April 9, 2012

Hello:

I fell deathly ill on Tuesday with a terrible flu with the worst aches and chills ever. But, on Wednesday I was a little better, so we did a million contacts, and cleaned the baptismal font in our chapel, which has been clogged for 6 months. We had a baptism in that font, and the next day we took out ALL the water with buckets. I tried to syphon it, but the hose I found was full of holes. hahaaha my comp sat outside for 30 minutes just sucking his lungs out trying to get the water to come haha.

On Thursday we had zone conference in Joinville, which is a HUGE but way cool city. Zone conference is when 3 zones get together and have a message given by the president. It was really good, and it was nice to sit in a cool chapel, seeing as I was still a lil bit sick.

Friday we had the best lesson ever. I don´t know if I have ever told you about a guy named Marcello, but I have been teaching him for 6 months. He knows more doctrine about the church that our bishop I think, but I could never get him to commit to a date. He always said that work and school would distract him from being a good member in the church and that he needed to wait until he graduated. We had been praying a bunch for a miracle with him. Me in particular because I really wanted to see his baptism. And, seeing as transfers are coming up and that I will probably be transferred, it had to be this saturday. We went to his house on saturday, and after leaving a message, he looked at me and said ``I lost my job, lets mark my baptism.`` We marked it for this Saturday!! I think it was God that fired him hehe. It was a miraCLE!! Now I get to see my work all the way through!!

Sunday he went to church and brought his whole family. It was really special. Sunday night we visited one of my favorite recent converts and they looked Dad up on google and founda bunch of pictures and articles on him!! One member said that she thought that he looks like brad pitt hahaha.

Sorry the week went fast I didn´t take notes on what to write.

Thats it, happy Easter!! I love you!!

Elder Baker

P.S. Look at this cat I saw on the road!! Poor guy.

April 2, 2012

Hi:

This week felt kinda lazy. We were in the center of Itajaí a bunch to finish up the exams and get the results for Elder Barros. The neurologist says there is nothing wrong with him... I think Brazil´s heathcare program is not the best... But they gave him ``anti-seizure`` medication, so at least he is unlikely to have another. His Dad has the same thing and it started the same way though and he still has them to this day... so, we will see what happens.

Ummmmmm it was really a weird week. We almost didn´t work in our area. And when we did, we just did contacts. Lots of terrible contacts. I feel like the whole city knows me now, so we went deep into the super ghetto, where there are some houses made of lots of cardboard. We didn´t have any success.

We went to the orthodontist though and when they looked at my back teeth they said I haver a cavity so I have to get it filled before I can continue by orthodontal work. But it´ll be quick. I had a good talk with president cuz he called me in for an interview when I was there in Floripa to talk about some troublemakers that are in my zone. He is a good guy. I am almost positive that I will be transferred. I hope so, I am dying in this area!! 6 months is a long time! I can´t even imagine how Dad was in.. was it the lower east side? for 9 months!! I remember he told me that the mision prez forgot about him!! HAHAHA.

Did you all hear that Dayne´s dad is going to be a mission president??

Conference was really great, especially cuz I got to watch it in english. I have learned that conference is like gold to me. I will always watch all 5 sessions. I love it! The only bad thing is that I have a hard time sitting for 7 hours..

did you talk to prez queiroz yet??

thats all, sorry!

LOVE YOU ALL

March 26, 2012

Hi:

So this week we have done a exams and MRIs and stuff and it was way fun cuz there was a TV showing a bunch of crazy sports and stuff. Look up SHOTOVER JET, and tell me where it is and how much it is, I want to do it SOO bad!!

Tuesday we got a call and were told that there was an emergency transfer in our zone, so we organized everything.

On Wednesday we were interviewed on NATIONAL TV! A channel called TV cultura! It was about how us as americans learn portuguese so fast!! I don´t know when it is going to be on, but I will let you know the website when I find out. It was really cool though. On Wednesday I also came across hot cereal. I didn´t know it existed in Brazil!! I make it every morning now. Also that night we had a really good lesson with one of our families that are progressing about the plan of salvation.

How is Kevin in California?? I was thinkin about him the other day.. I hope he is doin well. ON Thursday we did a lot of contacts and found no one, it sucked. But thats OK. My english class is going well, we have like 10 people per class now!

