WEEK 4

Dillon and his good buddy Luke Shill!

Out in the "colorful" real world

when he and his companion were looking for a cvs pharmacy!

 "Downy Bear" taking a risk ironing his pants while wearing them!

 Dillon and his buddy, Cody Porter

 This is Matt Garry, he is Nate Garry's cousin.

He found Dillon at the temple on a Sunday walk.

 "The classroom"

Waffles and Toast with Egg for ETERNITY!

I just got this cutest handwritten letter from Dillon in the mail. 

Made this momma's day for sure!

Dear Momma!

You are the absolute Best!  Holy cow that album was the best thing to ever happen to me!  Those pics were sooo sick!  All of my District was drooling over Court and the other girls in there!  I seriously love you soo much, that was the nicest thing ever and the Ipod is great....but you forgot to send the cord to charge it....but I still love it.  The pics on it are sweet!  I'm thinking I might be able to hook it up to the computer and put more pics that you guys send me on it.

I love you so much and I'm so grateful for everything you do, and have done!  All my district was so jealous when I told them how much you did for me like making me waffles or toast with egg every single day! And cleaning the house and doing laundry and taking care of the little nephews and raising 4 outstanding kids!  You're seriously a super mom!

I don't think I would be right here writing you a letter from my mission if it wasn't for you!  I'm just out here trying to pay it forward for everything you did for me!  And I'm trying to bring people the same happiness that I have because I can live with my family FOREVER!!!  I think that is the greatest promise ever!  Like for real that means I'm gonna have waffles and toast with egg for Eternity!

I love you, I miss you!  2 years will not be that Long!  And It's gonna be great to be back with you!

mahal na mahal kita
ps the (na mahal) just adds emphasis SO extra love!!!


mahal na mahal kita,
sincerely,

Elder Baker
(your Baby Boi)

Families Can be Together Forever

Through Heavenly Father's plan.

I always want to be with my own family

And the Lord has shown me how I can.

The Lord has shown me how I can.

Work Hard All Day Every Day! -WEEK 3

Hi everyone!

This week was a pretty descent week, wasn't hard like the last ones but it was just a normal week in the MTC!  6 hours of class a day and eating the same non flavorful foods everyday!  But yesterday was sweeet!!  So my comp took a soccer ball right in the face!!  lol but he messed up his eye and had to go to the doctor and they sent us to an eye center and we just got to visit the outside world!! (he's ok, by the way) It's so weird everything was so colorful!  We had to go to cvs to get a prescription and I couldn't help but just smile as I walked around cvs lol!!  But that was pretty much it this week!

The language is coming really well! Right now we are doing conjegations and it's really difficult, but we're working on it.

Oh ya we watched a video on missionary work that was great!  I advise all future missionarys to watch it.  It's called Missionary Work and the Atonement!!  It taught me that missionary work is supposed to be hard and it's never gonna stop being hard!  AND I'M SOO EXCITED TO JUST WORK HARD ALL DAY EVERYDAY!!

And I love getting all your dear elders throughout the week.  Everyone says they get homesick when the read them but it just makes me so happy to read about everything!!

HEY REMEMBER TO GIVE COURT AN EXTRA BIG HUG FROM ME ON HER B-DAY!! HEHEHE

Mahal Kita

Elder Baker

When there is a task to do, do it with a smile.

Do more than you are asked to do and go the second mile.

Keep the Elder "Baker's" Coming!

A handwriten letter dad received from Dillon:

August 17

Dear Dad,

So last night we performed with the Nashville Tribute Band and we were singing two songs.  The first was "John's Song" it talked about John the Baptist and baptising Jesus.  But the second song was the good one.  It's called "I Was Born" and it talks about people from all around the world going to serve missions and at one point the guy says "born the son of humble converts........and I'm here to pay it forward." And I felt the spirit so strong at that moment knowing that what I'm doing here is not only for me but it's for you!

I'm so happy that I was able to be your first son to serve a mission!  And I can't wait to keep the Elder "Baker's" coming!  I love you, I miss you!  But I know that I can do this hard thing in my life because I have you pushing me thru it!

KYC!

Love,

Elder Baker

ps   I know this is a little early I just didn't want to forget!!!  But make sure you give Court an extra BIG hug from me on her Birthday!  Thanks Love you!

Born the son of humble converts, and I'm here to pay it forward.

And we are here to serve our King! Children of the most high. 

And it's His good news that we bring As we labor gladly bringing souls to Christ.

We are born of goodly parents,  blessed souls of a rich inheritance.

We are children of the Father, an army of His sons and daughters.
                                           ---Nashville Tribute Band

Challenge: Become Truly Converted to Christ -WEEK 2

So to start off this week, we watched the Character of Christ devotional and it absolutely changed my whole perspective on missionary life and just everyday life. In the devotional he challenges every one to become truly converted to Christ! So that was my whole goal this week! Later that Sunday we found out that our entire branch is in the choir lol but it is so fun cause we are singing like this pop up beat song like one you would hear in like a church in the south! It makes me want to stand up and start clapping my hands and dancing! lol its called johns song! and we get to perform with the band at one of our devos!

Monday I had to clean like 20 toilets lol it kinda sucked! The rest of Monday was just like studying and chilling so that was nice.  Tuesday was a great day because I became like best friends with everyone in my district and I love these guys!  Also on Tuesday we had a lesson with our "investigator" and it went so well our tagalog is coming along so good! And he said he commited to baptism! I know its fake but it still made me happy because if the "investigator" doesnt like the missionaries he can kick them out so we did pretty good!

