Transfer Time 4/27/2015

Got the call from one of the Assistants to the Mission President and I'm being transferred. I'll have to have everything packed by morning so that we can bring our stuff to the meeting where any missionaries who are getting transferred can meet their new companions, know what area they will go or both. I'm really excited to find out where I'm going and who I will be with!  I'll let you all know next week.

I wrote to my Mission President and what I said exactly describes what I feel about having the opportunity to serve the people of Prosper :

"I'm grateful for the time I've had to serve in Prosper, it really was an experience to see a different side of missionary work. Towards seeing how other christians show their devotion for God and their friends. Sure it wasn't easy at all but that's not the point, the only point was to bring others closer to Christ so if I did that for even one person, then my purpose here was fulfilled. I had 2 great companions Sister Hixson and Sister Christmas, both wonderful examples of missionaries. I'm grateful for the members I met and the chance to work alongside diligent members/missionaries in serving others."

I think the highlights of serving in Prosper were:

1  .Using more ways to find people to teach other than Tracting (chalking, service, members)

2. The beauty of the land and people here. (EVERYONE IN BOTH WARDS WERE GORGEOUS)

3. The missionaries I got to befriend and all the fun we got to have.

I loved especially all the support I've had while serving here who knows maybe I'll be just 10 miles away from here. I'll find out tomorrow. 

I LOVE Y'ALL

Love< Sister Baker

letters from homes

From The Mom:

From time to time some darling person where Sister Baker is serving will send us a photo.  We received one of those yesterday.  We LOVE it when this happens!

Your Lovely sister Missionaries:

As parents of a missionary ourselves, we thought we would send you a pic of your lovely daughters with 3/5 of our boys!  We enjoyed their company for dinner very much.  What fantastic women they certainly are!  Know they are doing wonderful , loved and happy here in Texas!

Sincerely,

The Cordys

Seriously Called To Serve 4/20/2015

I'm going to do this week's email a little different in that its going to be mostly pictures. Hope everyone is good with that because I'm doing it either way.

Here we were tracting and we knocked into a member's door and after an awkward realization that they lived there we asked if we could do anything for them and she took our offer and we got to hel  decorate for her daughter's party which she was in dire need of help for. 

Here is the family home that the 2nd ward is helping renovate. They were trying to do a big push in the renovating because there was still a lot that needed to be done. So we asked some other missionaries in the other LDS ward's in Frisco and Prosper to help out and 8 were able to make it! We worked for a big chunk of the day.

Blessings of Service 4/13/2015

It is pouring rain right now and we just got an alert on our phone saying Flash Flood Notice until 2:00 pm so I might get to do a lot of emailing until then :)

I mentioned this a while ago but I felt prompted to bring it up again. In the Prosper 2nd Ward, quite a few members are helping out this one family in refurbishing their home. From accounts from some of the ward members they told us that this house was revolting. It was like those hoarder homes you see on television. The previous missionaries weren't allowed to go because of the hazardous stench in the house. We helped out at the same house months later and through the countless hours of self sacrificing time from the members and youth, it now looks quite spiffy. It still has just as many hours left to complete it that have been put into so far, but the members are not giving up on this family's home.

The Relief Society President said that some might think that this has been too much effort for just one person but that is all that Jesus exemplifies because "The Savior loves the One and so should we." I felt the 

Spirit so strongly with those words and so I'm passing them on to you.

If you ever think when doing a service for someone "This might be too much for just one person", I would like to point out how Jesus Christ teaches "What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?" -Luke 15:4 

So its ALWAYS worth it. The blessings of service to me is joy in know you did something that no one but you was meant to do.

I love you all and I wish the best for you.

Looks like the rain is calming down #TenderMercies and speaking of #'s look up the #BecauseHeLives and share the video with everyone you know! That is a great missionary tool right there!