Friday was the best day of the week. We had the baptism of the kid that cut his hair when we told him to. But, our baptismal font has been clogged forever, so we always go the center of Itajaí to baptize. But, when we got there, the font was clogged too!! So, we thought a little bit, and I thought, ``wow, we are 5 minutes from the beach!! we could baptize there!!`` So, we called our mission prez to get permission, but he said absolutely no. So, we created an alternate plan. We went to a member´s house that lives nearby the chapel and baptized him in their pool!! It was the most water I have been in since I left home! It was really cool cuz it was in the house of a family with only one person being a member of the church. They watched it and liked it!

It is starting to be bearably hot at night now, its great. I think I will think that it is really cold when I get home. I miss the cold so bad, sometimes I put my head in the freezer just to try and remember what Utah air is like.

On Saturday we taught a family that I have been teaching for 5 months, the time that I have been in this area. He is certain he wants to be baptized, but he doesn´t want to yet cuz he is doing school. Its tough, I have taught him EVERYTHING I know. He just thinks it will be too much for him!! I tell him that it won´t, but he doesn´t believe me. We will visit him when you come to Brazil. His name is Marcello. He is married and has 2 kids. Saturday night the bishop called me and asked if I could give a 15 minute talk in sacrament meeting. It was little time to prepare, but I got it done. Everyone said they liked my talk.

I played basketball today and I was so terrible, it has been almost a year since I have played!! It felt SOO good though, I was dying without playing.

We have some times when money is tight, but we are always OK. We don´t use the bus, we walk. I think I will be transfered, but transfers aren´t until april 17. I will be with another zone leader, assuming I will still be a zone leader.

I think thats all I want in the package. Maybe a couple more garment tops??

Love you all!

March 19, 2012

Helloooo family:

Sooo this week was without doubt the most stressful of my mission!! I´ll tell you about it later in the email.

On Monday I saw the wife of one of my favorite baptisms in Tijucas! Remember Rafael?? I baptized him in June and now they are going to get married in the temple on July 20th!! Cool huh, they are great.

So there has been this 15 year old kids that has been going to chuch alone for the past 3 weeks. We were told by our president to let young men that were gonig to church alone just to let them go and not baptize them, unless they showed great promise. This kid is pretty promising. He goes to seminary every single day, and he has already read 1/2 of the BOM. He had really long hair, which he loved, but when we told him about the church standards of the appearence of a Priesthood holder, he cut it the next day!! His baptism will be this Friday. Its cool because all the youth of the ward is befriending him. Missionary work is practically useless without members.

On Wednesday it was SUPER hot and when it gets to that blazing heat it usually rains a lot at night. Wednesday was no exception. It rained SOO much, and the lightning was so cool! The sky was lit up constantly all night!! On Wednesday we were contacting less active members and we found a mom of a missionary who is on a mission right now! Weird huh. He is hearing about it today and I bet he is so happy! She is pretty cool but when her missionary son tried to explain the gospel through email it just didn´t work. We got there, and now she is progressing and learning.

And then... the worst day ever. Thursday, we were studying, normal. Elder Barros said he had a headache and went and laid down. I continued studying, when I heard Elder Barros making a weird noise. I thought he was jsut stretching, so I continued studying. Then, the noise got more intense. I stood up to look what was happening and saw Elder Barros, foaming at the mouth with his eyes in the back of his head, his whole body spasming. I basically teleported to the side of his bed to see what the heck was happening. He was having a seizure!! Luckily I remembered the little that I had learned in college about the human body and remembered that you just have to keep their head from hitting against things and also to sit them up so they don´t swallow their toungue. So, I sat him up, and secured his head from the wall and from himself hitting himself. I said a little prayer and continued to secure him.

