September 26, 2011

Helloo!!

Soo, even though I am being completely obedient and not doing anything wrong and doing my job correctly, I, unfortunately, did not have one spiritual experience this last week. For some reason, President Fernandez transferred my companion to a city 14 hours away called Chapecó. So, just take a guess who is my new comp. Its M. Santos! Again! He was pretty excited about it. I am too, he is way fun. And, we are going to be doing what we are supposed to be doing starting thursday instead of solving problems and planning things.

We are going to go to an area called Tapera, it´s here on the island. Its affectionately referred to as ``the armpit of the island.`` So, it should be fun. Frankly I don´t care, as long as we get to go out of the office!! I will NEVER have an office job. A job like Dad´s, where you are in an office for some of the time, I could do. But never could I be in the office full time. But anyways, unfortunately nothing really cool happened this week. P day was pretty fun, we went to Morro da Cruz. Its a viewpoint from the top of the highest mountain in the downtown area. I attached some pics. Unfortunately the day was kinda foggy, but what do ya do.

President gave a training to a few zones today and it was really cool! He told us we could email whoever we want now! We have to keep it within an hour. But he is really intense. I don´t know if I already told you, but everytime he writes on a whiteboard he destroys the marker cuz he writes so hard. haha. But the training was really cool. It testifies that he was called of God. But, the thing that I found even more interesting was that, in the mission, he is making a lot of changes then changing he mind and then changing it again. It shows that God calls normal people to be leaders and prepares them and teaches them. It reminded me of a Bible verse that says that Christ received his knowledge, grace by grace. If Christ received it piece by piece, than how can I expect to receive anything all at once!!

I am glad everyone is doing well, that missionary dinner sounded like a blast. I am so excited that I still have a year to be a missionary!! I am also excited that in less than a year, I will be with you guys again!! less than a year!!! I am happier than ever, and even I can see my own God-given progress. Its really cool.

I love you all, sorry the email was short. Nothing really happened.

Love Alex Elder Baker

September 19, 2011

Hello:::::::::::::

Mom, lemme tell you a little bit about`what I do right now. The mission president has 4 assistants. He split the mission up into 4 zones and put an assistant in each zone with a jr companion. The junior´s calling is ``junior viajante`` which means junior traveler. I am companions with Elder Athayde, and assistant, and I am Junior Viajante. We are in charge of the areas São José and Florianópolis. I believe that I will now be in charge of Itajaí and Joinville as well because an assitant is going home in 3 days. I will stay with Elder Athayde for one more transfer. The president of the mission looks at the numbers of each area of the mission each week. The areas with the lowest numbers in each of the zones is where the president usually sends the assistants to work, for more or less 2 weeks. I worked and lived in Serraria sleeping on the air mattresses the president bought for us for 3 weeks. I then went to live in the Center of Florianópolis. I am still living in the center and I continue to work in an area called Rio Tavares (the prettiest area in Brazil). We are always changing who we work with for the day, so I work with Athayde sometimes and sometimes the other two missionaires. Each day I wake up, do studies and all that stuff, and take the bus (20 minutes) to Rio Tavares. At the end of the day I take the bus back to the Center and sleep there. Many times the president will call us and send us to the office to solve some problem regarding furniture in a missionarie´s apartment of problems with uncertanty of rules in an area. Or preparing trainings or whatever he needs. That is my job!!

This week we were in the office a lot doing various things, but mainly preparing for the new missionaries to arrive. I did work for a couple of days in Rio Tavares. We went up this huge hill and found a hidden city in a hidden valley that had never before seen the missionaires. We talked to an 80 year old that never had left that city and he said that he had never seen the missionaries. So we marked an appointment with him and will try to visit him tomorrow. But the secret valley was pretty cool, its what I imagined when I read my call for the first time. It was like wood huts, no electricity, etc. The people were really receptive.

I have been hanging out a lot with M. Santos and it has been a blast. (first companion). We went to Tijucas on Sunday (because he can do it if he wants) and visited our old area. Thats the best area in the mission! It was really funny because we walked in and all the members saw us walk in and got really excited! They miss us, we were, supposedly, ``the dream team.`` M. Santos wants to end his mission there and he is gonig to ask president to put me there with him haha. That would be pretty fun. But we ate with Rafael, who set a date to be sealed in the temple in June.

