The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

OFFICE OF THE FIRST PRESIDENCY

47 East South Temple Street, Salt Lake City, Utah 84150-1200

October 15,2013

Elder Anderson Dean Bake

3120 Helaman Halls Building 9 Provo, UT 84604

Dear Elder Bake:

You are hereby called to serve as a missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You are assigned to labor in the France Lyon Mission. It is anticipated that you will serve for a period of 24 months.

You should report to the Provo Missionary Training Center on Wednesday, March 5, 2014. You will prepare to preach the gospel in the French language. Your assignment may be modified according to the needs of the mission president.

You have been recommended as one worthy to represent the Lord as a minister of the restored gospel. You will be an official representative of the Church. As such, you will be expected to maintain the highest standards of conduct and appearance by keeping the commandments, living mission rules, and following the counsel of your mission president. As you devote your time and attention to serving the Lord, leaving behind all other personal affairs, the Lord will bless you with increased knowledge and testimony of the Restoration and of the truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Your purpose will be to invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. As you serve with all your heart, might, and strength, the Lord will lead you to those who are prepared to be baptized.

The Lord will reward you for the goodness of your life. Greater blessings and more happiness than you have yet experienced await you as you humbly and prayerfully serve the Lord in this labor of love among His children. We place our confidence in you and pray that the Lord will help you become an effective missionary.

You will be set apart as a missionary by your stake president. Please send your written acceptance promptly, endorsed by your bishop.

Week 102, Antibes France

Bonjour,

So I am now at home in Oregon. I was officially released from my calling as a missionary late last night. I wanted to talk about my last week because it was probably the best week of my mission.  I am so happy with the way everything turned out.

Monday was one of the best p days I have had. Myself and my companion along with the Toulon Elders went to Cannes and played on the dock and did some shopping. We also gave a blessing to a member's mom in the hospital. We were the only ones that could do it because everyone else in the ward was gone to the temple this week in Switzerland.

On Tuesday we went to the Frund's house and ate, did some language study with Sr. Frund who is an English teacher, and had fun. I will miss the Frunds a lot and I'm glad that I got to know them. The rest of the day we had some plans fall through so we ended up just contacting in a tiny city in the pouring rain - it was awesome!

Wednesday was when the miracles really started. In the morning we saw a member and his wife who have recently decided that they wanted to become active in the church. They were very open with us about their desire and motivation. This was really cool to see.  That same day we also saw Brera.  He is a member who we are encouraging to go to the temple.  We were able to get him to set a date to go.  We then went to the Dufoy's boat. After dinner with them they gave us a tour of their fancy boat and then we taught them about the word of wisdom.  In the end we invited Benjamin to be baptized; he accepted and set a date.  The lesson was so awesome.  Benjamin talked about how he has felt the influence of the holy ghost as he has made changes in his life to pray and go to church.  He can see how the gospel will bless his children and his life. I can't imagine a better way to end my mission then to witness Benjamin accepting the gospel.

On Thursday we had district meeting and then we went to the Ouali's for dinner.  The Oualis are a deaf couple. They invited a deaf friend to join us and we taught her about the Plan of Salvation.  She had recently lost family members and was very touched by what we had to teach her.  She is excited to meet with the missionaries again. 

On Friday we went to the Lapierre's. Sister Lapierre is a widow who has 4 sons and joined the church a few years ago after her husband died. Recently her son has started coming bake to church.  We have been meeting with them regularly and encouraging them to set a date to go to the Temple.  The son has been coming to church as a result of his goal to go to the temple. It is great to see a change in his life.

Sunday we went to the Rodreguez for dinner and a lesson.  We made the lesson into a game with balloons and the kids loved it. Then we visited the Maurial's. Fr. Mauriel shared he conversion story with us which was very powerful.  His wife was a member and asked another member to give her a priesthood blessing one time.  As Fr. Mauriel watched this the spirit testified that he should be the one blessing his wife and his family.  He later joined the church and told how he has been able to bless his family through the power of the priesthood.

On Monday we took a train to Lyon.  We went to the President's house and had a great testimony meeting with the departing missionaries.  Then we got up early to begin our travels home.

Week 101 Antibes, France

Bonjour!

Well I guess this is it then my last week in the mission field! This
has really snuck up on me and it has not quite hit me yet that I am
actually going home! I have not really been telling anyone but
yesterday I desired to break the news. I told the Dufoys and most of
the members. I would say this is my last week and they would say where
are you going next and I would say home!

This week we did a lot of
great things and it went by very fast. We played tennis at the Perez's
place again which was fun. Elder Hurst is not as good as Elder Orr so
it was not too hard to best him. I also saw Pierre which will be the
last time because he is going to Sete this week. He took a Book of
Mormon to give to his mom and sister so that was great! He has also
committed to reading and praying about it. We are planning on staying
in contact so that will be fun.

