Surprise baptism!!

Miracles have not ceased because we witnessed one this week. God is definitely a God of miracles.(See Mormon chapter 9) Last Monday in my email I told you guys that Priyanka was getting baptized this Saturday. Well, that happened and that was a miracle in itself but you'll never guess what else happened... Mamatha also was baptized Saturday! The testifying power of the Holy Ghost is so real, she just couldn't wait any longer to be baptized and confirmed a member of Jesus Christ's true church. I'll tell you all about Mamatha and Priyanka and all of the other things that happened this week like KFC with bishop, the organic shop guy, and the night at the mall.

We have been teaching Mamatha for like a month now and it has been going good. She has been sick about the whole time we have been teaching her though. Last week, she went to the hospital and they diagnosed her with typhoid fever. We were so sad for her! At our next meeting which was Tuesday, we taught her about the restoration of God's priesthood power that we have on the earth today. The same power and authority that Jesus and His apostles used to heal the sick has been restored to the earth today by the same apostles of Christ to Joseph Smith. We shared the scripture James 5:14-15 from the bible which says, "Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith shall save the sick." So, we said like okay you are sick and we are the Elders of the church, all we need is faith. She said she has faith so we did as the scripture said and gave her a blessing, anointing her with oil. The spirit was strong and she was crying. Right after the appointment, she left to the hospital to get a check up on her typhoid fever. That same night, Mamatha called us and told us that the doctors couldn't find any trace of typhoid fever and it was all gone!! She said, "I know it's true!! The church is true, the Book of Mormon is true, everything is true! I want to be baptized." So, we told her we can plan an interview for her and start planning her baptism. She said, "No! I want to be baptized this Saturday." We were so happy with her and just couldn't control our excitement. I can't explain it but it was soo amazing. 

One morning we left our apartment like usual and we were riding our bicycles and stopped at a small shop that has a bunch or organic stuff and what not. Elder Datla was talking to him in Telugu and then all of the sudden he tells me that he is ready to learn the gospel and the shop owner went and found two chairs. We sat down and taught him the message of the restoration of the gospel right there in his own shop. It was so good! Turns out this guy has 4 brothers that are all pastors but he is the only one that isn't a pastor. He said he didn't want to be a pastor because they just preach for money and that is why he started his own organic shop. He loved what we taught about Jesus Christ having one true church(Ephesians 4:5) because He isn't the author of confusion(1 Corinthians 14:33), but He is the author of peace, as in all of the churches of the Latter-Day Saints! It was a really cool experience to teach this brother and feel the spirit enter his shop. I hope he progresses well and is still interested to continue to learn about the restored gospel. 

My bishop in my ward is the best!! He is such a hard worker and such a great example of a humble leader. He reminds me of King Benjamin with his humble service even though he is the leader. He doesn't take the leadership position and become prideful because of it but instead goes about serving everyone and giving it his 100% effort. He understands that when he is in the service of his fellow beings, he is in the service of God! (Mosiah 2:17) He took us to dinner this week and he payed for our food! It was such a treat because KFC is a big deal here in India. I think it's way better here than in America, but when you pay in rupees, it's super expensive. Lucky for us, bishop payed and I swear it tasted better. (; Bishop made a deal that he will buy us KFC after every baptism so we got another appointment with him scheduled this week! Haha I love my bishop here and not just for the KFC but for his Christlike example. 

This week was really special to help Mamatha prepare for her baptism and continue to help Priyanka. The spirit was so strong during their baptism, it was a special experience. It is really something special to see someone you introduced the restored gospel to and then to see them receive a witness that it is true and finally to enter the waters of baptism with them! Miracles have not ceased. God is the same God yesterday, today, and forever and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is proof on the Earth that God loves all of His children on the whole face of the earth in ancient times as well as in the times today. I love you all! 

Love, Elder Baker

                                Selfie with Priyanka and Mamatha right before their baptism.

