Wild weather in Duluth . . .

Artie and I were watching the news on Sunday night and saw terrible pictures of weather in Duluth - we didn't know the report was 4 days old!  Kinda worried us and we called the mission home the next morning but couldn't get in touch with anyone . . . luckily . . . Rhett filled us in on the details . . . just normal parents worrying about their kids . . .

June 25, 2012

dear fam,

All is well in the neighborhood. This week has been a blessing. Monday did our thing, than Tuesday afternoon we went off to Aitkin to spend some time there and help out the missionaries. It was ... a unique experience. The mosquitoes are terrible there. All the standing water from all the rain. We didn’t wear coats for rain, or snow, or cold, it

was to stop the nasty little bugs from biting us. Terrible things.. there was a rain storm that moved in. much like the lightning storms in AZ, but more rain. Wednesday morning see that the storm hit really hard and sister Clements called and said to stay put! Do not to go back to Duluth. We planned to go back Wednesday and we were both out of extra clothes. Come to find out that with flooding roads are closed so we went to the library to figure out a route that would work. Rather ridiculous, but went well. The exchange with them was good and it reinforced that when we don’t teach or role-play that our ability to teach simply dissipates. Teaching is very much like faith use it or lose it.

We get back Thursday from our trip to Aitkin and coming in to Duluth the road comes down into the city and gives a glorious sight of the lake. It wasn’t such a glorious sight this time around. The water was brown and filthy , the destruction was very visible.  Not so bad all

over the city but in places it’s very bad. The news, it seems, makes the whole city look destroyed but it is not.  There’s a few members that have flooding in their basements. We live in the basement of the apartment building, but lucky all is good, no flooding. The manager was saying that it was very close to flooding over in side. We live at the top of a

hill and there’s a nice mud slide. Pretty awesome but glad that we weren’t around for it all.

Friday was a long drawn out day. Did a lot of paper work. It helps president, I am grateful to help but it was long. We were able to teach a lesson. That was a nice blessing. The investigator is going through the motions doing it but not "wrestling" as Enos taught. He comes to church and reads and is willing to put those things high on the priority list, but isn’t willing to "feel" or put forth the energy to come to the belief that the Book of Mormon is true.

Saturday. Meet with our “date set”.  The joint teacher was just right for this go around on teaching. We asked how he came to believe the Book of Mormon. The joint teacher said, “it just makes sense, simple as  that". The date set loved how simple the answer was. Members often go into so much detail and emotion that it just passes by some investigators that haven’t had the deep conviction that the church is true.

Met with the bishop. As always he asks what we can do to help him out, and so we help. His wife typically makes breakfast this time she was on a road trip and bishop rose to the bar. Omelets and tons of hash browns. We did just about a normal size bag of potatoes between the 5 of us there. I was stuffed. Hash browns are way good I’ve decided.

After that we headed off to Grand Maris and the Boundary Waters, to clear water from the resort where the Van Tassel’s live. Great solid member family that come to church about once a month because of the 3 hours and 45 minute drive. They have the sacrament up there once a month. We have an investigator in that neck of the woods and we made a

member action plan for the investigator with the Van Tassel’s. Both people run a resort and are super, super busy but they are also able to connect on a few levels. We are hoping all goes well. The investigator is in a part member family, some day he will get baptized.

Sunday church was good. Really tired and hard to stay awake. The part member family that lives in Grand Maris, well one of the boys got baptized. The father who is not a member is the last one to join the club. One of the investigators that we have who is 9 years old, drew me a picture of her getting baptized and saying she wants to get baptized with her mom on the 28th of July :) This is the one that was set for August 11. We are excited for that!

Today is Monday. Last night was numbers and monthly standards of Excellence, averaging, all that fun stuff. Got to bed at midnight, than this morning got up at 3;30 to get laundry and studies done to go to Pine City where I currently am. A missionary is going home Thursday and there were some midnight transfers that happened, so we came down to help the elders relax and keep on going.

I feel ... tired :)

love

elder baker.

a pretty good week . . .

June 18, 2012

dear fam,

Thanks to all for the letters and package. It was fun to open read, smell and eat :)

I thought of Joyce and her love for cows. This was out on the point. (He sent a picture this week of a bunch of cow stuff.   Panal Park is what it’s called. It was defiantly a great conversation starter. She wasn’t exited about the Book of Mormon.  I asked for her permission and away we went. I haven’t heard from Joyce for a while... hope all is well.

This week was a pretty good week. We had some great finding, both in the less active members as well as the future investigators. We were able to have elders in the area every day and it was defiantly an improvement. Plus there was no abnormal craziness that happened … double good. Every day was a full nights rest and ready to go in the morning. It’s been a blessing, also amazement. Elder Wixom isn’t pulling his full weight which is frustrating. I follow him with a garbage can. Some people are not taught to clean up or if you’re bored than to go do something. Thank you mom and dad for teaching me to go go go and work.

