Happy Birthday, Marcus!

Hi family,

I've written everyone but you, and now I'm out of time. I had a great birthday, but I thought about Marc all day. The irony is not lost on me that I've always wanted my own birthday party and the first time I get one I spent the whole time wishing I was with him. 

I have the best pensionista! Her name is Hermana Helly (pronounced normal like in English). Her husband is Boris (the Patriarch of the stake here). Their son is Aldo (17 a DJ doesn't do anything because here they finish high school at like 16) and then they another son who is not shown in this pic. His name is Ronald, and he is about 26 and an RM. He lives above us in our apartment. We live around the courner from Helly's house. Ronald is married to Lisbeth also. So yeah we have the best pension in the entire mission! They had a big birthday party for me. I guess it's a tradition here to crack an egg on your head and throw flour on you on your birthday. So yeah that happened. haha. I love the Hellys.

Love you all too,

Elder Walker

Boris, the patriarch and I

Birthday!

Pondering

Cool waterfall pic, but someone dropped my camera in the water taking it. So I need a new camera :(

Courage is Needed

Hi everyone,

I got my Christmas package and my calendar!! They were both awesome!! Thanks so much for the Christmas package; it was perfect!! The pjs and Chelsea jersey! Like wow perfect! I didn't really want anything, but it made me so happy to get those things. 

About the week a lot has happened here as well. We had interviews with president. After the interviews, we did divisions with one of the assistants, and then I did divisions with Elder Kidd on Saturday. Elder Molina is a 21 year old from Bolivia and the first member and missionary in his family. He has 9 months in the mission. We are struggling. I love what you wrote last week. I love the heck out of my comp and I have no idea what it would be like to be in his situation or to come for the backround that he comes from. But I love him, and I have to have the courage to tell him what’s up sometimes. That was president’s advice, I need more courage. CS Lewis said, "Courage is not simply one of the virtues but the form of every virtue at the testing point." (Elder Lynn G. Robbin’s talk “Which Way do You Face?”—I love it—read it). But that is what i have learned and I don't want to talk bad about my comp at all. So I’m struggling, but I just keep swimming in the wise words of Dory.

Love, 

Elder Walker

Cocanut!

Jungle Life

Dear Family and Friends,

In two of those pictures were my zone leaders, Elder Kidd and Elder Larson. They are awesome. We ate every meal with Larson and Kidd every day for 3 months and with Elder Kidd 4 and a half months. Elder Kidd has been my Zone leader my entire mission, and he was transferred to La Merced with me. He will die here in 3 months. Pretty cool! I love him.

I found out I was getting transferred Tuesday night, and then I left Wednesday morning. It happened fast. 

So Elder Kidd and I drove from Cerro to Tarma and then to La Merced. It was about a 4 hour drive not too long, but we stopped in Tarma for a while. It was fun. Our driver because we switched taxis at Tarma to La Merced was crazy. Strait up he was going like 120 kilometers per hour and taking the windy, twisty turns like a Nascar driver. I was telling Elder Kidd how we were going to crash, and he was like I hope so that’d be a cool story. Then, we were doing a u turn and we were actually the one time we were going slow. We were on the inside, and we were drifting into the other lane when there was a car in the other lane. Then, in slow motion we hit that car in the other lane. haha So we got in a car crash, but it was super lame and everyone was all right. Seriously don’t freak out or anything; it was actually disappointing how non dramatic it was. But still Elder Kidd and I got our wish. After that we had to take a bus the rest of the way to La Merced though because our taxi driver didn't want to drive us with the damage to his car. But it was just a busted headlight. It was nothing. So there’s my story.

La Merced is the exact opposite of Cerro though. I feel like I'm not even in the same country, and I cant believe that I'm in the same mission: jungle green everywhere, breathtaking views, waterfalls, and rope bridges. I drive through rivers and I feel like Im in an Indiana Jones movie. (Actually I heard that part of one of the Indiana Jones movies was filmed here.) I just wish I could be on vacation here. Because of the heat I am tired and want to sleep all of the time, but all of the oxygen in my brain feels good! Ohh. I have to send you a picture of the church here though; it’s gorgeous. All’s good. Not too much of a problem with the bugs yet and my body’s adjusted fine to being at a normal altitude. 

The food is great (awesome pensionista), and my apartment is sweet, too. It’s big and nice (3 big rooms) even if it doesn’t have hot water. haha. 

Love you,

Elder Walker

New Companion, Elder Molina

Goodbye to Elder Thatcher--I guess golfers are pretty strong.

Zone leaders, Elder Larson and Elder Kidd. Elder Kidd came to La Merced with me to be my zone leader again! Elder Kidd and I are dressed for the hot jungle weather :)

Me, Larson, Kidd holding Thatcher