GUINOBATAN WEEK #16 UPDATE! -WEEK 77

WOAHH that sounds soo weird I’ve been here in guino for 16 weeks now! haha Reminds me of being in mobo forever! haha I think I still might be going another 6 weeks after this transfer in 2 weeks! But I’m excited for another 6 weeks out here!! But we’ll see what happens!! 

So this week was a pretty slow week (slow as in not many lessons but very fast in time!) We didn’t get out to work until Wednesday afternoon, because I still wasn’t feeling good, but thanks to your prayers for panadero! I was able to get out and work on Wednesday and teach some of our investigators we’re working on! One of which is OGGE! We were able to teach him this week with one of the members out here and he’s really excited to learn more everytime and super ready for the gospel! Sadly, he went to Manila on Friday and got back Sunday night and didn’t make it to church... but we’ll see him next week at church haha! Then on THURSDAY we had a zone conference, so we were over in Legazpi for about the whole day! We got home at about 5 then we had a family home evening that night at one of our less actives! which came to church this week YEET! FRIDAY really good day... we finally had a whole day to get out and work! So we went out and TRACTED! HAHA not very succesful tho we only found 1 new investigator haha but she is a great investigator she texted us on Sunday and wanted to come to church but she wouldn’t make it because of the RAIN! stoopid rain! Always making it hard for our investigators to come to church! Some people might think rain isn’t a big deal but filipinos HATE RAIN!! hahaha they're soo scared of it haha!! So then Saturday came around and I did exchanges in the other area so I wasn’t in my area that day but I had a dandy day working with Elder Mahipos visiting some investigators and less actives that I know from their ward so that was fun!  Then SUNDAY! WOOW Sundays are long days! hahaha but FUNN DAYS!! So on Sundays we head up to Lomacao our group for church at 9  to 11 then we get home get something to eat then head to church in Guinobatan at 1 until 4! Then get something to eat then we get to go out and work! But it kinda sucks cause nightimes aren’t very good for work at all out here! We went out to some of our new investigators to teach with some members but... when we got there they replied by saying they were "asleep" hmm how does that work your asleep but still responded... hmm well that happened to like 4 of our investigators that night then we just went to one of our old less actives to see if he came back from Legazpi and well lucky us he was there and the members we were with totally helped him to feel welcome to come back to church again! Missionaries can only do so much! WE NEED MEMBERS HAHA!! 

But that’s pretty much it that happened this week we went out to some hill this morning and played some games and had some fun! But thats about it!! 

I LOVE YOU ALL AND THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT!! 

HAPPY BDAY SHOUT OUT TO JESS LAST WEEK AND TYLER THIS WEEK!! LOVE YOU GUYS!

LOVE ELDER BAKER

HAKUNA MATATA!!

#BLESSED -WEEK 76

SO I’m soo excited to tell you guys about this week!! This has been the BEST week I have had out here in Guinobatan since the first week I got here! So in our weekly planning last week me and my comp made some HUGE goals for new investigators this week and other goals to help our investigators to progress and well IT WORKED!! It wouldn't have worked without a little change of heart in me and my comp! My companion doesn't really have motivation to tract out here cause he’s been here for a long time now and hasn't had any success really in tracting out here, but we had faith we would have success this week! 

So on Tuesday we went out and started tracting immediately  We found and taught 3 new investigators right when we started! Then as we went to go and try to teach one lady we had met on the street the other week we took a detour down a road and as soon as we turned the road I saw a guy outside his house and he looked at me and smiled and I said to my comp “ we're gonna teach him!"  Well as we got to his front gate he was already opening the gate and he said "hey elders”.  I was like wait, you know the missionaries?? He’s like ya I’m a member hahaha!  Well, turns out he goes to church in the other ward, because thats where his friends are haha so I didn’t know him but then he says "come in elders I have someone I want you to teach!" HAHAHAHA WHOAH!!! #blessed!!  Well we get inside and turns out his cousin has been coming to church with him the last 2 weeks and wants to get baptised!! Well the elders in the other ward didn’t know where he lived so they never went to him luckily we found him this week and finally got to teach him and gave him a baptismal date for FEB 11!! he’s really excited for his baptism and he’s also gonna be baptized with his nephew who is 8 yrs old!! 

