Fishing Trip???

So, Chelsee's letter home today was titled "Still On My Fishing Trip!!!!" At first I giggled, and then I thought about the meaning behind it... She is being a "Fisher of Men" (And a darn good one at that!)



Here's some highlights from today's letter...

• So this transfer is coming to a close pretty soon, February 3rd (yup, mom's birthday!), and as that end gets closer I have realized how immensely I have grown as a missionary. It has for sure been a challenging transfer… new companion, new investigators, no baptisms…etc… but it has been SO worth it!


• One of the most challenging parts for me is that I really feel like the senior companion most of the time… I have had to step up to the plate and take on a LOT more responsibility. I know the people here and I know the area and I have had to teach Sister Little SO MUCH. However, I have realized that she is one Powerful teacher and I am learning a ton from her too! So last night as we were talking about this we decided that I am the senior companion over the area and she is the senior companion over the teaching!!! It works out great for both of us!


• I love Sister Little! She is a fabulous missionary and I learn from her everyday!


• We have had quite a bit of success in our teaching as we now have 4 investigators set for baptism next transfer and 3 or more that we plan on setting within the next week. I have seen the hand of our Father in Heaven so prominently in my life and the lives of our investigators these past few weeks.


• One baptism that I am SO excited for is the baptism of our investigators Belinda and Holden. They are a part member family, Belinda is the soon to be wife of a less active member and Holden is her 8 year old son. We found this family on a potentials list and we started teaching them right away. They are amazing! I have loved seeing them keep commitments and grow stronger as a family. The gospel has changed their lives so much! It is incredible!


• Know that I am doing well, I am healthy and SO HAPPY!!!! I couldn’t be in a better place doing anything better than this work!

Chelsee Mission Update January 2009

It seems that Sister Walker has been extremely busy - so much so that her letters home on Thursdays have been very short. (and always with an apology that she just doesn't have much time) I think that is AWESOME!!! I'm happy that she is so enjoying the work and so busy teaching and serving that that is where her focus lies.

Here are some highlights from her last two most recent letters:

• I have started praying in Spanish… I still can’t speak it well but I am beginning to understand it more and more.
• Yesterday we went on companionship exchanges (aka Splits) and Sister Ditto spent the day in my area with me! We did a ton of great work. We set 3 people for baptism and had some great lessons, including an incredibly powerful lesson with an ex-communicated bishop and his girlfriend. We set the girlfriend for the 14th of February and he decided that he would like to be baptized on the same day. Of course, he has to go through the bishop but I think that he is ready! Oh and they have to get married… just a minor detail!
• We also set a 15 year old who we started teaching last week. Her dad is the Elders Quorum president and KD, who had been living with her mom, just moved in with him and decided that she wanted to take the lessons. She is just worried about hurting her mom’s feelings because her mom doesn’t want anything to do with religion. We reassured her that it was her decision and that she would probably be setting a great example for her mom anyway.
• Have I mentioned how much I love being a missionary…? Life couldn’t be better!
• We had zone conference yesterday and it was 100% fabulous! I just soak in everything that President Christensen teaches. He teaches with such great love that you can’t help but become captivated in his teachings!
• We have a lot of great work going on and we are super busy!

In her letter home this week she shares this great understanding:

Also, today as I was reading my scriptures I was reading in Alma 26 and these
scriptures stood out to me…

• 27 Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success.
• 28 And now behold, we have come, and been forth amongst them; and we have been patient in our sufferings, and we have suffered every privation; yea, we have traveled from house to house, relying upon the mercies of the world—not upon the mercies of the world alone but upon the mercies of God.
• 29 And we have entered into their houses and taught them, and we have taught them in their streets; yea, and we have taught them upon their hills; and we have also entered into their temples and their synagogues and taught them; and we have been cast out, and mocked, and spit upon, and smote upon our cheeks; and we have been stoned, and taken and bound with strong cords, and cast into prison; and through the power and wisdom of God we have been delivered again.
• 30 And we have suffered all manner of afflictions, and all this, that perhaps we might be the means of saving some soul; and we supposed that our joy would be full if perhaps we could be the means of saving some.

Ok, so I haven’t been spit upon nor have I been smote upon my cheeks but I tell you what, at the end of the day I sometimes feel like I have. However, just as it says in verse 30, “that perhaps we might be the means of saving SOME soul…” That is all that matters, as long as I can be the means of saving just one soul then all of this hard work is worth it! I love being a missionary!

Taking Down Christmas / Fresh Air

I always hate to take down Christmas... until I'm about half way done and then I get so excited that things are getting cleaned up. The house always looks so 'empty' when the decorations are tucked away for another year. But - it's really like a breath of fresh air. Things always end up looking so clean and tidy. That's the part I love!!!

We had a two story Christmas tree in the family room - and so
when the ladder came in the house to take the decorations off the tree, I had Gyle move some art work around. Down came the mirror in the living room and up went our new family photos. The painting in the family room got moved to another wall and in it's place went up pictures of my kids. Tyson wanted to rearrange the furniture, so that's just what we ended up doing.

While we were at it, Gyle decided that the old, broken in, very cumfy chairs in our bedroom had to go - so off we went to purchase some new ones.

All in all, it feels so nice to have Christmas down and my house all tidy and clean.

The Newest Walker Fam Photo

We took this photo just a few days before Chelsee left on her mission. It's probably the last time we will all be together for over three years! By the time Chelsee comes home from her mission, Tyson will be on his mission. I'm sure there will be many changes to our family by the next family photo time... more grandchildren? another marriage? kids growing up!" etc... Hmmmm, what will the next three years bring?