The church is true, the book is blue, Jesus loves all of you

Hello family!!!

 (In the first section he talked about how lousy he is at letter-writing -- a fact that can be documented by almost all of you. So he says he's sorry and he'll try to do better -- and he truly does appreciate the kind letters and packages he has been sent.)

 The district is great! We actually got a new sister in our district. Sister Novacavich got sent down to Stockton and a very well known sister is her with us now. I mean very well known by Brian. Sister Brinkerhoff. Yup Bri-bear she's in my district! She's a SUPER solid missionary with great Spanish. They like doubled their lessons in the 2/3 days that they were together! We're all very excited to have her here. And yes, we already made the connection that she was in Brian's home ward in Texas. It all clicked haha she remembered someone told her Brian's wife's brother was in the mission she was in too! Brian told me to watch out and see if I see her sometime. Welp, I saw her! We had a running experience this week but it was one of my best teaching weeks I've had in a while. The work is kinda slow, but that's alright! I've been used to baptizing quickly, but since I think back to Elder Guzman and I's adventure in Rancho Cordova that first transfer, I look at us now and it's not too much different! We're improving a lot of things here which I'm SUPER excited about. We've got 3-4 potential baptisms for next transfer and 1-2 for this transfer. Coming into 0 with 21 non progressing investigators. We now have 2 progressing with about 10-12 others and 1 praying about being baptized for conference weekend! Every conference I have seen a baptism. Hoping this one comes through :D The Lord is really opening this area.

What a blessed week! It was exciting! We had a super cool miracle on Saturday! So I was listening to a voice message on the phone from one of the Elders in our district and walking out of an apartment complex. Anyway, so I was leaving and I could've sworn the elder said, "Alondra" like "Go see Alondra". Alondra is the daughter of a guy we dropped last week. ANYWAY so we went to go see her, she hadn't opened up the door in like 3 weeks, but we decided to go anyway because of that. She was there along with her brother. We just came in and talked with her. She had read the entire Restoration pamphlet and had been teaching herself how to pray. We asked her 3 questions. "Alondra, have you ever wondered who's Jesus Christ, why we're here or what is the true church of God?" She looked at me SUPER surprised and said, Yes. The last two a lot. I told her, "God has sent us her today because HIS church has been brought back and that church has the answers you are looking for." This little 15 year old girl just looked at us for a second with a few seconds of silence, then said, "I... Don't know what to say.... What do you say first to someone who has all the answers you need?". Then we as well didn't really know what to say. Luckily the spirit ALWAYS knows what to say so it helped us. We invited her to church and the next day (Sunday) we stopped in the morning to go see her but her dad (who we dropped) didn't really want to go. He told us they were coming but they ended up not coming. It was devastating to me. But we had Marcelo, Leo and a members son there. Leo doesn't reallly like the ward. No one really talked to him which KILLED me because we sat him RIGHT in the middle of members! GRRR! That will hold him back a little, but we know the spirit will touch his heart. I hope he comes again. Marcelo is an eternal but he's progressing! Sin alcohol por 12 dias! YAYAY!!! We're super excited for him! He's doing a great job and SERIOUSLY thinking about the 31st for baptism. I hope and know he will. Faith is what will get him there now. He knows the church is true!!! El es un mormon seco (dry mormon)!!! He just needs to get into the water!

 Well, That was our week! Oh yeah. SURPRISE!! They want me to sing at zone conference. Again. The new AP and I sang together a bunch in Lodi so... He knows me.... Darn it all!!! haha but I'm excited to share a talent. It'll be fun! Love you all!!

The church is true the book is blue Jesus loves all of you!

XD Love,
Elder Walker

Time just flies!!!

This week was great! Last week of transfer 7! So crazy. I still remember when I was in transfer 1. What happened to all the time??! I'm so distraught and a little upset that this mission thing is going by too fast. I was kinda hoping for it to drag on lol.

 

This week was an "I miss my family week" for a part of it, but who doesn't? It's great to know that the options are: 1 finish my mission honorably and help the children in this part of the vineyard. 2. Go home in a body bag. I figure #1 would probably be better. So we're working hard!

 

Julia and Eduardo are FIIIIRRMM! They had a hard week. We went over with the Jdubb shuffle. WHich is basically 30 scriptures proving that Jesus is Jehovah. Well. That backfired. She got very confused and almost told us not to come back. So we told her we would come back the next day to clear things up. The first thing she said is: I've decided I don't want to listen anymore. Please leave..... My heart died. I couldn't speak and I forgot whatever spanish I knew. Luckily our District Leader was there and had seen this before. He asked if we could say a prayer and she let us. The spirit came and she listened. Though Jehovah is still God in her eyes, that will come. The important thing is her knowledge that God is God and that he loves us and that this is His church. She and Eduardo are getting married Saturday and baptized the 28th. Miracles happen!

 

It's a beautiful thing to see things like this happen! We've found some new investigators and had 4 to church! Including a less-active and her husband! Our goal of activating 3 less-actives is on it's way to being fulfilled! So stoked!

 

The Lord's work is here on the earth! What an honor it is to be a small tiny part and yet to be able to see it help out in such a big way to everyone we teach. Each and every person we talk to already said yes tot he plan of happines. It's so great to know that they are going to have a second chance to say yes again! Holy cow!

 

I'm so stoked to be able to be here in Rancho for at least 6 more weeks. To see this ward finally give wing and fly just a little bit. It's been amazing to see the changes in each and every person. I love this ward now. I'm so glad to be with Elder Hernandez again and to see the growth he's made and making. I love him and am learning so much!

 

Love you all!!!

 

Elder Walker