Hello my great family!
How are ya? I'm doing great!
Man, time just keeps flying by! Can you believe that this is week 5 of this transfer?!?!? I can't. My 6th transfer just came and went like the wind in good ol' St. Anthony. The assistants and President Colton are meeting Wednesday to begin transfer meetings! When I was in St. Anthony one of our ward mission leaders told me that there will be a day when I get on my knees and plead with Heavenly Father to slow the time down, I'm now starting to understand what he meant by that and I'm not even past my year mark yet. It'll be interesting to see how the time goes next year.
Let me just tell you, this week was GREAT! I loved every second of it. As I told you last week we had our 3 day leadership conference here in Pocatello; it was fantastic! My mind was completely blown away and hasn't exactly returned to earth quite yet. Elder Holland has completely changed missionary work world wide. We now have what's called the new "simplified" curriculum. It is way inspired and has already worked wonders on our zone. One companionship set 3 baptism dates in just 2 days by applying the new curriculum. I must say though that if I was really to give you any details about it you would all be super confused except Chelsee because it is a spin off of Preach my Gospel. I guess Devin would kinda get it. What you need to know is that this is the difference in missionary work; we are no longer going to learn the lessons in PMG but will be completely focused on this new "simplified curriculum" for our missionary work. This doesn't mean that we disregard PMG, because this is all taken from it in just a more detailed way, what it means is that we focus more on the Spirit of prophesy and revelation for our investigators and only teach them what they need. Intense! The Pocatello Central Zone will be reporting 9 baptisms this month compared to the 0 from June, that is the difference in the new missionary work. And I'm pretty sure that's why President Colton put me in this zone.
Pretty much that meeting has been the focus for the week. We are doing really well and are starting to see miracles happen in our area. I'm excited to write next week and give you an update for what's happened with applying this new curriculum.
It was so fun to see the Bosen Family last week! It was really fun to see the other side of "missionary life". The reason I say that is because I knew Elder Bosen pretty well and knew all his missionary stories. When I met with his family they didn't know half of them or didn't know much detail to his Castle Rock stories, so I filled them in with details and awesome stories. The first thing Sister Bosen said when I met her was, "I guess Benji is supposed to marry your sister huh?" HaHa! YES!!! It's all been arranged! I don't even care if they get married while I'm on my mish just as long as it's in the Rexburg or Idaho Falls temple! This is going to be so great! Elder Bosen can be my best friend and my brother all at the same time! But seriously though, Chelsee, you gotta make this happen... I have it all arranged for you. Plus he's a great missionary so you can rest assured that he'll be a great husband. If you think about it, the Lord wants you to be married to him too... We wouldn't have gotten to know him as well if dad wasn't called as Bishop, I was sent to the IPM then got transferred to the same zone that he lives in for his homecoming, he's going to go to school at ISU which is in my zone still, he really helped me to get on my mission, his parents are now acquainted with mom and dad... the list goes on and on. Let's just recognize the little details here in the grand picture. I'm so excited!
That was my tangent for the day.
I hope all is well at home. I hope everyone is happy and well off.
Thank you all for your love and support.
I love this work. I love my companion. I love my area. I love the IPM.
--
Peace and Love,
Elder Walker
Monday, July 19, 2010
Monday, July 12, 2010
Great Week 7/12/2010
Howdy,
For those of you who have served a mission.... be jealous. I say be jealous because I am sad to tell you that your mission does not even come close to qualifying to the amount of awesome that the IPM has.... sorry.
So with that start into let me just tell you what is going to happen this week that is going to be so great! As I told you last week President Colton received a letter from Elder Holland with the new Preach my Gospel DVDs, with that letter and videos we are having a three day conference for all leadership in the mission (i.e. trainers, district leaders, and zone leaders) here in Pocatello at the institute building on ISU. All the leaders from the mission will be rooming with companionships in Pokey, Blackfoot, and American Falls. We will have a trainer from Rexburg staying with us. The conference will be Tues through Thurs from 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM then we will work in our areas with the extra missionary from 6:00 - 9:00 applying what we learned from the conference. When we get back to the conference the next day we will evaluate what we learned from the previous night in proselyting. It's gunna be big!
