Almost March

Hello!

It was a great week full of special reunions and a lot of work. We've been looking and finding and teaching a lot here in Ochagavia. It seems like here, more than anything, we have to find the chosen or in other words find the investigators who are going to progress. We’re working though so although were not always wet from baptizing, I am confident that we’ll find those elect and baptize in March. I’m extremely grateful to be here in a stake were the missionary work is so needed and there’s so much to do. It’s fun though. I’ve never enjoyed those short hours of sleep every night so much in my life. 

We also had a special training reunion with Elder Bednar on Wednesday. We watched a broadcast from Buenos Aires Argentina to the Southern Region of South America. It was more than special to hear the words of a prophet and his counsel in a missionary based setting. He taught a lot of things, but what really stuck to to me was what he said at the beginning—We are not objects we are agents. We have been given power from God to choose for ourselves, and more than that we must treat others as agents and not as objects. I think that is something that we all do as teachers and leaders or really in any situation, we treat others more like objects, or we expect them to do what we want when in reality they are agents.

This eternal principle of agency is somethings that I have really enjoyed learning about and applying in my life here as a missionary. We also had another awesome meeting where we ate lunch with President (Mexican Tacos just in case you were wondering). We talked a little bit of the same principle. Let me quote a scripture that called my attention. DyC 58:

 26 For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward.

 27 Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness;

 28 For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward.

I love that phrase, “there the power is in us.” Let us live accordingly. I love the mission and can’t wait to see the miracles that come this week Elder Bednar blessed our stewardship and all of us missionaries to be fruitful at this time. Our missionaries cant wait to see those fruits..

Elder Walker

PS. Shout out to my friends that got engaged: Tanner and Braize!!

PSS Fotos from eating lunch with the zone. We ate tacos and had lemon pie for dessert. Delicious :)

Chhhhiilleee

Hello world!

Greetings from the southern hemisphere! Things are quite splendid here. I’m happy today, really happy to send you a photo of some converts that got baptized a few weeks ago in my old sector. Remember me talking about them! It’s a special blessing to be an instrument in the conversion process. My son in the mission, Elder Moreira, was able to baptize them and it just made me so happy to see that picture. For some reason, I don't know why, it seems that everyone is ready to get baptized when I leave a sector, but I’m just happy to be a part of the work. 

This last week was a blast full of divisions and contacting. I learned the the humble are the only ones that really learn in the end, and I spent time with the missionaries in the Zone. Every missionary to me is just incredible, and I love getting know them and serving with them. This past week I was with Elder Rocha, he’s a Brazilian missionary that has a grand total of about 15 months in the church. Two years ago he was an atheist and let two missionaries in his house. It’s stories and people like that that keep me going. 

Doris’s fecha fell through :( she had a fight with her mom about religion and getting baptized and then made the decision to slow things down a little bit to think. The problem is we haven't been able to talk to her, but I’m confident that we’re doing everything that we can and that the Lord is content with our work. She's an amazing person, and it makes me sad to see her not get baptized. But I still have hope for her. 

On the bright side, we brought another person to church named Ivon with her son. She has a cousin on a mission and is interested in the church. The best part was last we when we taught her she gave us ICE CREAM. WOW! Nothing makes me more happy on a hot day than teaching and eating ice cream. haha.

In my personal study, I read Moses today. It’s incredible to me how much God knows and loves every child he has. We are numbered, he says, and made in the image of is Only Begotten. Those phrases made me think of the love He has and the power He gives to each and every one of us. So let’s keep working! 

Love,

Elder Walker

La Mision

 Hola,

This last week was interesting with my companion finishing the mission, getting a little stomach sick, almost getting punched by drunk guys, and teaching investigators. We’ve been teaching a lot of people here in the Victoria that have a wide ranch of problems. Our focus is simply and was recently taught by the first presidency to teach repentance and baptize converts so that’s what we’ve been doing. 

Doris, our progressing investigator, is doing great. We were a little discouraged when we had to change her baptismal date due to sickness, but we’re optimistic about this Saturday. It’s crazy howSatan just keeps trying to get his licking in, if not earlier then later. We had an interview planned for Thursday and talked on Tuesday to make sure that everything was all right. Then like I said she got sick and had to go to the hospital. The good news is that she’s doing better and we’re going to have the interview tomorrow and she’ll get baptized the 20th. So a lot of prayers por favor because she’s so great and needs to get baptized. It would help her so much.

