HI

Why hello there. Thank you for the letters and more. Let´s get to 
business. Dad - I need help with passive voice, it´s also annoying. 
What is the difference between the ser construction of p.v. and past 
participle with estar? Also, if you include relatives in there, I 
wouldn´t mind. Marissa, mira. We have 7 hours to teach lessons. All 
you need to teach is about 5 lessons a day. Or if less, do 1 or 2 on 
Pday. We find most of our new people by knocking doors, family members 
of already investigators, a little references, but really, just 
talking to everyone. The people here are really nice and they pride 
themselves of the calmness or tranquilidad. Cameron - You seem like 
you would like economics. All of your choices for after the major are 
the same for psychology. So tell me which route you take. Ryan - 
Obedece tu mamá (whack, whack, whack). That´s what our pensionista 
does to her kids. It´s quite funny. Emily - what are you up to? Mom - 
I already emailed you haha. 
 
This week I felt really happy and peace for some reasons. I got along 
more with my companion had fun while we worked. Yeah, I don´t really 
have much to say this week. It was funny because in center there are 
stores or as I like to call them, yard sales. There was a big crowd 
around a certain place and I wanted to see what they were selling. So 
the new product of the week here in Potosi is the flower strainer. You 
know, the strainer that folds in and out. Very cool technology haha. 
 
So that family that I talked about last week gave us dinner after we 
taught them. It was my ``favorite food´´ - chuño, the potato gone 
wrong. After eating so many in my soup, my mouth really couldn´t take 
it anymore and I excused myself to go throw up outside. Pretty 
embarassing. Now they just give us bread and a type of urbal tea or 
something. Also, I got fed donkey stomach and then cow stomach in the 
same day. I just had to picture an inn n out burger as I chewed it. 
You know what, you guys can have you pizza and other stuff, I´ll take 
my bolivian food. 
 
Well, think of questions to ask me next sunday because I really don´t 
know what to say haha. 
-Elder Walker 

¡Hola! ¡Hola!

¡Buenas Dias America!

 

This week was full of miracles!  This week was the first week in all my 9 months on the mission that I have knocked doors, door to door, one by one.  I felt like a real missionary and personally I really rather enjoy door to door stuff.  It´s right in my comfort zone.  We just really have been having a drout this last month which has been hard, so we decided to just drop a ton of investigators that just were not progressing.  To be honest it feels good starting fresh.  We put our trust in the Lord that with those time slots opened up we would find somebody to teach, but not just teach baptize!  And that we did finally!  We plan to set a fecha with Jorge tonight in the Noche de Hogar with a family.  He is from Equador and is so ready! 

 

Something I have learned this week is how to be a mother.  I have felt like like I have had to take my new companion under my wings and do everything for her.  Teach her from the beginning, teach her how to listen to the spirit and investigators, and continue on with a positive attitude.  It´s been hard not going to lie.  I´ve never felt so stretched by the Lord before in all my life.  Somehow I feel like the Lord has still lightened by burden.  I have felt joy as I have seen her grow.  She always looks at me for a head shake of approval.  I enjoy it, I really do.  It´s interesting to see where she´s at and that I was once there.  I can now see the change it has made in my life through her.  I plan on treating her to Beatriz tonight, a really popular sweets place here.  The Nepolitana´s place is to die for!  Wish you could try them.  It´s a pastry with chocolate or white chocolate and other typical desert things they might serve in the middle.  Delicious!  Hermana Hinckley always gives me money to buy the zone Beatriz for all the conferences. 

 

Craig, I don´t know how you teach so many lessons in a week...how do you breath?  Where do you find these people you teach because from my aspect your whole country is living here.  Cameron, Economics, great pick for a major.  I say go for grad school and do corp and gov stuff.  Why not do it all?  You have your whole life.  Also I´m serving with an Hermana Natalie Cruz who knows you from her freshmen ward.  Thinks you´re hillarious.  Ryan and Emily I love you.  Mom and Dad, I thank you for your support and words....love every word you write!  It´s my gas for the week.  Like you say mom, never give up!  Quiting is not in the Walker´s vocabulary.

