June 4, 2012 Transfer 11!

Well let's see.


Transfer 10 is over. I am now in transfer 11. Sick!


So this week has been super busy. We got transfer calls, and I am staying and Elder Wilkinson is leaving. I am getting Elder Johnson, Elder Garlick´s companion from the MTC.


I spent a good amount of money on souveniers in Idar Oberstein today so I may need an advance payment on my birthday present. I bought a Stein, a german beer mug with a lid and a pin of Idar Oberstein´s city crest. My church shoes fell apart so I needed to buy a new pair, which look really good by the way. They are really pointy. Haha. I also bought some of the cologne that I have had my eye on for the past 6 months. Or rather my nose on. So yeah. Money would be nice.


Something kinda not good happened today, but please don't freak out. I was walking up to the castle in Idar Oberstein and I felt a jolt of pain in my right knee. I am not sure what it was but it happened a couple of times today. I am keeping a really close eye on it and I am also going to let president know about it. I am not sure what it is, but I hope it's not serious. I will let you know if anything happens, but for now, please don't worry about it.


I feel like I am finally comfortable with the language! It's cool. So that's one step.


1.  Did you find out about transfers? 

Yep, I am staying and Elder Wilkinson is going to Darmstadt to work with a new missionary.

2.  What was the best thing that happened this week? 

Elder Wilkinson got transferred. Haha. Just kidding. I got some peanut butter and brown sugar from the Elders in Bitburg. That was nice.

3.  Did you go anywhere fun for p-day last week? 

We finally went to Idar Oberstein. I will send pics in a minute.

4.  Are you teaching anyone right now? 

Yeah, we are still teaching our main pool of investigators plus a couple new ones. Please forgive me for not talking about them much. I don't really feel comfortable using names or specific problems and challenges that they have. It just feels wierd.

5.  How often do you go knocking on doors to find investigators? 

Hah, not very often. We have plenty to keep us busy working with the ward.

6.  What are you studying right now in your personal scripture study? 

I am trying to get through the Book of Mormon right now. It's slow work. Haha.

7.  Did you get a chance to check out the new Bible videos the church has made?

No, I haven't. Wait, I saw one or two after General Conference. They were really well done. I liked them.  I don't have time throughout the week to check them out, but I can look at them on Pday. I don't use the internet much for proselytizing. 

Well. I am sending pics. Have a great week!
-- 
Elder Trevor Joseph Baker

May 29, 2012 Street Display and Baptism in French Branch

Street Display in Saarbrucken, Germany

                                                  Go to www.mormon.org/deu


Well here we are.

So basically we had a couple of things happen this week. We had a
street display which was cool and we also had a baptism in the 
French branch.

The street display was fun. It was really hot though with the sun
shining on us. I did end up with a slight singe. However, that was
alleviated significantly by the wind. We also got these really cool
street display signs, but the problem with them was that they wont
stand up in the wind and because the center city is like a wind
funnel, they were totally useless. We still had a good time even
though it seemed like everything was going against us that day. We
still had some good conversations with people.

Then the French branch had a baptism which was way cool. We got to
listen in French and eat some food afterwards. They had more people
then the Saarbrücken ward did. Haha.

And with the baptism the French elders came too. There was of course
the one that Elder Wilkinson and I poke fun at and then the one who I
am pretty sure I saw at the MTC.

Yeah, that's about it.

1.  Did you get to go to the place that has the church in the side of
the cliff? 
No... We ran out of money, we planned to go today, but the
Elders in Idar Oberstein checked out...again. So we will see some of
the sights here in Saarbrücken that are normally closed on Mondays.

2.  Did you get transferred or did Elder Wilkinson get transferred? 
We aren't sure yet; our conference call is on Saturday.

3.   Are the people in Germany typically blond and blue-eyed? 
It varies a lot. The stereotype of German people is, of course, a
stereotype.

4.  Have you seen any of the new Bible videos from the church yet?  
No I haven't yet, I guess that's something to look up today...

5.  We're having Memorial Day here on Monday.  Does Germany celebrate
that holiday? 
Yeah they do. It's actually the day of Pentecost. They
call it Pfingsten.

6.  The Indy 500 was today.  Does Germany have race car races like
that? 
I don't really know. I am somewhat lacking in German television
and sports.

7.  I liked hearing about the sausages in jars in your last letter.
What is the strangest thing you've eaten since you've been in Germany?
They use a lot of mushrooms. I never liked mushrooms before my mission,
but now I love them.

