'We Sometimes Need to Show a Little Faith'

We had an amazing week. As you know I was whitewashed into this area. (Don't know why but I think it had to do with the last missionaries). It is really hard to be white washed in because you know no one and no one knows you. So the first week we taught no one. The next week we taught 1 person and now we have 5 people on date to be baptized in December! This week has been a huge blessing week. We are teaching so many. My area is projecting 1/2 of our zone. It is truly a blessing from God that we are able to find and teach so many. One of the kids' names is Jade. We had a lesson with him about 1 hour ago. He is going to be baptized on December 14. He is Korean and speaks a little English. We watched the Restoration video in Korean. I could almost quote it in English because of how many times I saw it. That was a cool experience to have. I can't wait until he is baptized. I still get to teach people that are not from America here. I think God sends people here to Utah so that they can hear the gospel and take it back to where they came from. 

We are also teaching a person named Ben. We took him to Temple Square on Saturday and he loved it. It is fun because we get taught as well because the sister missionaries lead out in the discussion. I love that opportunity that we get to go down there. We have so many experiences that happen each and every day that just testifies of Christ and of God's love for everyone. Especially on the hard days.

I am learning so much more then I thought I would on my mission. One of the best things that I am grateful for the talent that I have developed is the ability to make friends. It is so much easier for me to go up to someone and introduce myself and make friends. I also believe it is easier to do that in Utah when you have a name tag on (maybe I will make a name tag and where it around after my mission 'Hello my name is Walker') lol, it is also a lot easier to make enemies, but they are not mad at me but the church. That is another blessing I have God's protection and help even from mean people. I don't feel the least degree of anger towards them any more. I am just sad that they have such a hard heart. There are very few mean people here in Utah so that is good. 

A good story to go along with your faith proceeds confirmation from God. 

It is in the Old Testament about the ark of the covenant. They had to take it across a river and the water was too deep. God told them that they had to get their feet wet and walk in there with the Ark of the Covenant before he would stop the water. (Joshua 3). So they had to show faith then God would do his thing. He will always help us if we show a little faith. Same thing happened to Nephi when he had to go in the city to get the plates. He had tired everything he could but he had to show more faith and God helped him by providing the way. 

Relating it to us we sometimes need to show a little faith by trusting in our feelings and getting baptized even if you might not happen for you the same as everyone else. 

Remind me sometime to relate the Butterfly Circus movie to this. We watched it at zone conference with our mission president.

One of the Most Eventful Weeks

So much has happened this week. It was probably one of the most eventful week of my whole mission. Crazy right? A lot of it I will not talk about because it involves other people, but something that did happen is I got news from my former companion that a excommunicated person that I was teaching and loved very much in my last area just died. (I was at his funeral this morning that is why I am emailing so late.) That was really sad. Question that I have been pondering and one I can't find. What happens to those who die and who are excommunicated? I heard that you can't do baptisms for the dead for them so what happens? 

I can't believe that Sean is back! Every one that left for their mission before me is almost back. That is strange to think about. 

I have had so many meetings my last week I have been to a total of 27 hours of them this week including church. Crazy right? Every day of the week I have had something. I like meetings a lot more then I did before my mission. I think it is because I know that I can learn so much more and I realize how much I do not know. 

We found a new investigator this week. That was fun. His wife is a recent convert to the church with a really strong testimony of the gospel and every lesson she cries and tells him how much she wants him to be baptized and then sealed in the temple. He is on date to be baptized on December 7 and he is working really hard to get there. 

We are finally finding work in this stake. It is difficult to get work started in a stake when missionaries have both got pulled out of the area. We had to start from scratch. I believe that the rewards are greater when you have greater struggles. That is why I am thankful for my mission. I have grown so much and am growing so much more then I ever have. (and no Mom I am not taller than Ben) unless Ben shrunk. Haha. I love my mission.

Two more things I need for my mission. First I would love a shoulder bag. All the missions have been required to get one instead of backpacks. My companion got one that has a wast strap so when you are riding a bike it does not go in front of you. I would love one like that. I need the shoulder bag no later than the new year. 

Also tell Robert that Elder Kolpakov bought me a present and it was a chess game. I have played it once. I won, but it was close. That is our p-day game. 

I would love to be in a class with Ben and Sean teaching it. That would be so cool. 