 

I know the Lord´s hand is in this work.  I know that as we listen to the spirit we will not ever wonder what we need to do.  It´s that simple.  I know the gospel can give anybody and I mean ANYBODY the confidence, motivation, satisfaction and happiness if they follow it´s teachings which are centered on Christ.  I love you all, keep up the letters and emails!

 

Hermana Marissa Walker

c/ Hermanos Imaz 6, 1B

Pamplona España 31002

--

Hermana Caminadora, Spain Barcelona Mission

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

Hi

This week was one of the hardest-working weeks I had. I think all 
together we taught 30 lessons this week. It´s been great. We´ve had 
new investigators come out of no where that I know have been prepared 
to hear the mensaje of the gospel (I´m going to add words in spanish 
here and there just like Marissa because I want to be cool to and show 
off my language haha love ya mar). By the way, my spanish is terrible. 
So if you are hoping to talk to me fluently in spanish for mother´s 
day, it´ll be hard. I´m pretty sure I speak the worst spanish in the 
mission field (most of them are natives haha). Yes, I understand way 
more than I have been. But I probably talk with a st t tudder to get 
my words out in the right place. 
 
So my president said to write your family about your spiritual 
experiences here. Since I´m on the front lines of the battle, I see 
the best and the worst, el bien y el mal (2 nefi 2:11). First the not 
so good. There is a preacher here from some church (probably his own 
that he started). His name is Ricardo Claure. I´m sure he preaches 
some good things. However, here´s the catch. He is an ex-mormon and an 
ex-missionary, probably used to be a really good one. So basically he 
is an apostate. He claims that Peter came down and gave him authority 
or the priesthood. Hmm, that sounds a little familiar. He has many 
followers, even some from our church. They say the book of mormon is 
not inspired.. blah blah blah. However, he preaches things like 
''faith is a hope for things which are not seen, but which are true''. 
that sounds a lot like Alma 32 to me. Well here is my experience. I 
think it was Thursday night after dinner. We had two more appointments 
for the night. Then this guy came running out of a store, '' Mormones, 
Mormones''. He was obviously drunk from his breath and his eyes. This 
guy is a top follow of Ricardo Claure. I won´t get in to much detail, 
but he discussed (more like interrogated or tried to argue) with us 
for 2 hours. He had some wierd questions like quien es el ultimo Adan. 
It was really annoying. He kept bashing our church and doctrine. I 
wanted to leave. I didn´t talk much even though I understood. He 
thought my companion was teaching me the gospel and kept putting his 
hand on my shoulder saying ¨tu puedes cambiar'' or you can still 
change, I don´t know about you (pointing to my companion). Well, after 
we left, there was this awful feeling like something bad was going to 
happen, just an terrible feeling inside. Both me and my companion felt 
it. Made my stomach turn. We decided to go home and just study it off. 
I´ve told this story to show that there is opposition to our work. 
 
Better story. This story might sound a little familiar is some homes, 
but with a better ending. We found this family (we teach the mother, 
the 18 year daughter, 2 other daughters, and 2 sons) the Saturday 
before this last week. They are great. They have been progressing very 
fast and even came to church. The 18 year old even has a nice book of 
mormon that one of her friends gave her. Well, we have activities in 
the church on Thursday and the 18 year daughter was in tears. She 
didn´t want to go home because she was scared of her mom. They 
recently had a pretty intense quarrel. It was about money and how they 
don´t have enough, but the girl said she needed some for school or 
something like that. Asi pues, the argument obviously escalated, like 
most do. So my companion, a member, and I walked this girl home. We 
had an appointment with them anyways for the night. We came in and sat 
down with the mother and the daughter and a couple other family 
members in the same room. Within seconds, they started arguing again. 
Honestly, my companion and I just stared at each other waiting for it 
to stop. Once there was a moment of pause, my companion asked the mom 
if we could talk to her alone. The member stayed in the room to 
comfort the daughter. We prayed with her for counsel from God and the 
spirit. My companion shared a great story of a similar situation he 
had. By the end of us talking to her, she humbled herself and we 
decided to go back in the room. Again, within seconds, the daughter, 
cried, mom forgive me forgive me. I will change. Then the two hugged. 
So I got to witness the atonement and the spirit in action and the 
love of God filled the room. It was a beautiful scene and I went home 
feeling great. 
Two different stories, two different feelings. Which do you want? Make 
the right choices. Sometimes, our destiny is not the path placed in 
front of us, but the one we choose to take. 
 