8.  Have you tried anything that you would like to learn to make when
you get back home?

9.  Have you been writing in your mission journal? 
Uhhh... Not really.
It's really hard to do it... I write notes though!

10.  When is the next time you will be in Frankfurt at the mission
home? 
Probably in February when I go home. I don't really like being in
the middle of everything, which is Frankfurt.

11.  Do you have a favorite scripture? 
 I have lots. Check out 2 Nephi 9.  It has a lot of good doctrine in it.

12.  What hymns are your favorites to sing in German?  Do you know
"Praise to the Man" in German? 
My favorite is a Christmas one called
"Weit, Weit Entfernt dort in Morgenland." I still like "Praise to the
Lord the Almighty". I can play part of it on the piano.

13.  Did you find a euphonium yet? 
Yep! But I don't think I can rent it
or borrow it. I found it in a store in the middle of nowhere in
Scheidt.

Well that's about it for this week. I will let you know what happens later!

Elder Trevor Baker

May 21, 2012 Time goes by so fast!

Well, it's been another one of those weeks. 

There is a new initiative in Saarbrücken to try to reactivate less actives. The a bunch of people from the stake are coming as well as all the missionaries in the Zone to visit a bunch of people. It sounds like it should be fun.

Yeah, I went to Kaiserslautern last week and was with the Zone Leaders for the day. That was weird. Elder Telfer is going home in a couple weeks. I remember doing a split with him last year at this time. 

Its weird how quickly things are changing here. We don't know if Elder Wilkinson will go, or I will. We are already at week 5 this transfer which means I have 6 transfers left. Time goes by so fast. 

Next week we plan to go to Idar Oberstein for P-day. They have a church built into the side of a cliff so we want to go check it out.

1.  How many zones are in your mission, and how many zones have you served in? 

There are 7 and I have served in 3. The zones are Frankfurt, Heidelberg, Kaiserslautern, Dortmund, Düsseldorf, Erfurt, and Nürnberg. I have been in Düsseldorf, Kaiserslautern, and Nürnberg. 

2.  How many missionaries are in your mission? 

 I think there are around 170 or something.

3.  Did the numbers increase or decrease after the mission in Switzerland changed and didn't allow any non-Swiss missionaries? 

They changed the missions at that time (so I think) and the numbers decreased.

4.  How many new missionaries do you think you get in your mission each month? 

We are about to get an influx of about 50 new missionaries within the next 3 transfers. The number varies monthly.

5.  How often do missionaries enter your mission?  Is it every six weeks like your transfers? 

Yeah it's every 6 weeks.

6.  What kind of training do you get when you get to Germany?  

Well, we basically get thrown into the mix of things. Its cool.

7.  Have you ever traveled alone on your mission like during transfers? 

Nope, my trainer has once though. It never really happens.

8.  What is something you want to see in Germany before you come home? 

Yeah, there's this cute girl in one one of the wards I was in...haha jk

9.  Do the mission presidents of the different missions like Frankfurt and Berlin ever get together? 

Yeah, they have lots of meetings. They are always in Frankfurt though.

10.  Do you still keep in contact with Elder Baum?  Is he still in Wesel? (I can't believe Elder Mayle is going home soon!  That seems quick!) 

Yeah, I talk to him sometimes. He is doing well.

11.  How often do you do your laundry? Once a week. 

12.  What is something you see sold in German grocery stores that you don't see here?
Hot dogs in glass jars. Haha

13.  Do many people have piercings or tattoos there? Yeah, lots actually.

14.  Have you ever asked members how they joined the church (if they are converts)? Yeah, when we have eating appointments it usually comes up. It's cool.

15.  Do the members ever give you referrals? Not very often. 

16.  Do you teach investigators in members' homes or in the investigators' homes? I have a couple of times in Nürnberg. But other than that, no.

17.  Who were you riding with in the car in the video?  Who was driving? So that was Elder Harty. He was in Ramstein but he is not in Bitburg. That was the second split I did with him. He is pretty cool.

18.  How often do you get to ride in a car to do your missionary work? Like on splits. That's about it. 

19.  Did the Elders from France tell you anything interesting about their mission or mission life there? The only time we talked with them was last transfer and they didnt talk about mission life at all. Just the areas and stuff like that.

Not much going on this week other than district meeting and stuff.

Well have a great week and I will talk to you later!

Elder Trevor Baker

May 7, 2012 Spam Musubi!

