Happy PDay

Hello Family!

So this week was more normal as last week, no more Nazis or crazy doors. (And Mom, I think you're right, I will just leave when someone starts to get angry. Getting people angry won't help anyone and the Spirit can't be there so it is really just a waste of time.) I don't know if "normal" is a good word to use though, nothing is really normal but then that is normal. NaJa.

We had a good week! I feel like Trey a little bit because my city was kind of dead in the investigator department but we are finding more everyday! This week we got three new investigators and lots more potentials! People to teach!! YAY!! I love teaching. It's one of my hobbies. Right up there with feeling the Spirit and counting my blessings. I think that I want to keep teaching when I come home, the Gospel and for work.

Sandro is doing great! He just brings his questions and really accepts them, we went over tithing with him in one of our lessons this week and he asked if he could pay it right away! He came to church again on Sunday and brought his little sister, Alina, with him. We have an appointment with both of them today. It's really exciting to see others progress in the Gospel!

And speaking of progress, Sister McCandless is making a ton! She's doing great! Sometimes she doesn't see it so I try to tell her every moment I can. The language is difficult for her, but she's trying. That has made me see how much of  a blessing it was to me to have German before so I didn't have to start from nothing. But she is starting to understand more and more and is very good at praying and bearing her testimony! And her reading is terrific! I still have a hard time reading outloud in German sometimes and she is rocking it. And something that I've learned from her is to not be afraid to ask for appointments with people on the street. I like to talk to them about the Gospel for a while, then get to know them a little, then at the end say something like "well, if you want to learn more, give us a call or come to church!" But she asks for appointments right after bearing her opening testimony! It's a little schocking sometimes but the people then know our pourpose and a lot accept. I need to do that too. I hope she learns something from me.

Her biggest fear is she thinks she can't understand people or communicate. We role play at home and try to plan everything well, but the best way really is just to try. I think she thinks I'm a little mean becasue I make her try. I do show love and am always there for support but I don't take over. But it's good. She talked to two people on the phone in German yesterday! It was amazing! I was so proud :] Something else I make her do that she doesn't always like is counting blessings. If she complains a little too much or is mr. grumpy gills we pause, and after she names 3 blessings we can start again. I say three as well. At the beginning of the pause she normally seems annoyed but after naming them she is better. Hope that's not too mean, I don't think it is.

One fun experiance we had this week was while we were contacting a referal from Schwester Münch. It was in a dorf (villiage) called Groß Oßnig. Sister Neukomm and I had gone there once before and gave the Book of Mormon to a JW. (This was the man in the sotry when he wanted to fight and I bore my testimony and he accepted a Book of Mormon) After the referal said no, we klingled almost the entire dorf. Not exaggerating. There was only one street we didn't get to because we had to catch the bus. We thought we would go by on the JW too. His name is Herr Graf. He was home and was super excited to see us! He had started reading the Book of Mormon and wanted to know more! We taught him a little on the street and then made a new appointment out for this week. The whole time is was a blizzard outside. Walking in a little German Villiage for 3 hours is a blizzard was quite the adventure. I am starting to get used to snow, but 20cm in one hour is a little much. At least all is pretty and white though. While walking in the Groß Oßnig I started singing "the field is white already to harvest..." song and it made us laugh.

Thanks for sending me Nathan's emails! It was fun to read his testimony in German! Way to go! I hope he gets to go into Switzerland when he gets here, he could serve in Sister Neukomm's ward! That would be funny. And he's the Zone Leader! I know leadership possitions  aren't bragging rights or anything, but Trey was one too, right? What a great and strong family we have :] President made a joke that he will make me the first Sister Zone Leader so maybe I'll join this club someday too ;] hehe

Mom, I did get the medicine and the markers, thank you! We both were very excited for the markers! And the medicine is helping :] And one of the new sisters, Sister Babbit, is from Mountain Green! We had Zone Trainigng on Wednesday where I met her and Grandpa gave her her Patriarchal Blessing! It was fun to talk about Grandma and Grandpa for a minute :]

Dad, you and Paige look so cute when you are colouring the picture. She just looks like she is bossing you around and it looks like you love it! And the cupcake game looks so fun!

Kaden very nice slimey teeth! Go eat some popcorn, chew some bubblegum and eat all the things you missed out on from the braces!

Cameron, your birthday's coming up! Are you excited? Hope you have a great last few days being 12 :]

Cole, how's Parkour going? Are you still being safe? Hope so!

