March 24

Beautiful Ohio countryside

S Bakker and Jill working on the Word of Wisdom

Mom,

  

So this week we have been working hard preparing for a lot of things coming up.  First of all, I would like you all to know that Elder Jeffrey R. Holland is coming to visit Kirtland on May 21st to hold a mission conference!  WE ARE SO EXCITED!  We have had all sorts of good news this last week.   

We have been doing a lot of service this week.  We went over to Jill’s to help her clean in preparation for her surgery this week.  She asked if we would hang up pictures in her apartment.  It has been a bit bare the whole time she has lived there, and that was fun for me.  She really needs to be living the word of wisdom for her surgery, and she just can't quit her smoking.  We have been doing a lot to try and help her, but if she doesn't want it herself we can't force her.  So in little baby steps we have been trying.  She sacrificed two of her remaining six cigarettes this weekend.  That was good. The word of wisdom is such a blessing to us.  I never realized how much until I saw just how horrible it is on people. 

Jim is doing great.  He is as golden as ever.  We are really looking forward to his baptism this Saturday.  He wanted to change the date because his family decided to drive in from down in Cincinatti.  Hopefully it will be a good experience.  I talked Sister Chapman into singing (she has a beautiful voice) so that will definitely enhance the spirit there.  We have been inviting everyone so we hope to have a really good turn out from everyone. 

It was a great Sunday with many people there (maybe 50, but a lot for our Branch).  Michelle was the first to come in.   She and her son, Joey (17), came to church this week also!  It has been years since she came to church.  When she walked in, she was shaking a bit, and she promised she would be back next week (depending on her husband...) .  The F’s also came to church yesterday!  Dane wasn't going to stay the whole time, but he ended up coming into Gospel Principles for our lesson on the Gift of the Holy Ghost.  I have never had such a good experience in that class before.  The spirit was strong, and it was evident that everyone was edified.  Our class was so big, they had to move us out of the little kitchen area and trade rooms with another class.  That was a good feeling.  Sometimes as a missionary you work so hard to help people come to church, and in the end many missionaries never see the results.  It felt rewarding for the Jensons as well as us to have so many people there.  We are building up St. Marys!!!!

That was just a little update for our week.  I hope you are all doing well.  The weather is trying to warm up.  We are predicted to have snow again this week (which I am okay with :) ).  We will see what it looks like this weekend.  Spring is trying to happen, but my guess is we still have a little while. 

 I love you all.  I am so excited for all of the awesome things happening in each of your lives.  I know that our Heavenly Father cares about us, and the things that are important to us.  He will help us achieve our greatest potential! 

Love,

Sister Bakker

march 18

Hi Mom!

So, obviously transfers were this week as I am writing you on Tuesday.  Sorry I forgot to give you a heads up this time around.  The good news is we are both staying!  Sister Chapman and I are having so much success here in St. Marys.  President Vellinga specifically mentioned the work we are doing here in St. Marys during the Toledo Stake Conference, and talked about our miracles.  I love it here!  I really wasn't sure if I was going to be able to love it as much as I loved the Youngstown/Alliance area, but it is evident that Sister Chapman and I were both needed here. 

We had a great week this!  Jim has been struggling for a few weeks with the idea of being perfect before baptism.  He comes to church and says he feels unworthy seeing the kinds of lives the members lead, and the courage of our youth.  He keeps wanting to push back his baptism.  He was thinking sometime in the summer or longer.  It has taken a great deal of powerful lessons building up to what happened yesterday.  Yesterday, we had a lesson with him in his home, and talked about the power of repentance, what it truly means, and how it is possible for all men everywhere to be forgiven.  We then each had a powerful testimony moment with him and discussed the blessings that come from Christ's church. The spirit was so strong.  I felt strongly to ask him the first baptismal interview questions.  He took a minute and then with the spirit bore a strong and simple testimony that he knows this church is the only true church on the earth.  We then invited him to show his faith and recommit to March 28th.  He paused, smiled, and then with tears he told us "Yes!"  It was a powerful experience.  He is so sweet, and such a powerful influence to me.  I am grateful that I was born into the church.  I am so grateful that I didn't have to wait so long to find the truth. 

We have a new investigator named Jenee.  She is a young mom, and has a strong faith in Christ.  She had investigated with the elders in the past, but didn't feel a strong connection.  We were able to sit down and talk about some of her concerns with the church, and the story of Joseph Smith.  She then proceeded to tell us how much she really respected the church, and did truly want to know if it was true.  Another strong spiritual experience.  We invited her to retake the lessons, and she accepted with high hopes of receiving an answer this time.  I love that the spirit gives people a desire to change, and the gospel of Christ shows them the path to take to accomplish all they hope to. 

I love being out here in Ohio.  This place is not only beautiful, but it was chosen by our Father in Heaven to grow again.  This gospel is growing quickly.  There is no better time than now to share the gospel.  I am so grateful for my mission. 

I love you all and pray for you constantly.  Have a great week!

