I felt His love in such an overwhelming way that I couldn't help but cry. - 6/30/14

Tassie Times 06/30/14

Cutest puppy ever!

Awesome house here in Deloraine!

The biggest pear I've ever seen!

I can't believe it's almost July! So crazy! I wish it was as warm here as you all are having. We had cold, wet, rainy weather most of the week this week. But other than that, it was a really good week!

Monday afternoon we got a message from E (one of the best members in our ward!) asking us if we wanted to go to lunch at the Christmas Hills Raspberry Farm with her and her friend named Lel who we are hoping to start teaching soon. Obviously, we agreed. Everyone talks about how yummy the Raspberry Farm is and I've wanted to go since we got here. It was as good as everyone said. Waffles with raspberries and raspberry ice cream... YUM! After that we came back to Deloraine and wanted to go inside some of the little shops that they have on the main road. Unfortunately, most of them weren't open. In Australia a lot of stores aren't open on Monday. Also, most stores close by 5 pm every day. It's so different than America where almost everything is open until at least 9 pm. That night we had dinner with one of the T families. (There are 5 families of Ts in our ward, all related.) After that we went to see S. She didn't remember much that we've taught her. I left feeling totally confused and not knowing at all what to do.

Tuesday morning we had district meeting and we were talking to the other missionaries for advice on what to do with S. There was a lot of good discussion and ideas given but most of them are things that we had already tried. Then Elder Pain raised his hand and talked about sometimes we don't see the results we want (aka baptisms) on our missions but that we still have the opportunity to impact people's lives in a big way so that later down the track, they will remember the love that they received from the missionaries and it will make them that much more ready to accept the gospel. It was exactly what I needed to hear. It reminded me of C and A in Churchill Park. They may not have gotten baptized but I know that we left a lasting impact with them. We have talked with our Bishop and Ward Mission Leader and have decided to scale things back. We will still go around and be friends with her and read the Book of Mormon with her but we're not going to stress teaching the gospel right now because, she's not prepared to understand it.

Tuesday afternoon Sister R and Sister S came up from Glen Huon. The four of us went to a couple of lessons together. We went and saw B. She's so cute. Haha funny story. Before we left, we asked if there was anything that we could do for her. She said,"Well, you can make a cup of tea for me." Figuring that she'd have some sort of herbal tea, I told her I'd love to. Sister R and I went into the kitchen and I realized that she only had black tea--aka against the word of wisdom tea. I was like, oh shoot. I can't make tea for a less active member. Thankfully, Sister R was thinking on her toes. "B, how would you like a Milo?" She said that would be great. Thank goodness. I wouldn't feel right if I helped someone break the word of wisdom! After that we had a lesson with G. We were trying to teach about tithing but man was it hard! I swear his attention span that day was smaller than an ant. But we got through the lesson and I think he understood. The four of us had dinner with E and A that night. They are seriously the best. They are a young couple who are so in love and have the most adorable 2 year old named S. They got us Pizza Hut for dinner as a treat because there are absolutely NO pizza places in Deloraine. After that we went to the chapel because the Primary had asked us to come to their Faith in God activity. They had been making care packages for the missionaries that are serving from this ward. They had also made packages for Sister H and me. It was so cute. They gave us a basket full of stuff: chocolate, hand sanitizer, post-it notes, pens, tights, etc. While we were at the chapel, we popped in to say hi to the Young Women. J was there with them. They were working on a personal progress thing where they had to draw the plan of salvation. J was really excited because we had just taught it to her the week before.

Wednesday I was on exchanges most of the day with Sister S. Love her! We had a really good day. We did some finding and met a few really solid people that we have return appointments with this week. It's always great to go on exchanges and see how another sister does things. I always feel like I learn so much. The STLs left about 5 pm and then I was back with Sister H. It's funny, even though exchanges are fun and great, it is always so good to get back to your companion. We went to C's that night and had a short lesson with them. They all have been using their prayer rocks and loving them. J even wanted to take his to school for show-and-tell. C said that she wouldn't be able to come to church on Sunday because it was the twins birthday party that day but J wanted to come before the party so we arranged a ride for her.

Thursday morning we were in the family history center again. Man, family history is so cool. There is one guy who comes every single week named D. He loves finding out about his ancestors and putting all the pieces together. It's cool to see the spirit of Elijah working in people, even if they don't know that is what is happening. We were running low on Ks for the month so we decided that we would walk. After visiting some people, we stopped by a member’s home to borrow their bikes for a few days. It seemed like a great idea! Well, it wasn't that great. Haha the ride back up to our flat from their house it uphill the entire way! Man it was hard! It got to a point that we both just gave up and walked our stinking bikes. By the time we got back to the flat, we had to just stick them in the garage and jump in the car to go to our dinner appointment. We had dinner with the cutest older couple! G is 88 but you would never notice! Such a spry guy! After dinner with them we had Ward Council which was really good.

 

Gotta love bike helmets!

We love bikes!

Since the whole zone was running low on Ks, every companionship had to pick a day to have a car fast. We decided that we would do Friday and Saturday. We had it all worked out. We had the bikes to use and everything. Well, the weather decided to be horrible and it rained all day both days. So we didn't end up using the bikes. Instead we walked everywhere with boots, raincoats and umbrellas. And it wasn't even bad. It was actually kind of fun.

