My Last Email As A Sister Missionary

Hello Family!

One Sunshine Moment this week is that our Dance activity, ,,Fit durch Tanz" , went well! Sister Piteck is a dance teacher at home and so we made a Relief Society activity for it. She danced a ballet piece, we did a jazz piece together and then I did some tap, just a little though. Seven sisters from the FHV came and all danced with us. They loved watching Sister Piteck and me dance and had fun doing it with us. I will show you the pictures and videos when we see eachother next. I forgot my camera to emails today.

I have been a basket case of emotions this week. Ups and downs and sideways and frontways... I am excited to go home but at the same time feel like I am leaving home. I am excited to begin the next steps in my life but very nervous about change. Saying good-bye to the Ward was harder this second time. Saying good bye to investigators was hard. But a huge possitive was Brother Graf blessed the sacrament for the first time on Sunday. It was really a tender mercy of the Lord that I was allowed to meet this man. Having gone from meeting him first on the street to seeing him bless the Sacrament was so special and sacred to me.

But I am ready to go home, because I know that is what I have to do. I won't be sad and wish to stay longer. I will go forward with faith and not listen to my fears.

Well, I'll see you all soon. I hope the Millers get to your house safely. Love you all!

Love,
SIster Walker

PS- I did invite some friends to my homecoming and gave them the home phone number to call if they have questions. I don't know if any will actually come, most of whom I've invited so far are roommates, James, and my Dance Partner- Ryan Reynolds. (not the movie star though, but he is welcome as well hehe)

18 Months

Hello Family!

Questions From Mom-

So do you have a p-day the week you come home?  Yes, it's a normal week next week too so normal PDay.
Do we write you next Sunday still? I would appreciate an email, so I would suggest a yes.
What will your schedule be that week?  The schedule is monday. PDay to pack and say good bye, Tuesday get to Berlin by noon and have exit interviews and make sure finances and medical and other paper workey jazz are in order. Then dinner and  testimony meeting with the other finishers and the Kosaks, then early Wednesday morning get on a plane. From there I Have no idea what my travel plans are so you know more than I do.
Will you be traveling with other returning missionaries? no idea.
 Will you call us at all? no idea
 What are you doing this week?  missionary work. Lots of member appointments, finding new people, service prjects, and there is a dancing Relief  Society activity where Sister Piteck and I are in charge. She is a dance teacher at home so will teach ballet, perform a piece, then we'll dance a duet she coreographed and she wants me to teach a little tap if there is time left over. (she said my tap was good which is funny)
Everyone keeps asking me how you feel about coming home.  So, how do you feel? everyone asks me this question too and I don't know what to say to them. I don't feel anything special. I signed up for 18 months of service to the Lord, I have served as best as I can for 18 months and 2 days now, with 8 or so more days to go, then I will come home. I am sad to leave the members, the German food, and my nametag, but I knew it was coming. I am not sad to leave the lame pillows here, the bad heating systems, or the inappropriate billboards. I am a little nervous for school, work and boys, but don't think too much of it. I think a lot about what I have done on my mission and if I should have done things differently but feel like everything has taught me and was for good. I feel like this next week will be a good week and am excited to see if it is. I feel a little stressed out when peopl eask me this question becuase it's like they expect a certain answer but I don't know what it is. 

This past week was good. On Wednesday we had an appointment with the Elders so we could hand off one of our male investigaotrs to them. The lesson went very well and our investigator's gilrfriend was there and we got her number! We are working on getting her to be an ivestigator too. We gave her a Book of Mormon and she said she'd read it. The lesson focused a lot on the Book of Mormon becaue they both are pretty strong Catholics and it is a little strange to have a new book. I was able to use a lot of scriptures from the Bible and Book of Mormon about their questions and was impressed with myself for remembering the references to them all but that was the Spirit. Hope that gift stays after the mission.

On Thursday we were looking for a less active member and after a series of strange events involving a bike and cookies, my middle finger was crushed between a door and a wall. At first we thought it was broken because the sweeling happened so fast and it hurt so much. The skin split because the swelling happened so quickly and little red spots appeared where we think veins exploded. it was fatter than my thumb. Sister Piteck freaked out a little and wanted to take me to the doctors but I didn't want to go. She took me to a member's house in the area instead who's sister is a nurse, and what do you know, the sister was there for a visit! They cleaned me up and gave me a make shift cast. Good thing it has been freezing here because there was no ice to ice it with but i just had to have no glove on or touch a meatal pole. It was a cool purple colour down to the second knuckle, just so your mental image is accurate. This picture was take a day or so later and the swelling and colour was  already sugnificantly better and it is not broken, I can move it now. This lovely illistration is in the children's version of the D&C which we found in the church.
 

