Fast Week!

Hey mama! 

So this week went by pretty fast. It was a hard week but it went by fast and that was really helpful haha. We had a really good devotional last night, and he gave us some really good tips for missionary work. Some of them seemed a little forceful but one thing i liked that he said was "same things same results, Right things right results" pretty true in every aspect. If you’re always following all the rules and doing the right things you’re gonna get the good results same things same results. But it also works the other way around and i thought that was cool. Anyways I feel like I just wrote you guys like yesterday! We get new kohai today so I’m excited to pull some good pranks on all the new dudes. We get 18 new senkyoshi this week and they are all dudes no sisters. So our dorms will be pretty full. Too much testosterone in one place if you ask me. Too many germs too, like everyone is getting sick. I stayed home all Sunday with my companion because he had a fever he just slept all day, so i studied my scriptures for like two hours did some Japanese even though they say take a break from it on Sundays I had nothing else to do. I took two showers and wrote a couple letters. It was such a boring day. But everyone has gotten sick in my room except me, I’m just hoping it doesn’t catch me. The language is still really hard but I’m just trying not to stress about it and learn what I can. I had a one on one with one of my sensei this week and he said he didn’t learn a thing in the mtc and it gets a lot easier in the feild, so that gave me some comfort because he’s really good at Japanese. That’s really all I can remember about this week.  I’ll try and take some more pics this week and add then to the drive for you, but its kinda lame to take pics because I’m in provo and you all know what provo looks like, but ill find some good stuff haha. I love you so much! Thanks for all your love and support and your prayers they help tons. 

Elder Baker

If i was to be craving anything it would be pringles and fish crackers haha. 

Also its really hard for me to concentrate here so if you could send me one of those grip strength squeezer things that would be great to use to do while I’m studying or really anything haha but if you cant find one then thats fine haha. Other than that I think I’m good for now! I’ll try and think if i need anything else. Thanks so much you’re the best mom ever!

This is a letter to Marcie McKee

Thanks so much for the cookies! They were amazing and reminded me of home and everyone loved them i told them all my indian mom made them for me. 

Thanks for all your prayers and for putting my name and Japan in the temple.  I can feel the help, and japan will be ready for me when i get there. It will be great.  The japanese people are so great and i love them already. Thanks again for everything.  Tell

Marte hi for me and the rest of the fam i sure love you guys. 

Elder Baker

Momma note: Also I got a sweet letter in the mail today! Happy day! ~Momma Baker

Week 2 SURVIVING!

Hey! this week has  been a week for sure. This place is definitely something. Basically I'm just really trying to have a positive attitude. But the food sucks, I've lost 7 pounds in the two weeks I've been here. tsugoi ja nai. (not good) but its okay at least in not getting fat right? I don't really remember much about this week other than lots of class. One night though there were some kids that came over onto our side of the building to use our pull-up bar and we weren't going to have any of that so we challenged them to a pull-up contest. Each team got 3 people and the team who got the most of course won. So me, Elder Yammada and Elder Gish were on my team.   We went first.   Yammada did 40,  I did 28 and Gish did 22 for 90 pull-ups all together.  We ended up giving the other team 5 people and they only did 59 so we kicked their trash. It's really hard to think of things to write because the MTC doesn't really have very much to talk about. But i love you so much and and praying for you every day!

I can read emails every day but only reply on pday. technically i can email all p day till 6:30 as long as its not a distraction but that would be hard. i just emailed you (Mom) more last week because it wasn't like you to not reply so i was a little nervous. 

Yeah I'm surviving! I'm so glad he's (Jake McKee) home safe and sound. The pictures are awesome. The language is rough but I'm trying to be positive about it haha. I asked dad for some tips. If you could send me the tenz unit i would love that my neck and back is a little rough and that will help. but just enduring! I love you so much mom!  

Please send anything that you feel so desired to send ;) haha   (MOM NOTE:  I asked him if he had a spiritual experience this week that helped keep him going? ~Momma Baker)  Yes i did. It was Sunday and I practically was done with this place, we had just gotten done with the worst dinner and then went to a devotional. The devotional was good but nothing special. Next we all go watch a movie and there are like 5 to choose from. A group of us decided to go to meet the mormons 2. It was a pretty cool movie but then the last people we "met" on it was a music group called Bless4.  It's a Japanese music group and they are mormon. It was so so cool because watching it i felt of the love i already have for the Japanese people. When i was watching it i wasn't worried about the language or about anything else i was just wanting to be with the people. It gave me a little boost to be able to keep going and remember why I'm here.