Miracles of the week - on Wednesday night we had about 20 Elders stay
in our apartment for the night for a conference in Nice the next day. Fitting 20 Elders into one apartment is a miracle.

I was able to talk to Elders Shaw and Whiting who are both in
Montpillier now. It was really great to see them again. I found out
from them that David, who was a boy I saw a lot when I was in
Montpillier, is now on a mission! I was so exited to hear this   I
was really hoping he would but things were not really looking like he
would. I know that his mom is so happy about this too.

The other miracle began when I was serving with Elder Whiting in Aix.
One day a man came into the church when we happened to be there and told us
that his girlfriend is a member of this church and he wants to know
more about it. We taught him a really great lesson. Elder Whiting
remembers it as being the best lesson he has taught on his mission. We
did not get any contact info from him and he was returning home to
South America the next day but then we miraculously saw him on the bus
the next day on his way home and Elder Whiting got his email. He
emailed Elder Whiting a few weeks ago to tell him that he is now a
member of the church and is preparing to go to the temple. Yay

Thursday we had our mission conference which was very good. We
learned about overcoming opposition and teaching families! After the
conference we all took a bus and a tram and walked a long way to the
top of a hill on the other side of Nice. I had been there before on a
zone p day and it was a great view of Nice. When we got there all of
the missionaries leaving this transfer bore there testimonies. I was
one of them! It was a very spiritual experience.

Bonus miracle of the week- on Sunday Anthony bore his testimony about
his pathway to the church. He talked about how he felt something
special when he first walked into the church and all the great
experiences along the way. It was very touching when he talked about
how he was reading the Book of Mormon one day and felt the spirit very
strongly telling him that it was true. He explained that this led to a
knowledge that the Church of Jesus Christ really was restored on the
earth. It was very touching for me to hear this. I was translating for
a visitor and it was hard because I was getting all choked up. I am
very happy that I was able to see Anthony's progress the last few
months and the difference that I can see in his life with the gospel.

He is so happy now!

We'll have a great week and see you all soon!!!

Love

Frère bake


Fun French fact of the week
Nice is nice. And it used to be part of Italy along with Cannes,
Antibes and Saint Raphael. The border used to be in Toulon.

Week 100 Antibes, France

 

 

Bonjour,

This week was very fun and went by very fast. One of the most exiting
parts of the week was our big zone finding day. On Thursday all of the
missionaries from the coat d'azure came to Antibes to find people to
teach here in Antibes. There were 12 missionaries in total. The day
before I was in Antibes on an exchange with Elder Connell from Toulon
and we put together a sort of geo cash game to play along with talking
to people. We woke up on Thursday and hid the treasures around
town and then everyone came at noon. We had a lot of miracles and
found a lot of people to see again. I am exited about the results of
our work this this week. After contacting we all went to Cannes and worked there
before going to eat at stake and a shake. It was very yummy.

I hope you all have a great week!

Love

Frère bake

Fun French fact of the week - France also celebrates Valentine's Day
on the 14th of February but they also have a different Saint that is
deliberated on every day of the year!

Zone "Finding Day" in Cannes

EGLISE DE

JESUS-CHRIST

DES SAINTS DES DERNIERS JOURS

MSSION FRANQAISE DE LYON Lyon Business Center 59 rue de I'Abonctance 69003 LYON FRANCE

Tel: 04 37 51 18 20 Fax: 04 37 51 12 03

10 January, 2016

Dear Brother and Sister Bake,

As we approach the release date of your son from his mission on February 15, 2015, we are filled with gratitude for his service. As a young man, he came here in faith to serve the Lord and his brothers and sisters in this part of the world. He has done his best to serve faithfully and diligently. He has sought to increase his faith and to learn to conduct himself according to the revelation he receives from the Holy Ghost. He has humbled himself, prayed fervently, overcome difficulties, accepted rejection and hardship, and learned the true meaning of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and in his Atonement.

We are very proud of him. We thank you for your sacrifice and your support of him throughout his mission. He is a dear soul whom we love with all our hearts, and for whose bright future and happiness we pray fervently. We know the Lord is pleased with his service and will give him other opportunities to build up the kingdom of God on the earth.

Elder Bake has of course blessed many people with whom he has worked. Converts and less-actives that he helped come unto Christ, members with whom he associated and worked companions, other missionaries, and his mission president and wife. Moreover, he contacted countless people with whom he planted seeds that will someday bear fruit as they become more prepared to receive the truths of the Gospel.

Your son has enjoyed a great privilege. We will keep him in our hearts and prayers, and we commend him back to you as one who grew into a servant of the Lord and whose divine potential is ever closer to realization as a result of his missionary labors.

Scott D. Brown President France Lyon Mission

With love and appreciation,