PDay

Hello Family!

Happy Pday. Don't know how happy this Pday will be to be honest, we're going to a Concentration Camp- Neuengamme. I'm sure there's a website you could look up and feel like you're here too. But tonight after the Concentration Camp will be great. We go with our investigator, Mike, to Family Night at the Institute Center in Hamburg and he is teaching the lesson tonight! That's right, a not-yet-member is teaching the lesson at FHE. How cool is that? Mike is doing well. His baptism is scheduled for June 9thand I have faith that he will make it! Yesterday a miracle happened with him. So he and our GML (ward mission leader) had a missunderstanding and both didn't like eachother and both didn't want to talk to eachother. That doesn't really help so we have been working on getting them to takl and be able to be in the same room together and yesterday it happened! Mike said he did pray that he could have better feelings and our GML was fasting for the same thing. Yay miracles and answers to prayers!

This week was a week filled with miracles. We needed some. It was a hard week for me and Sister Hinkle. But we got through and will keep on going. But not to focus on bad things , here are a few of the many miracles we saw this week!

On Tuesday we were doing a few doors (it's been raining so much and been so cold that Street Contacting doesn't do anything, no one is out or wants to stop so we've had lots and lots of doors) and no one was really answering or being too nice when a boy walked past. I said hello and waved and he did a double take then started walking towards us with a huge smile on his face. He asked if we were mormon missionaries and was so excited to hear yes! He and his mom were taught by Elders 2 years ago but hadn't had contact with the church since then. This boy, Maurice, said he and his mom would like to meet again and asked for our number. He didn't give us his but said he would call. We thought that was cool and hoped that he'd call but to be honest not really having much faith that he would.

Then a bit later we saw him again! And he was still saying that he would tell his mom he found us and then call us. Then towards the end of the day while doing doors in another part of the city we saw him again! He was eating dinner at a restaurant, saw us through the window, came out to say hi and then went and brought his mom out! His mom (Frau Boysen) was almost crying with happiness to see missionaries again and gave us hugs right away and had us sit down with them and we taught a little lesson there and made out a new appointment. That appointment was yesterday and both bore testimony of the Book of Mormon and said that after the Elders didn't come anymore they just kept reading and finished it knowing it is true. There are some problems, like the mom smokes and doesn't want „some old guy“ telling her it's bad but we think there was a reason for seeing them 3 times in one day, and we will do our best to help them!

On Friday we decided to have a less active day and chose a few less actives to go by on. None of them were home so we left notes. One of them is a 13 year old girl. She wasn't home but her mom was. Her mom was a member but isn't anymore and we were very surprized when she let us in. She was so happy that there were Sisters now. When she was baptized in another ward it was Sisters who taught. She had actually seen us a few days before while walking on the street and thought to herself „I haven't invited Sisters to my new house, maybe I should do that.“ And then two days later we were there! We had a nice getting to know you time while sharing testimonies. This lady was a seminary teacher and was talking about how muhc she liked that when I mentioned the new Seminary Scriptures. She was curious to know what changes were made so I whipped out my Book of Mormon which happened to have a list of all the new Seminary Scriptures and gave it to her. She startd reading the list and said that she didn't have a Book of Mormon anymore so she couldn't read them all so I whipped out a Book of Mormon and gave that to her too. She laughed so hard but took it and held it the rest of the time we were there. Then as we were about to go a problem came up. Her daughter was on a train to go to the ex-husband for the weekend but he called 20 minutes before the train came into the station and said he couldn't get her. The daughter didn't have a phone and was going to be stranded. This lady (Frau Maaß) tried calling everyone she could but no one would answer or could help. So we said a prayer and I had the idea to call the Elders of that city for help. So we got their number and Frau Maaß called them with 10 minutes before the train arrived. And another miracle happened, they were able to find this 13 year old whom they've never seen before and then they could coordinate with the mom how to get her home. Yay Elders to the rescue! I think it was a very good thing we showed up and that the Elders were able to help too. And we have a return appointment with them this week :]

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

Liebe Grüße,

Sister Walker

Hello again family! 