Well our prayer was answered!! We found our GOLDEN INVESTIGATOR!!  

But that’s not the only miracle that happened this week…………..So remember that house I told you about that we built again for that family after it got taken out by the typhoon! Well he’s a part member and he’s been really hard hearted back in the day and didn’t want to listen to missionaries! BUTT!!! We softened his heart THRU service!! He wants to be taught now and he’s already started changing his life! He has had a problem with the word of wisdom his whole life but now… IT'S GONE!!  He completely changed! WOAHH! #blessed!! We also set a baptismal date for him on Feb 26 which is the baptism of Sister Monellia! The lady who is waiting to get married to get baptized SOO WE ARE EXCITED FOR NEXT MONTH!! To see all these baptisms go thru! Elder Ayson is a little sad cause he probably won’t be here next transfer but he’s happy he was the one who found these baptisms!! 

Well that’s about it besides me losing 8 pounds in 2 days... what.. #PrayForPanadero! hehe kidding just a little stomach problem! 

I LOVE ALL OF YOU AND AM SOO THANKFUL FOR YOUR PRAYERS TO HELP MISSIONARY WORK THROUGHOUT THE WORLD! KEEP IT COMING! 

"preach the gospel at all times if necessary use words" just wanted to share one of my favorite quotes with you guys!

LOVE ELDER BAKER

HAKUNA MATATA!!

 Guinobatan 2nd Ward Christmas Party 🎄

 Is this what they mean by...."fishers of men"?

 part of Elder Baker's Christmas package!!  

 RAIN...... 🌩 the typhoon is coming!!!

 Service Project after Typhoon Nina

Rebuilding this house!!

And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, 

if ye have experienced a change of heart, 

and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, 

I would ask, can ye feel so now?

                                        --Alma 5:26

BI..BI..BINYAG!! -WEEK 71

Well it's been another GREAT WEEK out here in Guinobatan!! We got to end off the week the best way ever!! With A BAPTISM!! We were super excited to finally baptize brother Romar Jay!! And what made it even more fun, we got to have two 8 yr old kids baptized with him!! So me and my comp and the ward were very happy this last week!! But not just because of baptisms... we had just a great week of work this week! ALOT OF FINDING... hahaha we are really doing finding every day, but this week we had some funny experiences!!

So the first fun experience was when we were out tracting and we went to one house that was pretty big and usually it's kinda scary going to the big houses but I like trying them cause sometimes they have "air conditioning"! hahaha  Well we went to this house, and tracted it and turns out it is one of the ladys part of the government out here haha... she was super nice and invited us in and we started talking.  Turns out her son lived in Utah for a little while so that was cool but then we got to teach them a little lesson that went good! Then as we were leaving she gave us a souvenir... a coffee mug hahaha and then she invited us to her "fiesta" on Saturday, so right after the baptism we got to go get some lunch over there haha and it was funny cause alot of our investigators over there were at the house also so that was kinda fun! But there was just alot of drinking and smoking and stuff but we went by ate...then took off hahaha but she is really nice!! 

Another one of them was a half drunk guy that I started talking to on the side of the road.. So we started talking and then we sat down and were just talking about his life and his wife is dead and now he's just kinda chilling drinking sometimes but not doing too much...then he brings up the question "how do I change my life?" BAM what an inspired question by a drunk guy! haha Well I testified to him of the gospel of Jesus Christ and he had enough sense to actually understand me, and he was pretty interested and he told us to come to his house and teach him and his extended family that lives by him! haha So we have a return appointment over there this week! See how he is now! Hopefully not drunk!! 