Saturday was my 18 month mark since entering the MTC! Now I'm in overtime missionary mode! We celebrated by singing in Stake Conference. (Dad, no investigators came to church because it was in Dresden and that's too far away they said) In President's talk, he made a joke about how the finishing missionaries getting married and then he looked right at me. All members of my ward were dying laughing in the audience. But it was a good meeting. It takes 2 hours 20 minutes to ride the train to Dresden and it was a little silly to drive back to Cottbus after the meeting, getting home late, to wake up early to get back for the sunday meetings, so we slept over with the Dresden Sisters! There are 4 Sisters in Dresden and 2 other sisters slept over to so there were 8 of us! It was a party. Sister Piteck's birthday was Friday, my 18 month mark Saturday and then another sister in Dresden got permission to extend her mission (which is new because since the age change we have not been allowed to extend, but it's changing now!), so we were partying for 3 reasons! It was fun.

Hope you have a great week! And Cameron, that was a wonderful talk! Good job :]

Love you all!

Love, 
Sister Walker

Be Still

Hello Family!

As you all probably know, my favorite scripture is 1 Thesalonians 5:16 "Rejoice evermore!" This week I decided on one that shared the number one spot. It is Doctrine and Covenants 123:17 "Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the  salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed."

This week was hard I don't like complaining, but I don't know how else to say it. Stanley said good bye to us (well, he didn't say anything really, he just left), other investigators did say goodbye, alost all lessons that were planned fell out, even service projects fell out. We didn't find any one on the streets who wanted to talk, no one came in to open house, Tausch this week was a disaster (not because the Sister just everything that could have gone wrong did go wrong), and I am starting to get sick. We also got calls from other Sisters asking to cancel Tausch becasue they felt it was a waste of time, which made Sister Piteck and I both feel like crappy STLs if the Sisters think we just waste time. I have never had this low of numbers on my mission since I was with Sister Neukomm and we stayed inside most of the day. Part of me thought "na ja, (which is German for oh well) now I see a little better why she didn't want to go out, I don't really want to go out right now either."

During Weekly Planning, Sister Piteck and I really did not know what to do. After plannign all we could and calling everyone whom we could think of, our planners were still almost empty. Such feelings of doubt and sadness came over me and I really was thinking and praying inwardly "why did I come back to Cottbus? Why do I have an extra transfer on my mission? I have done everything I can think of and everything I can and we don't have anything to show for it. I can't help here any more. Should I ask to be transfered to a new city for my last two weeks? Or just stay inside? It will bring the same things and I won't be cold outside..."

When I got my call back to Cottbus, I really wondered why I cam e back and prayed very hard about it and came up with 4 reasons and it seemed like the 4 reasons had been taken care of or everything that I could do, I had already done.

Then I realized I was saying the word "I" a lot. This is not my work. Why am I saying that? Sister Piteck got on our knees and I said a prayer. In the prayer I was still feeling bad and wanting to cry. After saying Amen, we just stayed on the ground and, I will admit, did cry a bit. Then we got up and planned some more. New ideas came that we didn't think would work, but they did! Now our week is  almost full! And then at church on Sunday more miracles happened! 3 investigators came! 2 we taught them and had given to the Elders to teach because they are men, but one was still ours! It was her first time and she stayed and chatted with members after, it was great! And then so many Less Active members that I've been working with myentire time here  came! Sch Münch even came to Relief Society!! That's a first in a long long time! Sch Rübesahm came, Sch Tomczyk was there and Br K Schröder! Also a members nonmember wife was there. At home that night I was just thinking greatful thoughts and feeling very happy when a new thought came that was "be still." I know I have talked about this before, but I love how being still is an action verb with waiting. And that's why I love this D&C scripture. Do all you can with a possitive attitude and things will work out because God will do His part too. My whole mission I have been trying to be cheerfully doing all things in my power, now is my time to, while still doing my part, but be still and see the hand of God. I will still work strong these last 2 weeks, but even if I have another week of horrible numbers, I will remember to be still.

