November 24, 2010

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TOUT LE MONDE! Well, how is everyone doing? Well, this week has been great. Well, as everyone might have guessed, tomorrow is Thanksgiving. It is sad I will have to miss it. They do not have Thanksgiving in France. It is only an American holiday. Well, what we will be doing is working, because it is not a holiday, but it is ok. There are some other elders or missionaries who our going over to members houses for a dinner and stuff, but for us, we will be working. I think though that we will make some potatoes and gravy and try to do a Thanksgiving dinner with us. Hopefully it will work out though.

Well, things here are great. We have been doing a lot of port à port lately or door to door. We have been working in a little town just right out of St Lo. We are trying to knock on every door in that city. It has been going great. We have knocked on about half and we have found 3 potential investigators out of it, so that is really good. The work is a little bit slow but we are having a great time. We may have another baptism date here also. We already have two, the mom and here 9 year old daughter. They are doing great. We have a rendezvous with them today and we are planning to teach them about the atonement. We also have to move the baptism date back just a little bit because they couldn't come to church last week and they will be in Paris this Sunday. So, we will have to move is back but they are doing great. We also have another one named Sonya who is doing awesome. Her parents are members and last week they told us that she has read the Le Live de Mormon or the Book of Mormon and knows that it is true. So, we were very happy about that. We taught her the big two commandments on Monday. The word of wisdom and the law of chastity. They went well and she knows what she needs to do to change. We have another rendezvous with her tomorrow, so that should be great.

This past Sunday we had district conference. It is like stake conference but when you have just branches it is called a district. So, we all went to Caen and President Staheli was there also. So, we got to talk with him and it was great. He talked about the missionary work for members and how that they don't need to do missionary work, but just be missionaries. As in they should be an example and should invite people to come to activities. Then if they are interested, give them to the missionaries to teach them. And he encouraged every member to have a Preach my Gospel. The book is not just for missionaries, but for everyone to help them know the gospel more and help them with a lot of other things. President also talked about the miracle of 2010. For our mission, two years ago, 2008, they had about 105 baptisms. Last year the mission had about 120 baptisms. This year up to right now, we have about 230 baptisms. We have about 70 or more baptisms dates before this year ends. Our mission is shooting for over 300 at the end of the year. It is so cool. The work here has just exploded and it is just going to keep getting better. Our goal for our zone, the Normandy zone, was 12 baptisms. Last year we got 6 so they made the goal of 12. Right now we have 13 and another 7 more baptism dates here. It is so cool. I am lovin it.

Well, that is just some things that our going on with the work. Now on to the other stuff. Last Saturday was awesome. We were going to do some service with the elders in Cherbourg and we had some extra time before the service. So, we went and played football. And I mean football! American, not soccer, with a team in Cherbourg. This was like football and everything with pads, helmets and all. It was not a game but just practice, so we practiced with them. It was awesome. Their coach was in the army and he kicked our butts into shape. The next day we were all sore. They said we can come back so we are planning to go again this Saturday. Well, the service was cancelled and we were in Cherbourg with our ward mission leader. He took us to go see the world's largest nuclear sub. It was cool. It doesn't work anymore but it was awesome. I also found out that Cherbourg was the last stopping place of the Titanic before is sunk. Last week they had the Queen Elizabeth at the boat docked there, so that is cool. Well, we were coming back and we stopped by this church because we where with our ward mission leader lives. We stopped at this church, the St. Marie Eglise. I think that is what it was called where the 82nd air born landed in World War 2. There was a guy who got stuck on top of the church for two days and was not killed. So, at the church they have a manikin hanging by a parachute on the church. It was funny.

Well, those are just some things that are going on here in Normandy. Things are going great. Well time is short. I love you guys and hope you have a great week and a great day. I hope you are loving the snow. All it does here is rain and rain and rain some more. I think it has rained everyday since I have been here. Well, I love you. TTFN LOVE ELDER WALKER

November 17, 2010

Hey family, how is it all going? Things here are awesome.... well, some things at least. Well, the train ride here was fun. I had to change trains 3 times to get over here from Angers. I almost missed one of them also. But I finally reached Coutances. So, our church is in Coutances but we live in St Lo, which is about a 30 min drive away, so it takes some time to get there. Well, we have done some cool things here this week. We have two baptism dates here. So, we have been teaching them and they are doing great. It is a 9 year old daughter and her mother. They asked us if they could be baptized. They asked us if they could be baptized! It was awesome! They are really cool. Well, the first day that I am here, we go do some service for some members in our ward. They live about a 30 min drive in the other direction of Coutances. So, it took us some time to go out there. Well, they live on the coast and it is awesome. You really have about a 100 feet to the ocean. It was cool. Well, we helped them out then we went back and they gave us dinner, which was cool. We had some fish soup. Ever since I got here I think I have had some kind of sea food every day.

