My name is......????

Sometimes I wake up and get so excited that I am a real missionary.  I forgot my first name this week.  Someone asked me what my real name was and I couldn't remember for a few seconds haha.  I love being a missionary!!!!!

Everyone complains about how hot it is here and I want to smack everyone!!!  Whenever I tell someone I'm from Arizona, EVERY SINGLE PERSON says, "you must love this weather!"  They are all a bunch of babies:)  

    I already hate my clothes and I feel like a hobo everyday.  When we go shopping on Mondays I don't even remember what cute clothes look like anymore, its horrifying.  BTW, if anyone loves me, they could burn me a church cd:)  We listen to the same songs everyday!!!!!!  

My perspective of my mission has changed this week because of a few experiences.  Yesterday, me and Sister Denkers were getting ready to go to an appointment when we felt inspired to go visit one of our investigators named Rori.  We got there and standing outside was one of Rori's friends named Matt.  Matt is not a member.  We started talking to him and he was telling us all of his problems and that he needed to find a job and asked us to help him find a job.  (on a side note, earlier that day in personal study I was reading in Jacob 1:19.  It is a powerful verse.  The way I interpreted it, is that as I am a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints,  I have a responsibility to teach with all diligence, and preach repentance.  If I fail to do so I will be held accountable.  This verse hit me hard.)  Usually I try and be nice to these people and tell them that Heavenly Father knows your heart, and that as long as you are trying your best everything will work out.  BUT!!!  like I said, my perspective has changed.  I pretty much rebuked him:) haha in a nice way.  I asked him what he wanted in life, and he said a stable home, a good job, and happiness.  Then I asked him how he was going to get to the point.  He said.....By the grace of God!!!!!  Thats when I felt like Nephi preaching, I told him that God will not save you unless you do your part, and that you need to change your life or else you are going to be miserable.  It was super powerful and he got kind of scared:)  He said he knew he needed to change so we will see what happens!! 

There is this lady that we teach every Sunday, because she is older and can't make it to church.  So we went there last night and were just giving her a little lesson.  Then I felt inspired to ask her is she had any questions or concerns about the church. (I tell you, being on a mission, I feel inspired to to things all of the time!!!)  She said no at first, but then we finally got it out of her that she had a hard time believing Joseph Smith was a prophet and that he wrote the Book of Mormon.  We have been teaching her forever and she never told us this!!!!!!!!!  I asked her if she knew the Book of Mormon was true.  She said yes.  So I BOLDY testified to her that if she knew the Book of Mormon was true, then she knew that that Joseph Smith was a prophet.  We then proceeded to bear testimony of the prophet Joseph Smith and looked up some scriptures.  At the end of the night she said she wanted to prepare to go through the temple!!!  WHOA BABY!!!  Can you believe these miracles?  Man, my perspective has seriously changed this week.  

I can't even remember what else happened this week because those experiences are clouding my mind:).  I didn't know I would love missionary work as much as I do now.  I love my Savior and the blessings I have received in my life.  Our Salvation is predicated by our Faith.  I love my family and friends so much and I"m sorry I am so boring!!!  LOVE YOU!

Sister Walker

TRANSFER CALLS CAME....

Transfer calls came this week......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................I and I am staying here in Twin Falls!!!!!:)  Woooo Hooo!!!  I never want to leave this place.  Sister Hamilton, my trainer went home to Salt Lake City last week (I only cried for like 2 minutes) so it is just me and little Denkers.

She came out 3 weeks before me so we are both going to be training each other this transfer.  We are getting along great these days so I'm happy to be staying with her.  There are about 30 missionaries coming to our mission today.  Most are Elders and there are like 5 Sisters.  Next transfer we should be getting another 30 so we are growing super fast here!!!!!!

ok funny story.  Me and Denkers were trying to contact his lady who wanted to hear about the gospel.  We walk up to the door and her husband answers (we have been by a few times before and he always answers the door, he doesn't like it when we come.)  He is holding a huge doughnut and was like, "ohhhhh sisters it is not a good time right now".  We got concerned and asked what was wrong.  HE said "oh....um...I just had a heart attack. "  hahah RIGHT!!!  I wanted to laugh but then I didn't just in case he was telling the truth.  It was pretty funny though.  

We hosted a big FHE this monday with a few in active families we are working with.  IT was so fun. there were a few other sets of missionaries that came and helped out too. We held it at the church and we just played a lot of games and taught them how to be missionaries.  I feel like I have known these families FOREVER!

WE HAD OUR FIRST BAPTISM ON TUESDAY!!!  Harley and Brenda.

