P Day In Cottbus Once Again

Hello family!

 

Mom, way to guess I was coming back. I never would have guessed it in a hundered years. :] But it`s fun to be back. I feel like I`ve never left. I think one of the reasons I am back is because I still remember so many people that said yes once but appointments fell out that we never wrote down. So I am here to repent of my needing-to-improve record keeping abilities. But it really is cool. We are walking down a street and I remember somethng about someone that lives there, we go by and they remember me and let us in. We have added a few people to the teaching pool from that. It is kind of fun to be in a city where both of us know it very well. There is none of that awkward "`think we're lost" feeling or anything. Sister Babbitt has been here for 5 months already.

 

Going to Church was funny. Every one recognized me. Some knew I was coming and were prepared, others it was a surprize. From the ones that it was a surprize for about half of them came up and said "Hello Sisters! Sister Walker, you have another new companion? What's your name? Sister Babbitt. Hmmm I think we had another Babbitt here a while ago..."  or "Hello you must be the new Sister, Sister Babbitt. Where do you come from?" The`n when we corrected them that I was back and that SIster Babbitt has been here for a while they said, "Oh right! We are just so used to seeing you here Sister Walker, it wasn't new!" We laughed at that.

 

But the week went well. We tried the idea to write "Mormon.org" at the bus stops here. So we wrote it all up and down one street and someone referred himself to it! Yay! It has been so killer hot here- about 40°C which is like 104°F I think. Walking around all day carrying a heavy backpack was not too fun. I hate sweating and the German Deoderant stinks (in the fact that it smells bad and doesn't work) I know it's not very long to the end and you may think letters to me are pointless but if you would be so kind as to send me a small package with good american deoderant and one or two new white undershirts from Shade clothing I would much appreciate it. The ones I have have nasty pit stains that are just emberassing on them.

 

Sister Babbitt and I look a like. It's kind of funny. Except she has straight hair. People think we really are Sisters. And our personalities are similar including how stubborn we are. Sch Münch (who I was super excited to see again!!) laughed and said she is going to enjoy watching to see if we will get along. But I think we will. We have worked out problems so far so good. This week we have our first Tausches as STLs and we're going to Berlin! Yay going back to all my old areas hehe. I didn't know Dad repeated a city on his mission. Come to think of it, I don't know much about Dad's mission except that he had a pet monkey. I'm sorry I've never asked you much about it Dad. When I get home we can have a party talking about our missions.

 

The family reunion looked like fun! It's funny to see you wearing jackets at the beach. Glad no one drownd or died from sting rays. I've never seen sting rays at our beaches before, that's kind of cool.

 

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

 

Love,

Sister Walker

Transfers... dun dun DUN!!!‏

Hello Family!

So Daddy, your perdiction was right. I have been Transfered out of Bergedorf. Sister HInkle is staying and funny story is getting for a new companion and the new STL (SIster Training Leader) is the first person she trained. Weird. Companions very rarely get back together. I am still going to be an STL and will be opening a new STL Tausch Group and my Companion is SIster Babbitt who got her Patriarchal Blessing from Grandpa Pommerville. Where will we be? You'll never guess it but go ahead and take a guess. Guess! I'd like to keep this suspence still going so I won't tell you. :] I would like to hear your guesses. When President called me to say I've been Transfered I really asked him if he was joking. Keep Guessing.

This week was a good one. Sunday was prety weird but I'll get to that later. We are starting an English class here in Bergedorf and last Tuesday is when we first started passing out invitations to it. Within an hour we had gotten 3 calls from people asking to reserve spots for English class! We are not up to 7 students who are set in coming. I'm a little sad I won't get to teach it But it will be good.

Another cool thing happened on Tuesday! Back Story first- OUr second week here, we met with a part member less active family where the dad is a member the mom not. We were able to have good contact with them but then we lost it. We've tried this whole transfer to get it back but to no avail. Finally I was getting a little grumpy that it wasnt working even though we  kept being probted to try. So I just prayed "Father, I keep feeling we need to keep trying but everything we do doesnt work. I will plan that we will teach them a lesson today at 13 (1p,m) PLease make it happen." And do you know what? He did. While getting to where they live you take a bus then a train and another bus. Normally the first bus is the #12. We weer at the stop and saw the 12 coming but another bus cut in front. It was a bus we had never taken before because it only comes once every hour but it stopped at the train station too so we took it even though our normal bus was there. And we sat down. Then a man said "oh! Hello Sisters!" and it was the HUSBAND!! YAY!! We were both a little shock but after another qui k thank you prayer I could talk and we rode all the way to his house together and talked longer and most was about church things. His wife wasn't home so we couldn't go inside but we got contact again! YAY!!