Well hello Everybody.
 Another week has passed. This week has been full of trying to contract less active members and a few appointments with investigators. First off, we have been riding in buses and bahns more than ever trying to squeeze go by's between appointments. So far we have made out a few appointments (mostly for next week), but we hope a lot of people will show up to a few of the wards activities. We have an activity next week where the brethren will be cooking for the sisters. It sounds like it should be fun and yesterday we practiced. We have been handing out lots of invitations to some of the sisters so we hope people show up. Then last week in Ward Council, the bishop asked if there were any missionaries who could play any instruments... I told him that I could (I haven't even touched a Euphonium in years). He seemed excited to hold a musical evening or something. We will see if an instrument ends up in my hands.

 So yeah, skype is good to go. I also had an eating appointment with some members here. They asked me what kind of food I would like and I said I didn't have a preference. Then they said if they didn't get any requests we wouldn't get food. So I said spam musubi. Well long story short, I ended up making spam musubi for the family and they loved it! I will send a couple pics. Anyways, this week has gone by way fast and I am glad you all got those pics I sent. Have a great next week!

 Well, here are some questions for this week.

 1. What do you think about the job I applied for at the district office?
 I think its cool; if you make more money and have enough time to get everything else done that needs to be, then I don' see why not.

 2. Is Elder Wilkinson a fun character? He looked like it in the pictures you sent.
 Yeah, he is pretty funny. He usually comes up with something else to joke about every day or so. We have a good time.

 3. Have you broken your glasses and don't want to tell me? I never see them on you, and since you've had glasses since you were in 1st grade, you probably still need them.
 No, I really haven't! I think I told you that my glasses are a little too powerful now. After wearing them for hours sitting on trains and stuff, my eyes start to get really tired. If you want me to take a picture of them and send it to you, I can.

 4. If you haven't broken your glasses, do you need new ones or a new prescription or something? I think you need to be able to see. It's kinda important! lol
 I don't think its a big deal. I still use them for reading and stuff, but its kinda handy not being able to see some things while on the street. What I mean by that is that its nice not being able to see all the porn shops around here.

 5. Have you ever met for church in a building other than a chapel? (Dad)
 Nope. Every branch and ward in our mission has its own building or office. The only one that I have seen that didn't have its own building was Idar-Oberstein. It's in a rented out office on the second floor.

 6. Have the places you've met for church always been wards or have some of them been branches? (Dad)
 Everywhere I have been has been a ward except for Wesel. That was still a branch.

 7. How far is Trier from Saarbruken?
 A 2 hour train ride.

 8. Is Elder Wilkinson happy to be skyping home to his family on Monday? One of the missionaries in our ward wasn't really interested in talking with his family. Maybe he's afraid he'll get homesick.
 Well, I don't think he will be skyping. I don't think he is that excited about it either.

 9. Emma wants to know if you miss her. heehee.
 Haha. I got her email too. Yeah. I miss everyone. But with my current release date, I am looking at a little more than 9 months left.

 10. Have any of your companions played musical instruments? Which companions and which instruments? (Dad)
 Let's see, Elder Mayle was the most musically talented he played piano, organ, and french horn. Actually, he was the only musical one.

 11. You said it was shorts weather. How hot is it right now? (Dad)
 Well, it WAS shorts weather. It's chilly again, but in spite of that, I am still wearing shorts. 

12. Everyone knows German drivers have a reputation for driving fast on the autobahn. Do they have a reputation for driving any other way? (Dad)
 No, they drive pretty crazily sometimes. They like to floor it and then hit the breaks a lot of the time. I could show you when I get back. =)

 13. What time does the internet cafe you are going to skype from open up?
 Early, it's never been closed since I have been here. It may go late into the night.

 14. Are German kids into video games as much as American kids are? (Dad)
 Oh yeah, one of the members that lives above me showed me some of the new computer games that came out recently. It was nice.

April 30, 2012 Visit to Trier

Hey guys this week has been pretty fun!

 So we went to Trier (the oldest city in Germany, so the story goes) to go see the robe of Christ. We saw it in the cathedral there but unfortunately I wasn't able to get a picture of it. They gave me one instead! It was pretty cool. I don't think it actually was the robe or tunic or whatever, but it was definitely old and apparently the only reason they showed it this year is because it's been 500 years or something since they first started putting it on display. It was definitely something cool to check out even though it was a hoax. I am glad to say that I did it and saw it! But seriously it looked like a 15th century night gown that was dragged through mud 500 years ago.

