September 27, 2010

Hey family, how is it all going? Well, I got some transfer news and to tell you the truth, Elder Ellis and I did not see this one coming. Well, I am staying in Anger with Elder Ellis but we are also getting a new Elder in our companionship. His name is Elder Brady. He is in our District but is moving from another city. He is in his 3rd transfer, so it will be cool. You have me, in my 7th elder, Ellis in his 5th and Elder Brady in his 3rd. We are the only companionship in the mission with 3 missionaries. We have a lot of missionaries I guess on visa wait to come over. So there are a lot of missionaries that will come in, well, whenever they can. Some missionaries think that we will get one in our companionship and they will just make us into two companionships. That would mean that one of us will be training....fun. Well, that is the transfer news. We have a very young district. We have Elder Crump and I who were in the MTC together in our district. Elder crump is our district leader and he is also training, so fun for him. You then have Elder Ellis in his 5th transfer, Elder Smith in his 4th along with his companion who is in his 4th, and then you have Elder Brady who is in his 3rd and the greeny. So, we have a young district - how fun.

Well, on to this week. Life here has been good. We have been working hard and having fun. We have had a couple of mangez-vous (dinner appointments) with members this week. So, that has been real nice to go over and talk with them. A couple even tried to invite their friends over to have dinner with us. Awesome member referrals! This last Saturday we did a big district activity where our whole district came to Angers and we built a Live de Mormon tower. We then went on our way contacting. It was great. We got some good contacts and people who were really interested in the Book of Mormon and our funny tower that went along with it. Then we also went out to get a kabob for lunch. It is a sandwich and really good. There was someone who they stopped and talked to and we taught him after lunch. During the middle of the lesson some guy comes up and starts as he says; “just talking and sharing ideas” or in other words, trying to bash us and tell us that we are wrong and all the Christians are wrong and everything. The cool part was that guy we were teaching started to defend us and the Book of Mormon. He doesn’t even know us and he was defending us and telling that man what the Book of Mormon was. It was just awesome! We were all in shock, just thinking WOW! We have a rendez-vous with him next Saturday, so that should be awesome.

Well, we also did the same old, same old contacting stuff we do every day. It is something that needs to be done so that’s why you have us. I am now (and I can’t believe I am saying this) but I am officially OLD! I am no longer a teenager. Goodbye teenager childish years and hello to the adult childish years.....I mean you always have to have a child in you somewhere. It was a good day. It does fill weird to think that I am 20 years old but what can you do. It was good. I did some fun missionary work. Also Soeur (sister) Staheli called me, the mission president’s wife, to wish me a happy birthday, so that was cool. Elder Ellis was nice and bought me a pastry for my birthday.

Oh yah - on Tuesday we had a member who works with us, he is way cool, anyway, we go to the church and he had lunch for us. Guess what we ate.....it was a real French meal....we had ESCARGOT or in other words SNAIL.

It wasn’t the first time I had eaten snail. I had some in Utah but I don’t think they are that bad. They taste like chicken, just rubbery and chewy, but they were good. We also had shrimp. One problem, when we left we left some of the stuff in the kitchen. When we came the next day the whole room smelled like fish. So, we had to air out the whole relief society room. It was good though, it did not smell like that at church. So, that is good.

Well, I wanted to thank you all for your wonderful birthday wishes and your hopes that I had a great day - so thank you. And thank you for the wonderful gifts and cake also. I have not made the cake yet, but maybe today I will because I want some American food or dessert. So, thank you! I hope you all have a great week and know that I love ya. TTFN LOVE ELDER WALKER