 It was the most amazing thing in the whole world.  The mom is not a member but we invited her to say the closing prayer.  When she prayed the spirit filled the room and she started to cry, saying how proud she was of her kids.  I bet you money she will be baptized by the end of my transfer.  Since I've met the dad, he has always had a HUGE beard and Stache.  The day of the baptism he shaved it all off and none of us recognized him!  Sister Denkers waved to him and walked past him not knowing who he was haha.  IT was just such an amazing experience to see a family coming closer to Christ.  

We taught another baptist who was totally grinding us with questions, like dumb questions he obviously got from anti Mormon literature.  Somehow we answered all of his questions and it turned out great.  I asked him after if he still thinks Mormons are crazy and he said yes. haha.  I just laughed and pretended like I was doing voodoo on him.  

We went to the temple this week and saw the new video.  It so so nice just to sit in the temple and not have to worry about anything going on.  We get to go every quarter, which I'm not sure exactly what the means.

All is good down here in good ole Idaho.  Sometimes I forget where I am and I think I am still in Arizona.  But I love you all and will send some pics of my adventures.  Thank you for your support!!!!

Sister Walker

8-12-13

I love you all.  I was a little bit sick last night so I stayed home and went to bed at 7.  When my companions came home I woke up a little and the only thing I said was, "I want my mommy", and then I went back to sleep hahaha.  How awful.  While I was laying there last night, I just listened to Whitney's song, a prayer of a walking child, that she recorded before I left over and over and over.  I love hearing Whitty's voice, it really comforts me. (LINK TO THE SONG WITH A SLIDESHOW) https://www.dropbox.com/s/349regi66m1d500/Pioneer%205th%20Sunday%20%28Whitney%29%20H.264.mov?n=138321731
Thank goodness it's p-day so I can just rest it off. 

When we go contacting the people who answer their doors are usually ALWAYS nice here in Twin.  But we get a few grumpy ones who make us so sad,  I've learned that they aren't rejecting me though, they are rejecting the Lord, Which is WAY WORSE!!!  gzz.  Me and Sister Cluff (we were on exchanges, and she is from Arizona!)  were out contacting and we ran into this guy watering his grass.  We were just talking to him for a while asking him about religion and he told us that his neighbor is very religious and that we should go knock on her door.  Sweet!!!  We walked up and on the door was a huge no soliciting sign, but we just ignored it:)  We knock on the door and this lady comes to door screaming, "No NO NO NO NO NO"!  We just acted like nothing happened and were like, "hello how are you!:)
 haha.  She was super mad and was like, "No didn't you see the sign?".  I had that feeling of power and confidence, which I'm hoping was the spirit and not my pride, but then I said, "Yes maam, we did see the sign, but honestly, we feel that our message is of great importance ." And I was totally serious!!!!  She then said, "well its not important to me!!!!!" and slammed the door.  That old man watering his grass set us up!  What a punk.  haha but it was great, and that was exactly how I felt.

My companions and the Assistance to the President sang at zone conference this week, and it was awesome.  I love President Curits.  And especially sister Curits.  They are just the best and are always wanting to take care of us.  We did role plays at zone conference and Sister Curits got to be my companion.  It was fun teaching with her and also kind of scary!

The place we live is built onto the Batemans home.  So its this little one bedroom one bathroom thing behind the house.  The sisters that  live in Jerome got kicked out of their house because the members house they were staying at is having a family reunion.  Sad!  So they came and are living with us.  There are five of us in this little baby house and it is so funny!  they are like our best friends though so it has been too much fun.  Like, Way too much fun.  They are all dorks and we just laugh all the time.  We like to scare sister Hamilton because she literally has heart attacks and then starts to cry. haha.  She says we always torture her, which is true.  She has been so busy because she is the sister training leader, and she is getting ready to go home on Saturday, and because she has to deal with us:).  We are sad she is leaving.  Transfer calls are this Saturday so I could be staying in Twin Falls or going out in the boonies.  I love Twin Falls so I hope I stay here longer.  

One of our favorite families are getting baptized this week on Tuesday!!!  They started out with their hearts so cold towards the missionaries and didn't even want missionaries to come to their home.  We have seen the atonement work miracles in their lives and it has been so inspiring to watch this transformation.  The dad is an inactive member, and the mom is not a member.  We have only been teaching the 2 teenage kids, but yesterday the mom said that she things she needs to get baptized too.  WHAT!!!!!  it has really been a miracle.  When people feel loved, they feel the spirit, and that is what has happened to the mom.  She has been so hurt in her life that she doesn't open up to others, but  the missionaries have just loved her to death and her heart is softening.