 We then went to La Porte Nigra in Trier. Apparently, it used to be an old roman fort. I took a bunch of pics and a couple vids. I will see if I can get those to you this week.

 Well, I guess the most exciting thing coming up is mothers day! That means that we get to skype! So here is the deal. That Monday we will be going to the internet cafe and I will skype you there. I will most likely be using my old skype account. I just checked and it still works. The account name is ..... and I will probably be able to skype whenever is most convienient for you on Monday. I have a time window from 10 am to 6 pm my time for the internet cafe. That's basically my entire pday. haha.

 Things here have been doing really we. Our main investigator is doing really well. She has started to work on the word of wisdom which is going to be a big challenge for her, but I know she can make it. She has made a ton of progress lately and she has been having a lot of support from the ward. Things are looking really exciting for her now. I am still working on the Book of Mormon challenge. That's to mark every reference to Christ, his attributes, and his words. I am in Alma now. Things should go smoother through the war chapters.

 This week's questions:
 1. Do you still have your investigators coming to church? (Grammie)
 Yeah actually. Our most promising investigator comes every week and even prepares herself better than most members for church. We are planning on setting a date with her this week.

 2. Which investigator made the most progress this week and tell us about it. (Dad)
 So she has been progressing really well. She found a job, loves to help people and has a great outlook on life. We have been meeting 3 or so times a week and she says that its been helping her a lot. We are working on the word of wisdom right now but we have to have patience with it.

 3. What was your favorite food item you ate this week? (Dad)
 Probably my cheap cereal (cinnamon toast crunch) with maple syrup used as milk. Then of course there were some nuts we got from a member from Macedonia. They were like really dry and they tasted like they were supposed to be healthy so we called them "Macedonian Health Nuts." I know its not that funny, but that's where we get our kicks and giggles from. Haha. Then of course Sister Schroeder. Oh my. The best meals ever are eaten at her house. We had a classic meat potato and vegetable course. It was way good.

 4. What day did you spend the longest on the trains and what were you doing? (Dad) Anytime we go to district meeting in Bittburg, we spend 2 hours on trains going to and then another 2 hours back. Its always nice to catch up on beauty sleep. Haha.

 5. Are you planning any more trips over to France for missionary splits? (Grammie)
 I actually have been in France on a split because we don't have an investigator that only speaks French and (or) the French Elders don't have any investigators who only speak German.

 6. How far are you actually from the border of France? (Mom)
 Like a 20 minute train ride or a 20 minute Strassenbahn ride.

 7. When are you going to send us a copy of the talk you gave in your Sacrament meeting? (Grammie)
 Probably not, I didn't have access to a computer because I had to write it the Saturday night before. Haha some things never change.

 8. Have you figured out how many miles a week you travel on the train on average? (Grammie)
 I have no idea. I don't even think about it.

 9. Have you gotten any new ties? (Grammie)
 Yeah actually, there is a sale going on that has ties for 2 for 2 Euro. They are pretty good quality and the silk ones are 1 for 2 Euro. I have around 20 new ones or so.

 10. Are the ties any different than the American ones? (Grammie)
 Yeah a lot. The stripes typically go the other direction, they are skinnier, and the colors are usually brighter and more saturated. American ties look really goofy now.

 11. Do you prefer the German style of clothing to the American style of clothing? Both church dress and casual. (Dad)
 I prefer German styles for dress clothing, but the German casual style is a lot like American style. I like the casual American better. There is something about a good pair of jeans and a t-shirt. The German Dress style is a little more form fitting and sleek. I like it.

 12. How is your new German suit? (Mom) I want to see a picture. : )
 It's been great. I may have a picture already, but we will see. I only wear it for Zone Conference and Church.

 13. Do people ride bikes much in your mission? (Dad)
 Hah, no. I rode bikes once as a golden and I haven't since. I know a lot of missionaries have fantasies about riding out to random hamlets and dooring them out. I don't because I know there are better things you could be doing, instead of wasting your time riding out into the middle of nowhere. And when you pick up an investigator out there you have to go back just to teach. It's a big time waster. I saw it a lot in Wesel. Sorry for the rant, but we live in a country with the best public transportation system in the world. We can get around really easily for the most part.

 Talk to you soon! Elder Trevor Baker

April 22, 2012 Happy Earth Day!

