Baptism?

January 25, 2016

So family,

This week was one of the coolest weeks of my whole mission. Miracles happen. Put your faith in the lord. WORK HARD and never ever ever quit.



So this week on Tuesday the elders called us and asked if we had any appointments on Wednesday at 5. We were like "elders we don’t have ANYTHING" so they laugh and are like well you do now! So Wednesday comes and we were doing a division. So I was with Sister Donahoo who is now in my old area Povoa. So anyway me and her go to this appointment and the elders tell us what is happening. So we went to go see Ihita. She is a 33 year old lady from Bangladesh. She is Chirstian and so for that she and her husband Evan had to flee their country so that they could be safe from persecution. So they went to England. While there things were not going so well and they had to leave again and the only place that let them in was Portugal. Before leaving she told us that she had a dream that Christ came to her and said that there was a present waiting for her in Portugal. So the elders found her husband in the road. He said that he did not believe in God but that they could talk to his wife. So they talked to her a little but it was dangerous for them to go to her house because she was living in a very dangerous area that did not allow Christians to go there. So she was hiding her faith there and the elders were having a hard time finding her. Well 3 weeks ago she came to church. We translated it all for her and she liked it. Then a week later she moved to our area. So the Elders call us and tell us that we had an appointment. So we are now at the appointment and she tells us her story and her life. We teach her about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and she accepts everything! We marked her to baptized on the fallowing Sunday. During the week we went to see her everyday to help her and to teach her. And I will say this, she changed. It was the change in her as she accepted the gospel in her life. She was so ready! She only speaks English so that was a little challenging but we did ok! Then yesterday after church we had the chance to see her enter the waters of baptism! Ihita was baptized and after she came to us and she had the biggest smile and she told us that she felt so clean and so happy and she lost her words because the spirit was so strong! It was amazing! She is so great! Miracles really do come true! Sister Vanaquer and I are so happy for Ihita!



I know that through our trials and through our faith god works through us. I know that when people accept the gospel and take it into their hearts they are truly converted. I love the Lord. I love this church and I love my mission.



Love you all so much! thanks for all you do!

Love always

Sister Alyssa Bakker!

frenspaniportuglish

Sister Vanaquer making crêpes like a boss. This week she is going to teach me how to make tiramisu. toma folks, thats all the pics I got for the week... i will do better next time.

Yo yo yo! so there are a ton of Africans in my new area so I feel that I am aloud to say cool things like YO and SWAG and flash church related gang signs. We are rockin it here in Odivelas! 

So this week was good! We went to mission council and had zone meeting. So that was cool. Sister Vanaquer was so confused at Mission council. poor thing. I tried to explain zone leader and District leader and STL and all that. I think I just made her more confused. But she is figuring it out now! She is super cool! This week she taught me to make crepes. I feel so French! Also she speaks mostly Spanish instead of Portuguese and so I understand all of it but I am also learning Spanish now. Wahoo I am going to speak like 4 languages when I get home all thanks to her!! 

So I am in the sketchy internet cafe and there are like 3 cockroaches crawling on the tables around me. gross. haha I love Portugal! 

There is not really that much to report this week so sorry for the lame email. But wish us luck this week we have a lot to do and not a lot of time do it all! wish us luck! 

Love you all, fica fixe sempre! 

Sister Bakker

Odivelas is the Place for Me!

I came into Odivelas with a big American bang! Of course now that I have a super cool American flag jump suit I am with a French comp. It makes it that much better!

Hey there yall! this week was crazy! We are working really really hard and doing crazy stuff. My comp is cool. She is going to teach to make real French crepes and I am going to help her make cookies. Vida boa. Life is great! Love the mission. My area is crazy! we are literally opening it like brand new so we have like no investigators still but it is all good we just talk to EVERYONE! I like it ok. It rained ever day this week but the sun came out today! yay! Love you all! thanks for all the support and love!

LOVE always
sister bakker


Good bye Mem Martins!

Mariano making faces at me

Lili, she is the best!  Her mom won't let her get baptized yet, but she is totally going to be a missionary one day!

I am a Mom--Part 2

It looks like I am smoking sketch stuff, but it is lemonade with weird herbs.
Everyone just passes around the same cup.

New years at the Stake President's house

Hey there!
Well one more week has come and gone! Today is transfer day! So yesterday we were at our bishop's house and the mission presidente calls us. I saw his name on the phone and I knew that one of us was going to have to do something crazy this transfer. He only calls for transfers when you are getting a calling of some kind. So we all went real quiet and I answer the phone. He was all happy and was like "am I talking to Sister Bakker?" well he said my name right so I know that this was big. Like big enough that he actually learned to say my name right. I took a deep breath and cool as a cucumber I said "sim!" I dont think he knew I was really nervous. Well he goes on to tell me that I have been called to be the new TLT. I am not totally sure what that stands for but basically what that means that I am now the sister training leader over the sister training leaders. I will be over half the mission and Sister Alexander (my old comp) has the same calling and is over the other half. Then my presidente goes on to tell me that I will also be training a new sister, Sister Vanaquer. She is French. Wahoo. I hope that she speaks English or Portugese. If not this could be a little hard and we might play a lot of charades. Then as this gross sick feeling came into my stomach he went on. I will aslo be transfered to open a sister area in Lisboa. My area is called Lisboa 5 but I think that it is part of the Odivelas ward. There have not been sisters there in about a year or so. He then asked to speak to my comp and told here that she too will be training. Ya it was crazy! I am pretty scared. But it is going to be awesome! I don't think that there is a better way to end my mission than this! I am excited! I think we are going to have tons of fun and see tons of miracles!I hope that it is going to all go good! Wish me luck!

Mariano and me

I am going to miss mem martins I love it here so much! Last night to say good bye Mariano taught us how to make arroze doce in the church! haha he is such a weird dude but I love him! He is the coolest recent convert ever!

This week was full of fun and I am sure that this next one is going to be a crazy one! Wish me luck out here! love you all! thanks for all your love and support!

Com muito amor,

Lunch with Roberto (he's in the bishopric)

Sister Alyssa Bakker

the bread man