Dinner at the Rackhams . . .

The Rackham family in Rochester, takes good care of Rhett - they had Thanksgiving with them and Sis. Rackham makes sure they are feed occassionally.  This is a picture she sent after feeding them this week . . . Merry Christmas everyone!

December 12, 2011

dear fam

My companion is from baffilo utah. (anyone know where that is?) He has been out for one transfer longer than me, its been 18 months he has been out I think... his tooth paste thats a good question! (I was just joking when I asked him how his companion squeezes the tooth paste – guess he missed that!) He didn’t come down with any and he hasn’t been brushing with the toothpaste .... he got some today all is good :) 

His name is Spencer Pedersen and he is 20 years old.

I gave Sister Kathey Dorset your email adress... umm her phone number is

605-660-5457. The sisters will be there as well we will be chilling there

from about 1 till about 7 or some thing like that, very lay back day. I know

this is way far in advance but could you make sure people don’t ask the same

questions twice as well. I would like to talk about schooling a little. In

January I can start going around to school websites and writing essays and

what not. 

Monday one of our investigators ex boy friend or fiance broke into her

house, beat her up took her cash and dashed. The cops were able to find him

and get the punk to jail. If I become a cop that will be such a joy to me.

putting cowards like that behind bars. That agitates me so much. At any

rate we went over to talk and to be there for her. The Blakes came along

for the rule of 3, but mostly because Sister Blake is legit! The husband

played with the little girls. She was and still is quite a wreck but is

turning to Christ and will be on her feet and being able to focus

shortly... i hope.

Tuesday i got sick as well as Elder Marks. Terrible day to get sick. E Marks packed and I cleaned and slept the rest of the day. I really dislike being sick. Wednesday sickness worsens to a cough and ballon for a head. As we were waiting for the new companions to get here, the 3 sick elders all slept while the other 2 did studies and tracted. Elder Orton is in our zone. It was really good to see him and catch up. He is doing really good. Really

figuring out who he is and his purpose. He has done so much good, particularly with helping missionaries who are struggling. 

Elder Pedersen and I were able to bike to the boon docks and teach a lesson. Bad idea, by the way, cold plus hills on a bike being sick, it made it all worse but we were able to pick up a new investigator. He is an older gentleman, worked at IBM in the finance part of it. For sure a kingdom builder. He enjoyed the message about the Book of Mormon and said he would read, however he wanted to go over the bom with his wife she ... is baptist, that may not turn out the way we like however that was a really good seed

planted. We went home and i slept!

Thursday slept like crazy. I feel apostate when my comp or I are sick, but a healthy missionary is a good missionary. Don’t worry this week is better :)

Friday had a good weekly planning session, made some goals for getting farther out in our area. Staying in the city of Rochester is driving me crazy. It seems like missionaries have over worked it.  Elder Pedersen enjoys having a physical draining day so we are able to get a lot more biking in, thank goodness. We went really far out - about 7 or so miles in snowy hills, was a lot of fun. Didn’t get any potentials out there but crazy thing when we got back for dinner elder p said he couldn’t feel his toes. He only has dress shoes and a few "warm" socks. I don’t under stand why he doesn’t have boots if he was out here last winter. Any way he took his shoes off and lo and behold he had frost bite on both feet, little toe and the tips of all the toes as well as the top and the outside of the feet. JOY!!! He went straight to the tub with cool water. I called Sister Clements and the zone leaders and the district leaders getting things approved and got a ride to the hospital. Got there and they said it wasn’t very serious so just go home and keep them in lukewarm water. Took them about an hour and half to decide that. Next we went and got him boots for a little while it looked like i would be buying them for him but fortunately i didn’t. We get him home and started soaking his feet. Well the hospital calls and says go straight to the ER. So i make some more calls, get it approved and the roch 5 dl area (Elders Horgmo and Ruckert) gave us a ride. We were there till 11:30 pm and all they said was we cant do anything for you its not severe enough but he does have nerve damage and shouldn’t be outside for longer than 2 hours at a time for a month and not to be out side at all saturday. So that was that! ooo and it was such a headache trying to call the area medical at 11:30 pm, trying to get them to answer and make sure there was nothing else to be done. I am soo grateful for our missionary mother, Sis. Clements, she is so on top of every thing!

Any way Saturday we scheduled some meetings with the sisters (Romrell and Payne) and also the bishop. That went really good, the ward is really stepping up their missionary work attitudes as well as carrying out their responsibility and they are seeing the blessings of that service. At 3 we started helping set up for the Posada or ward Christmas party. There were about 250 people there and tons of mexican food and dancing and partying. All that good stuff but didn’t start till 6. It went till about 9.

We were able to get some investigators there. A great turn out.

 and.... well gotta run ... sorry time snuk up

love

elder baker

December 5, 2011

Dear fam

Yup dad your story was pretty funny. (Artie had a funny experience in his Gospel Doctrine class that he shared with Rhett)  Father in Heaven for sure has a since of humor. When we where tracting a few weeks ago someone asked us if God smiles. A difficult question because I haven’t found any verse from the scriptures to back it up or at the time I couldn’t think of any. But for sure He has to have some fun and giggle at some things :)

Transfer calls were today... my stomach has been a knot all day and haven’t been feeling particularly good.  Pres straight up told me this new companion will be a rough one ...  not to many details about anything sooo we will find out, but that sure didn’t help my stomach at all. Elder Marks is going up to east Bloomington to be with a former zone leader... we had a missionary from the district go home for disobedience this week... kind of a yucky week for that kinda stuff...