I enjoyed the story a lot about Dad. I am thankful that that lady fainted. I don´t remember you talking to us on skype though... Maybe it was just with mom. When I got interviewed for finding the skeleton I learned that the news often makes stories more drastic, so that might have been the case. But I find it so noble how Dad explains his experience. It is practically impossible for the news channels to see the good that has come from 9/11 and is hard for many people but Dad points out one very impressive improvement and I think thats cool

Sooo I was in the office a lot and I only taught one lesson to an idiot baptist that reminded me of Baton Rouge.. So no spiritual news or cool stories, sorry. It would kinda suck to be an assistant. But, we had a really cool p day today!! We went to sand dunes in a place called Lagoa de Conceição. It was soo pretty! The pictures were taken today. But I am enjoying my mission to the fullest extent, you can be assured of that. Thanks for the email Dad, sorry Linds I don´t have time to email you. Mom, did you send that package?? I will continue to work in Rio Tavares until I don´t know when.

September 12, 2011

HIIIIII:

Hows it goin? So my new job...I just spend millions of dollars travelling around to visit different missionaries. I went to Serraria again, Agronômica, Tapera, Rio Tavares, Florianópolis, Saco dos Limões, and more. All of which are on the island except Serraria. But, at the same time, I like this job. Its fun to travel around and see the island!! It´ll be cool because I will know how to travel around, at least on the island. We just don´t do normal missionary work a lot of the time its always solving problems and bringing people stuff.

But anyways, the beginning of the week we went to Serraria for the last day because a member wanted us to do a family home evening with his less active wife. We watched a movie called Charly which is a movie made by the church. It is a pretty good movie! Its sad. It would be a good movie to watch with the fam. The next couple days I did normal things in Rio Tavares. I am with an elder named Elder Armitstead and his comp Elder Allen. Armitstead is really cool. It rained soooo much this week! If you look at recent news of Santa Catarina, it will talk about the floods that happened. Some of the missionaries houses are completely underwater. Luckily I am living in Florianópolis and we live and the 4th floor. But poor elder Neilson´s house got flooded completely in Brusque. In Rio Tavares it was knee deep but it we were still able to work. One night I was walking home and I heard a huge crashing sound. I went to see what it was and it was the beach!!! It was the prettiest beach I have ever seen. The forest goes right up until the beach but the beach is still really big. The waves were really big too. But we aren´t allowed to step on the beach so I just saw it from a distance.

The coolest experience I had for this week was that I visited Tijucas. I saw all my old friends and baptisms and ate at Rafael´s house (my coolest baptism) He now teaches the gospel principles class. It is cool to see him progress. When I first met him he was too embarrassed to pray in front of us. Now he gives the class! But the bishop there told me something that I thought was pretty cool. It made me feel a little bit of satisfaction. It made me see that I was an effective tool in the Lord´s hands. The period between when I got to Tijucas and when I left the frequency of the ward went up 25 people. I thought it was pretty cool! I don´t want to take credit though, I am glad I was in the right place at the right time.

I was reading through grandpa Richard´s conversion story again and I noticed that grandma said that Dad´s eyes are blue??? Am I crazy or are his eyes brown??

I was a bit nervous on 9/11. The news was saying that the terrorists were planning another attack on the same day. As of right now I only heard of a false car bomb alert. I am glad nothing happened. I am sure it was way annoying for Dad to hear all the radio and TV stations talking about it. I can only imagine that it is a hard memory to recall. I like the story though (if I remember it right) because it shows that Dad is sensitive to the spirit. It is also a big testimony builder for me!! I remember that he told me about the liahona that I had above my bed. I can´t remember where that went, I wish I still had it.

Transfers are coming up and I hope I don´t get transferred!! I don´t want to have a crappy companion!! And I like living in the staff house! But tell everyone I love them and miss them!! Oh, and my first comp M. Santos says hi.

Wellllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll, thats all I have to say. It rained a whole lot, I found a new umbrella, and there was Brazil´s biggest gay parade that marched right past my apartment yesterday.

Love], Elder BAkeR

September 5, 2011

Hellooooooo!

