Precious Notes from Sister Walker

In response to her dad's final letter:

Gee Dad, now I'm sitting in the middle of the library with tears streaming down my face and on to the key board... luckily I'm in corner where not too many people can see me! THIS ISN'T EASY! NOT ONE BIT! Man, I don't want to leave but I know that I have to. My heart is being torn to pieces! I guess that just means that I have been a successful missionary otherwise I would have no problem with this. I HAVE fought my hardest and I know that the battle must come to an end.... I just wish it
could last forever... and I know it will, just not full time. I do look forward to, and I am excited to see my family and friends again. I am excited to get back up to Rexburg but darn it all, I'm not ready to no longer be a full-time missionary. I have put my whole heart and soul into the past 18 months and.... well, you know how I feel! I love you SO MUCH and I am excited to see you on Tuesday! Just be prepared for the tears!!! HAHAHAHA!

Cute note to her mom in response to a letter about housing at BYU-I for Spring Semester:

Phew... actually, I wasn't worried about that at all... in fact housing hadn't even crossed my mind since the last time we talked about it! haha! It sounds WONDERFUL! I think I've been in there before... maybe... I think some of my friends use to live there! I'm excited for you to come with me... no cheating and trying to see your son though (well maybe we will have to accidentally buy him a box of goodies and accidentally come across his living quarters and accidentally drop it off on his porch)!!! Hahahaha!! I love you MOSTEST! Thanks for getting that all set up!

In response to a letter from her mom - an analogy from Mary Poppins... even though the end has come, "It's as it should be" So - Let's Go Fly A Kite!

Thanks Mom, I needed that... today is hard and I do just need to go fly a kite! Read my response to Dad! I love you SO MUCH! Thanks for all your love, support, encouragement and most of all thanks for being MY mom! Love you MOST!!!!

Final Letter from Sister Walker as a Full Time Missionary

Hello Family!!!!

Today, I just want to keep this simple today and share my testimony with you!

Over the past 18 months 2 weeks and 2 days I have come to realize even more than ever that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lords church on the earth today. This IS the ONLY church that contains the fullness of the gospel. I know that God is our loving Heavenly Father he loves us so much that he sent us away out of his presence for a time so that we could learn and grow for ourselves and learn to become more like him. He has given us families on the earth so that we can learn from one another and work towards eternal life together! I know that we have a living prophet on the earth today and I know that as we follow him we will be lead back to our Father in Heaven! I know that through the Atonement of our Savior Jesus Christ we will be saved so long as we repent and come unto him! I know that the Book of Mormon is Another Testament of Jesus Christ and that it changes lives every day! I know that the CHURCH IS TRUE!

I love you all so much and if I haven’t told you already…. I am so grateful for all of your prayers, love, encouraging words…. EVERYTHING! I could have NEVER done this without ALL of you!

I have fought the fight and THIS battle is ending… but a new one is just about to begin… BRING IT ON!
I am excited to see you and give you all LOTS AND LOTS of hugs and kisses!

For the last time from SISTER Chelsee Walker… Make good choices, don’t do drugs, be happy and remember that you are a child of God and we WILL live together with him someday!

Love, Sister Chelsee Walker

Cute Briggan - 2 months old

Just had to share these darling photos of Briggan. He's two months old and absolutely darling! Big, bright blue eyes! Makes you want to snuggle with him, huh?

Sis. Walker - March 18, 2010

HELLO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh my EVER LIVIN... this is your second to last e-mail from your favorite Sister Chelsee Walker! CRAZY!!!!!!!

First of all... happy St. Pats Day yesterday... yes, it is my favorite holiday and YES I did tell everyone that... I had corned beef and cabbage 2 times this week... I'm not so sure I want any more corned beef for about a year! I liked it but twice in one week is getting a little overboard! Ha!

We had another Sister Exchange on Tuesday and once again, I went Spanish for the day... yes, another 24 hours of nothing but Spanish. My brain didn't hurt as much as it did the last time I did it because I understood about a 3rd of the words this time! It was fun. I was with Hermana Hernandez from Mexico. Hna Hernandez has only been out 2 months so it was fun sharing some insight with her. I had something reaffirmed to me this time... it doesn't matter what language you speak, we all have one common language and that is the Spirit. I could feel the spirit so strong when she shared the first vision with a new investigator. It doesn't matter what language the first vision is told in... it is a true event, Joseph DID see God the Father and His son Jesus Christ.

