October 31,"Transfer News" 6 months

So this past week, Sister Bradley and I got a call from the mission president telling us that Sister Bradley is staying and training a new missionary in Toxey and I am getting transferred to Crestview Florida to be a Sister Training Leader! I am really excited for the change and the opportunity to be able to serve the sisters in that area, as well as the new people I will meet! We drive down tomorrow, so next time I write I will be in Florida!

A lot of good happened this week which was awesome for my last week here! We had exchanges, I hit my 6th month mark and the countdown begins, and we had ButlerFest which is a huge annual event. I have never seen so many people in Toxey before; there were hundreds of people from all over and we spent a whole two days handing out fliers, meeting people, and getting out in the community. Our booth was focused on family history and letting people know about the workshop we are holding soon. A lot of people were interested and it was such a fun time because we don't get a lot of opportunities like that in Toxey!

Since we found out about transfer news and me leaving, it was so special to see how much I loved these people and how loved I felt in this area! One part member family that has never fed the missionaries before, invited us over for a cookout (fried oysters, fried shrimp, boiled shrimp, fried fish, hushpuppies, the works!) and he gave me my going away present which was one of his beer mugs! It was awesome! Transfers are sad because of how close you get with people, and I have gotten really close with the people in Toxey, but I am looking forward to the growth and stretching that is going to come as I move areas/states! 

Love y'all!

Sister Baker

Picture Explanations:

Matching on exchanges; I like to match whatever the STL wears and I've gotten pretty good at it!

My boy Danny, who likes his Bud Light almost as much as he loves his sister missionaries

The biker gang vs. the missionaries 

October 24, "This Is The Place"

This week, we didn't have too much going on in terms of our plans but it was amazing to see that as we went on with our day and trusted that God would provide, things would come up and the next thing we know, our day is gone! Every day felt like that and I am so grateful that God is mindful of us and helping us along! 

It was Glen's birthday this past week (the investigator that we recently found and now has a baptismal date), so the Elder's and us went over to give him a surprise birthday party and had a birthday cake and everything! It felt so good to see him so happy and he kept telling us that this was one of his best birthdays! 

This past week, we had a lot of good experiences with people and trying to get out in the community through service, by going to high school football games (it is a big deal here), and Assembly of God luncheons, which was funny because a member there took all the missionaries on a tour of the sanctuary after, and told us at the end, "If y'all ever have any questions, this is the place to come get answers." 

This upcoming weekend we hear about transfers so I will let y'all know next Monday what happens. I am excited to see where the Lord wants me, whether that is to continue here in this Branch or to go somewhere else! I am so very grateful for all that I have experienced these past 6 months! I can't believe how fast this week went by and how fast my mission is going by! I think about how much I have changed and I feel like a different person than when I started only a couple months ago! I am excited to see how much more God will continue to grow and change me!

Love yall!

Sister Baker

October 17, "Joy In The Work"

This week we met with one of our newer investigators, Sarah, and we taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ and it was an amazing lesson with her. She is just so accepting and open and teachable and I love teaching someone like her! At the end, we followed up on her BOM reading (we gave her 3 Nephi 11 to read) and I was sort-of expecting her to not have read and tell us some reason she never got to it, but when we asked her she looked at the BOM in her hands and told us how good she feels when she reads it! She also said that everything we say is familiar to her, like she already knows it and we are just reminding her! I was so impressed that not only did she read but she read more than what we asked. I am excited to see where this lady goes! It is people like her that make your hard times on the mission all the worthwhile! 

Then, later this week we met with Glen (the man that has cancer) and he started talking about how he believes in prophets and apostles in this day and age and how now "we just gotta find 'em." and it was such a cool feeling to be able to say, "Well, we ARE led today by a prophet and apostles and the prophets name is Thomas S. Monson." He got really interested then and asked ,"Well, do y'all hear from him since your missionaries, what does he say?" I am so grateful that conference was a little while ago so we could talk to him about how we hear from the leaders of our church every 6 months and what they are telling us for our day! 

This week we had Stake Conference in Mobile and it was such a good feeling to be surrounded by all the Saints and to feel the strength that comes from that! This week was a crazy one and some pretty tough moments but I feel the strength that comes as I put God's will over my own. I am grateful for each and every challenge because I know God is preparing me and stretching me into who HE needs me to be! Thanks for the support Love y'all!

Sister Baker

Picture Explanations:

Babies are my favorite (every baby I want to hold but can only look at from a distance)

Gas stations preparing for Butler Fest

My new pet snake