Week 25--HELLOOOOOO💖💖💖

Hello!!

This week was great!!! As per usual!! We had a week full of blessings, funny stories, and crazy people!!! My favorite kind of week!!!

This week we meant with Samson again!! And he is so amazing guys!!! Legitimately amazing!!!! He found the I'm a Mormon messages and wanted to make one haha!!! So he did! It's awesome!! I'll send it to you!! And we talked about missionary work!! He wants to go on a mission so bad!! But is so nervous cause he says that when he is in front of two people, like me and sister Cressler, he can share his testimony but when
there is more he gets afraid!! But we explained how strong his
testimony really is!! So we will keep working on that!!!

We went over to Amir's!! He has family over to help take care of him while he is healing cause of his foot and they have a teenage son. And it was so funny! During sister Cressler's prayer (really loud) thriller from Michael Jackson came on, on his big surround sound system thing!! And it was so funny I was trying so hard not to laugh during the prayer!! And then he turned Ellen on which didn't really make sense cause the kid only spoke Persian so he had no idea what she was saying!! So like she would say some thing funny in the background of us talking and they wouldn't laugh cause they didn't know what she was saying! But luckily he turned that off! Then like 10 minutes later, while we were talking, even louder, Candy Shop by 50 cent came on!! Hahaha and Amir was like ohhh I love 50 cent!! Do you know this song?! And sister Cressler and I just look at each other and say uhh ya! Can we chose a song now?? And we turned on Glorious by David Archuleta haha!!! We explained he was a member of our church and served a mission in Argentina! But then they wanted to turn some more 50 cent on so we asked if they could turn it off till we left! Haha but they fed us some food from Iran and it was the weirdest meat I've ever eaten!!! I literally have no idea what I ate!! It could have been a dog for all I know!!

We talked to so many people on the bahns and busses this week!! It was so cool!! We only got turned down and had to sit there awkwardly for 15 minutes like 4 times!! It was really cool!!! Sometimes I don't get why when people have time, they can't just listen to what we have to say... It really makes no sense to me!! Your literally sitting there in silence not doing anything for 20 minutes anyway... Just listen to me!!! It's worth it!!! Like the other day we were walking home from the church and we have to walk down this pretty path way for like 15 minutes of it and there was this guy and I started talking to him and he goes "oh sorry no time!" And he literally walked in front of us the whole time... Excuse me sir, you had at least 15 minutes!! Ya liar! 
But that's okay cause people like that make the people who do listen 10X better!!!  Like this guy Ben was way cool and he sat down in front of us and we started talking to him and casually brought up the church and he said he's not super religious and when we asked if he had interest is learning more about our Church he was just like "hmmm why not!" And now we are meeting with him later this week!!!

Oh my goodness coolest thing happened!!!! So on Sunday we were leaving church and we usually walk home, but this day I was being a tiny bit lazy and wanted to take the bus home... Even though it takes a little longer. But we did and we got to the Bonhof and we saw Frank!! Little back story, we used to meet with Frank a while ago and it was going really well but all of a sudden he stopped answering our phone calls then everytime we called his phone, our phone would just hang up! We figured he didn't want to hear from us anymore and blocked us!! It was really sad cause he was really progressing!! But then we saw Frank and I was like no freaking way!! And we walked up to him and he was so happy to see us!! I asked him where he has been and he goes why do you stop calling me?! And I was what they heck?! We used to call you every day! You stopped answering! And he explained his phone broke and he has a new number! So he gave us the new number but our bus got there and we had to go! And as we were driving away I tried to call his phone and he gave us the wrong number and we were so disappointed! But I had the strongest feeling I typed it in wrong and we had to go back!! I fought it a little but told sister Cressler and she agreed and we got off the on the next bus stop and walked back and he was still there and I said, "sorry I think I typed it in wrong can I have it again!" And he was like ya!! And I did type it in wrong and we were able to make an appointment with him!!! I'm so excited!!

This week, cause we have no money literally haha, we cooked! And it turns out I can actually cook! This week we barbecued some chicken and sausages that a member gave us! We made cheesy potatoes and grilled chicken again and had vegetables!! Not to brag but I'm a pretty good cook!!!