I had my first baptism in Pokey on Saturday for brother Mark Soto. He's in his 30s and is having a baby really soon. When he was dressing he made the comment to Elder Fernberg that he has known the church is true for a long time but its now that he had felt that he was ready to make the covenants. His sister-in-law was there, who is not a member, and was in tears the whole time. She told us that she wants to go to church; we'll be following up on that this week.
I had the opportunity to confirm Brother Soto yesterday in church. I don't know about you but for me a confirmation is much more rewarding than performing a baptism. I'm glad that I've been able to confirm so many converts on my mission.
Yesterday in the Alameda third ward was definitely on my top 3 most spiritual sacrament meetings ever. We had Bro. Soto's confirmation, Elder Fernberg and I did a musical number with a 7 year old boy who sang "I am a child of God" which brought everyone in the congregation to tears, and the Bishop and his counselor were the speakers on Tithing and Obedience. It was so so so great! We had two investigators there and the one who we sat with, Lori Allison, was balling the whole time. She was recently a victim of domestic violence from her boyfriend and when that boy, Beau, sang I am a child of God she couldn't hold anything back, she was balling.
We were able to set a baptism date with an "eternal" investigator yesterday. His name is Brandon Beers. He's 16 and has been meeting with missionaries for 5 years!! Let me just put some things in perspective for you about Brandon. He has read the Book of Mormon 7 times, he's read Preach my Gospel, He's more active than most of the teenagers in his ward, he's been in Seminary for 2 years, and he says "when I go on my mission..., and he gets asked to give talks at the sacrament services at the nursing home down the street. What 16 year old member or non-member do you know that does that? I don't know of a single one. What's been happening now is he is teaching us the missionary lessons because he knows them better than most greenie missionaries that come out. Awesome huh? I think so.
Well yesterday as Brandon was teaching us about Prophets we came to the conclusion that he needs the Holy Ghost now more than ever to prepare him for his mission. When we talked about that for a while I asked Brandon when he knows that he'll be ready to be baptized. He told us that his date is going to be the 24th of July. The ward council, us, and Brandon are fasting today for his dad to say yes. Please keep him in your prayers.
That's about it for the missionary work here in Pokey! We had a very very good week this week and I know that next week will be just as good.
peace and love,
Elder Walker
For those of you who have served a mission.... be jealous. I say be jealous because I am sad to tell you that your mission does not even come close to qualifying to the amount of awesome that the IPM has.... sorry.
So with that start into let me just tell you what is going to happen this week that is going to be so great! As I told you last week President Colton received a letter from Elder Holland with the new Preach my Gospel DVDs, with that letter and videos we are having a three day conference for all leadership in the mission (i.e. trainers, district leaders, and zone leaders) here in Pocatello at the institute building on ISU. All the leaders from the mission will be rooming with companionships in Pokey, Blackfoot, and American Falls. We will have a trainer from Rexburg staying with us. The conference will be Tues through Thurs from 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM then we will work in our areas with the extra missionary from 6:00 - 9:00 applying what we learned from the conference. When we get back to the conference the next day we will evaluate what we learned from the previous night in proselyting. It's gunna be big!
I had my first baptism in Pokey on Saturday for brother Mark Soto. He's in his 30s and is having a baby really soon. When he was dressing he made the comment to Elder Fernberg that he has known the church is true for a long time but its now that he had felt that he was ready to make the covenants. His sister-in-law was there, who is not a member, and was in tears the whole time. She told us that she wants to go to church; we'll be following up on that this week.
I had the opportunity to confirm Brother Soto yesterday in church. I don't know about you but for me a confirmation is much more rewarding than performing a baptism. I'm glad that I've been able to confirm so many converts on my mission.
Yesterday in the Alameda third ward was definitely on my top 3 most spiritual sacrament meetings ever. We had Bro. Soto's confirmation, Elder Fernberg and I did a musical number with a 7 year old boy who sang "I am a child of God" which brought everyone in the congregation to tears, and the Bishop and his counselor were the speakers on Tithing and Obedience. It was so so so great! We had two investigators there and the one who we sat with, Lori Allison, was balling the whole time. She was recently a victim of domestic violence from her boyfriend and when that boy, Beau, sang I am a child of God she couldn't hold anything back, she was balling.
