07-13-09

Hi-
Mom, I mean like proselyting shirts. Thanks.
Well, Herlinda isn't going anywhere. We are still working really hard to try and find people and be creative, but nothing is working. Our district, E. Virrueta & Gardner, Us, E. Hull & Jensen are all praying for a natural disaster to humble the people. Maybe like a flood or something. We'll see I guess. A charla fogenera is a fireside. We went out "hiking". (it's different here- you just drive then wander around) today I went to the sand dunes where they filmed Star Wars w/ Jabba the Hut. Too hot to go play though. And we went to a natural oasis. I'll send pictures. Could you do us a favor and pray for a natural disaster here too? It's for a good cause. Transfers are next week. So we'll see what happens. Oh- So church headquarters are sending some (?____?) (I'll see if Jenn can read that word) to SD Mission to watch us teach and give "special training". 10 companionships in the mission have been selected. Ha Ha- we have 2 people coming here! And they want us to teach in English- so we have to go try and find some people for this. If not, they'll watch us in Spanish. I don't get why they chose us! But it's on Monday night and Tuesday night. And they are going to plan with us too. Anyway, we don't have a teaching pool right now, we're just doing a lot of finding. Hna Baker

Note for Tanya! 07-13-09

NOTE FOR TANYA
Hey good to hear from ya- My mom sent me your wedding picture announcement. I think- pretty much everyone I know has gotten married and/or had kids since I've been gone- Pretty weird! But congrats! How's life? What ya been up to?
Hermana Baker (aka Stacie)

07-06-09

Hola Querida Familia Mia!
Feliz 4 de Julio!
No one here did anything- I saw some fireworks, but I think they were in Mexicali (Mexico). We got up at 4:00AM this morning to go to the sand dunes before the sun came up. It was pretty fun. We came back home & went back to sleep. When I went to bed, it was 101* (at 10:30PM last night) when I woke up at 4:00AM it was 88*, so we has to go that early, because the sand dunes heats up more than that. Well, Herlinda & Lazaro forgot about church, even though we went before church started to remind them- so her date got pushed back to the 19th. And Rosa Maria- her mom told her that she'd already been baptized, so she couldn't come to church with us. She lost her date. :( We just dropped everyone in our teaching pool because they weren't progressing and last night we found out that there are big wigs from the church that might be staying with us to supervise the work and give us special training. :Z
Every time we go to Herlinda's I have to convince her that I speak Spanish. ¿Peeky panish?, She always asks- In like the middle of the lesson that we've been teaching IN SPANISH. I have a hard time not completely dehydrating in there, 1. I sweat my guts out because they won't turn on the A/C or a fan because it's just not warm enough for them, and 2. They say the most random things, like peeky panish, or we had to explain "don't kill & stealing from the 10 commandments. She really wants to steal candy at the store, & it's okay to kill un pollito. They are this old couple 80's going insane- it's fun! This transfer went by so fast. Me & Hna Alcantara are always having a blast.
Hna Baker

E-mail note to Sylvia! 07-06-09

Silvia: en que parte de arizona estas? Mi companera tiene un hermano serviendo en Mesa
Arizona. Su apellido es ALCANTARA. Bueno gracias por su correo electronico me da gusto
eschucharte. Ojala que todo este bien contigo. Y estoy acustombrandome a este calor poco
a poco. El otro dia era 102 grados y a mi era fresca! jajaja. Poco a poco! Nunca
imagine que iba hacer compras en espanol en mi mission- pero aqui en calexico- hacemos
todo en espanol. mi companera es de la Republica Dominicana- estoy aprendiendo mucho
espanol!
Como Estas? Como estan tus ninoS? ay, todavia rara para mi.

E-mail 7-06-09

Just FYI so you understand why she wrote the answers. I teach the CTR 7 class in Primary, and our lesson last sunday and next sunday, are about missionary work. I had our class write Stacie letters, and I sent her some of the questions they were asking while writing to her. Here are her answers...

