February, he hung him self in her closet... its been a difficult need to fill.   But being able to tell her that she will be able to see them again and that Christ has suffered even more than we can all comprehend... it hasn’t quite hit her yet... she is still very much in the shock stage and no one understands her pain.  It’s been difficult to help her very much.  This situation with Rose has pulled me down a little bit on the roller coaster side of things but once you go down you will go up. I have that faith.

The ward mission leaders and the bishop have talked to us about helping the ward and getting the young men involved in missionary work now instead of  when they go to the MTC (one of the conference talks was on this).  It’s going to be a new experience and a building one for sure!  Excited and a little nervous.

In weekly planning we saw that we call home this transfer.  Freaking weird if you ask me.

love you, have a good one.

elder baker