 

Smiling even though it's raining. :)

So sad my umbrella broke :(

Friday afternoon we went to S's to see how she was doing. Sister H was sitting on one of her chairs and kind of leaned on it and the leg kind of cracked and was bending the wrong way. She went to pull the leg out where it was supposed to be and the leg completely snapped off! I'm not sure why, but both of us found it hilarious and could not stop laughing! We felt so bad but I think it was another one of those moments that you can either laugh or cry. We promised her that we would fix it and took it with us to A and E's. A is great and it is completely fixed now! Thank goodness! 

Laughing about the broken chair

Saturday we had lunch with a sweet Filipina in our ward. She is so sweet and makes really good food! The best is the fried bananas! So yummy! After that we went to an aged care facility here in Deloraine to give service by visiting with the residents. As we went in, there was a woman that was leaving. She LOVED our American accents and ended up inviting us to her house! We didn't even have to ask. She seems awesome, I can't wait to go see her this week and start teaching her! As we were visiting the residents, I had so many memories of Country Care. I miss the job, but at the same time I really don't. I miss the residents, but I don't miss the night shifts. Haha one of the residents that we were talking to was so funny! She had really bad dementia and was kind of rude and it reminded me so much of one of the residents at Country Care. After we finished there, we went home to change and then we rode in to Launceston with some members for a stake volleyball tournament. It was really fun and there was a huge turnout!

Church on Sunday was really good! J came and she really enjoyed it! I had to give a talk in Sacrament meeting. I was stressing about it all week because they told me 20 minutes and that I would be the final speaker. Final speaker?! Stressful. Anyway, my topic was "Recognizing the Spirit--Personal Revelation." It went really well. I usually get nervous when I actually stand up there but I didn't feel nervous at all. And the 20 minutes went really quickly. It's times like that that I get a small glimpse of how much I have changed on the mission. I would never have been able to do that before the mission. I always had to have everything I was going to say typed out. Now I can just get up with a few notes. After church we went to try to have a lesson. I say tried because she talked so much that we could hardly get a word in. I feel like that happens a lot on a mission. How do you get people to stop talking so that they can actually listen to our message? Before we went to dinner, we stopped by to talk to our neighbor. He has had the discussions before and knows most of the members. He is the nicest man. He's always bringing our bins back in from the road for us or closing our garage when we forget to--such a great guy. Anyway, we stopped by to talk to him yesterday and asked him when we could have a lesson.  It was like he was just waiting for us to ask! We'll have a lesson with him later this week! We had dinner with Bishop and D and it was so yummy! She made spaghetti Bolognese. The Bolognese had so many vegetables in it--capsicum, carrot, cauliflower, broccoli. So good! They are such good missionaries. They literally seek for missionary opportunities every day, wherever they go. And since they seek them so earnestly, they have them!

We're still teaching seminary every morning, not sure when they will be calling a new teacher.

One experience I'll share-- on Saturday night as we were planning, it took us forever. We were trying to plan what we'd teach people and I just felt like I was getting absolutely nothing and it was quite frustrating. We finally finished and had to quickly get ready for bed. I was feeling a bit down and discouraged as I knelt by my bed to pray. I prayed telling Heavenly Father that I was feeling like I couldn't receive the revelation I needed for people, feeling like I was doing something wrong. I needed to feel His love and His approval. And it came. I felt His love in such an overwhelming way that I couldn't help but cry. I knew so strongly then that He was proud of me and that I was doing the things that I needed to. I am so grateful for the answers to prayer that come right when we need them.

Love you all heaps and heaps!

Sister Baker xxx

P.S. Another thing. This week in PMG I was reading about helping people overcome addictions. It talks about giving up some habit or something that you love so that you can better relate with people when you ask them to give up smoking or alcohol. I decided to give up treats and desserts. I started on Wednesday and have been perfect for 5 days. And it's cool because when members make dessert, I don't have to feel bad for saying no. I just explain to them why I'm not eating it. It's been great! 

I want to help people to know and love this gospel. I love it. I know it. I couldn't live without it! - 6/23/14

Tassie Times

Another p-day already? Crazy. I love Tasmania so much. It is so beautiful here!

Last week I told you about our p-day down in Hobart and our trip to the caves. I forgot to tell you a funny story. After we finished in the caves and everyone at lunch, we got back into the vans to drive back to Glenorchy. We'd been in the car for like 45 minutes and everyone was just kind of chatting when I started to smell something terrible. I looked around and saw that everyone else was starting to hold their noses too. I have no idea who it was but someone did the nastiest stinker in the world. Seriously, it was so bad. Everyone was dying. And laughing at the same time because it was somewhat hilarious. Here we all were, crammed into this van with this terrible smell. Sister Maxwell even rolled down her window. No one would own up to it either. We were dying. So gross but so funny.