We were able to set a baptism date with an "eternal" investigator yesterday. His name is Brandon Beers. He's 16 and has been meeting with missionaries for 5 years!! Let me just put some things in perspective for you about Brandon. He has read the Book of Mormon 7 times, he's read Preach my Gospel, He's more active than most of the teenagers in his ward, he's been in Seminary for 2 years, and he says "when I go on my mission..., and he gets asked to give talks at the sacrament services at the nursing home down the street. What 16 year old member or non-member do you know that does that? I don't know of a single one. What's been happening now is he is teaching us the missionary lessons because he knows them better than most greenie missionaries that come out. Awesome huh? I think so.
Well yesterday as Brandon was teaching us about Prophets we came to the conclusion that he needs the Holy Ghost now more than ever to prepare him for his mission. When we talked about that for a while I asked Brandon when he knows that he'll be ready to be baptized. He told us that his date is going to be the 24th of July. The ward council, us, and Brandon are fasting today for his dad to say yes. Please keep him in your prayers.
That's about it for the missionary work here in Pokey! We had a very very good week this week and I know that next week will be just as good.
peace and love,
Elder Walker
7-5-10
What a great week! I am loving Pocatello more and more each week! I love that everything is so close and that we can actually talk to people on the street.
We have had a successful and extremely busy week. First off I went to my first zone leader council on Friday with all the zone leaders of the mission, the assistants, and President Colton. What a power house. I loved it. I didn't know the work that goes on behind the scenes of missionary work. I had no idea what the zone leaders had to do or the council they received. I really look forward to the next one on the 30th. We rode up to Idaho Falls for the meeting with the assistants and they informed me that we got a new zone leader last week due to some emergency transfers and such. Guess who the new zone leader is.... it's Elder Call! I was way excited to see my daddy again. I'm excited for this new change. He had just been called the night before the meeting so he still had the "dear in the headlights" look like I did for a few days.
At the zone leader council we learned of some huge changes that are taking place. Since Elder Holland has been the executive director over missionary work he has made huge changes. Well the other day President Colton received a letter that is taking missionary work to a whole new level. With out boring you with all the details pretty much what's going to happen is that the assistants and President are going to have much less to do with the IPM and the zone leaders are going to carry out everything. Kinda like a Stake President with a stake. You don't have the area authority seventy come for every training or for lead out all activities but rather a Stake President and Bishop do the work. That's how our mission is going to run but with much more detail and new plans. We think this is leading to a new version of Preach my Gospel. We'll see. We're having a 3 day zone leader conference in Idaho Falls to learn the "new way" of doing things.
I have learned so much this last week. Such spiritual growth. We had the opportunity to go on exchanges with the assistants on Friday. I went to their area with Elder Curtis; what a great missionary. He taught me so much. I really learned what it takes to be the leader I need to be. I'm not sure exactly how I'm going to do what I need to but I will give 110% to be the best I can be. There is so much to learn from the assistants, I wish I could have spent a week with them. They are great.
Cool story; I got a phone call the other day from a Brother Wild. He told me that he is Elder Bosen's grandfather and he and his daughter (Elder Bosen's mom) would like to take me and Elder Fernberg out to dinner. That's going to be great! I'm way excited! I'm also really confident that I'll be here when he gets off his mission. President Colton told me to be thinking at least 6 months here in the Alameda stake. That's going to be great!
I also got another phone call from a Brother Drake who says, "Elder Walker I was just in Idaho Falls and talked with a missionary by the name of Elder Call, he tells me that you are a great organist. Well I play recitals at the conference center and the tabernacle in Salt Lake all the time. I would like to play the organ with you sometime." My thoughts were, Elder Call is a tool! I don't play the organ! He only said that because he knows how much I hate to play the organ! haha. Maybe if we played a little piano I would be okay but I would be way lost trying to play the organ with one who plays in SLC for recitals!
We have my first baptism in Poky coming up this Saturday. Brother Mark Soto is going to be baptized at 7:00 PM. I'm way excited for this to happen. The best part is that he is excited too.
Well the work is moving forward. I love every minute. I'm smiling all the time and love to do the work of the Lord.