So a while ago, like my first transfer we went over to Cicillia's, a
less active, house for dinner and while we were there a man came over and was so excited to be in the same room as Americans. He was literally so excited and said that he loves America, Americans, and anything from there and it's his dream to go there! So I thought wow this guy a little crazy but way nice!! But to be honest I kinda just forgot about him! But this week we were eating at Cicillia's again and on our way there we heard a man yell out the window "AMERICANS PLEASE COME UP HERE WHEN YOUR DONE!!" So Sister Cressler and I just look at each other and are like okay!! Haha but we ate at Cicillia's and told her and she got so excited and walked us up there and stayed for a little and introduced us to his family! He has a wife and one son!! And then she had to go so she left us!! And I wasn't exactly sure
where this was going to go... Like did he want to just talk about
America or what? But then he goes "so your here for a church and I
want to hear about it, my wife and son are Muslim but I am a Christian and I want to hear about your church" and we were so excited and we talked about our church and his son is totally interested to! It was an amazing spiritual experience!!! The spirit was so strong in the room!! And you can see that him and his son felt it!! I'm so excited to go back!!!

That's so fun for Jace!! And oh my goodness Gage's dives
are so stinkin good!! Go Gager!!!! And that's so fun about the hotel!! I want pictures of that too!! Haha

LOVE YOU!!!!!
TALK TO YOU LATER!!!!!!!!
💖💖💖💖💖💖

Sister Baker

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Us & The Famile Flickert!!

The dinner I made!  Not very cute, but is was yummy!!

Mine & Samson's relationship...He is annoys me like a freakin little brother!!

 

This is Kofi!!!  He was baptized this Saturday!

This means 'Companion' in German!

Week 24--Hellooooo💖💖

Hey!!!!

This week was amazing as usual! Never a bad week here is Germany!! The weather was pretty cold again! We had to bring out our big jackets again and tights and boots!! How disappointing!! It's may!!!! I should be freakin sweating! Not shivering!! But closer to the end of the week it was warmer!!! Actually now that I think about it it got pretty warm!! Like I think around 75 but I'm not sure exactly in Fahrenheit!! So I won't actually complain!!!

This week something super cool happened!! So the past couple of weeks our lessons have been pretty slow cause a lot of our investigators just don't really care! And they will bale on us last minute or just not show up or turn their phone off when we are supposed to be meeting and it's been kinda hard on us!!! And on Thursday it happened again! And Sister Cressler and I were kinda sick of it! And we decided to do the missionary thing and pray!! And we asked Heavenly Father for help and blah blah blah!! Then literally like 6 minutes later we get a phone call and it's this guy!! And I answer it like usual and say like, "hallo hier ist sister baker!" And he was like uhh wrong number sorry!!
And I told him it was fine and said well I'm a missionary for my
church... and he asked where I was from and I told him America and he was like "what and you know German?!!" And I said yes and we started talking a little and I explained what we do as missionaries and he said he had to go so he could call the right number but asked if we could please call back because he wants to hear what we have to say!!!! How cool!!! We are super excited for that!!! I'll keep you updated!!

Oh my goodness everyone!!! Amir was in the hospital all week!!! He fell long boarding and he broke both the bones in his leg, like completely and he needed surgery!!! How crazy!! We went to go visit him and he is such a trooper!!!!
He said his scar will be gnarly!! Not exactly sure on the translation of those words but pretty much!! And we were able to talk about temples with him and he made us show him a picture of every temple in the world hahaha!!

And we met with Samson, of course!! And he's amazing!!! He bore his testimony to us finally without realizing it!! He explained how happy he has been since he was baptized and how he is just always smiling!!
And something crazy...was him and his brother got in this huge argument after his dad died and they haven't spoken in a couple years, I guess. But a week after Samson was baptized his brother called him and they talked everything out and he says his family is finally coming together!!! Isn't it so cool how much this gospel can bless your life!!!