Wednesday was a good one. Elder Checketts is a new district leader and doing well. I was a little nervous at first but it all turned out much better than I thought. The elders are responding very positively to him. He loves and encourages them and when it comes down to business he gets them right in the gut yet he also expects himself to work. Great missionary and has been out a year. He came out with Elder Mower who I trained. I found some sad news about him.  Last or two transfers ago he went home :( not sure for what but he went home.

One of the lessons this day was with an investigator who is changing and growing. He admitted at first he accepted the book of Mormon because he thought that we would go away. He did not know that he would be going to church because of a desire. Rather interesting how that works :). Lately he has been going though the motions’ and not searching for a spiritual conformation.  We talked a little about Enos and how he cried and how he wrestled. It was an intense lesson that I hope got him to thinking a little more about change and listening to the sprit.

Thursday we had the midmonth zone leader conference call. When we did the accountability thus far for the month it was good to say that we have 5 date sets and many more coming. There was a week or two with Elder Watkins where it was 1 or 0 I forget but it was nooooo good. I’m thankful that it’s turning around. Every night we call a team in the zone and pray with them.

There was a RS get together that we had not a clue about. One of the investigators was invited to the meeting by someone, rides where arranged and all was well. We didn’t know about what was going on till about 4 hours before the meeting.  We get a text from the member who had arranged to give her a ride. She asked us to find a different ride. I was very willing to do it. It was rather frustrating though. I spent an hour on the phone and talked to several sisters who where unwilling or not able to help. Bless the last sister we called, she wasn’t planning on going. After a few seconds pause she said “Elder you know what, I’m going to go and pick up your investigator." I was so happy. but yet frustrated that the member who had arranged the ride did not follow though.  I texted her and updated her on the situation. Her text back wiped away my frustration. “Thank you elders I could not have done it".  I did not know all the situation behind the scenes. All I was, was the messenger. I shouldn’t need to ask questions or feel like there has to be a reason that I need to know, but to be like Nephi knowing that it’s a good thing and just do it. Simple as that.

Fast forward a little bit. This morning I studied out on the point on the beach with my shoes off. It felt nice. I read part of Jesus the Christ on the temptations of Jesus during his fast. The word "if" and how it was full of doubt. Coach Lindsay never enjoyed that word. Now I understand. "I wrestle demons of doubt..."   Don’t need to add more doubt than there needs to be. Press on and endure

Time is short, seems like whenever I have a lot to say there’s no time. Hope all is well thanks again for the love this last week

Love,  elder baker

June 11, 2012

June 11, 2012

dear fam,

There’s nothing really worth while I like or need at the moment. (I asked him what he needed for his birthday) Time is a little more on the short side in the field. Car and apartment smell goods would-be nice. There’s something about missionaries and stench, it is just everywhere. That would be nice, something sweet smelling.

I will be going to the temple I believe Tuesday the 14 of August. What kind of questions should I ask?? (The temple president asked him to come and meet with him when he goes to the temple, so I told him to think of some questions he would like to discuss with Pres. Hugh) I’ll for sure take some time to think about it if there is time to think and be semi selfish with my time ;).

Elder Wixom and I have talked quite about FEEL. After we invite investigator, LA, or missionary and there’s a follow up generally the follow up is "did you do_____?”  We are now adding an additional question of "how did it make you feel?" We have had some positive feed back on such a simple change. The spirit often times speaks to the heart creating a feeling, and if there’s only the intellectual side and there is no pointing out of the spirit than ... well the commitment wasn’t used to the fullest. simplify and intensify

Monday traveled to Thunder Bay. We started late and ended late unfortunately no time to walk the beaches or site see, but we got up there fine. Thunder Bay is a state of emergency. The suage (poopy water) (hahahah, this made me laugh!) backed up and flooded majority of the people basements. Extremely disgusting! A few homes have been evacuated because of the severity of it all. 

Tuesday we cleaned the basement out. The smell was horrid. It got about a foot and half flooded.... simply gross. moist air carrying the scent YUCK!!!

Then it was time to clean up, and guess what?  Those that had the backup flood also do not have hot water. We warmed up a pot of water and used that. I felt like we were at scout camp with limited amount of warm water.

I went with Elder Mead, fun missionary he has been out for about 9 months. He reminds me of me when I was out that long still a little intimidated by leadership and not really talkative. I did a lot of the talking. Canadians are prideful thick headed people! we taught 3 lessons and it’s been a long while since I have been that bold with nonmembers/less actives.

Wednesday this time around I went with Elder Hudson. If you can remember he was in Cottage Grove for my last little bit in Eagan.  He served with Elder Potter. We had a great friendship than and continued to build it. Early on in his mission he had a rough time, wrapped around this girl... its amazing to see that missionary life is tons of phases. Each phase is a little bit different but generally the same, if that makes any sense at all.

