Good, Better, Best

Yeah,

So my week was actually pretty great...Let’s just start with the good parts, and then I’ll move onto the better parts and finish with the best parts of my week. haha. 

My new area is really good. I’ve been super content with my sector for a lot of reasons. Like I have previously mentioned, I love the ward. The people just are genuinely happy to see the missionaries here, which is amazing. It’s good to be loved. The second great thing about my sector is the house that we live in. We live in a very nice house and my companion and I are pretty neat, which is a relief, and combine that with hot water and a nice bathroom and I’m pretty happy. I was so sad to leave my last area, but I realize now how much I needed just a little break because that area was really hard for me even though I loved it. My new area a relief; it is great! I now have the energy to work even harder.

Better than all of that is how great the contacting was this week. We’ve been able to find a several very humble people and have high hope for them. We have found and taught many people. The goals and vision of the mission has changed because President has been less than pleased with the success that we’ve achieved these last few weeks. The focus is now more on quality of lesson and bringing investigators to church. My comp and I are working diligently to reach the new goals estalished by President B. but we have a lot of new investigators and this week should be good for them to attend. 

The best part of my week was the rain. Haha. It rained for about 2 days straight. Saturday and Sunday, which hurt our church attendance, but that’s okay. We got soaking wet, but I wouldn’t consider myself a real missionary if I had never proselyted in the rain.  It was a good growing experience and a right of passage as a missionary. Chile has been in a huge drought, so it was also really good for the dirty Santiago air. One day my comp and I were trying to cross the street, but the gutter was more like a river so we had to walk a long way down the street to cross. As we were walking a car drove by and kicked up a wave of water drenching us from head to toe just like you’ve seen in a movie. It was so funny! We just started laughing because it was so ridiculous. I wish I had a video of it. Haha.

So proud to be part of this family. I love you all!


Elder Walker

Working, Working

Hello all,

A little more about my new area: right now I’m in the zone of Olimpo in a ward called Las Naciones. We have a pretty big chapel, but our ward is pretty small. There were about 60 people at church on Sunday, which is pretty low, but I like the ward. The people here are a lot more loving towards the missionaries, which is awesome and ready to help us if we need it. The bishop is new and only has about a month, and he’s really excited about missionary work. I love the ward, the people are nice, and the food is good. haha.

My companion is Elder McDermott, and he is an incredible missionary, and wow does he like to work! It is so awesome, a huge blessing, to have a companion that likes to work so hard. I like to work, but he really likes to work! He just loves being a missionary, and has a really strong testimony. His energy is contagious. (Think Pam Honey. Haha) I love his energy. Anyways I want to change few things this transfer (six weeks), but mainly I want to increase my enthusiasm. I don’t think of myself as being discouraged a lot, but what I lack is a sense of energy. Sometimes I’m just too content with being quiet, and that’s just not enough for me. As I have evaluated myself as a missionary, I feel like the Lord is asking more from me. I want to have more energy, and walk into every room with more energy and life. I’m trying to just smile more, and to be aware of the joy in my life so that it is a really genuine smile. If I want to teach the plan of happiness, I have to at least look happy or nobody’s going to want to hear it. I will never have the enthusiasm of Elder McDermott or Sister Honey, but I can learn from them and be more excited about this wonderful message that I have to share. 

My sector is good, but I feel like were going to have to do some finding more than anything to find the chosen people that are waiting for this message. I feel like everything I learned in my least sector was help me where I am now. I’m so excited; however, I just want to work!!

On another less important note, Chile won the American Cup. They beat Peru (sorry Camron and Nick) in the semi-finals. Then, they beat Argentina (sorry Chloe) in the finals. In all humility, Camron, Chloe, and Nick, I’d like to apologize for Chile kickin’ your trash! Wow! You’ve never seen a prouder people. They’re just so happy here in Chile. On Saturday night after the game, the whole country was going crazy for the whole night, just screaming like crazy. It was so loud! It's something I’m never going to forget. 

