December 15, 2010

Hey family! Well, to start off I just have to say I love you. I am just thinking here now about all that you do for me while I am on a mission for the Lord. So, how ya’ll doing? Things here have been great. We had mission conference at Versailles last Wednesday. It was great to see the whole mission and all the missionaries. It was also good to see old companions. Well, it was great. They made this huge slide show with pictures throughout the year of missionaries and it was funny. Some of those pictures - I will get a copy and will have to show it to you. Well, it was also very cool because we took a huge mission picture with everyone in it and then we played a white elephant game. I sent in this 5 color changeable highlighter and I ended up getting a 100 French blond jokes. I have to admit some of them are pretty funny. It was a good conference though. When we left to go home that is where things got fun. We were there for about 4 hr and when we came, there was no snow. When we left there was about 10-12 inches on the ground.... Yea - everything was closed and nothing was working. So, we had to walk to the station after because the buses were not working; then when we got there the metro wasn’t working. We needed the metro to get over to the train station. We finally got on one that worked. Oh boy, Oh boy! That was fun. It was pretty much the only one that worked in Paris. That metro was packed tighter then a can of sardines. At one point I was smashed up against the window with a box of Restoration DVD’s in my stomach and millions of people pushing me. I looked like a pancake on that window. I have to say that that was the most uncomfortable ride I have ever had. Well, because everything was late and because of the snow we missed our train. So, we had to catch the later one. We didn’t get home till about midnight. The bad part is that we had to get up at 4 that morning to catch the train to Paris. What a day. It was still fun and it was a great time.

Well, this week we have some miracle stories to tell. One was today about an awesome lady who has been sick for a while. Well, we saw her today and it was awesome. We told her about the restoration of the church and she just accepted it. She just had an open heart. At the end we asked if she would be baptized and she said YES! So, we fixed a date for the 15th of January. It was awesome and she is so cool. She is also coming to church on Sunday. We had to get permission from our president to drive her there because she doesn’t have a car and it is a half an hour drive. So, we did that and now she is coming to church.

Another one which was so cool - we ran into someone from Canada. When we found him he was in bad shape. His wife just left him and he has been drinking and smoking cigarettes and weed. He was bad but we had a 3 hr appointment with him and at the end he told us he wanted to change. He hates his life. We taught him about prayer and how about God is always there for us. Well, we prayed with him and then we gave him a blessing of comfort. At the end we were just talking about how he can fight the temptations. We told him not to even have it around him. Well, he takes us into the kitchen where he gives us a bottle of red wine, a bottle of Jack Daniels whisky, a package of tobacco, and his weed. We left his house with all his drugs. Now don’t you worry, we threw it away. Well, we come back the next day and you can just tell by looking at him that he had changed. He told us he is doing a lot better and that he has not even had the temptation to smoke or drink. His wife came over the night before and he told us in 10 years he never saw her face look like that. She was proud of him right then, that night. And, she is also helping him become better. It is so cool. I am so happy for him. We have another appointment with him tomorrow, and it should be great.

Well, transfers are coming up. They are on the 22nd. Well, here is the news. I am staying here in Coutances/St Lo with Elder Gull. Elder Hall is leaving and going up to Namur, Belgium. I don’t know Elder Gull that much. I just know that he is the same age as Elder Hall, but that is about all I know of him. So, it looks like I will be having Christmas in Normandy which is always cool. I like it here. It is small but I can still have fun. Apparently we are also getting sisters in our district next transfer. So that will be cool to have sisters in the district again.

Alright, so next week is Christmas. Now about calling home – well, I don’t really know how it is going to work because I am trying to figure out if I call or you call and what times. I don’t know what times Elder Gull has either. Well, I know it is coming up. It is next week. There is a good chance I will be buying a calling card to call you but if not I hope you can call me. OK THIS IS WHAT YOU NEED TO DO. DAD AND SHANNON; MOM AND DENNIS - I NEED YOU TO EMAIL THE TIME THAT IS BEST FOR YOU BECAUSE I AM FREE ALL DAY BASICLY AND IT IS GOOD. I JUST HAVE A LUNCH WITH A MEMBER. I NEED YOU TO TELL ME WHAT TIME IN YOUR TIME - AS IN THE TIME IN UTAH - NOT MINE. 2 O’ CLOCK IS THE LATEST I CAN CALL SOMEONE BECAUSE 2 O’ CLOCK THERE IS 10 PM HERE. SO, ANY TIME BEFORE 2 WILL BE GOOD. CAN YOU DO THAT AND I WILL TRY TO GET BACK TO YOU NEXT WEEK OR SOME TIME THIS WEEK.

Well family I love you and am excited to talk to you next Saturday. I love you and hope you have a great day and week. TTFN LOVE ELDER WALKER

PS - here is a district boy band picture.