Well we got transfer calls on Saturday... For some reason they have't been as exciting lately as they have been. When I was with Elder Baum and Jongejan, I was so stoked about transfer calls, not so much anymore. I wonder why... Well Elder WIlkinson and I are going to stay for another one. It's good. We get along pretty well. We have been doing a lot of going by on less actives and potentials lately, and therefore we have been spending lots of time at bus stops. I'ts pretty ridiculous. I think I have said that we spend just as much time on transportation as we do in appointments. There is nothing we can do about that though. Right now, we are having a pday in Trier where the alleged "seamless robe of Christ" is on display. They also claim to have the grave of Matthew. I think today we are going to just go to the castle and check it out instead of wasting our time (and money) on a scam and hoax. Haha. I found out what Saarbrücken is known for. Elder Wilkinson said porn shops and casinos, but I remembered that he told me that Saarbrücken was a mining town. There used to be a lot of coal here. I think it's all gone now though. Haha.

  1. Do you have any words of advice for Emma and marching band? 
Yeah, stop drinking soda and start running. Seriously, not just because I love running and I think that everybody should love it too. Haha. That and stay away from the low brass kids. They are crazy.

  2. Will you send me a picture of your apartment or the address so I can see it from google earth? 
Seriously, it's not the best part of town. I wouldnt want to look at it from Google Earth... Haha

  3. Do you think you'll be transferred before Mother's Day? I was wondering how we will get to talk to you on that day. I hope we get to skype again. I still have the recording of that. I love it. I showed the beginning of it to the missionaries Friday night. They saw the part where you said it takes knocking on 1000 doors before you get a baptism. They thought it was neat that I video taped it. : ) me too! 
Well I will probably be skyping in an internet cafe because the shops arent closed on Mother's Day. Yeah, don't worry, it's gonna happen.

  4. Have you been to France yet or had splits with the Elders from France? (Katie is so jealous at this prospect. lol)
I actually have been to France. I went and got a baguette and an eclair. However you spell it... The French Elders came over for a Sunday so they can meet with the branch that meets in our building. It was fun. One of them was a little weird and Elder Wilkinson and I had some fun with that. The other Elder was like, "He needs to get transferred." Haha.

  5. Dad wants to know what the funniest thing is that happened this week.
 I don't really remember... Oh yeah, our week got all messed up because of a mega service project that has lasted like 3 weeks. It's still not done. We get to go tomorrow and "finish" This week has been brutal. I think usually the funniest things that happen are the things we say when we are waiting for bus stops and in Bahns and stuff.

  6. I want to know what the best thing is that happened this week.
I learned about Lilith. I bought some Ukrainian cologne, too. It was 1.75 Euro and it smells... well like 1.75 Euro Ukrianian cologne would smell. We found this Russian supermarket in the rough part of town and now we have been stopping by to buy some Russian sodas and stuff. It's pretty cool. I am going to send pics and check out the rest of Trier today. Next week I will have more pics for you. As far as investigators are doing, they are doing well. One makes progress very slowly and we have to have lots of patience, and the other is reading and studying a lot. It's going well for her. She plans on working towards baptism. Those are our only investigators at the moment, but we plan on starting to work with more less actives now too.

 Ok pics...

Elder Trevor Baker

 P.S. Come up with some questions for Mother's Day!

April 16, 2012 Baptism in Bittburg!

1. Can you send a picture of you and Elder Wilkinson and also a picture of Saarbrucken?
I will see if I can get one taken at district meeting. I need a haircut and I don't have any more MSF money to get one... I will definitely get one soon though.

2. Do you get to do service projects during the week?
Lots actually. We moved two people and it was crazy. It was like that one move Dad and I helped out at in New Mexico. It was definitely way crazy. We were at the first one for 6 hours or so and we STILL didnt finish. The other one we were only there for a couple of hours and we made a good bit of progress.

3. What is Saarbrucken well known for?
I don't really know. It's swapped sides between France and Germany many times and it was part of France until the 70s or something. It's got a lot of other cities that have Saar in the name... I will see if I can catch up on some reading for it.

4. Do you have to walk far to get to the church?
No we take a bus now. It gets us there about 10 minutes before church starts so it's all good. I am glad I dont have to walk 40 minutes every Sunday morning anymore.

5. Are there any funny expressions that the missionaries in your mission say?
It changes with every companionship. We usually have lots of inside jokes and say something to remind us of a funny experience.

6. Do you need anything?
No actually. I spent some money to get all new white shirts and another pair of pants. I don't think I will be needing anything for a while.

7. Have you taken your vitamins this week? haha (Your vitamin stash should be half gone by now so no more jokes --lol)
I have been taking vitamin C.