It lasted about 5 minutes. 5 really long minutes. He slowly stopped moving, and slowly came to. When I asked him if he was OK, he didn´t know. I asked some questions to see if he remembered anything. ``Elder Barros, who am I? ``I don´t know.`` ``Who are you?`` ``I don´t know.`` I also asked him where he was, what he had done that morning, and other questions. The only thing he remembered was the name of our mission president haha. So, I got him dressed with his own clothes that he didn´t recognize, and I called a member to take us to the hospital. He was really dizzy and could hardly walk. I grabbed his wallet and all his ID and we went to the hospital. When we got there I looked in his wallet and his medical card wasn´t there. So, I called the president´s wife (she is in charge of health) again and got permission to go home alone to get his medical card. I went and got it, and got back to wait with the then lucid Elder Barros. We waited for 5 minutes. I then looked at Elder Barros, and he was looking at the wall behind him. I thought it was normal, but then his back started to pop. He started shaking and foaming at the mouth again. So, he had another seizure in the waiting room of the E.R. He fell to the ground, and I grabbed him and lifted him up and secured his head, again. I think I yelled ``GET THE DOCTORS`` ten times, but everyone was just watching me. Some guy that had also arrived to the E.R. that had his foot cut off came to help me. We lifted him up onto a rolling bed, which the nurses had FINALLY brought in, and they took him off to the E.R. They sedated him and he calmed down and the seizure passed.

Being an emergency, the president came to resolve the problem. but, the 5 hours in between, I took care of elder Barros while the nurses cleaned him up (he had thrown up and stuff) It was nice in the hospital cuz it was really cold and air conditioned. President finally got there, and marked millions of MRI´s and exams for him to do. We did 2 today. But it was pretty freaky! I kept my cool, but now I am really exhausted because every movement that he makes I think it is another seizure. So, I have not been sleeping at night cuz I gotta take care of him. He is taking medication now that they said that it is highly unlikely that he will have another, but it makes him crazy and like a druggie. Its kind funny haha.

His dad has a disease where he has seizures monthly and every time it damages his brain a little bit more. His results from countless exams have been mailed to the U.S. and studied, but no one knows what he has. The doctors think that Elder Barros may have the same thing. So, needless to say, I am a little bit more stressed than usual. But, its OK, don´t worry, I am fine. We have other elders staying with us now, so we can take care of him better. I dunno why they don´t just send him home, but, until that point, I am in charge of him. Crazy huh!! But really don´t worry, I am good to go, it was just really spuratic!!

Have you all seen 17 Miracles?? Its a really good pioneer movie, we watched it on Saturday cuz Barros isn´t allowed to walk in the sun. Oh yea, the conference with Elder Godoy was cancelled, so at least we didn´t miss that!

Thats basically all that happened!! crazy week huh?? We should have Sérgio and family baptized by the end of the month. Thats my goal, at least.

the deodurant I like is right guard mineral fresh. I would also like 5 one dollar bills, I like to give them out to people. and peanut butter!!!

I love you all!! Emily, you did a GREAT job on your talk!!

March 12, 2012

Dear Family,

So I was reading that article about dad on september 11th and I was thinkin about how Dad and Mom must have a strong testimony about the word of wisdom. Imagine if dad had been smoking or drinking a the time when the twin towers were attacked. There´s no way he could have ran all that way!!! I also remember that when it happened I thought it was way cool that dad had agreed to be interviewed only if he could tell it from his side of view. I also think that I remember that he was annoyed that the news cut out a bunch of the interview that he talked about religion. I then realized that dad HAS to do a mormon.org video. It would be a great help to people to see your video and it would help in the missionary work too!! Tell me your thoughts......

So we drink chlorophyl juice every morning now. We blend up a bunch of green vegtables and put in a little water and drink it... its terrible. Its the worst thing I have ever drank. But, we read a thing that said that it is the equivalant of eating 3 kilos of salad... haha and i think its working, I feel less tired!!

On Wednesday we helped that same family that emily talked about in her speech lay cement. It was tiring, and I remembered all those times that I helped Doug doing construction stuff. But, it was a good break from doin the normal stuff I do. I was so hot in the sun though!! And right after we ate lunch in a neighborhood on the other side of the city, an hour walk, with argentines that don´t speak really good portuguese so I try to speak spanish with them. It doesn´t go too well, but we communicate. That same day we had to have 2 new elders sleep at our house. I met a brazilian that plays rugby!! It was fun, we talked all night. It was weird to see someone who knew what rugby is!

I was wonderin if you could send me a package with a lot of powder gatorade in it?? And I think I will need like 2 or three more deordorants. That same kind is really good.

We had a great lesson with Sérgio and family on Thursday night. IT was one of the best. Nilva, Sério´s wife, said (roughly translated) ``I know we are on the right path. The book is true.`` I then realized what the first presidency meant when they wrote on my call `there is no work more gratifying..`` There really isn´t. Up until my life, I haven´t felt this level of gratitude. I was the one that the Lord used to bring this family into the Gospel. It is better than a fresh line of 5 foot deep powder, than dunking over a tall guy, than anything!! It took me this long to fully grasp what the first presidency had said!!!