Okay now some great news... Guys I'm famous here in Germany!! I made it in a news paper!! No big deal! Remember the atheist I told you about? Marek!! Well he wasn't super interested in the church but way interested in missionary work!!!! And he interviewed us!!! He thought it was super cool that we would leave home for 18-24 months and talk to people about God and do missionary work every single day!! (You would think he would want to learn what we have to say but no...At least not yet!!) but he sent us the news paper and it's actually way cool!!!! A good way to get the word out I guess!!! So congrats fam your girl is famous!!

Oh my goodness the most amazing thing happened this week on
Saturday!!! So to start, for 6 weeks now I've been calling this number in our phone, Alvi, for our deutsch course every Friday! And ever time the guy who answers will say something about how he can't come and then something else way fast that I couldn't really understand but I kept calling him anyway!! Now fast forward to Saturday!! Sister Cressler and I were at Bochum hbf waiting for a guy Alvin to meet us, but getting stood up! Then we saw Godwin and his friends...so we went over, expecting to have a great conversation but ended up getting kinda bible bashed by a bunch of Africans!! I swear they just kept coming!! And what they were saying didn't make any sense but I had nothing to say back!! I was speechless!! Hahaha But, then Alvi called and said I'm at Bochum hbf where are you? Oh I see you! And walked over and it was the most swagged out, spiffy, black man I've ever seen!! He was in an off white suit, with white shoes with a gold trim and fancy glasses, with one ear pierced! Literally coolest guy ever!! And we started talking and he asked if we could please find a place to sit!! So he took us to a fancy bar and said not to worry he knows we don't drink, and that they have cola there haha!! And we sat and he told us how he used to meet with missionaries awhile ago but they left and the missionaries just moved on I guess!! And he forgot about the church but all of a sudden I started calling him every Friday and it started getting him thinking again so he started reading his Book of Mormon again and said he wants to schedule time where we have time to answer all his questions!!! Apparently every time I called he was saying he couldn't come cause he has work and he doesn't know why I keep calling about a German course cause he speaks German!! Hahahaha turns out I need the German course!! But he's wayyyy cool!! I'm so excited!!!

Did you guys know that there is a thing here kinda like comicom but with board games? Ya neither did I! But there is!! Like legit!! We were on our way to teach Joanna English and her mom called and said that she wasn't home but was at the Kulturzentrum kinda like a cultural center! And we figured we would just teach her English there!! But we got there and there were sooo many people!!! And we were like what the heck??  So we walked to the ticket guys and asked what it was and he started speaking super fast German.. And we like uhhhhh what? And he said in kinda English here this gets you in to watch! And sis Cressler and I just look at each other and say watch what?! And we walk through the doors and there are board games everywhere!!! And grown adult men, women and a few children getting way into board games and throwing out some nasty words and it was way intense!!! But we found her and turns out her mom just wanted us to say hi hahaha!! But now I can say I went to a board game convention in Germany!!!

But oh my goodness!! I can't believe that about Jace and Riggs!!! I'm so glad that are okay!!!! That's so scary!!! But good job Jace!!
Thinking quick!! What a Boy Scout!!
Well I love you all sooo much and will talk to you soon!!!!!💖💖💖
Love sister baker

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The one time I do personal study and the couch...hahahaha!  Oops

Our last 1.20 and it got stuck!!!!!  hahahaha

 

Sunday night after studies!

Week 23

HELLLOOOOO💖💖💖

Oh my goodness this week was all over the place!! It just flew by!!
We had so many amazing experiences!!! This week we met with this guy Yashar finally!! A couple weeks ago we went to a place called Recklinghausen, to meet with this guy, and that place isn't very close and takes a lot of time to get there. So when we got there and the guy just didn't show up we weren't very happy but we had about 30 minutes till our next bus back and we decided to contact for a little. We talked with this guy who seemed super cool but every time we called to meet with him he was always busy and couldn't meet so we started to figure he wasn't that interested!! But this week we finally had a chance to meet!! And to be honest at first we thought he thought it was a date cause he brought a friend and asked us to go to this super nice buffet restaurant!! But don't worry it wasn't!! He told us this amazing story how he used to be Muslim but he had cancer and was told he was going to die! But he was told about Jesus Christ and the first time he really prayed he said one sentence "God please help me"... and he had surgery the next day and they were able to get 99% of the cancer out and he says he knows it's because of Jesus Christ and said he will live his life living like Jesus Christ!! And he left Iran cause his family wanted to kill him for switching his religion to Christianity but said he couldn't deny it!! And he is so excited that we have a book that is another testament of Jesus Christ!!  How amazing!!

