January 23,2017,"Some News"

This week was another good one. I really love Sister Stephens and will miss her a lot when she goes home in a couple days! I have learned a lot from her example and I think the world of her! This next week is transfers so I will get my new companion Sister Whatcott on Wednesday!

We had an exchange in Gulfbreeze with Sister Jenkins and Sister Whatcott which was so cool! They are amazing sisters and it is always fun to be with Sister Jenkins, since we had a class together at BYU! We found out later that week about the transfer news so that was funny how that all worked out! From what I have seen and heard she is an amazing missionary and I am really excited to learn from her too! 

One cool experience we had this past week was teaching the Restoration to Emory, a man Sister Stephens talked to while he was riding his bike down our street. We taught him in Burger King, which was different, but it was so cool to see how eager and excited he was when we taught him. The first lesson we had with him we were unsure because he seemed hesitant about leaving his "church family" but we gave him the Book of Mormon intro to read and he said in the next lesson that "since that book has been in [his] life, things have been going better." It was amazing to see how softened and prepared he became just simply reading the book! By the end of the lesson he was pretty much asking us when he could get baptized! We were so excited! The only sad thing is that he is not in our ward boundaries so we have to pass him off to another set of Elders soon. We are hoping and praying that we can find some people in our area that are prepared soon!

Yesterday there was a tornado warning and we had to stay inside but nothing too major and all is well! 

Love yall

Sister Baker

Picture Explanations:

When the Elders decide in your district to never take one normal picture

I found CA

January 13,2017

January 9,2017,"Where To Begin!!"

So much happened this past week, we kept very busy! We started the week off by going on an exchange with Crestview and I was reunited with Sister Saunders! It was such a fun time to be together for a day! I love going on exchanges with past companions/ leaders!

 We also had MLC this past week and Sister Stephens and I trained on how to be a more Christlike leader. I am so grateful we were able to prepare and study for that because it helped me grow so much in my understanding about what we are here to do as leaders of the mission. I am grateful for Christ's perfect example and how He was able to inspire others around Him to recognize their potential! I really sincerely hope to be able to do the same for the sisters in this mission as others before have done for me!

After MLC, we went on another exchange with the Atmore sisters. Sister Masi and I drove to Atmore and went to a wake that night and nearly froze to death tearing down an old home in 30 degree weather the next morning! It was a very interesting exchange but we had so much fun!

We met another amazing, prepared person named James this past week who was a member referral! The lesson with him was so amazing and he was telling us about how he has been looking for a church to get into and wants to be baptized again! After we taught him the Restoration and Joseph Smith, he said "it felt welcoming" to him. We are really excited to see where he goes!

I love teaching those who are so open to the Spirit and willing to change based on what the Spirit tells them! You can see it when you teach, how captivated they are with how God really is our loving Father in Heaven and that we are His children! Once they understand that, then it is so easy to believe that God and Jesus Christ really did appear to a young boy in response to a humble prayer! I am grateful for that knowledge and belief! 

Love yall!

Sister Baker

Pictures:

Sister Saunders and I

MLC STL's

President and Sister Smith 

laying in a coffin on an exchange

January 2,2017,"8 Months"

The work is moving forward in the Tally 4th ward, slowly but surely! We have been reaching out to a lot of the members, the less actives, and trying to do some finding to build up our teaching pool! This past week was a really good one!

We went on exchanges with the Dothan Sisters, Sister Jensen (my former trainer) and her companion Sister Adams. We had them both come here. It was so amazing to be reunited and to see how much we have both grown since we have been with one another! 

Sister Jensen and I had an amazing miracle on our exchange together! The day started off really slow, not a lot of people home or no response to our door knocks, and we got to the point where we didn't know what else to do. I held up the clipboard with a list of LA's in the area to Sister Jensen and said "Just pick one." So she picked a LA named Dwight ( I found out later that the name stuck out to her because of Dwight from "The Office"--the Lord works in mysterious ways) and so we drove to his apartment complex. Getting out of the car, we see this man walking his dog, and we both felt like we should talk to him, although neither of us vocalized it, but we both dismissed it because this was the last door of the day (silly missionaries)! So we go try to find the door #131, but of course, we could not find it. So we go back to the car and the man comes walking by again so we ask him for help to find the apartment. He was so kind, introduces himself as Curtis and his dog Betty, and helps us look for it. He tells us he just moved here, he lets me walk his weiner dog, and then when we all finally found #131, I ask him if he has ever met missionaries before! He hasn't and we ask him if he is interested in learning more and building his relationship with Christ and he tells us that he has been looking and that he felt like he should come up to us! He even asks us if he could come to church without us even bringing it up yet! Long story somewhat shorter, we have an appointment with Curtis next week! As he is walking away and we go up to knock #131, he puts his hand over his heart and sincerely thanks us for talking to him. Fun fact: #131 was not even home! 

I am very grateful that I have so many opportunities to testify of the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith! I really have seen my own testimony grow as I testify and in that moment, see the eyes of the people soften! I am learning to really love this work and love what I am called to do!

Love yall

Sister Baker

December 26,2016,"Merry Christmas"

It was so good to talk to yall face to face! I am grateful for my wonderful family!

We had half mission conference this past week and it was neat to be all together! Sister Stephens and I trained in the beginning, there was a musical program that was really amazing, and then skits from all the districts. 

Christmas Eve, we went caroling with a lot of missionaries and we walked up and down hallways at a hospital. It was really cool to see people working there recording us and one lady was yelling for the Elders to come in when she saw the white shirts. So we all pile in (all 16 of us) and she had her LDS scriptures opened in her lap and was crying as we all sang to her! She was so grateful for us and thanked us for such a simple thing! It was a neat experience!  

We had a sleepover with all the sisters that live in the compound, made breakfast in the morning, opened gifts (thanks for my presents), went to church which was so amazing to be able to worship Christ on His day, and had a bonfire with the missionaries in the District! It didn't really feel like Christmas day, but I really had a lot of fun!

I am very grateful to spend a Christmas on the mission! It definitely helped me stay focused on the reason for the season, and I am so grateful for the chance to get to know Christ better!

Love yall!

Sister Baker

Picture Explanation: 

Tally Nativity Scene

Frenchtown which is where we live and it is not the safest area

Christmas Conference

December 19,"Tallahassee"

This past week was transfers and it was so sad to say goodbye to everyone so soon! I really did enjoy and learn a lot from my time in Crestview and being with Sister Saunders! I miss it a lot!

Transfers were Wednesday, and I got to Tallahassee and met up with my new companion Sister Stephens (this week has been so busy so we didn't really take pictures together yet, I'll get some for next week though) She is wonderful and we get along really well! She is going home next transfer so she is really determined to stay consecrated and focused which is awesome! We are whitewashing (meaning they replace both the missionaries in that area and put new ones in) Tally 4, so we are working on building the area and finding new people to teach and building friendships with the ward! Since we both know very little about the ward, the members, or the people here, it is really nice to see how reliant we are on the Lord and to see how He is providing miracles for us! I am really excited for this transfer and all that is going to come about because of it! 

The adjustment hasn't been too crazy or difficult! I am really enjoying it and learning a lot about the sisters, the mission, and the things I want to do to become better! It is neat to be able to see how the mission is run and to be apart of that! 

Love yall

Sister Baker