Have I told you all the service opportunities I have had? I have fixed a tiller, made a fence, put in sod for many people, I have put in dry wall and have done mudding for them as well, mowed hundreds of lawns and hundreds more of leaves raked up. OK probably not a hundred, but too much to count, I have put in insulation for a house (fiberglass), fixed someone's electricity in their house, have dug lots of holes for miscellaneous things. I have put stucco on a house, painted a whole garage (that one hurt my neck because I did the ceiling). Fixed a sprinkler system. (kinda put in a new one actually) I have tried to fix a printer and a weed wacker unsuccessfully, but worked hard on it. Have fixed a table and made it look really nice. The holes where the screws were stripped so it would not stand and there were missing pieces. We made new holes and made it look way nicer then it had been. I have picked up apples and also peaches (sound familiar) from the ground. I love those opportunities to do this. I have learned so much from all of it. I was able to do a lot of it because of Dad and the things we did together like putting up the light above the fireplace or fixing the sprinkler system. There were more then one baptism that came because of these things that we did. 

Love Elder Walker. Have a great week everyone!

Temple Visit

This week was interesting. We had a week filled with appointments but the people do not always keep appointments. We have a whole bunch of investigators it is just hard to meet with them because of things going on in their life. It is nice to know that we we have people to teach.

We got to go the the temple. That was a lot of fun. I don't think that I have ever been at the temple at night before. It was cool to see the lights of the temple and be able to go at night. We had about half of our mission in the celestial room at one time. And the celestial room is not that big. That was also fun. 

We have transfers this week again. I have been with Elder Kolpakov for about 6 months. That is four times as long as I have had any of my other companions. We hope that we will stay together next transfer as well. my companion is going home on December 17 so this will be his last transfer. He is going to get married almost as soon as he gets home. 

I cant think of what really happened this week. I normally remember because I write in my journal at least 2 times a week but I did not get the chance this week so I don't remember what happened. We are baptizing a boy named Ayden this week. That will be fun. We also picked up 2 new investigators that are Russian. It is interesting the mom has married an active member from here. She moved and is now going to church with her son for 1 year. She wants to be baptized, but lies to us about coffee her husband said that she is badly addicted to it. She lied to Elder Kolpakov that and said that she was willing to be baptized and did not drink any coffee. They were speaking in Russian so I did not understand neither did the husband because she was speaking Russian and he does not speak Russian. It is a little strange situation that we are working on.

It snowed yesterday in the valley. We had to ride our bikes thought it. That was fun. For some reason my hands get really cold so when I shake people hands it kinda startles them.  

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

Being A Missionary

I keep forgetting to take a picture. Sorry I don't wear my suit other than meetings any more or else I would just take it right now and send it.

Mom, an idea came to me while you were talking about the Lungs. You should ask them if they want to receive our letters to you in email. I don't mind who reads mine and I think that they would benefit from them. Dad told me that his secretary reads them and enjoys them very much (or I think Dad told me that).

Being here in Utah I see a lot of people coming to Church because of missionary farewells or homecomings that would never normally go to Church. If Ben does not mind I think that you should invite everyone you know to come to Church with you. We do that when we have talks in a ward. We run around telling everyone in the ward that we are giving talks and surprisingly, a lot show up to listen to us. So I think that everyone in our family should invite the people that they home teach and visit teach to go to Church, and Robert you should invite your friends to church and tell them that your older brother will be coming home from a mission and he will be talking and that you want them to come with you. That goes for you too Monica :)

I believe that it is a easy missionary tool that can bring people in church and give them a reason to come to church and feel the Spirit that Ben will bring him.

I still think it would be hard for me to give 3 hour trainings. I like environments where I can ask questions and get a response from the people I am teaching. I don't really like it when you are up there just talking and expect everyone just to accept the ideas you are throwing out there. Conversations are a lot easier to bring the Spirit if you ask me.

Transfers are this week. I think that one of us will be transferred. I have learned a lot from Elder Kolpakov and have enjoyed him as a companion. He told me the other day that I am the only companion that he has ever gotten along with. I hope that he has learned a thing or two from me and that it will help him. He reminds me a lot of you Ben. I like that.

Ben did you know that I look up to you a lot. I see you progressing in your letters and I love to see the difference in you. I remember the day that I got my mission call and you sent me a letter. This letter was filled with scripture references. I loved it and set a goal for myself to be able to quote as many scriptures as you do. I hope that you will keep sending me letters. I love the letters that you send.

We have been teaching this boy. He is one of the smartest young boys I have ever known. He is going to be baptized this Saturday.  I love him. You grow such a close relationship with the people you teach it is hard when you have to move on and you can't spend all day with them.

Also quick question for you. I went on an exchange and one of the elders is really lazy and I don't know how to motivate him to do anything. Before my mission I never expected missionaries to do anything bad, but I have found out that that is not true and I don't know how to motivate them. I am very blessed to be with missionary companions that want to be here and want to work. Ben I am sure that you have dealt with that and I want to ask you how you deal with it.

I think it is funny that Ben has 2 wards. It would be such a different mission if you only had one ward council to know. It would also be strange to talk to someone who has never known any LDS people.