I've seriously just learned so much this week!! Just about how much God truly loves all his children individually!! And that he answers prayers!! I have prayed more on my mission than I ever have in my entire life!! And I've gained such a strong testimony that God truly will answer your prayers, just maybe not in the way you thought he would!! For example we always meet with this less active family and they have such strong testimonies but they don't come to church and don't keep commandments and just don't really care right now! But I can't stop thinking about them!! Because I know personally how much this gospel truly blessed you by being obedient and I know that all the problems they are having can really be resolved by coming back to church and obedience!! And I've been praying like crazy for them or to find a way to help them and nothing has happened and nothing has stood out to me to tell them!! But the other day we were at Amir's house and we were planning to teach one of the lessons but I had the strongest feeling to share this video on the priesthood instead! So I did a complete 180 on sister Cressler, without even warning her (hahaha), and I showed the video. The member that was there with us shared this beautiful story about when he gave a blessing to a man and how he needed to work for his family but he had broken his arm and couldn't provide for them and he got a priesthood blessing and his arm was legit healed the next day! His story was way more beautiful! ...but then the less active husband turned to me and said it was beautiful!  So now I am definitely going to talk about the priesthood next with the less active family and hopefully it will help remind them the literal blessing we can get!!!!

So I've been studying about missionary work a lot and read this
kinda talk/letter thing and it was amazing!!! And it made me realize
the importance of being a fully concentrated missionary and really
giving everything to the mission!! A part of it was I think that President David O. McKay  once said something like this: "The greatest battles you  will ever fight will be  within the silent chambers  of your  heart"  I love that!!! That is the battleground  between what  you want and what the Lord wants. If you surrender, if the  Lord wins,  you  win also. However, if you win,  if your will prevails, you and the Lord both lose. The only  way to win is to  lose. Lose  yourself in the Lord's  work, and you will  win beyond  your wildest imaginations! isn't that amazing!!!!! It really opened my eyes to how important is it go truly give 100% to Heavenly Father and if you think about it 18 months isn't a big deal to win beyond your wildest imagination!!

Okay so now that I just talked about how important it is to fully consecrate yourself as a missionary I have an amazing story for you!!! It's about poop! So sister Cressler and I were doing comp study and all of a sudden she just gets up and runs out of the room yelling "it's descending!!" And ran into the bathroom and shut the door!! And about 5 minutes later she just started laughing sooo hard (still in the bathroom) and yells, "sister baker!!" I walk over to the bathroom and she is just cracking up!! I ask her why she's laughing (quick side note... the toilet here has something the elders call a trophy shelf because it a little shelf with a hole at the end so when you poop you can see your "trophy") so then she said "sister baker!! When I pooped my poop looked like a legit seal (then she tried to make her body look like a seal) and when I flushed it it just started swimming around the trophy shelf and wouldn't go down!! Come look!!" HAHAHAHAHAH I love my companion sooooo much!!!!!!

Oh and p-day was really cool we went to this mid evil festival and it was way fun!! There were people jousting and it was all out!!!! Well I'm doing amazing!!! This week was great!!! I love you all so much!! I'm glad Fred is loving it in New York!! They are all lucky cause I miss your cookies so much!!!!! That's amazing you guys are almost done with school!!! Summer vacation is always fun!! Go to a beach for me!!! Talk to you soon!!!!! LOVE YOU!!!!!! XOXOXOOX
Sister Baker💖💖

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These are our cool new friends that wanted to take a picture with us cause we are American!

My other cool friend who's breath burned my eyes!

She bought me a cactus cause she thought of me cause I am from Arizona...so now it is sitting on my desk! 

Week 22

Hello 😊😊😊

Family!!!!!
Oh my goodness!! It was amazing skyping you yesterday!!! It was so nice seeing all your beautiful faces and hearing your voices and just having a conversation with you guys!!!! It made my next 8 months till Christmas!!!! Hahaha!!