Love,

S Bakker, Jim, S Chapman

Jim and the Jenson's

Sister Bakker

March 10

Dear Mom,

We have had a ton of meetings, including stake conference, so we didn't get to teach as much as we would have liked.  Sister Chapman hasn't really been feeling good, which has put us at a bit of a slower pace also.  Hopefully I don't get what she has.  I don't ever want to stay in because of illness.  I can get sick next year.  Until then I will stay healthy. 

This week we had a really cool lesson with  our investigator, Doug.  He is in his 50s I think, and he is a former investigator from the Elders a few months ago.  His big concern was that us young people couldn't relate to the trials he has had to face.  So to counter that, we brought the Jensons.  Have I mentioned how great it is to have a senior couple?  Together we taught Doug the Plan of Salvation, and he loved it!  He had so many questions about eternal marriage for the Jensons, and we were able to talk about the Holy Ghost a bit at the end.  I never thought I would have to learn how to teach with three other people, but somehow we really make it work.  It is so cool to feel the spirit prompting each of us to speak, and when to be silent.  Doug really felt the spirit too, and has such a strong desire to know if the things we taught him were true.  I am really excited to go back and teach him some more. 

Jim is doing great!  He has been living the Word of Wisdom.  I don't think he has received a profound answer if it is true or not, but he is very wise to know that an answer will come eventually as he does what he is supposed to.  So he told us to keep on with the lessons.  So we taught him the all about the ten commandments, obedience, and then lead it into the law of tithing and fasting.  He loved it so much!  He wants to start paying his tithing as fast as possible so he can see the windows of heaven open.  He calculated what he made last year, took out the 10% and then divided it by 52 so he could pay every week.  He is so committed to living the gospel.  There is a difference between working with the prepared and those who aren't prepared.  Jim is incredible!  Keep him in your prayers.

We have had some really neat experiences here in St. Marys.  I know that I am supposed to be here at this time. Something that I have been trying to do is realize that nothing is coincidence.  I have been able to recognize Heavenly Father's hand in so many more ways.  If we just allow Him to show us the miracles, we will be amazed at the ways he blesses us everyday.  I love being a missionary.  I still know that Heavenly Father would have been proud of me if I had stayed home, but I know that my life will be completely different now that I have served.  I wish I could explain how much it has changed me.  I love my mission!

I love you all!  Have a great week!

Love,

Sister Bakker

March 3

the Bicycle Museum of America--peddle car

The chickens are in the rafters to protect them from the coons

2 day old goat babies to be fed

Dear Mom and Family,

This week has been so great!  We have been seeing so many miracles!  We are working with so many people and really the work is exploding!  Jim is doing great, he is progressing and still eating up all of the material we give him.  We are praying right now that he will be able to over come some difficulties with the word of wisdom, but I know Heavenly Father will help him.  We also had an amazing lesson with Patty.  It was the first time ever that the spirit has prompted me to teach as much as we taught her that day.  She was asking some pretty deep, and very spirit led questions, that quickly turned into a complete plan of salvation lesson.  That quickly evolved into the entire restoration and she was just giving us  the hungry eyes look.  She wanted us to keep telling her all of the truths about the gospel.  She was raised strictly southern Baptist, but has adapted her thinking to the things she has learned from the bible (which is how the gospel should be).  She loves that the doctrines we taught her are the things she has taught herself from personal study.  It was an incredible lesson!  I have never taught anything quite like it before.  Afterwards, Sister Chapman and I were just beaming at how incredible it went.  We are so excited to teach her again.  We just have to work around her working third shift (which means she works weird night hours).  Keep her in your prayers, she is really sincere about seeking truth.  She accepted baptism.  Now we need to help her work towards a date. 

 Lucas and Lynne had us go and watch them sing at the Harvest Baptist church here in Wapak (Wapakenta shortened).  That was definitely different than what we are used to, complete with a Christian rock band.  Lucas and Lynne are really talented.  Afterwards, we went over and had dinner with them and their pastor and his wife.  There was a lot of questions directed our way.  I haven't had a teaching experience quite like it before.  I was really grateful that Pastor Aaron was very considerate when he talked with us, and he was well educated on our beliefs.  Lucas really seemed to understand our message, but each person there is really on different pages than each other when it comes to religion.  It is a unique teaching environment.  Hopefully we will be able to discern what we need to do to teach to everyone's understanding rather than some.

 Oh, so the fun stuff of last Preparation day.  We went to The Bicycle Museum of America!  It was so fun!!!!!  If you all ever come out to visit, you have to come and see it!  We were able to drive this little green bike car around and tried out an ingocycle, and even hopped on a big wheel bike from way back when.  The best part is that we were the only ones there, so we had a private tour! 

 I love you all, and hope that things will go well with everyone's busy lives.  I am praying for you all always.  I know that when we love our Father in Heaven that gradually our will becomes His, and then can we come to understand what He desires for us to learn. 

Love,  

Sister Bakker

Toledo and Toledo South Zone Mission  Dani's in middle row 3rd from R