-Elder Walker

COngrats REBY and JAZZY!!!!!!!!

Dear Family,

First of all i just want to give a shout out to Rebs and Jazz!!!!!!!  AHHHHHH!!!!!!!   Congrats to both of you on the weddings!!!!  SOOOOO so so sad I can´t be there....you have no idea, but I bet you´re both soooo happy.  Thanks for the letters and invites, you both look great!!!!  You know I would have been there front row!!!!   love.

 

THis week was incredible!!!!  Not gonna lie I´ve never felt so pushed and stressed in my whole life!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Training is HARD WORK!!!!!   but, My companion is great!  So on fire and ready to go!  Hermana Cozzolino and I make the best team ever!  She´s great, she´ll make me lunch while I´m doing calls, she is very loving and always gives service continually.  It´s really refreshing to have someone with brand new to the mission with fresh ideas.  We´ve started trying new things in this area.  I really had the impression to focus on families this transfer.  We´ve been in and out of members homes trying to implement Predicad mi Evangelio in every home.  So far we´ve gotten 3 families to purchase the book.  In part member families we have focused on Noche de Hogar, family home evening.  I´m really excited to see the success from this.  Yesterday we passed out Books of Mormon to every family in the ward to pray and think of somebody they can gift the book to.  I think it got everyone excited again to help us in the work.  It´s also tradition today to pass out free books throughout all of Spain.  There´s people with stands of all kinds of books everywhere.  My miracle this week is my companion.  I was worried about doing a lot of the work here on my own while still having to train and teach someone Spanish.  Well having a native to train has been such a blessing.  She´s been a huge help! I love my companion and the new and refreshing energy she has brought to the mission.  We get along too well and naturally work at the same pace.  My Spanish has also sky-rocketed this week as it forces me to contantly speak Spanish.  I´m already adapting her accent.  I´ve learned so so so much in just a week.  I´m excited to see what more the future brings.  I know we will find someone this month to baptize.  Our recent converts are doing okay.  Mirian has been awfully sick so we haven´t seen her at church for the last 2 weeks, but her husband has been there.  Andrea never comes and we can never seem to get ahold of her.  We will keep trying.  THis area has a lot of work to be done.  We are trying to implement the bishops new mission plan this week.  Our sleeves are rolled up and there´s never a dead moment.  I don´t think I´ve worked so hard in all of my mission.  Since we have been on the go and working so much I haven´t written in my journal for a whole week.  That is what I am repenting of.  I know this work is the greatest work alive.  I know we are engaged in a great cause.  I see the hand of the Lord more and more.  The church is true.  Thank you for everything family, love you!  ¡Tenga un buen semana!

Love,
Hermana Walker

Moments in life as a missionary in Potosi

Happy Birthday Emily!!!! I hope you have a ''hoppin'' day tomorrow.
Are you still enjoying your ipod?

This week, we had transfers. People left, people came. Life is, still the same.

