Happy First Advent

Hello family! 

So in America there are the 12 days of Christmas, here in Germany there are the four Advents. For the 4 Sundays leading up to Christmas, you celebrate. Yesterday was the First Advent! The Ward got together at a Member's home and had a carol night where we sang Christmas songs, and read Christmas stories and of course ate lots of food. (side note on the food- the first food that I have not liked was served. It's called Schmaltz and it is cooled bacon grease, or any kind of fat, that is spread on bread and topped with a pickle. Not my favorite. I ate the pickle and Sister Neukomm ate the rest.) Advents calenders are very big here too. Back home not everyone does them and most of them are a little piece of chocolate, but here they are super big and fancy. The Lego one that the boys had last year is a start on what they are here. Really like a present everyday till Christmas! Sister Neukomm's family sent her a box of a homemade advents calendar with he presents wrapped in newspaper comics! It's so fun to read Calvin and Hobbes in German. I think it is even funnier in German because Calvin's already big words are even longer and more complicated in German so it sounds funnier :] The picture is of our Christmas Tree and  our presents. At the Christmas Party for the mission we did not get our Christmas Packages from our family so no, I have not opened it yet :] we don't know when we'll get them. Maybe Santa will deliver them closer to Christmas. 
At first I thought that having the presents out on our table would be a temptation to open them during my 3 hours of personal study, but I have been strong! And I actually forget about them until Sister Neukomm says something. I hope your package isn't too big, there's not very much room on the table to eat our food. :] 

The second pictures is something that made me think of the boys. It's the books they like to read in German! 

We saw this poster in Berlin and it made me think of home. It says Los Angeles greets Berlin.

 Mom, My note to Patti Peterson is this: "Sister Peterson thank you for all you did to encourage Personal Progress! I would not have enjoyed meeting all of the requirements as much as I did without your enthusiasm and support. Your love for us girls has blessed my life and has helped make me want to become a better person. Thank you and I love you!" Maybe throw in a hug as well :] 

Thank you for the fast, I did feel extra love and strength and I really needed it. This week has been hard and I've felt alone. And it's bitter cold and snowing where I have no desire to go outside. And I was very jealous of Sister Neukomm this week because of all the love that she is shown with packages and letters from home multiple times a week, a cousin in the mission that calls and checks on her almost everyday, and calls from her therapist and doctor, I just couldn't really understand how she could feel so sad with so much love everyday. When I was at my lowest pity party said a prayer and Dad, I did feel like I got a hug. And then when I got your letter that was like another hug. I know I am loved just as much, if not more, than Sister Neukomm is. And I don't need reassurance of that everyday because I know it. All I have to do is look at my family picture and I feel happy again. 

That goes along with a Sunshine moment! There are some Friends of the Church, who have been coming to activities and choir practice for 10ish years, but who have said they don't want to know anything more, and don't want a Book of Mormon. One of them, Frau Wichmann,  invited us to lunch after Church and we went with a little spiritual thought prepared but it turned into a big lesson about the Book of Mormon and Eternal Families. I introduced you all and when talking about how thankful I am for you the Spirit was so strong and she asked for a Family proclamation and a Book of Mormon! Her husband was interested too! What a miracle! 

I am excited when I can have a family of my own to add to our wonderful family! :] 

Mom, I think you have a beautiful voice. Your song will be great at the Christmas party! And the gloves Sis. Neukomm was wearing were mine, she left hers at home. They are all broken and worn because my nails are too long that they cut them. Can you believe it, I haven't bitten my nails in forever! They are long and pretty like yours now. And painted pink :] And your idea with baking a cake, we did bake Bishop cookies and took them over, that was fun. I did feel better after that. 

Dad, when you take pictures, I would like one of you and your cane please :] And thank you again for your note! It is hanging on my wall where I can read it everyday. The song Silent night is beautiful in German. There are more verses than in English and they are a little deeper than english that this song does bring a very special spirit. 

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas time! I would like to share a quote that President Kosak shared with us: 

"There would be no Christmas if there had not been Easter. The babe Jesus of Bethlehem would be but another baby without the redeeming Christ of Gethsemane and Calvary, and the triumphant fact of the Resurrection. …This is the wondrous and true story of Christmas. The birth of Jesus in Bethlehem of Judea is preface. The three-year ministry of the Master is prologue. The magnificent substance of the story is His sacrifice, the totally selfless act of dying in pain on the cross of Calvary to atone for the sins of all of us. …The epilogue is the miracle of the Resurrection, bringing the assurance that ‘as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive’ (1 Cor. 15:22). …

I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Eternal, Living God. None so great has ever walked the earth. None other has made a comparable sacrifice or granted a comparable blessing. He is the Savior and the Redeemer of the world. I believe in Him. I declare His divinity without equivocation or compromise. I love Him. I speak His name in reverence and wonder. I worship Him as I worship His Father, in spirit and in truth. I thank Him and kneel before His Beloved Son who reached out long ago and said to each of us, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). [President Gordon B. Hinckley,“The Wondrous and True Story of Christmas,” Ensign, Dec. 2000, 2]

Merry Christmas and Second Advent! I love you!

Love, Sister Walker

PS. So I already bought a Christmas Outfit as part of my Christmas present from you. And I love it thank you! It is just the right size and everything! How did you know I wanted it? Hehehe Sister Neukomm and I matched for the Mission Christmas Party, the Hoho ZoCo. (Zone Conference). We got many compliments. We wanted to take a good picture together to send to our parents but it never worked out. Here are the best ones that we got :] 

Merry Christmas! I love you! 

-Love Sister Walker