I’m doing fine, and I love the members so don’t let this next story make you think otherwise. It’s just meant to be funny. On Thursday, I think it was, we ate lunch with an hermana. I don’t know very many people yet but the Sister was really nice and had an incredibly nice house. We got there really late because we didn't know how to get to her house (we are still learning our way around the area) and when we got there her boy was crying. He went on to cry for the next 30 minutes, but that’s not the point. After waiting for her to finish making lunch and almost leaving to go contact (because we only have 1 hour to eat), the lunch was finally served. It was a typical lunch of rice with meat and a whole bunch of salads, and it smelled great. We ate for about 5 minutes and all of the sudden one of the missioners looked at me with big eyes and then looked at the hermana and said, “Hermana are there maggots in the rice?” Needless to say the next day all 4 of us spent a considerable amount of time in the bathroom, which can be kind of complicated as a missionary in the streets. haha.
       
Elder Perugorria went home…finally. haha. No just kidding. I love that man a lot, but he was tired and had a girlfriend. I learned a lot from him and hope that everything goes well with his wedding and future family. Anyways now it’s just Elder Hunter and I. Two gringos walking the streets of the barrio La Victoria! haha. It’s great. 
       
That’s just about it for this week. Everything is awesome. I’m excited to be an uncle and can’t help but to say that Uncle Marcus has got a nice ring to it. 

Elder Walker

Teach and Preach and Work

Hello!

Well this last week was pretty special. We had a great time planning a lot of meetings and preaching to a lot of people. As a trio, we do a lot of divisions, which means that we go to other sectors to help missionaries and serve them for a day and then return to our area. It’s easy for one of us to just leave, and I’ve already done a ton of divisions, which is great because I’ve been able to learn from the other missionaries. I think that it’s more fun to be in a trio because there’s never any silence, and we make a lot of jokes. My comps are awesome. To answer your question being in a trio isn’t too common. There are only like 4 or so trio companionships in the mission, and my companion, Elder Perugorria, is going home this Thursday. Then, it'll just be Elder Hunter and I. It’s a little hard to be with a missionary that’s ending...trunky. 

We had a great week in terms of teachings and I think that my favorite lesson was with Doris. She's a Peruana who has two adorable little daughters. We've been helping her a lot, and she has real desire to follow Jesus Christ and loves the church. However she has a little bit of fear to get baptized. After asking a lot of inspired questions, she finally opened up and said that she felt like she needed to forgive her sister. It surprised me to hear such a simple answer, and I didn't really understand at first, but she later said that she hadn't talked to her for 2 years. I felt the spirit so strong, and we ministered to her of the atonement of Jesus Christ and the power to heal us when we act. I know that when she acts, she’ll receive the answer that she needs. So pray for Doris, so that she can get baptized. 

Loving the mission,

Elder Walker

New Area and Trio

I’m in Ochagavia in the ward Ochagavia, which like a said last week is one of the more humble parts of the mission, actually probably the most humble part (at least economically speaking). It’s humble like where I started the mission, but instead of country it’s all inner city. My companions are from California and Uruguay. Yes, I have two companions: Elder Hunter and Elder Perugorria. They’re amazing missionaries, and I love them both to death. Actually Elder Perugorria and I lived together in La Isla when I first got to the mission, so he's an old friend. And Elder Hunter and I were together in my last zone. We get along great, and we’re working on the communication because it’s a little different as a trio, but everything is fine. 

The ward is great, and I’m still getting to know everyone. haha. It’s hard to compare because I spent so much time in my last sector and really love the people there, but I'm getting used to it here. We’re working really hard, and this month is where the opposition is the greatest because of the heat. February is a month of miracles, and we’re going to baptize. Si o si.  It’s when it makes the most heat, and when nobody's there but that’s when the Lord blesses us. I loved to hear about the hike of the young women and the message about enduring to the end. It’s so important. In the mission it definitely applies. I have to endure to the end of every day, of every month, and to the end of my mission. I think that the goal isn't just making it to the end, it’s a lot more than just that. We have to endure, yes, but endure well. Enduring well for me is like you said thriving. I’m trying to live like that. Just like the Lord said to Joseph Smith when he was in Jail

 8 And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes.

 9 Thy friends do stand by thee, and they shall hail thee again with warm hearts and friendly hands.

Every day has to be like that. Working hard! Love you all.

Elder Walker