8. Have you met your neighbors?
Yeah, one of them is a member that we visit every Sunday. He is way cool and helps us when we need anything. We also get food from them sometimes, too.

9. What do you do for fun on your p-day?
We usually just check out the area and see what we can do that is fun. Normally it's just checking out the sites.

10. What do you usually say to someone the first time you meet them on the train or on the street?
It depends on the person. I hate information blasting people with "hey we are missionaries from the church of Jesus Christ, we are sharing a message..." I can't stand that. I usually try and talk about whatever comes to mind or anything that I am thinking about.

11. How do you feel about being allergic to cats now? Will you become a "dog person" like Dad?
I actually don't want to deal with pets unless they stay outside. It's way too much work to keep up with them. Who knows though, it could change by the time I get back home.

12. Where do your district leaders live?
I only have one, and he is my companion.

13. When is the next transfer?
Like next week. I have no idea what's going on or why this past transfer went by so fast.

14. Do you think you'll stay in Saarbrucken?
It's possible, I had two dreams last night. One was that I was getting transferred. The other was that Elder Wilkinson was getting transferred.

15. What is the best thing that happened this week?
We gave a Book of Mormon to a guy in an appointment with a less active. The story is on my other email. I will send in a few minutes.



Yeah, this week has gone by so fast.

I had a split with Elder Bateman from Bittburg. He is pretty cool. He has been in the district for 4 transfers with the same companion now. It was a really good split. I don't really know the area, but we had a great appointment with a less active member.

We were there for about an hour and a half and the woman's daughter and the daughter's significant other were there. They got to know a little bit more about the church, what the missionaries do and all that good stuff. At the end we even gave him a Book of Mormon, and he thought it was awesome. Then he asked if I could write my address in the cover-- which I did. We gave him a card and everything to go with it. It was really cool.

I did forget to talk about the baptism from Bittburg. So we gave her an interview a few days before, and Elder Wilkinson forgot the baptismal record for the interview. That's part of the reason why we went. It was really cool, and she said, "That's it?" When she came out of the water. She is going to an American ward and they really supported her. It was cool to see. It was the first convert baptism I have seen.

I have started to think about the possible progress there is in Saarbrücken. I realized last week that there is a lot of work to do, but lots of potential. I just hope that Elder Wilkinson and I can get everything done that we can.

Yeah, if you could check out semester starting times for CPCC that would be awesome. I am still wondering what I should do. My release date is somewhere in Feb now because of the shortened trasnfers, but that is still up in the air. I won't think about it too much of course... But it's always in the back of my mind.

Well have a great week. Love you!

Elder Trevor Baker

April 9, 2012 Happy Easter!

Happy Easter Everyone!

Well for starters, this week has been the longest busiest week I have ever had. I was in like 5 different cities doing a myriad of different things like splits, district meetings, and trying to get back to Saarbrücken.

My week started like this: We went to Kaiserslautern to do a split because Elder Wilkinson needed to go to Frankfurt for some kind of training thing. Then I stayed the night with Elder Harty in Ramstein. We have a good time and go finding the next day with the Ramstein Elders. It went pretty well. Then we are told by the Zone leaders that we need to get to Idar Oberstein to switch back. I end up buying a 25 euro ticket to get there. We get there at like 9:30 and wait for the other Elders until 11:30. They finally get there, and they say that we need to get to a place to sleep because Idar Oberstein doesn't have any room. So instead of taking an hour long train back to Saarbrücken, we drive for 40 minutes back to Kaiserslautern because we would get home faster. We get back to Kaiserslautern at 1:15 am and then get up the next morning to take a train back to Saarbrücken. Then the next day, we take a 2 hour train up to Bittburg to attend a baptism and then another 2 hour train back. We got home at 11:30. Then by this time it's Friday. I am still wiped out from the jacked up sleep schedule.

Other than that, this week was good and because of the crazy travel stuff, I am not sure what happened this week or last week. I also gave a talk on Easter Sunday, and it was pretty good for starting it on Saturday night. I honestly didn't think I had time to write it. I didn't have a chance to type it up, so you probably wont get it for a while.

The weather has taken a turn for the worse around here. We have started to get rain, and it's not longer shorts weather anymore. In spite of that, I am wearing shorts today.

Questions:
1. So how are things in Saarbrucken? Have you made it over to France yet?
Things are going well, our main investigator is progressing slowly. He takes correction well, which is good. I have made it to the border, but we haven't had the French Elders over yet. Hopefully next Sunday.

