2nd P Day Email In MTC

Hello Family!

Thank you for your emails! Congratulations Cameron and Cole for doing your school's track meet! I'm glad you both did well, but I knew you would! I bet you'll both be faster than me when I get home.

Before I start this letter I want to clarify some things from my last e-mail and say things I forgot to say:

One of the Elders in my Districk is an Elder Merkley from Glendora who knows all our family there and friends also and it turns out that he was in the Glendora Stake Temple trip I went to with Gram and Pa! Fun stuff :]

To clarify the names of the people in my district because I got some of them wrong last time, but it was only my 3rd day with them and there is so much new stuff so I feel it was OK. But here's their real names and where they are from:

Sister Li- My companion. Is so cute and I am so happy they combined our classes so we are companions. Normally one class is one district but they combined and all german class with an international class to make up my district which meant I got a girl companion and a set of Elders! She is from Hong Kong, graduated from BYU Hawaii, and drew the cutest picture of our girls that I will send to you that I would like you to scan to my blog if you could.

Sister Julander- one of my roommates and in the dirstict. She is from CA and going to Tokyo. We would have been best friends if we met in Provo. We only lived across the street from eachother too so it's funny we never met till now.

Sis Fritas Donalas- another roommate companion with Julander. From Brazil in the Amazon going to New Jersey. My first impression of her was that she was so scary strict and letter of the law no nonsence person but no one has ever made me laugh so hard! She dubbed me Sister Lobster because when I laugh my face turns red and I squeak. So the rest of the girls call me this to when they tease me. From her I also found out Blonde jokes are a world wide thing! I love it :]

Our other two roommates, Sisters De Liberto and Gonzaga (from Italy and Phillipeans) call me "Serella Bella" and "Hermana Bonita" which both mean Sister Beautiful. That always makes me smile :]

K, now to answer Mom's Questions:

How do you feel about your German? My German is improving very fast but I still have a lot to learn. I am being patient and my German teachers are saying that I will be like a native after a month or two in the field! I've also talked with two native Germans and both were impressed by it and said I would do well. That made me feel more confident. Especially coming from a man from Germany serving a Senior couples mission with his wife, also from Germany.

Are you learning the church words? Church words are coming along slowly but they are coming! I will keep working on them. I have taught 5 or 6 lessons in German with my Elders and they went well. The "investigators" are our German teachers so they help us and let us know what we need to work on. The first time to teach in German was very hard and I was really discouraged after that I wanted to cry. I had studied so hard but didn't say the right words or conjagations. And working with Elders is hard because we think differently. One of my Elders and I had to have companionship inventory becasue we kept butting heads. He kept hogging all the time in the lessons and not following the plan becasue he knows more church words than the other two of us and did not like waiting. But that casued him to be the only speaker and just showing off his vocab not inviting the Spirit and when I politely (not exaggerating, I was very nice about voicing my conserns) he got mad and wouldn't talk to me. But after Inventory we learned to work better together so our lessons now are great and all three of us have equal talking time :] they are good boys, I'm glad they're coming to Berlin with me

How far are you in your reading the BofM? The goal to read the German Book of Mormon has been dropped. Instead is a new plan of reading and understanding as much as I can, which started out slow but is getting faster as I learn more words. And also focusing on learning BofM and New Testament Scripture Masteries. Those are coming along but still need work too! I love that I can now read verses of the BofM and not need to check my english version now! Not every verse but some. Hopefully all soon! :]

Are you obeying the rules? Yes I am obeying the rules. The hardest one is the no hugging boys rule. I have seen a few of my good guy friends from the ward who work here and I can't hug them like I normally do. It's kind of strange. Another rule that is hard to follow but I have no choice is communicating with you all. I want to tell you some things right away but I can't and I want to reply to your Dear Elders (which I love! feel free to send them every day hehehe :] ) So I am glad that I see Jessica sometimes and can say hi to you all through her.

Do you love your companions? how bout district? Roommates? Yes I love them all :] We actually just moved rooms today, the girls from my distict and me (Juliander, Donalas and Li) because Julander got a new companion, a girl from Japan named Sister Kiyotani who is a solo sister in a different district. so now there are 5 of us that stick together outside of class. Lots of fun!

Dad, thank you for your advice. Your email to me made me tear up. I wish I could print it out and keep it with me.

I've had a great teaching experience I wanted to briefly tell you about before I run out of time (30 minutes really isn't enough to write and email) Sister Li and I taught in the TRC together in English. The TRC is the training resource center where people volunteer to roleplay investigators for practice. Well we taught her about forgiveness and how the Atonement makes her clean. At one point she stopped us and said "Sisters, I need to stop the role play for a minute. You two are the best I've ever worked with. Your spirits and testimonies are so strong I needed to bear mine to you too." so she bore her testimony of her knowlegde of the Atonement and again said how well we both will do in our fields and that we converted her. Woo-Hoo! I can be a missionary!! we were all crying at the end, it was great

I have more to say but I'm over time. I love you all! Hugs and Kisses!

Love,

Sister Walker

aka Kalyn

PS- I got my travel papers! I leave for Germany June 5th!! YAY!!!!