Happy P-Day

Hello Family! 

Thank you for sending me Trey's letter, it made me really happy to get it! 

One of the Sunshine moments of my week: On Saturday was our Ausstellung (Street Diplay) and we had a lot of support. All the missionaries in our District and in the Dresden District came (a total of 16 missionarie!) and helped along with a handfull of members. It was so fun to see the members coming and helping out and getting involved in the work. There was a rain storm that interrupted us but despite that we were still able to place Books of Mormon and make contacts and give street lessons. Even though the rain interrupted us, it was a happy time and I hope we see success from it. Durring the rain storm, we missionaries started singing, that was fun!

I asked my District leader for a blessing which he gave me after the Ausstellung because I felt I needed a little encouragement durring the week, it was a little trying this week. The blessing was just what I needed and I wanted to share a few parts of it with you. He said that Heavenly Father is pleased with my decission to serve a mission and that the gift of tounges is real and I will get it if I work for it. He also said that I have a blessing of realizing who's prepared. He said that I will be able to look into a croud and pick out the one who is prepared. What a blessing that will be. I was reading over my Patriarchal blessing as well and something that it said coupled with something I read in ''Jesus the Christ'' made me think that I know who I will find already, I knew them before. We fought together at the Council in Heaven and I need to find them so they can fight with me here. Does that make sence? I feel an urgency to find them and I read two talks from Elder Holland that added to that one is ''The Church in Europe'' from 1995 and the other is from last conference abotu the workers in the vineyard. He said ''I have such a sense of urgency in my chest I can harly breathe.'' and ''It's getting late.'' This just added to my little frutration, how am I to find them all?! I want to work all day, I want to build up Zion in Cottbus, and in Germany. But I need to build up Sister Neukomm right now. Balanceing the two takes pacients and skills I don't feel I have quite yet. Hopefully soon.

This week Sister Neukomm and I also had the opprotunity to help clean the Temple. This was such a neat experiance for me. I felt so loved and welcomed in the Temple and had the overwhelming feeling that this is where I belong. My resolve to bring people to this same feeling increased. I want to help people prepare for, make and keep Temple covenants. 

I have had a little of a hard week and the Temple was a nice place to refocus my energies too. I have been a little restless wanting to get out and spread the word and have been frustrated at times that we can't keep the same schedule as other companionships. I want to change Cottbus but felt that sometimes I was working alone this week. At the Temple I realized how little I understand of what Sister Nekomm really is feeling. So on the way back home, we had a long discussion and made new goals and a new plan how to help Sister Neukomm and I do effective work together. One of the things that she said is a hard thing for her is with her sleeping in, she has no study time so she feels unprepared which is why she does not participate much in lessons. We decided that we need to schedule her study time, not just get out the door as soon as she wakes up. This also means that we need to be better at effective planning and time management. We can do it.

Something I am very greatful for, always am thankful for but especially so this week, is the companionship of the Holy Ghost. He is really the teacher, we are just the spokes people. I was blessed to really notice this week when the Holy Ghost was speaking through me. When I didn't know what to say, or the German words that I wanted to say, they came to me. There were especially two times this week that this happened. One was in an appointment with our investigator Christine and the second was at our Film night after the Ausstellung. We inited people on the street, investigators and members to watch ''The Tetaments'' Saturday night. Both times when bearing my testimony I could feel the help as I found the words in German. He has also helped me keep an understanding heart and remember what is important now at times when my frustration is getting high. 

I am very excited for Conference next month! We do get to see it on the 7th and 8th with dubbed over voices in German. Also another special treat we get is on October 14th, President Monson will be in Berlin! I get to go see the Prophet! :]

I hope you all have a wonderful week and Stake Conference with Elder Cook! 

I love you all! 

Love, 
Sister Walker

PS- I echo what Trey said, letters in the mail would be very nice. My address, in case you forgot it, is 

Virchow Strasse 39
03044 Cottbus
Germany 

or

Zerbster Strasse 42
12209 Berlin
Germany

Sister Strengthening

Hello Shay! 

To Match your B, my picture is Balloons. This is from a Family Festival in the city of Görlitz last week. The whole city center was filled with booths and music and general fun things to promote families. We went to help the Görlitz Elders out by talking to families, handing out balloons and pass along cards and doing crafts with the kids. It was a lot of fun! 