                                       Priyanka and Mamatha in front of the baptism font.

 This is what our church building looks like. It is just a rented building. Our church is on the top floor.

                                                                           Our KFC food

Here is our church sign that says, "The Indian Society of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints"

                                                   KFC with bishop and Elder Datla 

                     The view from a members home. Pretty trees and colorful buildings.

 This was the cutest baby that just loved me and he was being so cute and smiling and laughing with his tongue out so I had to get a picture. 

 When I took the picture, the flash went off unexpectedly and scared him so much!! Ahhh I felt bad but look at his face hahah.

               Some big cool looking trees I tried to take a picture of while traveling in an auto.

                                                               The same trees    

Five baptisms in one day!

What a week here in Kakinada with Elder Datla! Oh, it was awesome. Saturday was a day to remember and a very special day for lots of people. On Saturday, we had five baptisms in our ward and they were all confirmed the next day in sacrament meeting at church. It was definitely a day to remember on my mission and especially a day to remember for Harshitha, Olivia, Vanya Sri, Bhuvana, and Nagaraju as they were all baptized. Also on Saturday night right after the baptism service, Priyanka had her baptism interview and passed!! Last P-day we went to the beach and had a good time and got some good pics. We went to a famous and historical restaurant in Kakainada for a members birthday. And of course, the kids are amazing like always! We have been praying for their parents to listen to us also and this week we had a lesson with them!! Woo hoo. 

We had a big scare this week with Priyanka. She got a call from her parents and they said she needs to move home right away. They live in a far away village with no church there. We were shocked and devastated because she came to Kakinada to get a job and not only did she get a good job but she also found the true church as well and found so much happiness and hope in her life! She was so sad and couldn't stop crying. She wanted to stay because of the church. She said she couldn't leave the church. We had a powerful, super spiritual lesson that night and I also teared up a little bit because it hurt me to see her leave all of this she has been experiencing. Elder Datla and I had a different plan that night but we felt instead to go see Priyanka and it was at the exact time she needed us. God led us there to help her. We bore strong testimonies of the restored gospel and she just cried more. After a few days, she told us that she had talked with her parents and told them that she is staying in Kakinada for at least another year and she is being baptized. Priyanka knows what is right and wants to be the example for her family! So, this Saturday Priyanka passed her baptism interview and was so excited. She was super nervous to have the interview because apparently she didn't know that our district leader would conduct the interview. She thought I was going to be the one interviewing her. Hahah she was nervous but she said as soon as she started talking, it was good! So, she will be baptized this next Saturday. After the baptism service she told me, "I am so happy and can't wait for next Saturday, thank you soooo much!!" 

The children are still progressing and all of those cute little girls came to church and yes we walked the whole way holding hands. I think I'm in love! (; haha Well, we have actually really been praying for all of their parents hearts to be softened and to listen to our message. FINALLY, this week one set of parents sat with us for a lesson as we taught the restoration and it went really well!! Then on Saturday, the parents took all of the kids and came to our baptism service. It was awesome because one of the girls getting baptized was one of the girls friends from primary. So, the kids saw their friend get baptized and also saw that it is correct to baptized starting at age eight. During our appointment with the parents, Subha Varshini grabbed my picture book and opened up to the one of a little girl getting baptized and showed her mom and said, "Mommy!! Mommy! Naku kavali" which is Telugu for "I want".

Saturday night and Sunday was just amazing! 5 members were baptized and it was such an amazing experience to be a part of it. These families have started on the covenant path that leads to eternal life. I already talked about the Rayudu family and how the mom and son have been members for over 4 years. Well, this week the son Chandra baptized his sister and his dad and it was powerful. The mother came up afterwards and just thanked me so much for helping to teach her family. But immediately after thanking me she said, "Next step... temple!" They have their sights set on the temple. They have righteous goals and even though India doesn't have a temple yet, God will help provide a way for them to be sealed together forever! (1 Nephi 3:7)

I am grateful for my family and I love all of them so much! I am also so grateful I am serving a full time mission. No matter what trials or hard times or homesickness or sadness I have, I always find joy in missionary work. There is nothing better than helping someone find the restored gospel and bringing it into their lives and witnessing how the person has literally changed from before they knew to after. It's amazing what the church and gospel can do for you if you allow it to happen.