Cool experience.... The other night I was feeling super sad because one of our investigators who we had set for baptism for this weekend told us that he wasn't ready to be baptized and wanted to wait for a couple of weeks. Well, I was being super selfish and my thought process was... "well if he waits for a couple of weeks I wont be here and there is a possibility of not having a baptism this transfer because we aren't sure if Kelsey is getting baptized on the 27th anymore..." I was super bummed. I went down and laid on my bed and I kept thinking, "this is going to haunt me for the rest of my life... You didn't have a baptism your last transfer, what a failure..." And then the tears came... then after a minute I thought..." WAIT, I AM NOT A FAILURE... Sister Walker, this is Satan trying to make you sad so that you don't feel like working as hard as you can to have a baptism this transfer..." as soon as I had that thought I felt a TON of peace and the second thought came to mind... "Not THY will but MINE.... HELLO SISTER WALKER... If the Lord wants Kelsey to get baptized on the 27 then she will get baptized on the 27th. If it is not His will then it wont happen. AND you are NOT a failure... look at all the other success stories you have had on your mission... sheesh Sister Walker, this is the LORDS work... HIS WILL!" Then I got down on my knees and thanked the Lord for comforting my heart. I wish you could have been inside my head because it would have been quite the comedy show! I feel 100% better now and I am working as hard as I can... we have a lot of people set for baptism for next transfer and I know that my hard work will pay off!

I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok, I have got to get running now. I only have 6 minutes and I need to send my Presidents letter! I love you all more than anything!

Make good choices, don't do drugs, be happy and love Jesus!
See you real soon baboon!
Love, ME!

Elder Walker March 15, 2010

Hello everyone,

Well I asked President about seeing Chelsee when she comes up here. He said I can! That makes me very excited. He told me I can do what ever I want, I can go to the temple, go to lunch, maybe both... He told me to give her a big hug (not in front of a lot of people) and then tell her I'll see her in two years. I'm very very excited that I can see my sister when she gets home.

Transfers are coming up not this week but the next. I asked President Colton about transfers and he told me that this mission is only getting 4 new missionaries; he wants to keep this transfer as invisible as possible. I said so does that mean that I will be staying in St. Anthony with Elder Call again? He said that most likely we will. I told him that means I am the only missionary that came out with my group that is still with my trainer and will be with him for 6 months. He then responded and said, "well if you didn't baptize 11 people in 2 1/2 transfers then I would consider splitting you up. I do like Elder Call, and I love St. Anthony but things are getting a bit monotonous. I think it's weird to be with your trainer for 4 transfers. Elder Call told me the other day that if we do stay together again then that is cheating me of some learning experiences from other missionaries. He said that he learned the most from his second companion anyways. Who knows though, President told me that before they even decided anything.

Well we still don't have any baptism dates set yet but we are trying really hard. We have a couple that are getting close but are afraid to commit because of word of wisdom problems. I hope to see a difference here this next transfer if I stay again.

I never thought that the temperature getting to the 30s would be warm, but let me tell you, we are getting toasty here in the 30s. When the temperature gets that high we like to park the car and walk because it's warm enough to be outside without coats.

We look forward to general conference because then we can take off our suit coats and just wear white shirts. I wish we could go out in jeans but that is just wishful thinking...

We are going to take Robert Terrill to the Idaho Falls temple visitor center on Tuesday to see the Joseph Smith film and Legacy. It's great to have a visitors center close to take investigators and recent converts to see films and paintings.

I love you all very much. I hope all is well and life is great.

Peace and Love,
Elder Walker

Sis Walker March 11

Happy 18 months and 1 day to me!!!!!! Oh my EVER LIVIN, I cannot BELIEVE that I have been on my mission for 18 months officially! I almost don't want to believe it! I wish I could slow time down but I have come to terms with the fact that I cannot and I'm just going to have to make the best of it! This has been the greatest 18 months and 1 day of my life and I will forever be grateful for the opportunity I have had to be a full-time servant of the Lord! I have thought a lot about the past 18 months... and one day... and all the changes that have taken place in me and I tell you what... WOW! I feel like a new person! Don't worry though, I'm still as quirky and blond as ever... I'm just a bit more in tune with my spiritual side! Haha!

Can I just say that I LOVE Sister Matthew! She keeps me laughing constantly. Yesterday we were doing some tracting and out of the blue she turns to me and says, "Sister Walker, my body is a temple, not a visitors center." Yeah, I have no idea where that came from but it was right at the perfect moment because I was getting a little grumpy from tracting... In case you didn't know... I don't like tracting... AT ALL! She is so on top of things and knows how to cheer me up right at the right moment! I LOVE HER! She even bought me lunch yesterday to celebrate my 18 months!!! I wish I could bring her with me in a couple of weeks and set her on my shelf and have her cheer me up when I am piled in homework! I'll just have to find a replacement Marshaleese person until she is done with her mission!!! Ha!