Alyssa, Thanks for your pictures! Your girls are so cute and I laughed at Jared's Flynn Ryder look :]

Gram and Pa, Hello! I love you!

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

Love, 

Sister Walker

PS- My camera is officially dead. For my birthday can I buy a new one? I'll start looking at prices today and let you know how much they cost. 

Happy PDay

Hello Family!

To answer all your questions about the new companion:

Her name is Sister McCandless from Holiday, Utah. She is 21, she put her mission papers in before the new age announcement. She graduated with a degree in Journalism from Westminster Collenge and worked for the Salt Lake Tribune. She is very smile-ly and makes a lot of jokes. That is a little strange because Germans don't really have a sense of humor and niether did Sis. Neukomm (must be a Europe thing..) so I've not been used to jokes and laughing so much. It's kind of fun :] The first few times she made jokes or said something sarcastic I took her seriously and was very concerned for her but now I'm getting back into this whole make-jokes-to-be-happy thing and it's good!

I did start her off right away, because I figured if we start working right away then she wouln't have time to be nervous! I will tell you the break-down of my past week.

Monday- pack and help Sister Neukomm get ready to go home. The apartment was also checked if it was clean and not broken by the caretakers. We passed.

Tuesday- Members picked us up to drive us to the Train Station at 8:30, then Sister Neukomm and I got on a train for the last time together. There we really realized it was good bye and was a little sad. We got to the train stop where all the Finishers were meeting where we said good-bye and then I was ALONE!! Not that alone was new for me, but alone in public was new. Kind of strange. But that lasted for a whole 15 minutes because I met with other Sisters at another train station, ate lunch, and then another Sister who would be training, Sister Curtis, came back with me to wait for the new missionaries. We went to work and miracles happened! I didn't believe it was my city! We made out 4 new appointments, taught 3 lessons, and gave away 4 Books of Momrmon in an hour and a half! It was so good for me that Sister Curtis came to me. I was very nervous that I wouldn't be able to get into the normal swing of things but she trained me to be a trainer which was such a blessing. She gave me the boost of confidence I needed.

Wednesday- The first day in 6 months I was not alone in waking up at 6:30! It is so much easier when someone does it with you! Very thankful for that!! At night we went back to Berlin, after another miracle filled day in Cottbus, to do the first bit of finding time with the New Missionaries! We were randomly paired up with the new missionaries that had just gotten off the plane. I was with Sister Jenson and off we went! We talked to so many people and it was a great boost to see her trying her very best to talk in German :] so fun! Then Sister Curtis and I went back to Cottbus to slepp.

Thursday. Back to Berlin bright and early (we only live 1 hour 15 minutes from Berlin, not too far) for Trainers conference! It was fun to see who else was training and to hear from President and the APs. Something fun but nervewracking is the people we are Training now will be trainers themselves in as little as 5 weeks. President told the Sisters to prepare our N.M. to train in that ammount of time becasue in March so many new Sisters come, we don't have enough Sisters in the field to Train them! How Crazy is that?! Sister McCandless probably will be training next transfer and I'll get another one... Then we got the New Missionaries! After another meeting we got lunch and then left. I took it to heart to get her ready ASAP to train so I had her make a phone call before we even got on our train home. (It was in English, I wasn't SO mean to make in in German first.) Then we got home, put the suitcases down and went to meet the Ward Mission Leader and then to an appointment! The appointment fell out so we did doors. While doing so, a man yelled at us to go away and a drunk man confessed his love for us. Not a bad first day :]

Friday- Jet lag was a little problem but survived. We had 2 member lessons today and Sister McCandless did a great job at bearing her testimony and really trying to help. Her German is good, her understanding German needs a little help. But that doesn't stop her from trying to talk to everyone on the street. We were able to give a Book of Mormon and teach about the First Vision in between our appointments which was very cool. Then sometihing not so cool happened at night, there was a Nazi demonstration. Yes, there are still Nazis here. I didn't know that untill this week. It was a little scary seeign them start to congregate so we decided just to go home. A little bit after we got home our WML's wife called and suggested we go home becasue it was getting a little bad. So we said a prayer and had a good night :]

Saturday- We had an appointment with a man that Sister Curtis and I met, named Sandro Jahnke. We thought it would be just him so we got a Joint Teach (Sch. Otto) and went. Turns out it's a family!! Sandro, his girlfriend, and his two little brothers. It was so cool! The Spirit was very strong and they asked good questions, said they would come to Church and made a new appointment out! I was pleasently schocked :]  And a littel nervous, I don't want to mess anything up, I really want to help this family. Sister McCandless was trying her best to speak but it was hard. Afterwards she had a hard time that her language skills aren't perfect but we took some time, boosted her moral, and then kept on going.