Another cool thing that happened this week is one of our investigators has cancer so I made her a casserol and we took it over to her. She has never come to church at our ward before but after doing that she said she felt so loved that she wanted to come. And as soon as she came she was taken over by the Relief Society sisters. She said she knows this is where she belongs and asked if I could come back from my new city for her baptism. I said I would try :] She has blonde curly hair too and a primary boy asked if she was my mom and she loved that.

It was really no surprize that I was transfered becasue remember the member who has a crush on me? Well, he asked me, or rather told me, to be his girlfriend. I told him that I am a missionary and to stop thinking of that because I do not think and will not think of that. That was the first really weird thing that happened at church. Then a lady who was maybe a little drunk came in and kept trying to make us say something bad about other churches. But I took her in a smaller class room and just told her about the First Vision and it calmed her down and she took a Book of Mormon and made an appointment out. Then on the way back home from our eating appointment there was a man on the bus that both me and SIster Hinkle thought reminded us of Jabba the Hut and we were Leah tied to him. It was gross. We both felt just so weird that we had to take a break and we read the story of Jonah to calm down. (Sister HInkle was standing right next to me as the member asked me to be his girlfriend.)

But after we went by on a less active and that was good. He'll be active again in no time! Another possitive was The 1st councilour in the Branch Presidency came up to me and asked if I could give a talk in sacrament meeting 5 minutes before church started. But I said yes and he said the topic was just some spiritual experience that taught me something on my mission. You can't get a broader topic but an idea popped into my head that I used. On Wednesday I got a letter from Sister McCandless in the mail that had a picture of an invstigator I had found in Cottbus at his baptism. He is the old man that SIster Neukomm and I found that had yelled at us and instead of Bible Bashing back, I just bore my testimony to him and he changed completely and asked for a copy of the Book of Mormon. I told that story and read D&C 42:14-17 and then bore my testimony of how the SPirit is really the missionary, we are just the one who wears the tag cause he has no body.

I hope you have an awesome time at the Family Reunion! Tell everyone Hi for me and that I love them! Be safe! Always watch the kids in the water! Don't watch Jaws. Finding Nemo is ok though.

Liebe Grüße, 

Sister Walker

PS- the picturte is my reenactment of the First Vision :] 

OK I can't wait. I'll just tell you where I'm going. I'm going back to Cottbus! 

Read SECOND

This is email number 2. Do not read until after eamail 1. 1 always proceeds 2, as even in this case. Thank you

Yes. I'm going back to Cottbus. Because 5 transfers there wasn't enough to do my job I guess. I am excited but nervous at the same time. What didn't I do or what did I mess up on that I have to go and fix now? I have a few ideas on what to do when I get back but it's still weird. No one ever goes back to old cities. Especially not after they had 5 transfers there alerady and only 3 left.

What are your thoughts?

Love you! 

Sister Walker 

Happy Pday

Hello Family.

Today is another PDay.  And you would be proud that I said no to something to to today that would   have been expensive. I'll wait to do it until all the personal  money I've had to put into mission money is paid back. See? I am learning to be responcible with money even though I have not received the check register yet.

This week was OK. Nothing too big or special. We had Tausch in Kiel this week. Kiel is a beautiful cityon the water I love going there. I was with Sister Wallin and we had a fun time together. It was fun to see how Tausches really help. There was one lady we taught who came from Poland who was getting upset that there was no Mormon church in her country (which there is) the Sisters had been trying to tell her that there was but because she had never seen it she didn't believe. So when I said something about the church all over the world she got upset again. But our investigator, Paul, who comes from Poland had asked me for the addresses of the buildings there so he could go to church in vacation so I had the addresses in my planner still and could give them to her. She was speechless and we could further teach her. And another lesson was with a lady who has been meeting with missionaries for forever (an eternal investigator) who's problem was she didn't like people helping her so she never went to church because she felt like that was only asking for help (to get a ride there, having others give her the sacrament, getting blessings...) so I whipped out Mosiah 2:17 and said that when we help others we serve god. When others help us they serve god. If we don't let people help us then we don't let them serve god and hold their blessings back. She liked that and commited to come to church! 

