Week 90

Hello!! Well, I feel like so much has happened this week!! haha I don't even know where to start... My new comp is Elder Lazo!!! He is really cool. It is another comp that me and Elder Griffin have shared!! haha He was Elder Griffin's comp in Atiquizaya, right after I left. He is really cool and we get along good! 

As for changes they all worked out great. ...and yes it was hard to say by to everyone that went home!! It kinda felt like when I was leaving all of my friends and coming on the mission, but its all good cuz I plan on seeing them again:) 

Everything is going great! I loved talking to Fred. He sounds great and it was so fun to see/ talk to him again!! I miss that guy. But, I'll see him soon and he said he might be home before Christmas!! So that will be exciting. 

These last couple of days have been super fun with the Griffins!! They love you guys... and I love them!! haha They are super cool and Shad is really funny! As for the AP doll, its just a doll that all of the APs have written their names on for the last almost year and a half! haha It does look a little scary, but its cool and its a little tradition so we have to keep it there! 

Anyways... thanks for everything! This morning we went out to eat with Shad and Holly! She said she was texting you while we were eating! ...haha that was weird! But, I'm just glad you guys are friends!:) Thanks for everything! I got the stuff from them and its all super cool! The shoes are kinda big.. haha but I think they will work!! I am just happy the stuff all made it to me! ...but seeing them has just made me even more excited to see you guys! I took Elder Griffin to see his parents for the first time... and seeing his mom hug him for the first time in two years was really cool and I am excited:)) Well I love you guys! Thanks for everything... and I'll talk to you all soon!! adios. 
elder baker

Week 89

Good Morning!! I'm glad to see that everyone had a good week:) ...and it looks like they all had fun over at fathers and sons. Everyone looks great! ...and trust me I'm excited to get to meet Elder Griffins parents! haha I've seen so many pictures of them and I'm finally going to get to meet them!! I am also excited to get the package they are bringing me:) 

This week was super crazy. VERY busy!! We had very little time to actually get to work in our area! They were a couple of emergencies in the mission we had to take care of, and with changes and the leadership council, it was just a very busy week!! But, the coolest part is that Sunday is Mother's Day!!! I can't wait to talk to you guys. I can't believe it is already Mother's Day... I feel like yesterday was Christmas!! ...and after Mother's Day, the next time I see you guys will be in Arizona!! That just sounds weird... but I'm excited for everything:) It's all going to be fun! With as fast as time keeps going I know its going to be here before I know it! 

I need you to do me a favor and send lots of pictures of my friends getting home from the mission. Now that some are getting close I am going to want some pics. Thanks!:) 

Well, thanks for everything. I am doing great and I will talk to you soon!! I love you all more than you know! adios. 

Week 88

Hello everyone!! I am glad to see it was a good week and that they finished off a good baseball season! Everyone sounds great and I am glad to hear that you had a very special experience in the temple!! I can not wait to go to the Gilbert Temple. I have only seen the pictures and it looks beautiful... I'm sure it is even better in person! 

As for me, I'm doing good;) I can't believe I recieved my flight information. That was a weird feeling.. its just kinda weird knowing at what time I'm leaving and what time I'll get home!! It's a lie to say I'm not excited... but I'm also very nervous. It's going to be something I never actually thought would come! But, now it is getting closer and closer. Just know I'm doing great! 

This week will start to get very busy planning changes and we have a leadership council, so lots of crazy stuff going on! To answer the question about how President chooses the new AP, its a very cool experience! For all of the changes he fasts. We always pray on our knees, and we think a lot about it! The final decision is always his, but we just give him the options, and our opinion! So we will se what happens! I have an idea of who it could be but I'm not sure! 

Thanks for the emails!! It's always nice seeing pictures and hearing from everyone. I love you all so much... and will talk to you soon;) adios!! 
elder baker

Week 87

Hey everyone ! I'm glad to hear the week went well, and that's awesome that you were able to see Jake and talk to him for a while. I do miss him and it will be cool when we are all able to hang out again!! Everyone looks great in the pics. ...and I'm glad to see dad is feeling better! Also about what you wrote about Gage... just let him know I love him more than he even knows and that he is an amazing brother!! 

I had a good week. Nothing really exciting happened. We didn't have any meetings or activities... but what is crazy is that this next week we already start changes again!! This change has gone by sooo fast!! ...and I feel like just yesterday we were doing changes and now we have to start them again! But, what is cool is that we are going to be able to talk again!! I'm excited for mothers day and to be able to see everyone's faces again!! I miss you all lots and what is even more crazy is that this time when we talk its not "see you on christmas!" its going to be "see you in three months!" haha its gonna be crazy! Well I love you all so much! Thanks for everything!! I'll talk to you soon:) adios!