Love you guys,


Elder Walker   

Chile vs. Peru

Hi, 

So tonight Peru squares off verses Chile in the American Cup, which is going to be crazy, because sometimes the Chileans are not so nice to the Peruvians. We have to go in early, but I thought it was funny because of Nick in Peru and all. This week was pretty amazing a pretty crazy. All of changes this week reminded me how fast everything can change in the mission. On Saturday night the call came, and to my surprise I had changes!! More than that the whole ward that I was in got whited washed (transferred in all new missionaries). They sent my to Olympo with Elder McDermott from St. George, Utah. My streak of all gringo companions remains!! This change I’m going to complete a year in the mission, which is crazy. 

I’m so excited to work in a new zone and have a new comp, changes happen so quick and fast but at the same time give new hope. My comp has about 6 months in the mission and seems awesome with a bunch of energy and enthusiasm. First thing he told me is that he is ready to work, which is going to be awesome. 

At the same time, it’s still hard. I worked for almost 5 months in Lo Errazuriz, and it was far from easy, but in the end we did some good.  We left with several investigators with baptismal dates. The ward was also more excited about missionary work. However, It has definitely been a humbling experience for me to have these changes. We planted a bunch of seeds, but will not reap them. We worked soo hard (I mean really hard), and we finally had our first success with a family and others committed to baptism, and we were transferred. That’s hard.... Thank you so much for the prayers, that family is amazing. Don’t stop. They went to church and loved it and are planning to get baptized soon. There’s a scripture in Doctrine and Covenants that says that the power of God is His honor (D&C 29:36.) That’s what Lucifer wanted to do: steal the power of God and give himself the honor. I learned an important lesson about humility and how we as missionaries and as people must look to honor God to receive his power. This is HIS work and HIS glory not of Elder so, and so I want the people here to remember that I was a representative of Christ, I want then to remember the love and Spirit that they felt...before they remember my name. 

Just pray for my family that their hears will be ready and that the ward and new missionaries will take good care of them.

I met Elder Lopez! It was pretty crazy.   I went on divisions because my District Leader got sick and they had a really important lesson. So I went over to his sector and they just so happened to have a member missionary for that lesson and the member was Elder Lopez (Nick’s old companion), and it was so sick to meet someone who knows my brother! I got to teach with him and everything! I'm glad I got to meet him before the transfer. That is a blessing.

Love you guys so much!! Working with all my heart and soul.

Love,


Elder Walker

Me with Nick's old companion, Elder Lopez

Great Week!

Wow!

So I just got done reading everybody’s letters, and I’m so grateful to have to many people that I love and love me. However, it makes it kind of hard in moments like this, hearing about Braize and Chris coming home (soon Kaleb, Tanner, Chad, Nate, Joe will be home) without feeling a bit nostalgic. Farewells, homecomings, and wedding all have me a little homesick. Think of how I’d be if Camron or Chloe got married. I miss everyone so much, but life goes on and my week of working will soon begin. 

This week was quite special. The first accomplishment, and perhaps the most important, happened Friday night. Chile was playing again, so we had to go home early and we called to order a pizza to pick up. (Like I’ve mentioned before we’re well esteemed clients). So we showed up and the owner gave us 500 pesos off on the pizza. It was a pretty special moment. Haha.

No, really the most awesome thing that happened is we found a really great family this last week! They’re the familia Cortes, and wow are they great! We taught them 2 times last week, but in the second lesson we showed up and they had read everything. Even better, they understood it, and wanted to hear more. Anyways they’re super special, and I’m honestly expecting a miracle with them. We really need the prayers of everyone. Other than that we’ve been teaching Fernando a young kid from Peru. He’s great and has gone to church 3 times already, but doesn’t have any real support from his family. We’re doing our best to help integrate him in the ward so he can get baptized, but more than that so he can stay in the church after. He’s awesome though. One thing is clear; however, it’s the divine assistance that’s they key for these people that we teach. This is God’s work and I just want to be his instrument. I KNOW I can do nothing with out divine assistance. 