A scripture that has stuck out to me this week in Romans 1: 16.  It says, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth."  You guys, do not be ashamed of being LDS!  Talk about it with your non member friends!  Talk about it everyday.  If you love it so much, share it!  How important is the gospel?  It only is our salvation, no big deal.  YES BIG DEAL!  We should feel sorry for those who reject our message, not feel sorry that they rejected us.  I am so happy that i decided to come out on my mission.  Missionary work is booming right now and we all need to be involved.  How great will be our joy if we bring one soul unto Him?  Super great!  Heavenly Father wants us to help each other and tell each other the good news.  which I just learned that Gospel means good news.  I'm behind.  So share the good news!!!  I love you all to the moon and back!!!!!

Sister Walker

8-5-13

The funniest thing that has happened this week......We set up to do service for one of our best friends Grandma Mitchell this week, things like pulling weeds and helping in her garden.  So we show up in our service clothes ready to work when she says,  "I have something really important I need you guys to do. "  by the way, she is like 90.  She then made us go to the store, buy red hair die, and then die her hair red!!!! hahahaha it was hilarious and I loved it.  Her hair actually looks good so its all good:)  I also fist pumped like a 100 year old. haha.  

Sooo this week, Sister Hamilton had to go on a lot of exchanges because she is our Sister Training Leader (and she is going home next week so we are super sad).  Which means that she leaves me and Sister Denkers by ourselves.  She came out a few weeks before me so we are pretty much in the same boat on our knowledge of missionary work.  If you had to find someone in the world who was my COMPLETE opposite,  it would be sister Denkers.  

haha its like she is my sister I have never had to fight with, because me Ashley and Whitney never really fought unless it was over clothes:)  So seriously, I have never been so annoyed with someone, and yet loved someone SO MUCH!!!  We laugh about it all the time though.  We will go throughout the day bickering and then repenting, and then bickering and then repenting, haha and by the end of the night we are always like laughing because we fight so much.  Such a strange relationship but we love each other.  maybe that is what marriage feels like?  SICK!!!:)

Me, sister Hamilton, and the Assistance to the President are singing a song in zone conference on Thursday.  That will be fun.  

We have 2 baptisms on the 13th for this family named the Hulses.  They are one of those families that you would think would never get baptized.  I guess missionaries have been teaching them ForEVER so we feel privileged to be the ones to baptize the teenagers.  We also set up a baptism date for Sanju, the Napoli for August 31st.  He is such a solid kid who will be a blessing to his family, and is a blessing to me as well.  We also have a few over aged youth who's families and inactive who are wanting to get baptized.  There were 3 inactive families we have been teaching that came to sacrament on Sunday!!!!!  Bringing in actives back to church is just as amazing and baptizing someone.

Everyone out here is ON FIRE with missionary work!!!  We are truly in the last days.  There is no time to wait to do missionary work.  We do not want to be held responsible for not telling these precious about the gospel of Jesus Christ.  

I just have to tell you, the more we forget ourselves and try to love others, the happier we will be.  The end of this week has been the most amazing time on my mission.  I have tried to apply the atonement and really ask my Father in Heaven to strengthen me.  And I do it in faith.  Without faith, no prayers will be answered, I can promise you.  My testimony of the atonement is HUGE!  Although we can't get rid of the trials and experiences we are having, we can ask our Father in Heaven to strengthen us, through His Son Jesus Christ. 

Family, do NOT forget our Savior.  Think about him everyday.  Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are on a full time mission, serving us.  They never stop thinking about us, and they never will.   

You guys, I love my Savior so much, and out here on my mission, my love for Him grows every single day.  I am lucky to be out of the world, focusing on Him and his sheep.  Just remember that the worldly things are all a distraction.  There just is not enough time to be distracted by the silly things that do not bring us happiness.  

Sorry about all the preaching haha I just felt inspired to say these words.  I love you all!!!!!!!!!!

Sister Walker

7-29-13

MONDAY, JULY 29^TH 2013

I love PDAY!!!  We are e-mailing at the Twin Falls Public library today because where we usually e-mail (the family history center) is filled with annoying Elders:)  haha.  But seriously, it is so peaceful here I love it.

We had a training meeting where all the newbies and trainers got together to talk about how things are going, and it was like a big family reunion!! 