And this is my advice to you, be still but remember that is an action. I love you all and am praying for you all. Have a great week!  I love you!

Love,
Sister Walker

PS- this picture is from the Ober Kirche, the highest point in Cottbus. 

November Pday

Hello Family!

I hope you all had a great Halloween! Was there a Party at Gram and Pa's as usual? Trunk or treating? I don't like to brag but I think I had the best treat this Halloween -and that's not even a holiday in Germany! - But two members of the 70 came and spoke to us. Elder Kearon and Elder Fingerle. It was very  good. It was a mission tour, so half the mission met in Hamburg the other half in Berlin. The helped us learn how to find better and work with the ward better. They also helped answer questions we had and just lifted us in general. There was one embarassing part though. Backstory: In coming to Germany all the shyness that I ever had in my life left. You just can't be shy as a missionary and especially not in Germany. Also you can have no fluff in your speach in Germany. It's all black and white, very blunt. So that is how I talk and teach. If it's wrong, I'll let you know. (I think that's why I'm a Sister Training Leader. I have no problem being corrected and giving corrections, becasue how can we progress if people don't do that?) And missionaries whom I've never met before somehow know this. When I meet someone new they all say "Oh you're Sister Walker. I've heard about you." It creeps me out. One time a missionary that I met for the first time is a Zone that I have never even served in said "Oh, you're Sister Walker! My District Leader gave a lesson about how we should be more like you when we teach!" That one really creeped me out. I don't think I'm special or exceptional or a good topic for a lesson, it makes me uncomfortable when people do that. I know I have faults and I don't want people thinking I don't. Back to Halloween- Elder Kearon was at the pulpit and was talking about boldness. Presidet Kosak stood up and said "President Kearon, in our mission, we believe in sweet boldness." Then sat down. Then Elder Kearon asked the 160+ missionaries what sweet boldness meant. Everyone pointed at me. Someone said my name, and President Kearon had me stand up. He asked me what it meant and I told him. "Boldness is when you clearly make the distiction between right and wrong and encourage the person to act correctly. The Sweet part is making sure they know you love them while you are bold. It's like kicking someone in the pants and giving them a hug at the same time." Everyone laughed when I said that. When asked for an example I gave one from a lesson two days before with Schwester Münch. She was choosing not to come to church. I told her "Schw. Münch, there is no more nutral ground for you. You chose to be baptized so now you have to choose if you're on the Lord's side or the Devil's side. It is either or not neither. When you choose to not come to church, you choose to be with the Devil. That is wrong. I know God loves you and I love you and we will help you come to church because that's where you should be and we need you." President was so red in the face from laughing. That's embarassing. But that's how I see it and how I work.

The next day was the Zone Leader and STL council and the 70 members were there again. But they liked it and encouraged us to keep so working. Fun stuff :]

Naja. You're daughter (granddaughter and sister) is a bit strange. But still doesn't like that everyone knows her. I have a couple of nicknames on the mission too. I'll share a few with you all- President calls me his Sunshine Sister because of the Sunshine Moments I write him in emails, and missionaries call me normally one of these two names- Dictator- becasue I really am not afraid to correct something where correction is needed (alwasy with love of course) or Jedi Master- becasue they think I'm the Sister Training Leader of all Sister Training Leaders. I don't like Dictator, it makes me feel like a bad guy, but Jedi Master is not so bad. But really I'd rather have no nicknames and just be Sister Walker and not have everyone think I'm the best becasue I'm not. I'm still working to better a lot of things about my self.

And Dad, about the Cottbus Temple, I already have a spot picked out for it and the logistics of a Cottbus Stake worked out. I've actually even talked about it with President Kosak and my Bishop. and of course all the missionaries. The Temple Spot is close to the train station and in the middle of the city so it will be so easy for everyone to get to it. For the Stake we need just 820 more members. We'd pull in one ward and one branch that already exist and add 3 new wards and at least 3 new branches. Easy Peasy. I'm starting to doubt getting all of that in my last 3 weeks, maybe I'll try again to extend and then we'll get them in 9 weeks :] Where are new wards and branches will be based already have at least one member family there, just need it to grow. We're still working on it.

