Bargaining skills on point

Wow, this week has been super busy!! I'm doing a lot of different things then when I was in Kakinada. Kakinada is a smaller area on the outside of the mission and there is only two missionaries there. They are pretty isolated from the rest of the zone, let alone the whole mission. Now, I'm in Hyderabad as a zone leader and we have been busy. This week, I was only in my area for two days!! I went to Bangalore on Tuesday and Wednesday for MLC. I came home on Wednesday night and left Thursday morning to a different area for an exchange for Thursday and Friday. Finally, Saturday and Sunday I was working in my own area. We've also been busy with planning our zone training meeting and soo many other things like taking care of money and all the missionaries apartment repair and stuff like that. This week sure went by fast!! 

MLC was sooo good. It was fun to be zone leader here in Hyderabad because we got to take a flight to Bangalore just for the meeting. Okay, obviously the best part was receiving all the trainings from our Assistants and President Thomas but a close second was Wednesday morning. The church in Bangalore has an indoor basketball court!!! We got up early and actually played a game of basketball. It was like the first time I've played ball in like a year. It was too much fun to play and actually play on an indoor court. I'm sure back home, I would've complained about the quality of the court and the hoop but after a year and a half of not having a real court, I was so happy. It's funny my standards have changed so much. Anyway, I still threw down a few dunks but my hops need improvement. After basketball, we went to the mission home where we had a pull up contest with President Thomas and he smoked all of us!! President Thomas is 63 years old but whooped us all in a pull up contest. I was super impressed. He is strong physically and spiritually!!

OKAY, crazy story!! One day, Elder Gaddala and I were just walking and finding and talking to people. This dude comes up to us with some fabric and is trying to sell it to us. At first, we were like no no and pushed him away because they literally get physical with trying to get you to buy their stuff. He kept saying the fabrics are really nice and name brand Peter England and what not. So, finally we stopped and asked some questions. We asked him how big is the fabric and what colors and how much money. There was four different colors of really nice fabric. Each fabric was big enough to make 2 tailor made pants. So, that means 8 pairs of brand new pants. Alright, we asked him how much money and he said that they are worth 12,000 rupees($168) which is about $21 per pant but he would give them to us for 4000 rupees($56) which is $7 per pant!! So, now we were actually thinking about it because it was a pretty good deal. But, we actually just didn't have the cash on us at the time so we walked away. AGAIN, he followed us and is trying to get us to buy it so we said well we only have 1,500 rupees so what should we do?? He said he needed to get rid of the fabric and would take 1,500 rupees. So, he legit gave all the fabric to us for 1,500 rupees($21) which means only $2.60 per pant!!! We are going to get them tailored on P-day. The price went from 12,000 rupees($168) down to 1,500 rupees($21). That was the deal of the week, probably some of the best bargaining I've done in India hahah.

I'm pretty excited for the ward I'm in in Hyderabad. I gave a talk this Sunday at church and talked about obedience. I also played the piano for sacrament. I felt like I was doing too much for sacrament meeting haha I played the first and second hymn, then stood up and gave a talk, then sat down and played the piano again. I've met a few member families so far and they are awesome! I'm excited to work with them and help them in their missionary work. President Thomas told us something at MLC this week that was interesting. He said, "Often, we think the members are here to help the missionaries but really the missionaries are here to help the members be missionaries. Don't release the members from their calling to be a missionary!" I found that really interesting! I have found it more effective when I have a ward of 100 members inviting people better than if just two people, my companion and I, are inviting people. So, always fulfill your calling to be a missionary!! 

We are playing basketball for the first time in a while and it's so much fun! So, I'll have to tell you more stories next week. Love you all, have a good week.

Love, Elder Baker

             The nicest bed I've slept in on my mission in the mission home for MLC 

On exchange with Elder Dass and James 

Elder Rogers and I at the airport

Just a simple street in India

I was too tall for this hair cutter guy and I had to slouch in my seat and he was still grabbing my head sideways 

This is some of the electrical poles in india full of random wires, it doesn't look to safe.  

 Sunset in Hyderabad 

After church

Dunking it in Bangalore church building!

MLC picture with an auto!! Hahah totally Indian

Traffic 

Flag hoisting for republic day

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2. Gif of me dunking
   
   

Baptisms, transfers, and tears

Well, this week was crazy!! I started in Kakinada and now I am in Hyderabad. I got a transfer call on Tuesday and President told me I will be going to serve in Madinaguda which is in Hyderabad. So, my flight left on Friday and I've been in Hyderbad the last few days. I really really miss Kakinada. I have never had such amazing members on my mission before. They treated me soooo well. I miss all the people, they're just amazing and like my own family now. I've never felt so much love and appreciation for me for so many reasons. 