--
Peace and Love,
Elder Walker
We have had a successful and extremely busy week. First off I went to my first zone leader council on Friday with all the zone leaders of the mission, the assistants, and President Colton. What a power house. I loved it. I didn't know the work that goes on behind the scenes of missionary work. I had no idea what the zone leaders had to do or the council they received. I really look forward to the next one on the 30th. We rode up to Idaho Falls for the meeting with the assistants and they informed me that we got a new zone leader last week due to some emergency transfers and such. Guess who the new zone leader is.... it's Elder Call! I was way excited to see my daddy again. I'm excited for this new change. He had just been called the night before the meeting so he still had the "dear in the headlights" look like I did for a few days.
At the zone leader council we learned of some huge changes that are taking place. Since Elder Holland has been the executive director over missionary work he has made huge changes. Well the other day President Colton received a letter that is taking missionary work to a whole new level. With out boring you with all the details pretty much what's going to happen is that the assistants and President are going to have much less to do with the IPM and the zone leaders are going to carry out everything. Kinda like a Stake President with a stake. You don't have the area authority seventy come for every training or for lead out all activities but rather a Stake President and Bishop do the work. That's how our mission is going to run but with much more detail and new plans. We think this is leading to a new version of Preach my Gospel. We'll see. We're having a 3 day zone leader conference in Idaho Falls to learn the "new way" of doing things.
I have learned so much this last week. Such spiritual growth. We had the opportunity to go on exchanges with the assistants on Friday. I went to their area with Elder Curtis; what a great missionary. He taught me so much. I really learned what it takes to be the leader I need to be. I'm not sure exactly how I'm going to do what I need to but I will give 110% to be the best I can be. There is so much to learn from the assistants, I wish I could have spent a week with them. They are great.
Cool story; I got a phone call the other day from a Brother Wild. He told me that he is Elder Bosen's grandfather and he and his daughter (Elder Bosen's mom) would like to take me and Elder Fernberg out to dinner. That's going to be great! I'm way excited! I'm also really confident that I'll be here when he gets off his mission. President Colton told me to be thinking at least 6 months here in the Alameda stake. That's going to be great!
I also got another phone call from a Brother Drake who says, "Elder Walker I was just in Idaho Falls and talked with a missionary by the name of Elder Call, he tells me that you are a great organist. Well I play recitals at the conference center and the tabernacle in Salt Lake all the time. I would like to play the organ with you sometime." My thoughts were, Elder Call is a tool! I don't play the organ! He only said that because he knows how much I hate to play the organ! haha. Maybe if we played a little piano I would be okay but I would be way lost trying to play the organ with one who plays in SLC for recitals!
We have my first baptism in Poky coming up this Saturday. Brother Mark Soto is going to be baptized at 7:00 PM. I'm way excited for this to happen. The best part is that he is excited too.
Well the work is moving forward. I love every minute. I'm smiling all the time and love to do the work of the Lord.
--
Peace and Love,
Elder Walker
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Poky 6-28-2010
Well hello there everyone!
This has been a great week! I'm pretty sure I've worked harder this week than any other week of my mission. As Zone Leaders we have to have the example area for the rest of the missionaries. We taught more lessons than one of our districts, we have 3 baptism dates right now and are planning to set some more this week.
Being a Zone Leader isn't as bad as I thought. I assumed that we would be busy doing administrative things most of the day but that isn't true at all. Although we get a million phone calls asking for permission to do things we don't really loose too much proselyting time. We do have a few more meetings to go to and some nights are hard to get to bed on time because of phone calls and such or dealing with issues but most days are not too bad. I have really enjoyed getting to know more missionaries and being able to offer advice by the Spirit.
Things I don't like are telling someone "no" when I would want to do the exact same thing that they are requesting permission to do. haha. That's life though isn't it.
This last week I conducted my first exchange ever. I've been on several exchanges as a missionary but never as the one to conduct the exchange. It was a success. I went with Elder Merrell from Georgia who has a super thick accent! It was fun. Kinda weird to be one who gets asked for advice or to help set goals of how to become a better missionary. I hope I was able to help him find new insights to his missionary work.
