Hello Mom and Dad,
Alright so I'm sure you are anxious to hear about transfers and where I'll be going. To my surprise I am going to be staying in Idaho Falls and serving with Elder Owens another transfer. I was shocked when I heard that because I thought for sure President Colton would be moving me but as it seems I do have more work to do here in the Taylor Mountain stake. I'm excited to stay don't get me wrong especially because I only wanted to have 4 areas on my mission so if this is my last zone leader area then I most likely will only have one more area. Of course this is all speculation but I really hope it works out this way. President did say that they'll be starting the new training program next transfer so we'll see if I get to start that. Crazy thought: the zone leader that was in longer than me just got rotated to train so I am now the oldest zone leader in the mission with 9 transfers serving in the assignment. There are no longer any zone leaders that were at my first zone leader council which makes my heart skip a beat because that means I'm getting super old.
I have a really personal story I want to share with you today and I'm not sure if this story is going to have any relevance to you but it does to me and I want to share it with my parents. Last night I was caught up again not able to sleep because my mind was racing and I kept thinking about this and that and mainly thinking about future life and plans with college. The thought came to my mind of what President Colton taught me, "the biggest temptation for a missionary is to ponder too much on the past and the future which causes us to forget about the now." After this thought came to my head the next thing I remember is waking up but the part between that thought and me waking up is what I want to share with you.
I had a dream, which felt like a reality; I was pondering in a strange room on the subjects which I was thinking about prior to falling asleep when President Hinkley walked in and sat with me in a chair opposite the one I was sitting in. The interesting thing is he looked just like you and me however this time he had a glow and a radiance about him that I would picture a spirit or a resurrected being to look like. What I loved most about the dream is he asked me, "my boy, what are you doing here all alone?" I replied and expressed all the thoughts, desires, discouragements, problems, and feelings about current matters and future ones. President Hinkley just listened and listened but what I could tell is what I was saying to him really mattered. We didn't just talk about school but we talked about the rest of my mission and other personal matters. All I remember him saying in return is, "Elder, I love you. Everything is going to be okay in the end." He then smiled at me for a minute, stood up, and walked out of the room. When he told me he loved me I could feel the Spirit overcome me like a wave of emotion. I woke up when he left the room and sat on my bed just crying because of how much I knew I was loved.
I will always remember this experience especially because of the way I felt. I can only remember feeling the Spirit so strong just three other times; when I decided to serve a mission, in the sacred grove, and in the celestial room of the Provo temple. I am so grateful to a loving Heavenly Father who gives us experiences like this that helps us to feel His love. The lesson I learned from this is we feel the real form of God love when we feel it by the power of the Holy Ghost. I know my Father loves me and I know He watches over me and shows His love to me when I need it the most.
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Peace and Love,
Elder Tyson Rigby Walker
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