All is well in Zion! I love the new
companions, we have a blast, plus we got a bench in our apartment so we have
been hooked on working out at 6 every morning and blending up a green juice
smoothie after for our morning routine. We
get along great and there is never a dull moment between us. Our ward members
are always willing to help us go and teach and get work done, the only problem
however, is that we have the boonies of the ward and the sisters have Oak Ridge
itself. So, we have like 9 active members in our area and like 25 less active.
Makes missionary work a little more difficult. We are determined to make some things
happen though!
Cody B is doing really awesome he
reads the Book of Mormon every day and yesterday we watched “Joseph Smith:
Prophet of the Restoration” with him. He is getting excited and nervous about
his date on October 6th to be baptized. He is still waiting for his
confirmation on whether the Book of Mormon is true, which we and he are all
confident that he can receive if he puts the work in in the scriptures at
church and on his knees. I love teaching people that want to be taught.
Our ward mission leader has a
really big heart and doesn't ever want us to drop anyone, so that means we are
still teaching a lot of non-progressing people. We recently had an investigator
get anti'd pretty bad by her preacher and I can't tell you how often that
happens. The Baptisits here are more abundant than mini vans in an LDS church
parking lot. Many of them literally have like a whole month out of the year where
they give "introduction to Mormonism" nights and things like that
where they just feed the south with more anti Mormon literature and ideas than
you could even believe. They never bash on any other religion though, I wonder
why... Why would there be so much opposition against only one church? hmm....
haha
Well I feel like I’ve changed a lot
so far on my mission as my 1 year mark approaches. I’m not sure what or how,
but I really do feel like a different person. I've been truly been changed by
the Lord. I've got a lot of work left in me, and I plan to give it all I have
left. I have strived to be exactly obedient and I have seen blessings from it.
Opposition always comes but if the Lord commands it there is always a way to
accomplish the task. (thanks Nephi...) I know that the Lord lives. I know that
Joseph Smith was his tool to bring about everlasting restoration. The only way
Home is through the Savior. The only way we can access the fullness of the
blessings of the atonement is through the blessings of the restoration,
specifically the Book of Mormon and saving ordinances. There is no greater
place than where ever we are at as long as we are in the service of God. I love
my mission and it moves way too fast.
love you.
Elder Bakker
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