Christmas!

So my first Christmas away from home was pretty good!

As a District, 5 Elders and 2 Sisters, we went to the Branch building to open gifts together. Then we read Christ's birth story from the Bible, then we all bore testimony of our knowledge that the Savior lives.

Later, we had 3 meals... So much good Mexican food! It was soooo much good food...

Menudo!

So the biggest highlight of the week is MENUDO!

Menudo is a traditional Mexican holiday dish. It is similar to a chicken soup but instead of chicken it is cow stomach. I ate a bowl of Menudo at the Branch Christmas Party on Saturday!

Pic included

Poisoning, Coke, Guns, Wishes, and Bombs OH MY!

So this week I suffered from a little 24 Food Poisoning!

I think it was from a Cookie Dough Milkshake from Sonic.

Here is the story:

So Elder Teio, from Tahiti, had never had a Banana Split!

We took him to Sonic to fulfill that on Friday. I got a Cookie Dough Milkshake. We also had a bunch of Little Caesars Pizza on Friday

On Saturday I felt a little bad in the morning but went to the bathroom and felt better.

That night, walking up to an appointment after dinner, I felt really sick! They weren't home and I asked if we could go home because I felt sick.

If you dont know, I hate throwing up.

I told that to Elder Tyler and Teio.

About 30 mins later I was in the bathroom. Very sick. To keep this short, diarrhea and throwing up. No mess though!!

We asked our Sisters to bring us toilet paper and crackers and Gatorade. Kinda awkward!

Anyway, that was Saturday. Then Sunday I stayed home in the apartment with another missionary. I feel so much better now and am back to normal eating!

Cute Nose

So to start off I want to share an experience I had last night.

We were trying to drop off some borrowed items to a member in our complex. She wasnt home so we started walking back to our apartment. On the way we started talking to this woman that approached us. She is a Jehovah Witness who I will refer to as MH. We talked to her about the Book of Mormon and she seemed really interested. She kinda sounded like she was talking in a flirty/innocent way with lots of giggles. The conversation ended with this:

Me:So will you read this chapter about Jesus Christ?

MH: Yes!

Me: Ok! And we will get that English Book of Mormon to you later.

MH: Elder Baker, you have a very cute nose!

Me: Thanks... Good night! (Walk away quickly)

I got fat this week!

HOLY COW!

So to start off I want to talk about Thanksgiving. Besides being an awesome day of gratitude it was a hefty one! English Elders invited us to join a dinner with their members. They were so nice and funny! They were also Polynesian. They cooked like Polynesians. They were roasting a pig, that was killed a couple hours before, as we walked onto their property! They had so much food! And they were not the wealthiest family. The sister had a firm testimony that if she did all she could and gave all she had to the missionaries, the Lord's representatives, that she would be blessed. It reminded me of the widow's mite. They were so kind and I know that they will be blessed! We also left with tons of leftovers!!

It is night!

So this week was pretty awesome!

On Tuesday we had splits and I went to teach Jose Angel and Maria. Maria is less active but has been great at bearing supportive testimony!! So Jose still hasnt prayed and still hasnt been doing our reading assignments! So we read Moroni 10 together. We talked about a few of the verses then here is how it went down:
Me: Jose, have you prayed yet?
Jose: No. I want to pray at alone at night
Maria: It is night!
Jose: No at night
Me: It is night!
Jose: But I will later
Me: Jose, will you go to your room right now and pray alone?
Jose: No, I will later
(I then felt inspired to give him a firm promise/command)
Me: Jose, if you go and pray right now, asking if the Book of Mormon is true, I know and can promise you that you will receive an answer tonight.
Jose: (Silence)
Maria: Go!
Me: Jose, we will wait here for you. Even if it takes 20 mins we will wait.
-15 minutes later-
(Jose walks back into the room wiping a tear from his eye)
(In my mind and view He was glowing)
Jose: I got my answer.
Me: How do you feel?
Jose: so good and peaceful and good
-And it went on-

Nacho!!! - Week 13

So I finally met a guy named Nacho the other day while tracting!

Thank you for all the birthday love! I really appreciate all the letters and packages!

So for my birthday I was woken up by a kind of large Samoan Elder on top of me. Elder Tyler let the other Elders in and the Samoan tackled me on my bed! They "Kidnapped" me and took me to breakfast at Denny's for my birthday!

Birthday Week!

My first Missionary birthday!

Tomorrow I am going to the store and buy a cake and some ice cream. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, you know whats up! I am emailing today, because while tomorrow is Transfer Day meaning that it is Pday, tomorrow is also Veterans Day so the library will be closed.

I am staying in the Sahuaro Branch another Transfer!

Beginning of November - Week 11

Wow what a week!

So this past week was week 5 of my first transfer! (A transfer is a 6 week period.)

So I am almost 3 months old!

And my birthday is on the 11th!!!! It is the beginning of a new transfer, so transfer day, and that means that that day is PDAY. So I will be able to email on my birthday!!!!!

Happy Week 5! - Week 10

So this is the start of week 5!

And my 19th Birthday is 2 weeks from tomorrow!!!

So I have been asked to give my average day so here we go,

6:30 Wake

Exercise, Breakfast, Showers, Get Dressed

8:00 Personal Study

9:00 Companionship Study

11:00 Language Study

12:00 Lunch

1:00 Depart

We Drive to appointments, visit with members, and work on finding new investigators.