No worries about me not going to the temple. I’m going to the temple and I’m gunna get married there too. I’ve seen what it can do for families and I will not lower my bar for less than the best.

  

I’m good with no Christmas decorations.  I see the snow every day that’s enough decoration for me. Next year will be the all out year or some thing like that.

Investigators ... well a great week finally.  The area is starting to turn around and thankfully I get to stay and watch it happen. The one that we had a date set for  is struggling; really just seems like a broken spirit, no hope, nowhere to turn and see the light. We’re trying to lift her up and help her with her struggles. Her boyfriend or ex fiancé, whatever he is, beat her up today.  Not sure how bad but he is now in jail and is gone now from her life, hopefully.  He is the opposition and the major force from keeping her happy. 

Time is short I’m sorry … but know that this week we found a sister who wants to learn more about the church. She feels a spiritual difference from her Lutheran church and the LDS faith - an interesting wording that she used. Unfortunately she is single so the elders that cover that ward will be teaching her. 

Found a new gator who is an older gentleman that served in WWII, has a strong foundation in prayer and wants to be closer to God. Gladly we will work with him. 

Also a sister who is lonely and wants to feel the feeling that she felt at the nativity that the church put on. We had tracted into her. She is also extremely lonely. Hopefully we will teach her and pick her up as an investigator. 

It also snowed … got 4 or 5 inches on the ground, finally in the swing of the winter. E Marks and I mostly had fun in the snow, sliding around on my bike and eating the ground a couple times but so fun (no hurts at all).

Since I’ll be staying here for Christmas, I’ll figure out a member’s home we will call from or skype at. What do you what to do with that?  I’ll be glad to arrange whatever.  The ward seems to like me finally - it may be the whole “crusher” thing that got them.  Bro Scot got 3 plates in his cheek. had a 6 hour procedure - I’m going to go by and see him this week.

love you   e baker

November 28, 2011

    Hello from the warm land

It sounds like there was a lot of craziness but a lot of laughs with all the family around.

How did you tear your shoulder dad? Or is it just one of those things that happened as you age? (I’m trying not to hint that you’re getting old:)

My thanksgiving was defiantly very memorable. We went down with the Roch 5 and 1 elders to a Roch 1 turkey bowl. We didn’t really hear anything from our ward about what was going on. There were about 20 people that showed up. And there were a lot of fun good solid plays. I’m glad that there were a few doctors there that covered a few different areas. Near the end one brother landed funny in the end zone and tore both of his ham strings. There was a physical therapist that was able to calm him down and get him situated. Then the last play of the day but should not have been it ended with a big bang.  I was on the outside and coming to the middle and I thought I was wide open in the middle. The QB chucked me the ball but it was kinda low as I reached down for it my head made some serious contact with Brother Scots face. We fell on the ground, I got up and he was saying “help me help me I broke my jaw, help me I’m going unconscious" and sure enough he whited out. (white out is when you go unconscious because of pain black out is going un conscious because of the bouncing around of the brain) there was a facial surgeon there that checked him out ,,,  no broken jaw but his left cheek bone was clearly in the wrong spot of his face. 911 was called 3 cop cars 1 fire truck and an ambulance came Bro Scot woke up (bro scot is 50 years old) and they were off to the hospital. All turned out ok for the situation. He goes in for surgery tomorrow (Tuesday) to get a plate to put his cheek bone where it should be. He has been having some problems seeing double but the docs think it’s because of the bone floating around. I felt really bad that that happened to him and the Scot family’s plans have changed quite a bit it seems.. But they realize that was an accident and that all is well.

I came out of it mine no bump on my head, just a sore back for a few days. Dinner with the Rackams was really good. They had green jello that was just like yours mom. sooo good.

This morning we did a little service for the Cresh display that the church does each year. It’s the 10th year I believe. The members have started calling me "crusher" because of bro scot and then elder potter’s faces - it reminds me of my favorite quote "crush the game don’t let the game crush you” so it fits well.

Last week we didn’t really teach any one. Had a few planned but family surprises and custody issues. lots of tracting. We did meet with one future investigator family. They invited us in we did a great lesson on families and the restoration of the priesthood.  It made 'sense' but there was no immediate reaction. They asked us not to come back again but we were grateful that they were able to learn so much in the short time we were there.

Our investigators date has been moved... not sure when it will be. Her phone is disconnected and she didn’t come to church soo not really sure what’s going on there.

Saturday was a wonder full day. The zone leaders Elder Browning and Potter had a baptism. It was well attend with people and the sprit.  There were a few bishops, the stake president and then president Clements (mission pres).  All of the missionaries in the area came with at least one investigator, one team had 2.

There is still no snow on the ground. Is there a good way to take Christmas pictures without snow? I have forgotten that skill if I ever had it.  (He probably never knew how since he is such a desert rat!)

thanks for all the love and support

I love you all

elder baker