update . . .

August 15, 2011

fam,

Training went good I think. We talked a lot about the man in the glass and how we can go through the motions and do a good job, but we can look at God and do a great job. I tied it into revelation though prayer. I think it went good. The numbers in the district went up quite a bit so that makes me glad to know that something clicked with someone on each team. Our area is down in the pits though. Last week we did 2 blitzes and an exchange with training, there went 3 days. The fun of it all was I was able to do 2 baptismal interviews. I felt a lot of weight on my shoulder doing that, knowing that if they were to go less active after their baptism that would be a large portion on my head. It was so spirit packed as we talked. It was two girls, Olivia 13 and Anna 11. It was good to talk and to see where their testimonies were and to share scriptures and see how well the Red Wing missionaries had taught them. They both expressed how they want to get their dad back to church and how hopefully their baptism will spark something there.  

This next week is going to be about the same... Hopefully we can figure out how to get everything done in the district and feed our area with the things it needs to progress. I do a training once a week, and then a little spiritual “hey good job, feel good” something every other or every 3rd day with each team.  On Thursday night I do a little “get pumped for the weekend” kinda thing.  Friday through Sunday are the best days to catch people, and sometimes I feel like it should be a more chill day, but it’s really the opposite those 3 days are the days we should really bust out on the work!

The last day of this transfer is September 11, Sunday.  Transfers will be on Wednesday, September 7, transfer calls will be Monday September 5 and then leadership calls on Sunday the 4.

That’s really weird that it’s the season for people getting married ... I am so glad I don’t have to worry about that for another year :) I assume Mr. Vatterlos is lds and they are getting married in the temple. Is he the one that she dated before he left on the mission? David something or other?

Along with the picture of Christ can you get the camel pack? It’s got orange strips on the side and also the bladder?  The one I had popped this week and made a freaking mess in the apartment like none other. thankfully it was raining outside so everything in my backpack was wrapped up in a bag and safe.

We did get one new investigator this week. Her name is Bridget. She travels for her job and she is trying to start up her own business, nice lady.  Grew up Catholic, in her early 40s. Never really read from the bible till about a year ago and she loves doing that. She told us that the Book of Mormon was great and that it had the stuff to study at the bottom of the page,(hey, they are called footnotes . . .) and how awesome that was. However she made it very clear that she doesn’t want to become a member.  Little does she know that as she reads and prays this week (we are praying soo hard that she is) she will feel the spirit and want to feel that more often.

We had one person come to church, Bob Briggs who is Kathy Briggs husband. He is a little, well maybe a lot, bit deaf.  So his soft whisper is more like a normal “hey how’s it going” voice.  He had some questions during the sacrament. ooo my goodness did it break the silence.  We also had dinner with the Dean's Sunday night. They invited the Briggs over, which was great!  We have been wanting to "break the ice" with Bob for a while and I hope we were able to do that. We didn’t talk too much about spiritual stuff, just normal every day stuff. Until it was time to go and then we shared a message about the atonement.  

This week we are having a zone conference in Oakdale where the book store is. Hopefully I’ll be able to pick a book up then. I’ll be getting 2, one for Merry Helen and one also for Bob. I had them do an SOS because if we did the normal way it would have taken till end of September to get the large copies, and that’s not ok.  By then I will be gone and Elder Mower is still in shock mode; being district leader seems like it’s made it worse. I hope he is learning a lot with all that is going on.

The Nelson kids ... Ray has started foot ball this week. Church was getting closer and closer and the kids had a desire to come.  They show enjoyment when we are there.  Now football. A ton of bricks and a huge wall just got put up and he doesn’t even realize it.  The problem for awhile and not meeting with the Nelsons was his new son and Ray not getting enough sleep, now it’s football ... how far is too far? I hope he gets back on track. He promised us, and president Howell he would go to church and be active... he has come once in the 7 months or so we have been working with him... it makes me sad.

Sis McClure is a less active, her parents raised her lds. Something in the family went hay wire, maybe a divorce or death and the whole family stopped going to church and the parents are now Lutherans and Michelle is... agnostic it seems. We haven’t meet with her yet but we keep on trying.

My bike is working ok. I got new brakes, thinking that would solve the problem of them not working. It did in the front, but the back one is umm still no good. A member will be helping me out with that one trying to figure out what to do. I guess hydraulic disk brakes are a pain... who would have thunk. The tires are good for now.

We are on the bikes a lot more now. With exchanges and blitzing, we do alot of driving and that takes up a lot of our miles. It’s been an enjoyment for me though, feeling the sun and heat more. It’s started to cool down a lot here as well. At night I am sleeping with socks and sweats some times. I am a still a little girl when it comes to the "cold" ha-ha.  We can go 1100 miles a month in the car.

The summer heat has been great. The mosquitoes are itchy but nothing really as long as you don’t start itching them. Elder Mower is funny with the bugs. He is a very city boy when it comes to stuff like that, but he tries to be outdoorsy. He makes me giggle. I thought you knew I enjoyed the heat?  lifeguarding, swimming, wrestling ... heat heat heat and more heat  : )   

We visited with Sister Hampton this week, talked about the plan of salvation. It was a really good lesson I think. Just to see the change in people over time as they change to another thought process.  Misery and grief to joy and charity. She has a lot more smiles to share with us.

Next week we are going to the temple as a district, so pday may be switched around to Wednesday. We are trying to see if we can do like a half and half kinda thing. Mondays are such a hard day to proselyte.

One more thing about Sunday. We went into the Young Men's side of priesthood and we talked about preparation for coming on a mission and areas we would change in our preparation and also the lessons and building of our testimonies we have had thus far in the mission.  2 of the 12 or 13 young men weren’t hesitant to say they would go, but the others where totally not sure. Did you ever worry about me not going on a mission?

ooo sorry I didn’t send out the box last week the darn post office closed sooner than i thought. I’ll get it off today.

love

elder baker