Anyway, Tuesday was great. We had interviews in the morning with President Maxwell. I know I've said it before but I'll say it again-- I love President Maxwell so much. He always says exactly what I need to hear. He is full of inspiration, love, and kindness. After everyone finished their interviews, all of us from the north piled back into the cars and went to grab a quick lunch before driving back up. We got to Launceston and dropped everyone off then Sister H and I went to the store to get groceries before we drove back to Deloraine because we only have an expensive small grocery store in Deloraine and we knew we could save money if we did our shopping in Launceston. By the time we drove back to Deloraine it was time to plan for the next day.

Wednesday morning and afternoon were busy tracting and following up with people. That evening we had dinner with the Stake President and his family. He showed us a great poster that they made for all the chapels in the stake. At the top it says, "Do you know our full-time missionaries by name?" Then there's a pictures of our district with our names. At the bottom it says, "They like to have tea with your family, but they love to teach your friends." I love it. I'll have to see if I can send a copy of it to you. After dinner we had a lesson with C and her kids. We taught the plan of salvation and it went really well. We talked with them about what they needed to do to be able to go to the celestial kingdom and they set some really good goals of prayer, scripture study and making church attendance more regular. They were going away this past weekend but I really think that we will start seeing them pretty regularly at church soon! J, the 9 year old, was really concerned because he plays footie on Sundays. I wasn't sure how to answer his question because it's hard to tell a 9 year old to quit what he loves. But he decided that he would pray and ask Heavenly Father what he should do and if there was a way that he could do both.

Thursday morning we were at the family history center again. I was really frustrated because they have changed a few things on Family Search in the past week and now I'm all confused as to what in the world I am doing. But I'm getting it figured out. I have started looking at the Baker line some more and I have been able to find 2 names that can go to the temple! Family history is the best! I never thought that I'd be able to find people who need ordinances done but I'm finding them! I have about 30 ordinances reserved to be done!

We walked past this book exchange place.
 We didn't worry about taking a book, but you better believe we left a Book of Mormon.

Thursday afternoon we made prayer rocks and took them to C and her kids. They LOVED them! We had a really good lesson about prayer. I really wanted to talk about baptism but I wasn't sure how to bring it up. I could also tell that something was bothering C. I asked her if she had any questions and she paused and then asked, "Will he listen to me pray even though I haven't been baptized?" The spirit was so strong as we were able to tell her that Heavenly Father loves and knows her and that he wants to hear from her and will answer her prayers. Then we were able to ask how they felt about baptism. They weren't sure but we committed them to pray about it. I am excited to see them this week and teach them The Gospel of Jesus Christ!

After we left C's we went to have dinner with G and L. We were able to teach the Restoration and it was really good. G is still struggling with recognizing the Spirit. If he has big ah-hah moments, he recognizes that as the spirit but he is missing feeling the quiet, gentle, subtle answers. We are trying to help him to recognize that.

Friday we were outside doing some finding. We were down by the grocery store trying to find people to talk to. That morning we had been studying chapter 9 in Preach My Gospel about finding people to teach. It talks about how Heavenly Father will lead you to people or he will lead them to you. I said a prayer that morning asking Heavenly Father if he would lead someone to us that day. As we were walking past the front of the grocery store, a man named D stopped us. He explained that he used to live in Wantirna (where the mission office and the temple are) and that missionaries used to come into his store there to buy backpacks. We talked with him for about 10 minutes and he agreed to meet with us this week! After that we visited a less active lady in the ward.

S had been gone all week and we hadn't been able to get ahold of her but on Friday she came back! I am so glad she's back. Not having any contact with someone for 5 and one half days is killer. We had a lesson with her Friday night and we went through some of the baptismal interview questions with her to see where her understanding and testimony was so we would know how to help her.

Saturday afternoon we drove in to Launceston to go to a baptism. The Sisters there called to see if we could come so that I could sing with Sister K. Sister S had been going to sing but she has a broken wrist and had to have surgery on it on Friday and didn't feel up to singing. The baptism was of the cutest girl named M. She is so sweet and the baptism was perfect. After the baptism we went to dinner with some members. They made Mexican chicken and rice. It was the closest thing that I've had to Mexican food since being in Australia and it was so good! After that we had a lesson with S and taught her the Law of Chastity. We also gave her a haircut... hahaha. S had REALLY long hair, like down past her bum. We mentioned to her that she should trim it and she agreed. We were pretty surprised but we ended up cutting 6 inches off. It looks so much better now!

So excited to cut S's hair!

Sunday S came to church and she loved it. The members are all really good to her. We had a meeting with our ward mission leader. We haven't been able to find anyone really solid to teach and it’s hard sometimes. Then we met with Bishop T. He has been gone on holiday for 3 weeks so he wanted to meet with us to catch up with how things were going. I am so grateful for Bishop T. He helped me to feel so loved and appreciated and made me feel better. 

We had a lesson yesterday afternoon with a lady called F. She is from Nigeria. We talked about why bad things happen to good people and about how Heavenly Father knows and loves each of us. The spirit was really strong. We had dinner with a single mum and her kids that night. They used to live overseas in Indonesia and we ate this yummy chicken curry stuff and naan bread. It was so yummy!

