3.28.13

Hello!! 

I am here in Idaho safe and alive! Don't worry, I got here safe and alive two days ago... I am serving in the Nyssa, Oregon area and am living in Parma, Idaho. It is extremely rural and everyone is very kind. My trainer is Sister Dickie from Ohio, she is #8 of 16 children and is a great teacher and companion. We visited a few investigators and less active members yesterday and did A LOT of training/planning stuff today. I am loving it here and trying to get used to the slow, casual, friendly country lifestyle. I am loving the people so far and am excited to meet more! Everyone is very humble-I went into some homes yesterday that were smaller than my apartment in Phoenix. But they all love the missionaries and everyone wants to chat forever. We are living with a member whose name I don't know--we are only allowed to call her Grandma. She is a really sweet old lady. I hope everything is well at home! I am loving the work and am so blessed that the Lord sent me where He did. I love you all and pray for you every day. Keep up the work at home, too.

 

Your Sister,

 

Madison Baker

 

Sister Baker with her new companion, and her Mission President and his wife! 

(It's cute that she thinks weather in the 50's is cold enough for a scarf :)) 

3.21.13

Hello!

 

It is finally P-day! This week and a day has been soooo long but also really fast at the same time. I have been learning and studying like crazy. The MTC is good, but I am ready to get out of the concentration camp, as Jason calls it, and get into the field! I only have 4 more days!!! We have been learning how to teach and learning doctrine and how to present it. We practice on actors and volunteers pretending to be investigators and also on our teachers. This is cool but sometimes a little bit hard. The other day we practiced teaching a lady who really is a less active member ad had a really great experience. I am really excited to get out there and teach real people. The MTC is a pretty cool place, as it was described in the devotional on Tuesday by Elder Scott Whiting of the 70, the MTC is an incubator--a controlled environment with conditions made to be ideal for growth and development. I really do feel like I am a baby chick under a warm light who is just about ready to hatch. I am so exited to be in Boise not just to teach, but to not have to eat the food here any more... It is like disgustinggggggg. I really miss cooking and eating good food. The food is really the only bad part of the MTC though. I have a really great district and an amazing companion. Today we are fasting for an elder in our district who went home early. This was really sad and really hard on us as a district. I has made us all reevaluate how we see our missions and our purpose here as missionaries. I am so grateful that I am a missionary and for all of the love and support that I have. I am really experiencing something that I have never experienced before. I am growing closer and closer to my Savior daily and understanding conversion in a way that I never knew possible. I am so blessed to be a part of this marvelous work! Don't worry, I am still hilarious and send my district into tears laughing at all of the weird things that I say. The term 'struggle bus' has started to catch on in my district and it makes me miss home a bit.  I have been pretty good about not using the batman voice though ;)... I love to get dear elder letters every few days, they seriously keep me going and keep me sane! Meredith, your letters crack me up and keep me happy. I miss you like crazzzzzzzyyyyyzzz. I don't know your Fredline-y email address though, so sorry you are not getting a personalized email... Love you all and I hope to hear from everyone really soon! Please send me more dear elders!!

 

Your Sister,

 

Madison Baker

MTC!!!

This afternoon we dropped Maddy off at the MTC! After a fun lunch at Zupa's, we said our goodbyes. Since they had us kick her to the curb, we didn't have much time for tears until after we drove away. It was probably better that way.

Before the goodbye.

Walking away.

Even though I will miss Maddy, I know she will be doing great things, and we will be blessed for her missionary service!

-Meredith
p.s. keep checking the blog for her weekly letters!