Pre-Christmas Fun and English Connect

Another wonderful week in Africa has come and gone! The temperatures are on the rise, keeping things nice and toasty. We live vicariously through the pictures we see of people bundled up in hats, coats, and sweaters at home. It's kind of cute to see Africans wearing sweaters and coats when it gets to around 80 degrees at night. We Texans think 80 degrees is a slice of heaven!

We started off the week with a white elephant exchange with the other senior missionaries after our monthly Break the Fast meal.  We were encouraged to bring the most ridiculous thing we could find here in Ghana.  Many gifts did not disappoint.  There was jar of hot dogs, a broom made of twigs, an apron that says "No food for Lazy Man", and fabulous Christmas accessories.  Everyone had a great time.





This has been a great week for both Doug and me. His AMA calling has kept him busy. He's seen two ankle injuries, an old brain infection that caused a seizure, malaria, sickle cell crisis, HIV, and, of course, malaria—again and again. It’s a bit frustrating to see so much malaria, as it's often caused by missionaries who either don’t take their malaria medicine or don't take it correctly. There are plenty of measures to protect missionaries from malaria, but a large percentage fail to follow the recommended protocol. While we’re saddened by how sick malaria makes people, it serves as a reminder of how important it is to obey the guidelines with exactness. We love these missionaries and pray for their health and strength multiple times each day.

Doug and I were asked to meet with Elder Morrison from the Area Presidency this week, and I received an exciting opportunity to serve! I’ve been asked to oversee the English Connect program for the Africa West Area missionaries. Currently, the Africa West Area has 25 missions, but by July 2026, that number will rise to 32 missions! This week, we heard that the area is projected to have 50,000 new converts by the end of the year. As I mentioned in a previous post, the average age in Africa is 19, and that holds true for converts as well. Many of the new converts are young adults, and many missionaries at the MTC are relatively new converts themselves. For some, learning English on their mission can be life-changing.

The purpose of English Connect is to help non-native English speakers learn English. While both members and non-members can participate, my focus will be on the missionaries serving in the West Africa Area. Learning English can significantly increase opportunities for education, employment, service, and friendships. English Connect is taught at three levels, and upon completion, the goal is for each learner to feel comfortable with the language. Once they complete the program, they take a test. If they pass, they receive a certificate of English proficiency. This often leads to enrollment in BYU’s Pathway program, which opens even more doors for education, employment, service, and friendships. The program is still in its early stages here, as they say, “small-small,” but Elder Morrison expressed a desire to see it grow as quickly as possible. This will be a true blessing to the young missionaries serving in Africa, and I’m thrilled to be part of it. I’ll share more about my responsibilities as I learn more, but what I know now is that it feels amazing to have a focus where I can really serve and make a difference. I’m excited for this wonderful opportunity! Stay tuned for more updates! 💕

This week has also been an enlightening one as we’ve studied Come Follow Me. Lori taught Young Women, focusing on the Articles of Faith. It was a great opportunity to review the basic beliefs of our church and discuss them with the Young Women. Many of them are recent converts since we’ve arrived, and it’s such a blessing to see how much they’ve grown in their testimonies in just a few short months. The Articles of Faith, if we truly understand them, are a great way to share our beliefs and answer questions others may have. We were also asked to study Official Declarations 1 and 2, which are evidence of ongoing revelation in the Church. While we don’t always understand the "whys" behind revelation, it strengthened our testimony of the importance of continued revelation. It’s such a blessing to know that God still speaks through His prophets to the world. If you haven’t read these declarations, we’d encourage you to do so. Serving in Africa has really helped us gain new insights into Official Declaration 2. 😊

We love being here in Africa and couldn’t love the people more!

We pray you have a wonderful week ahead. We are so excited to be with the Doans, Nick, Matt, and Soli in Kenya! We can’t wait to see our kids, give them big hugs, and make lots of wonderful memories together. This time of year, we encourage each of you to take frequent moments to focus on the birth and life of our Savior, Jesus Christ. It is our prayer that you will draw closer to Him. We know that as you focus on Him during this glorious season, you will feel more of His love, joy, and peace.

We love you all!

Love,
Elder and Sister Baker 🎄

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