We've been continuing to teach seminary this week and although it kind of throws off our schedule and it is hard to teach that early in the morning, it has been really good to really study some chapters in Alma. I love Alma chapter 26. I feel so much like Alma in verse 12 when he talks about being able to do things through the strength of God. I have felt that so often on the mission. Without the help of my Heavenly Father, I would not be able to do any of this. I need His help and extra strength every single day. I also love Alma 29. I feel similar to him wanting to be an angel and be able to tell everyone of the gospel! Another thing I love is Alma 30:44 that talks of how all things denote there is a God. I was thinking about that last night as I looked up at the stars. The stars here in Deloraine are absolutely amazing. Tasmania is so beautiful. As I see all of Heavenly Father's amazing creations, I understand that scripture better. The world around us is proof that God exists. It makes me so sad when we meet people who don't have that knowledge.

A couple of other insights that I had this week. I was reading Matthew 8:16-17 and I had one of those ah-ha moments. As I read about Christ healing all of these people I realized that is why every priesthood blessing is done in the name of Jesus Christ. It is in his name because He is the one who can heal us, comfort us, etc. He can do that because he literally took everything upon himself.

Another insight came from reading Joseph Smith History. I am so grateful for Joseph Smith and his sacrifice! I especially loved JSH 1:20 when he talked about how Satan knew he would be a disturber and an annoyer of his kingdom. I want to do the same. I want to disturb and annoy Satan so much! I want to help people to know and love this gospel. I love it. I know it. I couldn't live without it!

Love you all heaps!

Sister Baker xxx

Zone P-Day at Hastings Caves! - Tasmania is Amazing! - 6/17/14

Tassie Times

I literally feel like I was just barely sitting down to email. Time is literally flying by. Which is good because that means that I am loving it. When I'm happiest, time seems to just blow past.

Last Tuesday after we finished emailing, we went to see Nana T. She must have been having a bad day or something because she was not very happy when we got there. But we went ahead and taught the lesson which we had planned for her and I could see her countenance begin to change. By the time we left, she seemed much happier. I'm glad we could brighten her day just a little. After that we had a lesson with G (the 8 year old who is getting ready for baptism.) We taught him the 10 commandments with hand signs to remember them and he loved it! After that lesson, we went to double check the houses that we had been at on Sunday night in hopes that maybe we could be able to find our phone. We had no luck at the first two but we decided to try the last one. I parked the car in the same place I had on Sunday night and we hopped out. Then Sister H says, "Oh my gosh! I found it!!" There was our phone, sitting in the grass. It had been there for almost 48 hours and it was still there--perfectly fine. I'm so grateful that Heavenly Father helped us to find it, and that it hadn't rained in those two days! Tender mercies for sure! That night we had dinner with the T family. Love them! He served his mission in Korea and made Korean food for dinner. It was rice and this spicy chicken stuff that you put in either a lettuce leaf or in a piece of seaweed. It was so yummy! After dinner we had a lesson with S. We taught her how to repent and about the peace that can come from repentance. I am so grateful that we can repent. I feel like I make mistakes every single day and I am so grateful for the Atonement that allows me to change and be a little better every day than I was the day before.

Beautiful church in my area

 We've been teaching seminary every morning this week which is interesting. Only 3 people come and we're finding it a bit hard to make it interesting for them but we're trying! 

Wednesday we had a really good day of visiting several members and teaching them lessons.

Thursday morning we were at the family history center again. I still have so so much to learn about family history. But I know enough now that I can actually help a few people there when they have questions. Later that afternoon we did a bit of tracting. The first house we knocked on was a member! We had no idea that he lived there so it was quite a surprise when he opened the door. We knocked on a few doors that were homes of Exclusive Brethren. There are tons of them here in Deloraine. I'm not sure what they believe or anything--they are really quite closed about it all, which actually makes me want to know more. After that we drove all the way out for an appointment with a less active. We got there and she ended up not even being home. It's so frustrating when people don't keep their appointments. But, it happens all the time. It's just part of being a missionary I guess. After we drove back in to Deloraine we went to see S. We had planned to teach her the Word of Wisdom but her kids were there which makes it nearly impossible for her to focus on a lesson so we ended up just reading the Book of Mormon with her.

Friday we had a really good lesson with S. Her kids were there so we decided to teach the 10 commandments with hand signs so that we could maybe get them involved. We talked a lot about keeping the Sabbath day holy and how she needed to come to church every single week. We also helped her make plans on how she would keep the commandments and overcome barriers that might get in the way. She seemed to really take everything in and was completely committed to keep her commitments.

Friday night we had a ward activity. It was a dance with the local big band there. It ended up being really well attended and there were tons of non-members there which was awesome. Obviously we can't dance as missionaries but we stood by the doors and greeted people and it was really good!

Saturday morning we went to see a part member family in the ward and had a really good lesson with them. We had dinner that night with a mum and her daughter. They are so wonderful. We mentioned that we were driving down to Hobart on Monday and they gave us a whole bag full of snacks for the car ride down.

