February 13, 2012

dear fam,

I was able to get logged in to the Maricopa schools and all that jazz, do you need that information?

I got the package thank you!

A few weeks ago I went to target to buy some chairs and a shower curtain liner and I used my personal account with the approval that the mission home would pay me back. I asked them to send a check but instead they put it on my missionary standard funding card (msf card)... I was thinking I would just take it out and put it back on to my checking account, but thinking about it , I don't think I will.  Some months I need more money than what I have on my msf, I'll just keep it on there and won't tap into my checking account for a while … hopefully not for 6 months :)  Some times we come in to the library to get things done to make flyers or cards. I can do some college stuff then if I need too. If you send me an email, I'll be glad to get it done before Monday if we get to a crunch.

This week, it as a good week for me, not so much for the key indicators.  At zone conference on Tuesday I was able to see some missionaries that I had served around and was a district leader for.  Elder spencer was one of them.  He came to me and gave me a big hug with tears in is eyes.  About 2 months ago he was thinking about going home for some stuff … he went though his missionary binder with talks and trainings in it. He found the one that I had done that was based off what Kramer had given me about not reenforcing bad habits but enforcing good ones. It stuck him in the heart and he decided to stay. Be sure to thank Kramer for me, he is changing lives for the better and doesn't even know it.

Another Elder that I was working with who had some disobedience issues, after I got transferred to Rochester, he went home ... so sad, broke my heart to hear that.

Next an Elder came up and said "hey do you know … Rachel Smile (not her real name)?"  I said yes and told him that Elder Kinikini and I had found her in Eagan. Rachel had moved after only a few times teaching her and we lost contact and no one heard a word from her. This Elder said that Rachel, a few months ago tracked them down and now has a baptismal date. Rachel talks a lot about the fat Polynesian and  the white boy :)

And another great thing that I found out is that Eddie is back to being active :)

I gave a talk on Sunday about missionary work. The main point was "We need to have and be friends" and than I based that off of the 5 languages of love.  #1 words of affirmation #2 acts of service #3 quality time #4 physical touch #5 give gifts. Love people and than love them into the gospel. Realize that satan does not want  us to love people into the gospel and he will cause us to be afraid or procrastinate.  Take action before this happens find a motivation …  a poem, a quote, a picture of a temple and use that as a drive.  I felt it went well.

We had 3 investigators to church! Hopefully we will have 3 dates set by the end of this week. We had set up for 5 appointments with 5 families looking at around least 10 new investigators, but all 5 appointments fell though, but maybe this week we will get them :) looks like missionaries will be staying here for a while :) we are at 166 missionaries out of the normal 210, Pres. said we may be getting less before we get more.

Bronte probably did see us. We are the only missionaries around for 40 miles in all directions. Thats funny that she saw us in New Prague because we are hardly ever in New Prague.   Typically we are in  Jordan, Belle Plane, Montgomery, New Market, LeSueur or Pine City. oo its such a small world.

sorry the email is a short one
love
elder baker