Interesting Times

This week was really interesting. We were supposed to have 4 baptisms but on the day of their interviews they freaked out because the zone leader told them that their uncle could not baptize them because he was not worthy (I still have not really met the family). Read last weeks email and I explained it a little better. All of the kids want to be baptized but the mom will not let them now. We went by the next day with the Spanish missionaries that were doing the teaching. She told us that she was going to call the cops on us if we did not leave. It is sad to see the family suffer because of this incident. I am pretty sure that the family will eventually get baptized. This was the most interesting thing that happened this week. A 12 year old girl will be baptized this up coming week. Her name is Nevada. She had met with the missionaries for a long time. She goes off and on for this long. Now she is finally ready for her baptism. That is exciting. 

Ben will be a great help for you in your lesson preparations for seminary. I would use him as much as possible. It will help him to keep studying the scriptures in order to help other people and not just himself. I found out that a lot of returned missionaries will read for about 3 months then it goes away. I believe that is because they are used to doing it for the benefit for others and not themselves. It is almost like why it is easy to help your neighbor fix their sprinklers but not your own. If that makes sense.

Also tell Ben to write me. I love his letters that he sent on his mission. I think that FHE tonight will be a good one.

Conference Weekend

First no I was not transferred neither was my companion Elder Kolpakov. 

I loved conference as well. I also noticed lots of references to prayer in Conference. I thought that it was really good. I can now officially say that I have been to President Monson's favorite session of Conference. (Sunday morning) I went to 2 sessions in the Conference Center. One was Saturday afternoon and the other was Sunday morning. That is such a blessing to be able to actually see the prophet and the apostles in person. 

I have also heard about the government shutting down. If you listened to the conference they talked a lot about enduring to the end and that if we have faith in Christ that we will be able to overcome all challenges. President Monson said this along with other general authorities.  I believe that hard times are going to hit us hard this next 6 months. I also think that is why President Monson talked a lot about home teaching in Priesthood Session.

We had a good week. We found 4 new investigators. That was cool. The stake that we are in loves us so much. We get compliments from so many people in this stake. The missionaries that were in this stake before us did not do much work, so when missionaries do come in that want to work, it gets going fast. I really like the area we are in. There are always so many things we can do as missionaries. 

It is also really cool to see your recent converts continue to come to church and prepare to receive the Aaronic priesthood. I love that as well. I am excited for you Ben. I know that you will be able to see such changes in  your daily life outside of a mission. 

I think that you will be able to help Robert grow in ways that he did not think he could grow. As well as others around us. By the way I want you to record Ben when he comes home and when he teaches lessons to our family so I will be able to watch them in the future. I think that would be really cool to be able to see that later. 

Somebody gave me a harmonica because they want me to be able to play a duet with Elder Kolpakov when he plays a song on his accordion. It is harder to play then it looks, but I am learning. 

I love you all and I love the things that I am doing here. 

Elder Walker

Pray always.

Lessons

I will be at General Conference this week Saturday night -- not the Priesthood Session. So look for me. I will be in the back because those are the only tickets that we were able to get.  :)

We baptized a boy named Quincy this last Saturday. He was one of the smartest 9 year old boys that I know.  We gave him a Book of Mormon Story book to read and he finished it within 4 days. Then we gave him the Old Testament Story book and he finished that as well really fast. Finally we told him to just read the Book of Mormon and he is now in 2 Nephi and when we asked his favorite part he told us, "I like the part when he gets tied up on the boat and his brothers are being really mean to him, but then God loved Nephi so he caused the bothers to let him go." I love that kid. His Mom is not returning back to church and his whole family came up here for the baptism. They are not all members including her husband. We also taught the Restoration while they were changing after the baptism. (Ben is that something that you were asked to do by your mission president? Because that is what our mission president told us to do). Something that made it really good was my companion played the piano while I was giving the first vision. It was really good and you could feel the Holy Ghost really strong there.

There is already snow!

I was also asked to give the talk on the Holy Ghost at the baptism and I also had about 2 min to think about what I was going to say. I believe that I did a really good job. I had lots of people say that I did a good job.  I like it when time does not matter and you just move as the Spirit directs. (That is one of the reasons that my role plays and or talks in sacrament meeting don't feel genuine because I am always rushed for time or feel like I have to fill the whole time.)

Robert I agree that lots of the questions that are asked in the church can be answered with "The Atonement." I remember when I was your age we had what we called SMA or Standard Mormon Answers. You could answer any question with the same answer, but that led me down the path that I thought I knew most everything. So just remember that there is so much more you can learn, even from the lesson that they teach over and over and you feel like you have the lesson memorized. There is still more you can learn.

Also, yesterday was the 5th Sunday and I went to the combined class at the end of church. One of our bishops taught. He talked about video games. He went through some video games and was very blunt about what they do in the video game. For example, Grand Theft Auto: he said that this is one of the most common games in the world. This game is a really bad game. He said that first off you are the criminal and never the good guy. You go around killing people, cops, and stealing things. The more cops you kill, the more destruction you make, and the more people you steal from, the more money you make. And what you do with the money is worse. You go and sleep with a prostitute and then you have the option to kill her and get your money back. And it goes on. 

Now this was not the worst game he mentioned but is is one of the most popular games and it is only rated M for mature.  There is only one higher and that is only because they add in gambling games. The bishop told this to all of the adults to warn them that the world is changing. They are in games that any kid can go to the store and buy. There are horrible things that are out there in members homes and corrupting people and people lose the Holy Ghost when they play these games. Read Deuteronomy 11:26-28: things are given for a reason, but Satan changes those things and makes it bad. 

Read D&C 59:6: don't kill.

Last scripture Articles of Faith 1:13: If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report, or praiseworthy we seek after those things. 

I just wanted you to know this as well parents.

A U of U fan we put a BYU flag on it. Our ward mission leader.

I am eternally grateful to my family for the things that you have done for me and the things that I have been taught by all of you.

Proverbs 3:5:Lord with all thine heart: and lean not unto thine own understanding. 

Trust in the

Believe this scripture and live it.

Love Elder Walker