Thanks so much mom I'm trying my best! I'll find someone to serve every day! I love you so much thanks for everything!!!

Kaiti!! 

Man sounds like girls camp was crazy!! I'm glad you were able to make the best of it though and still feel the spirit. Sometimes it comes at the craziest times the strongest. The language is definitely hard but i know more than i did when i got here and that's a good thing! im so glad you are loving cheer you will be the cutest cheerleader out there! Tell Alex the keep the boys away haha. I love you ya little cutie and i pray for you everyday (in japanese) keep being an awesome girl i love you! 

elder baker

Hey dad!

Sounds like you’re doing pretty good! Let me tell you about the food because its horrible. I have never been more thankful for moms cooking in my life. Like her cooking was amazing already but now its like dang that stuff is gourmet. The protein bars are great and will help a lot.  I’ve already lost 7 pounds so hopefully they can help preserve some of that. I hope you get that bike for joc its scary having her ride your bike! I miss that thing and driving cars already. Dude idk how you learned this language and i wish i could have you here to help me learn because you’re a way better teacher than all these weirdos. This keyboard is a little tempermental and very small if you could get a deal on one that is close to a full size that would be ideal, but if not don’t worry about it ill make this one work. Ive been wearing your tag every single day and get compliments on it all the time its pretty dope i love it. If you have the white one i’d love to wear that one too. This place is rough man and to be honest i’m not sure how i’ve made it this far. I’m just trying to take it a day at a time. Thanks for all you do for me.  I love you tons and pray for you every day (in japanese) I can at least do that. but what is a tip to be able to learn? Would you suggest me trying to focus more on vocab now or grammar? I feel like i could at least get my point across with vocab? Anyway i love you so much thanks for being the best.

Elder Baker

MORE SURPRISES!

Momma note:  People are so good and kind.  Friends, and friends of friends and family have been to the MTC on tour or the dedication and have seen Zac and sent pictures to our family!  Thank you! We love the pictures.   It helps keep us going and helps keep this momma from going on a tour of the MTC myself! HA!
 ~Momma Baker

This is Hayden Eyre's good friend with Zac.  He is in the same district in the MTC with Zac. Hayden Eyre is Zac's good friend and is serving in Japan on his mission now.  He will return home just before Zac gets to Japan.

Zac and his companion Elder Paquette

These pictures are from Lana Parker.   Their family went on a tour of the new MTC.   Her son Kaleb is Zac's good friend.  Kaleb returned from his mission a few months ago.   I asked Lana how Zac was doing.  She said, "He looks happy.  We only got to talk to him for a second because they keep the groups moving.  He was in charge of the lights and playing the video of the clip we saw.  He looked like the guy in charge." 

My sister Jill from Kanab sent me these pictures from her Bishop!  Her Bishop's son is a teacher in the MTC and he invited him to the MTC dedication.   Zac was showing the film and bearing his testimony.   The Bishop's daughter recognized Zac from the times we've visited my sister in Kanab and so the Bishop went and talked to him after. 

Breanna Alldredge our friend teaches at the MTC!  She ran into Zac a couple of days ago. 

Definitely Something!

Momma note:  This blog is the unedited Zac, the real deal!  I am posting all of the things I get from him because it will be printed at the end of his mission for his scrapbook.  It will contain letters to the family and sometimes will have things he's asking for etc.  I am including it all because I want him to remember the details when he is old.   I also love the details because it is sometimes through the little things that we start to grow and see change and growth. I want Zac to be able to see the progress that he makes as a missionary, with the language, his testimony, as a person, and the people that he helps as they begin to grow.  Alma 37:6 by small and simple things are great things brought to pass.  ~Momma Baker

Well this first week wasn't the best thing in the world but it was definitely something. Wednesday wasn't so bad because nothing really seemed real and we didn't really do much in Japanese class. Thursday and Friday were a lot harder because we were being taught a language we had no idea about and the teachers only speak in Japanese. My teachers are really good for the most part though. Johnson kyodi  is my favorite he teaches how I get it better. Then we have Eyring shimi (President eyrings granddaughter) and she's pretty good as well. Then Packard shimi and she's just kinda rude to me. But we don't have her that often so it's not too bad. Were taking Japanese 6 hours a day and whenever were not in class we have to be studying or preparing a lesson we never really get downtime. Saturday got a little better because that's when Johnson kyodi started helping teach us. I was so excited for Sunday because "it's a day of rest" not here it's not. Luckily we didn't have to go to language but we were busier on Sunday than the rest of the week hahaha. But I learned a lot and felt the spirit a lot so it was okay. I don't really remember what happened on Monday except for that we played soccer and I accidentally nailed this kid in the face and he had to go get stitches.  I felt pretty bad about that but he's okay he said it didn't hurt. The spirit probably helped him or something. Yesterday was good we had a devotional from a quorum of the 70 I guess we get those every Tuesday night. I only fell asleep for a little so I feel pretty good about that. I'm excited for today because I can go to the gym more than once and I don't have to wear church clothes haha. And I get to talk to my family. My companion is a cool guy he's a tall redhead from Dallas. We get along really well. I see a decent amount of people I know here from college and high school. Overall I'm doing pretty good and have started to get the hang of things. I can pray in Japanese not anything crazy but just the basic things. I sure love you! 

