Week 53

Hi!! Well this week I have a little bit more time, haha we aren’t going anywhere cool today. But, sorry about last week!! I know the email wasn't very long... but this week will be a little better!!:)

Well... lets see, last week we did have the baptism!! Her name is Karla. She had kind of a hard time being able to get baptized!! She was living with another man and they weren’t married and he is kind of a drunk, and hit her at times!! So to leave him was a little scary but she did it!! And she was able to be baptized!! She now lives with her parents (recent converts) and her dad got to do the baptism!!! He was so happy. He wouldn’t stop saying it!! So to answer your question... I think that is what I love most about the mission!! Seeing the amazing changes people make that brings them true happiness, not just worldly happiness. The baptism was great!! Me and some other missionaries gave the musical number again!! It was a cool experience... and Karla brought some other friends of hers that we are now teaching!!! It all worked out good:)

As for the week, we’ve been working like crazy. I’ve pretty much not been working in my area at all these last two weeks... I’ve just been going to other areas in the zone helping out the missionaries and meeting their investigadores!! But the results are really showing!! Every area in the zone should be baptizing this month!! ...and as a zone we are baptizing 22 people. So thats pretty cool!! I really do love it. Sometimes it is hard... actually most of the time its hard!! But, there is always that one thing that just keeps you going. I can honestly say that learning more and more about the atonement and really trying to understand it has helped so much in the mission!! ...and it gives me that excitement to work!!

So this week has been a good one!! I really like my area and ward!! I can't believe its been a year!! That is a little crazy to me. I love you all so much!! Thanks for the emails!:) adios. 

elder baker

Week 52

Hey mom!! I just wanted to send you a quick letter so you know I'm alive!! haha We went to this super cool lake today and we are just getting back and I didnt get to write... so, I'm very sorry for how short it is!! But, I got good pictures!!:) I will send a better letter next week... I promise! Because p-day ends in 5 minutes! love you!!:)

Week 51

Hey!! Well it sounds like once again everyone is doing great!! That makes me happy. haha. I love all of the pictures. The picture of the Monster Pong kit made me laugh.. hahaha.   

That is awesome that you found that mission page on Facebook!! I remember that like it was yesterday!! Time goes by so fast. 

Anyway... that would be awesome if Shaun came here!! I could tell her all of the secrets about El Salvador. Haha

Anyway I am doing good!! This week was a little crazy... We had a leadership meeting on Tuesday and then on Wednesday we went to the temple with all of our investigadores again!! It was awesome. I LOVE the temple here in El Salvador!! I cannot wait for the next time that we get to go and enter. We had 62 investigators come as a zone. So that’s pretty good! I am excited to see some of the results of the temple trip. Like baptisms!! We have some really positive people right now!! Karla (the one with a date) will be baptized this Saturday!! So I am happy about that. OH and the investigators that me and Elder Griffin put the dates with, before I left, got baptized on Sunday!!! I was very happy to hear that...even though I couldn’t go.  I am so happy to hear that they were able to get baptized!! We are doing better here in our area!! We have a lot of ward activities planned and the members here are amazing!! This last Sunday we had 207 people in church!!  That’s the first time that ever happened here!! So this ward is amazing. The best I’ve been in during my mission. 

Me and my comp are doing good!! We are all having fun and livin it up here in El Salvador. We all have fun in the house. The best thing about this area is that every night we have members that give us food!! Haha... I love that. It also means we have to be working out... see we have been running and working out every morning!! So we can stay looking good;) hahaha

….oh and the name of Elder Galvin's comp is Edgardo Mejia!! 

Anyway I am doing good!! I miss you all like crazy. I will talk to you soon!!

elder baker

Week 50

Hello!! Well it for sure sounds like you guys had a crazy week!! I read dads email... that guy and his knees… hahaha. I hope he starts to feel better!! I told him to make sure he gets a blessing. 

It is crazy to hear that everyone is starting school again!! They all look so good... and they are all growing up so much!!! 

I can’t believe all the changes there were with the ward!! Do we still meet in the same building!? That is sad Bishop Welch got released, but I am sure the Lord needs him somewhere else because he is an amazing man!! I am so happy our bishop didn’t change!! Are the Tolmans still in the ward!?! 

Anyway... I had a good week! I’ll start with the fact that the Lord blessed us so much this week. We have been praying so much! We did the fast as a district for the mission work, and we just needed some help... and we got the help we needed!! In the last two weeks our zone had only been bringing like 14 to 18 people to church and this week we had 32!! And we have been putting more dates as a zone too!! In our area we went from like 0 progressing investigators to now we have one date for the 17th of this month!!! I am soooooo happy to be seeing these blessing. We needed them!! 