I planned to leave Kakinada on Thursday night and go to Rajahmundry to stay there because that is where the airport is but my ward members asked me to stay so they could throw a farewell party for me. I didn't really know what to expect but we stayed and went to my farewell party. It was like a legit meeting and everyone got up and bore their testimony and said how much they loved and appreciated me for serving in their ward. Bishop also expressed how much he appreciated me for working hard and serving in his ward. He said that "usually I will ask the missionaries when is the next baptism? But he said with Elder Baker, he would text me before I could even ask him and tell me that we have a baptism this week and the next week!! For Elder Baker, Saturday is baptism day." After everyone, I just bore my testimony and thought about two scriptures. The first one is Doctrine and Covenants 123:17 which says, "cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed." And the other one is Ether 12:6, which says "faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith." BOTH of these scriptures are so true!! I witnessed both of these here in Kakinada. This area was seriously a life changing and mission changing place. It was absolutely the hardest moments and hardest time of my life and on my mission but in the end, after the trial of my faith and after I cheerfully did everything in my power, I saw God's arm be revealed in my work and bless me SO much. I felt so much joy and happiness. Let me try to explain one event. 

The Kuna family. They are amazing for real. I had one of the saddest, sweetest, spiritual experiences of my mission with them. So, when I got my transfer call, I had to go tell the Kuna family, who I found and started teaching and have been teaching for a while, that I will be leaving. I didn't want to because we had become so close and I didn't want to leave them. I went to their house and told them I was leaving to Hyderabad. They all started just crying including the dad. The 15 year old girl Deepthi couldn't hold it in and just started bawling and It made me also cry pretty hard. I have always seen so much potential in this family. I can see them in the future amazing leaders in the church and the future for India. As I was sitting there crying with them, I had a strong feeling we were together in the premortal life and God had a plan for me to come to Kakinada to help them be baptized. I just bore my testimony and now my companions joined us in the crying. The spirit was so strong. Well, I was honored to perform their baptism this week before I left and it was one of the most special baptism services I've ever had. It was a special experience I'll never forget. I've had hard times on my mission but I never guessed I would have hard times like leaving this family. They made the sweetest handmade cards and gave me a watch and a key chain with a 'B' on it and everything. 

Well, Hyderabad is a lot different than Kakinada but I'm excited to serve here now! There's a lot more people here and Hyderabad is a huge city. The traffic here is also insane. I'm honestly a little concerned for my life every time I try to cross the street. On P-day we went to a HUGE IKEA. I know you're thinking why would you go to a home furnishing store on a P day but wow. It is huge and there was some really good food. We got mashed potatoes, and cheesecake!! I walked inside and felt like I was back home for a minute. My new companion's name is Elder Gaddala and he is from Mumbai. He is super cool, I'm excited for this transfer with him. I will also be the zone leader with Elder Rogers. He is living in the same apartment as me. 

More next week!! I am excited for a new city and a new area. Love you all.

Love, Elder Baker 

                                                                 My new district 

                                                         Madinaguda church building

The new building has a basketball hoop and i haven't played in 16 months 

                                               The food at IKEA. Cheesecake was amazing

 The traffic in Hyderabad. This isn't the craziest traffic but we crossed the street

The Kuna family woke up at 5 am to say goodbye to me. (':

 All the other pictures with the cake are at my farewell party. It was so fun!!!

The new India temple!!

 I gave elder McGuire a haircut and did pretty good. 

 Kuna family gave me nice cards and it was so sweet!!

 The Kuna family baptism!!

My Companions Crashing Bicycles, Free Lunch, and The Best Family Ever

This week I was the only one that won the battle of our old broken bicycles. Elder McGuire got taken down by a dog on his bicycle and Elder Bhandari did a full front flip over his bicycle because his brakes got jammed. I was driving and a street dog jumped out of the way of my bike and it ran right under Elder McGuire's tire and he literally ran right over the back of it and it caused his bike tire to slide out sideways and the dog ran away fine but Elder McGuire crashed and ate sand. Lucky for him, we were on a soft sand road, Elder Bhandari wasn't that lucky. Elder Bhandari didn't really know how to ride a bike when he first got here so he has been in about 6 accidents but this week was the worst. We were riding and he tried to speed up fast for the first time and then he couldn't hit his brakes in time and he hit the back of my bike and literally got air and flew over his handle bars and ate asphalt. I was freaking out. His glasses flew and his water bottle was rolling down the road. Every Indian nearby ran over and is staring at the white boy that just caused this accident. As I watched him flip and fly through the air and land on the asphalt, knowing his athletic ability, I thought he was dead. I looked at him with his glasses hanging by one ear and he just looks at me and smiles and laughs!! Hahah he was so optimistic about it. He was saying how happy he was to fly through the air like superman. How it was such an awesome opportunity for him to have his first accident on his mission. I was shocked. Luckily, he wasn't hurt bad.(we were wearing our helmet) Just a few scratches on his hand that he keeps showing me and saying, "revenge" hahahah he is awesome. 