That's the main things that happened this week, if you'd like to talk more with me about it, you can email me or message me on Facebook! I love you guys.

Love, Elder Baker

                                               All of the baptisms Saturday night!

                                                   The Rayudu family being baptized.

                     This is all of the missionaries in my district and I am the only American.

Here is my leaf from the super famous restaurant in Kakinada with rice and biryani and a whole bunch of curries and sweets. I loved the waiter here. He kept coming to our table and saying, "emi kavala? chappandi!!" Which means "what do you want? Tell me!!" because it was an unlimited place. If you ask for anything, they'll give it to you.

Priyanka is in the red, Shanthi, and Dhanalakshmi on the right didn't care to stop eating for the selfie so she is mid bite hahahah.

                                Awesome picture I took of a boat on the shore at the beach.

                                                     Companionship unity and love (;

               This is just a selfie at the beach. This is what I look like after 15 months in India.

 

          

 Another pic of everyone at the baptism right in front of our small little baptism font. 

Primary program, Blessings, and Baptisms

Kakinada is the place to be for real. I love this area, I love this ward and I love the members and leaders and everything. I love the people I am teaching and love to see them progress and have their lives change for the better as they learn about and live the restored gospel and choose to follow Christ and be baptized. Elder Datla and I have awesome companionship unity and we are really good friends which helps so much in your teaching together. I can really see a difference. He is also learning so quick and doing well. This is my third time I'm training and on the mission we call the trainer the dad and the trainee the son because it's like raising a kid.(supposedly) Well, I guess God really wants me to get married and have kids because this is my third son in 14 months.

The Rayudu family is such a wonderful family and to be honest, when I first came to Kakinada I thought they were all members!! The mother and one son have been members for the last 4 years, but the father and the daughter are not members. Apparently everyone has been encouraging them to be baptized but the family has had many doubts. Despite their doubts, they understand the importance of coming to church and partaking the sacrament each week. The father has a very strict and busy job but he always manages to at least come for sacrament each week. I saw this family and knew they needed to become members of the church by being baptized. Well, I started visiting this family when I came to Kakinada and I just remember telling their family how amazing they are and then I bore my testimony about how we are so lucky to have the restored gospel in our lives. Finally, I told them that they deserve to be members of Jesus Christ's church here on the earth. After some time, many more lessons, and the blessing of receiving a telugu speaking companion, they agreed to be baptized!! The son Chandra is 16 years old and will perform the baptism for his sister and father. He has a great testimony and a goal to take his family to the temple to be sealed together as a family for all eternity. He even gave a talk in sacrament meeting a few weeks ago when his father and sister were listening in the congregation. His topic was eternal families and going to the temple. It was like he was speaking straight to his dad! Powerful 16 year old to be so confident and bold with what he believes. The daughter Bhuvana that isn't baptized is a little missionary!! She is only 13 years old but she loves to share the gospel and wants to serve a mission when she gets older. She told us a story of when she was at school in class, her friend asked why she is getting baptized and Bhuvana told her, "In our church, we have the correct authority to baptize and the restored gospel..." and told her friend all about the church during her class at school! This family is going to be powerful members as each member will be baptized this Satirday. 