We had alot of other normal missionary stuff happen this week also but nothing else very fun!! We are still struggling to help out brother Bernardo come back to church! He really wants to, but is busy with work and he's still struggling with the word of wisdom. But he's working on it! 

Today we had THE LAST ZONE ACTIVITY IN THE LEGAZPI MISSION! So it was kinda fun to be together having fun for the last time! 

Next week is transfer day so we'll see if I'm staying here or heading out next week!! 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!! KINDA EARLY!! HEHEHE!! 

Love all of you soo much! 

P.S. CONGRATS TO THE BEAUTIFUL BRIDE AND HER MUSCLE MAN GROOM!! 

P.S.S. I WANNA SAY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE GREATEST MAN TO BE A PART OF MY LIFE!! (besides Jesus Christ) THE ONE AND ONLY CHRIS BAKER!! He is the best example of a Christlike person! LOVE YOU DAD I'M SO THANKFUL FOR YOU IN MY LIFE!! 

LOVE ELDER BAKER

HAKUNA MATATA!! 

GUINO IS GETTING A BAPTISM!! -WEEK 67

WOOAH WHAT A WEEK! It’s been quite a crazy week with transfers happening last week! On Tuesday we had to get the elders in our house sent out and then I was lucky to be in a trisome with my boy elder Nonu! (my companion back in Mobo) he got to work in our area on Tuesday and it was so fun to be working with him again! 

On Tuesday we found a new less active family, the Milliamina family. The mom is a member but the dad is not a member but all her kids are members…  they all have families now, but we taught them and hopefully we can get working on the dad to start coming to church!  he’s just the kinda guy who just relaxes believes in God but it doesn’t drive him to do anything haha but we’ll see what happens with him! His wife didn't come to church this Sunday but we’ll see what we can do to get them to come! 

We also found the Mota family... a less active family also (lots of new LA's hahah)  The problem with the Mota’s is they live out in the MOUNTAINS hahaha over a hill down a hill thru a river and then up another hill haha! But they’re awesome!! 

Other than less actives, we found a part member family, well actually we didn't find them but... we found this kid that isn't a member hahaha so this family is funny.. the dad is a member.. inactive... the mom is NOT a member... but has gone to church every week since 2013 haha she can’t get baptized until they get married in February! BUT she said she wants to have her son get baptized now…... WHICH MEANS GUINO IS GETTING A BAPTISM!! First one in over a YEAR!  You could say I'm a little excited hahaha!!  And guess what.. the moms little sisters live with her so we’re gonna try and involve them in the lessons also!  The family is the Monillia family! 

Soo this week I had a great time just sitting back and relaxing... hahaha I gave elder Ayson the chance to lead to see if that would help him and...YESS IT WORKED! He started working a lot harder this week so I had a lot better week than I have been out here in Guinobatan! 

I LOVE YOU ALL!! I’M SOO UNBELIEVABLY HAPPY OUT HERE!! #PpinesBaby

LOVE ELDER BAKER

HAKUNA MATATA!!

Whenever I am good and kind

And help someone I see,

I feel so very happy,

For then I'm helping me.

Tra la la la la la la la,

I'm happy as can be

When I am helping others,

For then I'm helping me.