Sunday was a bit sad because S didn't come to church. I was sure that she would come when we left on Friday but I'm not sure what happened. We haven't been able to get a hold of her at all so I'm not sure what is going on there. Sunday afternoon we did a bit of tracting and it was really successful! We have return appointments with several people who seem to be really promising! After that we visited a member and had a lesson with their family. Then we had dinner with the W’s. M and J are such good people! After dinner we headed home to pack our bags to head to Hobart.

Monday morning we had to get up at 5:00 so we could leave by 5:45 to travel to Launceston. We met the whole district in Launceston and the 10 of us piled into two cars to drive down to Hobart. The drive down was beautiful. It was light this time so we could see everything and I loved it. Tasmania is amazing! So beautiful! When we got to Hobart we met the rest of the Zone at one of the chapels. Then the Assistants and Sister Maxwell and Sister E pulled up in big bus/vans that they rented from the airport. We all hopped into the vans and drove down to Hastings Caves and one cave there called Newdegate cave! They were amazing! I thought the caves a few weeks ago were cool but these were amazing! We spent the whole day with the zone and it was so fun!

Zone P-Day Activity

Me and Sister H

Inside Newdegate Cave

Me and my MTC Companion!

Me and Sister E

Today we have interviews with President Maxwell and then we will drive back up North.

Beautiful view of Hobart Bay

Me and Sister H in Hobart, Tasmania!

It has been a great week! I love serving with Sister H. She is really fun, we get along great, and she is a great missionary!

I am so grateful to be serving in Tasmania! I love it here! I love the gospel. I know it is true!

Love y'all heaps!

Sister Baker xxx

Tasmania is SO PRETTY! - 06/10/14

Tassie Times

This week was crazy!

Monday morning after we emailed, Sister R wanted to go say goodbye to a few people. After that we ran home to get all of her stuff. I had to pack an overnight bag to take to Launceston to stay there for a few days. As we started driving to Launceston, all of a sudden our car was making a terrible noise. I thought it was a flat tire or something. All I was thinking about was how I have no idea how to fix anything if something goes wrong. Luckily there was a road work guy who saw us pull over and he fixed the problem in all of about two seconds. So grateful that he was there. Tender mercy for sure! We spent a few hours in Launceston with the sisters and then we drove out to the airport to drop off Sister R. Then Sister S and Sister K became my companions. :) We went to have dinner with two really sweet ladies in their ward who are both facing pretty big challenges-- one just lost her husband and the other is fighting breast cancer. The spirit was so strong and we had a wonderful lesson. After that we had FHE with some members and their investigator. She is 16 and so sweet. She's getting baptized in a couple of weeks. That night I had to make a bed for myself on the floor at their flat out of extra blankets. As I was snuggling down onto the not-so-comfortable floor, I couldn't help but feel so blessed. I'm serving in Australia where I have all the comforts of life. I was thinking about Phil in Peru and how he didn't even have water to shower one time. I am so so blessed to be in Australia!

Saying goodbyes to Sister R at the airport.

Tuesday morning we spent a lot of the time helping the RS president in Launceston get a flat ready for the Elders. There haven't been Elders in Launceston for about 10 months so we had to get the flat all cleaned out and furnished, etc. After that we saw a family in the ward and had a lesson and then we helped an old lady do some packing as she is getting ready to move next week. We had dinner with some really wonderful members who had also invited S and D over. S and D are in Tasmania for 4 months studying. They are from Kiribati (pronounced Kiribus) I want to visit Kiribati so badly now! They were such amazing people and have the strongest testimonies! When we finished dinner we went to see a woman and her non-member husband. She is American and grew up in Orem, Utah. Her husband apparently used to want nothing to do with the church but he's opened up a lot in the past few months and the Sisters are starting to teach him which is really cool. When we finished the lesson there, we had to drive out to the airport to pick up the Elders that were flying down from Melbourne. It was SUPER foggy as we drove down and I wondered if the flight might not be able to land. We waited at the airport for about 45 minutes and then they told us that the flight had been circling around Launceston but that they were going back to Melbourne because it was too foggy to land. Ha, so we went to the airport for nothing. The Elders from Devonport and Burnie were also there to pick up their new companions and it was too far of a drive for them to go all the way back that night just to come back to the airport in the morning so we made arrangements for them to stay with a member in Launceston.

Wednesday morning we had a lesson with a less-active member which went really well. I had never met her before but during the lesson I felt such an overwhelming love for her. I love moments like that. I feel like it is a bit of a glimpse of what Heavenly Father feels for each of us. After the lesson we drove out to pick up the Elders. Their flight got in without a problem but then they lost one of the Elders bags so we ended up there for almost an hour extra to try to find the bag. Don't ask me how a bag gets lost just going from Melbourne to Launceston but apparently it does. We finally left with the airline telling us that they would deliver the bag. We dropped off the Elders stuff to their flat and then drove them to the store so they could buy food. Then we had a lesson with a girl named H. She is so sweet. Her fiancé G got home right before we left and he ended up really opening up about his concerns about coming to church but his desire to change and get rid of some of the guilt that he feels. Before we left, he asked if he could say the prayer and it was one of the most beautiful, heart-felt prayers I have ever heard. We had dinner that night with a wonderful couple. Crazy, but he told us that his brother lives in America and works at Mr. Mac! They showed me a picture of him and I am pretty sure I remember him from the store. If I remember right he's a kind of short guy with dark hair. Wednesday night President Maxwell called and did my Ecclesiastical Endorsement over the phone so that's all done and out of the way. I love President Maxwell so much. He always makes me feel so loved and appreciated.