I am in the office again, but nobody is here but me and my comp. This week was pretty nuts. The guy that I was doing splits was being really sucky and suspicious. I found out that he had a cell phone and was talking to other missionaries on the mission about some group they formed to go against all the rules of the mission. Fools. We confronted him and he refused to talk or give us his phone so the president called hm and interviewed him today. It is probable there will be a few missionaries sent home without honor. But I have been working with him for 3 weeks now! t has been rough. At least he will get the punishment he deserves. I would be scared, President Fernandes is ruthless.

But, anyways, other than that (the biggest news of the mission ever, brazilians love fofoca, or, gossip) this week was good. I will be working in Rio Tavaresand I´ll be living in the staff house for the next two weeks, which is the only missionary apartment that has a DRYER!! I am so excited about it. I was struggling to keep clean clothes ready to use, mainly because I don´t have very many anymore. I think a missionary stole them cuz they don´t make they same kind of garment here is Brazil and the ones that are made there are a lot better. So, having said that, I made a list of things that I will ask for that I ask that you send asap. tomorrow if possible. I don´´t think it will be too expensive. Here´s the list:

1- My face has really sensitive skin. Those 2 blade razors are horrific that you send me, sorry haha. I need you to send me Gilette Fusion Proglide Automatic razor heads. The orange ones. I used one for 8 months, so 3 should do it. I think they come in packs of three anyways.They are 100 reais here! Ridiculous!!

2- Garments. I have 4 pair now. I don´t know what happened to the rest. The only possible answer is that they were stolen, cuz I checked everywhere. Or they blew away. If you can, send 5 medium 50/50 pairs. Tops and bottoms. NOT the swoop neck ones, just the t shirt-like ones.

3-My socks are dying too. Ifyou can send more, that´d be good. I can buy some crappy socks here if you want.

4-Might as well throw in those short sleeve dress shirts.

5-I am on my last deodorant! I like speed stick and right guard. The non-taulky kind is better. The gelly type is best (not the actual gel stuff, the solid gel!) Don´t get old spice, it gives me rashes.

Thats it! sorry if that seems like a lot, but on the 20th of this month, I will be coming home in a year. I need to be restocked with stuff. I am almost half way done!!! I want to send a package home soon with suff that I never use. I made the same mistake as every single american that goes on a mission and brought a bunch of stuff. I think I will start getting together a package and get something cool to send home. (It won´t be too expensive, don´t worry) I checked my debit card today and its activated, thanks!!

Tell Emily to keep going with cross country. Its really fun to be involved in something at school. I loved being on the basketball team and being in Acapella. Tell her to keep it up. Maybe you should stall to get her social security card so she has to wait a little longer to get her license!! And keep looking for a little 4x4 for her... I can´t even remember how many girls I have seen who have no idea how to drive in snow.. And if you find a jeep wrangler 4 door for me, you can buy it if you want.

Lets see, this week I worked on the computer a lot in the office. I had to get a video off youtube, translate it, and put it on DVDs for missionaries. Every mission in the entire world is in the process of receiving a portable DVD player to use to teach. This mission received them today. I don´t quite agree with every missionary companionship having a portable DVD player because there will be slacker missionaries that will watch DVDs and movies, but it was the first presidency´s idea, so I trust them!!!! But, there were a couple of days that I worked in Rio Tavares. They have a huge chapel there and own an entire mountain that only has forest on it. The word is that the church bought the terrain to build a temple there! It would be the coolest temple ever because it would be on top of a huge hill!! And practically the whole south part of the island would be able to see it. But it is really cool there, it is much moe what you would imagine brazil would be like. Palm trees everywhere, beaches, jungle, monkeys, etc. Its cool.

My comp had to get a huge cancerous mole taken off his back the other day. I asked if I could watch the opperation, but the doctor said no. My poor comp is always in pain now cuz it was right on the spine where lots of nerves pass, so he is in a lot of pain. I have to clean and bandage the cut every night cuz he can´t reach it. Its kinda cool, maybe I´d like to be a surgeon! But I dunno.