I of course am in love with this work. Things have been a little slower this transfer as far as LTM's and baptisms go but we are still trudging forward! I have been a little nervous because we only have 1 person set for baptism this transfer (a couple more for next) and she is having major problems with her family. But I have faith that all will be well and that she will get baptized. We are still doing a lot of finding and being quite successful... still slow but successful!

So, the sun can't make up it's mind, it is standing on the sidelines and the clouds keep taking the stage! Yesterday the weather was like Colorado. Beautiful and sunny in the morning, cold and raining from noon to 4, sunny and warm till 5, then snow at 5 (yes snow... just flurries... nothing stuck), cleared up by 7... sheesh! Maybe it is just trying to prepare me!

We went to the temple this morning! I LOVE THE TEMPLE!!!!! I love the Las Vegas temple! Do you know what is weird???... The next time I go to the temple Mom and Dad will be there! CRAZY!

Ok, I've got to get running now! I love you all SO MUCH!!!!!!!! Make good choices, don't do drugs, be happy and baptize someone!

Love, ME!

Elder Walker March 8

Hello everyone!

So the funniest thing just happened 30 seconds ago... Elder Call just flipped while reading his e-mail, stood up and started pacing. I was like what's going on? He says read this e-mail. I read a paragraph that says that his family has put up his house for sale and they are now moving to Texas from Illinois. The reason this is so funny is because he has always given me grief about Colorado being the second most prideful state in the Union with Texas being the most. Karma! This is hilarious! Only because this didn't happen to me. hint hint... please don't move away from Colorado... ever.

Alright so the update for this week. We concluded our 11th baptism this Saturday. Robert Terrill was baptized very successfully. He was very excited and very prepared for that day. Once again I had the great opportunity to confirm Brother Terrill. There is no greater opportunity than that of giving a child of God the gift of the Holy Ghost. I can't wait to see him take his wife to the temple a year from now. After the baptism Brother Terrill took me aside and told me that if he had a son he would hope that he would be just like me. I will never forget that moment. That means a hole bunch to me.

We have now run into a problem... Yesterday was the first day of the mission that we did not have anyone with a baptism date. I don't know what has happened. Actually I think that the problem is that the stake just got rearranged and we got 7 new ward mission leaders. I think the work is going to explode when these new bishops and ward mission leaders get things under control.

The next transfers are on the 24th of March. I'm pretty sure Elder Call is going to get transferred because he has been here for a while but then again think of Elder Bosen, he had a lot of junior companions leave before he did. I think we need a little change here to get things going again.

Congratulations to Iver to get his call to Mexico. That officially means that every one of my friends are Spanish speaking except Scott. Bernie, Casey, Spencer, Patrick, and now Iver are Spanish speaking. I think it's great for Iver to go to Mexico because he is already used to eating bugs... haha. I'm very excited for him. I know he'll be a great missionary.

I do have one thing to say about the Idaho Pocatello Mission. There aren't too many missions where you get a shoulder workout because of waving to everybody who honks at us to say hi. Also I feel like a celebrity sometimes especially going to ward parties or church. Everyone wants to shake the missionaries hands.

Yesterday the lesson in church was about home teaching. I had the impression that I know that dad and I taught the Lindsey family for a reason. I believe that by dad making me teach the lessons I was prepared to teach families here in Idaho. I know that wasn't a coincidence. What a great family for me to "practice" on for preparation.

Well the last thing that happened is that we got our new car on Saturday. We got a brand new Chevy Malibu. It smells like new car which is my favorite part. The funny thing is that because our mission is so close to Utah our car has Utah license plates. Now everyone knows who the missionaries are.

Well the work is going forth. We plan on working hard all the way to the end of this mission. I know there are more people to find. We had a district fast yesterday to find more people to teach. I shouldn't complain because having 11 baptisms in 3 1/2 months isn't a bad thing by any means.

I love you all very much. I hope and pray that little Briggan is doing well.

Peace and Love,
Elder Walker

Sister Walker 3/4/2010

ALOHA!!!!!!!!

Ok, I'm feeling a little Hawaiian with Sis. Matthew around... even though she isn't Hawaiian, she is Marshallese ! Oh well, she still spent half her life in Hawaii!

This week has been a great week! Last weekend I went to the temple with Maria May and I tell you what, that made my whole mission. I sat right behind Maria during the session and I loved seeing the excitement/ nervousness/ confusion come across her face during the session! It was fantastic! It reminded me SO much of when I went though the temple to receive my endowment! She did such a great job! The second I got into the Celestial room I wrapped my arms around her and told her how proud I was of her! She hugged me SO tight and said, "Thank you so much for choosing to come on a mission. I know that you came on your mission for me!" I had to fight back the tears at that point because I knew she was right. I am SO glad that I chose to come on a mission! I know that I was sent here to the Nevada Las Vegas Mission at this time because there were and are people here that needed ME, yes, Me, Sister Walker to come and teach them and bring them unto Christ! I have been so blessed and so privileged to teach so many incredible people!