We started our journey back to Minnesota and got some "presidents choice" chips, they are flavored like hamburgers, ribs, chicken, etc and they do well at duplicating the flavor but rather interesting. 

We meet with Sister Bilbaina in Grand Mari. A solid member that converted a few years ago but her husband hasn’t quite yet. She is sooo awesome, her zeal and dedication as well as sacrifice. Solid member. She fed us subway and we did our best to fill her with happiness. 

Our phone didn’t have service within Tbay... it was no funn to call all the missionaries and to try and get things figured out ah, the frustration. It was not fun so next time we are going to have one of the district leaders be "acting zone leader" while we are up in Tbay so we don’t have a mess like that again.

Thursday we prepared for zone conference all day. It made me feel ... really good. Originally we had planned to talk about boldness and balance in finding, the area book, members, tracting, (service) but came to realize that wasn’t what training was suppose to be on. We trained on effective finding and effective teaching. It turned out well and it actually turned into a discussion where each missionary trained one other.

(this is a picture of the Zones in the Minnneapolis Mission.  Rhett's zone is the brown color.  The picture needs to be turned upright.  You can see Lake Superior and how the zone wraps around the lake.  The top square part is up in Canada and that's where Thunder Bay is.  Their Zone is huge!)

Friday did Zone Conference. All went well. President had an experience like Elder Wixom and I. He changed one of his trainings around. Talked during one training about Alma 5 … if ye have experienced the song of redeeming love, can ye feel so know? was the focus.

The assistants did an exchange with us, unfortunately I had not been feeling well since Wednesday but there was no room to slow down. Saturday I slept all day. no kidding all day.

Sunday was good 5 investigators to church.

well I love you all

elder baker

Pictures from Canada

Finally getting to Ontario, Canada ... on to Thunderbay~

What are you anchored in?

On my way to Canada . . .

June 4, 2012

dear fam,

Monday we got to travel to the Bloomington and to sleep at the assistants place with a few other zone leaders and district leaders. We stayed up and talked about how to help missionaries and great missionaries that are seeing success and other leader stuff.

Leadership training went well. We also had zone accountability.  It was rough, the zone was struggling last month but we have seen a huge JUMP this last week. Hope all continues. We talked a little bit about real growth from the last general conference and some new things we are trying in the mission. There were some powerful experiences and thank goodness I wrote them down because I can’t remember them right now :( ooo remember remember. paper must be smarter than me because when I forget that’s my go to :)

After we left and dropped stuff off and talked... got home figured some things for the next morning’s travel and exchange … got up at 4am, got ready and left to Grand Rapids....

Wednesday was a long day, but it was a good exchange.  Helped already solid elders to do a little better. They are defiantly the most solid companion ship in the zone :)  Taught some lessons, had some goofy times … it was great. One of the elders has been having a ruff time going to bed at 10:30.  We talked about what might help and such. He then turned to me and asked when I went to bed ... I told him honestly but I don’t think it was the best. I told him very rarely do I get to bed or even close to bed by then. He is a very new missionary who seemed to be turned off by my answer. But he will defiantly be a zone leader and needs to understand the new life style and assignment.

Thursday we were on the phone doing conferences and trainings with some elders, different elders about every 45 minutes and were on the phone from 9 till 2 with little breaks in-between. They aren’t very revelatory for me ... I think I’ll work on that. Instead of just evaluating and talking, I need to really learn from the experiences ... maybe I am, just subconsciously.

We than got to work in our own area. I never thought until this assignment that I would enjoy working in my area. We taught a few lessons and it was a wonderful day.

Friday was good, kind of mixed fillings. We had a perfect drop lesson. rather interesting but I wouldn’t have had it any other way. We have been teaching this gentleman for a while and he is defiantly progressing just a little slower. He has had something like 5 years off and on with the lessons. Our joint teacher talked about his conversion and how it took him 17 missionaries to jump into the water. There was a time period where he asked the missionaries to not come back. Our investigator took that to mean maybe that was what he needs to do … not meet with us but to continue to read pray and come to church. He has fellowship in the church, thank goodness. Now it’s up to the members and the investigator.  He needs to have a broken heart and to feel the sprit.

Saturday we were able to work all day with only minor interruptions, it was WONDERFULL :) Taught some lessons and the investigators that we do have are progressing thankfully.

We went to a mui Thai martial arts studio for a dinner. We had tracted into the brother about a month ago. We were the only members there and tons of people. It was a great seed planting experience. I was able to talk about wrestling and a few of them thought it would be fun to do more grapling than just pounding faces with elbows and knees it made me laugh.

Sunday, awesome as always, a few more lessons and 3 investigators to church great day :))))

We are going to Canada today :)

hope all is well

love

elder baker