Sunday- The whole family didn't come to Church but Sandro did, he said he'll check it out for the others and them bring them next week. He really liked it! He said he will come every week! We gave a little church tour too and at the baptism font he had questions like "is it too late for me to be baptised? can we talk about me getting baptised later?" Of course we can! Please pray from him and his family that they will be able to develop faith in Christ to overcome challenges and pray for us that we will know how to help them. 

After our lunch appointment and study time we were doing doors when appointments fell out. I wasn't very patient there. So many people were calling us Jehova's Witnesses it was annoying me. Then one man started yelling at us through his window. I was really just trying to finish talking to his neighbors but he wanted us to leave without talking to them. When we said we would finsh the building then leave he got mad and said he'd call the police. I did was Sister Neukomm did and told him he was welcome to call the police. He then closed his window so we continued thinking he was doen. Then he opened the window again and dumped water at us! I was very annoyed at this point and got a little sassy. Probably shouldn't have gotten sassy. I said "Thank you but I already had a shower today." and went back to the klingle. Then he stormed down the stairs and pushed me away. I've never been pushed before. Then we decided to leave. What a good example I was to my Trainee, edging him on to call the police, saying a sassy comment, and then still trying. Next time we'll just leave after the water is thrown on us... hehe It's kind of funny to think back on though.

What a wonderful first week in Germany: Nazis, a sassy companion, and a new family of investigators :]

It is a little strange being a trainer, she watched everything I do and copies me pretty much exactly. I really have to be on my toes. But I think it is good because it makes me really get back into the swing of a normal missionary schedual again. Wish me luck this week that I don't mess anything up!

It was fun to hear you all had a good week! Lyssa I loved your pictures, cute that your girls like to play with stuffed animals! No I did not bring Henry, he is in my hope chest, but I did bring nother bear Mom gave me.

 Happy Birthday Kaden!!! I was singing you the birthday song on SUnday, hope you heard me. :]

I did get your package Mom and Dad for Valentines day, thank you! I'll keep my eyes out for the others. And Sister Dittrich did say she got your email and she was very excited! She'll write you back soon I think.

The New Beginnings sounded like it was a very good thing! I'm glad it worked well for you.

Dad, your Stack em stuff looks very good, it made me hungry!

I hope you all have a wonderful week! I Love you!

Love, Sister Walker 

Mail Box

A picture of Kalyn by a mail box. She sent it by mail

Half Way

Hello family!

The biggest Sunshine Moment of my week was on Wednesday. We were coming home from District Meeting, which was a good-bye party for Sis. Neukomm. (It was a Fondue party- the national Swiss dinner. Sister Bauman made it a Fond-Adieu party. I thought that was cute). I was feeling a little better from Monday because I had read the scriptures, prayed a lot and talked to President Kosak, but was still a little down. Then We walked in our apartment Building and on our doorstep was a beautiful bouquet of flowers! Sis. Neukomm said "Oh! I wonder who sent me flowers?" But when we looked at the card, they were for me from my wonderful parents!  :] After seeing those the little bit of saddness  left in me went away and for the rest of the day I had a smile on, no matter what happened. :] Thank you!! 

One other Sunshine Moment of the week was on Friday night at a Relief Society Activity. The activity was Schrotwichtln and it was very funny to see the presents that were brought. But the best part was that two of our less active memebers, Sch. Tomczyk and Sch Rübesahm, were both there and the other Sisters in the RS talked to them and included them! That was great to see. 

Well, Sister Neukomm will be finishing tomorrow. I really did try my best to help her and I hope it worked. She was great with the Members this week and leaving them with her testimony. That was very nice to see, her bearing her testimony. She does have a good and strong testimony, hopefully she will continue to share it when she gets home. That has been a huge improvement since we've been together. She never shared her testimony, and didn't even think she had one, when we first started serving together. So there is progress. If that's all that I was able to help, was to show her she did have one and encourage her to share it, I guess that is success.