This week was really good though!!! It felt way long but it was super good!!! One of the days we had planned to do service for this less active in our ward Schwester Reusch and she lives as far away as you can get in our area pretty much but there is like one place further!!
And so we left that day pretty open cause it would take forever and a half to get there!! But she called the morning of and said that we
couldn't come cause she was sick! So we didn't really know what to do cause the day was wide open and we decided to look up the referral we got from the office! And she happened to live the one place further than sch Reusch haha!! But we went anyway!! So it took us an hour and a half to get to the bus stop then like 30 more minutes to find her house and she was in Mexico on vacation till June haha...but her mom said she would give her the Book of Mormon for us!! But the cool part happened on the way home!! We were walking back to the bus stop and we were talking in German together and this guy asked us where were from... he thought Switzerland... so our German must have sounded pretty good! But
we started talking and he said he's not religious but wouldn't mind
learning more!! Then we realized our bus tickets wouldn't work where we were and we had to get money for tickets so we walked to the near by hospital to try to find an atm but it was broken...But we were able to talk to the lady working at the front desk and she wasn't interested but we were able to share a message and a card with her!!!
Then we met another guy on the bus and then on the other bus so we have like 5 more investigators!!! All because one person fell out!! Weird blessings right?!!!

So it's legal to pee in public here... Like anywhere! And we were
teaching a lesson outside cause it felt wonderful!! And we were at the library sitting on the weird circle bench brick things and we were teaching Samson and he kinda stopped listening and started laughing and I turn around and there was a man JUST PEEING RIGHT BEHIND US!!!!! Like literally right behind us!! And wasn't trying to hind anything or be discreet he was just drunk and all out!! At least go in an alley way! So gross!!! Germany needs to get more bathrooms and it will fix that problem!! Or make them free!!!!! It's a simple fix!

We met with these two brother Dalintin and Babs! And they are so
amazing!! When we met with them they told us they were Muslim and said they just wanted to hear what we have to say so we taught them the restoration and really focused on prophets and the Book of Mormon and it was an amazing spiritual lesson and it was so cool every question they had we just knew what to say and they were so open and at the end Babs said "do you think I should switch from Muslim to Christianity?"
And of course in my head I was like OH MY GOSH YESSSSSSS!! But on the outside I was like well that's not up to me! It's important for you to read the Book of Mormon and pray and ask God yourself! And he was so genuine and said he really wants to know for himself if what we are saying is true!! And we were walking out he asked if we had a problem with drinking and smoking and I was like well crap! And I said yes and kinda explained it to him and he said he would stop right then and there!! How cool!!!

We went to a baseball game this week!! We saw a guy wearing baseball pants on the bahn and we thought that's not very common so we should use it as a contacting method and did and it turned out really good!!
We got invited to a baseball game that Saturday and a barbecue!! And he said there would be a ton of people there we could talk to! So we thought "well perfect"!! So we went! But there were like 10 people there and no barbecue so we only stayed for 5 minutes and left haha!! But it was fun for that 5 minutes!!! But the guy is cool and we will meet with him later this week!!

Pday was great! Sister Cressler and I just went shopping and hung out in the city!! We planned on going to a barbecue with the elders but sister Cressler wanted me to color her hair so we didn't get there is time but that's okay!! We had so much fun!! And not to brag but I did really good on her hair!!! But, then again, I had a lot of practice bleaching all the guys hair in high school hahaha!!

Well I'm doing great!! Just doing missionary work and loving
Germany!!! It was so nice seeing everyone! Even Colten, Gunner and Jordan in New York!! I'm glad everyone is doing good!! Miss you all and talk to you later!!

Love,
Sister Baker💖💖💖

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Week 21

Mondayyyyyyy ❤️

Hey!!!!!

This weekend started off kinda weird cause the bus and bahn drivers were on strike on Tuesday... and it was freezing and raining and hailing and snowing... all at once and we were soaking but had to walk everywhere!! We had service at Lebenshilfe and had to walk all the way but it was worth it cause I seriously love it there!! The people are so sweet!!! And we went at the perfect time cause they had to do there relaxing exercise!! And they said we had to do it with them!!! "Had" and they put comfy mats on the ground and we lay down and turn off all the lights but one lamp and have soft music and the lady reads a book and we all just lay there! Guys it was beautiful!!