BAGONG BALITA! -WEEK 66

WELL ACTUALLY I DON’T HAVE REALLY ANY NEW NEWS! I'm still here in GUINOBATAN! With my companion Elder Ayson and still struggling in this area. We were really sad this week because one of our GREAT investigators found a job last week and his schedule is either 7 pm to 7 am which we can teach him in the afternoon when thats his schedule, but every week it switches. This last week it was 7 am to 7pm and his house is too far away and when he gets home he goes right to sleep so we didn't get to teach him at all this week... and then our other progressing was in a different area with his girlfriend all week so we didn't go to him either! BUTTT WE DID get some delicious food this week!! Well more like lil snacks! Something I love about being in the Philippines and being in an area in the "bukid" or like mountains is that the members always give us coconuts!! hahaha Coconut juice has become my all time favorite drink ever!  Like there is nothing better than stopping and drinking a coconut while out walking in the heat of the ppines!! hahaha and I ate some weird lil yellow thing they said the name is "merienda" but that just means snack hahaha some people call it "passion fruit" hahaha I don't know what it’s called, but it was weird looking BUT SOOO GOOD!! I’ll send a pic of it haha! And then we ate some pomelo which is like a filipino version of grapefruits! I don't know maybe it’s the same I never ate grapefruits! haha 

Well, that’s about it haha!! see you all next week. Thanks for the love!! 

LOVE YOU FAM!! 

LOVE ELDER BAKER

HAKUNA MATATA!!

 ALWAYS remember to wear shoes when playing b-ball!

 FHE!

 out working....

district activity! 

buds for life! Elder Downing : ) 

 With Elder Nicks

Legazpi ZONE Conference

tracting 

One of Elder Baker's new favorite fruits?  Wait...that's not a fruit snack?!!

IT'S SOOOO WORTH IT!! -WEEK 63

HEYOO!! What’s up fam and friends!

So here’s another update on whats been going on out here in GUINOBATAN! Well this week we were able to do the c.s.p we had planned and cleaned up this guys house and it was great cause he gave us some rambutan! I'm sure you have no idea what that is, but it’s delicious!! But this week was great, we were able to go to one of our FAR areas! hahaha We have a group out in one of our areas like 45 minutes away from our area! BUT THE AREA IS GREAT!! People are so open to the gospel and it’s GREAT cause there is one guy out there that’s like 60 yrs old, and him and his wife WILL WORK WITH US ALL DAY EVERYDAY if we were working out there!! Like for real they're awesome, cause like you have to walk A LOT!! haha like A LOT! Sometimes like up to one hour of walking up mountains hahaha cause the area is literally up in the mountains!! But when I asked tatay Orlina how he can do it walking around and still being soo happy! His response was AWESOME!! He said "as you're walking to their house and sweating and breathing really hard as you get closer and closer to their house my heart just gets so happy and I can’t wait to share with them, and when you get to their house you get to rest and talk with some of our brothers and sisters!” It's amazing the sacrifice this guy gives for missionary work and his wife…. who can walk for an hour up a mountain and not even look like she’s walked at all! remember 60 yrs old!! HAHAHA But I was super humbled by my experience to work out there these last 2 times this last week! I love that area! And the members out there love the gospel! Something sad happened this last week tho.. at our sacrament meeting out there a very little people showed up.. then bishop said under his breath if this is all thats gonna come we might shut this group down... and the one tatay that works with us heard and just about died!! he didn’t complain or anything, but looked like you just pulled his heart out of his chest!! Even though he goes to church in the main area too he had no problem but the other people out there that wouldn't be able to attend church in the main area would be the ones to suffer!! BUT as we had the sacrament, bishop had a huge CHANGE of heart and after the sacrament we started setting plans for beautifying the little sacrament area!! And we are gonna be doing a lot out there to help beautify that and then we started planning a 1 day mission to help progress the area out there!! I'm so happy to be here and help them with this area!! Tatay Orlina opened my eyes to missionary work!! Like the scripture that talks about the joy we will have after helping people come unto Christ!! And I know everything that I'm going thru and all other people on missions is SOOO WORTH IT! 

I LOVE THIS WORK!! 

PS. I forgot to say that the guy that works with us looks just like my dad hahaha!! So it makes working with him WAY MORE FUN!!

LOVE ELDER BAKER

HAKUNA MATATA!!

 Went to some old ruins called Cagsawa Kanina.  It’s an old church from the 1500’s….. it was Cool!

And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!

And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!

                                                   -- D & C 18: 15-16