On Sunday Sister Matthew and I gave talks in one of our wards. When the Counselor, Bro. Armantrout got up to introduce us, he said, "Well brothers and sisters, today you get a special treat, you get to hear from a sister who is still fresh from the MTC and a sister who only has 4 weeks left." I laughed! I was trying not to tell everyone, even though most people already know because I have been here so long. I started off my talk by saying, "My name is Sister Walker and if you don't know that by now than you probably moved in in the past 3 months because that was the last time I talked. You know you've been in an area a long time when this is your fourth time giving a talk in the same ward." I actually felt like I was giving a farewell talk because I know everyone in the ward and I have grown so close to all of them. It was great!

On Monday I did an exchange with the sisters serving in Henderson. President asked me last week to organize an exchange with those sisters because they were struggling. I must admit, I sort of felt like a district leader for a second because they are the ones that usually do that with the elders in their district!!! I guess that's what happens when you are the oldest sister in the mission by 7 1/2 months... meaning that the next sister doesn't go home for another 7 1/2 months! The exchange was good, I was able to figure out what the problem is in their companionship and I talked to both of them about it and so far things are getting better!

Ok, I've got to go now. I'm getting kicked off the computer!

I love you all SO SO SO MUCH!!!!

Remember to make good choices, don't do drugs, be happy and serve the Lord!

Love, ME!!!!

Elder Walker - March 1, 2010 FOUR MONTHS!

Hello everyone,

I'm glad to hear the news that Briggan is doing well. There is not much worse than being so close to him and knowing that I am so helpless. I'm am relieved to know that all is well and that I can continue with out worry.

Yesterday I hit my 4 month mark. Can you even believe that it's been four months already? I can't. I also realized that if I stay in St. Anthony another transfer I will hit my 6 month mark here meaning that I would have spent a quarter of my mission in this great place. I hope that happens. I guess we'll find out in a few weeks though.

At church yesterday they had a returned missionary speak. He said something that has really made me think... He said, "homesickness results in the guilt of not showing your love for your family when you had the chance." I then think about Max Bastian after he was out a bit and how Spencer would say that he turned into a softy. Maybe I'm just going through one of those stages; I hope you all know that I love you. I know I wasn't perfect at showing my love, especially my Junior and Senior year of high school with the chaos, but please know that If I could do it again I would show more of my love to my family. If there is one thing I learn from this mission it is how much my family means to me.
President Walker, the stake president, said at a recent baptism, "Heavenly Father could have had us do this on our own but that isn't the way he created His plan, he put us here in families for a reason." I strongly testify of what President Walker said. My greatest joy is seeing a family become united in the gospel.

Aaron Boots was baptized Saturday! None of you will understand why that is so significant just trust me when I say that it is. He has been meeting with missionaries for 3 years! The last month or two we really focused on eternal families and our Heavenly Father's plan for us. That has really hit home for Aaron. He now understands the responsibility he has as a husband and father to keep his family together in the Celestial Kingdom with our Father in Heaven. I had the wonderful opportunity to confirm Aaron yesterday. Let me tell you, if there is ever a light that turns on in someone after baptism, Aaron Boots was a spotlight. He had such a different countenance about him. His burdens were lifted and his spirit was rejoicing. THIS IS WHAT IT IS ALL ABOUT. This is why I am here. This is who my Father in Heaven has sent me to find. Aaron is now apart of his fold and I have never felt such spiritual satisfaction than to watch his progress.

On a more temporal note... Elder Call crashed this week. We were late for a meeting so he was speeding. Well the roads were icy and we went off the road. The problem was that the car crashed into this large chunk of ice which took us air born and flip us 180 degrees. We were protected and we are fine. We do get a new car this week which is great. It's either going to be a truck or a Subaru so we will have four wheel drive. The brother who pulled us out asked where we were from and when I said Colorado he made comment, "well why don't they have you drive? I wouldn't be pulling you out of this mess if you were driving." I just laughed because that's what most people say when they find out where I'm from.

Well that's pretty much all the exciting things I'm doing... I do spend quite a bit of time with the Spanish elders because Elder Call has a bunch of leadership meetings this transfer. It's great though because they are teaching me Spanish. I now know how to bear my testimony in Spanish and how to pray. I'm going to ask President if there is an opportunity I would like to be put into a bilingual area. Wouldn't that be cool? Espanol es muy facil.

Peace and love everyone... amame

Elder Walker