We had an exchange this week so Elder McGuire left to Rajahmundry and I was companions with Elder Bhandari and Elder Sumarajan. Elder Sumarajan grew up in the church and in his home they spoke English. He is the smartest, most prepared missionary I have ever met here in India. I'm impressed with his gospel knowledge and understanding of the gospel. Also, he is pretty much American. He grew up watching the NBA and NFL on ESPN and TV shows like The Office, Friends, New Girl, and English movies. It's so weird to talk with him because he knows like all about american culture and the shows and movies and stuff. It was really good. 

While we were on exchange, we went to teach the Kuna family. Every time I go to the Kuna family home and teach them, I just feel so happy and so much love. They are an amazing family. It is one of the few families I have seen in India where they all have such a big love for each other. A lot of times I see with arranged marriages the parents don't even like each other and don't care too much about the family. It is really really sad. We taught them this week and talked about Joseph Smith's testimony and what he did after he saw the first vision. After so much persecution to him and his family, he says, "I knew it, and I knew that God knew it." He was determined to do what's right no matter what. They were inspired and decided it's time to be baptized!! So, we came the next day and did their baptism interview because they have been prepared. The two kids will be baptized this week and I couldn't be more happy for them. The mom really is amazing and has a strong faith. She has a job that works every Sunday or she would be coming to church. She is working on changing her job timing on Sunday or figure something out to come to church and then be baptized. The son and daughter both want to serve a mission and the family is looking forward to and excited about going to the temple to be sealed as a family. They're amazing. I love them for real. It's going to be soo hard to leave them when I transfer. 

Sandeep Vadlapaty, the one who was recently baptized has introduced us to so many of his friends and family to start teaching. He is pumped about the gospel right now and isn't shy to share about it. Since he was baptized, he has brought 8 friends to church, and this week introduced us to 4 different families. We were at one family and they are Hindu. It was the moms birthday. We were singing happy birthday and cutting cake. The mom's son died about one year ago so she cut a piece of cake and put it in front of his picture for him. She started crying, it was pretty sad. Sandeep gives her a hug and starts saying, "hey, don't worry!! We are going to teach you about the spirit world and how you can go to the temple to be sealed together for all eternity and live with your son again." She is Hindu and doesn't even really know about Jesus Christ but Sandeep is hitting her with straight facts about the restored gospel, I loved it!!

The last small miracle this week came just from me waving and smiling the past 5 months. Every day as we walk or ride our bicycles home, I pass this one house and the cutest little girl stands on her balcony and waits for me to come by so she can wave and say, "Hi annayya!!" (Hi brother) She is so sweet and so cute to wait for us and say hi. I always said hi and waved really nicely but we never stopped. So, this Sunday we were at church and we were starving and we tried to get a lunch appointment but no members invited us for lunch so we were trying to plan what we will do for lunch. Finally, we decided to just go home and see what we had in the fridge. As we are riding our bikes home, sure enough this cute little girl is on her balcony, "Annayya!! Annayya, come!!" So, I stopped and felt like I need to talk to this girl and meet her. She invited us upstairs into her home and we met her whole family. Then, they said they made lunch for us and really wanted us to stay there and eat lunch!! So we stayed and ate lunch with them, and had a good time. They were literally so nice. This is one of the reasons why serving in India is the best, the people are literally TOO nice. They gave us everything. The little girl is eight years old and she was too cute. I said I wanted to get a picture so she went and changed and put on a new dress!! See what happens when we are happy and smile to other people. Small and simple things bring great things to pass. In this instance the small thing was my smile, the great thing was lunch when we were in need and of course meeting a wonderful family. 

Well, I am waiting for transfer calls tomorrow to see if I'll be leaving and where I will go next. President said that I will probably be transferring but he didn't tell me where so the suspense is killing me!! I'll let you know next week what the big news is. Well, I love you guys!! Have a great week.

Love, Elder Baker 

 This is Santhi Priya! She is Sandeep's cousin and we started teaching her this week. She wanted a selfie.

 This is a beast member, he is our executive secretary. His name is literally ISAAC NEWTON. I met him. 

 At dinner with bishops family. He literally is one of the best men I've ever met and an amazing leader. He is very Christlike.

 The cute little girl in the front in the cute dress is the little girl that waves and says hi. Her family gave us lunch. They were too nice. 

 Poori from a street shop. It is sooooo good, I pray it doesn't wreck my stomach. 

 Elder McGuire and I in a serious conversation it looks like hahaha a member took this picture.