We have 10 baptisms marked, but many will be after this transfer, which is almost guaranteed that I leave. Oh well! This week I also learned that we need to chose a wife wisely. There is a way cool member and he does everything right and has a strong testimony of the gospel but he married a jerk.. She is really pretty but she doesn´t use garments and doesn´t hardly go to church.. its sad he is suffering.. We played cards with him today though. He will visit us in October!! he speaks perfect english!!

We met an inactive member that conterfeits identities of people and sells them on the black market.. he did a terrible thing and now the whole city knows of his association with the church.. its tough. We have been working a lot with less actives lately, its a good way to find baptisms. We also found out that there are elders baptizing people in our area... Its messin everything up. So we have a stressful week in front of us.

We have a mission conference with a member of the 70, Elder Godoy. I am really excited!! It will be on Friday, but he is giving a special training to the zone leaders on thursday. He will even pick a few to interview. That would be scary!!!!

Thats all I have got this week. That guy michael didlier is one of my friends that I used to ski with all the time!!

Love you

Elder Alex Baker

March 5, 2012

Hello:

This week was good, we worked a lot. This week is transfers and it is gonna be really hectic, as usual. The heat is exhausting so I didnt write anything in my planner to tell you, sorry.Hmmmm lets see. We have found 3 families that have accepted baptism but they all need to be married first. One family the wife needs to get divorced but she needs to do it in another city and then she needs to get all kinds of paperwork signed and he needs to divorce too itsso complicated. I am glad that I have a brazilian as a comp cuz I would have no idea how to do al this junk!! I don´t even know how to do it in the U.S. But they are all going to church!! We have so manyinvestigators goin to church its ridiculous!!

We are kind of at a disadvantage because our chapel does not have air conditioning. It is like an oven inside. And to make things worse the chapel closest to us is a brand new chapel that was built 3 months ago and is really pretty and has air conditioning and padded benches and the whole deal. So once our investigators hear about the other chapel they all go there!! I went on splits with an elder from Minas Gerais. He has a really weird accent and is shorter than gma nena but he is really funny and a good teacher. That same night (wednesday) we had a family home evening with a family from Uruguay and Sérgio and his family (the family that I have been working with forever) I spoke spanish with the uruguaians!! It was really terrible and broken, but they understood! hha it was kind of a different family home evening cuz it was in 2 languages, but it went really well.

I am glad to hear that Lindsey´s job is going well!! I know she will be good at it. I wish I could hear charlotte talking hahaah it must be hilarious.

About places to visit-I think that Floripa will be the coolest. There are a bunch of beaches and hikes and stuff. But, I will get President Queiroz´s email for you to email and ask him. I want to go to Uribici-a city that has a big old mountain range and that has a bunch of waterfalls. You should consider going to Foz do Iguaçu. Its really close and supposedly it is the most spectacular waterfall in the world!! my old comp, Elder M. Santos, wants me to go to his wedding too. He is trying to schedule it so that I will be able to go. That will be really cool, he lives in Bahia! I guess its one of the most exotic places in brazil!! But, Itajaí isn´t that cool. Maybe a couple of hours just passing by to see everyone. but Balneário is really cool, Blumenau is too but it is kinda far away from everything. I noticed the other day that all of my areas until now have been ON or near the beach!! haha.

The braces are just fine, I go every 20 days or so. They are thinking I will be able to take them off before I leave!! that would be great. We wil see though. My release date will be september 27 as well. Everytime I don´t excersize in the morning, I am just dead the entire day. My whole life I was the most active kid ever, and then on the mission your stop playing all the sports!! My body doesn´t function without some kid of physical activity (more than walking, walking just makes you tired) I am excited to play basketbal and ski and everything I used to do!! Its so much more healthy then walking around and eating oily food!

We went to that family´s house today because they invited us over for a churrasco- basically a meat where you only eat meat. Its really good. It was the giant kids birthday-his name is Alex. I gave him one dollar and everyone thought it was the coolest thing ever. haha.

Hmmm lets see. Emily should go to East I think-Tell her to do acapella and stuff I bet she will like it.