 The funny thing is that the pic actually has a meaning to it... me, elder griffin and elder lopez have all been aps and have our licenses and elder juarez "my comp" is the only one that hasnt been able to get his so we took a pic of us holding our license and he is just sitting there with a sad look on his face! haha 

Week 86

Hi everyone ! I'm glad to hear that for the most part everyone is doing good:)) ...and I hope dad is feeling better and that he doesn't stay sick for too long. I miss you all so much and love hearing from all of you!! 

I had a good week:) I got to go back to Atiquizaya!!! So I got to see some friends from another old area:) It was amazing I love seeing them all! In addition to going to Atiquizaya we also got to go to the temple and do a temple session. I LOVED it!! It's been 6 months since the last time I went, and it felt so nice! I received some answers I really needed and felt the spirit very strongly!! The weirdest part is that it was my last time going through in El Salvador and as a missionary. About 20 months ago I went through the El Salvador temple for the first time, and thought it was so beautiful. I remember President Cordon sat with me in the celestial room and than took me out and took me into the sealing room and said "Elder Baker, this is where you need to take your wife, there is no where else in the world you need to take her other than right here." ...and then he just gave me a hug and told me he loved me. 20 months later "this week"... I sat in the celestial room and just waited for everyone else to leave and then once everyone else was gone I was able to say some prayers and I felt the spirit so very strongly. Then, just like the first time I had gone through with Pres. Cordon, I left and just walked into the sealing room and my eyes filled up with tears as I thought about the words Pres. Cordon had told me almost two years ago... and I made a promise that thats where I will take my wife! The spirit I felt in that moment is the same spirit I want to have the rest of my life. 

I hope everyone has a great week. Thanks for all of the emails:) I love hearing from you all! Yes, I heard Elder Neilson is getting married!! It is weird to think that about a year ago we were comps and now he is getting married. But, I'm proud of him! Well have a great week! I'll talk to you all soon:) adios. 
elder baker

Week 85

Hello!! I'm glad to hear that you all had a good week:) I am doing great!!! The week wasnt as crazy but I loved this week so much. 1) I got to go back to Molino on iner changes and Molino is the best area I have had. While I was there on iner changes I got to go to the baptism of a family that I had worked a lot with!!  The dad just had some repentence problems so he couldn't get baptized while I was there but is a member now and I was just so lucky I got to go to the baptism!! I'll send pictures. I also got to see lots of other people I just love. So it was amazing!! When you walk into the church building, of an old area, and a little 9 year old kid yells "ELDER BAKER!!" as he runs up to give you a hug... it's a feeling you can't even describe. I loved it. 

Last night we went to a families house that we recently re-activated-- the Piñate fam. They are a fam that doesn't have lots of money but they are soooo funny and we get along witht them soooo well!! Its the two parents and two kids one 12 year old and one 2 year old. While we were they they had bought pizza for us and brought a new investigador to teach... it was just really cool!! To re-activate them we got them married, the dad is able to use his priesthood again and the son now is getting the priesthood! It is an amazing family. 

Anyways it sounds like you all had a good week! I love and miss you all so much. Yes, I think aboout the fact I come home soon and it is a little scary! haha I don't know what to do about anything!! Clothes, school, life in general!! haha but I am very excited to see everyone again:) ...but just a little nervous to see how everything has changed... cuz to me it feels like life at home was on pause for the last two years;) I am sure I've changed a lot too, it will be a cool/fun experience:) I love you all and will talk soon!! adios. 
elder baker

Week 84

Hello!! Well, I'm very tired because this has been a very crazy week. All week we have gotten home late... Tuesday we recieved all of the new missionaries and helped them with all of the orientation stuff and then that night we went with them to the dinner at presidents house. After they all left we stayed at the house of pres planning changes till like 11, finally got home and slept to get up at 530 to get everything ready for the changes meeting. Then all of the missionaries that were going home stayed at our house Wednesday night before they all left Thursday at 3am so they didnt sleep much... hahaha then Thursday we planned and got everything ready for the temple trip and then Friday was the temple trip. We left at 530 am and got home at 930pm... lots of running around!! haha I'm still sore!! We were just making sure everything was working right...that the teaching stations were teaching for the right amount of time and then transfering the groups... we had 1230 people there!! Then there were are 6 elders from the office, pres and his wife and us that had to run it all. It was crazy!! ...but then afterward they took us to Chilis... I might have cried I was so happy!! hahaha Just kidding but it was AMAZING!!! I'll send some pics. That pretty much it!! Conference is awesome!!! I am loving every talk. ...and yes the crazy thing is that I'll be home for the next one!! Thanks for everything. I love you all! adios.
elder baker