Like Missionaries Do

Thanks for the great letter. I do remember Brian telling me that story, and he always said that he was going to speak in Chinese. Crazy! Tell him that I am excited for him. Tell BRO J that as well. Miss both of those guys!

Well, not much to say. You are spot on when you said that the mission stretches you. Sometimes I can see my progress clearly, but sometimes its not so easy. This week was a little bit harder. We had interviews with president on Monday. On Thursday my comp went to Huancayo to get an MRI. On that same day President interviewed everyone else in the zone. I had to do all of the practices with the missionaries alone and some other things. Afterwards president and his wife took me and 2 other missionaries out to eat, which was sweet. We went to eat at Señor Limon, which is a super good seafood restaurant. I loved it. If I finish here, I will go there to eat on my last P-day, and I will eat ceviche.  

But, yeah, again I didn't work a lot in my area, but we have two investigators progressing which is cool. Just want to keep working. 

Fast week. Nothing much to say. Love you lots.

Elder Walker

Tomayquichua La Perricholi

My companion went to Huancayo out of nowhere on Wednesday to get an MRI. He was there for a day and then came back, and annoyingly he came back without getting the MRI because all of the machines were out of service. He could possibly go back to Huancayo this week.

So, in small part it has been hard to work in our area because I couldn't find someone to do divisions with one day. My companion is in a sort of limbo because he is waiting to find out what happens and his thoughts go to home and the what ifs. He is doing better now but emotionally it is also a lot for him. I hope that he can get answers soon.

Yesterday, we had a stake conference with President Henderson and Elder Costa who is now a general authority. It was fun to listen to them and the stake liders. I enjoyed the priesthood session the most. Elder Costa talked about the power and authority of the priesthood saying the authority for us now is “free," but it is our rsesponsablitly to have the power. I am not sure why, but like it seems to always happen, he called me up in front of everyone and used me as an example of a missionary who wakes up late and doesn't study. He may have the authority and a letter signed by President Monson commissioning him to serve, but he will not have the power.

Later, my favorite example was that of a father with daughters. The daughter may try to leave on the weekend with friends in an inappropriate outfit. The dad in turn has the authority and may scream and degrade. But in that there is no power. If the dad reads his scriptures, keeps the commandments, treats his wife right, then invites the daughter to change into something modest because she is beautiful daughter of God, the power and authority combine harmoniously to change the heart. This is true for anyone who has authority and applies to me here on the mission.

Thanks, Mom, for your message from Elder Holland. I like him understand the scriptures more reading in 2 languages, but never noticed the difference in abide in me.

Tonight, we have interviews with President Henderson. That,s all that is going on.

At what time do you want to Skype? I can do it on google hangouts if you want. If not, I will just see Camron and Chloe in a month anyways, so no biggy. It would be cool to talk to Camron though on his birthday. Let me know. LOVE YOU!

Elder Walker

PS We went to this place called Tomayquichua La Perricholi on P-day. It is a museum in a town about 20 minutes outside of Huanuco. This is me with my old companion, Elder Bullock. He's in my zone again. Awesome guy.

Oye

Fam, 

Thanks for you support and prayers. It has been a completely normal week. It was actually kind of abnormal because we went to church for the 3 hours after 3 weeks of not doing so. Strangely next week is Stake Conference so we will not be in our church building. We are great here. Elder Yeh is hanging in there with his knee. He is doing better. We are working hard in spite of the difficulties and we are teaching a few investigators now and searching for more. 

This Friday we will have interviews with President Henderson. It’s interesting because it will be everyone’s last interview with President Henderson except for those of us who go home in May and in June we will have one more. :) I am looking forward to Friday. 

I hope Anna has a great 13th birthday. Tell her I love her and that I am sad to miss that day. I think it is a day everyone has been dreading. haha. And Camron graduates wow! BYU grad with a job. He will get married soon. Chloe needs to get better now! Love you everyone in the family. 

Mom when do I need to sign up for classes? I’ve heard that I have to do it in May. Also I heard that if I want to take the 16 credit exam in Spanish I have to sign up for Spanish 321 and to take that class I have to take a small exam, and I would have to do that here on my mission. Help! Im staying in Liberty Square right? Where is that? What is it like? Love you Mom. Also be thinking about the Mothers Day call and scheduling that with Marc. 