5 or 6 PM We have dinner! Mostly Mexican which is very good!

9:00 Get back home and Plan for the next day

10:30 Be in bed by this time

In the Frontier - Week 9

So this week we picked up a new Nissan Frontier! It is really nice and handles well on the dirt roads that we have.

But, good afternoon everyone!

I am happy to report that I bought a ton of fruits and vegges this week!

Elder Baker, how far away is that plane? - Week 8

Preface: A TON of airplanes fly over our apartment. All the time.

One night walking into the apartment:
Elder Tyler: Elder Baker, how far away is that plane?
Me: I have no idea.
Elder Tyler: About 22 months!
Me: Wow, low blow! It's about 9 months for you!

So the other night I experienced the plane joke, as all Greenies should.

Anyway, I had a pretty good week! Ups and downs were present.

First week in the field - Week 7

This week has been amazing!

To answer main questions, I am in the Sahuaro Branch, in the Sahuarita Arizona Stake. It is southwest of the city of Tucson. We are fed every night and we get some pretty awesome Mexican food! My companion is Elder Tyler from Orem Utah. He is very nice and we get along really well! We have similar interests and we have fun and get a lot of work done. He works hard and is a good example. We live in an apartment that is nice and cozy. I am learning what to buy food wise. Last week I bought juice, a loaf of bread, peanut butter, and honey. I have peanut butter and honey toast every morning and I have a nice PB&J when we dont have dinner. I think I need to branch out but it is hard. When I first got here I had to buy some necessary, non-food items.

Back in the USA and in the Field! - Week 6

Holla!

The last couple days at the CCM were amazing!! On Friday night we had Costco Chicken Bakes for dinner!!! The Costco in Mexico loves the CCM! I had to get another haircut just to look fresh for the Mission President. On Wednesday I played volleyball for 4 hours!! My knees were very sore. Sunday was amazing with all the devotionals, the Joseph Smith Restoration movie, and the testimony meeting for the departing missionaries. I really felt the Spirit and took notes!

Last week at the CCM - Week 5

This week I did have a great time though!! While the CCM experience is good, it is the same schedule every single day.

Last Wednesday, after emails, we played pelota (Ball or basketball in our spanglish slang). I have also been playing a ton of volleyball in our gym time. I LOVE VOLLEYBALL!

Live from Mexico it's Elder Baker's Email! Week 4

Hello all!

Hope my family is doing well with the recent loss of my Grandma Thacker. I know that she is in a better place free from the sickness and pain that plagued her in this life. She lived a good life of service, care, and love.

This past week has been so great! "Soo great!" Many friends have been made! I love playing volleyball during gym time and having fun with other missionaries.

Week #3

Holla mis amigos y familia!

Last week after emails my companion and I went and got haircuts. It is super short now... (pic is attached below). I really like it because I save sooo much shampoo! Hahaha but I do like it and think it looks great, it just took some adjusting.

WEEK 2 in the CCM! (MTC in Spanish)

This week has been very interesting! Last Wednesday we got 2 new Districts added to our branch so the District leader in my district was asked to be Zone Leader with his companion. I was asked to be the new District Leader of my district. Being the District Leader I get to check the mail everyday and I love when I see mail with my name on it!!! Thank you Mom for all the awesome notes from my cousins and other family members!! And thank you for your letter with your talk. I can receive letters and you can send me packages!!! I receive them the next day!!! Only through the website www.missionarypackagemx.com

First week

So there were 4 other missionaries on my flight to Mexico, one Elder and 3 Hermanas. We had a great time and all the travel to the CCM or MTC was great! So over this past week we have built up our schedule to be the full schedule for the next 5 weeks! My companion, Elder Sam Crofts, and I have been teaching an "Investigator" but it is a member pretending! Elder Crofts and I taught the Restoration the other night and we both testified and had the Spirit with us! It was amazing!!

Dallin's Farewell talk

Dallin Baker

Farewell Talk

Prayer/Farewell

August 17, 2014

Prayer/Farewell

          Good afternoon brothers and sisters, friends and family. I am really excited to speak to you today! So on Wednesday I will report to the Mexico City Missionary Training Center. I will be there for 6 weeks to learn Spanish then I will report to the Arizona Tucson Mission. On my mission I will be teaching others through lessons, personal testimony, and by the power and companionship of the Spirit to “Invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end” (PMG 1).

Dallin flew from Atlanta to Mexico City today to report to the Mexico City MTC for language training. He will spend approximately six weeks and fly directly to Tucson at the end of September to report to his first area.

MTC Address

Start writing NOW! I can get mail at the Missionary Training Center (MTC). No packages can be sent, only letters.

Elder Dallin James Baker
Arizona Tucson Mission
Mexico Missionary Training Center
Carretera Tenayuca-Chalmita #828
Colonia Zona Escolar, Gustavo A. Madero
07230 Mexico, Distrito Federal
Mexico

Dallin's Farewell Talk - August 17th

Dallin will be giving his Farewell talk at the LDS church on Sunday, August 17th at 1:30 PM. The address is 5995 Spalding Drive, Peachtree Corners, GEORGIA 30092-1946. All are welcome. There will also be an open house later that night in the Baker home.

Dallin's Mission Call Opening - Saturday, April 19, 2014

http://youtu.be/fRpSsWbFBXQ