Elder Baker 

These letters are emails back and forth to mom and dad:

Mommy I got both the packages and I love love love them. Thanks so much! If there is anyway you could send me a couple more pairs of workout clothes with my backpack (tons of people have them here and everyone says you're gonna want one in japan) I love love getting packages it helps me feel loved so anything you want to send me go for it haha I love you! 

As of now I am happy haha but there are definitely ups and downs. But I've been happy for like two whole days that's pretty cool. My companion is Elder Paquette. The hardest thing right now is the language, and the best is the friends that I am making. One of the Eyres best friends is in my district, and we think we hung out together with Hayden before we came here because we seem very familiar to one another. So that's pretty cool. But I'm making some good friends. 

Love you lots 

Zac 

And sorry one more thing, if you still have that keyboard that you used for your tablet it would be awesome if you could send that with it's charger because it just connects through Bluetooth and that way I can type you a lot better on my tablet it'll be better emails that way ;) I'm also gonna make a Google drive to share pictures in with everyone 

Oh and if I could get my vans I would love that...sorry I'm asking for so much I'm just realizing what more I need.

Hey daddy 

Well the 6 hours you're in the range tower is 6 hours of language for me haha. I can't wait to have tons of fun things to drive when I get home. I bet you remember how rough this place is, it's frustrating and on Friday and Saturday I was pretty close to packing my bags and showing up at the range tower haha. But I'm finding ways to be happy and get through this stuff I've pulled some good pranks on our zone leaders but also found people who just need someone to talk to and talk to them. I was thinking, you don't have to but it would be really cool to be able to wear your mission badges since I'm headed to your same mish. But don't feel pressure I just thought it would be cool especially the white one that one's dope ;) You guys planning any fun trips for the rest of the summer? Did you get the boat fixed and was it bad? Sure miss you dad and I love you so much thanks for everything you're doing for me.

Baker choro.

Look what we got!

Momma note:  I've decided that I like the Provo MTC because I get pictures like this and I can send packages!  Although on Saturday I begged Mark to let me go to Provo for just one more hug!  Ha ha! Josh Cowley (the other person in the pic) said that Zac was really happy and that he is rockin it!  This made me soooo happy!  Can't wait for P-day tomorrow!n~Momma Baker

MTC! July 5, 2017

                    Wednesday morning  Family TIME!

Last goodbye's at the Provo Temple.

Family pic at the MTC!

And HE's off!  Started walking and didn't look back!

Momma Note : I just got this email from Elder Baker on July 6 @11:10!

 (Momma Baker) 

Hey mom! Well i'm only allowed to email you today to let you know i'm not dead yet. My P days will be on Wednesday for the MTC. Everything is going great and there are a lot of nice good people too. Tell everyone I love them! I love you too. 

Elder Baker. 

Farewell June 25, 2017

Farewell June 25, 2017

Thank you everyone for your support!

Craig, Jill, Leisel, Brielle, Megan, Tanner Baird 

Grandma and Grandpa Stilson 

Grandma and Grandpa Stilson with my cousin Ethan.  He is serving in the Dominican Republic.  He flies out the night before I leave.  His farewell was the same day as mine.

Malena, Fake Jake, Josh, Andy, Marcie and Marte McKee 

My sister Kaiti 

Jake and Braiden, Emma, Elder Taylor, Julie, Nate, Lala, Evan Taylor

Keith, Michelle, Nathan Willmore

My dad, Grandma Baker (Grandpa Baker not shown) 

Michelle, Jay, Gabby, Emmaline, and Aiden Baker

Mum (my great-grandma)

 Sophie McAllister

My dad, Mark Baker.  My dad served his mission in Japan, Tokyo South Mission too!

My parents Mark and Jen Baker