Well, eventually, Sunday gets around and guess what I found out.....? I found out that we have a branch and we the missionaries are the councilors in the branch presidency....! So, you have the branch president who is like the bishop of the ward and we are his councilors. Every Sunday we have to direct the meeting and direct sacrament and all those things. Ya, so we got a job on our hands. And, I guess our branch pres. sometimes isn’t there, so we have to do the things. Well, can you guess how many members we have in our branch? We have about 15-20. But last Sunday about 10 came. It is a little change for me going from a big city to a little city. You had Brussels with 1.8 million people, Charleroi, I don’t know, Angers with about 155,000 people and Coutance with about 9,000 ....ya there is a little drop. Well, after church we had a little branch meal with the members and it was cool to get to know them. They are really awesome. Then our ward mission leader, his wife wasn’t home, so he asked if he could take us somewhere. So, we said ya and we just took the time off of our p-day on Monday. But can you guess where he took us? He took us to the beaches of Normandy! To Omaha Beach. Now here is some history if you don’t know. The beaches of Normandy is the place where the Americans, Canadians, and the British landed for D-day in World War 2 to attack the Nazis. Now, I love the history of World War 2 so I was so stoked to go there. It was awesome. We went to the American cemetery where there were over 9000 young adults who died on D-day. The actual land belongs to America. France gave it to America in about the 1970’s. So, you can kind of say I was home for a little bit. But it was awesome. We got to go into bunkers, see the ocean and the beach. We got to see some cool stuff there I will send along a picture to show you, but it was awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well, we didn’t do much on Monday. Tuesday we had a district meeting in Caen. They asked us to bring some meet and cheese for the sandwiches. So, we bought some. We then were leaving the apartment to go to the gare or train station. So, we get on and I realized I don’t have my discount card and without it my ticket doesn’t work. So, we don’t have time to go get it. I had to buy a new ticket without the discount which sucked. Then, as we were on the train, we realized yet again that we forgot something important...the food. So, eventually we get to Caen and we had to run to the store to get some food for lunch. So, that was fun. But it turned out to be a good day.

Well, Normandy is awesome and Elder Hall is awesome also. We were in the same apartment when I was in Charleroi, so I got to meet him there which was cool. He is cool. He is from St. George, Utah. Cool thing is his mom is French, so he knew some French in the MTC. He only had to stay there for 3 weeks. So, he will have an extra transfer than all of us - but that is pretty cool.
So, yes, the time has come! I have been reminded a lot from my e-mails this week, but yes, the one year mark will be reached tomorrow, NOV. 18! WOW! Where has the time gone? It feels only like yesterday I left for the MTC - WOW.... Well, it only means one thing. Do you know what that is? It is WORKING HARDER!! Oh ya! gooooo wooork!!
Well, family, I love you and hope you have a great week. Things here have been great and things will only get better.

PS - if there is a package sent to the office for Christmas, it needs to be in at the latest before DEC 8. Because DEC 8 is a big mission conference with the whole mission and that is when we should get it. Thank You! TTFN LOVE ELDER WALKER

More fun Photos

Here are some photos of: last family home evening in Angers (only the young women showed up. It was kinda weird), and two pictures of our district; I hope you enjoy them.

November 10, 2010

Hey quick note family I made it to Coutance ok I am just leting you know that here we can not do our e-mails on monday. so we usualy do them tuesday, or Wednesday. mostly wednesday because I guess it takes to long to get back from district meeting on tuesday so it maybe tuesday or wednesday. We dont do it monday because it is closed.

I just wanted you to know for next week. I love you and hope you have a great week I love you and I will have to tell you about my transfer next week I LOVE YOU TTFN LOVE ELDER WALKER

November 8, 2010

Hey family, how is it all going? I hope everything is going well. Well, things here have been interesting. Did everyone get the news - I am leaving Angers. I am going to Coutance. Well, the church is in Coutance but we live in St LO and we do all the contacting there also. After, we have a 30 minute drive to our church for Sundays, ya - how fun. Oh well, I have some good CD’s so that is good. Well, life here has been good. Not much has gone on here this past week. Can anyone guess what our stats were for this week? Ya - they were not too good. This had to be one of my worst weeks here according to stats, but stats don’t really matter, so ya. Well, to tell you the truth we got straight ZEROS (0). How fun! No, we did do a lot of contacting and we had appointments but they got sick and couldn’t come, so that was sad.

We also had an investigator this week who called and dropped us because she thinks Joseph Smith wrote the Book of Mormon. She says it is too much 18th century. So that was sad also. But, oh well, all you can do is your best and then move on. Things like this happen. We just have to keep working and find the elect. So, how is everyone doing back at home? I have heard that it has been snowing a lot and the worst news is that U OF U lost to TCU! That was a sad day when I found that out.....which happens to be today.......ya..... Well I have heard that it rains a lot in Coutance and it is very cold. Oh ya, I am going to freeze. So, I have found out that it is snowing a lot in Utah, just a sec I will write another e mail in about é min….