Weirdest Moment: The weather. It changes faster than you can change
you mind. That´s why there are no weathermen here, it´s too
unpredictable. When I think it will be cold, it´s hot. vice-versa. One
day this week, it started off really cold. Then the sun hit really
hard and there was no clouds in the sky. Hacía muy calor. We went into
an appointment and left and about 10-15 min later. There was lightning
and thunder. Then it started sprinkling, then raining and before you
know it (within 30 seconds of the thunder) hail was shooting down at
you. We went back to the house to get a jacket, came back out. And
then it cleared again. Yeah

Most surprising Moment: At church, we had alot of unexpected
investigators come. That´s not the end. It was fast/testimoy meeting.
One of the younger investigators went up and bore his testimony of the
truthfullness of the Book of Mormon and of Jesus Christ! Then in our
gospel principle class, we taught about scriptures and the four books
that we consider scripture. Most of the people there were recent
converts. But we had them split up in 4 groups and read about the 4
books. Our investigator taught the whole class about the pearl of
great price in really surprising detail. We´ve never even mentioned it
to her before!

Not so great Moment: Thursday night, my stomach started making weird
sounds, but I thought it was nothing but the food. Then at night I had
the worst diarhea (gross no) and I couldn´t go to sleep very well. At
night, it was hot and I was sweating in my bed, but my body was
freezing. I would soon wake up and find out (moment of suspense) that
I was hot blooded, check it and see. I had a fever of 103 (actually
102, but that´s not the song). I spent most of Friday in my (death)
bed. Also, another gross detail, I went diarhea about as many times as
I threw up the first few days here. Which is worse, throwing up or
that other thing?

Funnest/Scariest/Most heart-beating Moment: On Monday, we were coming
home from a family home evening at a member´s house. As we turned the
corner from this downhill street, we heard this RUFF RUFF from the
street we just turned from. We looked back and saw nothing, but the
sound kept getting louder ruff Ruff RUFF. I looked back again and
there was this pitbull running straight towards us. I don´t even know
where it came from. My companion sprinted off right away. I was still
a little confused but as it got closer, I ran probably the fastest I
have in my life. We split paths to confuse it running around a truck.
It only stopped chasing me as I jumped down this wall thing. I had to
find my companion which I did. They should do that for our track team.
I bet the times would improve.

These are only a few moments in a long week of mine. The church is true

- Elder Walker

HAPPY BIRTHDAY EM´!!!!!!!!!

hellooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday lil´ sis!!!!!  Wow 9 years flies by!  I love you.  How was your party?  Did you get my letter?   I received yours...thanks mom for the package, loved it!!!  Well news for the week....drum roll....I´M TRAINING!!!!!!!!!  Ahhhhh!!!!!   Not only am I training but I´m training a native!  WEIRD!!!!!!  She speaks a little bit of English.  She´s from the Canary Islands.  Other side of the country.  Born in Argentina.  We´re a lot alike it´s scary.  I love her because we have the same attitude, ganas, and interests.  She´s going to help me with my latin dancing.....sooooo excited!!!!!   She´s gorgeous and looks like a famous Latin or flamanco dancer.  I thought she was like 30 when I met her.  She´s great I´m so happy I cried.  I am so blessed at this state in my mission there are no words.  It was like a mission reunion all these last 2 days!!!!  LOVE IT.  Before we left Hermana Smith and I wiped down the piso head to toe, re-organized, re-decorated, then were off on a train back to Barcelona.  I sent Hermana Smith on a plane yesterday to the islands, lucky, with my old companion who was a native as well and was left with the rest of the trainers to do whatever all yesterday in Barcelona before our trainees or greenies arrived in Barc.  SOOOO FUN!!!!!!   I love them all so much....WOW no words.  I´m soooo happy we have THE BEST mission/missionaries in the world!!!!!!    We took our trainees out for their first mission experience which was a race who could pass out 3 BOM´s first.  Out of 20 different companionships who took their trainees out...guess who won???   Yep you´re very own Hermana Walker and Cozzolino!!!!!  I know we´re amazing.  We received a plaque to take home for being the best contacters.  love it!!!  We´re going to ROCK and I mean ROCK where the bulls run free.....and that is PAMPLONA!!!!  Well I love you got to run....we´ll talk more later!!!  CHOW!

