Beans and Rice WITH a side of Beans and Rice! MMMMM! Good!

Week 1
9-24-14

Jocelyn only had a few minutes on the computer today.  I'm not sure if she even had enough time to read all of our letters.  We are grateful for her email, and grateful that she is always Jocelyn and says it like it is!  We are grateful for the spirit, and for a loving Heavenly Father.  We are even grateful for the hard times and the growth that comes when we go to our Heavenly Father for help.  Here is Joci's letter for this week!  ~Momma Baker

I love my family. I want you to share this email with the whole family. I don't have too much time, but I will try to answer questions and stuff for each kid. I will write personal notes to each kid. So Zac and Al. I don't know if you will be 230 pounds when I get back but i sure will! The food here is delicious. Soo good. Yesterday for lunch we literally had rice and beans with a side of ... rice and beans. literally. NO JOKE! The one beans had meat in it. Some people said it was pigs hoof but idk. And i liked it so i don't really care. They make everything into a pudding for dessert which isn't too good. Like you could originally have a cake, but then they make it into a pudding. Gross. They have this stuff called guatenara. The boys would like it. Its the famous brazilian pop. So I am completely better now. so good.

So the other day I was having such a hard time with the language. everyone in my district took spanish previously so they were forming sentences and stuff and I was not doing nearly as good. so of course i got down on myself and I started to cry just a baby bit and before i knew it i was full out bawling. I missed you guys and i wasn't fluent and i was supposed to teach a fake invesitgator in pork and cheese(portuguese) and i couldn't it was overwhelming!  Well i tried to get it together but then the elders from our district walked in to the class room and i was crying and they were all like are you ok and i was all like no!! and started bawling ( love our district btw) but they consoled me and my sisters are great i have 2 companions and i just couldnt get it together so finally they asked if i wanted a blessing. the spirit was soo strong. Those young 18 year old elders gathered around and placed their hands on my head and blessed me with the spirit and that i would learn the language and realize that if i work hard and do my best the Lord would do the rest. I am so grateful for that. I felt you praying for me and i just cried and cried because i knew it was going to be ok. Afterwards i said thankyou to the elders and the one giving the blessing ( the one you met at the airport) Elder Albee was having a hard time to so i went to shake his hand really firmly since i couldnt give a hug and we both burst out crying and it was so spiritual and such a sweet loving moment from our father in heaven that as we shook hands embraced for a quick second. It was appropriate and sweet and everyone started bawling. Then we had a testimony meeting as a district and everyone cried. Anyway. I have felt peace and love ever since. I forget home during the day. Its not that i don't miss you but if i focus on you then i wont ever get anything done. And i can feel your prayers and it makes it easier to forget home and go to work.  

The toilet paper here comes out in 3 by 5 rectangles and it comes out of an upside down tissue box looking thing. Sups weird. and I went to the temple today and it was the most beautiful celestial room i have ever seen. 

I don't have too much more time but I will say my portuguese is improving so much. I can have a mini conversation and bear my testimony and say a prayer. They are simple phrases but they are strong. I am so grateful for my family. So my challenge for you guys this week is to obey with exactness. We make sure we are in bed with the lights out at exactly 10:30. The Lord doesnt care about 5 minutes but he does care about your willingness to be exactly obedient. Do that. Thats my challenge. They are kicking me off now.  

Eu ti amo e eu sintos sandades

I love you and miss you.

Your favorite sister missionary

Sister Baker

9-26-14
After much thought I decided I would like to add my experience of Jocelyn's experience.  It was such a sweet experience to me and a tender mercy from a loving Heavenly Father.  A day last week as I was working on Jocelyn's blog I was thinking about her.   I had been pleasantly surprised that I wasn't worrying about her constantly and felt peace about her.  However that day I was feeling some concerns about her.  I felt like she might be a little homesick and was concerned about how she was doing with the language.   Since I was working on the blog for her I thought it was probably because I was thinking so much about her right then.  Then as I was sitting there a conversation that Joci and I had was "brought to my remembrance."  We were on a walk together and she said, "Mom what if I'm having a hard time and you won't be there to help me?"  I said, "Somehow I will know and I will pray for you and I will tell our family to pray for you, and you will pray and you will be okay."  Right after that conversation played through my mind the spirit told me to "get up and pray for Joci"  I did pray for Joci that she would feel our love and have courage and be comforted.  I prayed for her to be able to learn the portuguese language.  Later that day I told our family to pray for her with the language and we have every prayer since that time.  When I read Joci's email it was a sweet experience to know that our Heavenly Father loves His children and sometimes answers the desires of our hearts before we even think to ask.  It was a testimony to me of our Father's love for each of us and that we can be close, though miles a part, and truly be united spiritually through prayer.  How grateful I am for a daughter that turns to our Father in Heaven each day in prayer.  How grateful I am for the power of the Priesthood and for worthy Young Elders who were willing to use that Priesthood to bless my daughter.  How grateful I am for the gospel and for a loving Heavenly Father, our Savior Jesus Christ and for the blessing of the Holy Ghost to prompt, inspire, testify and give comfort.   We have been so blessed by this experience this week.
~Momma Baker