Here are the answers and stick this on the blog please.
ANSWERS:
1. YES IT IS VERY HOT
2. I LOVE MY MISSION
3. I SPEAK SPANISH MOST OF THE TIME
4. I HAVE TAUGHT TONS OF PEOPLE.
5. I LOVE MY COMPANION TO PIECES
6. I PERSONALLY HAVE NOT BAPTIZED ANYONE BECAUSE I AM A GIRL AND DON'T HAVE THE
PRIESTHOOD. BUT I'VE HELPED A LOT OF PEOPLE GET BAPTIZED.
7. I AM ABOUT 10 HOURS (driving) AWAY FROM UTAH
8. I LIKE MY AREA
9. I LOVE LEARNING HOW TO BE A MISSIONARY
10. I LIKE GETTING LETTERS
11. MY FAVORITE COLOR IS GREEN
12. WYATT IS RIGHT ABOUT THE GIFT OF TONGUES. THERE ARE SO MANY MIRACLES THAT COME WITH HAVING TO LEARN A NEW LANGUAGE AS A MISSIONARY. THE GIFT OF TONGUES IS REAL

Mi testimonio:
Dios vive, Jesus es el Cristo y esta es su iglesia. Yo se que el Libro de Mormon es un
libro sagrado y contiene la plentitud del evangelio aqui en la tierra. Yo se que Jose
Smith fue un profeta de Dios en la tierra. Y por medio de el, tenemos la iglesia que
Jesucristo establecio cuando el estuvo aqui. Dios restauro de nuevo la autoridad o sea
el sacerdocio para nuestro beneficio, para afectuar las ordenanzas de salvacion. Tenemos
profetas en la tierra, profetas vivientes, tal como los de la biblia. Milagros son
reales. Yo se que esta es la iglesia de Jesucristo. Esta es la senda y no hay otro
camino hacia el. Yo testifico que El plan de salvacion es real, que Nuestro Padre
Celestial llama profetas, que el nos ama y que nosotros tenemos que hacer nuestro parte
aqui en la tierra. Este evangelio me da felicidad. Un gozo eterno, que nadie puede
quitar.

Mom-here ya go- Not sure when the next time I'll get mail will be- maybe tuesday, thats when we have interviews. We woke up at 4 am this morning and went to the sand dunes before it got hot. I'll send pictures sometime.

Thanks for the popsicles they saved the day! And sunscreen doesn't really help out here. I went and bought 85 SPF- we'll see- I still am pretty much a walking baked potato. My skin doesn't even help- my meat is cooking and my skin is just like to add flavor!

Just FYI...

Stacie would really enjoy hearing from you if you are following her mission thru her blog. Jennifer has it set up so that if you leave her a message thru a "post", it sends to Stacie as an e-mail. So if you have a quick minute... send her a note! :-)

06-29-09

This week we got a postcard-
Well- I said it all in the e-mail to Mom. Bye Heart/Hermana Baker
P.S. Send me pictures please

This is the e-mail... (Let's see if I can copy & past again!)
The bad thing about that with the pills is that We don't have a mailbox key. :) So
I'd rather get them late than never at all. Just get them to the office I guess- Its not like I'll die with out them- I'll just feel like I'm dead. ja ja ja. It should all be fine. Thanks for all that!
(The pills she's talking about are her Thyroid pills, I pick them up and mail them to her each month)
Liz is really cool- she always took good care of me, it was always a relif to be in her home especially when... well yeah.
We had the Charla Folgonera last night-absolute ZERO stake support and few members showed up. but the ones that did!!! WOOOW! they really loved it- they caught the missionary work fire and are going to start helping us!(I don't know if i told you, the old mission pres. sent all the disobedient missoinaries here, so the area has major problems. He told us at zone conference and the spirit testified that he sent his best out here right now to change things.) So we got a little momentum going now and we aren't going to slow down. The members will start to jump on and push with us, and the ward leaders and stake leaders are going to have to, if not, they'll get left behind! Pres also said that he has spoken with "THE BRETHEREN" about our area. He can't say much, but he told us not to worry and we'll have "air supportvery soon". how do ya like them apples!
A coulple days ago I got pulled over by..............border patrol. it was really
funny.
I left spring valley on fire- they have tons of baptisms lined up, it was sorta bitter sweet to have to leave, but they don't need me anymore. This place needs help so I know I'm supposed to be here.
Sis. Alcantara and I have a blast all day long, and its so refreshing to only have to focus on problems in the work, finding solutions and working. ITs really nice. I don't know if i told you or not but we were in the MTC at the same time, and we'll finish together. Anyway!
Oh- Schallen is engaged...she's my companion that went and visited you when she finished her mission.
So... I think thats bout it.