Thanks for the help. Have a great week!

Elder Walker

Weird Week

FAMILY! 

Camron brought home a girl! You can tell Camron that I’ve received the letter that I’ve been waiting for for 21 months now. :) haha. Good for him!

Interesting hearing about Marcus and his date changing. I have been talking to the mission secretario personal and as of Tuesday when I was in Huancayo for Leadership Council, he said that he hadn't bought the flight ticket but I should get to go with Marc. What happened here is that our church travel department representative of this area retired, so currently we don't have one or have someone else for now. The secretary said that it has made it harder to do it. He also said though that he called Marc’s mission, and he was planning with them. I will talk again though on this end and see what happens. But if it isn't a sure thing, Im going home on the 23rd because it would be terrible to wait a week and still go home alone.

We had a good week; however, it was a week full of doing things other than proselyting. First, we had consejo which was great but we had to travel to Huancayo. In addition to consejo and traveling, I have been in and out of the clinica because of my companion, Elder Yeh, has a knee problem. Our sec de salud told him to go to the doctor and do what we did. I hope what he has done and is doing will help so we can keep working. Other than that we had a zone conference, a service project, and many failed appointments yesterday. Yesterday was the presidential election of Peru, so we didn’t even get to go to church because it is against the law to have formal gatherings on election day. Really this was just a weird week. The highlight of the week was interviewing a family of four taught by the other elders here in Huanuco Central who will be baptized today. We interviewed them on Saturday. They are great people. I want to baptize a family! I know that if I trust in the Lord it will happen, "but if not" I will continue to work hard and trust Him. Have a great week!

Love you all so much!

Elder Walker

This is "Elder" Puentes, who got home about 6 months ago from Marc's mission. Evidently, he knew Marc well in the mission, and it is fun to see him around Huanuco and talk to him about Chile and about Marc.

Conference!

Conference!

Another temple in Lima!!! The people here were so shocked and happy. Even if we are far away from Lima, the people here are ecstatic! Tell Camron that we will have to come back to Peru for the temple dedication. It’s crazy that Camron served there, and it would be unreal to come back with him. I will go to Machu Picchu before I die!

Conference was an absolute blast. I really enjoyed the talks and messages given there. I really liked Elder Renlund, and Holland´s talks. Also, I enjoyed President Uchtdorf´s Sunday morning talk and President Nelson’s talk. I will miss Conference on the mission. Conference on the mission is just so special. 

I stayed here in Tarapaca with Elder Yeh. I’m happy, but at the same time I really did think I was going to go. President in our interview awhile back told me that there are a lot of leaders in my group going home in June and that he wanted to leave experienced leaders for the new mission president. Therefore, he told me that I probably wouldn't keep being a zone leader for much longer. After hearing that 3 months ago, I was happy. It is a lot of work. This last transfer because of what President had said, I thought I was gone. But alas here I am. Sometimes now I just feel tired. I lay down my head at night and am so exhausted. I’ve never been so tired in my whole life. But here I am. I know though that I just have to keep going. Like you said and Elder Holland said, ”Keep trying. Keep trusting. Keep believing. Keep growing. Heaven is cheering you on today, tomorrow, and forever.” Love that!

The part that is the most difficult for me is that I feel like I have to keep the peace between missionaries who don’t get along or who have hurt feelings or who are offended, and sometimes it feels like I focus on resolving conflicts more than really helping all the missionaries in my zone or working with the investigators. It is hard, but I can do it. You know me, I don’t like drama. Obviously, I have something more to learn.

All is great here. I really do love my mission, the other missionaries and the people in Peru. Have a great week! I love you all!! 

Elder Walker

P.S. Thanks to Chloe for her email!

Hermana Lily, the best pensionista of my mission!!

Following the Light

Family :) 

No, I do not know whats going to happen in transfers yet. Tomorrow I will know in the afternoon, and so we will all just have to wait. 

We did division with Elder Ayala and Elder Walker this week. Yes, there is another Elder Walker here who is a cool guy from Utah, but I was with Elder Ayala in the divisions. It was fun working with him, but sad because shortly later we found out the the area that they are in is going to close in these transfers. 4 area close in the mission because of lack of missionaries. 

