Work and Hope

Well this week was pretty interesting, we had a suprise trip to the temple, I got super sick, then I made some pizza. So my week was pretty normal. 

So after 9 months, I went back into Providencia and it was pretty weird. Santiago is really similar to the U.S. It's almost the same actually, super nice and clean, more dogs but pretty much it looks just like Los Angeles. After being in the country and run down areas, it was real weird to go back to a place where I feel like I'm in the US. The temple was amazing, and I had one of the best temple experiences that I've had. It was so amazing to be in the House of the Lord. 

Anyways, Friday I got sick. After lunch, I felt awful, just really bad, and I being super stubborn decided to go work anyways. We just walk around my sector for a bit looking for someone to teach, but my sector is not good for a sick stomach, and we finally got into a house and started teaching. In the middle of the lesson asked to go to the bathroom. I just stood up and pushed my way in. Right when I got in, I fell to my knees and threw up in there toilet. Pretty gross. But after I got up finished the lessen and said the prayer. Later that night I threw up about three more times, and it was just peachy. haha. but life's good. 

It's hard not to get discouraged sometimes. I'm siting in the cyber next to a man with a big gage hole in his ear and a cigarette lighter hanging in the hole. He's probably a great person. I don't know, but I look at him and think why waste my time. Then, I repent inside and feel bad. I contacted a house this week and talked with an old lady who was super sweet and nice. She was holding her little grandson, and I told her she could live with him forever. Then, she told me she wanted to hear more on Tuesday. So I left to move on to the next house. Just outside the door, I stopped to write down the adress of her house, and I could hear her laughing. I stopped and listened, and I heard the same sweet old lady laugh about us and say, "No, don't worry. I won't be here on Tuesday". It is so hard to find people who want to change. I want to help give these people the same joy that I've felt, the eternal happiness that God loves us, but they don't listen. I'm working hard with my investigators, but it is hard to keep the hope and fait and enthusiasm going.

Oh well! We get to talk in a week. Right? All chill. I will plan on calling at 5 my time. Work it out with Nick.

Love you lots, 

Elder Walker

Temple!

Happy Birthday, Anna!

Hi,

Wow, you go to church from 5 to 8 my time. It would be pretty hard for us to call after church, so I think it would be better if I could call before your church. I would like to start studying college level text books in the only two things that I can study: Spanish and the Book of Mormon. So if you could send me those books when you have time or when you can that'd be awesome. Other that the normal stuff for a package would be great: ties and sweaters and such because its about to get really cold here. Well, I guess Boulder City got the message about eternal marrage!!! Lexi and Preston!?!? That is some crazy stuff. The world keeps spinning over there, I guess. 

Anna! Twelve years old!!! ¡¡Mi hermanita!! ¿Dejes de crecer ya? No me gusta eso. I can't bieleve it!! I sure that everyone in the family remembers whe you were born. I remember being in Challenger school and being picked up from school to go see you. Who can forget the 21 of Abril?? Expecially when weve celebrated you birthday 3 times that one year. haha. All right, so I've thought of a few things to say as you enter young women's this week!! Wow no lo puedo creer. Don't forget to pray. Ever. It's so important. I pray all the time: before lessons, during lessons, 2 times in the morning, in the night, and every time that I eat. We can pray and ask for help always in any moment. I was thinking about you in personal study the other day and found a scripture in Alma 39:10, so go read that--it's pretty awesome. I love how the scriptures just talk directly to us sometimes. Listen to your older brothers and sister. Life's rough sometimes but that's why God gave us the amazing gift of prayer to talk to Him and counsel with him in the good moments and in the bad moments. Love you so much!!!

Anyway so this week was pretty cool. We taught a ton of people had a few people swear at us, had some investigators at church, so a pretty great week as a missionary. Love the mission.  Sorry ran out of time. It's pretty dirty sometime here after the feria. haha. That's one random thing. They have huge ferias, like street fairs with venders and things, and that's where everyone buys their food. After the streets get really dirty. haha. Love this country.

Love,

Elder Walker

A baton for when the Chileanas come runnning. haha 

Working as Missionaries Do

Hello again,

We split our Sector, and now I have a super different area to work in. I honestly have nothing to say this week. I studied pretty hard and worked pretty hard and slept even harder.

I'm with Elder Moesinger, who is just really awesome, and in fact he's teaching me how to smile more. He is just always smiling during the lessons and the contacts, and I love it. I find that he has so much faith. The thing that we've been working on is our teaching. He is quite new and for that it's been hard to have fluidity in the lessons so we've been studying really hard. It's pretty awesome because President just changed it so that we can study more, and I'm really excited. 

So the work has been pretty exciting finding new people and talking about the restored gospel. One thing was difficult about the week, well really just one day in particular, was that we had to say no to teaching three different investigators and menos activos because there were only women in the house. This is a common rule, and when you enter the house and realize that the person is alone and obviously doesn't care about the rule, it's a little hard to stand up and leave. But obedience, that's pretty much my life.

Chloe, you're going to be fine--there are a lot of fish in the sea. Actually, I feel sorry for him. Good luck finding anyone as good or better than you. That guy has just messed up his life! haha. I'm excited to see the house in 2 years!! Things look great, Mom.

Love ya'll,

Elder Walker

Working, Conference, and Changes

Hi,

SO this week was pretty full, just like every other week for the last 8 months or so. Being missionaries, going to Conference, and having changes kept us busy. 

First, being missionaries. So as usual we left the house and taught people last week, and with the toilet finally being repaired after six long weeks of it being broken, I've really found a new passion for the work. Haha. We have a few good investigators but none of them attended Conference :( but I'll keep you posted on them. Really I'm just trying to find a way to have success, but I'm realizing more and more that there isn't some secret door or hidden anwser that gives us the key that we need to have sucess. Life is more about hard work and endurance, and that's why we have the gospel to give us the strength we need to overcome that natural man...and work. Nefi gives us a great example in Nefi 7:17 he prayed for strength from God to break his cords, not for some magical solution that would free him from his problems. He was very specific, and God gave Him the power that he needed in that moment to free himself and save his own life.

Second, going to Conference. Honestly all the stuff about marriage was a little much, but at the same time I liked it. It's good to keep the eternal perspective even in the mission. I did however love the talk given that used the allegory of dancing to the music. We can learn the dance moves and even become great dancers, but if we don't hear the music we're not going to enjoy it as much. Conference makes me a little homesick though. We as a mission didn't view the priesthood session which makes me a little sad, but I'll read it in a few weeks. But President B. did tell us that well be going to the temple now after President Monson's talk, and the mission is super excited for that.

Third, having changes. So we had changes and now I'm with Elder Moesinger. I love this guy and as clearly identified from his name he is not Latino. I've had all Americans as comps in my mission!!!!! Its just kind of funny now. haha. The crazy thing is that I already knew him because we've been living together in the same pension; however,  President shut down a sector in our ward, which makes our sectors huge with just us to work in it. I love it! He's from Ogden, Utah, and he actually knew Elder Brown (the Elder that trained me) before the mission. So that's cool. He just finished training and now were comps and super stoked to go find some people with him. 

Love you guys so much, 

Elder Walker

New companion, Elder Moesinger, and I