My C has two meanings: cold and cleaning. Sister Neukomm and I got to help clean the Temple this past week and that was so cool and neat to be able to do that! We cleaned the locker rooms and there was a sister from SOuth Africa helping us too. It was fun to talk to her while cleaning. We alo explored a little (not sure if that was allowed or not... o well.) and saw the sealing rooms and the Bride room. it's so fun that you were able to go to the Dedication of the temple, they are such a wonderful place! I agree with your thoughts about them and how much of a blessing they are. They are also a great place to recharge your batteries. Working for the Lord full time is a stresful job and taking a break to clean His house was a perfect breath of fresh air. I felt welcomed and at home. Thank you for sending me Paige's songs, I agree with her, I love to see the Temple! The cold part is it is freezing here already. I did buy a cute new yellow coat to fight the cold though! 

 
My spiritual thought is how greatful I am for a living prophet on the earth today. How greatful I am to be able to hear the prophet's voice! It is on my iPod, I listened to him while eating breakfast today. Not many people know about him, I want to tell them all!! And something exciting is that President Monson is coming to visit us! He will be in Berlin on October 14th. I can't wait! How blessed we are to have the priesthood restored and a righteous leader to guide us back to our Father. 

I understand what you mean about Trey but I feel it backwards, I'm glad he's out with me! And you're still part of our big kids group, we're all serving missions. Yours just happens to be in Lehi, Utah, mine in Germany, adn Trey's in Utah/Italy. The missionary purpose is ''invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in the lord Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism by emersian for the remission of sins, receiving the gift of the holy ghost and enduring to the end.'' you are doing that with Jared, Paige, and Taylee right now. So don't worry, you're still a part of our group :] 

I love you Lyssa, have a great week!

Love, 
Sister Walker 

Hello Family!

Happy P-Day! 

One sunshine moment of the week- While walking home and talking with people on the street, we met a lady named Frau Iaroshevska. When we approached her she was a little hesitant but then she read our name tags and smiled. She said that she knew who we were and she had gotten one of our cards and wanted to talk to us. We will be meeting with her later today! I think this was a little miracle because normally when we ask people if they've heard of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints they say no. It's wonderful that people are starting to know that the Church is there! First step, but a good and important step. 

Cottbus is wonderful. The Ward is very willing to help us which is a huge blessing. We are always able to find joint teaches and the investigators feel welcomed. It is so fun to see members and investigators helping eachother. We had Family Night with Brother Grüschke, Sister Leuschner and one of our investigators Ameen. He is a student at BTU (Brandenburg Technology University) and at first I was nervous the age gap (The members are both older than Pa) would be a problem, but it wasn't. Ameen felt loved and welcomed and that is important. And the members ask us how he is doing, which shows that they really care.

Our mission president asked us to write down miracles that we see every day. This has been helping me to notice many little miracles every day and has opened my eyes to some very big ones. One big miracle that happened this week I have actually been debating whether or not to tell you becasue I was worried Mom would get worried. But it was a huge Miracle I wanted to tell everyone else, Mom is only allowed to read if she promises not to think I'm in danger or anything like that. Last Monday after P-Day ended and we were working doing doors and talkign to people on the street. Our last planned activity before going home was to drop a Happy Birthday card off to a Less Active member. After doing that, an old contact saw us and started to talk to us on the street. We talked for a long time and it was getting dark fast when the conversation ended. We weren't too far from home, just on the other side of a park, so we decided to walk home. We were both a little nervous walking in the dark but we started to sing some hymns and then felt better. About half way through this deserted and not so well lit park there was a bench with 4 men on it who were drunk. We quickened our pace and didn't answer any of there comments or mocking but just kept walking. When we were about 8 feet past them, one of them chucked an empty beer bottle at us. 8 feet isn't too far and the bottle looked like it would hit us but then all of a sudden it was as if it hit something else because it just dropped about a foot from us. Totally against laws of physics, just stopped flying in the middle of it's arc and plummeted to the ground and shattered but all the shards of glass went backwards, not even one little piece of glass came toward us! There were angels protecting us that night in the park and I am very greatful. 

No more walking through a dark park though. 

On a less scary note, on Saturday Sister Neukomm and I went to the city Görlitz to help the Elders there with a street stand they had at a Familie Fest. City Sqare was shut down except for this aprty all about the family! It was so cool! We were not allowed to procylite but were invited as a church to support families. We can support families no problem! (the ward in Görlitz asked the Elders to invite us the sisters becasue they wanted some beauty representing the church. I thought that was funny :] ) We handed out balloons that had "Ich <3 Familie" (i love family) and the church's website. We also helped at an arts and craft table. Super fun! Made me think of you all and how grateful I am for my family and for the temple where Mom and Dad were sealed for time and all eternity! Yay for forever! Another fun note, I'm going to the Temple this week!!!! On Friday Sister Neukomm and I will be cleaning the temple! I've never done that before and am super excited. Then in 2 weeks we are going to do a session as a District. I love that I'm in the Temple Zone now! 

