The poem Dear Friend was written by my late husband, Ernest Baker Jr. in the 1990s. He showed me a copy of Dear Friend soon after we got married in 1999, and he lamented that his poem was plagiarized. He also expressed to me that He would like me to translate it into Spanish. I empathized with the pain and disappointment that he experienced then, and subconsciously I wanted to relieve him from that hurt. It was only two years after his transition to heaven that God revealed to me the solution to the plagiarism issue. The time had come to publish Dear Friend to put an end to the plagiarism. Ernest always sought to cultivate an intimate relationship with Jesus, and he knew Him as a Friend who sticketh closer than a brother. (Proverbs 18:24). This poem reflects Jesus' heart of Love towards Ernest and all who would read it. It is the Greatest Love Poem ever written and it was Ernest's desire for the whole world to read his poem, and accept Jesus' Love for them. Ernest's poem expresses the well known Bible verse: "For God so loved the world that He gave His Only Begotten Son, Jesus, to die for them, and whosoever believes on Him, shall not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:16). In memory of my late husband's birthday on January 7th, 2024, God impressed upon me to honor Ernest and posthumously publish Dear Friend bilingually. Ernest went to Mexico on a mission trip in the 90s and fell in love with the people and the language. Hence his reason for requesting me to translate Dear Friend into Spanish. I joyfully published Dear Friend, especially since it was my late husband's desire to reach the entire world with his poem. Ernest wanted the whole world to know that Jesus wants to be their Best Friend and that He wants to give them the Best Life ever. Ernest was an outstanding and ardent soul-winner. It is my prayer for Dear Friend to be read locally and globally, and that a great harvest of souls be reaped for God's Kingdom.