We saw a full 180 turn with Priyanka this week!! She has been a little hesitant with everything we have been teaching but she has enjoyed learning. She was praying and asking if our message is true but was having a hard time recognizing an answer to her prayers. We also have been praying for her and teaching her how to recognize her answer. About the message of the restoration, she said, "If Jesus Christ has one true church today, then everyone would come and join that church!!" Well, this week after a spiritual lesson, we taught her about priesthood blessings and offered to give her a blessing. We shared a scripture from the bible(James 5:14) and she said she wanted a blessing. She had a fever so we gave her a priesthood blessing of healing. I gave my companion Elder Datla the opportunity to give his first blessing. He was nervous about what to say but I told him that he is just the voice and the spirit will tell him what to say. The blessing is a direct blessing from God! Well, when he started speaking, the spirit was strong. After the blessing, Priyanka stood up and turned right to me and didnt even mention anything about her fever that she was suffering from minutes before. She looked at me and said, "I'm ready to be baptized." She was so happy and kept saying, "thank you soooo much!" She said she wants to be the example to help change her whole family to also learn about our church. So, she is planning to be baptized on the 23rd! She is progressing so well!

This Sunday was the primary program in our sacrament meeting at church and it was awesome. It's seriously like my favorite sunday all year, I just love the little primary children and love hearing their testimonies at such a young age. Also, the little kids that I've been teaching came to church today and participated in the primary program. They each read some scriptures from the pulpit and sang the primary songs and everything, it made me so happy to see them! What was also great with teaching the kids this week is when we went, finally the father opened up and started talking with us how he feels. He said that he is feeling a little guilty and bad for his church pastor because all of his kids like our church better than his. He said that his kids have learned sooo much more from us in the last two months than in the last 15 years from his pastor. He is seeing how much the kids like our church better and they belive it is the true church. He also wants to join us with his kids but feels guilty for leaving his pastor. He said he feels comfortable and his pastor told him that we should stick with one church and not go to other churches. Which, we told him is completely correct!! But, we invited him to find out for himself which church he should stick with. So, we are doing our best to help him. The kids are totally awesome, but we also want to make sure the parents also come to church and be baptized so they can grow in the gospel and have support in their home. 

Everything else is going well right now! This saturday, we have 5 baptisms scheduled and we are so excited for all of them. Also, right before the baptism service, we have a baptism interview for the next week for Priyanka. Thanesha is still progressing and we are planning for his baptism in December. Also, all of the kids are coming to the baptism service saturday and two of the girls getting baptized are the kid's friend and the same age and her dad is our bishop! It should be an awesome experience and we are expecting the same soon for these kids. I'm seriously going to be so sad when I have to leave them. I love them so much.

Love, Elder Baker

This is Sarpavaram Junction and the main intersection by our church and our apartment. The sun                                                 was beautiful but you can't tell in the pic...

               Elder Datla drinking straight from the coconut that the guy cut open seconds before.

 We had a day where it wasn't safe for us to go outside because of the government so we had to stay inside. We got bored and I taught Elder Datla about Halloween and we had some fun with

                               the halloween stuff I got in a package from my mom.

This is when we couldn't wear ties or tags out in public for a few days because of some issue just                                                                             to be safe.

These are all of my children!! Look how cute they are with their bright colored indian dresses, I love it. Their names from left to right are Mahalakshmi, Sravya, Rajeshwari, Meena Kumari, Anand, Elder Datla, and in the front in the pink is Shuba Varshini. I was so proud of them for being in the                                                                   primary presentation. 

 This is how you finish your russom and rice. When you get all the rice you can with your fingers,                                                  you gotta drink the russom from your plate.

                My girls Shuba and Meena always run to hold my hand when we walk to church❤❤

The answer is YES!

This week was sooo busy I don't even know where to start!! Elder Datla and I are on fire in Kakinada. We are just teaching as many people that will listen to us and this week we were literally teaching non stop. We didn't even have time to go out finding because we had so many appointments. We had a total of 29 appointments this week which totally wore us out but we loved it. We just straight up would travel from house to house and sit down and teach them and then go to the next appointment. Most of the time, we just hoped that the people would feed us dinner. Oh, this member is way nice and good friends with us. One day, he made us lunch and dinner! We went to his house for lunch, then that same night he brought us dinner to our apartment. It's common here that everyone eats dinner around like 9 PM-11 PM. 

