Happy Thanksgiving!

Here is the next letter from Elder Walker. It sounds like he is doing well and enjoying his time in the MT. I hope that you can navigate your way through his spelling. It makes me laugh because i know that i can not spell so well myself.

Hey how is it going. The mission is going great. Well Just to let you know a little more about my companions. Elder Mcquay. he is very smart he knows 5 languages whent to byu for a semester. The room mates in my room Elder Allen He is from las vagas and he is in to skatebording. Elder Crump he is rom orem ut. smart love to play soccer.
And we all got here at the same time and we are all going to the same mission
This week was great we had Elder Oaks and Elder Holland come and talk to us. tues. we had a devotional where elder Oaks came annd talk with us he shered a great leason. Then yesterday on Thanksgiving We had elder Holland come and talk to us to. the both did a great job.
Thanksgiving day was awesome. We had a day off kind of. We woke up got breakfast then we just talked in our dorm room. after was the devotional with Elder Holland. it was great. Then we had our Thanksgiving Dinner (lunch). We had turky, stuffing, mashpotatos, and more it was great. After our dinner we when to a humanitarian presintation. after the presintation we did a humanitarian project. That is where we got to and we made first aid kits. We made close I think about 8,000 of them it was a great experiance. Then we got to go to a fireside where Elders and sisters got to say what they are thankful for. And we got to listen to great music played by very talented. Elder. and sister.
I am so excited for today Its P-day. I get to do laundry write emails. and letters. But the thing that I am looking forward the most is the temple we have achance to go to the provo temple. I am so excited I just cant wait. Just to go and remeber why I am here and give me strength.
On tuesday Dec. 1st I get to go to san fransico for the day to get my french visa. I have to be up at 4:30 AM it is going to be a long day. But I am looking forward to it.
Hey Wendi Happy Birthday in a couple of days I hope you have a great day!!! Love ya.
Well life at the mtc is great. I just can't wait to be out in the field I love you all so much. thanky you for all that you have done and the love and support.
P.S. I can now say my testimony in french its awesome.
LOVE ELDER WALKER

First Email From Elder Walker

Bonjour family. How is life going? Life at the MTC is going great. I am having a real fun time in here. The first day we got here they just rushed me to get my stuff drop off my luagage and go straight to class. I go my compainion his name is Elder Mcquay. He is a great Elder. There is also two other Elders in the same room as eldr mcquay and I They are Elder Crump and Elder Allen The are great Elders two Life is going great. They just keep you busy and you just work work work. There are just sometimes when life gets hard and I just want to give up But I am staying strong and I will not give up

The four of us elders are all room mates and we are all in the same district. I think we have the smallest district to. It was so great the first night The other elders in our zone taught us how to open a locked door using only a pice of paper, floss, a metal hanger, and a vacum cord. it was pretty funny to say the least.

They are working us hard here we already know how to say our prayers in freanch and already have people to practice teching with. The food here is that bad I have had better tho. What I like the most is there is chocolate milk dispensers and gatorade ones to. But life is good It is a new concept of eating breakfast every morning but Im getting use to it.

I love my companions they are great and I love my teachers to. I have a pretty cool zone they are all really friendly and just want to get to know everyone.

We did this thing last night called the mile stone with our zone. its where you go and you teach someone then they will give you feedback then they teach you and you give them feedback. It was a fun experiance then after that we all go together and have a group lesson.

I also found out that you have to prepare a talk every sunday in the language you are learning because They will call randomly about 2-3 people up to give that talk I am alittle nervise tho I hope I never have to get up (knock on Wood)

Life is great here tho and I cant wait till Im out in the feild I love all of you so much And I hope you have fun. but not to much fun with out me tho. I have to go I will have more time next week love you all bye.

Saying Goodbye

This last week we sent Elder Walker on his way. On Sunday he had his mission farewell talk and then we had an open house after wards. Then on Wednesday we took him down to the MTC. Both them were wonderful experiences and I am glad to have been a part of them.