Thursday morning the Launceston sisters did their weekly planning so I had a couple of hours to just do some extra studying. I love the scriptures so much! I am always so grateful when I have some extra time to study them. If there is one thing I have learned on the mission, I have learned to love the scriptures. About noon we left to drive out to the airport to pick up my golden. Her name is Sister H! She's from Arizona and has the same birthday as Phil). After we picked her up we dropped off the Launceston sisters at their flat and we drove back to Deloraine. It's such a beautiful drive. Tasmania is SO PRETTY! When we got back to Deloraine, Sister H unpacked a bit and then we had to go to the store to get groceries since Sister R and I didn't buy anything Monday because we knew we'd be gone most of the week. That night we had dinner with a family in the ward. They are what an Australian would call bogan or as we would say redneck. Seriously, they live on a farm and are just farm people. They have about a billion animals. They have a cockatoo that dances to music which is pretty funny.

Me and my new companion, Sister H!

Friday morning we got up stinking early to go on a quick walk then hurry and get ready to go to Seminary at 6:30. The Bishop has asked us to teach seminary for the next few weeks until they can get a new teacher called. There are only two people that come to seminary but I think it will be good, even if it does mean getting up early every day. Blessings will come for sure. We had morning tea with some members from my last area who were visiting Tasmania! It was so fun to see them! Sister H got to try her first Aussie meat-pie and she loved it! We had a lesson with S that afternoon which went really well. We were able to set a baptismal date with her for June 28th. Sarah is hard though. She has real health issues and we're not sure how to help her. Some days she seems to understand everything and then the next time we go back, she doesn't remember any of it. But we'll just keep working with her and see how things go. After the lesson with S, I took Sister H tracting for her first time. The very first house we knocked on was a woman who said she was a witch and wiggled her fingers at us. Haha it was crazy! We also met a JW man who was 87 years old and tried to tell us we didn't know what we were talking about. I felt bad that he wouldn't listen at all. Friday night we went to the RS activity and brought S. It was a pamper night which was really fun. They had stuff to do facials and pedicures and stuff. It was a really good activity and everyone loved it, especially S.

Meeting for morning tea with members from Mooroolbark (my previous area)

 Saturday afternoon the STLs (Sister Training Leaders) came to visit us quickly before driving back down to Glen Huon (they had been in Launceston doing exchanges with the sisters there). Sister R is a STL down here now which I am so happy about. Seeing her brings me such absolute joy. It was so good to have a little visit from her and Sis. S. The Sisters in this mission are so amazing! After that we went to the Stake President's house and had a lesson with their family. Then we had dinner with J W and her family. J is really my second mum here. I love her so much. And she is an amazing cook!

 

Me and Sister H

Visit from the STLs

Me and Sister R!

Sunday was really good. S came to church and really enjoyed it! Sunday afternoon we did a bit of finding and then went out to Westbury to visit some members and have dinner there. We had dinner with a wonderful family! We visited another family before going home. When we got home, we realized that the phone was gone! We really needed to call in our stats for the week so we went to a member's house that lives just around the corner. We called our district leader from there and then called the houses we had been at to try to find our phone. No luck. We still haven't found it. If we don't find it today, we're going to have to get a new one. It's the craziest thing. Neither one of us can figure out what the heck happened to it.

 

The church in Deloraine

View of the mountains from the church

Yesterday we had district p-day. We all went to Liffey Falls. It was beautiful and a lot of fun! I'll send pictures of it!

District P-Day at Liffey Falls

I am so grateful to be a missionary. Every day I count my blessings to be living here in Tasmania being able to share the gospel that I love so much with those around me. It's amazing.

I love you all heaps!

Love,

Sister Baker xxx

P.S. Sounds like the weather at home is perfect. I'm jealous. It's cold here. 

I am falling in love with family history.... It's addicting! - 06/02/14

Tassie Times

I can't believe it's been another week! Time seriously goes by so fast!

Monday after we emailed we went with our district to a place called Marakoopa Caves. :) It was so cool. Absolutely beautiful caves underground. It was amazing. And there is a part of the cave that is filled with all of these glow worms. It was so cool. Heavenly Father sure does have some beautiful creations here in Tasmania. After that we hiked up Alum Cliffs (the cliffs sister R and I went to before) so that everyone could see. They didn't really know exactly what to expect but they all loved it, especially Elder P. When he got to the top he said, "Oh my gosh. This is amazing. It's a good thing this isn't in my area or else I would never get any missionary work done." Haha it was pretty funny. He didn't want to ever leave. Monday night after p-day was finished we had a good lesson with S. We taught her the apostasy using a picture that the APs showed us at our Zone Conference and it worked really well. It really helps people to understand the need for a restoration and the importance of the priesthood.

 

A weird long-haired freaky cow we saw driving out to the caves.

Our district on P-day

Marakoopa Caves

Me and my companion!