First, a quick update on Madhu Shalini, the girl that was baptized two weeks ago. She is doing awesome and is really really loving learning and growing in the church. She said she also wants to serve a mission like me. We taught her and her family last week about the "Come, Follow Me" program and invited them to start doing it. When we went back to visit them this week, I asked Madhu Shalini if she did Come, Follow Me with her family because she has to lead it because she is the only one who knows how to read in her family. She told me that she did it with her whole family. They sat together and she read the scriptures and Come, Follow Me booklet and they discussed it. She said she felt really really good and so happy. She started going to seminary this week. AH, it just makes me so happy to see she is doing good but also her whole family and especially her mom. When I came to Kakinada, Madhu Shalinu wasn't a member and Rayjam, her mom, was full inactive. Now, I can see the difference in their home and the happiness and joy in their life. The restored gospel is amazing and can and will change your life if you allow it too.

We had so many amazing spiritual lessons this week but I'll share a little bit about a few of them. First of all, Thanesha!! So, he has been taught by missionaries a while back and he has the Book of Mormon but never really read it. We started watching the new Book of Mormon videos with him and he started reading also. After we taught him a few lessons, we invited him to really really pray from his heart and ask God if it's true. That night, we texted him goodnight and simply said "Don't forget to pray!" The next morning he texted us and said we needed to come to his home that night. So, we went and he was just so happy to see us We sat down and he could barely put sentences together. He told us the story of how he was out playing cricket with his friends and he remembered he needed to pray. So, he came home at night and remembered to pray. He prayed and asked God from his heart if the Book of Mormon is true and if The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the true church. He said that it was the first time that he prayed from his heart and his own thoughts and real questions. Then, he watched a video I sent him about our church and he went to sleep. Then he said, "Elder when I woke up, my answer came!! *he did a big thumbs up* it's a yes!!! The answer is yes!!" Oh I can't explain how happy I was to hear that. What a beautiful example of what can happen when we really sincerely speak with our Father in Heaven through prayer asking in faith.

Next was with Priyanka. We recently started teaching her because she moved here to Kakinada to look for a job and she is staying with some of her relatives who are members. She has come to church for the last 3 weeks and is now feeling comfortable. She said she really has loved actually learning more deep about the scriptures and the doctrine in our church. She really loves everything so far. We taught her a really powerful lesson about the Plan of Salvation and she was just blown away with how much knowledge we have about it. She kept saying that her pastor never told her any of this hahah. Even when we shared scriptures from the bible, she was like my pastor doesn't know that!! So, it was really cool to see her learn for the first time where we came from before earth, what our purpose on earth is and where we will go after death! After the lesson, she told us how she felt. She said that her mom recently called her and asked her to come back home to her village. Priyanka told her that she thought she was supposed to come to Kakinada for find a job but she found the true church instead. She said she doesn't want to go back home because she will be sad she's missing this church. She also said that she wants to stay and be baptized in this church because of how she feels and what she is learning. It was awesome!!

I listened to a children's song this week and I really love the lyrics and it just makes me so happy that I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The song says, "I belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I know who I am. I know God's plan. I'll follow him in faith." We really are lucky to know exactly who we are and where we came from. More than that, we know where God wants us to go and how to get there. I'm so grateful I belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and I know who I am, and I know God's plan for me. 

Love, Elder Baker

                             Just some old guy riding his new whip down the street. 

These packages went around the world 3 times and finally came to me for my birthday and                                                 year mark. (Which were in August) 

                                               Walking my kids to church again!! 

 Really colorful bug that I took a picture of. It turned out so good. Straight from National                                                                       geographic (;

                 A dog ate my shoe while I was in an appointment and my shoes were outside.

                                             

 In india, everyone wants to be fair and lovely so they apply face whitener cream.