Last Sunday morning we were all running around the house setting up the last minute things for the open house and making sure that we had everything ready to go. We knew that we would be having around 100 or so people in the house that afternoon and we wanted to make sure that they would all have a place to go. As we were getting before the meeting at one, people started coming over to the house. They wanted to make sure that we had what we needed and were just dropping off a little something extra. Everyone of them said something great about Chris and all that he has done for the ward. Everyone of them was happy to be a part of his life and the things that he was doing. It was great to hear and to know that so many people loved and supported my brother in all that he is doing with his life.

At the church family and friends arrived to listen to the words that Chris had to say. His talk went really well and the feeling of the spirit was strong and happy. He did a great job talking about sacrifice and keeping his cool throughout it. Afterwards we all headed over tot he house for some great food and even better company. The house was packed full with people who were there to show there love to Chris and to tell him goodbye. It was an amazing thing to watch all of the people that came to support my brother and our family. We are truly blessed and grateful to all of those who came. It meant a lot to us to have you there and it meant a lot to Chris to be able to see all of you before he left. So thank you for coming!

On Tuesday night Chris was set apart as a Missionary. The stake president and his counsels gave him some great words of advice about staying close to the savior and standing up for what he knows to be right. After he was set apart we went home and started to pack his bags. My mom was worried about all of the stuff fitting into the two suitcases and not being over weight. but being the amazing packer that she is, she was able to get the weight evenly distributed to the two cases. In the end each of them weighed about 45 pounds. And that is with the heavy winter coat and boots in them. Then on Wednesday we took Elder Walker down to the MTC.

I ended up going to class that morning to turn in some papers that were due, but I was able to get away and meet every one for lunch. We all meet at Applebee's at 11 to eat and spend time with Chris before we said goodbye. The food was great but the company was even better. I love spending time with my brother and it was great to eat with him for one last time.





After lunch we headed down to the MTC in Provo. We got down there just in time to take some pictures before we had to drop him off. We all gathered at the park across form the MTC and took our photos with him. Then we walked him across the street and into the MTC parking lot. That was as far as we were allowed to go. From there they had another missionary come over and get Chris. We all gave him our hugs and sent our good luck wishes with him. Then we stood and watched as the two elders went walking into the doors of the MTC. And that was goodbye.

I will miss my brother with all my heart. He is a great guy and an even better friend. But I know that he will do well in the mission field. He cares so much about people and loves to help them succeed. I know that he well love the people that he comes to met and teach throughout the next two years. He will be a great missionary and he will be able to bless the lives of many. And knowing that makes me happier than anything. I am proud to call Elder Walker my brother.

Getting the Mission Call

About five months ago is when my brother received his mission call. He had been working on all of his papers a lot because he wanted to be able to submit them as early as possible, which was three months before his 19th birthday. Since his birthday is in September, that means that he could submit them at the end of June. He wanted to be able to go as soon as he could because he wasn't going to go to school first and he didn't want to sit around forever. Chris finally finished all of his paper work and interviews and submitted the papers. He was told that it would take about one week for him to receive his call.

Because Chris had turned his papers in over a holiday weekend, we were not sure if he would get his call back that week or not. A lot of people kept telling him that he would not be getting it until after the holidays. Chris just kept nodding his head and saying that he would get it on Wednesday. He was like he knew that it was coming and nothing was going to convince him otherwise. It turns out that Chris was right. On Wednesday July 8, 2009 Chris received his mission call.

We all told him that he had to wait until tonight to open it so that we could all be there. Chris had wok until nine so we all planned to meet at the house about then. As nine o'clock get closer, the more excited we all got. We had a bunch of family and friends over for the occasion. There was my family, the grandparents on both sides, the best friends or "brothers" of Chris, the bishopric and his young men leaders. All of them were gathered there to support Chris and what he was doing. When Chris arrived at home that night we all went straight down stairs. Before he would open the envelope he made everyone write on the back of it where we thought he was going to go. By the time the envelope made it all the way around we had quit the list. Some of the guess's were Italy, California, Africa, New Zealand, Brazil, and Canada. There were many others as well.