Some of the cool stuff this week... when we went to eat with the Florez fam.. they actually had a picture of me and their son in their house!! They said their son had sent it to them from the mtc!! They just kept asking me about their son. It was just really cool!!! Also, I met one of Val Galvan’s comps from his mission!! He is in my ward. So that was pretty cool too!! Haha its a small world. 

As for things with my comp... yes we get along well.. we laugh a lot, and he is cool! But, its still not the same as being with someone from Arizona! haha but he’s cool!! Anyway… I am good... and having fun!! I love you all. Thanks for the emails!! adios. 

elder baker

Week 49

Hi!!! Well, this week was good:) I am now in an area called Molino. its in the center of Santa Ana!!! So, it’s the most city I’ve seen my entire mission. I like it. Its been a little hard. Right now the area has 0 progressing investigatores, and 0 baptism dates. So, I just feel a little stressed because I am still zone leader and so I have the aps calling all the time asking about the area and why its not doing so well. But, I’ve been praying like crazy asking for personal revelation of how I can change the area!! So we have lots of work to do!! 

My comps name is Elder Hernandez. He is from Guatemala!! Haha... I went from having a white comp and always speaking English, to living with three Latinos! Haha, so its a little bit of a change!! But, I like it!! They are really funny and we get along.  Something else super cool about my ward… I dont know if you guys remember, but in the mtc I lived with an elder from Santa Ana!! I had told you guys about him and that he was telling us all about Santa Ana and stuff!! Well he is from the ward I am serving in!! I saw his picture on the wall and I was just like... I know him!!! Haha!! So I went and found his mom and just said, "hi are you Elder Florez’s mom??”... and she just said, “Yes!! He’s my baby boy!!" with a big smile!! I told her that I lived with him in the mtc and she just got so excited and called over her husband and other son and they invited us to dinner tomorropw night!!! So thats pretty cool.  

I also can't believe you guys got to know Elder Sutton!!!! He was like my best friend here in the mission. I love that guy!!! I was gonna tell you to go get to know him too! Haha so that makes me happy. Well thanks for the email. I am doing good!! I miss you all like crazy. Love you!!!! elder baker

Week 48

Hello!! :) Well... I guess Ill start with the bad news, I freaking have changes!!!! I can’t believe I am already leaving this area… it's gonna be hard. There are lots of people I just dont really want to leave. But, I guess thats just part of the mission. So I am not gonna be with Elder Griffin anymore! But, you guys need to stay friends with his family. Ok!? 

Anyway... We did have a good week!! Sunday we ended up putting 3 more baptism dates (part of the reason I am so sad to leave) and we got some more help from the members this week! Daniel still hasnt gotten baptized... because he had surgery on his eye and he can’t go under the water! But, he says it’s the first thing he will do when he can!! So I’ll be happy to hear when he does get baptized!! :) 

I am doing good! We’ve been working out everyday! We switch off every other day with one day running and the next is weights!! I like it! 

Oh and something crazy!! Last night when I was sleeping, my bed started shaking and it woke me up... haha there was totally an earthquake!! It was pretty cool. It honestly feels like someone is shaking your bed! Haha!

Lets see what else... right now we have a really positive investigator named Celeste. She loves more than anything reading the Book of Mormon and when we were teaching her the Plan of Salvation she told us her dad had died when she was younger, so she loved learning about that and how she can see him again. She is an amazing person. She is one of the ones that has the date.

Well I am doing good!! Sad for the changes… but, good!  I love you all so much and I will talk to you soon!!!

elder baker

Week 47

Hello!!! Well I'm glad to hear that you guys finally got together with Elder Griffin's fam, and that you guys had so much fun!! We are a little jealous of you guys... but not too jealous, cuz we are the ones in El Salvador ;) 

I can't beleive how much older Jace is looking!!! He looks great! I am also excited for his football games to start up again!!! 

I'll be honest, I don't feel like too much happened this week. So the email might be a little boring... haha sorry!! 

I will start with the questions you asked me... 

Daniel is good! His baptism is this Thursday and he has asked me to baptize him! 

Yanira... she didn't go to church so she cant be baptized before the temple trip!! She is just having trouble with work! 

Haha i havnt been teaching in my sleep lately, so thats good! I think I've just been very, very tired lately so I'm just out!! 

Yes, we stil walk EVERYWHERE!! and we cook for our selves!! haha so I hope that answered most of your questions!! 

I'm doing good!  We have found some really positive people during the week!  I don't have pics this week, but next week I will because we are going on a cool hike today!  So, I promise I will take pics.  

Me and Elder Griffin are getting along great, but we are getting close to the end of the changes.  So we are just curious to see what will happen! 

Ah!  We had our interviews with the Mission President this week!!  As we started, he just asked if we could do it in English cuz he wanted a break from Spanish!!  Haha and his poor wife can't even speak Spanish yet...she still has to learn!!

Well, sorry the email is not that great... but I love you all and will talk to you soon!!

elder baker