That's it, I'm not going....Alright, I'll go....

 

I think that the Grinch really said it best when it comes to this transfer... "That's it, I'm not going... Alright I'll go, but I will be fashionably late." Sadly I had to say good bye to Portimao yesterday and hello to my new/old area! POVOA!

This week is a week of changes. Sister Steagall finished her training! yay! It was so great to train her! I love her so much! She is no joke so incredible! So last night we got transfer calls. Yup I left my beloved home in Portimão and I am back in Povoa! wahoo round 2!! I am so excited to be here! I am serving as a sister training leader here with Sister Mendes! She is 22 from Capo Verde! I can already tell that we are going to have way too much fun! I am so excited! This is going to be a transfer of miracles for sure!!! I cannot wait to get to work here!

Sadly Ana and Antonio ended up not getting baptized. They really struggled after their wedding with some little things that were scaring them about the church. It was really really sad to say good bye to them. But I know that they will get baptized soon! I love them so much and I am forever grateful for all that they taught me and the change I got to see in them!

I am so excited to be here! I love the mission so much! I love life so much on the mission and in general! life is just so good! ahhh I am loving it!

Sending you all my love from here in good old Povoa!

Love always
Sister Bakker!

8 Months as a Sister Missionary

Hello there folks! so ya, I have been gone for 8 months as of today. That is weird! The time really does go so fast! It is crazy!

Life here is great! Things are moving along just great! Ana and Antonio are doing great still! My love for them grows everyday! They got married on Friday! Sadly we did not get to go to the wedding but that is ok! We are going to see them tonight! This week was great! We have really seen some great miracles here in Portimão! I dont want to leave. Hopefully next week at transfers I will get the news that I am staying one more.

I really want to take a second and share with you all my love for the Savior. As a mission we study the atonement for 15 mins everyday. I never thought that I would come to know my savior the way that I have in the last 8 months. I know that he loves each of us. He knows our trials and what we need and when we need it. I know that the atonement is infinite and that becuase of what Christ did for all of us we can live with our loving Father in Heaven again. I am so grateful for this gospel! I love this church so much and I love seeing the way that it changes lives!

Thank you so much for all you do for me! Love you all!

Sister Lyssa Bakker

I Won That Battle

Well folks I would like to say hello yet again! I feel like it was yesterday that I last wrote you guys! TIME FLYS! hope that you all had a great Memorial Day. You may be surprised to know that Memorial day is not a thing here in good old Portugal. Shocker. But ya today is great! We went to Lagos and I totally bargained with some gypsies for a dress and some cool elephant pants. Love them. I am feeling like a true hippie now a days. I also might dye my hair. haha. I am kidding I am kidding! (or am I...)

This week was great! I got to go on a division with my trainer sister Cullimore! That was so great! I really love her a lot! Ana and Antonio are also still doing great! We are so excited for them to get married this Friday! Wahoo! I love them so much and so grateful for the opportunity that I have had to see their faith grow as they prepare to be baptized and receive the holy ghost!

I would like to end this short letter with a little bit of advise from sister bakker. When bartering with Gypsies also say you have no money. Next thing you know, you are walking away with a free pair of awesome pants with elephants on them! wahoo!! Lovin life! #wonthatbattle

Love you all! have a great memorial day!
Sister Bakker

The World is Ending

Sister Steagull and Sister Bakker at Sagres

Dearest Familia Bakker!

How are you all doing? This week was great! Ana and Antonio are doing great still! they came to district conference for the algarve yesterday! They loved it! and they met the mission president and his wife and ana made sure to tell them how greatful she was for the church! I love them so much!

Today we went to Sagres! It is no joke like the end of the world! like top 10 coolest things i have ever seen! Our ward mission leader took us and then took us to eat after! It was so great!

Sorry I have like no time today! but I love you all!

Love,
Sister Bakker

I Really Love My Mom!

Tan lines from sandals in the sun!

Well I got to talk to you all yesterday! That was great!! I really love you guys a whole lot! It was so great to have all 6 of us on the computer at the same time! It was cool to see you all!

I really don´t have a lot to say this week. We are still here in good old Portimão! Lovin it! Ana and Antonio are getting married this months! I am really excited for them! I cannot wait to see them get married and then enter the waters of baptism! They are so great! They are already looking forward to the day that they can go to the temple!

This week nothing to great happened. It is officially HOT in the Algarve! like no joke we speed walk from one building to the other just to try to stay in the shade as much as we can. It is really great!

Hope that you all have a great week! Love you all! Hope that Mothers day was GREAT!!!! LOVE YOU LOTS MOM!!! Thank you for all that you guys do for me!

Love you always!
Lyssa uhhhh... i mean Sister Bakker

May the Fourth be With You!

Well hello there!

I don't really have a lot to say this week. Hmmm this week was good. we crushed it! I love this area a lot! The Sisters of Portimão are just rockin it over here! Haha! Ana and Antonio are doing great! they totally payed their fast offerings yesterday and were fasting. Ya they are not even baptized yet and they are like ready to pay tithing and they have a room in there house dedicated to like scripture studying now. I really love them a lot!

I just want to say how much I love you all! I hope all is well with you! And on this lovely day, I say MAY THE 4TH BE WITH YOU!

Happy star wars day. But even more importantly HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!!!! LOVE YOU!!!

Love always,
Sister Bakker

The Life of a Sister Missionary is a Good One!

Quirida Família!!!

Olá de Portimão!! This week was pretty cool! We had transfers this week and you guessed it I am still in Portimão! Yay!! I am so excited to still be here! I love this area so much! And I am still training sister Steagall! Wahoo!! I am super super happy about that! My whole district (all 4 of us) stayed to same! I am really excited about that! This transfer is going to be amazing!

I want to share a really cool story with you guys. I don't know if you remember when I told you about that lady that we contacted on the road that was rude to us but gave our card to her dad who is a member and he ended up coming to church. Well when he came he brought his brother. We tried to go pass by his brothers house and talk to him but he refused to answer his door. So we decided to knock someone the doors in his building. Well we knocked one and no one answered and so we went to the next door and this really funny guy named Antonio answered. He was really nice but he stuck that classic Portuguese finger in the air and waved it around saving "Sou Catolica e não quero mudar nada." For all you English speakers that means, I am Catholic and I don't want to change anything. Well we invited him to watch the Easter video and asked if we could come back and talk to him about it. We left and a few days later came back. He told us he had watched the video and that his wife and he loved it and that his wife, Ana, wanted to know what church it was that gave them the card. He told her that he would ask when we came back. He then told us that we needed come back at a certain time to find her in the house. So we did and she wasn't there still but as we were going to leave she walked out of the elevator. We talked to her a little and invited them to church. They had all sorts of excuses of why they could not come but they said they would try. Well Sunday rolled around and they came in! They loved it too! We have been teaching them now for 3 weeks and they are so excited to be baptized! They love the church and the Book of Mormon so much! It is so incredible! They only thing is that they are not married, but hey, it looks like now I will get to see my 3rd wedding here on the mission! Wahoo! And to think that this all happened because we talked to one person on the road that did not want anything to do with the church. WOW!! God really does work in amazing ways! and He really does lead you to his children who are ready to receive the gospel!

I love the mission and I love all of you guys! Thank you for all you do for me! Hope that all is well with you!

Love you all!

Lyssa

uhh I mean Sister Bakker

Antonio, Ana, S Bakker