Spoiled Rotten and Fransica is baptized!

Our cute Sister Baker is doing well in spirit but not so good physically.  She is sick with a sore throat, a rash and a fever.  She also has some pretty big bug bites with a purple bruise around the bites from the sound of it! She is a little bit worried and is wondering what to do.  Uggh!  I've been on my knees praying for her several times this morning.   I know that she is in Heavenly Father's hands, but I also know that she has to go through some hard things that I can't do anything about!  I can pray for her though.   Thank you so much to everyone who has sent her love through packages, letters and prayers.  She feels so blessed and feels your love and support.  Thank you for remembering Joci in your prayers!  ~Momma Baker

We had a Zone conference this last week so we got MAIL!! and oh my goodness sakes. I have the best family in the whole entire world (and by family i mean everyone that i love) I have enough food to last me a milenium. gee i love you guys! Thank you all soooo much!!! I sure am a lucky girl!!

So we had a baptism. It was wonderful. Her name is Fransisca (even though she has the same name as a million of our investigators she is one in a million) I love love her. she is awesome and i can tell that she is going to be very strong in the church. She makes the best dindin. I will be fat because of her dindin. I will send a picture of dindin next week. Its like heaven in a little plastic bag. I cant really explain dindin because its unlike anything that we have in the usa, but i will try. Its like ice cream, but its not. And its a little bit like pudding but its not and its kind of a little bit like a gogurt but its not. It’s made out of milk and sweetened condensed milk and stuff like that and then you add the flavor of your choice for example maracuja (a delicious fruit) or peanuts. ... well there you go. Don’t worry i have the recipe so you can bet that i will be making it when i get home. HEAVEN

Well lately I have been having a really hard time with words that are really similar but mean totally different things. For example perder, peidar and pedir. Perder means to loose, peidar means to fart, and pedir means to ask. The other day i told my comp that i peidei 2 kilos which means that i farted 2 kilos. Now that is quite the fart. That’s enough to fill up a whole room! 

Sorry this email is short. It was a good week this week but I don’t really have very many stories. Its really sad. A lot of people that were going to be baptized and who had baptism dates decided to not accept the gospel and asked us to not teach them anymore. Thats a real downer. But we had a baptism so i’m happy. I love you all i keep praying for you and i’m grateful for your prayers. Next week is transfers so i wont be writing until Wednesday. 

I love you all

Have a wonderful week

Love, 

Sister J. Baker

The following are Joci’s emails to me.  She is sick and was wondering what to do.  Being so far away and diagnosing a rash and sore throat are hard so far a way so I started asking her questions which made her think I was worried.  I am concerned but more wanted to help her know if she needed to go to the doc.  In Brazil they take you to a hospital and give you a shot.  The first time she was sick she found this out by being taken there.  It wasn’t a positive experience.  Joci does not do well with shots, at all!   Uggh!  So maybe I am a little bit worried.  Pray! Please pray!  ~Momma Baker

Joc: Mom I got sick yesterday with a sore throat and my neck and head hurt so i took a bunch of meds and today i have a rash... it might have something to do with the giant bug bites on my foot that have a purple bruise around them.  What do i do? If i go to the doc here they will just give me a shot. I don’t need a shot! What do i do?

Mom:  Hello Sweetie.  Tell me the details about what your rash looks like.  How long have you had the bug bites?

Joc:  The bug bites have been there for 3 days i think.. or 2... something like that. i don’t think its that. They will get better. I’m not too worried. i will rest and be good tomorrow. i’m sorry you are worried. Don’t worry.

I feel bad now. You’re worried about me. Don’t worry. I will be ok. I promise. I will go to the doc if it doesn’t get better soon. I took an airborn and advil and stuff and i feel better. but thank goodness today is pday and i can relax. The rash is flat like and not bumpy.  All the missionaries share cups... so thats a downer. I don’t know man. Its rough. 

Its just a little baby one. It doesnt itch i dont think. On my arms its going away on my neck it looks blotchy. my face looks blotchy too. i haven’t looked at the rest of my body yet. I had a fever of 100.3 this morning but i took an ibprofein so it went down and i don’t think i have a fever now. I’m not too worried about it right now, but i will be if it keeps up. it might be heat rash as well. i might have worked myself sick. on saturday we worked the whole day out in the hot sun and we only sat down one time in one house. We worked in the hot sun from 6:30 until 8 in the sun because we had to get everyone to church and we had a baptism real early so it could be from that too... i dont know. This week i didn’t sleep well at all. I never slept the whole night through this week. I don’t know what has been happening. I think i just need sleep and lots of water and ill be good in a couple of days. Don’t worry about me.

Mom:  Don't feel bad and I am not worried. I'm just asking questions so I know how to help you.  I know you are in Heavenly Father's hands.  That being said I also know that you have to go through some hard things and being sick isn't fun!  Have your comp look down your throat and look for white spots in your throat.  If the rash is like sandpaper you could have strep?  If that's the case you will need antibiotics or a shot to get the infection out of your body.   Pray and you will know what to do.  Try to not drink out of other missionaries cups if at all possible...   If it doesn't get better call the mission pres wife and she will know where you should go to get help.  Our family just said a prayer for you and I am praying for you.  I love you sooooo much.  More than words can say.  It stinks to be sick.  Wrap up in the blanket from home and here is a hug from me.  I hope you feel better soon.  I love you.

Joc: Alright sounds good. i will do that. thanks mom. Thanks a bunch. You are a big help. I dont know what i would do without you. Its kind of different here with sickness so sometimes i dont really know what to do. but thank you. You helped a bunch.

I read your email and i just want to say that i look up to you so much. It sounds like you are having a blast with those kids. I want to see you teaching i bet you do amazing. wow. I’m sure you are a blessing in their lives. 

Thank you for everything. thank you for your prayers. i pray for you every day too. 

I love you