Monday, August 26, 2013

Aug 26


Sounds like everyone is doing great in school and Ohio and everything else!  Yes I am being transferred, I will be over with the Knoxville south zone or Cumberland zone. I hope to be able to go to Knoxville because Farragut would be in my zone but either place would be great! my comp and I will also be training a new greenie! ha ha that’s exciting! Sorry for the brevity of the letter but just know that all is going well and I love you and I am good and happy! The gospel tends to do that for us!
I will email you my new address when I found out where I am next week! Hopefully I will get to email Monday but its Labor Day so who knows it may be Tuesday!
Love you
Elder Bakker

Monday, August 19, 2013

Aug 19


Hey yall!
So Marion is great.  The luau is not happening but that is ok I'm at peace with everything. I learned what needed to be learned and now it's time to apply what I learned to my new area coming up in a week or so.
I got permission to start teaching mission prep. So for the last several weeks that's what I have been teaching. It's a lot of fun actually, I like to teach.
Sounds like everything is changed back home. Dani sounds good she was telling me she was having some pretty tough Bible questions from her investigator at the MTC so that's a good experience. ha the south is THE hub for anti-Mormon questions and trust me I think I have heard it all, sometimes I get a new one but not often. In fact earlier this week we ran into a Baptist missionary who wanted to have it out with us, and just as an example for Elder Hart I decided to bite. Pretty solid Bible bash but when the spirit isn't there it just doesn't matter how many times you back the other person into a theological corner, they wont change, and that was our object lesson of the role of the spirit in conversion.
On other news we do have a solid new investigator finally! Its been pretty dry nearly the whole time I've been here. Her name is Holly and she is a very free spirited open to anything artist who runs a local art place where they sell arts and crafts and do art lessons for kids and stuff. We have been doing some service over there and had an opportunity to teach and testify about the atonement and the book of Mormon while we were working with her. It was a really spiritually powerful lesson and then afterwards we were led to leave a blessing on her business. She does everything she can to help the community and struggling individuals and families and stuff so I feel it was a much needed blessing for her struggling business.
I'm still fairly certain that I will be leaving on the 28th but I will know for sure this Saturday. I am excited to have a change but I will miss Marion. I have learned a lot of very key lessons that will help me very much on my mission, and in my life. I know that everything in life is done with purpose and wisdom (2ne 2:24). There is no where I would rather be. My mission is going much to quickly, and that scares me a little. but all is well in zion!
Love you
Elder Bakker

Monday, August 12, 2013

Aug 5 & 12


Aug 12

Hey mom,
sounds like all is well at home, but kinda strange with the family being reduced to 4. I hope all is well with that. On the bright side there is no where I'd rather be and I'm sure Dani will feel the same shortly. So don't worry much about us!
So the luau is for the time being off... There was a lot of bad communication with the bishops and branch president and they decided to just cancel it. So that was quite disappointing. I really feel as though it was led by the spirit and that was what the lord wanted me to do while
 I was here to boost missionary activity in the area, But I guess perhaps it was led by the spirit so that all might learn some valuable lessons. Its all still up in the air, I’m trying to save it but who knows, its in the Lord's hands now.
Robert is going to be baptized the 24th, unfortunately President Irion is not going to let me go down for it. He did say, however, that if it were moved to the 31st (which doesn’t work for Robert) I would be a lot closer. I guess that means I am most likely being transferred again the 28th... so we will see what happens. I did get to go down to Knoxville earlier this week for a leadership conference. Elder Kopiske of the 70 spoke to us, which was awesome I really learned a lot from the spirit. Also I got to see the P family while I was down there! They are on fire! Can’t wait to get to the temple to be sealed in a year. So solid. Well the lord has a plan for each one of us and if we do our part all will work out. I love you.

Elder Bakker
Jackson, Andrew, Brother P


Sister P, Andrew, Brother P

Kingsport Zone Meeting

Kingsport Zone training



Aug 5

Marion Marion Marion, Marion is an interesting place haha always a bounty of strange people and interesting situations. This week Elder Hart and I have been moving a family.   We have spent 9.5 hours as well as several hours of the branch members time and its about 1/2 done. so more this week! but that’s ok the Lord will bless us for helping some folks in need.
The Luau is really starting to take off! Its on Friday the 23rd of Aug, and the members are really catching the vision. We found a pig like 200lbs for 150$! which is way good and also a propane cooker that we have a member funding so we are going to pull off a luau for 200+ people on roughly 180$... thats right haha the lord provides a way! haha so thats pretty good. The P family baptism was on Wednesday this week! I was supposed to go down and baptize Jackson their 14 year old son but due to some complications I wasn't able to attend. Typically you aren't supposed to travel for baptisms but President knows what they mean for me and is willing to work with me. Robert's baptism is scheduled for Alyssa's birthday the 24th! I hope to be able to attend that! I really have been blessed through my mission with great success and I hope to be able to keep up strong.
The Marion building is under construction so we are currently meeting for the next 3 months or so in the Marion life saving crew building. Its the building that the ambulances and stuff deploy from. so thats interesting! 
When the Lord decides to test us and we endure it well he will bless us. I feel that the work Elder Hart and I are doing here is really more of an "Elias" type role, or a fore-runner. Preparing the area for great success and more than likely the need for another set of missionaries! well I gotta jet but I love you all and thank you for the prayers! 
Love Elder Bakker