I hope you all have a great week! I love you all :]

Love from,

Sister Walker

This picture is at the ZL / STL council. Sister McCandless was made a STL! :] I was able to say good bye to her on Friday. It's weird to think I won't see most of my friends here again, but I'll see them when we get back home. 

Last Pday In October

Hello!

Thank you for getting my classes! I was praying all Friday that things would work out and I'd get classes. I laughed a little when I saw Self Defence and Personal Finance :] And fingers are crossed for the Zumba :] hehe thank you. To add to the list of appointments I already have at home, could I add a hair appointment? I haven't gotten a trim or a cut since before the MTC and think it's about time. I have also been thinking about dying my hair dark again, what would you think?

As much as I'm trying not to think about home, people around me don't let me not think about it. Yesterday at church and our eating appointment after everyone was joking about getting a wedding announcement from me soon. The bets going around the Ward range from 3 weeks after getting home will I be engaged to 6 months. Nothing longer than that. I told then all to be prepared to be disappointed because Josh Groban first has to be baptized then we would need to wait a year before going to the Temple. Sister Piteck is trying to help things go quickly, her bet is by my birthday in March, so she is making me a tool to use. For investigators we have the "Teaching Record" to record what we teach when, how we found them, what commitments they are keeping, etc... Well, Sister Piteck is making a "Dating Record" for me to use when I get home. To record how we met, if he opens doors for me, if he makes me laugh, and also red flags to keep an eye out for. Very funny Sister Piteck...

I swear, the way you hear people talk about me it's like I fly home tomorrow.

But to the maybe slight disappointment of some, I do not. I still am a missionary. And this week we worked hard to find new investigators. For some reason that's been hard for us. And most of our investigators are men whom we "gave" to the Elders. But we found 2 new ones this week! (both men again.)

Here are our adventures from Tuesday:

We took dinner to our Ward Mission Leader becasue his wife finally had her baby and after wards we decided to chalk mormon.org again. While doing it, we talked to a man who turned out to be a referral from a less active member and we are now teaching him! His name is Hans. A little bit after talking to Hans, we kept chalking and a man on a bike stopped to talk to us and it turns out he is an old investigator who wanted to get back into contact with the missionaries! It was a good example of being in the right place at the right time. We had debated whether or not we'd actually do the chalk idea but it turned out for good!

Stanley is doing alright, the Word of Wisdom is a little hard but we're working on it.

Also we had an open house time when we open the Churhc for tours to the public. Most open houses no one comes in but Bishop wants us to have them so we do, We normally have members there and at least have a member lesson or schedule investigator lessons in the church there so we have something to do. On this day, we had a lesosn with Stanley planned and Sister Dittrich was supposed to come. She was a little late, which was fine, but then more and more people started coming! Including a less active member and Hans from the chalk adventure! Sister Piteck and I had to split up to help everyone which we're not suppoed to do (we stayed within hearing but she was with the English group, me with the German) and called the Elders for back-up. The Elders finally got there and took over the German group so I could go with my compie. That was pretty cool. We told the Ward about it and now more people want to help out with Open House!

After that adventure, we had choir practice. The choir is not happy that I will not be coming back for the Christmas concert on the 8th of December. A few of them want to call Bishop Wilkinson and ask to push my homecoming talk a week later. The choir director almost cried when she found out and had a mini panic attack that the sopranos won't be able to sing their part as I'm the only soprano that can hit the high notes. I told them everything will work out and that God will help them with this missionary activity and guess what? The relief society president brought a friend with her to choir practice who is a good soprano! Yay for not-yet-members singing in choir! :]  I am still sad that I won't sing with them though. Does the Los Flores ward have a Christmas Concert I can sing in?

Naja.

The rest of the week was good too. We fed the elephants again at the Zoo for PDay last week.

 I'm glad Mom is feeling better and that things are getting back to Normal. Congrats (don't know if I can say that about a calling but whatever) Cam and Cole and Kade on your callings! You will all do wonderfully and I'm proud of you all :] you are great examples to me.

I love you all and have a great day!

Love,

Sister Walker

Happy Pday

Hello Family!