                                           Riding to the church on P day on our bicycles

                                        This is the best district, we have some stud Elders.

                                             The lady cutting her cake for her birthday 

                                            The birthday party Sandeep brought us to.

Pawan's baptism, zone conference, and President Thomas came to Kakinada!

This week, Elder McGuire and I both were pretty sick but I loved this weekend a lot! We went to the mall on New years day and I took like 50 pictures with people because they thought I was a famous English movie actor. We had a wonderful zone conference and then had a baptism that night for Pawan. The next day, President and Sister Thomas came to Kakinada and attended our ward. The members loved it and I also loved it!! I love having zone conference and interviews with President Thomas, he is a powerful man and gives me so much inspiration and confidence. I really felt how important the work we do as missionaries is. We are helping people enter the gate to eternal life. Only through us, they can enter that gate. It made me sad to think it is 2020 and I come home this year. 

We started teaching a new family this week and I'm really excited to teach them! They are a family of 4 and they really love each other. It is the family that gave us a dance performance last week. I am excited to teach them about the Plan of Salvation and how as they understand that God's plan is a lot bigger than just this earth life, we can find more peace and hope and happiness and joy. Even I have learned a lot of more about the plan of Salvation on my mission. I've learned why we call Jesus Christ our Savior. I have always know that he suffered for our sins and died for us. It never set in my heart but now I understand. If Jesus Christ didn't come to earth and suffer in the garden of Gethsemane and resurrect, then all of us could never see and live with God again. Jesus saves us from sin and death, the two things us as humans can't overcome during this earthly life. Everyone makes mistakes, and everyone dies. We can't do anything about that. That's why we NEED a Savior to make it possible for us to overcome sin and death. He gives all of us resurrection freely. We all will overcome death. To overcome and be made clean from our sins,  that is in our hands. That is the repentance part. Repentance is such an important gift and opportunity we have to prepare to meet God!! Knowing this for myself made it really really fun to teach this new family. 

The Kuna family is doing amazing!! They are progressing so well as a family. Out of all four of their family members, the 15 year old daughter Deepthi is the best. I've never seen someone so attentive in my teaching. She is on the edge of her seat trying to understand every time we teach her family and then she will translate to her family. This week, we taught about the temple and it was really awesome. Deepthi and her brother Chandu really want to be baptized asap, their parents want to be baptized soon. They are afraid to tell their relatives that they want to be baptized because they are scared they might not talk with them anymore because some of them are Hindu. I feel a deep love for this family and it makes me want to help them he baptized because I know it can and will change their life!! The children's future cloud be changed for the better. I really want to see that for their family. Also, more importantly like I just said... baptism is the gate for them into the Celestial Kingdom. Sunday, they came to church and met President and Sister Thomas. Deepthi went up to President and Sister Thomas and said, "You can't transfer Elder Baker. He has to stay here. Please!" It was cute and makes me sad when I have to leave this place.

Pawan is an awesome example and if I didn't know better, I'd think he was already a member when I got here!! He has been coming to church for over a year and a half and loves it. When he was born, he was born really early and the doctors said that he was not going to live. So, his parents took him as a baby to their pastor and he prayed for him and then Pawan lived. So, their parents equate the miracle with their pastor. They are strong followers of this pastor and have been their whole life. Pawan found The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints about two years ago and felt different here than his whole life. Now, he says he has learned more in the last two years than his whole life. He has felt the spirit here and it is different. He has been waiting a long time for his parents permission because he is under age. Finally, he got permission from his parents and he was baptized this week. He had wanted to get baptized and his parents wanted him to get baptized his whole life but he was waiting to find the church that baptizes by water and also confirms the gift of the holy ghost by the laying on of hands just like the apostles teach in the bible. His parents even had him be baptized in their church but he never received the gift of the holy ghost. He said how he just felt like something was missing, like it was half a baptism. Finally, Pawan is baptized and confirmed a member of Christ's church after his long search and journey. 

I love you all, talk to you next week!! 

Love, Elder Baker

                                            The trio. Me, Bhandari, and McGuire

Sandeep, his cousin, and us elders at a members family home evening.

This is Sindu and Vinay, members in Kakinada. Sindu is a return missionary and Vinay is preparing to go soon. 

New Years chalk art the ladies put in front of their house

Pawan at his baptism!!

Bishop took us and some ward members to the mall for biryani and ice cream for New years day!! It was way fun

More New Years art 

Pawan and I right before his baptism!

The chicken biryani with boiled eggs we had for New Years

The ward members were teasing me at the mall because everyone treated me like a celebrity. One person asked to take a picture with me and I said yes, then I had a line of probably 10+ people that wanted a picture. One girl actually asked what English movies I act in. HAHA she thought I was actually famous. 

My blackout year calendar completely marked off!

Elder Bhandari and I