Yesterday, was Easter Sunday, and it was fun to have my easter tie and socks! Also, my pensionista loved the kitchen towels and says thanks. Hna lily is the best pension of my mission, so it was nice to be able to give her something. Easter was great with people who came to church as well. The don’t really celebrate Easter here. They have what is called "La Semana Santa" where the people do reenactments of the crucifixion of Christ, and other than that the people just throw parties and drink. If i say Pascua, they don’t really know what that is. They don’t celebrate anything more on Sunday; it is all the same. 

This morning we woke up at 3:50, and left at 4 to hike the to the top of the mountain overlooking the city to the huge cross that is there. It was interesting because none of us knew the path or had gone before so we started up the mountain blindly, searching for the path with our small flashlights. We couldn't find the path, but we continued climbing. The other missionaries were complaining and said that if we couldn't find the path we’d never make it. We eventually saw a lights up ahead and followed them, hoping those holding the lights up ahead were on the right path. We found out that they were other missionaries! It was a relief to find them, and with them we had a guide a missionary who has hiked that mountain 4 times. We got up the mountain quickly afterwards at about 5:30. It was super fun. 

All of the while climbing I couldn't help but thinking about 1 Nefi 8 and Lehi’s dream and something I had read in the Liahona. We knew more or less where to go, but we didn't know how to get there exactly so we aimlessly were walking until we found a guide. A lot of people are lost and need that guide. Maybe sometimes we do as well. Larry R Lawrence in the Liahona said, "The gift of the Holy Ghost—in addition to the light we were born with—gives us a great advantage. It is one of the greatest gifts we can receive in mortality because it brings more opportunities for obtaining light and truth. Without the Holy Ghost, we are like a person walking slowly home in the dark with only a flashlight as a guide. When we accept the gospel of Jesus Christ and are baptized, we are offered a floodlight and a guide who knows the way. Now we can walk faster and see our way during our homeward journey." 

What a bless to have a guide and a floodlight in our lives! 

I love you all. Have a great week!

Elder Walker

Easter Ties. Thanks, Mom!

Those socks though!

Oscuridad! Starting the hike in the dark.

'Merica!

Selfie from the top :)

The mountain from my area.

I Love My Family

Dear Family,

I LOVE YOU! That’s all I basically want to say today. 

 

Yes, I got the package you sent me, and thanks to Mom, Chloe, and Grandma for helping with that! My companion was also super grateful. I remember when I got my first package in Cerro de Pasco I didn't share hardly anything with my trainer. I’m kind of embarrassed about that. Now, half of it is for my comp and thanks because I would have done that anyways especially with Elder Yeh, and I’ve given away more of it to members and friends here. It is always nice to get something from home, but now I like the reading and sharing what you send more. Interesting how that has changed. 

 

Well, if I learned one thing from what you sent its that it would be about humility and submissiveness. I’ve always thought that those attributes have been some of my strengths before the mission, but now I think they are some of my weaknesses. I liked Elder Maxwell’s talk, which was more like reading a scripture manual with all of the scriptures. Holy cow! But it was such a good talk. Talking of the story of Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego, He said that the heart of submissiveness lies in three words, "But if not.” In Daniel we read, 

 17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us,from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.

18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the  golden image which thou hast set up.

Submissiveness isn’t passive, it’s active. It’s doing everything in our power, but accepting the higher power of the Almighty God. Its saying, "Remove this cup from me if possible but if not I will drink". It’s recognizing that God will make more of us than we can make of ourselves. I thought it was funny when Maxwell said that Peter could have been the president of the local Galilean fishermen’s association, but he was humble enough to drop his nets and follow Christ immediately.  Submitting ourselves to God’s will is real emancipation. That is a difficult concept to understand. 

So I’m gonna keep working on that. Thanks for the message about the Atonement. I will study that this week. We are already in week 5! Last week of this transfer.  

Love you have a great week! Dad, I want you to have a great week, and I hope all goes well with work this week. Love you!

Elder Walker

PS. My shoes ran out faster than my time on the mission. :( Still have one more pair though.