Week 8

Time flies here, let me tell ya. Looking forward and seeing that I still have 16 months left feels like I'm going to be here forever. But then I look back and realize that I've already been on my mission for two months. That's crazy.

Hermana Bonar and I have three investigators who are all sooooo close to baptism: Luis, Carlos, and Geronimo. We have already taught all of them everything. They keep their commitments and have testimonies, they come to church every week, but are just having a hard time committing to baptism. Pray for them, if you will.

On Thursdays we always go knocking at 6:00 for one hour, called hour of power. It's because at this time the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve are meeting in the temple, talking about and praying for the missionary work of the church. Miracles never cease to occur during this hour. So this week. We ate dinner with Hermana Villareal and at the end she said a special prayer for us to know where to go to do hour of power. Hna Villareal felt the impression that we should go to Still Street, or Estill Street or something like that. Okay, well that street or anything like it doesn't exist in our area, but we found a street named Sylvan so we decided to try that. It was in a part of our area that's pretty far out and neither of us had been to before. The street only had four houses on it, all really spaced out and kind of falling apart. The first three were not home/not interested. But at the house on the very end of the street a little girl saw us and asked what we were doing. We told her, and she went and got her mom. Turns out a family of 9 lives here - a mom, a dad, and seven children - and they're interested in our message! We didn't have the chance to teach them then because they were busy, but we are going back to teach them tomorrow! There was no way we would have ever found this Hispanic family if it wasn't for hour of power and the guidance of the spirit.

HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK: GOING TO THE TEMPLE. It doesn't happen very often that we get to go to the temple as missionaries, maybe two or three times a year is all. The Houston temple is beautiful. And to be there as a missionary is a really special and spiritual experience. I am so blessed to have a temple close to me here in Houston.

On Saturday we had mission conference, and Elder Corbridge from the Seventy came and spoke to us. He's the author of a famous talk (among missionaries) called The Fourth Missionary. There were two things that stood out to me from his talk to us that I would like to share with y'all:

1. In most processes of people rising to the top (medical/law school, professional sports, military, etc.) it's a process of elimination. Only a certain number of people can and will make it to the top, and the point is to be better than everyone else. But the Lord's way is not this way. Everyone who does what He asks of them will make it to the top, they will receive eternal life. And we need to do everything we can to bring everyone up with us. It's not a process of elimination, it's a process of addition.

2. What is the most important thing in the gospel? Some people may say that there's really no answer to this, that everything in the gospel is important. But Alma tells us "There is one thing which is of more importance than they all." He then goes on to talk about the Atonement of Jesus Christ. (Alma 7 -- read it!) I know that we will become closer to Christ when we use His Atonement to its fullest extent.

What else. I stepped in my first ant hill and have a million ant bites all over my feet. Rookie mistake. We met a guy who thinks he's the prophet so that was interesting. I can't wear my glasses very often because the moment I step out of the car they fog up in the humidity. All of our investigators are doing great and being a missionary is the best.

I think that about sums up my week! I hope you guys had a great one!!

Love ya,

Hermana Baker

Temple trip!

Yeah, I don't know.

Our investigator, Geronimo, took us to dinner!!

Exchanges this week was with Sister Roberts! She's a convert from New Zealand aka awesome. But since neither one of us can drive (me because I'm a greenie and her because she doesn't have a US drivers license) we were on the bikes ALL DAY.

Classic Texas fence.