Elder Alexander 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