Coolest story for the week... There is a man that we've been working with who has made an incredible change in his life. Brother Pitman hasn't been active in the church for several years and has had events in his life that have led him back to the church. The great thing about Bro. Pitman is that he commits himself to change or he teaches himself. So here's the story, we went to our appt and the first thing he says is, "come in, I need the Spirit bad today and you bring it with you." As we started talking we wanted to commit him to live the word or wisdom. Well definately he felt the Spirit because before we could even say anything he says, "it's time to change, yup, get out the ointment, I need a blessing." At this time he gets on his knees and keeps saying get out the ointment. I did all I could to not chuckle. I said, "Bro. Pitman, I think you mean the consecrated oil. We don't need that for this type of blessing." He then says, "Well I don't care what you use, I just need some divine intervention here!" What a great man. Well long story short he is now starving for the Spirit and doing all he can to quit smoking. He goes out to teaching appts with us and now helps us to commit others to live the word of wisdom. We gave the talks in his ward yesterday and when I started I promised the congregation that as I shared my thoughts they would have a name come to their mind of someone who needed to be invited to come to church and to meet with us. When we were done Bro. Pitman came up to us with a list of at least 10 names and said, "Elder Walker, I need some Book of Mormons." He is so awesome!
Well we are working hard and having fun and most definately living it up! I really like this area. I really like the people we work with and the leaders of the church here. Doesn't mean that I don't miss St. Anthony because I really really do but this place is just as good. In fact when I have missionary dreams they are still with me proselyting in St. Anthony apparently my brain hasn't come yet... I can see me loving this area just as much.-- Peace and Love,Elder Walker
This has been a great week! I'm pretty sure I've worked harder this week than any other week of my mission. As Zone Leaders we have to have the example area for the rest of the missionaries. We taught more lessons than one of our districts, we have 3 baptism dates right now and are planning to set some more this week.
Being a Zone Leader isn't as bad as I thought. I assumed that we would be busy doing administrative things most of the day but that isn't true at all. Although we get a million phone calls asking for permission to do things we don't really loose too much proselyting time. We do have a few more meetings to go to and some nights are hard to get to bed on time because of phone calls and such or dealing with issues but most days are not too bad. I have really enjoyed getting to know more missionaries and being able to offer advice by the Spirit.
Things I don't like are telling someone "no" when I would want to do the exact same thing that they are requesting permission to do. haha. That's life though isn't it.
This last week I conducted my first exchange ever. I've been on several exchanges as a missionary but never as the one to conduct the exchange. It was a success. I went with Elder Merrell from Georgia who has a super thick accent! It was fun. Kinda weird to be one who gets asked for advice or to help set goals of how to become a better missionary. I hope I was able to help him find new insights to his missionary work.
Coolest story for the week... There is a man that we've been working with who has made an incredible change in his life. Brother Pitman hasn't been active in the church for several years and has had events in his life that have led him back to the church. The great thing about Bro. Pitman is that he commits himself to change or he teaches himself. So here's the story, we went to our appt and the first thing he says is, "come in, I need the Spirit bad today and you bring it with you." As we started talking we wanted to commit him to live the word or wisdom. Well definately he felt the Spirit because before we could even say anything he says, "it's time to change, yup, get out the ointment, I need a blessing." At this time he gets on his knees and keeps saying get out the ointment. I did all I could to not chuckle. I said, "Bro. Pitman, I think you mean the consecrated oil. We don't need that for this type of blessing." He then says, "Well I don't care what you use, I just need some divine intervention here!" What a great man. Well long story short he is now starving for the Spirit and doing all he can to quit smoking. He goes out to teaching appts with us and now helps us to commit others to live the word of wisdom. We gave the talks in his ward yesterday and when I started I promised the congregation that as I shared my thoughts they would have a name come to their mind of someone who needed to be invited to come to church and to meet with us. When we were done Bro. Pitman came up to us with a list of at least 10 names and said, "Elder Walker, I need some Book of Mormons." He is so awesome!
Well we are working hard and having fun and most definately living it up! I really like this area. I really like the people we work with and the leaders of the church here. Doesn't mean that I don't miss St. Anthony because I really really do but this place is just as good. In fact when I have missionary dreams they are still with me proselyting in St. Anthony apparently my brain hasn't come yet... I can see me loving this area just as much.-- Peace and Love,Elder Walker
Monday, June 21, 2010
Pocatello - June 21, 2010
Hello everyone!
Well... Probably the most crazy week of my mission.
Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning were by far the hardest times for me emotionally. I didn't expect it to be so hard leaving St. Anthony. We made visits all Tuesday night to say good bye to everyone and then Wednesday morning I cried as we drove down the highway towards Rexburg to the transfer sight. St. Anthony will always have a very special place in my heart. I will forever thank my Heavenly Father for allowing me to have the many many great experiences I had and to know the people I knew there as well.
It is official, I am a Zone Leader in the Pocatello Central Zone. I don't even know what I'm doing but I'm learning each day. My companion is so great! Finally I got a companion that I will work really well with. He and I are doing so well. Elder Fernberg is so different than Elder Call and Elder White but different for a really good thing. He loves performing arts! He sings really really well and likes theatre! He's from Murrieta, California. He works super hard but has so much fun also. Man this is going to be such a great transfer.
The hardest part of being a Zone Leader is trying to get trained so fast. I've had to learn everything the District Leaders do and everything we do in just a few days. I've never really known the responsibilities of the leaders because I haven't been around them much. I've learned how important it is to be the example for my Zone but how to learn from every missionary around me. We had the opportunity to go on exchanges with the Assistants on Saturday and I asked Elder Curtis how I can be the most effective leader he said, "be the missionary who leads but is also willing to learn." I have already learned a bunch from my companion and from other missionaries in our Zone and will only continue to learn much much more. I love every second of it.
Pocatello is definitely a huge culture shock for me. I was so used to being in St. Anthony. A quiet place with not too many people. An area that is completely removed from everyone. We ruled the world up there in that little town. Here in Pocatello there is a huge difference! We see the Assistants all the time, our Zone sees us a whole bunch, and we drive past the mission office all the time. Definitely some changes. I pretty much went from Sedalia to Castle Rock. But great news! Elder Bosen's home is in my Zone! I'm pretty sure I'll be here when he reports his mission and because I can, we will be going on exchanges that day with the Highland Elders so I can be there. hehe.
Well I'll give you more experiences and I'll have some spiritual stories next week when my brain arrives from St. Anthony. I love you!-- Peace and Love,Elder Walker
Well... Probably the most crazy week of my mission.
Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning were by far the hardest times for me emotionally. I didn't expect it to be so hard leaving St. Anthony. We made visits all Tuesday night to say good bye to everyone and then Wednesday morning I cried as we drove down the highway towards Rexburg to the transfer sight. St. Anthony will always have a very special place in my heart. I will forever thank my Heavenly Father for allowing me to have the many many great experiences I had and to know the people I knew there as well.
It is official, I am a Zone Leader in the Pocatello Central Zone. I don't even know what I'm doing but I'm learning each day. My companion is so great! Finally I got a companion that I will work really well with. He and I are doing so well. Elder Fernberg is so different than Elder Call and Elder White but different for a really good thing. He loves performing arts! He sings really really well and likes theatre! He's from Murrieta, California. He works super hard but has so much fun also. Man this is going to be such a great transfer.
The hardest part of being a Zone Leader is trying to get trained so fast. I've had to learn everything the District Leaders do and everything we do in just a few days. I've never really known the responsibilities of the leaders because I haven't been around them much. I've learned how important it is to be the example for my Zone but how to learn from every missionary around me. We had the opportunity to go on exchanges with the Assistants on Saturday and I asked Elder Curtis how I can be the most effective leader he said, "be the missionary who leads but is also willing to learn." I have already learned a bunch from my companion and from other missionaries in our Zone and will only continue to learn much much more. I love every second of it.
Pocatello is definitely a huge culture shock for me. I was so used to being in St. Anthony. A quiet place with not too many people. An area that is completely removed from everyone. We ruled the world up there in that little town. Here in Pocatello there is a huge difference! We see the Assistants all the time, our Zone sees us a whole bunch, and we drive past the mission office all the time. Definitely some changes. I pretty much went from Sedalia to Castle Rock. But great news! Elder Bosen's home is in my Zone! I'm pretty sure I'll be here when he reports his mission and because I can, we will be going on exchanges that day with the Highland Elders so I can be there. hehe.
Well I'll give you more experiences and I'll have some spiritual stories next week when my brain arrives from St. Anthony. I love you!-- Peace and Love,Elder Walker
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