Momma Note: My emotions are so mixed as I am writing this blog. I didn't think that I would feel this way. I thought I would only feel excitement about having my daughter home. I am so excited that I can hardly breathe! I am also sad that her mission is almost over. My heart hurts for her because of the people she has to leave and the mission that she has loved is almost over. There have been so many sweet blessings. I am also so grateful for the blessings that our family has received while Joci has been on a mission; the peace in our home, the family prayers, the many times we felt promptings to pray for Joci, the closeness to her even though we are thousands of miles apart, the joy of seeing the mission through her letters, praying specifically for people in Brazil, getting the weekly emails, going to the temple often to pray for Joci and an investigator, and seeing my daughter grow into a more beautiful person through serving, learning and growing as a missionary. Seeing her love the gospel with her whole heart and doing hard things with a smile on her face. Understanding a little bit from her letters about her relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, and her love for the people in Brazil. It has been such a privilege to be the mother of a missionary. I am so grateful that she has taken the opportunity to serve a mission. I am grateful for the person that she has become through serving a mission. She is so beautiful on the inside and the outside to me. I am grateful for the things that our family has learned and the blessings that we have received. I am so grateful for Sister J. Baker, for the lives that she has touched and for the people in Brazil who have touched her life. I am grateful for her testimony and the way she has learned how to live her testimony. I am grateful for the gospel. I know that it is true. I am grateful that she has had the opportunity to share the light of the gospel. I love that Sister J Baker is a missionary for a few more days. I also love that I will get to hug her very soon. I love that I will see her smile face to face and hear her contagious laugh. I love that she will be home. ~Momma Baker
Hi mom. well, this will be the last email. I’m ok. I’m going to be fine. I haven’t cried yet this week. Alright i lied. I bore my testimony in the leadership council and in the zone meeting. because its tradition to do that. I am giving a hug to everyone. That’s been rough. It’s going to be hard to leave a lot of people.
I have a question, when am i going to get released? (maybe we can forget about that part. or just get it overwith?)
I have all my bags packed. I’m going to go to Natal tomorrow.
I can’t wait to see you guys. But it’ll be hard to leave.
i love you
love, sister j baker
Well. I’m on my way home. I leave Mossoro tomorrow and then i will leave Natal on Thursday. This sure has been an adventure. I can tell you one thing i sure loved every second of it. Everyone needs to serve a mission. It’s the best thing in the world.
I am sooo grateful for everything I learned on my mission. You know i left my house thinking that i would change the world and I changed the world of a couple people, but the person who changed the most was me. I would like to share with you a couple of things that i learned.
First i learned what is really important. Sometimes we are so caught up in everything that we forget what is really important. We forget that social media and going out with friends and new clothes and nice things isn’t all that important. I really learned that the things that are important is my family and the gospel of Jesus Christ and true friends. That is what is more important.
Second I always new the church was true because i prayed and Heavenly Father answered my prayer, but now i know the church is true because i studied and prayed and learned and now i know the background and the why its true because of logic and because it all makes sense. That’s a really beautiful thing.
Third i learned that i can do hard things and I can do it with a smile on my face!
Fourth i learned how to listen to the spirit in the way that the spirit talks with me. I’m still working on this one but there have been so many times on my mission that i didn’t listen to the spirit but after i realized that it was the spirit. I learned that the more i listen and follow the spirit the second that he talks with me the more i can receive these promptings.
Fifth. I learned more in depth about the atonement. Something that i always knew but that i came to know a little bit better on the mission is that the atonement makes it possible to be clean again, but even more it makes it possible to learn and grow from sin or mistakes, leave them behind and become a better person because of sins and mistakes. What a beautiful gift. Something so dirty like a sin can change us and make us better because of the grace of God and the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
Sixth i loved these people. I loved with my whole entire heart. I love my investigatores. I loved the members. I loved my recent converts. I loved the language. I loved the other missionaries. I loved the drunk people in the street that we always tried to help. I loved people that gave us a cup of water when we were thirsty. i loved everything. And something that was really special to me is that was able to feel Heavenly Fathers love for me and more importantly for every single one of these people, just a little bit.
Seventh i learned that i’m more happy when i’m obedient.
Eighth i learned that there is a huge difference in going to church and living the gospel. Being converted makes a whole lot of a difference.
And a whole lot more but I’m out of time here in the internet cafe. I loved my mission and i am soooooooooooooooooo grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ. I love you all. I can’t wait to see you all here in a couple of days. Thank you for your love and support and for always helping me out when i needed it.
I love you all
love, sister j baker
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