Love, Sister Baker

​Here we have me my companion, the Prosper 1st Sisters (Sister Rust and Acton), The Elder next to me is the first missionary from Syria (Elder Ahmad), and our Zone Leader is taking the picture (Elder Langford)

This is this morning's flash rain storm it was intense

Conference Caravan 4/6/2011

This week when Sister Christmas and I watched General Conference this past Saturday and Sunday, we got to travel to a different family each session. It first started when we were going to watch it with an investigator at a member family home, but the investigator couldn't make it so we went to the family's home anyway. Good thing too because their dog was still potty training...

Then we were going to watch it at the Church building but the connection wasn't working so we asked a family that lived near by if we and the Prosper 1st Sisters could come over and they were happy to let us. So we missed out on hearing the no's during the sustaining part of the conference but we definitely heard about it afterwords. I loved how President Uchtdorf was all classy about it because I could imagine that he has had to put up with more stupid stuff then that. 

On Sunday we were invited to go to a part-member's house for the 3rd session and the member's wife still loves us and the people of this church but just doesn't have a desire to be baptized yet, but I know someday she will. Anyway, we ended up starting late and pausing it multiple times because they were having a lunch party in between the sessions so people started arriving, but we made it through it. And of course the husband that's a member knows I like legos and put them out for the kids to play with right to the side of me.  I weak and played with them during one of the talks :I Luckily Elder Holland started his talk so I dropped what I had going and sat back down to take notes. 

After lunch we were last minute invited to watch the 4th session at a different member's house and that one was peaceful and very easy going.  We started off late again but what matters is that we got to watch it. 

I'm grateful for modern day revelation because today's world is so chaotic and can easily distract us from the fundamentals of true happiness and peace in this life. I think my favorite talks were Elder Holland's, where he said "The church is like a big hospital, and everyone has their own illness", and the music analogy one. They were all great speakers and I can't wait to get to reread those talks and search for further instruction and knowledge.

I hope all of you are doing well in seeking out truth for yourselves and greater knowledge because it really does light up your world when you have an eternal perspective of the light of Christ in your hearts :)

Love, Sister Baker

The future Has Arrived 3/30/2015

This week the Prosper 1-3 wards had an open house Saturday the 28th for their new building. We invited a lot of people to come, nearly every door knock we could, but not as many people showed up as we were intending, but that's not all. There was a breakfast held for all the city officials before the open house started, to let them know more about the Church.  Even the mayor of Prosper came! A video presentation was shown about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, with leaders from other churches and religions talking about the Church and what we believe. I heard back that a lot of the people were surprised and had no clue that we believed in the same things that they did, and what was most shocking to a few people was the fact that no one in the church is paid. They couldn't believe it. So even though it wasn't a huge turnout the rest of the day, the breakfast at the beginning probably opened up a few windows to how people of other faiths viewed us and hopefully softened a few hearts too.

Later that day we attended The General Women's Broadcast which was amazing and very uplifting. I loved the 3rd talk given by Bonnie L. Oscarson (love her talks) about the young woman who defended the missionaries from a mob. Absolutely loved it.

Also this week I got a package from my home Ward (Olympus Hills Ward) in Utah :)

I LOVED getting to open it and seeing all the goodies in side I just wanted to say thank you to all who wrote me letters and words of confidence as well as the candies. Thanks you!!!

To finish off I want to share wise words that a loving mother has often told me and that has helped me when getting to know others, "Listening to what is in their heart should be more important than saying what is on your mind. Always listen first at least as long as you plan to talk."

Gotta love the women in this Church :)

I'm looking forward to watching General Conference and I would love to invite all who read this to bring a question you have in your mind, one that you need help answering from Heavenly Father, and see if one of the speakers doesn't answer it for you. Their words are the words that God wants them speak so don't fall asleep!

Loving to listen, Sister Baker

P.S.  We just got word that we are officially getting Ipads in June this year :)

We had our own missionary booth so that we answer questions :)

​Also the sunsets are still beautiful here