That same day while we were walking we ran into this guy Henry!! It was so cool! He used to meet with missionaries in Italy but when the government made him move to Switzerland he lost contact and couldn't find missionaries anywhere and then moves to Germany and couldn't find them here either!! But now he has and is so excited to meet with us!!! It's so cool great how God prepares people!!!

So I don't know if you remember Ardalon?? He was the referral from the office!! The one who lived in a crappy apartment where the clingal didn't work and when he opened the door a cloud of weed came out with him! So we met with him and you will never guess what happened!!! We set a baptismal date with him!!!!! How exciting!!! He was saying that everything we say makes sense and he can feel something different when he reads the Book of Mormon than when he reads other books!! I explained to him that he would have to stop smoking weed and he said it was going to be really hard cause he's been doing it since he was 14 but he will try!! I told him that if he stopped smoking weed I would stop eating chocolate for 20 days!!! It's been like 5 days and it's probably the hardest thing I've ever done in my entire life!!!!
 
But I really feel what it feels like to give something up!! We have
chocolate all over our apartment and I'm always so tempted and I think, well no one would know! But then I think wait no he could be thinking that too!!! And it's weird!! So I haven't had chocolate for 5 days! Pray for me🙏🏻

Oh my goodness I feel like I've been super leaving Amir out of my
emails!! He's still amazing as ever!!! We went over to his house this
week!! And he is just wonderful!! He is great member!! And an amazing member missionary!!! He gets to people we can't!! Like at camps!! But it's hard cause we can't teach people who live at camps so that sucks...but hey go Amir!!! And they are all in Essen!!! So the Essen sisters are super grateful!! A girl Mina wants to get baptized so bad!!!! It's awesome seeing people who never had this, then have it, and just want o share it with everyone!!! And when we were at Amir's house he was going off on how he's getting old and needs to find a women soon!! And I asked about Mina and he said "oh silly sister I want an American girl" but in German so it was super funny!! All I said was "well it's going to be a little difficult to find an American girl in Germany but don't worry God has a plan for you!" And his mom goes "that's why he
needs your help sister baker... find him an American women!!" Hahaha!!!! I had no idea what to say so that's when I was like wellllllll we have a spiritual thought for you guys!! Hahaha 

I love him and his family!!!!

So I don't know if I told you about a guy named Nick that we ran into a while ago, but we finally met with him!! He's an older German man! But not like "old old" but like dads age old!! And I was little nervous at first because I had no idea how it was going to go cause when we ran into him we could tell it would either go kinda bad and he was going to argue or pretty good and he would let us talk! But let me tell ya, it went great!!! So we started and he speaks SOOOOOO fast and stutters so it was extremely hard to understand but I did understand that he has looked up a lot of our religion on the internet and has a lot of specific, in depth, deep questions and I was so nervous to have to answer those, let alone in German so I prayed in my head and was like okay
Heavenly Father I really need your help right now!!!! And all of a
sudden he says, in perfect English, "shall we speak English?" And I was like we don't have to!! I can speak German...but he just started talking in English and I was so grateful!! But he's actually really cool cause he does know a lot about the church and is so open to learning from us and says he will put everything he has read aside and start with a clean slate!! He loves the idea of our church and our personal relationship with God and that we don't follow him cause we are scared of him but because we love him!! He came to church today on Sunday and the ward was pleased cause he spoke German! But he loved it!! And I guess he was asking members if they wore the "magic underwear" hahaha

Well this week was so good!! It sounded like you guys had so much
fun!!! I'm so jealous!!!! I'm glad Colten made it to New York
safely!!! He's probably going to have so much fun!!!! I bet Gage had a blast!!!!! I miss you all soooo much and will talk to you soon!!!!!

Sister Baker❤️❤️

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Her first ever double chin!!

💖💖

 

 

Elder Kenley jumped in a puddle to get us wet and it just made him look like he pee'd/pooped himself!!