signing out, the one and only in the Spain Barcelona mission, HERMANA WALKER....peace >

ps sorry mom about my spelling errors not much time to think while writing esp. in English....very hard for me.  I dream in Spanish now.  and BYU sweatshirt no idea creo que en un caja somewhere and the one with big BYU letters please.  Thanks.  Password...I don´t ever remember any password on my phone.  is there a number you can call?  and cancel my debit card the machine ate it here.  annoying....need a new one now to the silver state account.  sorry nothing thing to do, love you.
--
Hermana Caminadora, Spain Barcelona Mission
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

Happy whatever holiday it is here

I don´t have that much time because we have a cita (on Pday) and there 
was and is a huge protest outside. My companion made me take my tag 
off because he says I will get punched or something like that because 
I´m a white missionary. Either there are some fireworks or gunshots, I 
can´t tell the difference. 
 
Well with that, my week started off not the greatest. I would soon 
find out that the whole ciy was celebrating some holiday like Easter. 
However, not many of them know the real reason for the celebrations - 
Jesus Christ 
Monday - It was an elder´s birthday, one who lives with us and in my 
district. We were invited to have lunch/dinner at 7 different places 
and apparently he couldn´t say no. So yes, We ate 7 huge meals. I 
never knew eating could be so terrible and a work out. I´m not going 
to go into details of that night and the next morning, So for my pday, 
I ate. 
Tuesday - Nada, nothing, squat. We went to Betanzos to pay the 
pensionista of the other two elders. We couldn´t find anyone. The 
elders weren´t anywhere nor the pensionista. The only thing we did was 
play chess on the long bus ride (yeah, I´m a nerd. I bought a magnetic 
chess set for those times we wait around or pday). We went home tired 
and upset that we did nothing. 
Wednesday - It was better. Nothing special. Just a normal day of 
visiting, contacting, and teaching. 
Thursday - Not a lot of sucess. Most of our regulars either weren´t 
there or didn´t let us in. It was quite frustrating. 
Friday - Basically the same as Thursday. Everybody was at fiestas and 
the streets were barren. But there was a cool sight. A tradition here 
is to fly kites on this day. So many people went on the hills and were 
flying kites. Just like Mary Poppins. 
Saturday - Since it was still the partying season. We had to think of 
something else to find people. We looked through the area book with 
all the old investigators and decided to contact them. Some of them 
let us in or set a date for another time. But our miracle of the week 
was Freddy. He was an old investigator of my companions. They dropped 
him earlier because he apparently wasn´t progressing. He was very nice 
and had a few questions about our religion. Then, I forgot exactly 
what we said, but he started to open his heart to us. He told us that 
he had a daughter of 15 years die recently. He had many heart felt 
questions like why do children suffer or die young? Why does a loving 
God permit these things to happen to us? Through the tears, and a 
little tear of my mine, all I could do at the moment was bear my 
testimony that although his daughter´s body is dead, her spirit lives 
on right now and is hearing the same message that we bear. We gave him 
a the Plan of Salvation pamphlet to read and we would come back 
tomorrow prepared. 
So Sunday comes around and it is pretty normal with more drunks 
¨asleep´´ on the roads than normal. Later that day we went back to 
Freddy´s house. We taught the longest lesson that I´ve even been in. 
It went over and hour and a half because he had many questions. We 
brought a member who was recently been in many earthy trials and she 
did great. The spirit was the strongest there than in any of our 
lessons. As I´m writing this, I can still feel how it was yesterday. 
This guys had true desires to find out the why questions. At the 
close, we had him offer a prayer. It was the most sincere prayer I´ve 
heard from an investigator. I knew he was talking to God. He also said 
something interesting. He prayed for a way to go to church and bring 
his family too since he always works on Sunday to support his family. 
That was cool. ``Through Adam, we all die, but in Christ we live´´. 
Just as Christ overcame all pains, afflictions, temptations, and 
death; I testify that we can too. As we endure to the end we can come 
back into the prescence of our Padre Celestial with the grace of God. 
En el nombre de Jesucristo, amen. 
Also my scripture for my week - Eter 12:6 
 
- Elder Walker (or Wafler as my bishop announces every sunday for me 
playing the piano)