Here are some possitives from this week:

Stanley- For a few days we lost contact with Stanley and were nervous that he was avoiding us. But we got back in touch with him, had a wonderful lesson with him where we set again a date for his baptism, and then he came to church! Another positive that happened there was Br. Graf, who was the man that Sister Neukomm and I found and who was baptized while I was in Hamburg, received the priesthood! Stanley was there to watch the ordination and it was go good. Br. Graf was crying, those ordaining him had tears in their eyes and after wards Stanley said, "Watching that I felt good. I want that. Don't worry, I'll get there someday too." Yay Stanley! Also, he noticed that none of the male members wore earrings so he took his two out without us ever mentioning it. He's doing great!

Ward Council- We had a great Ward Council this past week! The best one I've ever had in this ward. The different Presidencies were working together, Bishop was getting others excited for missionary work, and we got the help we needed! The Stake has a goal to have members present at 60% of all missionary activities and we made goals how our ward can reach that! The only sad part was our Ward Mission Leader was not there. But it was a good reason not to be there, his wife was in the hospital because her water broke and they thought the baby was coming. It didn't come yet though. We're all still waiting. It's kind of cute to see the entire ward worry about it and nervously wait for it. You'd think more than one baby is expected, but nope, just one. Cute little Family Ward.

Ram-  The cute little old Russian man has not come to Church for the past few weeks and we were worried about him. With Members help we found his address and went to find him. The Elders and we taught him a lesson together. We didn't have very many Russian material for teaching but in my old apartment the Elders found an envelope that was left behind in the move with so many Russian things in it! There were puzzels in Russian for the plan of Salvation and the Gospel of Jesus Christ and pamphlets in the language and even a poster with scriptures on it that also has his name on it! We felt like angels prepared this envelope for him and we get to use it to help him.

It was a pretty good week. This picture is of a teepee I made in our bedroom. That was fun to study in.

I hope you all have a great week! I love you!

Liebe Grüße,

Sister Walker

 

My Extra Transfer

Hello Family! 

The day of transfer calls has come and gone and guess what? I'm staying in Cottbus. I've been here so long that they decided to change the spelling of the city. It is now Kottbus. :] (see picture below) hehe :]

I'm trying hard to see the changes of Cottbus since I've been here, but then I realized that was being selfish. I started looking for the changes Cottbus has had on me and I was amazed. Yes parts of me have not changed, I still hate waking up early, I still sleep with a teddy bear, I still think I am a 5 year old princess at times, but I have changed too. My testimony has become deeper, counting blessings is easier, opening my mouth to bear tesitmony and helping others smiles has become a hobby, and learning how to be still and give things to the Lord has made progress.  I'm not scared of future things anymore or scared of things I can't fully understand. I know my Father will help me through dark nights and storms.

I'm glad to be staying in Cottbus, I love the people here and want to help them a little while longer. We saw a less active at church yesterday that I have been working with since week one of  Cottbus in August 2012 and it was her first time at church in 10 years! We both cried a little when she walked in because we were so happy. I was so happy to see her choosing to come back and choosing to come home. Bishop bore his testimony in church and thanked the missionaries for what we do after he spent 15 minutes at a street stand with us. There still are more miracles to be seen and people to find. I hope I can fulfill my calling.

These are my extra 6 weeks. I am the last Sister to have the extended time because of fast tracking the MTC, I better use them wisely. I am the last Sister in the mission that had President Pimentel, still need to represent him well too. But this is not my last transfer ever. I am planning on serving more missions after this one. And even if I never get another name badge, being a mommy is a great mission. Mom and Dad, you are wonderful. all of your sons are bearers of the Priesthood, your oldest daughter is sealed to her family and I am a set apart missionary. You two are serving your parental mission well I would say. Thank you for all you do and the sacrifices you make for us.

And your German Deli looks pretty real! And they have my favorite German food!! Dad, in the picture you sent of mom, there is a boxed food in the background that says ,,Knödel" I love that stuff! I was planning on packing my suitcase with boxes of it to bring home but now that I know it's there, I can have more space to bring my clothes home :] or maybe chocolate. Probably chocolate. Can we eat there when I get home? Thanks :] I'll probably cry a lot so be warned. Mom, thanks for taking care of my classes for me. It was stressing me out but now that I know you can take care of it I feel better. Thank you.

I hope you all have a wonderful week! Have fun in Utah and tell everyone hi! I love you!

Liebe Grüße,

 Sister Walker