Sorry, people were talking with me and I got distracted. So, things here have been doing great. Just really slow but I am excited to go to Coutance with Elder Hall. So, I found out after I learned where I was going about the population. Brussels has about 1.8 million people, Angers 155,000 people and Coutance 9000.....ya it is a very small town. We have a branch of 25 people and only about 15 come. So, I am going to go to a very small town, but, oh well, it is in NORMANDE! OH YA I am so HAPPY. It is also going to take me a long time to get there. I have to go through 3 cities and I have delay stopovers in all of them. So, it is going to be along day. Well, things here are going great. I don’t have much time. I am at the church and we have family home evening about to start, so I have to go. Well, I love you family. Sorry my e mail is not that much this week but hopefully it will be better next week. TTFN LOVE ELDER WALKER

Here are some photos if you want…

November 6, 2010

Hey family how is it going? well I got the news about transfers I am Going to Coutances with Elder Gregory Hall Coutances is in the Normandie Zone....I wanted to go to Normandie so bad o ya whoo who well here is my address.

Les missionaries
Elder Christopher Walker
50 route villedieu n°17
50000 ST LO
FRANCE

Hey by the way There is a ^ over the O in ST LO. I can not figure out how to do it on the computer but there is one on the address Well I lvoe you family and I will tell you more on Monday

November 1, 2010

Hey family, how’s it hangin? I hope things are going great back at home. Things here have been a little fun and a little interesting lately. Well, to start off, Elder Berrett came this week so our companionship of 3 went to two companionships of 2. So, that has been fun. Well, we have done a lot of contacting lately. We contacted for the whole day on some days. One day this week, Thursday or Wednesday, we had to stay in the apartment for most of the day because it was the day of a huge manifestation. So, we had to stay inside for that but we eventually got out because we had to go to English class. So, that was nice to get out of the apartment. We were all happy for that.

Well, Friday is kinda the day when things started to get interesting around here. We had a rendez-vous (appointment) with a investigator who is only 12. Missionaries have been going over for about 2 years now. So, we went over and Elder Brady had a strong feeling that we should teach him a little different than usual. This kid knows that this church is true. He has grown up in this church his whole life and he won’t get baptized. And he doesn’t know why. So, we started to teach him about baptism. Well, we started teaching him and Elder Brady started to use the scripture Mosiah 3:19 “…the natural man is an enemy of god.” Well. Let’s just say we got to the point of the baptism and he was shocked about what was said. Now, the mom was there and she didn’t try to stop us and she seemed like she was supporting this. Well, it comes around to Sunday and we have a meeting with our ward mission leader. He starts getting a little mad with him because I guess the family took the lesson the wrong way and got a little mad at us. So, the mission leader talks to us. Then he had to talk with another member who is a counselor to our president somehow. So, that night President Staheli calls Elder Brady. Ya, so this is why things are a little weird. Well, the member who is the counselor to pres. is also the home teacher of this 12year old boy. He thinks Elder Brady just destroyed the progression they had going for this kid. Well, when president called Elder Brady was pretty scared but he told him he had a strong feeling that is what he needed to hear. And president said if you had that feeling then it was probably good that you said it. He also said that we have been set a part to know what our investigators need and how to teach them. So, it is all good now, just some of the members hate the missionaries, but it is all good. Maybe one day he will reflect on the things we taught and realize that it is what he needed to hear.

So, that is why things have been a little weird here lately but I hope things will work out. Transfers are coming up and Elder Brady doesn’t think he will be staying here. We also all think that Elder Ellis is leaving because he has been here for 3 transfers. President usually doesn’t let people stay for more than 3. They can, but it is rare. Elder Brady thinks I am staying with Elder Barrett and they will close a companionship here. President said he doesn’t know how long they are going to keep four missionaries here because they have to close some companionships next transfer. They are trying to get our mission down to only 100 missionaries. That is a lot of people and companionships they have to close. We have about 160 right now and they are just sending less and less missionaries here. So, it won’t happen for a while but they are working on it. Well, my opinion on whether I stay or go - I don’t know to tell you the truth. I can see me going and I can see me staying. It would be cool to stay or to go somewhere else. It would be cool to go to Normandy or back to Belgium. But we shall find out, I am not sure though. Well, we will find out this Saturday and I will see if I can e-mail you when I get it.

Well, things are going great beside all the fun things that have been happening to us. I love the mission. I have grown so much closer to our Heavenly Father through being here. I love it so much and it has been a great experience for me. Well, family Je vous aime I want you to know that. I am so grateful for everything that you do. I love you and hope you have a great week TTFN LOVE ELDER WALKER

PS - we also had the chance to see an American football game in France........ya it is not every day that you see that. It wasn’t the same but it was still cool to see American football - oh ya.....