And similar things happened with the sister who took my place in Bergedorf. They taught a lesson to Mike and he had had some  questions about it that somehow the answers Sister Hinkle and I gave didn't make sense to him but this sister was crystal clear to him!

Yay for Tausches!

There was one really sad thing that happened this week. After teaching a lesson to Solomon, we were just on fire and ready to talk to everyone on the street and give everyone a Book of Mormon! Then no one wanted to talk to us. Until one man with two little kids came. Sister Hinkle tried to give him a card and he said "Oh no. I know who you are. You are Mormons. I pray every day thatGod forgives you for what you do." ...Ummm...what? So I started talking to him and tried to see what he had misunderstood. It was the Book of Mormon. Just what I wanted to bear testimoyn about right then!  So I did. But he wouldn't listen. Now this is not new. I have had thousands of nos before. But with this man it was different. He could feel the Spirit strong enough to stay and answer the questions I asked, listen to our testimonies, listen to scriptures and examples that were brought to my mind, and to our testimonies. What was different was that while looking in his eyes, I could see the fire of testimony start to burn and then he willingly and purposfully snuffed it out. Over and over again I saw him force the Spirit out of his heart. I had never seen that before and it broke my heart. I wanted to cry for him and for his two little children. After the half hour we spoke was over and we walked away I really looked up into the sky and cried "God, I tried all I could do to help your son. Please help him now." It makes me sad all over again remembering it. I knew this man, we were supposed to talk to him, he is our brother, but he would't listen to the Representatives of his Saviour.

While I was sad for him and his family, we had Companionship study. This scripture jumpped out at me: D&C 90:11 "For it shall come to pass in that day, that every man shall hear the fulness of the gospel in his own tongue, and in his own language, through those who are ordained unto this power, by the administration of the Comforter, shed forth upon them for the revelation of Jesus Christ."  Why would it repeat itself using tongue and language? Or does it mean two different things? When read together with the scripture that says every knee shall bend then this tongue can mean his own. This man wouldn't listen this week, but sometime he will. Sometime he will hear himself bear testimony of the truthfullness of the Book of Mormon. Because it is true. No matter what he says, he can't change that.

I hope you all have a wonderful day! I love you :]

Have fun with Pa's Dream 1 :] always wear a life vest.

Mom, I would rather come back to Germany and not have you pick me up. And Christmas in Germany as a family would be so fun :] If it doesn't work out the whole family can come, what about you and Dad and I come back the 2nd or so week of December? You can see all the Christmas markets and then come back home for Christmas? If it really doesn't work out, then I'll come with you to pick Trey up and we`ll spend some time in Germany before going to Italy.

Have fun at the family reunion! Tell everyone I say hi :]

Love, 

SIster Walker

PDay Time

Hello Family!

Your 4th of July party looks like it was very fun! Swimming, BBQ, lots of family and especially the flag ceremony sound so fun! I wished my companion a happy fourth of july and she asked what made the day so special that I should wish her a happy day. She forgot America's birthday. But that`s OK because Mike sang us the Star Spangled Banner. The next day was the Zone Leadership Council and we wore matching red white and blue outfits to it in Berlin. For District meeting we sang American songs from the English Hymn book. That was my party.

This week was OK. Sister Hinkle got Pink Eye so we stayed inside one day, then the meeting in Berlin took another day out from the work and then a member appointment went on for ever which took the rest of the day. So nummber wise there wasn't too much happening this week. But with the ays that we did have we did work. We set another Baptism appointment with a member of another part member family. (Solomon's family has 4 people in it. His wife and oldest daughter are baptised but the younger daughter is only 7. His goal is to baptise her.) This is a boy named Elias. His parents and 2 older siblings are less active, him and his little brother are not baptized yet. He is 14 and is pretty shy. But he wants to get baptized and we`ll reactivate the family while doing it.

Other than that nothing too exciting. I did have to call President this week and talk about a "Lock your Heart" problem, there is a YSA that likes me and now we have to meet with bishop to see if he thinks it's bad enough to get me transfered. We have talked to him about it and both Sister Hinkle and I feel like he won`t act on anything but just taking precautions. Better to be safe than sorry. But I really don't want to pack again so I hope I don't have to leave. But  don't worry. On my side, my heart is locked and no one is getting in or going out. I bought a locket in Cottbus and have pictures of Jesus and Josh Groban in it. There is no room for anyone else :]

Well, I hope you all have a great week! I love you all :] say hello to all my new cousins for me!