I am a little nervous my email will fail on me again so I wrote the first email on a word program then copied it to my email. But now I have read your emails and will hope this reply goes through. It sounds like you had a great week! I hope you said hi to everyone for me : ] It's kind of fun to think about the new family members I have to meet when I get back. Eli, Lincoln, Maxwell, Kendyll (Jeremy's wife) , Jeremy's baby, and still haven't met Cera's family yet. Sometimes I forget that your life is still going on. Not everyone paused their life, just me. Weird. 

I sent Gerry a postcard, but I can't find her address so I sent it to you, can you give that to her please? And I will pray for her and Gina too. I hope that they can find happiness that Pratt is not sick or in pain anymore. 

How fun that you are redoing the bathroom for the Dittrichs! I saw Sister Kosak this week and she said that her parents are very excited to come. She also said to let you know that their testimonies aren't the strongest so not to expect them to go to church. I think when they see your examples though they will want to go. And I think they would like it to be invited to do Family scripture study and prayer. Tell them hi for me please :] They are great and I am excited you get to meet them!! 

And congratulations on the marathon training! I am very impressed. We'll have to do another race when I get back too! 

I was thinking about if I want you to come pick me up or not, and I decided that I definitely want to show the family around Germany. I vote for a family vacation! :] but really I would be fine with anything. If not this year then sometime soon.  

I love you all! Have a wonderful week! 

Love, 

Sister Walker 

Hello!

Hello Family!

So I really hope this email works today. Three weeks without emails to the family or being able to read emails is a little ridiculous. I am even writting the email in a program like Microsoft Word so that I can just copy, paste and send the email. Cross your fingers! (well, if you're readign this there is no need to cross your fingers because that means that it went through. I'm crossing my fingers)

This week was good. Nothin too exciting happened. But here are a few of the exciting things that did happen.

Monday for Pday we were invitied over to lunch at a members house who also was going to led us a bike until we can get mission bikes. While there and after sharing a spiritual though, they gave us a whole list of referrals! A LIST! There were about 10 names on it. So cool. We made plans how the family could help prepare them for us, such as inviting them for a Family Night or to the Ward Party we have coming up. We are excited to work with them. We've actually received lists of names from two other families as well. This little branch wants to grow so badly. And every family tells us of the Less Active work they do. What a good Branch.

On Tuesday we had an appointment with one of our investigators, his name is Andi, and it was horrible. He was rude to the member we brought with us, he wouldn't listen to our answers to our questions, and he was just trying to fight. At one point of the lesson he was just being so bad that I started inwardly praying to ask God for help to drop him. But as I was Praying, a feeling came over me that was „Just give him a little time, listen to him, and teach him.“ To be honest I was kind of upset and very confused, I didn't know really how to help him but I knew that God knew so I listened. Then we made a new appointment out. After the appoingtment I was talking to Sister Hinkle and the same thing happend for her! About the same part of the lesson as I prayed, she did too. And got the same answer. But both of us didn't know how to help Andi. In between the appointment days, we had District Meeting and we asked our District for help. They gave us good advice and suggested we just work on one small point each lesson, not to try to teach quickly or a whole lesson in one appointment. So we tried it. The next lesson all we talked about was how God loves Andi. Going back to this basic principle and staying with it till he reall yunderstood (not just said he understood) was a wonderful idea. Now he is making progress and we can see his life changing little by little.

We also have been doing a lot of work with the Less Active members. This week we went by on all the less actives that the Bishop or Ward mission leader or other members told us about. It was so fun. We were let in more that we expected when i am being completely honest. And we made out return appointments with some! Yay for bringing the sheep back into the fold :] If I take anything back with me from my mission, I think it will we to help the less actives. To be honest I never really thought much about them before. I knew they were there but I always thought, „O It's their decision, no one can really help them if they won't help themselves.“ But that is wrong. They need our help and we need to give it to them.

