So Elder Thomas, Elder Sharp, and I took on the Merritt Island area this week and it was so awesome! As we were planning for the day, we realized that one of our bikes is broken so Elder Thomas asks, “Sooooo, we hoofing it today?” Hahaha so we just walked the whole day on our good ol’ Lamborfeeties. It was so much fun honestly, I loved walking! We first walked to meet this lady named Jennifer. She was a referral and lived in this apartment complex that literally looked like prison. The doors are all locked from the outside and it was just super ghetto. We had to call her and have her come down and open the door for us just to get into the complex and then walk up to her room. As we were in her apartment, we heard some yelling in the hall. It escalated real fast out there, stuff was going down. We could hear two people yelling at each other some really mean things to say the least and we could hear beating and slapping. One of them yelled, “She’s holding me hostage! Help, I can’t breathe!” We weren’t about to go out in the hall in case they had weapons or anything so we called the cops. We continued the lesson and it was great! As we were leaving, we ran into the cops and they talked to us and as we were talking, Jennifer just interrupts the cop and says, “Yeah, I’m with these guys. I’m trying to join the Mormon church. I know I’m crazy! Hahah” It was so funny because the cop just looked at her and was just so confused and moved on. We had to give a statement and everything. So that’s my prison story of the week! After this, we went to a much nicer apartment complex and just knocked about every single door in the complex for hours. We had no plans so we literally knocked doors for the rest of the day, it was a lot of fun! Elder Thomas and Elder Sharp are such studs and great leaders and examples to me. I loved just being around both of these awesome missionaries. I was grateful to just soak everything in that they said and I learned so much by working with them both. It was a great extended exchange this week.
On Tuesday night, we had a packed schedule starting with dinner with an awesome family in our ward. We called them to confirm and ask what time dinner was and they were freaking out and eventually told us in a round about way that they forgot they were having us over and would have to cancel because something came up. It was all good though, we just rescheduled for the next night! Haha well when we showed up the next day at their house, the father met us outside of the front door and told us what had happened. They had just picked up a friend of theirs the night before named Starla. Starla just left her fiancé because of some really rough situations that she’s been in. She has been having a really hard time and this family was nice enough to go pick her up and let her live with them until she gets back on her feet. We all had dinner together and had a great time talking over dinner. Then we moved in to the living room and had one of the best discussions led by the spirit ever. We read from the Book of Mormon and taught Starla. The spirit touched her so strongly. She was just crying and wiping tears the whole time. She felt strongly the love from her Heavenly Father this night. We testified of the Book of Mormon and how reading it every day can change your life. We then gave Starla her own copy of the Book of Mormon and she graciously accepted. As we prayed and specifically blessed her and her situation, she started bawling again. She thanked us and expressed that this is exactly what she needed to hear.
We helped Pamela and Laura a lot this week and it was awesome. So back story, let’s rewind a few weeks ago when we first met the sisters Pamela and Laura. They moved into a hotel room because they had absolutely nothing to their name. They are sisters who both came from similar situations. They both left their relationship they were in because they were both being abused. They got together and moved into a hotel because they could not get an apartment anywhere. They didn’t have a lot of food or clothes obviously. They were completely starting a new life together at 60 years old. They started coming to church as Laura is a member but Pamela is not. They also sought out us missionaries and we started teaching them. On the first lesson, Elder Sharp shared with them the scriptures 3 Nephi 13:31-33. It says, “Therefore take no thought, saying What shall we eat? or What shall we drink? or Wherewithal shall we be clothed? For your Heavenly Father knoweth that ye need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” He promised them both that if they did this and made coming to church and reading the Book of Mormon a priority in their new life that they will find a place to live and will get the food they need to keep going. Well, they have been to church every time since and we met with them Saturday night and they are quitting smoking and reading the Book of Mormon together. They were happy to tell us that they just found out they got a new apartment and move in Monday!!! They are recognizing the blessings and the path that God is preparing for them! This really strengthened my testimony that God knows every one of his children and loves them SO much.
I leave for India in 8 days and it still doesn’t seem real! I’ll be so sad to leave the people I’ve met and have grown to love here in Florida. On the other hand, I am very excited to finally go to India and love the people there! It still hasn’t hit me yet that I’ll be on the other side of the world in a week and a half. I am so grateful for this gospel of Jesus Christ. I am so grateful to see how it has blessed me and my family. My family has been so amazing since I left and I can see the blessings because of it. I love every single one of them and want to thank them for all they do for me! My mom and dad are the literal best parents in the whole world, I love them so much! I love my siblings Breanna, Bryson, and Brinley. They are the best. Also, I want to give a special shoutout to my little sister Brinley because it’s her birthday today!! And of course, I’m extremely grateful for my amazing girlfriend Ellie. She is and has always been so good to me and I love her! You all are just the best! Being a missionary is the best, I love it so much!
Love, Elder Baker
The most legendary exchange ever with these studs
The sunset from the roof of my house!
This is the complex that we knocked at all day.
The sunrise at the beach this morning.
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