Thursday nothing good happened really. EXCEPT i finally saw LUKER!  It was soo nice seing someone I knew!  I also see Earl Cody and Patrick all the time too so thats nice!
And then Friday! ughhh yesterday was terrible! I woke up terribly sick and the day just seemed to last forever!!! But it was cool because our investigator became our teacher and taught us ways to become a better missionary!

Well I love you all I miss you all so much! I'm gonna give a brief testimony in tagalog so you see what its like!

Alam ko po na totoo ng simbahan. Alam ko po na manunubos po si Jesuchristo. Alam ko po na totoo ng pagbabayad-sala. Mahal ko ng simbahan, mahal ko si Jesuchristo si pangalan ni Jesuchristo amen.

 Rough translation:  I know this church is true.  I know that Jesus Christ is my redeemer. I know that the atonement is true.  I love this church, I love Jesus Christ.  In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Elder Baker

 According to Dillon, this guy in red is the

funniest guy he's ever met!

 Missionaries all walking to the temple - great sight!

He knows I will follow him,

Give all my life to him.

I feel my Savior's love,

The love he freely gives me.

1 Nephi 3:7 He shall prepare a way! -WEEK 1

HELLO PO! pamilya and friends!

So the MTC is a pretty crazy place! It's literally non stop studying ALL DAY LONG! And all they do is talk in tagalog in the classroom! But it is a great place to learn because the spirit is so strong here! 

My companion is Elder Egbert! He is a really cool guy. At first we didn't really talk, but I think we were both just really tired! We get along very well which is nice. Our roomies are in a trio which consists of Elder Daily, Elder Asay, and Elder Heaton! They're all really great guys and very spiritual!

So day 2 was even crazier than day 1! As soon as we got into the classroom we were already learning how to testify! We later learned that we were gonna have to know how to testify because we were going to be teaching our first "investigator" the next day! so we learned how to testify and pray in tagalog! but then the teachers left and we had 3 hours to prepare a lesson... IN TAGALOG! It was nuts me and my companion had a like 5 minute lesson on the plan of salvation! which wasnt even like a lesson, just us telling him what it was and then testifying of its truth! LOL thats pretty much all we could do! so we taught or lesson and then as we were leaving the "investigator" says that we are going to be teaching him again on Monday! so we've already started planning our next lesson on the restoration.

Well day 3 was probably the most stressful day of my life! This was the day that we actually taught or investigator and it went terrible lol its a good thing its fake cause he definitely wouldnt have been baptised after that lesson! LOL but by the end of the day i was  really mad at myself and the techers cause I had no idea what they were saying and it was just HARD! But right before we went to our rooms our teacher reminded us of the scripture 1 Nephi 3:7 which is the I will go and do scripture, but she really emphasized on the part about he will not give us a commandment save he shall prepare a way for us to accomplish it! so I know that all this struggle will eventually come to an end and I will be able to teach by the spirit in tagalog!

Mahal, Elder Baker 

His Companion "Elder Egbert"

 

Study Group and selfies!

The Room

 The District

"I will go; I will do the thing the Lord commands,
I know the Lord provides a way; he wants me to obey.
I will go; I will do the thing the Lord commands,
I know the Lord provides a way; he wants me to obey."

On his way.... The Airport 8.5.15

We took "Elder Baker" to the airport this morning

bright and early to catch his flight to Salt Lake City.

From there, he was picked up by Tyler (his companion for the next hour)

and they had lunch at J-Dawgs before Tyler dropped our

newest Elder off at the Provo MTC to start his MISSION!

This was not the easiest of days for this momma.

Or for his dad, or his sisters for that matter.

We will miss his smiling face and his funny

sense of humor, but we are so very proud of 

him and know that this is exactly where he should

be right at this exact moment.  We, as his parents and 

his family have done our part.  We are handing him

over to the Lord for two years, The Lord will now do His.

He will help him to learn and grow into the man that 

Dillon can and should be.  His own faith and his testimony

will grow and he will help so many people in the Philippines

and will change so many lives there for the better.  

How can I be sad about that?  I cannot.  

He left with a HUGE smile on his face and 

he was ready to GO!

The MTC drop-off with Tyler after a good ole fashioned

pump up speech about how awesome missions are!

That's a couple of happy handsome guys right there,

proud of my new missionary and my returned missionary.

 

We have been saved for these latter-days

To build the kingdom in righteous ways.

We hear the words our prophet declared;

"Let each who's worthy go forth and share."

It's OFFICIAL.......He's ELDER BAKER 8.4.15

We went to the Stake Offices where President Hiatt

set Dillon apart as a Full-time Missionary

for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

He's official......  He's now a missionary!

He was given an amazing blessing, 

I know that he will be able to go and serve the Lord

in the Philippines and do just what is needed there.

He was blessed to be able to get along well with

his companions and others around him.  He always

does anyways, but I loved this part of the blessing so much.

He was blessed with the gift of tounges.  He will need this.

His language is tough.  But, I know with diligence and 

patience and with faith, it will come.

I'm so proud of Dillon and his choice to 

serve a mission for our church.....

now get out there and find those golden opportunities!

 After we came home, he had a giant group of his friends

gather at our house to say their good-byes.

It was so great to see the love and support for him.  

I know they will continue to support him 

throughout his mission.  

SO THANKFUL FOR ALL OF THEM!

Best Frousins!  Cousin/Friends!

We love this great group of friends!!

  

Just a quick 2 years.....  Don't forget to write!

The Lord needs valiant servants,
To do his work in the latter day,
Who follow the teachings of Jesus
And serve his people in a loving way.
I will be his servant
And keep my covenants valiantly.
I'll stand for truth, I'll stand for right.
The Lord can depend on me.