Love, 
Sister Walker 

Happy July

Hello Family!

Happy July! Do you know what is strange about July in Germany? I am still wearing jackets... Last year this time I was loving the sunshine and now I'm freezing. Another weird thing is I can count how many more months i will be on my mission on one hand. While on that trunky sounding note, yes Mom I am planning on going back to BYU in January. I have no idea if you need to do anything for that. Maybe find out when my class sign up date is please? And maybe around September/October look for housing? Maybe also a job at BYU? I have no idea. To be honest I'm nervous to go back. My grades aren't the best so I'll have to focus really hard on those which will make going to a job hard and no time for friends but that's OK because all my friends are gone or married now. Last thing about that, I have decided to not study art history anymore, just English and become a High School English Teacher. But enough of that. I'll think more about it later. 

As for Germany for Christmas break, I would love that!! I would love to show Mom, Dad, and the 3 boys around my areas! A few days in Bremerhaven, mostly to go to the cool museums, then Cottbus and say hi to the Dittrichs, Berlin to see the tourist sights and Bergedorf! I kind of think I will stay in Bergedorf till my time is up but if I get a 5th city we can visit there too. Maybe even a skip down to Switzerland and say hi to Sister Neukomm! hehe

Enough now of trunky.

My week last week was good. We made 2 new baptism appointments out with investigators who were referrals from the Branch! Yay for member missionary work! :] One was with Solomon, the Spanish speaking man. We had a joint teach with us who is from Spain and it was good. I understood less because they were talking so fast to each other but still understood main ideas and could bear my testimony in Spanish. Sister Hinkle even said a prayer I wrote out for her so that she could participate a little. I haven't been focusing too much on learning the language but more just being about to teach principles and bear testimony. He wants to be baptized so badly, Satan has stopped him before but he'll make it this time!  

The other baptism date is Paul, from Poland. He is one that we met at the Summer Party the Branch put on. He is very polite and thoughtful. To our last appointment he brought us flowers to say thank you for helping him get closer to Jesus. 

Another sunshiny moment was on Saturday we just spent the whole day contacting referrals from a member family, Family Imbeck. We also had a lunch break with them and ate delicious pizza and then after sharing a spiritual thought, Brother Imbeck said that he would come with us to contact the other referrals. To introduce us to them and not just send us to their doors. The first person didn't answer and while walking back to the street Brother Imbeck say that the neighbor, who he also knows, was outside so he said "Sisters come with me and we'll talk to him!" It was great! The man had no interest but seeing our member not afraid to introduce us and trust us enough to do so was great to see. Sadly nothing came from the referrals yet, but we'll keep working. Inviting is all we can do. 

On Tuesday we finally met with a less active and part member family that we had had about 11 appointments already that all fell out. It was  nice to finally meet them and start helping them come back. We did a whole day for less actives this past week and Mike was with us! We delivered cookies and letters and talked to people on the Street. We are trying to convince Mike to go on a mission and thought this taste of mission life would help him decide to go. He did a great job! He even stopped bikers to talk to them. 

We started a game night that the youth can come to and bring their friends to and Friday was the first one. Only Mike, and one young man came, and the mom of the young man stayed too. We played the Bible and Book of Mormon card game that Mom sent me. It was fun seeing the members introducing Bible people Mike didn't know yet. I think he is a little confused from all the details thrown at him but he did a great job! 

We watched the leadership training as a Branch in Sunday school and RS/Priesthood. It was so cool! I loved the parts where they kept saying missionaries are there to teach not to find. And that the Ward Mision Leader should fill our planners. We'll do it! 

Well I hope you all have a great week! Have fun at summer school boys and at work parents. Don't get hurt anymore. Be safe. I love you!

Love, 

Sister Walker 

So one downer about Germany is there is no spicy. Alyssa's level of spicey is the country's as well. So I have been missing it a lot. Well, we heard a rumor that there is a very spicy Curry Wurst stand (curry wurst is bratwurst with red curry sauce on it that is very popular everwhere in Germany and not spicy) in Elmshorn, one of the cities we Exchange with. So hot in fact that you have to show your drivers license to get the hightest spicy to prove that you are over 18 years old. This picture is me showing my licence and holding the wurst. And it was spicy! I cried my first bite. My tastebuds are not used to spicy any more. It was so good! The best part was dipping the fries in the spicey sauce :]