I'm glad you all were able to drop Trey off at the MTC. Even if he didn't wave back, I'm sure he wanted to but was just too nervous/excited and forgot. I'm so excited that he's out too! it's like we're twins, going out at the same time! 

Dad, take care of your back. listen to the doctor and rest. To answer your questions, Chi-Yu reads in English and Sis Neukomm speaks english at the lessons. All missionaries of the world are required to learn english. But she knew it before her mission as well as french. I help her refine her english like she does me german. 

I didn't know Rachel Ross was thinking about a mission! That is so exciteing! Do you know what made her want to do that? 

I hope you all have a wonderful day and week! I love you! 

Love, 

Sister Walker 

Sister Strengthening

Hi Shay! 

I love your sister moment alphabet idea thing! And yes, I can watch movies if you send them, I would love to hear Paige singing those songs! I still can't believe she can talk and sing. I even figured out how to save things from my email to my camera so I will load her singing onto my camera so i can watch it 20 times a day and sing along! :] 

My scripture topic for today was the last 4 chapters in Alma. I read that Moroni was angry (he was angry a lot) at Pahoran and sent a letter calling him a child of the devil and all that fun jazz becasue the armies of moroni, lehi, teancom and Heleman were not getting back up or supplies and Moroni supposed it was becasue Pahoran was lazy and wicked. But it turns out Pahoran was having problems of his own and needed help himself. Insead of being upset or offended at Moroni calling him names and being mean, Pahoran's answer was "My beloved brother Moroni, i rejoice for the strength of your heart!" Pahoran was able to look past the angry words and was able to show love to someone who was angry with him. That humbled Moroni and the two were able to work together and get the job done. I was thinking about how i can apply that in my life. Instead of being quickl to judge and take offence, I will try always to answer with love and understanding. 

Compound that with another spiritual thought I've had the past little bit was Jesus had to learn all these things and traits as well. Kind of a hyperbole to think that Christ had to develop Christ-like attributes too :] and it gives me hope. If He went through the veil and was able to learn all He did, I don't have to feel as overwhelmed as I sometimes do. 

I love the picture idea too! I will start with the Letter A. A is for Attractive, as in isn't this glasses/tiara combo attractive on my companion and me? hehehe... 

Thank you for updating my blog. I am excited to be able to print it into a blog book when I get home! And I love the name for Trey's blog, Preaching and Pasta, so funny! (Maybe you can also save our Sister Strengthening letters so we can both have copies for forever! just an idea) 

I love you Alyssa and your whole family! Have a wonderful week! 

Love, 
Sister Walker 


PS we did work in this cute little area and this building made me think you would like it for a photo shoot. 

Hello Again

Hello Family! 

I don't know if you'll get this before or after dropping Trey off at the MTC, if before, please give him a hug for me, if after I hope he was brave! Can you please send me his MTC and his mission home address? Thank you. President Kosak also asked all Americans to have their parents to register us to vote and send us a ballot. So, i think I am registered to vote, don't really know though. But if possible, can you do all that jazz with getting me a ballot please? Thanks! 

Sunshine moment of the week- I have been trying to write the miracles that I see everyday in my journal like President Kosak suggested and am glad I try. I am able to recognize more and more miracles everyday and I feel like the more miracles I remember and record, the more miralces come! One miracle that was an answer to my prayers happened on Tuesday. I was not feeling like the work I was doing was getting anything accomplished. My Spirit was a little low becasue I have been trying to help Sister Neukomm be happy and she still struggles some days and then we met some people that did not have the nicest things to say and then appointments fell through, I was getting down and I kept praying for help. I just wanted to meet one nice person that would listen as I bore testimony of my Savior. No one would listen. When it was time to take the street car away from this area there was one other man at the stop. When I looked at him a thought came into my head that said ,,Er will ein Buch Mormon." (means, he would like a Book of Mormon)  I went right over to him and before he even said hi back, I was bearing my testimony of Christ and offered him the Book of Mormon. He took it excitedly! He said he had always wanted to learn more about the Mormons! We explained the Book of Mormon, bore testimony again and marked a chapter for him to read. He said he will do this and expressed his gratitude. When we boarded the street car, he started reading! He said that we could not make an appointment then becasue he has to talk to his wife first, but I feel confident that he is now a little closer to God than he was Tuesday morning. That is my purpose, invite others to come unto Christ. I am so grateful for the prompting to talk to him at the stop and looking back on it now I am grateful that no doubts came into my mind after receiving that thought. Hopefully he and his wife will want to get even closer to God.