While we were on Tausch (exchanges) a new missionary came to me in Bergedorf and we went to a Relief Society activity night with my Branch. It was really cute. There were 4 Sisters there and us 2 and we had a Jazzercise Activity. We were lifting water bottles and jumping jacks to music. We got the the activity a little early and one of the Sisters, Schw. Nitschmann, was cleaning the building so we helped her. She is a convert of a few years with twin 3 year old boys. After cleaning with her we made an appointment out with her to visit and get to know her and her family bette. We went and helped prepare white asparagus (don't know how to spell that) and met her non member husband and played with her boys. We taught a lesson on families and what it means to have God's Plan and the husband listened and answered questions, it was really good. I think he has a testimony and just doesn't want to admit it for some reason.

On Sunday Sister Hinkle and I had the entire Sacrament meeting to speak. She went first and talked for about 10 minutes (which is more than double her last talk length) but then that meant that I had the whole rest of the time. But it wasn't a problem and I filled the time. It was like 35 minutes. I felt I was giving a BYU devotional not a Sacrament Meeting talk. Our Topic was Missionary Work.

I started by reading 2 Nephi 25:20 to answer the question why am I on a mission. Because baptism is not optional, everyone needs it. There is no other name, not even our own, in which we can be saved or in which we can receive eternal and never ending happiness. Everyone needs the chance to accept or deny it.

I read in D&C 4 verses 3 and 4 and expouonded on those parts.

First- a desire. How I received a desire when I was 11 when Heather was on her mission. And from then I could see missionary experiences, like telling Mrs. Klinovski why I wouldn't trink tea or giving her good music to listen to, inviting Sharayah to seminary, bringing Alec to General Conference at our house, and giving Ryely a „For the Strength of Youth“ Pamphlet. I also emphasised that just because people don't jump into the baptismal font after we invite them it doesn't mean that we did something wrong or that we can stop trying. I read John 4:35-37 and explained that the sowers are just as important as the reapers if not more so. The only wrong way to do missionary work is if we don't open our mouths. If we don't invite, then we don't give them the chance to receive everlasting happiness. I recited the missionary purpose „invite others to come untoChrist...“

Second- called to the work. Here I emphasised the differenece between member missionaries and full time missionaries. Member missionaries receive a call as soon as they are baptised and it never expired. Full time missionaries receive inspired calls. But together is the only way the work will go anywhere.

Next- the field is white. Here I started focusing on helping the less actives. In the April 2011 General Conference there was a poem read by Elder Richard Maynes about the lost sheep that I read ( I love this poem) and then also a quote from Pres Lee that „Missionary work is nothing more than hometeaching to people not yet members of the Church and hometeaching is nothing more than missionary work among the members of the Chruch.“ After talking a little mroe I read Luke 22:32 the call from Jesus to strenthen our brethren.

By then my time was up so I bore testimony and said amen. Our investigator Mike was at church and he liked it and he siad that while we were giving our talks, he felt good which we told him was the Spirit.

I hope your week was good as well and that this coming one will be great as well! I love you :]

Love,

Sister Walker

For Sister Walker Again

Hallo, here is Elder Taylor from Hamburg. Siser Walker's email isn't working again and she wanted us to tell you that she is sending a handwritten letter this week. Have a great week!

For Sister Walker

Hello! This is Elder Hadfield from Hamburg. I am sending this email in behalf of Sister Walker. She is doing great, and is an awesome Missionary, they were just having Problems with getting the Internet working. She wanted me to let you know that she will be calling, or rather skyping on Saturday the 11th of May, 8:00 pm. (that would be here in German tiime.)

 

I hope that it all works out well, and wish you all a wonderful Monday!

 

Elder Hadfield