Today was pretty awesome we went to some hill overlooking Santiago. Now that doesn’t make it sound so cool, but ill send some pictures because it was pretty breathtaking.

Love ya'll,

Elder Walker

PS. This is my comps and my last week together so we bought matching sweaters. Haha. I don't think I'm getting transferred, but just in case we took a lot of pictures this week :)

¡Vamos Chile!

Hello,

So this week has been especially great week. We had a fair level of success and there seems to be some progression in the work. There were a ton of those moments when the timing was just so perfect that you know the Lord was there helping. This last week Chile started playing in the American Cup which is a South American tournament that’s just huge down here and to add to the excitement this year, it’s happing in Chile. 

So the Chilean pride is at a all time high. ¡Vamos CHILE! There are a few things I’ve learned in the mission that are just sacred to the Chilean people: lunch and soccer. You can’t contact, talk to, nor annoy in any way a Chilean while they’re eating lunch. Along side lunch, there’s soccer, for which these people go crazy, and everyone old to young love it.

On a more spiritual note, this week was amazing. I read something very moving in Mormon 5:16-18 where Mormon looks upon the sad remnant of a destroyed nation and talks of how such destruction came to pass. I feel like these verses are really applicable in our lives because like Katy Perry said and Nate Hafen so well quoted, “I stood for nothing so I fell for everything.” That’s how it is in this world and in the mission. We also had ward conference, and wow was it amazing! So many people showed up, it was a miracle. The theme for this year is “Let Me Raise My Personal Commitment to the Savior”. Which sounds a little better in Spanish. The ward is really excited and animated for this year, and I really just love these people. I may not have found very many people to baptise here, well maybe not even one, but I have felt the love of Christ and learned valuable lessons. 

Love you all so much. Chile’s playing in a few hours, so we have to go home early. Todays like a Mega P day!!!!

Love,

Elder Walker

Mission Life

Hello,

So this week can and went. I’m working hard with Elder Moesinger. The first thing I want to say is that I’m super excited for Sam! Phillipines! That sound like a pretty crazy mission. This week we had a lot of capacitation for all missionaries, and spent a full morning with president and the assistants, and another morning with the zone leaders. It’s great to hear from all the missionaries, and get new ideas and revelation for my sector. 

Two things of note that happened this last week.  First my companion, Elder Moesinger, and I went to a pizza place that we always go to in the evenings when we want pizza. And the other day we went there and the pizza guy, Senor Carro, started talking to us (we’re pretty good customers), and he told us how much he loves music. Then he pulled out this fat accordion and started playing it. He was super good, and he told us he had studied for a few years in a college. Then, Senor Carro gave the accordion to my comp to play it, and he had no idea what to do. So in classic Mormon style, he started playing “We Thank Thee Oh God for a Prophet.” Haha. It was awesome.

Second we’ve been teaching this family here, and I love them so much. They’re the family Riquelme Perez, and we’re helping them. Thier son’s on a mission, and they’re just great.

Love you all so much,

Elder Walker

Familia Riquelme Perez

Good Week

Hey!

So I’m doing really well right now siting in a cyber in Santiago because I’m on divisions because my comp had to go do his visa stuff, so I’m with Elder Clegg, one of my good friends in the mission, who’s from my CCM group. This week we had Stake Conference, so that was pretty great, but it was hard to get people to go to the stake center. 

The funniest thing that happened probably was this morning. We went to go eat in a food court in this mini mall (because we can’t enter the mall malls.)We were eating some completos (hot dogs Chilean style) when we saw this guy come up and rob one of those little rides that they have at the store. Nobody did anything, and my comp and I just laughed. After that I bought some ties—I’m preparing a Christmas package for Nick—it’s going to be sick.

This week I realized something really important: the most important thing in the mission is to recognize gain and maintain the spirit. Yeas, seems kind of obvious, but it’s harder than it sounds. I want to become good at that, and to feel and see the spirit work in my life. I’m going to start keeping a spiritual record of the impressions that I have in order to better develop the ability to see the spirit in my life. Love you guys so much. I’m working hard.

Love,

Elder Walker