For this next transfer I am excited and nervous because I'm going to be Training! AHHH!!! I will do my very best and we will change Cottbus for the better. I'm a little nervous about working full days again. I have kept to the schedule in the White Handbook as closely as I could with Sister Neukomm but now after 6 months of not being able to do it 100%, I feel like I need to be retrained how to do more than 3 hours of work a day. So I guess it is good to be going through the Training Steps! It will help us both, my New Missionary and me. It wasn't a complete surprise, when I talked to President on Monday he told me I would be training. I told him I didn't think I was ready. He laughed. Then said I needed to stop being so humble and have faith in myself. Right now though I'll lead on other's faith till I can gain my own testimony that I can do this. But it's starting to come. My excitement is outweighing my nerves now, and when planning for this week and making the goals, I was just all fired up and ready to get my New Missionary now and get to work!!

I've received a few blessings from the Elders since I've been in Cottbus and each blessing has said "Kalyn there are people in Cottbus waiting for you to find them." I know they are there, and now I'll have to opprotunity to find them! I'm a little worried I will miss someone but the Lord knows who they are and He will help me find them. 

When I told Sch. Münch I was training she just laughed and said "Of course you are! I knew you would and you will be great!" If she can have the faith that I'll do well, I can have it too. She already planned with me our first lesson with the new Missionary. It will be on Chastity and she will ask hard questions to help prepare the New Missionary :] After she said that, it was my turn to laugh! (In the last picture, Sch.Münch is the lady between me and Sister Neukomm. We are standing in our RS room)

I love you all and am so lucky to be in your family. That you for your prayers, I really could feel them this week. They help me so much.

I hope Kaden feels better, Dad Cam and Cole stay warm and safe on their camp out, and that Mom doesn't miss her van too much :]

Gram and Pa, have a wonderful week and enjoy your Temple Work! You are wonderful examples to me.

Lyssa, Jared, Paige and Taylee, rememeber that I love you too! Stay healthy and warm! I think what makes a house a Home is what you feel when you walk in the door. if you feel love and peace and welcomed, it is home. Decorations don't matter but the spirit matters.

Trey, Love you too little brother. I'm so proud of you! Have a wonderful first week in your second city! The mission language is funny. I'm about to be a Mama now! Funny thing is it's my 9 Month mark as well hehe... 9 months and then I'm a Mama.

That reminds me, it's my half way mark this week. Weird. I don't feel like I've been out for half my time already. I won't think about that anymore.

Have a great week! 

Love,
Sister Walker

ps- the other picture of the book is a old German Evangelical songbook from 1907. song "260 is "Praise to the Lord" (the almighty the king of creation...) pretty cool, huh? can you read the old german script? I'm just starting to be able to read it.

Hello

One Sunshine Moment this week happened on Monday night. We were walking home after our evening appointment fell out and after klingling the rest of the doors by the appointment and were alone on a normally busy street. Then a man turned onto the street and started walking towards us. Being exccited someone was there to talk to, we talked to him and had what was probably the best Teach To Find that we have had in our whole 4 transfers together! We were both bearing testimony and asking questions and teaching principles. This man, Frank, then took a Book of Mormon (sadly no appointment).

Another Sunshine Moment was seeing Schw Münch get a blessing. She was very sick and said she wanted a Priesthood blessing. It was difficult and frustrating trying to find men who were willing and able to drive to Hoyerswerda in the middle of the week but finally we found two!

The rest of the week didn't have too many highlights. It was pretty much all tears and prayers. We visited with a less active member Schw Rübesahm again, and brought Schw Farnsworth (the wife of our WML who is only in Cottbus for 6 months of the year, they just got back) with us, and Schw Rübesahm was in tears as she told of how the Ward has ignored her calls for help and how she doesn't feel welcomed and how her family members (who are against the Church and won't help her get to Church) just rub it in her face that no one but the two foreigners (we missionaries) care about her. She lives in the city of Peitz where the bus to Cottbus doesn't start running on Sunday till 11am, takes 30 minutes to get to Bahnhof, and then a street car to the Ward. By the time she does that church is over. There is a trainstation 6km away that she has used a few times but she is almost 70 with health problems so riding her bike or walking there is very difficult for her. She and we have asked for some one to just pick her up for Church and she'll find her way home but the Ward Council said no. They won't help, it's too far away, and they say if she really wanted to come she would find a way.

