natal who wander are lost: week 30 . cloud nine

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I GOT TWO PACKAGES AND I'M THE HAPPIEST MISSIONARY IN THE WORLD! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU.

Remember how last week I wrote my entire email about how excited I was to be with Sister Carvalho and to be in our area because we were finally getting the hang of it? Well Monday night as I was laying down to sleep all excited for the week we got a phone call...exchanges. [mom note: a missionary exchange is any time a missionary goes out to work with someone other than their assigned companion. Exchanges allow missionaries to gain experience and learn new things as they teach with other missionaries or ward members] Sister Cieslak (who I lived with in Mossoró!) was going to stay here for the week, and I was going to Alecrim to stay with Sister Gonzales. I'm not going to lie, I was beyond frustrated. And maybe tired Sister Baker cried a little bit. I just wanted to stay here this week! BUT I learned my lesson because the week was fantastic with Sister Gonzales. She's going back to Bolivia this week because she's "dying" (aka finished her mission) so it was fun to spend the week with her because she really embraced her last week here. Maybe I ate açaí EVERY DAY this week. And maybe I ate it twice two days this week. Oops. But besides the food side of things, it was so great working with Sister Gonzales. I learned SO MUCH from her that I'm excited to apply it in my work here in my area. And we had a ridiculous amount of success this week. We literally had people asking to get baptized. Even in Brasil that's not normal. It was getting hilarious after the third day that people did contacts with US in the street saying that they had already gone to church and wanted us to teach them, or people marking their own baptisms...It seemed like a dream haha. I think it only happened because Heavenly Father has a great sense of humor and neither I nor Sister Gonzales will be in Alecrim to actually baptize these people haha.

This picture is not from exchanges but the sisters mentioned are in it
Sister De Paula, Sister Keese, Sister Carvalho, Sister Gonzales, Sister Cieslak and Sister Baker

Saturday morning I got back to my area just in time for DANIEL'S BAPTISM Saturday night. It was so great. Thank you, thank you for putting Daniel's name in at the temple, it paid off! He is such an amazing person and has changed so much these last few weeks. He went from being someone who was always drinking and what not to someone who we saw yesterday helping his elderly neighbor walk to her church (cutest thing ever). And his baptism was great. Afterward he was so happy he said he felt like flying. Sister Carvalho and I are on cloud nine.

I responded to Pie's email but I forget that you guys aren't all together to read my email. [mom note: Pie is Megan's sister Emily that is away at college] I FREAKED OUT. And I am SO HAPPY I can't handle it. I had been thinking a lot a lot about her and a mission recently but I didn't want to pressure her because I know what that's like, but then from out of the blue I got her email! Best. Day. Ever. Now our whole fam will be returned missionaries! Go Baker clan! And I know the mission will be the best thing in the world for her. She's going to love it. And I'm praying for Brasil so we can talk to each other in Portuguese in front of you and dad ;)

And Temple Square for Bekah!!! Ah she'll be amazing there! You died when she opened it huh? haha [mom note: when I turned in my own mission papers years ago I prayed to be called to Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah. Heavenly Father knew better and that is not where I went but I still get a bit jealous when someone we know gets called there as happened with our friend and neighbor, Bekah]

NO. Worst timing ever Getty Museum, don't you know I'm on a mission? You're going to go for my birthday? The world is cruel. hahaha. Just kidding please go so I can live vicariously through you. I'll just have to move to London and visit the Tate every day to make up for this. hahaha. [mom note: this came in response to us sharing news that one of her favorite artists, J.M.W. Turner, will be on display at the Getty until the end of May.]

#minhavida

+ In the street yesterday an older drunk man asked Sister Carvalho to marry him. And asked me...if I was 90 years old. Apparently my old soul is showing on the outside now too.

+ Some members were looking at my Facebook and didn't believe that it was me. Glad to know the mission is doing such wonders for my appearance. (but my spirit is gorgeous right now ;) )

+ I carried my packages (thanks again momma!) home and the next day I couldn't even straighten my arms they were so sore. haha

This week showed me that the Lord knows what we need more than we do (the exchange with Sister Gonzales) and that miracles happen! Daniel! I am so happy to be here, and also feeling that I won't be transferred (fingers crossed, knock on wood, the whole shebang). President changed pday of transfer week back to Mondays [mom note: pday was on Wednesdays during transfer week] so it's normal every week now and we actually have pday even if we're transferred. woo hoo! I love Ala Natal, I love Sister Carvalho. I love my mission.

Tchau tchau amo vcs

Sister Baker

[mom note: In addition to the photos below some new CTM/MTC photos have been added to this older post]