When the envelope got back to Chris he opened it up and started to read it. As he was reading he got this huge grin on his face. You just knew that he was happy. He read that he was being called to the Brussels Belgium/Netherlands mission and that he needed to report to the MTC on November 18, 2009. At that time we were all very excited and happy for this fine young man. And he just smiled and laughed. For what we didn't know was that he had already opened his call earlier that day. He had opened it when it first came in the mail and had even started telling other people. He just wanted to see if any of us could guess where he was going. And he said that even though he had already opened it earlier, he wanted to open in front of his mom for her to hear where he was being sent.

We spent the next little while eating donuts and laughing at the whole thing. We went over the map of where he would be and discussed all that needed to be done before he left. Chris was happy about the call and very excited that he would be speaking French. he was a little bummed though that he would be waiting five months until he left. All in all it was a great night and a fabulous one to be a part of.

Farewell Talk

Sacrifice Brings Forth the Blessing of Heaven

Good afternoon brothers and sisters. As I look out over the audience I am amazed to see so many family members and friends. I feel truly blessed by your attendance and your sacrifice to be here with me today. As you know, I have been called to serve in the Belgium Brussels/Netherlands mission. I am excited to go and serve the people there and pray that I will find those people to teach that Heavenly Father has prepared.

I wish that I did not have to get up and give a talk today. I was hoping that the Bishop would just let me announce my mission and tell you all goodbye and then sit down. But – I have not been so lucky. The Bishop has asked me to speak to you today on “Sacrifice Brings Forth the Blessing of Heaven”. I have felt overwhelmed by this topic as I have looked back on my life and thought about all the sacrifices my family and friends have made on my behalf in order for me to be here today giving my farewell talk.

The word sacrifice means literally “to make sacred” or “to render sacred.” Sacrifice is defined as “the act of giving up something valued for the sake of something else more important or worthy.”

I hope you have had a moment to read the quote on the front of the program today. It is by Gordon B. Hinckley and I would like to read it to you again. “Sacrifice is the very essence of religion: it is the keystone of a happy home life, the basis of true friendship, the foundation of peaceful community living, of sound relations among people and nations…Without sacrifice there is no true worship of God. I become increasingly convinced of that every day. “The Father gave his Son, and the Son gave his life, and we do not worship unless we give—give of our substance, give of our time, give of our strength, give of our talent, give of our faith, give of our testimonies.”

As I thought of this statement I felt very grateful and blessed to know these truths. As I have learned about the Atonement and the greatest sacrifice of all time I can hardly believe that he did this for each of us. He gave his life for each and every one of us so we could be able to live with him again. Elder Robert K. Dellenbach stated in a 2002 Ensign article “There can be no sacrifice greater than the atoning sacrifice of the Savior Jesus Christ. His Atonement, though incomprehensible and without equal, was this world’s crowning event. Gratefully, because of His supreme offer of charity, there is no sting of death, and the grave has no victory.” What greater blessing of Heaven could we ask for than to have the opportunity to live with our Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ again? If we do not offer the sacrifice of a broken heart and a contrite spirit, we cannot fully receive the blessings that come though the Atonement.

Another great example of sacrifice is the life of our Prophet Joseph Smith. In William W. Phelps inspiring hymn “Praise to the Man” the words pay a magnificent tribute to the Prophet. This beautiful hymn not only incorporates the elements of rejoicing and prophecy but also contains the phrase “Sacrifice brings forth the blessing of heaven” which Joseph’s life exemplifies. Through all the trials that Joseph faced in bringing forth the Book of Mormon and restoring this gospel to the earth, he stood firm and resolute in his beliefs. Each of us today is reaping the blessings of this great work and of his many sacrifices.