Alum Cliffs

At top of Alum Cliffs

Tuesday morning we had our last district meeting of the transfer. We had a really good training on obedience using the story of Samson in Judges. Read it and notice how his small actions of disobedience ultimately caused his downfall. It was really interesting. After our meeting we all had lunch together. Sister R and I brought the American Pancake mix from our flat and everyone else brought toppings. It was really fun. That afternoon we went to our regular Tuesday appointments. We had a good lesson with Nana Trixie and a good lesson with the less active family. That night we had dinner with a part member couple in the ward. She is a member and he is not. We showed them the Mormon message Earthly Father Heavenly Father and the spirit was so strong. I hope we can get them both coming to church soon!

 

Last district meeting of this transfer!

Wednesday afternoon we had lunch with our new ward mission leader. He is so wonderful. He really has a vision for the work and wants to be really involved. He is what every ward needs. A good ward mission leader helps the work so much. After that we stopped in to see C and her kids. We keep just having to stop by when we are in their area because they are so busy that we can't really set appointments. They were getting ready to leave so we didn't have time for a lesson but it was good to be able to contact them. That evening we went to G and L's for dinner. They are investigators that I told you about my first week here. We haven't been able to have a lesson with them for a long time. But a member works with him and they talk about church things almost every day. We had a really good lesson Wednesday night and he had a few light bulb moments which was really good. And she is getting more involved with the lessons which is awesome.

Thursday morning we were at the family history center and I've been able to connect a few more dots in my family tree. I am falling in love with family history. For years I have felt guilty during general conference when they talked about family history because I wasn't doing it. But now I love it and I wish I could do more of it. It's addicting. I've been studying the Doctrine and Covenants this week and in section 127 I noticed that as Joseph Smith is giving instructions he doesn't say baptisms for the dead but he says baptisms for your dead. Also this morning I was reading Elder Cook's most recent general conference talk about family history. He also talks about the obligation we have to not only do temple work but to do temple work for our own ancestors. I don't want to be a preachy, soap-box missionary but I'm going to be a little bit. If you're not doing family history work, do it. Go to a family history library, watch the online tutorials and get involved in it. I can promise you that it will bring you so much joy.

Thursday afternoon we were going to do some tracting. The second house that we knocked on a woman said from behind the door, "who is it?" we said it's the missionaries! And she opened right up. Turns out that she has been taught before and knows a lot of the members well. She invited us right in. She's from Nigeria. We were able to have a really good lesson with her and we have a return appointment for this week which I'm really excited about!

Friday morning we got up at 6:00 to go walking with S. She really needs to get out of her house more so we are going to walk with her about once a week in the morning. We had a flat inspection by the real estate people that day so we got the flat nice and clean. When the lady got there, she came in for all of about 2 minutes and said that it looked good and then she left. I didn't know that qualifies as an inspection but whatever. That afternoon we did some more tracting with a little bit of success. Funny thing though-- we talked to one guy who was wearing a Yankees hat and a Dodgers shirt. And he didn't even know what either of them were. Haha.

Saturday morning we had another lesson with S. She had her two little kids there so it was a bit crazy but we were able to read a chapter of the Book of Mormon with her. Sister R and I both had terrible colds on Saturday so we were at the flat for a bit of the afternoon trying to get feeling better. Good news was by yesterday morning I felt pretty much as good as new.

Sunday was really good. G and L both came to church for the full three hours. I love Fast Sundays and hearing people bear their testimonies. I wasn't at all planning on bearing my testimony but when the spirit prompts, you have to follow. I am so grateful for the many many opportunities I have as a missionary to bear my testimony and share the things that I know with others. As I share simple truths that I have known my whole life, my own testimony is deepened and strengthened.

Another thing, we got transfer news on Saturday night. I didn't know at all what to expect. They called and told us that Sister R would be leaving and I would be staying. AND that I will be training again. I was shocked. I didn't expect at all to train again. But I'm looking forward to it. In a way, training is like a fresh slate. You get a brand new missionary who knows nothing about you and I get to show her exactly what kind of missionary I am and want to be. I am really looking forward to digging in with my golden, being exactly obedient and working hard.

Sister R flies out tonight and my golden won't get here until Wednesday night so I will be spending the next few days with the Launceston sisters which I'm looking forward to.

I love being a missionary. I want to use every second of the time that I have left to its fullest. Time is going way too fast. I love it here. I never want it to end.

Even though they scare me, Australia has the most beautiful birds!

Love you all heaps!

Sister Baker xxx

Man, I wish I knew more about family history. - 05/26/14

Tassie Times

Well, this week we had such good week!!

On Monday we went with one of the most awesome members in the ward into Launceston. We wanted to go grocery shopping there because the cheaper store is there and we only have the more expensive one in Deloraine. We saved so much money being able to go there which was awesome. And you should have seen our cart—it was full of nothing but healthy food. Seriously, everything was so healthy. The most unhealthy thing there was bread. Ha, so that was good. We also went to one of my favourite clothes shops in Australia—Rivers. I got a whole new really cute outfit. I love it so much that I decided that I would wear it to Zone Conference and then put it away and save it to be my coming home outfit. :)

Monday night we had dinner with the Stake President and their family. They are such wonderful people who really live the gospel. I love them. After that we had a lesson with S. She has some real health challenges. As we were with her, I felt so much love for her. We are trying to help her to feel the spirit and understand that she is a daughter of God.

