Man Oh Man!

Sebastio and Joci

You know it would be really nice to take away the free agency of some people.  (Momma note: in my letter she said she had to work with a lot of people this week that didn't want to obey the rules)

This week has been a really good one.  I was able to testify and really participate in the lessons not just give my little part of the lesson, really really participate. It was awesome. Well we have this investigator named Guedts.   He is really great. I have had him since before Sister Moraes and Sister Do Vale left. The thing is, he knows this church is true. He knows it. but something is holding him back. I don't know exactly what it is. We have talked about it a lot but we haven't really gotten anywhere. One time he almost got baptised but he backed out the same day. For a while we couldn't get a hold of him. My companion had only had 2 lessons with him and didn't really understand how close he was to baptism and so she wanted to cut him.   (Momma Clarification: Stop working with him, Kaiti thought she was going to cut him with a sharp object.  Stop working with him is a little clearer.)  We had only called 2 or 3 times and stopped by his house 2 or 3 times and he wasn't there. He has a lot of work so its hard to get a hold of him but because of that she wanted to cut him. I was trying to convince her that we couldn't cut him but she is the senior so sometimes theres nothing really i can do. Any way, so we were walking by his house one day and (by a miracle) He came walking by! He stopped and smiled and waved to us and we went over to talk to him. We asked him if there was anything that he was doing right not and if we could have a lesson. He said that we could and we went and sat down on a bench. We started with a prayer as usual and then gave a lesson about baptism. We talked a bit about why he has doubts. He has almost read all of the Book of Mormon. and I guess he just wants to know more before he is baptised. He wants to know just about everything before baptism and then i don't know where it came from but i bore the most powerful testimony. I told then story of how i knew that the church was true and how i left my family and my home and everything that was comfortable so that i could share what i know and what makes me happy with the people in Brazil. Then i told him that i know with my whole heart and body that this church is true. I know because i asked god and i waited for an answer. I then i told him that he can know that the this church is true the same way i do if he asks God. I told him to pray that same night and ask with real intent. Not just 'if i get an answer great and if i don't that's fine too', no. Really REALLY wanting an answer and waiting until you get one. And then when he gets one, Act on it and be baptised. by this time a was a little teary eyed. (tears weren’t streaming down my face i just had a little glisten in my eye) Then he looked at me and said "i want that same glow that you have in your face." And i said "that glow is the spirit because i know this is true" He then promised to pray and ask god that same night. And we havent seen him until today. Man i have been praying hard for that guy. We will have another lesson with him on Wednesday. I hope it goes well. We could have 4 baptisms on Saturday. I hope we do. the last 2 fell through because they were going out of town. We tried relly hard, but i guess we couldnt change their plans. But next week for sure and maybe 2 more the net week. We will see. 

Anywheyss... Things are going really good. I am trying hard thats for sure. This Mission is full of trying. A lot of times its fails. You guys hear at home a lot about the wins but there are a lot of fails. For example i tried really hard to bear testimony to another Investigator Lucrecia (wife of Sebastiao the guy who crossed himself at baptism) and she shut me down. And Mario. Sometimes i can get through to him and sometimes i cant. He didnt drink this week until Sunday. Still trying on that on. 

As for the new things im eating, i ate baby bird on sunday. It was really good. You just eat the whole thing. The bones are so tiny that you eat them too. Its just crunchy chicken. Yummm! ha ha. 

Well thats all for now!! im happy most of the time :) I hope you all are too!!!! im praying for each one of you! i know that God is watching over all of us! 

Until next week,

love, Sister Baker 

From Jake’s letter 

AAAAHH Jake!  When I heard that you started your  papers.  Oh my gosh.  That is the best thing i have ever heard.  I think I’m going to cry.  Oh you’re going to love love love your mission.  I can hardly wait for you to get out.   Oh my gosh.  The mission changes you so much.  You have to experience it to know what i’m talking about.  I get up at 6:30 and i’m not even grumpy.  I hang up my clothes, im closer to other people than i ever have been before im closer to God, you love people you have never even met.  It is incredible.  You are going to be such a good missionary.  I am so excited for you.  Oh Jake!!!! My guess is Argentina for this week.  I will pray and see after, ha ha.

From Kaiti’s letter

(Kaiti has really been missing Joci so this is in response to her letter)

Sometimes life is pretty rough.  Its hard because i love you guys and i want to be with you guys but i cant.  But the funniest thing is when i dpong what im supposed to be doing and working hard it doesn’t hurt as much.  When im sitting on my bed being lazy or not focusing on my investigators i really really miss you.  So my suggestion is stay busy.  I love you and im glad you miss me.  Its better than you being glad im gone. Ha ha

From Momma Baker’s letter

(Joci was not a morning person, so I asked her about how she was doing.  I also asked if she still wakes up to birds like at the MTC, and if she can see the pictures of us on my blog and dropbox)

Mama, Things are good. I am rocking this getting up in the morning thing. And i make my bed and say my prayers and i hang my clothes up. Wow!! its amazing what a mission can do to you. I responsible now dang it. Ha ha. But no i don't wake up to birds. I wake up the water truck. Theres a water truck that goes around at 6 in the morning if people need to refill their water jugs. It has a bell that dings over and over and over again.  not as good as birds. 

I also rock at cooking tapioca. (that thing you looked up before the missh) i'm going to bring some tapioca when i come back thats for sure. Its good stuff. 

That story about the lady is amazing. I am so glad that you are looking for ways to serve. You are such and example to me. Thank you. 

I do look at the pics on the drop box and i am going to get on the blog today.

Anyways. I love you. I will get the packages and cards this week at the zone conference. Wahoo!! i love Zone Conferences!!! 

I love you and pray for you! Love, Sister Baker

ps. Thank you for everything. you are such a good support for me. I love to hear about your life and everything. I love you

From Dad’s Letter

(Mark sent a picture of him in Fafs-my grandpa, orange jumpsuit, btw Faf is the only one who can really pull this off.)

oh dad, you are so dumb. Im gunna be honest here, you really pull off that jumpsuit. its very.... like you. I love it. please always wear it. Don’t listen to kaiti. She doesn’t know. ha ha

I am so glad to hear that the christmas break is a success. sounds like you guys had a party. And i’m glad that your testimony meeting was good because mine sucked. The bishop got up for his testimony and threw a fit and chewed everyone out and then threatened to ask to be released as bishop. That was really great for my investigators to see. So everyone else that went up to bear their testimonies tried to like rile up the congregation and like get them excited about being members of the church and to start magnifying their callings so the bishop wouldn’t be released. I didn’t feel the spirit during that meeting. That was frustrating. On a happy note, I was studying in my house the other day and all of the sudden i hear music from outside (they have some really intense car speakers here. Like really intense ill send a pic) and i hurry and run outside. You will never believe what song it was. Sultans of swing. Thats right. And i could barely hear so i was straining to hear it from our balcony and they turned it up in time that i could hear the sick solo at the end. It was beautiful.

I love you. Have fun in the freezing cold while i sweat through my shirt! ha ha 

I love you have a good week im praying for you. Thanks for your prayers. I really feel them i really do. 

Love, Sister Baker

Sebastio, his wife Lucrecia, Sister Vincini and Sister J Baker

Symbol for baptism

The baby bird she ate.  Could it be the same baby bird she was
holding on the hammock the last email???  Idk!!