A scripture on the holy ghost... I like john 14:26- it says that the holy ghost will teach you everything!! What else would someone want to know!!! I also like 2

néfi 32:5 that says that the holy ghost will show you everything you need to do. What other guidance would you want that a guide in everything!! haha

Lets see, an experience! Its hard when ou put me on the spot!! Lets see. I´ll tell you how I found this family that I have been teaching that have changed completely because of the gospel. My comp and I were going to go to a completely different neighborhood that we hadn´t gone to before to knock doors (or rather, clap in front of houses haha) on the way there, I thought about this one place that I had never gone to that we were kind of next to. I decided to go there real quick to knock some doors. I went until I picked a road. I walked about half way down the road, when in my mind came a thought to knock the house to my left. We knocked, and marked a visit. That was the only house I knocked on that road, I left right after and went to the other neighborhood. The spirit guided us directly to that house! That was the only thing we did in that whole neighborhood! I have been teaching them for 4 months now and they have changed completely for the better and are preparing for baptism.

I hope that helps em!! Good luck!!

Alright I gotta go, but I love you all!! miss you!!

Pray for Sérgio!!!

Love, Elder Alex Baker

February 28, 2012

Hey family!!

Sorry I didn´t email yesterday, the internet fell. Technology isn´t very advanced in Brazil.

Lets see, I will have to be quick today, sorry. On Monday I made an oatmeal banana bake. It was really good, and I even gave it to a recent convert who is an expert cook who said it was good!! They don´t have oatmeal here though, so I made a bunch.

the weather has been up there lately. This week was scaulding. It is so stupidly hot. I can´t believe people live here for their life. I have learned I will NEVER leave utah or at least a place where it gets snow and has mountains. The dry air is so much better. this humidity is taking years off of my life and I am always in a bad mood cuz there is just no way to cool down! I put my head in the freezer sometimes and that helps a little bit.. But Tuesday we taught that family finally!! We gave them ALMA 5 to read in the Book of Mormon, which our mission president has recently deemed ``the converter or the condemner.`` It is pretty harsh. I like it. Hopefully it will convert them and not condemn!!

We were kinda sad this week because that guy that had showed up to church alone has just disappeared. We found out later that when we taught the commandments and the word of wisdom that his disagreed about the coffee thing and lost his whole testimony in the Book of Mormon and Joseph smith all because of a simple addiction to coffee. Its a sad thing and it happens quite often, but it helps me gain a testimony about the word of wisdom and how destructive these things really are. But, we know we did our part so we smile and go forward. What else is there to do!

Thursday we had zone counsel. It was pretty cool cuz we did it at a big old desk of the stake presidency and I felt pretty official with a bunch of guys in suits with graphs and papers and stuff. It was good though, I always enjoy talknig to president. He is hilarious and I don´t think he realizes it haha. But he always has really good messages to pass to us. He told us that a member of the 70 is going to visit us!! On March 16. So that will be pretty neat. He is going to randomly select people to be interviewed by him, so that would be pretty nerve´racking!

Friday I went on splits with a new american missionary who is not getting along with his first companion. I remembered back when I was in Baton Rouge and there is only one answer that explains how I got through those first four months-Heavenly Father helped me out a ton!! The same thing that was happening with me is happening with him. I have him advice on what I learned to do. I started to only write the positive things that happened during the day in my journal. Even if it was just one thing, I wrote it down. Now I don´t remember what was so bad!! I do remember that it was bad though haha. But he is a good guy, he´ll be fine. He is baptizing like crazy at least!! My zone has gotten 15 this month so far. And I think 5 more this Saturday!! we are doing great here in Itajaí!!

Did grandpa Bob get my birthday letter:?? I sent it years ago. And wasn´t the All star game this week?? HOW DID IT GO? Who were the all stars??? I want a roster.

Sunday, was normal. We visited that family I always talk about, Sérgio Nilva and Alex. They are remodeling their house, so they only read a little bit of alma 5. But we are going to see them on Thursday. We made a pretty bold promise that when they finish that chapter they will know for sure what they have to do. So I´ll let ya know how that goes.

Thats all I have got!! I am glad things are going well at home, congrats on the job Linds!! I had no idea how to be a missionary when I got on the mission, let alone do it in a language I didn´t know!! but you just learn with time, don´t stress. Dad, don´t use your hurt back as an excuse not to go skiing. haha just kidding hope it gets better soon.

Love Elder Baker