As I have been blessed to attend the temple this past month, I have come to a greater understanding about the law of sacrifice and the blessing promised. In D&C 103:27 the Savior said, ‘Let no man be afraid to lay down his life for my sake.” He never asked anyone to do something he was unwilling to do himself. He made the supreme sacrifice as did Joseph Smith. You and I may never be asked to lay down our lives for the gospel’s sake, but in many ways we can be obedient to the law of sacrifice and indicate our willingness to build the kingdom. In the temple we are taught to give everything we have to the building up of the kingdom of heaven. We are to give of our time, our talents, our means and anything else we may have to offer.

In a talk given by Elder Octaviano Tenorio of the Seventy he told a story about a young man named Alejandro Gallegos. In 1995 when he was 21 he attended an institute of religion class in northern Mexico. When his father found out that his son was studying with the Mormons, he was not happy. Nevertheless, Alejandro says, “Within my heart, a testimony of the gospel had begun to blossom.” When the missionaries invited him to be baptized he adds, “I accepted wholeheartedly.” As his testimony grew so did his desire to serve a full time mission. He did not have any support from his family and he did not have the means to support himself. He worked with his Bishop and developed a plan to prepare spiritually and financially to serve. He stopped his university studies so he could work and save the money needed. When he was 25 he was called to serve a mission and did so honorably until his release in 2001. After returning home, he was not able to resume his studies. The university would not accept him back into the program. He began to attend a private university which would only accept one year of his three years of credits. He basically had to start over. He finished his degree, married in the Mexico City Mexico Temple and is doing well today. As he speaks about his sacrifices and trials in his life to serve a mission he states “The sacrifice was worth it because he had realized his goal of serving the Lord as a full-time missionary which is a blessing that he will always be grateful for.”

Both sets of my grandparents have served honorable missions. In helping them prepare to leave and hearing their stories of their service it has helped me gain a greater appreciation for missionary work. As they left me and my cousins and aunts and uncles it was hard for them as well as for us. We missed them greatly but knew that they were doing a great work. They made great sacrifices in order to go and serve. They missed major family events and gave up time they could have spent with their children and grand children. Their missions brought great joy not only to them but to our family. We received blessings in our lives because of their willingness to serve.

Each of us makes sacrifices everyday. We give of ourselves to help and bless others. In so doing, we receive blessing that we need in our lives. As we voluntarily give our contributions, this sacrifice blesses us individually and it also blesses our family. These contributions also provide the resources necessary to build up the kingdom and they help to perform miracles everyday. As we attend the temple and do family history work we are making a sacrifice of love and time. We are providing a means for those that have gone on before us to receive the gospel and all the blessing associated with the temple ordinances.

As I have grown up in this ward I have had so many great examples to follow. All of my Young Men Leaders have given unselfishly to serve me and the other young men in this ward. They have given of their time and talents to bless my life. They have given me opportunities to serve others and taught me that serving others is a great gift. I have been blessed to be able to serve people in this ward and outside of this ward. We have donated food, clothing, and other items for the needy, we have helped clean up yards, filled sandbags, made and taken food to members, shoveled snow, cleaned the church building, and done so many other projects. By participating in these activities, I have grown to love the people of this ward. I have learned that helping others makes me forget about my problems and trials. I have been richly blessed to be able to serve and give of myself to make others happy. I am truly thankful for the Bishopric and all my leaders for teaching me this principle and giving me opportunities to bless the lives of others.

President Spencer W. Kimball said, “As we give, we find that sacrifice brings forth the blessing of heaven! And in the end, we learn it was no sacrifice at all.”

I would just like to bear my testimony of this great principle. BEAR TESTIMONY.

Thanks everyone again for coming and tell them how much you appreciate their support and love as you enter the mission field. Thank the ward members for their examples and support. Thank your family for their love and support.

In the name of Jesus Christ Amen.