There are multiple miracles happening here every day and I am grateful I can do my part to help them move forward. I am also grateful for the scripture that President Kosak chose to be the transfer scripture, D&C 124:15. He told us to put our names in the scripture so it is about us. Integrity is something that I strive to have. I want so badly the Lord to love me because I have integrity in my heart and remembering this scripture helps me. For example, when my alarm goes off at 6:30, it would be so easy to sleep a little longer, no one else would know. But I would know and the Lord would know. And I don't want to disappoint Him. 

I am grateful for the trials as well as the miracles, becasue they make me grow and make the miracles even more sweet. 

I love my personal study time. I can see how much better of a teacher I am becoming becasue I am preparing myself. The promise that if we treasure up knowledge, the Spirit will give us rememberance is true and has happened many times! 

The pictures are of last P-Day in Spreewald with Brother and Sister Dittrich, President Kosak's inlaws. They are very nice and friendly. We had a wonderful ime together and after boating, we went through a hedge maze and then got ice cream and tried some of Spreewald's famous pickles. Pa would have loved these pickles. There were so many flavors and varieties. not only pickled cucumbers but all kinds of squash. I'm not a big squash fan but pickled peppered butter squash is pretty delicious. 

The Ward here in Cottbus is great! I am feeling at home and the members are willing to do missionary work with us which is such a blessing! We focused a lot this week on our less actives and the Visiting Teachers are doing a terrific job with still visiting the Less Active sisters. Go Visiting Teachers!! :] We have one investigator with a baptismal date for September 30th. His name is Chi-Yu and he comes from Vietnam. He speaks english and was really excited that I'm American, most of the sisters who served here have been native German speakers. He is terrific and I hope he is able to feel the Spirit and goes through with his baptism. He was at church yesterday and enjoyed it which is great!! 

Kaden, congratulations on giving your talk! I bet you did wonderfully! Cam, did Amelia make you put on her pretend Nerf lipstick? hehehe... Cole, don't be sad that Trey is gone, you can be close to him always by being a missionary at home.  I hope you all have a great week in school! 

Dad, again we shared thoughts! I was thinking about how I want to feel when my mission is over. I made a calendar of how long I have left. When I look at it I think, count every moment, make every moment count. I want to be able to say at the end of my mission that I gave it my best and that I served with all my heart. 

I hope you and Mom are safe with your guns, enjoy your classes!

Shay, i hope you and your family are doing well! I love you! 

Love you all! 

Love
Sister Walker 

First Cottbus p-day‏

Hello Family! 

It's that time again, P-Day letter writting time! This week I was pleasantly surprized by getting emails from Amy Tucker and Todd Pommerville! Made me very happy :] Writing and reading emails is like a 2 hour pause to recouperate, feel loved, and to be strengthened from home so I can do by best the rest of the week. Thank you all! 

Cottbus is bigger than Bremerhaven, and yes Dad I do believe that city you asked about is in my area. It goes from Near Lipzig across to Poland! One of the cities is half in Poland, half in Germany. Kind of funny! I want to share my email that I got from my Mission President this week: 

"Dear Sister Walker, 

Wonderful letter. Thank you so much. You will love Cottbus. It's my home ward - I was a bishop there. Teach the Gospel in purity there. 
May the Lord bless you.

President Kosak"

Yup. No presure there! His in-laws live here too. We are actually going to spend P-Day with them in a big park called Spree Wald. I hear it's beautiful. I will send you pictures next week if it is. There is a Ward here with an actual Church building! I was so excited to see it. Next step: make Cottbus it's own Stake. We can do it :] Probably will take more than one transfer, maybe in two. Hehehe. The German here is not as bad as the people in the North made it sound. More like the dialect in Gelsenkirchen where I did my exchange. They pronounce the "ch" differently but that's about it. Every now and then some one speaks in Saxisch and I can hardly understand but that's only a few people. Swiss German is funny to listen to, Sis Neukomm is determined to teach me some, we'll see how that goes. 

Sis Neukomm is great! She has been out for a little over a year and is not wanting to go home. She has a little depression so the doctors and Pres Kosak told her she needs to sleep in and do some things a little differently. It's a little hard for me to wake up early alone, and be the one who gets us out the door but I can for sure see the Lord's hand in helping me be patient and understanding. I also have thought back to how roommates have prepared me in some ways for companions. I feel like I am being taught how to be self diciplined more, which is great. Also a plus is I get 3 hours of personal study a day. One can never have too much personal study! I love learning about my Savior and I hope that I will be able to love the people of Cottbus as He would. Another plus of being her companion, my German is improving very much! 

I am glad to hear that you all had a good week. Trey NINE DAYS LEFT!!! WOO-HOO!! I am soooo excited for you!! You will be a wonderful missionary :] I hope this week is wonderful and that you all will have fun in school, work and play. I love you all! 

Love, Sister Walker