Nov 18

Hi Mom!

Sister Frampton is now a Sister Training Leader in the Bowling Green Biking area in the Toledo Zone.  So she is way out west.  She is going to freeze out there on a bike!  She was ready to go, despite how much she loved it here.  Everyone was so sad though.  I am glad that everyone was very warm to my new companion yesterday at church.  Her name is Sister Olson.   She is from Fallbrook, CA (by San Diego), and just turned 20.  She is really great!  We get along quite swimmingly.  I think part of it is that I feel like I am just winging it, and she doesn't have any experience, so just rolls with it.  She has a very laid back personality and is incredibly patient with me as I am learning too. 

It is a really good thing that she is patient after our crazy first week. The first night that Sister Olson was here, our furnace had shut off.  We woke up to the apartment being about 45 degrees!  Pretty cold for a Southern Cali girl.  We found out later that it was a miracle that it had shut off.  Our apartment manager sent over a repair man to take a look at everything.  He told us that our furnace was shooting out flames, and would heat up the place for just the day, and come back and replace it the next.  He said it should be fine, but shouldn't be left for longer than a day.  We agreed, and he had one more safety check to do before he left.  So we waited, and waited, and he came back finally.  He told us that our furnace had started leaking a large amount of carbon monoxide.  Had it not shut off in the middle of the night... well...  Miracle!   So we called our mission office to let them know what was happening at the apartment.  Right after, I lost the phone.  Of course I would!  Our apartment was freezing cold, the office had no way to get ahold of us if something went wrong, and it all happened on Sister Olson's first day here.  Classic.  Well, she will never forget that I guess. 

Zone conference

Just to put your mind at ease mom, our furnace has been completely replaced, and they added another CO detector to our other two, and we now have a phone.  Everything is hunky-dory here! 

Sister Olson has been picking up the schedule and everything else really quickly.  I am really impressed with her desire to work hard, and how she is focused on listening to the spirit.  I think I will be learning a lot from her these next three months rather than the other way around. 

We met with a whole bunch of people this week.  Jon came to church again yesterday!  He is just eating everything up that we give him!  He loves learning.  I wish I could say that we were perfect teachers, and that is why it was going so well, but it is not.  He is so prepared to hear the gospel at this time.  So we just show up as prepared as we can be, but the spirit does all the work. We ask very basic questions, watch as the spirit teaches him complex doctrine,  and then he applies it all to himself.  So incredible! 

This is Carol, Karen  and her husband Neil  (the dachsaund breeders), me, s. frampton, Julie  and her fiance and investigator Jon.

I know that the church is true.  I know that this is Jesus Christ's church, and that because we are doing His work miracles happen.  I love my mission!  I know that there is no other opportunity I will ever have to be able to dedicate 100% of my efforts to my Heavenly Father like this.  The things I am learning are incredible, and I feel it changing me for the better! 

I love you all so much!  Thank you for your support for me and Rooster! 

Love,

Sister D.K. Bakker

Nov 12

Hi mom!

This week has been absolutely incredible!  Last week we had Zone Confence with President Vellinga.  We learned a lot more about how to be better teachers, and be more simple and clear.  It has really helped in every aspect of our work here in North Alliance.  We have seen miracles all week long!!  For starters, we met with our investigator Jon, who lives with the C’s.  We had a great lesson with him!  He told us that he knew the Book of Mormon was true, and wants to push up his baptism date to January!  I know that Heavenly Father answers prayers, and is leading us to those who are prepared.  Jon is loving the lessons, and eating up the Book of Mormon!  The whole family came to church on Sunday as well.  Jon's fiance, Julie, came for the first time in 24 years!  They weren't the only ones who came to church also!  We have been working so hard with families in the ward, like the U’s.  Tom and Sandy U haven't been to church service in a long time, and seemed excited to be there.  I really love Sandy, she cooks like you, mom! 

President Kirk and his family fed us this week.  It was a fairly interesting dinner if I do say so myself.  They put on a big surprise dinner for the missionaries every once in a while.  This was the first time they have ever done it with sisters, and it was way funny!  There isn't much more I can say other than their family is fantastic! 

The only hard part about our week was knowing about transfers a week in advance.  We found out early because I had to go to trainers meeting, since I will be training starting tomorrow.  Sister Frampton has been here a full six months, and the ward was very anxious to know if she was going or staying.  Some were praying for her to stay, but everyone ultimately knew the sad truth.  She is leaving tomorrow, and I will be staying and bringing in the new sister here.  The nice thing about transfers is that we have had some of our most powerful lessons with people.  Our investigators and the members all really put their whole heart into the lesson because they can feel it may be their last with her.  I feel very honored to be serving in this ward where the relationship between the members and missionaries is so strong!  The work here has changed so dramatically in the last 6 months, and even three months.  I will be very sad to see Sister Frampton go just like everyone else.  I do know that the Lord knows what needs to happen here though, so the changes will be for the best.  I look forward to it!

I love you all, and am grateful for your support!  Thanks for all you do for me.

Love,

Sister Bakker

Nov 4

Hi!

On the way to church in Alliance

The weather can be kinda strange since it is pretty much always grey skies, you can never tell when we are going to have rain or not.  All is well here.  Karen is still doing great!  We met with her on Halloween and had a blast with her and Sue.  We also went and visited with Sister C, who talked us in to helping her pass out candy for awhile.  We actually couldn't do a lot of work on Halloween, so we resorted to just doing a lot of service. 

Sister C, Dani, S Frampton raking leaves

This week we had interviews with President Vellinga.  He is a really sweet man.  His famous question that all the missionaries here quote, "Do you love your mission?"  He has a big heart and is very genuine.  We have Zone Conference this week, and I am looking forward to that. 

We did get an amazing new investigator this week!  Her name is Kristen, and she is 22.  She is so sweet!  She really liked the restoration, and loved Mormon Messages.  She told us that she had been hoping someone would come by that night, and just before we had been earnestly praying for a new investigator to work with.  I love when our prayers are answered so quickly! 

Sue, Karen Dani and S Frampton on Halloween

I wish I had more time to tell you about this last week, but I will send you some pictures.  I love you all! 

Love,

Sister D.K.Bakker