Tuesday morning we were helping in the family history center. Sometimes I feel so bad because I don't know how to answer people's questions. But I'm slowly learning and figuring things out. After family history a YSA girl came to pick us up. She was chauffeuring us around for the day because our car was getting repaired/serviced. We spent a bit of the afternoon doing some tracting. Then we saw cute Nana Trixie and had a lesson about the spirit and the light of Christ. Then we went to go teach the boy who we are helping to get ready for baptism. They had forgotten about the appointment and the dad had taken the kids somewhere but the mum was home and let us in. She was having a really rough day and needed someone to just listen so it was good to be able to do that for her. Tuesday night we had dinner with a cute older couple in the ward. Haha G is 88 and is hilarious. I love older people, they're so cute. :)

Wednesday was such a good day! We went on exchanges with the Sister Training Leaders, Sister R and Sister S. I got to be with Sister Roberts the whole day which was really great. :) We did a fair bit of tracting in the morning and we met some good potentials. Then we had a lesson with S. She was having a really bad day and when we got to her house. We sang some hymns which seemed to really help her mood. I feel like I've been taking the role of a listener a lot lately which has been good. I know that the Savior would do the same thing--just sit and listen to people. After our lesson with S we saw a cute Filipino lady in the ward. Then we visited C and her kids and had a quick lesson about prophets. Then we went to a house for dinner.

  

Thursday morning the Zone Leaders came with us to S's house to give her a blessing and also to bless her home. It was perfect. Sarah felt the Spirit so strongly. After they left we were able to read the Book of Mormon with her and the spirit was so strong.

Thursday afternoon we went to go visit a less active young mum in the ward. They live kind of up on the hill. It poured rain while we were there and got really muddy. When we went to leave, our car got stuck in the mud... It's a good thing that her fiancé was there to get us unstuck. Haha, cause if not, I have no idea what we would have done. That night we had the first ward council with the new bishop which was really good. The ward here is so great. They are going to give S home and visiting teachers even though she's not a member yet so that she has some support.

Friday we spent most of the day at Zone Conference. Have I mentioned before how much I love meetings? Well, I love them. The Zone Conference was so good. I felt so inspired and received a lot of revelation. I'll share a few of my favorite thoughts:

• A friend is someone who accepts you the way you are but doesn't leave you the way they found you.
• The war we fought in heaven is continued here on earth--President Maxwell is commander who knows what to do and how to do it. He knows how to keep us safe and how to win the war.
• Ether 3:1-6. Our investigators can be likened unto the stones. We need to prepare them so that they can be touched by the Lord.
• Regret test-- if I choose to do this now, will I regret it tomorrow, next week, next year, etc.?
• Help your companion to be obedient. Does it really matter if they are annoyed? Will they still be annoyed in the Celestial Kingdom?
• The adversary is doing everything in his power to bind us under the name of freedom.
• Become a "YES MAN." Help and serve the members at any opportunity.
• Own doorsteps. Smile. Remember that everyone you meet is 10% less comfortable than you are.
• "Difficulties are just things to overcome after all." -Ernest Shackleton. (look him up. He has an incredible story. I don't have time to tell it now.)
• "The Lord you represent and serve knows you can do this and He will help you."-Elder Bednar
• If we are quiet and peaceful, we will realize the Lord has been walking in our areas.

I could go on and on. It was such a good conference. I am so grateful for the wonderful leaders we have in this mission, especially President and Sister Maxwell. President Maxwell gives me the best advice and counsel. It was exactly what I needed. Heavenly Father knows me and is so aware of me.

Saturday was a busy day full of work and a bunch of tracting with which we had some good success. We met an aboriginal man who is about 70. We invited him to come to church. He was keen to come so we arranged a ride for him. We were actually quite surprised when he actually came to church. Haha he was wearing a t-shirt that said, "Hot as Hell" which I found so funny. It took everything in me not to crack up laughing. He stayed for almost all of church which was good. Haha but we did find out that he has been to church twice before and he doesn't remember it at all. And that he's an alcoholic. So we'll see how things go trying to teach him.

We've been really trying to apply the things we learned at zone conference, especially about being able to help the members at any opportunity. We've had two really good opportunities so far. Friday night our appointment fell through so we stopped by the chapel to make copies of fliers for an upcoming ward activity. A family in the ward was just getting there to clean the chapel and we were able to help them clean the whole building. As we were leaving, they gave us a really solid referral. We had another opportunity last night. We went to a part-member family's house for dinner. We got there and I picked up their little teacup-poodle who is so cute and I love so much. They said that the dog really needed a bath so we offered to do it and gave the dog a bath and then blow dried her. And we got another really solid referral from them which was really good!

We had such a good week. We taught 27 lessons which is more than I think I've ever had in Australia. We are finding more people to build our teaching pool. Things are going really well. I love being a missionary so much!

I love you all heaps and heaps!

Love,

Sister Baker xxx