All of my family from the MTC was there and it was magical!  Sister Wright like attacked me.  She is on bikes in her area and she loves it.  She wrecked the other day and is covered in scratches haha so funny.  We don't see President a lot so it was good to hear from him and Sister Curtis who I ADORE!!  She reminds me of Ruth Ann Daley. 

We did a lot of service this week.  I didn't realize before that service was such a great missionary tool.  We helped a family pack up and move their house for a few days, we cleaned a ladies house (Whitney my slave work I did for you has payed off:)), (Slave driver and family pictured below. Your welcome Idaho)

and we help garden.  Which BTW I am going to grow a garden when I get back.  Everyone has a garden here and they feed us fresh produce.  So mom, please make a square of land in the back for some stuff:)  And have a dog back there when I get home.

This Sunday we had our row FILLED with our investigaters and I can't explain the joy it is to see people I love progressing in the gospel.  No one will progress if they don't go to church.  Sundays are kind of hard because we have 3 wards we are over.  We go to all the Sacraments, all the ward council and missionary coorilation meetings, and then our other meetings. But that also means we get to renew our covenants 3 times:)  Trust me, I need it!

We went to the Shoshone Falls last pday and it was beautiful!! 

We hiked around and saw a bunch of families swimming, and we I did a handstand on a floating dock.  Sweet huh!!!  haha the weather is always beautiful.  Nights are perfect, like in the 70's and in the day its in the 90's.  Which honestly I love.  I love the heat and everyone always complains here.  When I tell people I'm from Arizona, EVERY SINGLE PERSON talks about how hot it is there.  Then they ask me if I've seen snow, and then I change the subject cause I'm annoyed:) haha

I wear my seat belt everyday.  That is progress for me.  You are more happy on a mission the more you follow rules, even what seem to be silly rules, like wearing a seat belt.  I guess that is only a silly rule to me because I hate seat belts. 

I can't remember if I shared this story last time but I'll tell it again because it cracks me up.  There is a whole plethora of Napoly's out here(its like a tiny tiny poly) and we teach a lot of them.  You walk in their house and it looks like you walk into a persons home from India.  They have a very strong culture and they wear those skirts and always have Indian music on.  So one day we were teaching Sanju (he is getting baptized Aug 31) and we were about to leave when the mom says "you have juice".  They don't have very good English.  I was like "Sister Hamilton what juice?"  She told me in their culture, they always give people juice when they come visit, its just what they do.  So, on a side note, I was SO FULL from DINNER!!  The members feed us so much its a blessing.  So I was like dang it I can't drink this!!  She brought out this super super thick mango juice.  So I, hearing horror stories of the people getting mad when you don't eat their food they give you, started chugging this juice and like crying inside because I was so full!  When we were about to leave, I noticed Sister Hamilton didn't drink like any of her drink, and I was like "Hamilton!!!  you are going to offend them!!!"  And she said " Walker, this is not like the 1900's," haha so dumb, I forgot I'm in Idaho. 

I found that when I get frustrated, I just do a role play and act like a super mean and grouchy investigator.  Haha my companions get scared of me because I am so mean, but it helps me get out all of my frustration:)  Maybe deep down inside I"m a mean person, who knows.

I'll send a picture of the Atkins that look like mom and dad. (Where is the rotate button on blogger???-Whitney)

IT is super funny and I still call them mom and dad.  There is a family here named the Fish's and they are one of my favorite families.  He is the Ward Mission leader and he is just a great example of what I want in a family.  All the kids are happy and adorable and Brother fish is the best ward mission leader. 

I have been so grateful since being out here on my mission.  I am grateful for the smallest things.  When people ask if we need rides, when they give us food, when someone gives me a compliment, just little things I get so stinking grateful.  I love it.  I love my Savior more and more everyday.  My testimony grew in the atonement this week.  My weaknesses and strengths are just laid out on a table out here in the mission and there is no escaping my weaknesses.  We will have weaknesses until the day we die, unless we use the Saviors atonement.  Also repentance is so important every single day.  Not just for big sins, it is needed for little sins that take away the spirit.  I challenge you all to repent every night and ask Heavenly Father that we can be clean before the next day so we can wake up with a the spirit in full force.  This is so important to do before we get stuck behind a million tiny sins that can stop our progression.  Thank you for the e-mails and letters.  I will never not be excited to get them.  I love you all so much and am thankful for you prayers.  Turn to the Lord in all you do.  LOVE YOU!!

Sister Walker

 So the kids are the ones who we live with and they call us Misshamaries. 

they are our joy to come home to every day.  The ladies are our grandmas in the nursing home who we sing to every week.

  And that is me jumping for joy because i got a package:)