She moved from Görlitz to Peitz one year ago and this past November was the first time she received Visiting Teachers and that was after Sister Neukomm and I fought to get her some. (Not really fought, but after telling the Bishoprick a few times and nothing happened, we went right to the FHV and helped get her some.) Still no Hometeachers yet. Working on that still. It is very sad to see a member who wants to have a part in the Ward be ignored and overlooked. Schw Farnsworth now arrainged to pick her up but the Farnsworths will leave again when school is finished, and then what with Schw Rübesahm?

Then Sister Neukomm and I had a very difficult week. I don't really know what it was but it was not good. The only day that there was no mean Sis Neukomm was yesterday when I hardly said anything at all. (except say yes to her questions "Don't I look pretty today?"  "Aren't you proud of me for doing doors today?")  There were just so many misunderstandings and silly little problems that when I tried to fix them just blew up. When I stopped trying to fix them, they blew up anyway. I'm really not being a drama queen when I say it was hell. I really try to name my blessings when I am sad but this week the only blessing I could see was "in 12 more days I get a new companion..." "in 11 more days I get a new companion..."

I am complaining here, you can skip this paragraph. I have to prepare all our lessons, do the planning, call everyone, get everything ready to go, carry a full backpack while Sis. Neukomm carries her little designer purse with nothing but her wallet in it. My shoulders were really hurting but she just wouldn't help. I do try to ask her and let her help and have a part too, we are supposed to be a team after all, but she won't. She just sits there and tells me all my ideas are bad but won't give any other ones, then she corrects my German in a way I can't understand and when I ask her to tell me in another way or write down corrections so I can read them she says that's too much work and keeps on loudly saying sounds i can't tell the differnece between, or when I'm reading (even in lessons) will say words over me or say comments that make me feel stupid so I mess up even more. I do try to serve her, I cook every meal and make her plate look really good (and taste good) but she criticizes it. When I offer to let her do the cooking, she won't. I sing her lullabies every night and then makes fun when I sing off key, but when I don't sing she complains I don't serve her.

K. I need to stop. I just can't do anything right. I am doing the work here alone pretty much and most of our numbers are 0s. So when you say I'm an amazing missionary, I really don't believe you. It just makes me sad to hear that because I'm not what everyone expects me to be. I'm not helping sister Neukomm anymore like president thinks, I'm not helping cottbus except the less actives but then when I leave they won't be taken care off, I'm not finding any new people, I don't think Cottbus is any better for the 6 months of effort I've given.

We went to the Temple this week and I just felt so worthless there. I am nothing, I can't do anything right, why would  God, who is perfect, want me to come into his house? I wanted to get up and leave in the middle of the session when Sister Bauman who was sitting next to me noticed me crying and held my hand and told me that she loved me. This was a very big tender mercy and was as if God told me that and told me he wanted me in His house. After that I was able to enjoy the session more and when I got to the Celestial Room with a picture of Christ with His arms open I felt a hug. I stayed in there as long as I could because I really didn't want to leave the love of my Father in Heaven and go back to a companion who hates me, to a city that won't listen to me, and to a Ward who ignores me and the people that need it the most. 

But for some reason I'm supposed to be here. Maybe it is just to show the less actives love and kcick the ward into doing something for them. President said the Cottbus ward is the Pharases of the german church and now i believe him. But I'm here. I know Heavenly Father hears and answers my prayers, I can't do the work alone, but He's here with me. I really don't know what good will come from these next 9 days before Sis Neukomm goes home, but I won't complain anymore, I will just put a smile on and keep going. Keep Calm and Carry On. 

This was not a possitive email. I'm sorry. I will add some possitive pictures.

The first two are from last PDay when we went to the zoo with the Forst Elders and our Ward Mission Leader and his family. 

We got to feed the Elephants! That was really fun! I've pet an elephant :] 

We also climbed up a pyramid. Felt like I was not in Germany anymore.

The members here have a book that the missionaries write in to say fun memories and addresses and the like. I was writing in the book from Br Gröschke when I found this entry- from an Elder Mark Allan. There is no date but Br. Gröschke said it sould have been in the late 80s or early 90s. Made me laugh a little, I don't think it's uncle Mark but it could be, could you ask him? No sign of a Sister Pommerville yet hehe. I'll keep looking. Where were their missions exactly?

I hope you all have a wonderful week! Thank you for your prayers, I did feel them this week.

Love, 

Sister Walker