2. How was your week with splits in Bittsburg?
So we had a split planned for this week but because of transportation reimbursements, we have to wait until next week. I will probably be with Elder Bateman in Saarbrücken.

3. What do Germans do for Easter?
They don't go to work because it's a holiday and I am pretty sure they just go to church and then stay home. Unfortunately, we didnt get any eating appointments with members, so we went to McDonalds with the Bittburg Elders after district meeting.

4. Is the language in Saarbrucken different from other places you've been?
No, mainly it's just the accent that is different. Sometimes I hear French, and sometimes I hear English from some of the Africans.

5. How is your German? Any problems?
I don't really talk much, but it's not that bad.

6. Do you dream in German yet?
Yeah, lately I have been dreaming in German all the time.

7. Are you taking your vitamins?
Uh... no. haha.

8. Do you have allergies over there?
Just with cats. I developed it when I was in Nürnberg.

9. Do you have the same wattage for electrical appliances over there or do you have different kinds of plugs? No, all I know is that I have to use a transformer and then an adapter.

10. How many weeks until Mother's Day?
Uhh, I have no idea.

11. Will you get to skype home again like you did for Christmas?
Maybe, if the internet cafe is open then. I will definitely try to get skype set up so I can talk during that week.

12. How long has Elder Wilkinson been out?
He is 2 transfers older than me, and he is hitting his 18 month mark soon.

13. How long does it take you to walk to church now?
We take a bus. It's about 15 minutes.

14. Did you have any great teaching appointments this week?
We had a good appointment with some members in Ramstein. That was cool.

So yeah, basically, I am way tired and I want to take a nap for Pday today. Yeah, that's about it.

Thanks for emailing and stuff.

Elder Trevor Baker

April 2, 2012 General Conference

Well hello everyone!

So this week has been pretty cool. Elder Wilkinson and I have a busy week planned ahead of us. But first off, I will give some insights from General Conference.

This year, I had a really hard time concentrating to what the speaker was saying. It was kinda unusual. My mind kept wandering. I think it was just an off day. I kept thinking about what life will be like when I get back home and how awesome running is going to be... sigh. Oh well.

Then of course, the next thing that I think about is "Who needs to hear this that I know?" Yet another thought about back home. Well, at least I am having that thought right? Haha.

Then of course, my mind goes back to running. I think I am addicted to it. And that's about all for my crazy thoughts from General conference.

Now for the good stuff. This General Conference was all about correction. We all need correction at different times of our lives. I got the message that I need to take a personal inventory. It's nothing bad, it means that I might be ready for the next step, but I am not sure what that might be yet.

I had never thought how important home teaching is until I came out here too. Home teaching holds families together. It's divinely inspired.

I also really liked what Elder D Todd Christofferson said too about what doctrine really is that comes from church leaders. He said the same thing when he was with us in Düsseldorf.

Well this week I get to spend a few days in kaiserslautern because Elder Wilkinson has to go to frankfurt. Then I have another split in Saarbrücken with one of the Elders from Bittburg. Yay for long weeks!


Questions!

1. So who is the better cook...you or Elder Wilkinson? (Mom)
Well, I actually do all the cooking and Elder Wilkinson does all the dishes. I'ts a good system. On a side note, Elder Baum and I never liked doing dishes, so we decided to put everything in the attic and only used one fork, spoon, knife, bowl, plate, and cup. Haha.

2. Did you get any souvenirs from Germany yet? (Mom)
No, not yet. I have had to buy new clothes lately because my other ones were wearing out. I did find a really cool store here called Primark. It's a way cheap store where you can buy clothes. I actually bought a shirt and tie for 10 euro and another 2 ties for 5 euro. It really needs to break into the US. It would put JC Penny out of business.

3. Did you watch conference? (Katie)
Yep, I watched it in the ward building in Saarbrücken. We were going to go to either Bittburg to have a party with the American ward or go to Kaiserslautern, but the money for the month didn't get in yet, and it was available to us in English here in Saarbrücken.

4. Did you see David Archuleta singing at General Conference on Saturday? He is on his mission now and is in the MTC and sang with their choir. (Katie)
No, I don't even know what he looks like.

5. How many member meals do you get every week? (Jason)
Hah, maybe like 1 if we are lucky. We need to actually put up the new eating calendar. Thanks for the reminder.

6. Do you use bikes or a car yet? (Jason)
Neither. We have some of the best public transportation system in the country. We can get just about anywhere we need to in a reasonable amount of time. The only area in the mission that uses bikes still is Paderborn which is out in the middle of nowhere. Basically, bikes are dying out. I have only used them once and I have been out for 13 months.