The only cool missionary-like cool thing that happened this week was that I randomly decided to knock a street and there turned out to be one person at home on the whole road. But that one person just had her baptism marked! So hopefully I can say that it was a prompting of the spirit to go to knock (we don´t actually knock though, we clap our hands outside the gate) that street. But I am glad Lowell Hicks is still alive. Tell Linds that I would love her to go to hair school cuz she could cut my hair how I like it cuz I am always nervous to talk if the person cuts my hair wrong. How is everyone else doin? I haven´t heard from Mike for a while, how are he and Kate doin?

Tell Dad good luck with the firms. I wanted to ask him or you to send me a the story of his 9/11 story. I kinda forgot how it went. I can´t remember if he had a newspaper story on it (I think so) that would be cool to have. Also in his own words just telling me how it went. If he has time! Also, Mom and Dad, you both have a sentence in your patriarchal blessings that is crazy!! I learned about patriarchal blessings this week. You guys are set. If possible, could I have a copy of Katie´s and Lindsey´s blessings too, if they let me??

Alright, thats all I have for this week. It looks like I will be with elder Athayde another transfer. That is a good thing, he is really fun. Did ever tell you his full name?? Its Luciann Gustavo Cicero Cavalcante de Athayde. Ridiculous.

Bye, I love you all!!

Love Elder Baker

August 22, 2011

Hello:

How is everyone doin? I am still in the hole of Serraria, and the work is really difficult here. Mostly because every single person that lives here is a drug trafficker. But its ok I think I will leave before next p day. If not, oh well. There are sooo many hills in this area I have already lost 8 pounds here! My first two areas (Baton Rouge and Tijucas) were extremely flat. So I am exra exhausted right now. Even worse, I have been fatally ill the past week because one night it was so cold I almost died. But the weird thing was that the mattress has felt on it so even though I was way cold I sweat a lot. I woke up almost dead, it was the worst. I have been sick ever since.

Last week we had a member of the church that is very famous here that the people call ``wizard`` come speak at the stake center in Floripa (which is GIAGANTIC-the church builds the chapels here enormous cuz they are a little bit more scarce) He is like a billionaire cuz he created a company that teaches people english for really cheap here in Brazil. I didn´t get to hear his talk, which was on how to become a billionaire because I was too busy making contacts to the millions of non members. The President asked that me and my comp and 2 other companionships go and help get names to go visit. Afterward a mexican lady came up to me and started talking fluently in english about how she was born into the church and lived in Utah for 14 years. She moved to Floripa, married a very catholic guy, and now is miserable because he hates Mormons. I felt so bad for her. She was crying and said that the church was everything to her. It was so sad. I got her address and we are personally going to visit her to see if we can talk to her husband. She said she told him that she doesn´t care what he says anymore, which is a good start I guess!

I spend a lot of time in the center of downtown floripa. Its kinda cool cuz it is the biggest city I have ever lived in. It reminds me of L.A. or NYC a little bit. Soo the Prez bought two air mattresses for me and my comp to carry with us cuz we travel around. Mine was faulty and popped, so we slept on the same mattress for a week haha. Strictly against the rules! the Prez authorized it though but said, ``be careful!`` haha. We went to swap it on Saturday at a mall. It is a general rule in Brazil that missionaries aren´t allowed to go to the mall. Malls here are called ``shopping`` which is really confusing. The first time I heard it was ``Você já foi pra shopping?`` which means ``have you already been to shopping (the mall?) haha its weird. But the mall was cool, everything is SUPER cheap. The brazilian missionaries complain that its expensive here in the south, and say São Paulo is even cheaper but I don´t believe it!! The mall was different though. Too bad I will never return.

My comp, who is kinda fluent in english, asked me to show him how to teach the lessons in english. I agreed to do so and started to teach. (I don´t know if you had to ``practice`` on your mission everyday Dad, but we do!) It was so weird, I couldn´t do it!! I would struggle to say a sentence or 2 in english and then say a few Portuguese words without even realizing it!! It was weird. My homecoming talk is gonna be strange. But its ok, I took that as a sign that my Portuguese is improving!

Mom, next package, could you send me some face sunscreen? With the strongest SPF you can find? In the summer all of the eastern part of the state gets to 110-120 degrees F, with 90% + humidity.

Talk to ya next week!

Love, Elder Baker