7. How is Saarbrucken? (Mom)
It's a way cool city. Like I mentioned, the shopping here is ridiculous. There is a university here, and it's a pretty big city too. I haven't had the chance to really check it out yet.

8. Do they play disc golf in Germany? (Mom)
I have never seen it. They do have a lot of really cool running paths and trails. Germany is very pedestrian friendly.

9. Can you believe you are at 13 months? Amazing!!! (Mom)
No, I honestly can't. I have been able to read in my journal from last year while I was at the MTC.

Love you guys!

Elder Trevor Baker

Oh and I have another talk in church next Sunday. Woo...

March 26, 2012 Saar

Well, here I am in a new city. I am in Saarbrücken right now. The area is actually for the entire state of Saarland. So basically, there are 2 Elders for the entire state. That's like 2 missionaries for the state of Vermont.

I guess the joke about this end of the mission is that we are in the bottom left hand corner where no info gets in or out. It's basically the black hole, kind of the opposite of how Wesel was, except ironically, Wesel was even more geographically separated from the rest of the mission. Haha.

Well, my comps name is Elder Wilkinson. He is from near Manchester and a pretty funny guy. We get along great and we have fun doing it. I don't really know what else there is to note... I will just stick with the questions for the filler material.

Yeah, this past week had been crazy busy with riding on trains all day and stuff. I don't think anything really cool has happened other than we had an eating appointment and one of our investigators has a baptismal date. Oh, something else to note is that I am in one of the nicest internet cafes I have ever been to.

Grammie´s Questions:

1. Do you watch General Conference in your ward building via a satelitte?
Yeah, last year we went to the Nürnberg stake center and watched it in another room in English. I hope that's what we do this time. I don't think I can pay attention that long in German.

2. Have you heard of any earthquake activity in Germany?
No, I really don't hear anything.

3. Will you have to learn some French?
No, I don't have to. But I wouldn't mind learning a little bit more than I know right now. It would help when ordering baguettes or something.

Baker Family Questions:

1. Can you bring me a cookie? (Katie to Emma) We miss your cookies Trevor : )
hah.

2. What is your favorite German Cookie? (Mom)
I don't really like German cookies. I really like the baked goods and pastries. We will see how the French stuff holds up to the German stuff.

3. What kinds of cookies are there in Germany? (Mom)
They are usually knock offs of Oreos or Chips Ahoy. The only German stuff are things like Shortbread cookies which are really big during Christmas time.

4. How is your new companion? (Mom)
He is way funny. He is from England. We are going to have some good times.

5. Is he cute? And is he going to BYU? When does he get home? (Katie)?
Don't start being an RM chaser. A mission is good, but it's not everything. You should see some of the kids that come out here...

6. Can you send us a note of all the rules to Yu-Gi-Oh? (Colin)
Oh boy, maybe. I would have to think about how to play it. Google might be your friend here. Get katie or someone to help.

7. Where is your companion from? (Grammie)
He is from Manchester England. It's some tiny place near it, but I can't remember.

8. Is the German in Saarbrucken different? Do you hear any French? (Mom)
No, not really. People tend to speak a little more clearly though. It's convienient.

9. Does your mission president ever come visit you out in the field? (Mom)
hah, no. He is one of the busiest men I have ever met. I don't know how he has time to sleep.

10. Who are the elders in your district now? (Mom)
Let's see, I am in a 4 man district. There is Elder Bateman and Elder Romieill Elder Wilkinson and me. The other Elders are in the Bittburg American ward.

11. When will you send more pictures? (Mom) I loved the last ones you sent. I'm putting the one of you near Holland up in the hall with your missionary plaque.
Probably when I take more pictures. I am working on making a little time for that.

12. Can you get pictures on your email and can you print them out? (Mom)
I would rather just have you email them. I can put them on a memory card and take it to a photo printing shop. It's pretty cheap.

13. Would you rather me send you pictures in the mail to the mission home or email you pictures? (Mom)
Just send them to me.

14. How is your email working out? (Mom)
I am loving it. It's so much easier than switching back and forth.

Sorry this week doesn't have much, but it's something right?

Love you guys, and have a great week. BTW I am almost at 13 months!

Elder Trevor Baker

Going to Saarbrücken

Saarbrücken is in the Southwest part of Germany in Saarland. It is right next to France and is southeast of Luxembourg on the map.